Samsung Makes Strategic Investment In Mobile Broadband Developer Stoke To Support Accelerated LTE Push

SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 18, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Samsung Venture Investment Corporation has made a strategic investment of US$5 million in Mobile Broadband innovator Stoke, Inc. supporting their accelerated penetration of the worldwide LTE market.

"Samsung has deployed and commercialized very large LTE networks and this proven experience in LTE deployments demonstrates the company's ability to support customers worldwide in this new era of communications," said Brian Kang, Senior Director of Samsung Venture. "We are excited by the market potential of Stoke's gateways to enhance and support the performance and value of differentiated solutions in the LTE space."

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/samsung-makes-strategic-investment-in-mobile-broadband-developer-stoke-to-support-accelerated-lte-push-2012-07-18

Samsung Galaxy Nexus gets Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Samsung Galaxy Nexus owners can now update their smartphone to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Our SIM-free Galaxy Nexus in the PC Advisor office has received the update bringing the device to the latest version of Android. The download is 149.9MB but users with handsets attached to a mobile operator may have to wait longer for the upgrade. See also: Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) review.

Read more: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/mobile-phone/3370603/samsung-galaxy-nexus-gets-android-41-jelly-bean/#ixzz210XraJ26

The Android Formula: Winning Or Losing For Google?

In March of last year, I wrote that Google (GOOG) was dominating Apple (AAPL) in the mobile phone OS sphere. The "Battle for Mobile OS Dominance" was swinging in Google's favor. I wrote a follow up on whether they were truly dominating the market. All signs pointed to iOS getting ousted for good as the leader of the mobile space. What does the market look like now?

51% Market Share for Android

A few days ago, Nielsen released the figures below, showing that Android had 51% of the smartphone market share.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/728041-the-android-formula-winning-or-losing-for-google

Cambridge's Plextek connects Android in cars

More Android-based in-car infotainment, this time involving Plextek, which has designed an Android-based mobile computing platform for integration into cars.

Car entertainment systems typically use Linux- or Windows-based operating systems,writes Richard Wilson, but the Cambridge-based design firm has created an in-car unit that can link with any Android smartphone or tablet to provide a data connection, call support and play audio wirelessly via Bluetooth.

According to Project Manager, Nicholas Hill, some fundamental modifications are required for in-car use. "With this new platform we're expecting more vehicle manufacturers to look at the potential for Android devices in our cars," said Hill.

One of the biggest challenges was the start-up time of the OS, with a typical 'cold' boot of an Android device taking well over 30 seconds.

This is not such an issue for smartphones because they never need to turn themselves off completely unless the battery is completely exhausted. However, vehicle manufacturers impose extremely tight restrictions on the long-term current drain permitted for every device in the vehicle in order to avoid exhausting the battery, and the use of a secondary battery isn't allowed for safety reasons.

http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/eyes-on-android-updates/2012/07/cambridges-plextek-connects-android-in-cars.html

Adfonic: Android Tops iOS As Most Popular Platform On Global Ad Network; iPhone, iPad Still Top Devices

Android is now most-used smartphone platform worldwide, and that swing is being reflected in other areas like mobile advertising. Today some numbers out from Adfonic indicate that in Q2, Android accounted for the majority of mobile ad impressions on its network worldwide, with 46 percent compared to iOS’s 34 percent of impressions. This is the first time Adfonic says it has recorded Android being more popular than iOS. In that, it joins other big ad networks likeMillennial Media and InMobi, which both noted Google’s OS overtaking Apple’s earlier this year.

Adfonic’s Global AdMetrics Report is based on 4,000 rich-media campaigns run monthly for brands like Samsung, Warner Bros, eBay, McDonald’s, Groupon and Google, reaching 200 million mobile unique users monthly over 80 billion ad requests. The company notes that today’s Android popularity is a near-mirror switch from the quarter before, when iOS took 45 percent of traffic to Android’s 38 percent. The only region where Android has yet to dominate over iOS, Adfonic says, is South America, and overall iOS lost marketshare in every region. The U.S., on the other hand, has seen the most drastic flip:

http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/18/adfonic-android-tops-ios-as-most-popular-platform-on-global-ad-network-iphone-ipad-still-top-devices/

Symantec Releases First Android Enterprise Anti-Virus

Mobile security is fast becoming a major headache for IT departments, so on Tuesday Symantec released its first enterprise -grade anti-virus software for Android devices. The product, called Symantec Mobile Security for Android, complements the company's consumer-oriented Norton Mobile Security for Android.

The company said that the new product leverages its proprietary technology for monitoring and analyzing millions of Android apps on more than 70 app stores worldwide. This continual monitoring of Android apps enables Symantec to determine which apps, for instance, are subscribing to services without authorization, and then to maintain an Android app blacklist.

http://www.cio-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=102009PBU8N0&full_skip=1

The Dark Knight Rises now on iOS/Android

KARACHI: The Dark Knight Rises is grabbing a lot of viewers’ attention these days and generating more audience excitement than the three highest grossing films from the past 12 months.

The Caped Crusader may dominate this summer in Christopher Nolan’s final film in the Batman franchise, due for release on the 20th July. The Hollywood blockbuster will release alongside the videogame adaptation, from producers Gameloft.

The games publisher announced that they will launch a mobile-based game of the official Dark Knight Rises under the same title and on the same date of release as the film.

Gameloft posted the official mobile game trailer on YouTube and additional details are available via the Facebook App. The videogame also features a secret URL that leads to a landing page revealing the secret code to unlock exclusive content in the game.

http://www.brecorder.com/arts-a-leisure/movies/68575-the-dark-knight-rises-now-on-iosandroid.html

Apple's hugely controversial new iPhone charging socket that will mean having to buy new accessories is 'confirmed' with design patent

The U.S. Patent Office has granted Apple a patent for what is believed to be the new dock connector on the next iPhone.

Apple is believed to be revamping the charging port for what will be the fifth version of the iPhone, which is expected to arrive later this Autumn.

As with all of Apple's products, the company keeps its cards very close to its chest before launches, but the patent filing describes a charging and data port which matches the rumoured new design.

Sadly for Apple users, the new design will mean changing all of your peripherals, such as speaker docks, unless adapters comes to market.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2175312/Apples-new-iPhone-charging-socket-confirmed-tech-giant-wins-patent-new-design.html#ixzz210ViFTqF

New iPhone to have thinner screen, report says

Thinner iPhone screen expected

A published report says the new iPhone will have a thinner screen. That could leave more room for a larger battery. The Wall Street Journal is citing unnamed people familiar with the matter in reporting that the new iPhone will have a screen that can sense touches without the need for a separate, touch-sensitive layer.

