http://www.realcleartechnology.com/ en Copyright 2008 Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:52:22 -0400 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=3.33 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://www.realcleartechnology.com/images/RCT-HOME-WIDE.png http://www.realcleartechnology.com/ Though they've yet to gain much traction in the U.S., China's Huawei isn't pulling any punches. After a rumbling of leaks, the company has pulled back the curtain on the Ascend P6, dubbing it the world's thinnest smartphone at just 6.18mm thick. The all-metal P6 will run Android 4.2 with Huawei's Emotion UI skin and features a 4.7-inch display (1280 x 720), 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 8GB of internal memory (with a microSD card slot). You'll also find an 8-megapixel camera and an f/2.0 lens, a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, Dolby Digital Plus... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/18/this_is_the_worlds_thinnest_smartphone_for_now_533.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/18/this_is_the_worlds_thinnest_smartphone_for_now_533.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/18/2013/00/00/00 Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:51:33 -0400 194111 You're a hot and sweety mess and for once, that's a good thing. The UK's Vodafone is rolling out some wearable technology which it claims can power your phone with simply your body heat and movement. The "Power Pocket" comes in two forms -- Power Shorts and the Recharge Sleeping Bag -- and is the brainchild of the Electronics and Computer Science Department at the University of Southampton. "Basically, we're printing down pairs of what are called ‘thermocouples'," said Stephen Beeby, a Southampton Professor of Electronic Systems on the... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/18/charge_your_phone_with_your_own_body_heat_532.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/18/charge_your_phone_with_your_own_body_heat_532.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/18/2013/00/00/00 Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:30:58 -0400 194075 HTC arguably has the most sought-after Android phone on the market today (the HTC One) but if the One's price tag is too steep for you, they've just rolled out the budget-minded Desire 200. The Desire 200 is powered by a 1GHz Qualcom Snapdragon S1 processor and 512MB of RAM. It runs Android with HTC Sense (no Android version was specified as of this writing) and offers a smallish 3.5-inch display (480 x 320), 4GB of internal memory with a microSD card slot and a 5-megapixel camera with VGA quality video recording. You'll also find a 3G modem, Beats Audio enhancement, Bluetooth,... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/18/htc_courts_budget_shoppers_with_desire_200_android_smartphone_531.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/18/htc_courts_budget_shoppers_with_desire_200_android_smartphone_531.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/18/2013/00/00/00 Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:16:39 -0400 194072 As news websites around the globe are publishing story after story about dragnet surveillance, these news sites all have one thing in common: when you visit these websites, your personal information is broadcast to dozens of companies, many of which have the ability to track your surfing habits, and many of which are subject to government data requests. How Does This Happen? When you load a webpage in your browser, the page normally includes many elements that get loaded separately, like images, fonts, CSS files, and javascript files. These files can be, and often are, loaded from different... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/18/how_the_government_knows_youre_reading_about_those_nsa_leaks_530.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/18/how_the_government_knows_youre_reading_about_those_nsa_leaks_530.html Micah Lee Micah Lee 2013/06 06/18/2013/00/00/00 Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:40:32 -0400 193772 NEW YORK (AP) -- Can the City That Never Sleeps become the City That Never Dies? A Russian multimillionaire thinks so. Dmitry Itskov gathered some of humanity's best brains - and a few robots - in New York City on Saturday to discuss how humans can get their minds to outlive their bodies. Itskov, who looks younger than his 32 years, has an aggressive timetable in which he'd like to see milestones toward that goal met: - By 2020, robots we can control remotely with our brains. - By 2025, a scenario familiar to watchers of sci-fi cartoon show "Futurama:" the capability to... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/17/living_forever_in_a_robot_body_529.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/17/living_forever_in_a_robot_body_529.html Peter Svensson Peter Svensson 2013/06 06/17/2013/00/00/00 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:22:18 -0400 193922 While the tech world works itself into a lather waiting for a possible Apple iWatch, the folks at Central Standard Timing have introduced a timepiece that boasts some rather impressive specs (even if it's not, technically, a 'smartwatch.') The CST-01 is .5mm thin (thinner than a credit card) and after one ten minute charge of its battery, can run for a month. The battery itself can be recharged 10,000 times, giving it an average lifespan of 15 years. It displays the time on an e-ink display and there are no buttons or controls at all on the band. Instead, you set the time using... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/17/the_ultimate_endurance_watch_528.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/17/the_ultimate_endurance_watch_528.