Sean Kalinich
The Xbox One Is A Split Personality PC Designed To Rule Your Living Room
- Category: News
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- Created: 21 May 2013
Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One today in a live media spectacle that felt like a pale imitation of an Apple event. In the end what they unveiled looked a lot like some of the HTPC systems that I used to build more than a gaming console. In truth the new Xbox One probably has more in common with your traditional HTPC than Microsoft would like to admit. But there are still some cool things in it that make it interesting and probably unique in the industry.
About a month ago a memo was “leaked’ by the DEA to CNET that started a storm of articles about how secure some online messaging systems were. The memo appeared to indicate the Apple’s iMessage service was so secure that it could not be broken by government agents. They claimed that they were not able to get message details or information. Sadly, the memo ended up making the DEA look incompetent and showed that it was just an attempt to sway public opinion on the need for more surveillance powers for law enforcement.
Jolla Pushing Out The First SailFish Cell Phone, Are They Just Looking to Get Back In With Nokia?
- Category: News
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- Created: 20 May 2013
If you have not heard of Jolla you are not alone and do not be too disappointed either. The company was founded by a few former Nokia employees that were not happy with the decision to tie the companies (Nokia’s) fate to Windows Phone. Instead they wanted to see if they could take the MeeGo OS and make it a reality and so they introduce SailFish. SailFish is an Android compatible OS that like many others is Linux based. The question is; is this new phone and Nokia inspired OS going to show us what could have been, or will it be just another phone in an Android Sea?
Are Devices Like the Acer Iconia W3-810 What is Wrong With Microsoft's Thinking?
- Category: Editorials
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- Created: 20 May 2013
Despite there being no clear reason to do so it looks like Microsoft is going to go ahead and push out a smaller version of their Windows 8/RT tablets. The information was leaked accidentally today by Acer Finland. The new product is going to be called the Iconia W3-810. When the rumor about an 8-inch Windows RT device first hit opinions varied as to if this was going help or hurt Microsoft and Windows RT. After a lukewarm launch sales of Windows RT and then Windows 8 devices immediately started to decline. Some blamed the radical redesign of the UI while other felt it was the locked down OS that kept people away. No matter what the cause Window 8 and RT sales were and are continuing to fall which is worrisome for Microsoft.
The Google Glass project has caused some concern in Washington. They seem to feel that a device that can capture still images and movies which you wear around all the time could be a problem. Already we have seen casinos ban them, which is not surprising as they could be used to cheat the house. Next to ban Google Glass were the strip clubs, again not a big surprise and you can imagine why. Google Glass could be a problem and we can see businesses, schools and other place banning their use in the very near future. Still we wonder about Congress getting involved. Is their concern really about privacy?
NETGEAR 802.11ac A6200 USB WiFi Adapter Runs Through The Lab
- Category: Enthusiast Storage and Networking
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- Created: 18 May 2013
802.11ac wireless was introduced at CES 2012. Unfortunately when the devices were launched there were no adapters to support it. This meant that people were buying expensive wireless products without having any way to support the speeds they were capable of. Fortunately at CES 2013 a couple of manufacturers started releasing 802.11ac adapters. However, there are two schools of thought about how to implement these adapters. We will be taking a look at both in the next couple of weeks, but we will kick things off with a look at the USB 2.0 NETGEAR A6200 Dual Band 802.11ac WiFi Adapter. Let’s dive in and take a look.
Google is not happy with Microsoft at the moment. It seems that Microsoft has done something rather foolish to the YouTube app for Windows Phone. Instead of following the normal restrictions that most other mobile players follow, they (Microsoft) have decided to let their users download videos from YouTube and to block ads completely during video playback.
Human Security, Relearning How to Act on the Internet
- Category: Editorials
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- Created: 17 May 2013
Security is a huge issue and has always been one ever since the first person decided they wanted to protect what they owned. Through the centuries the art of security has evolved and a multitude of inventions have blossomed on the scene to help us keep our property safe and secure. Once the data age started we had new concerns and our fertile minds came up with new and more creative ways to protect our new digital property. These two separate (yet dependent) fields are broken down into physical and digital security. The problem is that neither of these are effective unless we apply human security. This is the practice of securing people (humans) against being the largest security hole in any network or location.
We have been covering the emerging technology behind wearable computing and in particular smart watches to get a better grasp on this technology. In our articles we have listed companies like I’m Spa and their I’m Watch, Samsung, Apple and ConnecteDevice Cookoo Watch. We were quickly reminded by our readers that there are others out there and one in particular was mentioned (repeatedly). This is the Pebble Smartwatch.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership Is Still a Threat to Basic Internet Rights
- Category: Editorials
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- Created: 16 May 2013
It looks like the US wants to export something new to the world, now we are not talking about a technology. We are talking about our draconian copyright laws. You remember those nasty laws that the entertainment industry and software companies keep extending and expanding. For years our government has tried to be the police for these groups with laws like SOPA, PIPA Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection act and more. Well they are trying to force other countries to adopt these same rules and using trade agreements to do it. They have already been stopped once with ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement) when they tried to remove the rights of individual countries to establish their own laws and are at it again with the Trans Pacific Partnership.