Tuesday’s report says that would shave half a millimeter from the thickness of the screen. That doesn’t mean the phone itself will be thinner, however. Apple doesn’t comment on its product plans. A new iPhone is expected this fall.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/07/17/3709217/starwatch-consumer-new-iphone.html#storylink=cpy

Apple iPhone name conundrum, will it be iPhone 5?

We do not like to ask questions usually but sometimes feel the need from popular demand when we receive many emails asking a particular question. We all know that Apple will be releasing its brand new smartphone this year but when that will happen no one knows. The name is another mystery so will it be the iPhone 5 as is widely expected or something different entirely.

The Apple iPhone has become somewhat iconic since its first iteration back in 2007 and actually feels as though it has been with us for much longer. Although a release date for the next iPhone has not yet been revealed a fall launch seems more and more likely but another question concerns what it will be called. For now most tech sites and blogs have been referring to it as the iPhone 5 simply because that is the next number in the sequence. However we also referred to the iPhone 4S as the iPhone 5 before it launched, as that was what most were expecting after the previous iPhone 4 and so the iPhone 4S title caught many people out.

http://www.phonesreview.co.uk/2012/07/18/apple-iphone-name-conundrum-will-it-be-iphone-5/

iPhone 3GS getting more iOS 6 features

The iPhone 3GS looks set to get more iOS 6 features than previously thought.

For iPhone 3GS owners Apple’s iOS 6 announcement was a double-edged sword, on the one hand the good news was the three-year-old phone would be updated to the new platform, the bad news was it looked as though it wouldn’t have all the features.

While the iPhone 3GS still won’t be getting the full suite it seems the latest pre-release build, iOS 6 Beta 3, has revealed that shared Photo Streams and VIP email, two features previously thought to be omitted for the older iPhone model, are now present.

http://www.knowyourmobile.com/blog/1490688/iphone_3gs_getting_more_ios_6_features.html

Free iPhone app to help spot early signs of skin cancer

London: Apart from proving many other functions, your phone can now be your e-doctor as well, thanks to a new free iPhone app.

Developed at the University of Michigan Health System, the new free app allows users to use their phone’s camera to check for early signs of skin cancer.

It works by creating a photographic baseline of their skin, a newspaper reported.

Should suspicious moles or other skin lesions be spotted, the app can walk users through a self exam.

Called UMSkinCheck, it even sends automatic reminders so users can monitor changes to a skin lesion over time.

http://zeenews.india.com/news/health/health-news/free-iphone-app-to-help-spot-early-signs-of-skin-cancer_17932.html

Facebook's Zuckerberg gets mortgage rate of 1.05 percent

The rich are different -- they have cheaper mortgages.

At least that's true for Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

The 28-year-old billionaire refinanced his Palo Alto home April 9 with a 1.05 percent adjustable rate mortgage on a loan of $5.95 million.

The average person getting an adjustable mortgage that month would be paying an interest rate of 2.68 percent on a loan that was fixed for one year, according to Freddie Mac.

So how did Zuckerberg swing such a sweet deal?

As a billionaire, he's a client any bank would like to have.

And his mortgage adjusts monthly, subject to changes in a benchmark interest rate, exposing him to the risk that rates could soar, sending up his monthly payment.

But for the moment, he has an interest rate below the level of inflation, which is currently 1.7 percent.

http://www.thereporter.com/business/ci_21087254/facebook-zuckerberg-gets-mortgage-at-1-05-percent?source=most_viewed

Britons prefer SMSes, Facebook over phone calls

LONDON: Britons prefer to text friends or keep in touch on Facebook rather than chat on the phone, leading to the first ever decline in mobile voice calls, according to the UK's telecoms regulator.

The average consumer now sends 50 texts a week, a number that has doubled in four years, with over 150 billion text message sent in 2011,Ofcom said in its annual Communications Market Report.

They also spend almost an hour and a half a week using email, on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, or using a mobile to access the internet, while fewer calls were made on both fixed-line and mobile phones.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/personal-tech/computing/Britons-prefer-SMSes-Facebook-over-phone-calls/articleshow/15028009.cms

Samsung buys British chip unit for $300 mil.

Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest maker of computer memory chips, said Tuesday it reached an agreement to buy the mobile product division of British semiconductor designer Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR) for $300 million.

Samsung will separately invest $34 million in CSR, which is advanced in technology for chips used in mobile Internet devices like smartphones and touch-screen tablets.

Samsung boasts dual strength in parts and finished products, also being the world’s second-largest liquid crystal display (LCD) maker and the largest provider of flat-screen television and mobile phones. The company is currently locked in a bitter rivalry with Apple in smartphones and tablets, with lawsuits flying left and right between them.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/tech/2012/07/133_115301.html

Judge rejects secrecy bids in Apple vs. Samsung battle

Apple and Samsung, the world's largest consumer electronics corporations, are waging legal war in several countries, accusing each other of patent violations as they vie for supremacy in a fast-growing market for mobile devices.

In an order issued late on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, wrote that "it appears that the parties have overdesignated confidential documents and are seeking to seal information that is not truly sealable."

Koh gave both companies one week to refile their sealing requests. Representatives for Apple and Samsung could not immediately be reached for comment.

Filing documents under seal has become almost standard procedure in intellectual-property cases as companies try to keep their trade secrets and other sensitive business information from coming out during litigation.

http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/07/18/us-apple-samsung-ruling-idINBRE86H05520120718

Opposing view: 'Facebook Jr.' is an awful idea

Young children do not need to be on social networks with 1,000 friends when they're 6 or 7 years old. Kids this young are still learning to navigate their offline life — learning how to play and engage with others — and don't need the added complexity of managing a Facebook social profile.

•There are already social networks for young kids, and they've been built by organizations with years of experience entertaining kids and earning the trust and respect of parents, such as Disney and Nickelodeon.

•It's hard to understand why Facebook is even considering this idea, unless it's under pressure from shareholders and the online advertising industry. Maybe in light of recent evidence that Facebook ads aren't very successful with current users, executives are hoping that young kids will be more likely to take the bait.

Make no mistake: Advertising is a big part of this discussion because advertising is big part of Facebook — nearly 90% of its revenue last year. Child development experts know that young kids are more vulnerable to marketing messages.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/story/2012-07-17/Facebook-Common-Sense-Media/56282418/1

Facebook Shares Under Pressure Amid Growth-Slowdown Concerns

Facebook Inc. (FB) shares are under pressure in the run-up to an earnings report, due next week, that will probably indicate growth slowed in the second quarter.

The shares pared losses today, rising 3.6 percent to $29.11 at the close in New York. Including today’s gain, the stock has dropped 23 percent since its May 17 initial public offering.

The largest social-networking service is struggling to add users in some markets, including the U.S., that make up most of its sales, according to Capstone Investments research. A predicted sales slowdown led analysts to slice second-quarter revenue projections 4 percent to $1.16 billion in the past month,data compiled by Bloomberg show. The prediction for per- share profit, excluding some items, fell 10 percent to 11 cents.

“People are concerned about the growth profile,” said Benjamin Schachter, an analyst at Macquarie Securities USA Inc. “More risk is being reflected in the lower stock price.”

Facebook and Washington state join forces to register voters

Washington state is the first state to get hip to social media for its voter registration. According to the Associated Press, the secretary of state's office announced today that it will feature an app on its Facebook page letting residents register to vote.

"In this age of social media and more people going online for services, this is a natural way to introduce people to online registration and leverage the power of friends on Facebook to get more people registered," co-director of elections Shane Hamlin told the Associated Press.

The app was designed by Microsoft, which joined the collaboration with Facebook and Washington last fall. The way it works is Facebook will access users' information, such as name and date of birth, and then users will have to fill in additional information from their driver's license or state ID card. Hamlin told the Associated Press that Facebook would not be privy to this extra information.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57474408-93/facebook-and-washington-state-join-forces-to-register-voters/

Google discontinues old version of Google Analytics

In a largely expected move, Google has announced that tomorrow it will discontinue the old version of Google Analytics, which it has continued to support for much of the past year after introducing a new version.

Google released a new version of the Web visitor statistic service last September that focused on real-time results but kept a link to the old version at the bottom of the page. That link will be retired tomorrow, Google announced today in a company blog.

"We have received some really great feedback over the last year on what's working and what's not; we've been listening very closely and doing our best to incorporate the feedback and ideas," Paul Muret, director of engineering for Google Analytics, said in a company blog post. "We are continually working to improve upon Google Analytics and help provide you with tools to make better decisions for your website and marketing programs, so please keep providing the feedback."

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57474415-93/google-discontinues-old-version-of-google-analytics/

Google working to implement technology in search for human traffickers, drug cartels

Forget videos of cute kittens or good deals on iPads. For the past few months, Google has been quietly turning its search capabilities to something far more challenging: criminals.

Drug cartels, money launderers and human traffickers run their sophisticated operations online — and Google Ideas, Google Inc.'s think tank, is working with the Council on Foreign Relations and other organizations to look for ways to use technology to disrupt international crime.

Officials from Google and groups that combat illicit networks will meet Tuesday and Wednesday in Westlake Village, Calif., to develop strategies for fighting global crime.

"Google is in a great position to take these on," said Rani Hong, a survivor of child trafficking in India who is now a special adviser to the United Nations. "They're a powerful medium and they have great tools to solve this problem."

http://lubbockonline.com/filed-online/2012-07-17/google-working-implement-technology-search-human-traffickers-drug-cartels#.UAcIaOEtgTk

Endangered languages get a Google protection plan

MEXICO CITY: Google on Tuesday unveiled an online information exchange platform to try to give some extra lasting power to more than 3,000 endangered languages.

Called endangeredlanguages.com, it is out to help improve the exchange of digital source materials in languages spoken by small numbers of people, from Navajo in the United States, to Aragonese in Spain, to Koro in India and Burunge in Tanzania.

"It is an open, on-line platform where anybody can get on and start sharing materials in those languages which are in danger of being lost," said Miguel Alba, Google's Mexico marketing chief.

"Today there are around 7,000 languages spoken around the world, but half of them are expected not to survive to the end of this century," Alba said.

http://www.brecorder.com/top-news/110-business-a-finance-top-news/68493-endangered-languages-get-a-google-protection-plan-.html

Google Maps visits Antarctica's snowy landscape

Antarctica is long known to be an inhospitable place of constant cold and wind and completely void of plant life. It is also supposed to be beautiful -- filled with snowy vistas, blue-tinted glaciers, and penguins.

Google announced today that with the introduction of its new Google Maps feature people don't need to gear up, survive the elements, and make the long journey to explore this corner of the world. They can simply fire up their computers and take a tour with Antarctic Street View.

One of the focuses of this special addition to Google Maps is to teach users about the history of Antarctic exploration and the people who first set up shop in this bleak environment.

Here's what Google's technical program manager for Street View Alex Starns wrote in a blog post:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57474424-93/google-maps-visits-antarcticas-snowy-landscape/

Google Nexus 7 hits British shops

Asus, Google’s Taiwanese manufacturing partner, described the strategy as a “soft launch”. There is no release date as such and online retailers such as eBuyer have been taking orders and shipping the Nexus 7 to Britons since Friday.

Today the biggest remaining bricks and mortar electronics retailers, Currys and PC World, said they would start selling the device, in a test of whether it can become the first Android tablet to break into the mainstream. Efforts by third party manufacturers such as Samsung and Motorola, also sold at the big stores, have so far failed to loosen Apple’s grip on the market.

According to the analysts IDC, the iPad accounted for 68 per cent of sales in the first quarter of 2012. Even more concerning for Google, which created Android to drive mobile traffic to its main search engine business, there is evidence that Android tablets often go unused: 95 per cent of tablet web traffic comes from iPads.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/9406714/Google-Nexus-7-hits-British-shops.html

Google declares war on illicit networks

At a two-day summit including Interpol, government ministers and victims of forced labor and child slavery, Schmidt said the Internet can help fight traffickers of drugs, sex workers and organs.

International police body Interpol used the conference to unveil a pioneering initiative to crack down on trade in fake goods, using an app developed with the help of search giant Google.

"In a connected world, vulnerable people will be safer, trafficking victims can learn their rights, can find opportunities; organ harvesters can be named and brought to justice," Schmidt said.

"Connection protects us .. together we can use technology to protect the world," he told the "Illicit Networks: Forces in Opposition" summit in Thousand Oaks, north of Los Angeles.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-59366-Google-declares-war-on-illicit-networks

XBMC media player now running on Android, Nexus Q

The developers of the popular XBMC open source entertainment hub have released a preliminary version for Android, which means the software could soon be running on a wide range of smartphones and tablets – even Google's Nexus Q media device.

Though originally designed for home theater PCs, XBMC now runs on a wide range of devices, including the Apple TV. Its main advantage is that it can play virtually any media format you throw at it, either from the network or local storage.

The Android version was mostly developed in secret, helped along by funding from digital set-top box maker Pivos, and was formally unveiled over the weekend.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/07/18/xbmc_now_on_android/

Google Search Gets New Interactive Weather Widget On iOS And Android Tablets

Here is a small but nifty update to Google’s search interface on tablets (both iOS and Android): just search for [weather] and a new tablet-optimized weather widget will show you the current weather at your location (or anywhere else if you add a city’s name or ZIP code to your search), as well as hourly and ten-day forecasts for temperature, precipitation, humidity and wind speed. Google officially confirmed this update on Google+ earlier today.