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/17/2013/00/00/00 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:28:05 -0400 193893 Samsung has caught some flak of late for the numerous iterations of its flagship Galaxy S4 phone, but that hasn't stopped the company from announcing yet another version. According to Reuters, Samsung will launch a new S4 in Korea with new LTE-Advanced mobile broadband, giving it two times the normal data speeds as traditional 4G. How fast is LTE-Advanced? According to Samsung, files that would ordinarily take three minutes to download over a standard 4G connection would take merely a minute over LTE-Advanced. Of course, you'll need to live in a market that currently supports... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/17/next_s4_from_samsung_will_push_data_speed_limit_527.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/17/next_s4_from_samsung_will_push_data_speed_limit_527.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/17/2013/00/00/00 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:12:07 -0400 186220 In the 1950s and 60s, the NSA spied on all telegrams entering and exiting the country. The egregious actions were only uncovered after Congress set up an independent investgation called the Church Committee in the 1970s after Watergate. When the American public learned about NSA's actions, they demanded change. And the Church Committee delivered it by providing more information about the programs and by curtailing the spying. Just like the American public in the 1970s, Americans in the 2010s know that when the government amasses dossiers on citizens, it's neither good for security... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/17/multiple_new_polls_show_americans_reject_domestic_spying_526.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/17/multiple_new_polls_show_americans_reject_domestic_spying_526.html Mark Jaycox & Trevor Timm Mark Jaycox & Trevor Timm 2013/06 06/17/2013/00/00/00 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:47:47 -0400 193878 LONDON (AP) -- Phone call logs, credit card records, emails, Skype chats, Facebook message, and more: The precise nature of the NSA's sweeping surveillance apparatus has yet to be confirmed. But given the revelations spilling out into the media recently, there hardly seems a single aspect of daily life that isn't somehow subject to spying or surveillance by someone. Experts say there are steps anyone can take to improve privacy, but they only go so far. Using anonymity services and encryption "simply make it harder, but not impossible," said Ashkan Soltani, an independent... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/16/want_to_keep_your_data_from_the_nsas_prying_eyes_heres_how_524.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/16/want_to_keep_your_data_from_the_nsas_prying_eyes_heres_how_524.html Raphael Satter Raphael Satter 2013/06 06/16/2013/00/00/00 Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:41:05 -0400 174643 CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) -- Wrinkled and skinny at first, the translucent, jellyfish-shaped balloons that Google released this week from a frozen field in the heart of New Zealand's South Island hardened into shiny pumpkins as they rose into the blue winter skies above Lake Tekapo, passing the first big test of a lofty goal to get the entire planet online. It was the culmination of 18 months' work on what Google calls Project Loon, in recognition of how wacky the idea may sound. Developed in the secretive X lab that came up with a driverless car and web-surfing eyeglasses, the... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/15/how_google_will_balloon-broadcast_internet_access_to_the_world_525.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/15/how_google_will_balloon-broadcast_internet_access_to_the_world_525.html Nick Perry & Martha Mendoza Nick Perry & Martha Mendoza 2013/06 06/15/2013/00/00/00 Sat, 15 Jun 2013 08:27:08 -0400 193705 Memo to Android users: put your device down and get some rest. A new study from the online ad firm Chitika studied ad usage on mobile devices. They discovered that iOS users, though they make up a smaller share of the mobile market, are far more active ad clickers. Android users, on the other hand, never sleep: The highest volume of iOS and Android Web traffic occurs at 10:00pm ET/7:00pm PT, indicating that late evening hours are the most popular browsing times for both sets of users. However, for iOS, this maximum is followed by sharp drop in usage for the next seven hours, pointing to a... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/14/android_owners_never_sleep_523.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/14/android_owners_never_sleep_523.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/14/2013/00/00/00 Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:52:42 -0400 193592 The tech world's favorite toy, Legos, are getting angrier. How do we know? Because the busy folks at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand set about to study the facial expressions of Legos (3,655 of them) since 1975 and concluded that the characters are getting grumpier. It's not just the bad guys, either. The study's author, Dr. Christoph Bartneck, found that even "good" Legos could appear frightened, smug or sullen. Given that Legos are beloved by children, Bartneck is concerned about the consequences of exposing them to these sullen yellow faces. "It is... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/14/lego_faces_getting_angrier_522.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/14/lego_faces_getting_angrier_522.