Author: kenmay

Intel’s Compute Stick puts Windows 8.1 on your TV for $149

Your Chromecast key may be able to play Netflix, but can it play Crysis ? Intel’s HDMI Compute Stick probably can’t either, but the tiny device does have enough power to run Windows 8.1 apps on your TV. Intel has rather impressively crammed in a quad-core Atom CPU, 32GB of storage and 2GB of RAM, along with a USB port, WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 support and a mini-USB connector for power (HDMI power will come later). “But why?” you might ask. Intel sees it as a low-priced computer or (pricey) media stick, or even a thin-client device for companies. To up the crazy factor, it may eventually launch a much zippier Core M version. The Windows version will run $149, and if that seems a bit much, a 1GB RAM/8GB memory Linux version is priced at $89. Both will arrive in March. Filed under: Home Entertainment , HD , Intel Comments Source: Intel

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Intel’s Compute Stick puts Windows 8.1 on your TV for $149

In-Flight Service Gogo Uses Fake SSL Certificates To Throttle Streaming

Amanda Parker writes In-flight internet service Gogo has defended its use of a fake Google SSL certificates as a means of throttling video streaming, adding that it was not invading its customer’s privacy in doing so. The rebuttal comes after Google security researcher Adrienne Porter Felt posted a screenshot of the phoney certificate to Twitter. From the article: “The image clearly shows that Gogo signed the certificate, not Google, thus misleading customers and opening the door to malware on users’ devices. It also serves as a way to throttle data and limit traffic on its networks. ‘Gogo takes our customer’s privacy very seriously and we are committed to bringing the best Internet experience to the sky, ‘ CTO Anand Chari said in a Monday statement.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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In-Flight Service Gogo Uses Fake SSL Certificates To Throttle Streaming

NYC taxi medallion prices have fallen almost 25% since last year

The New York Times’ Upshot blog reports that regular New York City taxi medallion prices have fallen about 23 percent since last year’s peak. A medallion now sets taxi drivers back about $805, 000. Why are prices plunging? Uber. Well, probably. Read more…

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NYC taxi medallion prices have fallen almost 25% since last year

Ford Touts Self-driving Car, Launches Global Mobility Experiments

An anonymous reader writes in with news about Ford’s latest automobile technology unveiled at CES. “Ford showcased the semi-autonomous vehicles it has on the road at CES and gave attendees a glimpse into fully autonomous vehicles now in development. The carmaker also announced a series of experiments with drivers around the globe to test its vehicle-to-vehicle connectivity, autonomous cars and the use of big data collected from vehicles. The company said a fully autonomous Ford Fusion Hybrid research vehicle is undergoing road testing now. The vehicle relies on the same semi-autonomous technology used in Ford vehicles today, while adding four LiDAR (light, radar) sensors to generate a real-time 3D map of the surrounding environment.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Ford Touts Self-driving Car, Launches Global Mobility Experiments

FBI Says Search Warrants Not Needed To Use "Stingrays" In Public Places

schwit1 writes The Federal Bureau of Investigation is taking the position that court warrants are not required when deploying cell-site simulators in public places. Nicknamed “stingrays, ” the devices are decoy cell towers that capture locations and identities of mobile phone users and can intercept calls and texts. The FBI made its position known during private briefings with staff members of Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). In response, the two lawmakers wrote Attorney General Eric Holder and Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson, maintaining they were “concerned about whether the FBI and other law enforcement agencies have adequately considered the privacy interests” of Americans. According to the letter, which was released last week: “For example, we understand that the FBI’s new policy requires FBI agents to obtain a search warrant whenever a cell-site simulator is used as part of a FBI investigation or operation, unless one of several exceptions apply, including (among others): (1) cases that pose an imminent danger to public safety, (2) cases that involve a fugitive, or (3) cases in which the technology is used in public places or other locations at which the FBI deems there is no reasonable expectation of privacy.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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FBI Says Search Warrants Not Needed To Use "Stingrays" In Public Places

The Voltera V-One Makes Circuit Boards In Minutes

 Building circuit boards is fun but difficult. While you could do it at home with a some etchant and some clear plastic, Voltera hopes to make the entire process much easier with their V-One circuit printer. The creators, James Pickard, Jesus Zozaya, and Alroy Almeida all studied Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo and got together to solve the problem of rapid… Read More