The new widget looks like the developers took their design cues from Android’s new Google Now feature. Earlier this year, Google launched a similar widget for iPhone and Android phones as well, but its design is significantly different and the feature set is limited to a three- or five-day forecast depending on the size and orientation of your screen. Just like the new tablet widget, though, the phone interface is also interactive.

http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/17/google-search-gets-new-interactive-weather-widget-on-ios-and-android-tablets/

Android's Jelly Bean aims to be hard to hack

New features on Google's latest Android mobile OS -- Jelly Bean 4.1 -- beef up the system's security over all other past OS iterations. With Jelly Bean's design, Google has aimed to defend against hacks that install viruses and other malware on mobile devices using the system.

"Android has stepped its game up mitigation-wise in the new Jelly Bean release," security researcher Jon Oberheide wrote in an analysis published this week.

Oberheide notes that the central difference between Jelly Bean and other Android systems is that it incorporates Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR), which randomizes locations in the devices' memory, along with another security feature called data execution prevention (DEP).

This is crucial because one way hackers tend to break into handsets is via memory corruption bugs, according to Ars Technica, which first reported this news. When ASLR is combined with DEP, these types of attacks can be defeated because hackers cannot locate the malicious code in the device's memory.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57474377-94/androids-jelly-bean-aims-to-be-hard-to-hack/

Ouya, the Android powered gaming console is coming soon

Now that everybody and their grandmother owns a smart phone, the iOS and Androidoperating systems have become increasingly popular. Both are now household names, and are beginning to be acknowledged as legitimate gaming platforms. With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that the rumors of a gaming console based around one of these operating systems is now a reality. Officially announced at the beginning of the month,Ouya (pronounced OOO-yah), an Android based console, is hoping to bring this market to bigger screens all across the world.

Ouya began raising money via Kickstarter on July 10th. Within eight hours, it had already reached its goal. As of July 17th, Ouya has over 39,000 backers, who have raised over $5,000,000 collectively. These numbers are astounding, and show that perhaps more people have wanted an Android console for these “little phone games” than anyone may have realized.

http://www.examiner.com/article/ouya-the-android-powered-gaming-console-is-coming-soon

iPhone 3GS Now Supports Some iOS 6 Features with Latest Developer Build

Shortly after iOS 6 was introduced at WWDC in June, some crack reporting was done and it was discovered that the iPhone 3GS would support the new version of iOS, but not many of its touted new features. Since Apple released iOS 6 beta 3 to developers earlier this week, it has been discovered that a few of the features in iOS 6, will indeed be making it to the aging device.

First, VIP mailing lists will now work on the iPhone 3GS. This new features allows users to assign “VIP” status to certain email addresses, and with that in place, when an email is received from one of these addresses, a notification is set to the iOS 6 user’s lock screen or notification center.

The other feature in question is Shared Photo streams, which is also being introduced with iOS 6. This feature, as Apple bills it, allows users to “share select photos with a select audience”. Seems simple enough for an older device to handle.

http://isource.com/2012/07/17/iphone-3gs-now-supports-some-ios-6-features-with-latest-developer-build/

Spike physical keyboards for iPhone let you type with ease

For consumers who have an iPhone, but yearn for the feel and touch of a physical, BlackBerry-esque QWERTY keyboard, SoloMatrix may have the solution.

Its product, Spike, is a protective case that has a hinged physical keyboard, which can be overlaid on an iPhone's display.

This lets users type away on a tactile keyboard, without the need for wires, docking, Bluetooth, or an app to download. You can help fund (and consequently preorder) Spike through itsKickstarter page.

Slated for a September/October release, Spike will be available in two versions. With an estimated price tag of $30, Spike 1 is the cheaper model. Its physical keyboard flaps open when you need quick access to your screen. You can also remove and turn over the bottom half of the case entirely to move the keyboard to the handset's back.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57474262-1/spike-physical-keyboards-for-iphone-let-you-type-with-ease/

Firefox 14 Now Encrypts Google Searches, But Search Terms Still Will “Leak” Out

Firefox 14 has officially launched today, which means all Google searches are encrypted by default. However, due to a Google loophole, the encryption will not prevent things you search for from “leaking” out to Google’s advertisers nor potentially showing up as search suggestions or in data reported to web sites through Google Webmaster Central. The Firefox team saidof the change:

http://searchengineland.com/firefox-14-now-encrypts-google-searches-but-search-terms-still-will-leak-out-127831

Google Glass Anti-Theft Patent Detects Burgled Headset, Calls the Coppers

When you plunk down $1,500 for the chance to purchase the future of wearable computing, you might expect some sort of security component to protect your investment. While tethering your augmented-reality glasses to your belt with a chain is a plausible option, Google has come up with a much more technical solution.

On Tuesday, the search giant was granted a patent for a theft-deterrent system that disables the headset if it encounters sudden, unnatural movements. The system also determines if the wearer is the actual owner of the glasses and disables the headset if it’s determined that the head-mounted display is on a stranger’s head. If the glasses don’t work, the thieves are left with nothing more than a pair of specs with a weird thing hanging over the wearer’s right eye.

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/07/google-glass-theft-detection-system-gets-patented-future-nerds-rejoice/

Earnings Preview: Google seen posting stronger 2Q

NEW YORK (AP) — Google Inc. is expected to post higher earnings and revenue when it reports its second-quarter results Thursday, though it will be against the backdrop of an uncertain economy and what analysts call a modest slowdown in search advertising spending.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: This will be the first quarter that Google is reporting its combined results with the former Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc., which it bought for $12.5 billion in May. Citi Investment Research analyst Mark Mahaney said this will be a "messy" quarterly report to wade through, because Google will have four different sets of results.

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-07-17/earnings-preview-google-seen-posting-stronger-2q

Google's Motorola Mobility unit says ban on smartphones avoided

WASHINGTON -- Google (GOOG) unit Motorola Mobility said on Tuesday it has taken steps to avert an interruption of U.S. imports and sales of its smartphones after the devices were found to infringe on a Microsoft patent.

The importation to the United States of some Motorola Mobility smartphones was supposed to stop Wednesday as the result of an International Trade Commission ruling that the phones infringed on technology that makes it possible for consumers to use the devices to generate meeting requests and schedule gatherings.

"While we can't share specific details, we have employed a range of proactive measures to ensure there is no continuing infringement under the ITC's interpretation of this single Microsoft patent," Motorola Mobility spokeswoman Becki Leonard said in an emailed statement.

One option for Motorola Mobility would be to remove the meeting-scheduling technology from its smartphones and tablets. Microsoft has previously said that Motorola Mobility should license the technology.

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_21096157/googles-motorola-mobility-unit-says-ban-smartphones-avoided

Why Google, Microsoft Got Into Tablet Business

Google and Microsoft know that the only way their mobile software will gain a significant portion of the tablet market is to design, build, and brand their own tablets. The Nexus 7 is Google's effort to control Android's slide into fragmentation while simultaneously setting a benchmark for price and quality. For Microsoft, the Surface tablets are the end of a three-year initiative to build platforms from the ground up. And the software giant isn't going to leave the final leg to hardware manufacturers.

Both Google and Microsoft have watched the performance of their respective operating systems suffer with underpowered, hastily built hardware. Microsoft learned years ago that a poorly written hardware driver could bring Windows to its knees. More recently, Google watched manufacturers cash in on the iPad craze by churning out one cheap, useless tablet after another. Even K-Mart was selling an Android tablet early on for $149. K-Mart didn't suffer. Android did.

http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/personal-tech/tablets/240003869

GOOGLE EARTH MOTHER: Is this the world's most powerful pregnant woman?

SHE'S more than six months pregnant but it hasn't stopped her taking over the top job at tech giant Yahoo.

Meet superwoman - Marissa Mayer, the 37-year-old former Google executive, now the highest-profile pregnant woman hired as a CEO.

Mayer, who is expecting a baby boy on October 7, brings the number of women running a Fortune 500 company to 20.

Not only is she two decades younger than the average CEO of a big company, the other women who have attained the position had already had their children.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/business/worklife/google-earth-mother-is-this-the-worlds-most-powerful-pregnant-woman/story-fn7j1dox-1226428992065

Google-style glasses led to attack in McDonald's, professor says

I know those Google glasses make everyone but Sergey Brin look quite odd.

But could they look so odd as to cause someone to rip them off your head?

This question is reverberating around the minds of furious futurists after Steve Mann, a professor at the University of Toronto, was allegedly assaulted in a Paris McDonald's -- by people who allegedly work for McDonald's.

I know that working at McDonald's is extremely stressful. However, Mann's tale, which he committed to his blog, tells of a situation that has caused some indigestion.

Mann says he was wearing his Eye Tap Digital Eye Glass. This has conceptual similarities to Google's Glasses and is similarly novel in appearance.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57474346-71/google-style-glasses-led-to-attack-in-mcdonalds-professor-says/

Samsung Buys U.K. Firm's Mobile Business

SEOUL—South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. has acquired the mobile-technology business of U.K.-based Cambridge Silicon Radio PLC for $310 million, as the smartphone giant seeks technology and patents to ensure its mobile chip and handset businesses stay competitive.

Through the move, Samsung, which recently overtook Nokia Corp. as the world's largest vendor of mobile handsets, obtains CSR's handset connectivity and handset location ..

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303754904577532461504572658.html

Samsung BD-E5900 Blu-ray player

The BD-E5900 is a 3D Blu-ray player; like other Blu-ray players it can also read DVDs. It has Samsung’s Smart Hub of apps and services, a built-in Web browser, and Wi-Fi Direct for wirelessly connecting new laptops, smartphones and tablets.


Samsung Series 5 (BD-E5900): Design and setup

The Samsung Series 5 has a wide range of features, but it’s a relatively benign and unobtrusive device. There’s a concentric-circle design on the top of the player and a couple of small logos, but beyond these it’s a slim, black, small box that should hide away easily next to your TV.

There are three small buttons on the BD-E5900’s front right for playback, power, and ejecting the disc from the tray-loading Blu-ray drive. You’ll also find a USB 2.0 port that accepts USB flash drives and portable hard drives.

http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/review/home_entertainment/samsung/bd-e5900/430933

Testing the fastest Samsung Galaxy S3 of them all

While the Samsung Galaxy S III (S3) looks identical across all four major U.S. carriers, data speeds are anything but equal. I've been testing GS3 phones on one carrier or another for over a month now, and was curious which one gave me the fastest and which the most consistent speeds -- and if the two were the same.

"Fast" is, of course, a relative term. So many factors affect data speeds, from how well each carrier can cover your neighborhood, to architecture that could block your signal, to a high number of users that could congest the network at any given time. Fluctuation is therefore normal, and the absolute "fastest" speeds are hard to pin down.

There's also the question of diagnostic speeds versus real-word tests. Throughout my testing in various San Francisco locations, I used the Speedtest.net app to measure the download and upload speeds for each phone. As real-world tests, I would also visit Web sites and download a common game.

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-57472990-251/testing-the-fastest-samsung-galaxy-s3-of-them-all/

Facebook joke about mudslide-hit resort lands Alberta’s deputy premier in hot water

Alberta’s deputy premier, Thomas Lukaszuk — better known in a leaked email as a “complete and utter a–hole” — waded into muddy waters Tuesday.

He posted a joke on his Facebook page concerning the mudslide situation in British Columbia that has killed four and stranded hundreds in the province’s interior earlier this week.

“Fairmont in Hot Springs has a good deal on rooms today. If a little bit of mud doesn’t bother you, book now!!!” according to news website openfile.ca.

Below, was a picture of a muddy road from the scene of the resort where 600 stranded people have only recently been cleared to leave.

The politician took to Twitter to apologize: “Sorry for my [Facebook] post. I’m out of Canada and was not aware of the scope of the situation in BC. I removed the post.”

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/07/17/alberta-deputy-premiers-facebook-joke-about-mudslide-hit-resort-lands-him-in-hot-water/

Facebook shares slide as user growth in question

Capstone analyst Rory Maher said he used proprietary software to track user numbers by country over the past six months across more than 200 countries and worked out that the social network had shed users in both the United States and Europe. U.S. users declined by 1.1 percent, he said in a research note.

Of the 23 countries where Facebook's penetration exceeded 50 percent, only nine expanded their user base over the past three months, while the remaining 14 countries either had fewer users or saw little change.

Facebook representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/17/us-facebook-shares-idUSBRE86G10G20120717

Vt. GOP official sorry for Obama Facebook post By DAVE GRAM Associated Press

MONTPELIER, Vt. -- A county Republican Party committee chairman apologized Tuesday for a statement he reposted to a party Facebook page that was widely interpreted as a racist attack on President Barack Obama.

Rob Towle, the Rutland County committee chairman, called the statement "stupid and insensitive." On Monday, he apologized to Democrats he said were offended by the post. A day later, he was directing his apology to everyone.

The original post talked about a "2012 Social Security Stimulus Package" that included cornbread mix, discount coupons to Kentucky Fried Chicken and a prayer rug. Prayer rugs are used by Muslims in religious observances.

It added that the contents of the "stimulus package" included an "'Obama Hope & Change' bumper sticker, and a 'Blame it on Bush' poster for the front yard. The directions were in Spanish."

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/07/17/4637882/vt-gop-official-sorry-for-obama.html#storylink=cpy

Nasdaq, Facebook diverge over IPO lawsuits

The No. 1 social network and lead underwriters Morgan Stanley (MS.N), Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) and JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) had filed a motion requesting that the various lawsuits over the IPO be grouped together in federal court in Manhattan.

But in court papers filed on Monday before the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation, Nasdaq and investor plaintiffs who sued it asked the panel not to combine their cases with the shareholder lawsuits against Facebook.

Brant Bishop, a Kirkland & Ellis lawyer representing Facebook, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

More than a dozen lawsuits by shareholders have accused Facebook and its underwriters of hiding the company's weakened growth forecasts ahead of the May 18 IPO, one of the largest in U.S. history.

http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/07/17/us-facebook-legal-idINBRE86G1C320120717

Wash. to unveil voter registration on Facebook

Facebook users in Washington state will have something else to brag about to their online friends: that they registered to vote on Facebook.

The secretary of state's office said Tuesday it will have an application on its Facebook page that allows residents to register to vote and then "like" the application and recommend it to their friends. It's expected to launch as early as next week.

"In this age of social media and more people going online for services, this is a natural way to introduce people to online registration and leverage the power of friends on Facebook to get more people registered," said Shane Hamlin, co-director of elections.

Washington state has had online registration since 2008, and since then, there have been 475,000 registrations or changes of address processed through the system. Washington is one of more than a dozen states that offer online registration.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018708620_apusvoterregistrationfacebook.html

Facebook User Satisfaction Plummets, Google+ Shines, Says Survey

ASCI measures consumer satisfaction for Internet social media annually, and this year the researchers added social networks Google+, Pinterest, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

In the report, Google+ and Wikipedia tied for the best scores, each earning 78 points out of 100. Facebook, meanwhile, earned just 61 points--five points lower than last year's score, and the lowest satisfaction rating among Internet social media services.

Survey respondents appreciated the lack of traditional advertising on Google+, and felt that the network's mobile apps were superior. Facebook's mobile apps are notoriously sluggish, but respondents mostly complained about changes to the site's user interface, including the new Timeline profile format.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/259399/facebook_user_satisfaction_plummets_google_shines_says_survey.html

iPhone 3GS gains Shared Photo Streams, VIP Mail in iOS 6 Beta 3

Users of the iPhone 3GS, a handset first released by Apple in 2009, may have access to the new Shared Photo Streams and VIP Mail features after all, as support has been added in the third beta release of iOS 6.

Previously, Apple's website indicated that the iPhone 3GS would not have accessto Shared Photo Streams or VIP Mail when iOS 6 is released to the public later this year. But with Monday's release of iOS 6 Beta 3 to developers, Apple has since modified its iOS 6 preview page and removed footnotes that said the features would not be available on the iPhone 3GS.

Accordingly, iPhone 3GS users who are testing iOS 6 Beta 3 found that the features were in fact added to the latest pre-release build of the operating system update, asnoted by MacRumors on Tuesday.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12/07/17/iphone_3gs_gains_shared_photo_streams_vip_mail_in_ios_6_beta_3.html

Checkmark for iPhone

Macworld - While Apple may have complicated the field of to-do and reminder apps with the introduction of its own Reminders app in iOS 5, that doesn't mean other developers have given up. Checkmark, a new app from developer Snowman, has upped the ante with a superior implementation of one of Reminders's key features, location-based reminders.

My biggest problem with Apple's Reminders is the sheer frustration that comes with actually using the app. The process of entering items is slow, many of the features aren't fully fleshed out--for example, you can set a priority, but that priority doesn't show up anywhere--and you can set location-based reminders only for places listed in your Contacts. Checkmark addresses most of these issues and packages its features in a sleek, efficient interface that doesn't put the skeuomorphic cart before the horse, as it were.

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9229270/Checkmark_for_iPhone?taxonomyId=77

An iPhone Case in Custom Metal

Element Case, a maker of iPhone cases, wants to play mechanic to your designer. The company is offering a customized version of its luxury-pricedVapor Comp and Vapor Pro cases, which encircle your iPhone with a metal frame. You pick out the colors of the frame, the accents, the screws and the backing plate to create what may be a one-of-a-kind design, and Element Case puts it all together for you.
The Vapor Pro case

The frame is made of anodized aluminum, available in 14 colors and a variety of finishes, and is lined with shock absorbing bumpers. The two customizable models, the Vapor Comp and Vapor Pro, have six parts that can be ordered in different colors, including the start button and frame accents, although not all parts come in all colors.

http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/17/an-iphone-case-in-custom-metal/

Password-protect e-mail on your iPhone and iPad

I'm sure Apple had a reason for not allowing iPhone and iPad users to require a passcode to access the device's mail app, but I don't know what that reason was.

I came up with a free workaround that requires creation of a send-only account for the iPad or iPhone. I also found a $2 app that lets you passcode-protect multiple mail accounts on an iPhone or iPad.

Both solutions require that you disable all but one existing mail account on the device. At least one mail account has to be enabled to allow use of the iPad/iPhone option to share photos and other files via e-mail.

The workaround entails four steps:

• Create a free mail account you'll use only to send messages from the device.
• Forward mail received at the new account to your regular inbox to ensure you don't miss replies to the messages you send from the iPad.
• Disable all other mail accounts on the iPhone or iPad.
• To read your mail, you use either Google's Gmail app for iOS or your browser to sign into a password-protected Webmail account.

Since you'll use the new address only for the messages you send from the iPhone or iPad, the only mail you'll receive at the account are replies -- at least in theory. Some recipients are bound to add your send-only address to their contacts list (or more likely have it added to their contacts automatically).

http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57473192-285/password-protect-e-mail-on-your-iphone-and-ipad/ 

Amazing Alex (for iPhone)

Amazing Alex ($0.99) topped Apple's App Store chart for paid apps almost immediately after its release. That's unheard of—did iPhone users know something I didn't?

Absolutely. After spending some time on Rovio's followup to its former app "drug" Angry Birds, I discovered that Amazing Alex was just as addictive as, but also more cerebral and complex than, its predecessor.

There's no flinging or violence against animals in this game. In Amazing Alex you rearrange toys and household items to create a Rube Goldberg machine. As an item drops on your design, it sets off a chain reaction that sends existing objects ricocheting off each other; your goal is to collect the three stars located in every challenge board by hitting them with these flying objects. For $0.99, you get loads of game time and a good mix-up of challenges to keep your noodle flexed. You just have to get through a a few too many minutes' worth of boring, easy challenges first, and then the fun finally begins.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2407241,00.asp

Customised Android phones are rooted in user preference

To root or not to root? This is a question that obsesses many Androidphone owners. Un-rooted Android phone owners may feel excluded from some of life's greater technical, gaming or social pleasures. But before jumping from a stock Android phone to one that has been customised, here are a few considerations.

The term "root" traces to Linux and Unix. It means to have the privilege to access all commands and all files in the Android operating system, or in other words, to have super-user capability.

http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/430919/customised_android_phones_rooted_user_preference/?fp=4&fpid=78268965

MBTA launches Android version of free mobile 'See Say' app for reporting suspicious activity

The MBTA this week launched the Android version of its free smartphone application allowing users to report suspicious activity by sending text and photos directly to Transit Police.

The “MBTA See Say” app became available Monday in the Android application store Google Play.

The application debuted on Apple’s mobile devices, including the iPhone, in May. The smartphone software is part of the T’s “See Something, Say Something” campaign, which was launched in 2003 in response to the Sept. 11 attacks.

The app allows Boston’s public transit riders to send pictures, text messages and locations of suspicious activity to Transit Police. Tips can also be sent anonymously.

http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/allston_brighton/2012/07/mbta_launches_android_version.html

iPhone 5 poised to trounce Android, devastate BlackBerry?

A new report on smartphone buying plans provides excellent news for Apple, so-so news for Android-handset manufacturers, and downright lousy news for RIM.

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster's annual smartphone purchasing survey – which was conducted by querying 400 people in Minnesota, New York, and California, and in China and Korea – discovered that 65 per cent of them say that their next phone will be an iPhone.

Just 19 per cent said that they plan to buy an Android-based phone, and a mere 2.5 per cent said that their next phone was going to be from RIM. Admittedly, the survey's sample size is small, so the numbers should not be taken as gospel, but the vast range between 65 per cent and 2.5 per cent can't come as good news to the folks sweating in their corner offices in the aptly named Waterloo, Ontario, RIM's home town.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/07/17/munster_survey/

Import ban on Motorola's Android products takes effect Wednesday

An import ban on Motorola Android devices ordered by the US International Trade Commission is scheduled to take effect tomorrow. Motorola Mobility says it has a plan to make sure its Android phones and tablets remain available to US consumers—but the company isn't revealing just what that plan is.

The ITC ordered the import ban two months ago, after ruling that 18 Motorola Mobility products infringe a Microsoft patent. The patent is related to Exchange Active Sync and covers the generation of meeting requests and group scheduling from a mobile device. The ruling was subject to a 60-day Presidential review period, which will expire Wednesday.

Motorola, which is owned by Google, has several options. It could pay Microsoft for a license to the ActiveSync technology, just as it did between 2003 and 2007 before deciding that it wouldn't do so anymore. Motorola could also remove the infringing feature, or issue a software update that implements it in another way that doesn't infringe Microsoft's patent.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/07/import-ban-on-motorolas-android-products-takes-effect-wednesday/

Air Products to Supply Samsung Electronics' New Memory Fabs in Western China

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., July 17, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Air Products APD +1.57% today announced it has been awarded a major contract from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. in support of its new fabs in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, western China. This investment marks Samsung Electronics' largest ever overseas investment and the most advanced fabs in China.

The contract reinforces Air Products' global leadership position in the electronics industry and also strengthens its leading role in China by further expanding into the emerging western China region.

Air Products will supply ultra-high purity nitrogen and other bulk gases, including oxygen, argon, hydrogen, helium and compressed dry air, to Samsung Electronics' fabs in Xi'an High Tech Zone, where the first phase is scheduled to be operational in the second half of 2013. In addition, liquid products will be supplied to the merchant market in the region. Under the contract, Air Products will build several large air separation plants.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/air-products-to-supply-samsung-electronics-new-memory-fabs-in-western-china-2012-07-17

Samsung Portable DVD Writer SE-218BB review

If you have a MacBook Air, or any ultraportable computer that doesn't have a built-in optical drive, the Samsung Portable DVD Writer SE-218BB will make a handy accessory. This is arguably the thinnest and most compact portable bus-powered DVD writer on the market. And at a street price of around $40, it's almost half the price of theSuperDrive accessory for the Air.

The SE-218BB drive is bus-powered, meaning it uses a single USB cable (included) for both power and data. The only shortcoming, if any, the Samsung SE-218BB has compared with Apple's SuperDrive is the fact that the drive comes in black and with a pull-out tray, instead of a slot-loading design.

That said, for those who need an portable, handy external DVD burner and reader, the SE-218BB would be an excellent buy.

http://reviews.cnet.com/dvd-drives/samsung-portable-dvd-writer/4505-3212_7-35374645.html

Official: Samsung Galaxy Note headed to T-Mobile 'in the coming weeks'

T-mobile customers can rejoice now, becauseSamsung's wildly popular smartphone/tablet hybrid is headed to the carrier "in the coming weeks."

The "phablet" comes with a gigantic 5.3-inch Super AMOLED display, Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), and a 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor.

T-Mobiles says "77 percent" of their customers has been patiently waiting for "a device with a 4.5-inch or larger display rather than a smaller screen," so the 4th largest wireless company in the U.S. teamed up with Samsung to provide just that.

Check out the press release.

http://www.examiner.com/article/official-samsung-galaxy-note-headed-to-t-mobile-the-coming-weeks

Samsung Buys Wireless Technology, Patents From UK-based CSR

Samsung Electronics will pay US$310 million to buy technology and patents from U.K. chip design company CSR, strengthening Samsung's chip offerings in the area of wireless connectivity.

The TV, smartphone and memory chip maker, based in Suwon, South Korea, will gain access to CSR's handset connectivity and location technologies, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS, as well as 21 U.S. technology patents and 310 employees.

Samsung will also buy an equity stake in CSR for $34.4 million. The Cambridge-based company currently supplies location-tracking chips for Samsung's smartphones and tablets.

The deal will strengthen Samsung's in-house components business, including its Exynos family of SoCs, or system-on-chips, which are used in its Galaxy S III smartphone, analysts said. Samsung also relies on Qualcomm Snapdragon processors for use in other devices.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/259395/samsung_buys_wireless_technology_patents_from_ukbased_csr.html

Firefox 14 Encrypts Google Searches

Mozilla today released an updated version of its Firefox browser that has a focus on security.

With Firefox 14, Mozilla will automatically encrypt searches conducted via Google's search engine in the browser's location bar, search box, or the right-click menu.

The idea is to "protect your data from potentially prying eyes, like network administrators when you use public or shared WiFi networks," Mozilla said in a blog post.

At this point, Google is the only search engine that will support encrypted searches, "but we look forward to supporting additional search engines with this feature in the future," Mozilla said.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2407263,00.asp

Man Claims Wearing Google Glass-Type Eyewear Led to Bizarre Attack

Can’t wait for Google Glass to become available in 2014? This may temper your enthusiasm: A Canadian man wearing similar eyewear in a French McDonald’s claims he was physically attacked when someone in the store tried to rip the device off his head.

Steve Mann, a Toronto resident, blogged on Monday that the incident occurred on July 1 at a McD’s in Paris. After ordering two Ranch Wraps, one burger, and one mango McFlurry, the attacker “angrily grabbed my eyeglass, and tried to pull it off my head,” Mann wrote. Mann notes that ‘the eyeglass is permanently attached and does not come off my skull without special tools.”

According to Mann’s blog, the attacker was not a McDonald’s employee but had a nametag that he covered up. Since the device Mann was wearing was still photographing, he published pictures of the incident with the attacker’s faces blotted out.

http://mashable.com/2012/07/17/google-glass-eyewear-bizarre-attack/

Google's SPDY wins new allies in plan to rebuild Web plumbing

SPDY, a Google project to try to speed up the Web, is gaining new allies interested in using it as a basis for rebuilding a fundamental Internet technolog that's remained largely unchanged since 1999.

SPDY reworks HTTP, the Hypertext Transfer Protocol by which Web browsers request Web pages and by which Web servers deliver those pages over the Internet. Every time you load a Web page, you use HTTP or its securely encrypted sibling, HTTPS. An upgrade would bring improvements to a vast number of people -- but on the flip side, making changes to something so basic and important is a laborious, sometimes contentious process.

Google launched SPDY more than two years ago, quickly making it relevant by adding it to its Chrome browser and and its own Web site. The work helped nudge Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) into creating HTTP 2.0; the most recent version, 1.1, is now 13 years old.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57473680-93/googles-spdy-wins-new-allies-in-plan-to-rebuild-web-plumbing/

Google Adds Panoramic Antarctica Images to Street View

Google is bringing the freezing Antarctic weather to the comfort of your climate-controlled home.

Today, the search giant announced additional panoramic imagery of historic Antarctic locations as part of the juggernaut's World Wonders site, joining Asian, Australian, European, and North and South American locations.

Full 360-degree imagery was captured on a lightweight tripod camera with a fisheye lens, with the help of the Polar Geospatial Center at the University of Minnesota and the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust, Google said.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2407262,00.asp

Technology can be harnessed to fight drug cartels in Mexico

A couple of months ago we visited Juarez, Mexico, a city right across our border — yet so far away.

The scene was almost surreal: We got off the plane and were met on the tarmac by a convoy of armored cars and open-back trucks swarming with police. The officers were “policía federal.” Like the ones you hear about, they carried machine guns and wore masks to hide their identities. They hung off the backs of their trucks, alert, constantly swiveling as they surveyed the landscape.

They were looking for violent criminals. Meanwhile, everyone we met with — civil society leaders, nonprofit activists, private-sector officials and young people — was looking around for answers.

Their city has been overwhelmed by crime, their lives overcome with fear. They felt defeated, disillusioned and a little helpless. They asked us: What can we do?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/google-executives-say-technology-can-be-harnessed-to-fight-drug-cartels-in-mexico/2012/07/17/gJQACbXhrW_story.html 

Google Nexus 7 Tablets Selling on eBay With Premiums Added to Their Prices

If you can't wait one to four weeks to get your hands on a Nexus 7 tablet from GooglePlay, you can get one on eBay now--you'll just have to pay a premium for it.

A recent search of the auction site revealed new 8GB Nexus 7 tablets for sale with prices starting at around $255. For the 16GB models, the prices start at $329.99.

At Google's online store, GooglePlay, 8GB models sell for $199 and are currently being shipped one to two weeks after purchase. The 16GB models sell for $249 on GooglePlay, with three- to four-week shipping dates.

Shipping charges for the eBay units vary from free to $10 or more. Most sellers are using speedy shipping as a selling point for buying a unit from them.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/259392/google_nexus_7_tablets_selling_on_ebay_with_premiums_added_to_their_prices.html

Google Seals Its Reputation for Minting Tech Executives

Longtime Google Inc. GOOG +0.70% executive Marissa Mayer's appointment as YahooInc.'s YHOO +0.64% new chief executive fits squarely into a recent pattern: "Googlers" who were recruited to lead other Internet companies.

In the eyes of some Silicon Valley observers, the Yahoo pick cements Google's reputation as a developer and launch pad for managers in the technology industry, the type of role General Electric Co. GE +0.61% has played for American industrial businesses.

"Google has worked itself into that same position" as GE, said Marc Andreessen, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist who sits on the boards of Facebook Inc., FB +3.63%Hewlett-Packard Co., HPQ +2.28% eBay Inc. EBAY +3.56% and other companies.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303612804577533073173479052.html

Autodesk to buy Facebook favorite Socialcam for $60M

Autodesk has signed an agreement to acquire Socialcam, the popular Facebook video-sharing app, for approximately $60 million, the two companies revealed today.

Autodesk, a company that creates 3D design, engineering, and entertainment software, will focus on helping the startup grow. This transaction is expected to close soon.

"Autodesk will prioritize support for the existing Socialcam community, while investing in scaling the platform and developing a more comprehensive set of tools for Socialcam users," the company said in a press release. "Autodesk also plans to use the Socialcam platform to help make its Academy Award-winning technology for professional film and video creators more accessible to a broader audience."

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57474001-93/autodesk-to-buy-facebook-favorite-socialcam-for-$60m/

Yves Saint Laurent launches Facebook-inspired eye shadow - but for $60 would you wear THAT signature blue on your face?

In the newest kitsch beauty offering, Yves Saint Laurent will launch a limited edition Facebook-inspired eyeshadow palette on July 19.

Popular culture often inspires beauty collaborations; Betty Boop for Lancôme and Miss Piggy for MAC are just some recent examples.

Now, as a 'declaration of love' to its fans, YSL Fragrances & Beauty has gone one step further. Inspired by social media as a whole, the French brand has designed a palette which includes the 'now highly identifiable Facebook blue with the luxurious Yves Saint Laurent design.'

Hopelessly devoted: In the newest kitsch beauty offering, Yves Saint Laurent will launch a limited edition Facebook-inspired eyeshadow palette on July 19

The palette includes four shades inspired by Facebook: royal blue, violet, white and black.

According to Kiss and Makeup, only 1,650 of the Pure Chromatics Devoted To Fans palettes were produced, which will be available on the brand's Facebook page as well in U.S. stores.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2174899/Yves-Saint-Laurent-launches-Facebook-inspired-eye-shadow--60-wear-THAT-signature-blue-face.html#ixzz2148kGC2E

Facebook Falls As Use On Social Site Drops: San Francisco Mover

Facebook Inc. (FB), operator of the world’s largest social-network, declined after a report from Capstone Investments said the number of users fell over the past six months.

The shares of Menlo Park, California-based Facebook decreased 0.6 percent to $28.09 at the close in New York, adding to a 8.1 percent slide yesterday. Shares of Zynga Inc. (ZNGA), which gets most of its revenue from games played on Facebook, dropped 5.2 percent to $4.58.

U.S. users decreased 1.1 percent over the past six months, Rory Maher, an analyst at Capstone, said in a report today. Of 23 countries where Facebook had at least 50 percent market penetration, growth was little changed or down in 14 nations over the past three months, he said.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-17/facebook-falls-on-report-of-user-decline-san-francisco-mover.html