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/14/2013/00/00/00 Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:43:34 -0400 193111 When I saw iWork for iCloud in the WWDC keynote presentation I thought it was mere filler material. It is not. It was a shot across the bow aimed at both Microsoft and Google. Apple isn't ceding the cloud to anyone. After all, name a cloud service that has more users and customers than iCloud. Office suite apps in the cloud changes the field once dominated by Microsoft Office. It's level. Think of iWork for iCloud as simply having your Pages, Numbers, and Keynote apps in a browser window. Safari, of course, but also Google's Chrome, and Microsoft Internet Explorer (but not... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/14/apple_ups_cloud_war_with_microsoft_521.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/14/apple_ups_cloud_war_with_microsoft_521.html Kate MacKenzie Kate MacKenzie 2013/06 06/14/2013/00/00/00 Fri, 14 Jun 2013 08:04:01 -0400 192980 NEW YORK (AP) -- There's little wonder why George Orwell's novel "1984" is seeing a resurgence in sales. More than half of Americans polled in a survey released Thursday said they agreed with the statement "We are really in the era of Big Brother." The survey from the University of Southern California was conducted last year, before recent revelations of large-scale, secret government surveillance programs. Yet it still found that some 35 percent of respondents agreed that "There is no privacy, get over it." A growing number of Internet users said they... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/13/americans_say_big_brother_has_already_arrived_520.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/13/americans_say_big_brother_has_already_arrived_520.html Barbara Ortutay Barbara Ortutay 2013/06 06/13/2013/00/00/00 Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:40:24 -0400 193407 Sparked by an op-ed penned by Pandora employee Christopher Harrison, yesterday reports surfaced that Pandora has purchased a terrestrial radio station in South Dakota. At first glance, it seems downright bizarre to see an internet radio company invest in a single FM radio station in a relatively small market. But a closer look at the thicket of licensing rules surrounding internet radio reveals how our current music licensing system can create nonsensical incentives for companies on both sides of the negotiating table. The real reason for Pandora's purchase of an FM radio station is... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/13/why_pandora_bought_an_fm_radio_station_--_and_why_its_ridiculous_519.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/13/why_pandora_bought_an_fm_radio_station_--_and_why_its_ridiculous_519.html Jodie Griffin Jodie Griffin 2013/06 06/13/2013/00/00/00 Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:11:44 -0400 193394 Yesterday, Comcast announced a "neighborhood hotspot iniative," a new plan to turn its millions of Xfinity Internet customers into Wi-Fi hotspots. Essentially, Comcast is setting up guest networks named "xfinitywifi" for all their customers, allowing for other Xfinity subscribers-and only subscribers-to access wireless networks if they are traveling. This plan is similar to that unveiled by the company Fon in Spain in 2007-share some Wi-Fi yourself and get access to others' networks when you roam around. This is closer to what we're advocating for through the... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/13/comcasts_new_neighborhood_hotspot_not_quite_the_open_wireless_we_want_518.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/13/comcasts_new_neighborhood_hotspot_not_quite_the_open_wireless_we_want_518.html Adi Kamdar Adi Kamdar 2013/06 06/13/2013/00/00/00 Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:38:42 -0400 193393 Last week, reports surfaced that Intel was trying and failing to win content rights for a streaming video service it was preparing, even though they were offering content owners a 75 percent premium over what those owners were receiving from cable companies. Now, Bloomberg is reporting that Time Warner Cable and other pay TV players are privately bribing and threatening media companies to keep their content away from Intel, Apple and other streaming players. "The incentives can take the form of higher payments, or they can include threats to drop programming," Bloomberg noted. In... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/13/the_not-so-stealth_war_on_cord_cutters_517.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/13/the_not-so-stealth_war_on_cord_cutters_517.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/13/2013/00/00/00 Thu, 13 Jun 2013 09:28:33 -0400 191982 Apple may offer the next iPhone with a 4.7-inch and a 5.2-inch display, according to a new report from Reuters. Quoting four unnamed people "with knowledge of the matter," Reuters also claimed that Apple would produce cheaper phones "with a range of colors." Reuters' sources noted that they were not really sure if they saw final prototypes and that any large iPhones wouldn't come until 2014. As far as 2013 goes, Reuters predicts two new models: an iPhone 5S with fingerprint technology and a less expensive version housed in a plastic case and "dressed... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/13/reuters_apple_to_go_big_with_next_two_iphones_516.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/13/reuters_apple_to_go_big_with_next_two_iphones_516.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/13/2013/00/00/00 Thu, 13 Jun 2013 07:56:16 -0400 174119 With Apple's push to integrate iOS 7 into cars and more automakers building ever-more sophisticated "infotainment" systems into dashboards, it seems the era of distracted driving is upon us. According to a new study, the consequences of this trend could be deadly. The research, from David Strayer of the University of Utah, found that the use of voice-activated technology in the car is more distracting than actually talking on a mobile phone while driving. Needless to say, when you're piloting tons of fast-moving steel, any distraction could have serious consequences.... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/12/you_risk_your_life_using_in-car_technology_515.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/12/you_risk_your_life_using_in-car_technology_515.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/12/2013/00/00/00 Thu, 13 Jun 2013 07:24:20 -0400 191476 While many prognosticators have written off the compact digital camera as a doomed artifact, Samsung has been experimenting with an interesting concept: using the Android mobile operating system to power a camera (that's also a phone -- it gets confusing). While the initial S4 camera/phone had a somewhat mixed critical reception, the company is at it again with the S4 Zoom, a smaller, lighter version with better internals running Android 4.2. The 16-megapixel S4 Zoom features a 4.3-inch touch screen, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 5GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot for... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/12/samsung_updates_android_camera_the_s4_zoom_514.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/12/samsung_updates_android_camera_the_s4_zoom_514.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/12/2013/00/00/00 Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:39:45 -0400 193235 WASHINGTON (AP) - TV was supposed to be everywhere by now - watchable anytime, anywhere, on your smartphone or tablet. But four years into the industry's effort, network executives readily admit: TV isn't everywhere. The promise of "TV Everywhere" has been a key strategy in the cable and satellite TV industry's fight to retain customers in the face of challenges from online video providers such as Netflix. With TV Everywhere, customers who pay for packages with hundreds of television channels are supposed to be able to watch them on mobile devices and computers as... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/12/why_cant_cable_be_more_like_netflix_513.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/12/why_cant_cable_be_more_like_netflix_513.html Ryan Nakashima Ryan Nakashima 2013/06 06/12/2013/00/00/00 Wed, 12 Jun 2013 07:25:19 -0400 193202 Last week we learned that relationships that formed online proved more durable and happier than those that began in the "real world." But now a new study from researchers at the University of Missouri are warning that Facebook could be a threat to your romantic health. Researchers asked Facebook users how frequently the site figured in arguments between themselves and their romantic partners. "Previous research has shown that the more a person in a romantic relationship uses Facebook, the more likely they are to monitor their partner's Facebook activity more stringently,... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/11/facebook_can_ruin_your_relationship_512.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/11/facebook_can_ruin_your_relationship_512.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/11/2013/00/00/00 Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:09:39 -0400 192868 While the media has been in something of a frenzy over revelations of that the U.S. had constructed an elaborate digital information vaccuum (with the cooperation of several major tech firms), the American public appears less exercised. According to a new poll from Pew Research, 56 percent of respondents said that tracking our phone calls was an "acceptable" way to combat terrorism. Forty one percent disagreed. "Currently 62 percent say it is more important for the federal government to investigate possible terrorist threats, even if that intrudes on personal privacy,"... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/11/americans_are_ok_with_spying_511.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/11/americans_are_ok_with_spying_511.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/11/2013/00/00/00 Tue, 11 Jun 2013 11:19:11 -0400 192476 For the European physicists who created the World Wide Web, preserving its history is as elusive as unlocking the mysteries of how the universe began. The scientists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known by its French acronym CERN, are searching for the first Web page. It was at CERN that Tim Berners-Lee invented the Web in 1990 as an unsanctioned project, using a NeXT computer that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs designed in the late 80s during his 12-year exile from the company. Dan Noyes oversees CERN's website and has taken on the project to uncover the world's... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/11/a_fascinating_search_for_the_worlds_first_web_pages_510.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/11/a_fascinating_search_for_the_worlds_first_web_pages_510.html Jeffrey Collins Jeffrey Collins 2013/06 06/11/2013/00/00/00 Tue, 11 Jun 2013 07:06:41 -0400 193035 In 2006 I gave my music away. That music had previously existed on CDs and LPs (yes, I began making music in the days of vinyl and tape). I moved all of it to the Web, downloadable for free. Today, seven years later, I see that giving away music for free is not as easy as I had imagined. In some ways, it turns out to be impossible. The reasons why this is so say a lot about creativity,property, and power in a networked world of corporately owned digital commons policed by netbots and stochastic algorithms. My music is now available under a Creative Commons "Attribution-Non Commercial 2.5... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/11/why_i_no_longer_give_away_my_music_509.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/11/why_i_no_longer_give_away_my_music_509.html Bob Ostertag Bob Ostertag 2013/06 06/11/2013/00/00/00 Tue, 11 Jun 2013 07:03:12 -0400 193033 Now that our worst wiretapping fears have been confirmed, millions of people are realizing that we need to start using decentralized, encrypted communication yesterday. Unfortunately, with the state these tools are in, billions of people are still going to choose convenience over security. The open source community has made amazing progress with crypto tools' user-friendliness recently, but there's still more work to be done before they can go mainstream. Even if you're savvy enough to comfortably use the most secure and decentralized technology, you should still care about... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/11/four_reasons_we_cant_protect_our_digital_stuff_from_the_governments_spying_eyes_508.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/11/four_reasons_we_cant_protect_our_digital_stuff_from_the_governments_spying_eyes_508.html Zacqary Adam Green Zacqary Adam Green 2013/06 06/11/2013/00/00/00 Mon, 10 Jun 2013 21:17:03 -0400 192717 Last week saw revelations that the FBI and the National Security Agency have been collecting Americans' phone records en masse and that the agencies have access to data from nine tech companies. But secrecy around the programs has meant even basic questions are still unanswered.  Here's what we still don't know: Has the NSA been collecting all Americans' phone records, and for how long? It's not entirely clear. The Guardian published a court order that directed a Verizon subsidiary to turn over phone metadata -- the time and duration of calls, as... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/11/5_things_we_still_dont_know_about_us_spying_507.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/11/5_things_we_still_dont_know_about_us_spying_507.html Justin Elliott & Theodoric Meyer Justin Elliott & Theodoric Meyer 2013/06 06/11/2013/00/00/00 Mon, 10 Jun 2013 20:49:53 -0400 192476 Sony is taking another stab at Google TV with the new, catchily-named NSZ-GS8 Internet Player. The GS8 adds a single improvement over Sony's existing Google TV box, namely the ability to use voice search to locate desired content (just speak into the included remote control).Otherwise, it will deliver the exact same feature set as the earlier version (GS7). Reviewers weren't all that thrilled with the GS7 when it debuted last year. The GS8 will offer built-in Wi-Fi, QWERTY remote control, built-in Chrome web browser and a 1.2GHz processor. You'll pay $199 for the pleasure of... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/10/sony_adds_new_google_tv_box_506.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/10/sony_adds_new_google_tv_box_506.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/10/2013/00/00/00 Mon, 10 Jun 2013 09:14:08 -0400 192892 Apple won't be dramatically redesigning the iPhone this year, according to the Wall Street Journal. "The next iPhone isn't expected until the fall, with the latest model expected to look a lot like the current one" wrote reporter Jessica Lessin, quoting "people familiar with the matter." Lessin doesn't offer any further details about what to expect from the next iPhone, nor when it will come. Perhaps we'll learn more today when Apple's developer's conference gets underway. Meanwhile, Citi Research's Glen Yeung has suggested that when it... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/10/wsj_no_redesigned_iphone_for_you_this_year_505.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/10/wsj_no_redesigned_iphone_for_you_this_year_505.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/10/2013/00/00/00 Mon, 10 Jun 2013 07:05:22 -0400 190928 Samsung has pulled back the curtain on a budget-friendly smartphone, the Galaxy Ace 3. The Ace 3 runs Android Jelly Bean 4.2 and features a 4-inch display (480 x 800), 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal memory (only 1.77GB is actually available to users, though there is a microSD card slot). Samsung will pack a few of its new software features into the Ace 3 including S Translator, S Travel, Smart Play (which dims the screen when you look away), and S Voice. It will be available in 3G and LTE versions, depending on the market. No word yet on U.S. availability or price. http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/10/samsung_introduces_galaxy_ace_3_504.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/10/samsung_introduces_galaxy_ace_3_504.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/10/2013/00/00/00 Mon, 10 Jun 2013 06:55:40 -0400 192877 Apple events always bring out the rumors and expectations seldom meet up with reality. Gone from Apple events these days is the ‘One more thing...' surprise where Steve Jobs released an expected and unexpected product upon the world. By the time that Apple's developer conference ends this week, the WWDC, Steve Jobs will have been gone for almost two years. Love it or hate it, Apple quickly is becoming CEO Tim Cook's Apple so we'll get a fresh look at how Apple is poised to approach the future. Wherever possible I try to keep my expectations rooted in reality, so... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/10/what_i_want_from_apple_and_what_i_expect_from_apple_503.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/10/what_i_want_from_apple_and_what_i_expect_from_apple_503.html Kate MacKenzie Kate MacKenzie 2013/06 06/10/2013/00/00/00 Mon, 10 Jun 2013 06:40:04 -0400 192644 "It is important to recognize that you can't have 100% security and also then have 100% privacy and zero inconvenience," said President Obama on Friday in defending the recent disclosure of two Internet surveillance programs used by the government to deter terrorism. He added, "We are going to have to make some choices as a society. What I can say is that, when evaluating the programs, they make a difference in our capacity to anticipate and prevent terrorist activity." The costs, according to the President, are only "modest encroachments" on our personal... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/10/we_need_to_debate_about_internet_privacy_502.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/10/we_need_to_debate_about_internet_privacy_502.html Mike Wendy Mike Wendy 2013/06 06/10/2013/00/00/00 Mon, 10 Jun 2013 06:37:53 -0400 192875 Apple will offer an 'iWatch' by the second half of this year, according to Citigroup analyst Glen Yeung. In an note to investors obtained by Lance Whitney, Yeung said he "believe[d] iWatch is in a greater state of readiness, with the supply chain now waiting for the production go-ahead from Apple. We suspect the go/no-go decision will be made in June and are leaning toward a 'go' outcome at this time." In March, Bloomberg also reported that an iWatch was indeed coming soon, with Apple devoting 100 product designers to creating the new wearable tech product. http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/07/citi_group_iwatch_coming_this_year_501.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/07/citi_group_iwatch_coming_this_year_501.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/07/2013/00/00/00 Fri, 07 Jun 2013 10:56:24 -0400 185925 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- With every phone call they make and every Web excursion they take, people are leaving a digital trail of revealing data that can be tracked by profit-seeking companies and terrorist-hunting government officials. The revelations that the National Security Agency is perusing millions of U.S. customer phone records at Verizon Communications and snooping on the digital communications stored by nine major Internet services illustrate how aggressively personal data is being collected and analyzed. Verizon is handing over so-called metadata, excerpts from millions of U.S.... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/07/is_big_data_turning_government_into_big_brother_500.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/07/is_big_data_turning_government_into_big_brother_500.html Michael Liedtke Michael Liedtke 2013/06 06/07/2013/00/00/00 Fri, 07 Jun 2013 08:52:18 -0400 192444 Samsung's Galaxy S4 is packed to the gills with a number of new software features (translation, eye tracking, new camera features and more). It's so packed, in fact, that many people have (rightly) complained that it's devouring too much internal memory: the 16GB S4 contains just 9.15GB of usable storage. Samsung is now releasing a software update that bumps the S4's usable memory to 9.23GB. That's... not much of an improvement. Still, the new software upgrade will also let S4 users slide apps onto a microSD card to free up additional memory. The update also delivers... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/06/samsung_boosting_storage_on_s4_smartphone_497.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/06/samsung_boosting_storage_on_s4_smartphone_497.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/06/2013/00/00/00 Fri, 07 Jun 2013 09:01:18 -0400 186220 NEW YORK (AP) -- As the year began, I decided I would get serious about digital cleanup - to save money and improve my online life. For a while, I had been putting off tasks such as backing up computer files and canceling the premium cable channels I never watch. Usually, I'd remember to do something while riding the bus, then soon forget. It took some discipline over a few months to get my digital life in order. As a result, I'm due to save more than $2,000 a year, money I can spend on a nice vacation. You can do many of these things, too. - Review your subscriptions and recurring... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/06/how_to_improve_your_online_life__save_money_499.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/06/how_to_improve_your_online_life__save_money_499.html Anick Jesdanun Anick Jesdanun 2013/06 06/06/2013/00/00/00 Thu, 06 Jun 2013 13:46:53 -0400 192419 Comcast's Executive Vice President David Cohen thinks American broadband access is just dandy: Today, 94 percent of Americans have access to wired high-speed Internet service (the highest percentage in the world) and 90 percent have a choice of fixed and mobile broadband competitors. Eighty-two percent of U.S. homes have access to speeds in excess of 100 megabits per second (mbps), while in Europe, only 2 percent of the population has access to these speeds, leaving technologists and policy makers there with a mere aspirational goal to extend 100 mbps speeds by 50 percent by 2020. No... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/06/comcast_thinks_slower_internet_is_just_fine_498.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/06/comcast_thinks_slower_internet_is_just_fine_498.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/06/2013/00/00/00 Thu, 06 Jun 2013 11:58:29 -0400 129525 Today, the Guardian newspaper confirmed what EFF (and many others) have long claimed: the NSA is conducting widespread, untargeted, domestic surveillance on millions of Americans. This revelation should end, once and for all, the government's long-discredited secrecy claims about its dragnet domestic surveillance programs. It should spur Congress and the American people to make the President finally tell the truth about the government's spying on innocent Americans. In a report by Glenn Greenwald, the paper published an order from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (or... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/06/confirmed_the_nsa_is_spying_on_us_all_496.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/06/confirmed_the_nsa_is_spying_on_us_all_496.html Cindy Cohn & Mark Rumold Cindy Cohn & Mark Rumold 2013/06 06/06/2013/00/00/00 Thu, 06 Jun 2013 09:37:57 -0400 187808 Apple continues to make America's most popular smartphone. According to a new report from comScore, Apple's iPhone claimed 37.9 percent of all smartphone subscribers in the past three months (ending April), a growth 1.4 percent from the previous three month period. Samsung placed second with 22 percent, a gain of .6 percent. Rounding out the top five: HTC took third place with 9.7 percent, Motorola fourth with 8.3 percent and LG fifth with 6.7 percent. Apple and Samsung were the only two manufacturers in the top five to grow their share during the period studied by comScore. While... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/05/iphone_still_americas_favoriate_smartphone_495.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/05/iphone_still_americas_favoriate_smartphone_495.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/05/2013/00/00/00 Wed, 05 Jun 2013 10:32:23 -0400 190224 So now we know the details of Microsoft's next-generation Xbox and, as expected, it's loaded to the gills with entertainment features-so much so, in fact, that many gamers are griping that their needs have been sidelined as Microsoft makes a larger play to be an all-in-one living room entertainment device. With Microsoft's TV cards on the table, the tech world is awaiting what move, if any, Apple will make. The Apple iTV rumor mill has gone quiet of late, but it's one thinly-sourced speculation away from reigniting. Meanwhile, Intel and Amazon are also rumored to be... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/05/quietly_google_is_winning_its_way_into_the_living_room_492.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/05/quietly_google_is_winning_its_way_into_the_living_room_492.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/05/2013/00/00/00 Wed, 05 Jun 2013 09:44:32 -0400 192080 You might think that Windows Phone, with its barely perceptible smartphone market share, has little chance of passing the iPhone anytime soon. Not so, say the intrepid analysts at Canalys. In a new forecast, they predict that Windows Phone will significantly close the gap with iOS by 2017. By then, the firm predicts, Apple's iOS will claim a 14.1 percent share of the market while Microsoft will have clawed its way to 12.7 percent. What's more, Android's 67 percent share of the market in 2012 is expected to hold steady through 2017, so a chunk of Windows Phones gains will come... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/05/analyst_windows_phones_will_beat_iphone_494.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/05/analyst_windows_phones_will_beat_iphone_494.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/05/2013/00/00/00 Wed, 05 Jun 2013 09:38:51 -0400 164048 What do Adobe and Microsoft have in common? Yes, they both publish popular software for Mac and Windows PCs. Both are also on the bleeding edge of a new revolution in software. Rentals. Here's an example. Instead of going through the process of upgrading to the latest version of Creative Suite every year or two, or perhaps even lagging behind a version or two, Adobe wants to rent us the same software. Rent? Yes, as in monthly payments. Instead of forking over $2,500 for the full Creative Suite, you get much the same thing in Creative Cloud for a monthly fee. The cloud in Creative Cloud... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/05/software_rentals_are_here_to_stay_493.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/05/software_rentals_are_here_to_stay_493.html Kate MacKenzie Kate MacKenzie 2013/06 06/05/2013/00/00/00 Tue, 04 Jun 2013 21:04:23 -0400 192118 Oldsters are about yesterday. Youngsters are about today. Documenting your entire life history, building a timeline, a shrine to yourself, so that the people you grew up with will be impressed? That's for baby boomers. Their children want nothing to do with it. Kids are for living, oldsters are for dying. Baby boomers didn't start the texting revolution... Want to communicate with your millennial in college? Then you'd better learn how to text, the younger generation barely e-mails. Talking on the phone? Who'd want to waste so much time! The oldsters are rarely early... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/04/facebook_is_for_old_people_491.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/04/facebook_is_for_old_people_491.html Bob Lefsetz Bob Lefsetz 2013/06 06/04/2013/00/00/00 Tue, 04 Jun 2013 13:59:04 -0400 190928 The topic of killer robots was drawn back into the public sphere last week with the widely publicised call for a moratorium on the development and use of “lethal autonomous robotics” by a top UN human rights expert; and inevitably, this conjured up some familiar concerns. The opening scenes of James Cameron’s 1984 film The Terminator portray people running for cover beneath ruined buildings while hunter-killer robots circle menacingly overhead. Of course, such images must already have a certain contemporary resonance in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where people live... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/04/we_must_stop_killer_robots_before_its_too_late_490.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/04/we_must_stop_killer_robots_before_its_too_late_490.html Robert Sparrow Robert Sparrow 2013/06 06/04/2013/00/00/00 Tue, 04 Jun 2013 12:49:19 -0400 190709 Apple is prepping a new 9.7-inch iPad to launch in the fall, followed by a second generation iPad Mini likely in 2014, according to DigiTimes. Quoting, per usual, "unnamed supply chain sources," the paper noted that the new iPad "is expected to adopt a thin-film-type touch panel solution to reduce its weight by 20-30% and will adopt a slim bezel design to increase the display area. The new iPad's industrial design reportedly will also be modified." If true, than the iPad Mini is going to be a bit behind schedule -- it was tipped to launch by October, with a Retina... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/04/new_ipads_tipped_for_the_fall_489.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/04/new_ipads_tipped_for_the_fall_489.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/04/2013/00/00/00 Tue, 04 Jun 2013 10:00:52 -0400 166596 Last week, Violet Blue reported that adult app maker MiKandi was prepping a porn app for Google Glass. As I noted at the time, "the real question is not whether someone will make adult content with Glass (that is inevitable), but as Blue notes, how tolerant Google will be of this growing eco-system of Glass apps. Apple is famously puritanical with its own apps store and while Google has been looser (if you will) that's no guarentee that they won't put the kibosh on it." Well, they've put the kibosh on it: Google has added a new section to its developer policies for... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/04/you_wont_be_getting_porn_on_google_glass_afterall_488.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/04/you_wont_be_getting_porn_on_google_glass_afterall_488.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/04/2013/00/00/00 Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:22:06 -0400 191972 The internet is a powerful tool for social connection and a new study from the Proceedings of the National Acedemy of Sciences (and sponsored by eHarmony) suggests that the romantic bonds formed online can lead to happier and more stable marriages than those created offline. According to the study, 35 percent of couples who were wed during the years 2005 and 2012 met on the internet -- either through chat rooms, social networks or dating websites. What's more, those who forged their marriages online were happier and less likely to separate than those who bonded in the real world. (The... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/04/online_love_is_enduring_487.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/04/online_love_is_enduring_487.html Greg Scoblete Greg Scoblete 2013/06 06/04/2013/00/00/00 Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:06:53 -0400 191862 Bitcoin represents a significant threat to the currency domination of the USA, which is the only thing propping up the nation's status as a worldwide superpower. Following the USA's defaulting on all its international loans on August 15, 1971, the US trade balance has been maintained using a combination of military threats and telling people to buy US dollars just to fund the ongoing consumption of the USA. Where other world currencies have failed to challenge the USD, and therefore this mechanism of maintaining US economic dominance, bitcoin may succeed. To understand this... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/04/how_bitcoin_could_destroy_america_486.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/04/how_bitcoin_could_destroy_america_486.html Rick Falkvinge Rick Falkvinge 2013/06 06/04/2013/00/00/00 Tue, 04 Jun 2013 08:03:25 -0400 184033 SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and American counterpart Barack Obama will talk cyber-security this week in California, but experts say the state's Silicon Valley and its signature high-tech firms should provide the front lines in the increasingly aggressive fight against overseas hackers. With China seeking to grow its economy and expand its technology base, companies like Facebook, Apple, Google and Twitter are inviting targets. In fact, all have been attacked and all point the finger at China, which has denied any role. The U.S. government has stepped up efforts... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/04/silicon_valley_on_front_line_of_the_cyber_war_485.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/04/silicon_valley_on_front_line_of_the_cyber_war_485.html Marth Mendoza Marth Mendoza 2013/06 06/04/2013/00/00/00 Tue, 04 Jun 2013 06:04:45 -0400 186325 What's the latest? It's been a few years since Apple revolutionized an industry. Remember the iPad? That very large iPod touch demolished what was left of Microsoft's Windows tablet industry and became the de facto standard for mobile tablet devices. What's next? If you pay attention to the crystal ball prognosticators, and Apple CEO Tim Cook, the future of mobile technology is in wearable devices, specifically iWatch and iGlasses. I don't think so, Tim. Let me start with Google's Glasses, those obnoxiously disturbing, holier-than-thou glasses which sport a high... http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/03/five_reasons_you_wont_want_an_iwatch_or_google_glasses_484.html http://www.realcleartechnology.com/articles/2013/06/03/five_reasons_you_wont_want_an_iwatch_or_google_glasses_484.html Kate MacKenzie Kate MacKenzie 2013/06 06/03/2013/00/00/00 Mon, 03 Jun 2013 07:24:11 -0400 190892