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The Voltera V-One Makes Circuit Boards In Minutes

AMD, Nvidia Reportedly Tripped Up On Process Shrinks

itwbennett writes: In the fierce battle between CPU and GPU vendors, it’s not just about speeds and feeds but also about process shrinks. Both Nvidia and AMD have had their move to 16nm and 20nm designs, respectively, hampered by the limited capacity of both nodes at manufacturer TSMC, according to the enthusiast site WCCFTech.com. While AMD’s CPUs are produced by GlobalFoundaries, its GPUs are made at TSMC, as are Nvidia’s chips. The problem is that TSMC only has so much capacity and Apple and Samsung have sucked up all that capacity. The only other manufacturer with 14nm capacity is Intel and there’s no way Intel will sell them some capacity. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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AMD, Nvidia Reportedly Tripped Up On Process Shrinks

The Next MacBook Air Will Be A 12-Inch Beauty With An Edge-To-Edge Keyboard

 Apple’s 12-inch MacBook Air has been rumored for a while now, but the computer is very real, according to a new report from 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman. The resourceful and consistently accurate site has revealed specs and renders of a 12-inch MacBook (which is pegged for release anytime between the near future and mid-2015) that pushes the limits in terms of thickness, input and… Read More

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The Next MacBook Air Will Be A 12-Inch Beauty With An Edge-To-Edge Keyboard

Chinese TV giant TCL brings Palm Inc. back to life

Prepare to be transported back to 2005. Chinese electronics maker TCL (which sells smartphones around the world as Alcatel OneTouch) announced earlier today that it’s reviving the venerated Palm brand in the form of a new US subsidiary. That’s right folks: it might not be long until you’ve got a shiny new Palm smartphone in your pocket. To be clear, though, this new/old venture retains basically none of the original’s DNA. Palm’s giant vault of patents? It’s been hacked apart and sold off in bits pieces to big-time bidders. And webOS, the platform a naïve company banked its smartphone future on? It was open-sourced and eventually acquired by LG, who’s now throwing it on smart TVs and maybe a smartwatch if we’re lucky. Still, TCL has said that it’ll commit to retaining Palm’s roots as a “Silicon Valley” company, even though the definition has probably drifted a bit since the days that term was really in vogue. Exactly what that means is up to you the user: The company said in a statement that it’s looking for feedback from the once-dedicated Palm crowd for future devices, though we really have no clue when TCL plans to make good on its word. Here’s the thing, though: TCL has already made some pretty big strides in growing the reach and clout of its Alcatel brand (thanks largely to its really-kind-of-nice smartphones). It’s even trying to pump up its presence in the US by partnering up with The Color Run and Avicii. Is TCL shooting itself in the foot by bifurcating its phone business? Maybe! Palm’s long-neglected devotees probably won’t mind as long as they get a device to stick next to their Pre 3s, though. Filed under: Mobile Comments

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Chinese TV giant TCL brings Palm Inc. back to life

Mophie introduces new line of battery cases for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus

It was only a matter of time before Mophie made one of its popular battery cases for the latest iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus . Today, at CES 2015 , that time has come. Long-known for its line of battery “juice packs” for Apple handsets, Mophie has announced not one, not two, but three different battery cases for the latest iPhones. The Juice Pack Air for the iPhone 6 packs in more than a 100% of additional battery, the Juice Pack Plus promises more than 120% but is slightly thicker and last but not least is the phablet-sized Juice Pack for the iPhone 6 Plus, which Mophie tells us is the thinnest battery case it’s ever made. It does, however, only offer 60% of extra battery power. Another feature that sets these Mophie packs apart from previous generations is that they’re supposedly designed with rubberized points set inside the case to be more shock-absorbent, which hopefully means they’re more likely survive the occasional drop on the pavement. As far as pricing goes, the Juice Pack Air for the iPhone 6 and the Juice Pack for the 6 Plus are $99.95 each, while the Juice Pack Plus for the iPhone 6 retails for $119.95. The new cases come in black, white and gold. If that sounds like something you would want for your shining new Apple smartphone, you can go ahead and pre-order the case starting today from the Mophie website. Filed under: Cellphones Comments Source: Mophie

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Mophie introduces new line of battery cases for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus