VIDEO: "Robear" is a Robot Bear that Can Care for the Elderly

It's 2024. An Older Japanese Gentleman Wants to Watch the International Space Station's (ISS) Closing Ceremony but, he Can't Get Out of Bed. No Problem ! All he has to do is Call "Robear" to Help him Get Up. Yes, that's his Caregiver's Name but you See, "Robear" Isn't Human: it's a Bear-Like Robot. This Machine is actually the 3rd and Latest Iteration of the Beary Helpful Caregiver Robot being Developed by Japanese Research Institute, Riken. The 1st Model Announced in 2009 was Called, RIBA, Followed by RIBA-II in 2011, though Riken also Came Out with a Pillsbury Doughboy-Like Model Way Back in 2006 Called, 'RI-MAN'. "Robear" Weighs 309 Pounds, Making it a Lot Lighter than its 507-Pound Predecessor. It also has New Features that Ensure it's Gentler and More Careful while Carrying Patients to/from their Beds or Wheelchairs than the Older Versions.




Riken Explains:


"Specifically, it includes actuator units with a very low gear ratio, allowing the joints to move very quickly and precisely, and allowing backdrivability, meaning that the force encountered by the actuators as they perform their tasks can be quickly fed back into the system, allowing softer movement. It also incorporates three types of sensors, including torque sensors and Smart Rubber capacitance-type tactile sensors made entirely of rubber, which allow for gentle movements, ensuring that the robot can perform power-intensive tasks such as lifting patients without endangering them."




The Institute is Hoping that, its Creation Can Help People, particularly the Elderly, Regain Some Independence, as it Gives them the Power to Move Around the House without Another Person's Assistance. For Japan, which has an Aging Population, a Robot Carer Doesn't Sound Like such an Outrageous Idea, Even if it does Look a Bit Like a Homicidal Bear.




Info Sources:

http://www.cnet.com/news/giant-robotic-teddy-bear-japans-nurse-of-the-future

http://www.riken.jp/en/pr/press/2015/20150223_2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_hZRxaJvy0

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Facebook Tops in Worst Storage, Battery and Data Consuming Android Apps

AVG, an Antivirus and Malware Cleaning Software Provider, has Published its Latest Quarterly Study of the Worst Battery, Data, Storage and Performance Consuming Apps on Android Smartphones and Tablets. The List Contains a More of Earlier Faces from the Last Report while a More Number of New Faces are Added too. AVG has Examined the Apps of More an a Million of its Customers and Found which Ones Drain the Most Battery, also Incidentally, Uses the Most Storage and Eats the Most Data. As with Earlier Years, Facebook Android App Tops the List of Apps which Eat into Everything from Performance, Data Storage to Battery Draining. It is Joined by Spotify and Instagram to be Overall Performance Hoggers on Android. This Time it Seems like Samsung’s “Bloatware” still Can’t Shake its Resource Cravings, Particularly in the Battery Draining Category. Although, there Aren’t Many Samsung Apps this Time in this Category. In Case of Battery, Samsung’s Beaming and Security Updates Services Appear as the 2 Worst Run-at-Startup Apps, while Samsung’s WatchOn Remote App was the Most Energy Consuming App Run by Users. Mostly, the Apps which Consume Maximum Battery are the Ones that Start Up Automatically, When you Turn your Phone on.


Other Big Battery Drains Come from Apps that Constantly Sync with the Internet. Also there are Certain Similar Faces When it Comes to Eating Up Message Space and Hampering Handset’s Performance. Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and Google’s Chrome Browser, Have Now Become the Most Familiar to Appear in the “Storage Eaters” Category. In the Category of Storage Consumption, the NY Times App Held the #1 Spot Previously but, is Now Completely Out of the Top 10. Facebook, Spotify and Instagram are also the 3 Worst Apps you did Want to Uninstall, if you Want to Keep your Android Devices Running Smoothly, All of which also Featured in the Top 5 Last Quarter. The Amazon AppStore has also Leapt into the Top 5 this Year. Beyond this, if you Look in the Field of Data Usage then Social Media and Video Platforms are the Worst which are Using the Data with any Hindrance Thoroughly. Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Nextflix and Tumblr, All Ranking Highly, the Daily Mail App is the Worst Offender.


As they Consistently Rank Highly in Almost Every Category, these Social Apps Populate AVG’s Top 10 Overall Performance Sapping Apps of Q4 2014. Also if you are Facing Issues regarding Performance then, here are Some Tips Revealed by AVG for Better Performance. Firstly, Turn Off Unnecessary Notifications and Notification Apps. Secondly, Turn Off App Specific Features that you Don’t Use, such as Location Tracking. Thirdly, Regularly Delete Cache Data for Larger Apps to Save Space. Fourthly, Where Possible, Limit the Amount of Data Consumed by Adjusting Refresh Intervals and/or Wi-Fi Only Settings. Lastly, Lower your Display Brightness and Turn Off Wireless Features (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, etc) When you’re Not Using them,  A Lot More Information’s is also there in the Report of AVG about its User Habits, Commonly Installed Apps and Statistics for Games, although.




To Read the Full Report, just Click on the Link to Get Full Details, right here:

http://www.slideshare.net/AVGShare/avg-android-app-performance-report-q4-2014?ref=http://now.avg.com/avg-android-app-performance-report-q4-2014-presskit

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VIDEO: The Dawn of Mobile VR with John Carmack - GDC 2015

The Dawn of Consumer Mobile VR is Close. Come Hear the Technical Details of Making Mobile VR a Reality; Techniques and Strategies for Maximizing the Quality of your VR Games, Applications and Experiences and Thoughts about the Future of VR, including What it Means for the Mobile Ecosystem.




Check the GDC Speech Video with Programmer Genius, John Carmack, over here:


 

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"Project Ara" Inspired Modular Laptop Coming Within 2 Weeks

The Launch Date of Google’s "Project Ara" Modular Phones is Coming Nearer and Big Names like Toshiba are Showing Off the 1st Modules for Ara. Inspired by "Project Ara", One Education- One Laptop Per Child’s Non-Profit Partner is Working on a New Educational Laptop for the Past 1 Year and its Soon to be Launch has been Confirmed. This Hybrid Modular Laptop / Tablet is Named, XO-Infinity. The Very 1st XO Laptops were Shipped Back in 2007 and since then, there has been a Constant Improvement in the Specifications and Performance. One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Hasn’t Launched any New Device in Past Few Years; Now its Australian Partner, One Education, is Revitalizing the Project. XO-Infinity is a New Modular Laptop Design which is Promised to Outlast a Childhood. The Flexible Configurations Enable this Modular Laptop to be Used at any Primary School or Home in the World by Children.


This is of Proper Fitting Size and “small enough to fit in little hands, large enough to marvel at rich, engaging content”. There are Touch Screens for Little Children Who Don’t Know the Alphabets and Keyboards for the Older Students. Right Now, More Details are Unavailable but, Let us Take a Look at the Device after Popping Off the Rear Shell. I’m Not Sure about these Components but, I Guess the Green Module could be the CPU- Housing Processor, RAM, Storage, etc. The Blue Module is Definitely the Battery, the Pink One is Camera / Web Cam and Orange One could be the Wi-Fi or Other Connectivity. The Grey Component is the Screen and the White Part is the Basic Support Structure of the Laptop. This Modular Capability Brings a Whole New Level of Flexibility and Customization to the XO Infinity.




Taking about the Social Benefits of Modularity, the One Education Website, Writes:


“When the camera on a phone is getting old, or the processor, the device is generally thrown away and replaced with an entirely new one. With a modular design, it’s possible to update one part at a time as needed, at a much cheaper price. Leftover parts can be re-sold, or better yet, donated to those who wouldn’t normally be able to afford them at all.”




One Education has Confirmed that, the Official Announcement of this Modular Laptop will be Made within 2 Weeks. Right Now, XO-Infinity is a Prototype and a Working Model should be Expected to be Available till Mid-2015. The Group could Launch a Crowdfunding to Support the One Laptop Per Child Dream. This is a Global Initiative to Ensure a Laptop for Every Child in the World and this Dream Must Live.

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Google Confirms Plans to Launch its Own Mobile Service in the "Coming Months"

Google's, Sundar Pichai, has Essentially Confirmed Reports that, the Company will Become a Wireless Provider of Sorts in "the Coming Months". During his Appearance at Mobile World Congress Yesterday, Pichai Acknowledged that, Google is Working with "Existing Partners" to Create its Own MVNO but, Stopped Short of Confirming that Sprint and T-Mobile are those Partnering Networks, as has been Rumored. But, he did Reveal that, Google has been in Contact with Verizon Wireless and AT&T about its Plans — Likely to Head Off any Potential Ugly Conflict between Mountain View and the Largest, Most Powerful Providers in the United States. "Carriers in the US are what powers most of our Android phones and that model works really well for us", he Said. So, if you Take Pichai at his Word, Google Isn't Planning to Upend the Wireless Market and Go Full Throttle after Verizon and AT&T. "We don't intend to be a carrier at scale", Pichai Said. Nor does Mountain View Plan on Shaking Up Wireless Pricing, by the Sounds of it. When Asked Whether Google would Aggressively Lower Prices and Put itself in Line with StraightTalk, Cricket, Boost Mobile and Other Companies Known for Inexpensive Cellular Service, Pichai Hinted that, Google's Innovations will Come Elsewhere.


For One, Google Wants to Create a "Seamless" Link between Cellular Data and Wi-Fi Networks. Doing so, Could Eliminate Headaches like Dropped Calls, or at Least Make them Far Less of a Hassle. "We're trying to show innovations, like calls automatically reconnecting if someone drops on one end", Said Pichai. "Those are the kinds of ideas we're pursuing with this project. I think we're at the stage where we need to think of hardware, software and connectivity together", Said Pichai. "We want to break down the barriers on how connectivity works." Rather than Try and Pull Customers Away from the Big Four, Pichai suggested Google Hopes they'll Learn from its Experiment and Adopt any Breakthrough Features it Might Produce. Consumers Can Expect to See "some of our ideas come to fruit in the next few months", he Said. Google's I/O Conference this May, Could be a Sensible Venue for Announcing the Service — Assuming Google Doesn't Have Ambitions of Launching Even Sooner.

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GameStop is Accepting Used PlayStation 2s for Trade-In Again

Almost 2 Years after Saying they'd No Longer Take Used PlayStation 2s for Trade, GameStop is Once Again Accepting them. GameStop had Stopped Accepting the Systems and Games for Trade on June 1, 2013, about 6 Months after Sony Ended Production of the Console. But, in a News Release Sent this Morning, the Games Retailer Said, it's Back on — but, Trade-Ins will be for Store Credit Only. A PlayStation 2 with a Power Cable, Controller and A/V Cable will Get $25 Store Credit. A Console Lacking any of those 3 Accessories Gets $20. The PlayStation 2 is the Undisputed Best-Selling VideoGame Console of our Times, Moving More than 150 Million Units in its 13-Year-Run. More than 1.5 Billion Copies of VideoGames in its Prolific Library, were Sold in that Span. ;-)

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IBM, ARM Unveil "Internet of Things" Starter Kit

IBM and ARM Have Announced a Joint Project for Creating Embedded Products and Integrating them with the "Internet of Things". This Isn’t the 1st Time that the 2 Companies Have Worked Together — they Teamed Up Last Year as well, with ARM’s Embed Platform — but, this New System is More Powerful, Flexible and Integrates with IBM’s BlueMix Cloud Platform. The New Starter Kit is Formally Known as the IoT Starter Kit – Ethernet Edition. It’s Based Around the Freescale K64F Platform, which Uses a Cortex-M4 Processor with an Integrated Floating Point Unit and DSP. The Chip is Clocked at 120MHz with 256KB of RAM and 1MB of Flash. That’s a Significant Upgrade to Last Year’s Model, which Used a Cortex-M3 Processor at 96MHz with just 32KB of RAM and 512KB of Flash Memory. It also Upgrades the Number of SPI and L2C Buses and Several of the Included Peripherals. Onboard Ethernet is also Supported, hence the “Ethernet Edition” Moniker. The Point of the Platform is to Enable Small Companies to Engage in Rapid Prototyping and Device Testing. The Cortex-M4 is the Fastest Embedded Processor Design ARM currently Ships (the Higher-End Cortex-M7 was Announced Last September but, Hasn’t Shipped Yet). Its DSP and FPU Support Give the Core Additional Flexibility that, the Older Cortex-M3 Lacks and it Should be Suited to a Number of Types of Dedicated IoT Concepts.


The Theoretical aAdvantage of the IBM Tie-In is the Big Data Back-End — Gather the Information Up Front, with the Dedicated ARM Processor and then Use IBM’s Sophisticated Management and Cloud Platform Service Tools to Make Sense of it, in Real-Time. One Major Goal of the ARM Embed Project is to Make Prototyping and Device Function as Easy as Possible. The Kits will Ship with ARM’s Embed OS and will Reportedly Guide Enthusiasts through the Process of Making a Basic Device and Connecting to IBM’s BlueMix Cloud Service. An Example of the Initial Interface is Shown below:

The Web Interface and Immediate Feedback on Device Function is Great but, Whether these Simple Handheld Tutorials will Translate into a Product that’s Easy to Program, is still an Open Question. Embedded Systems Aren’t Known for Being Easy to Program and the 1MB of Onboard Flash and 256KB of RAM, Don’t Exactly Leave a Lot of Room for Code Bloat. IBM will Offer a Real-Time Data Visualization Tool, currently Accessible from the Company’s Starter Kit Website. Some Basic Code Examples are also Provided. Thus Far, the Entire "Internet of Things" has Seemed More like a Solution in Search of a Problem than Something Users would Want to Adopt en Masse. But, Most of the Products we’ve Seen Have been Top-Down Developments from Huge Corporations and Revolved around the Basic Concept of “Smart” Appliances. Small Projects from Companies like Pebble and Nest Have been Far More Successful, which Suggests that, Greater Access and More Imagination might be just What the IoT Needs to Catch Fire.




Info Source:

http://developer.mbed.org/platforms/IBMEthernetKit

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SanDisk Unveils the New "Ultra microSDXC UHS-I 200GB Card Premium Edition"

If a 128GB microSD Card just Isn't Big Enough to Put your Media Collection on your Phone, Don't Worry -- SanDisk is Coming to your Rescue. It just Unveiled a Whopping 200GB Card (the Ultra microSDXC UHS-I Card Premium Edition, to be Exact) that Makes just about Anything Else Seem Puny. You Won't Even Have to Give Up Performance, as it Should still Transfer about 90MB per Second, or Roughly 1,200 Photos Every Minute. The Price could Easily be a Showstopper, though. SanDisk will Ask an Eye-Watering $400 for the 200GB Card, When it Ships in the 2nd Quarter so, it May Only Make Sense if you Insist on Gobs of Room for 4K Videos or a Gigantic Music Library.




Info Source:

http://www.sandisk.com/about-sandisk/press-room/press-releases/2015/200gb-sandisk-ultra-microsdxc-uhs-i-card-premium-edition

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ISIS Threatens Twitter Employees After Account was Blocked

Middle Eastern Terror Group, ISIS, has apparently Threatened the Lives of Twitter's Employees, as well as, that of its Chairman, Jack Dorsey. The Threat was Reportedly Made as a Response to the Service's Policy of Blocking Accounts that Directly Encourage Acts of Violence or Illegal Activities such as Terrorism. BuzzFeed has Translated Portions of the Message, Part of which Reads, "when our lions come and take your breath, you will never come back to life". As TechCrunch Comments, it Seems Odd that Twitter Alone would be Threatened, When Other Websites like Facebook and YouTube Have Similarly Deleted Material. Because the Document was Uploaded to Anonymous Sharing Site, JustPaste, it's Not Entirely Clear if the Message Originally Came from the Group's Leadership. As Far as Twitter is Concerned, however, it is Taking the Threats Seriously and is Now Working with Local Law Enforcement.




Info Sources:

http://justpaste.it/jot6

http://www.buzzfeed.com/davidmack/isis-twitter-threat?utm_term=.dsZx4Y8JP#.ytd2Mezda

http://techcrunch.com/2015/03/01/twitter-isis

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"Light Field" 3D Maps, Take VR Broadcasting to the Next Level

Ever since I Experienced a Live 3D Virtual Reality Broadcast for the 1st Time, I've been Giving Demos of the Technology to Anyone Who will Sit still Long Enough for me, to Put a Gear VR on their Head. Across the Board, the Reactions Have included at least 2 Things: "This is Amazing" and "Can you Move Around Like you're Really There ?". Now, NextVR Says the Answer to that Question is Yes, since it's Adding "Light Field" (a.k.a. Plenoptic) Capture Technology to Existing Rigs (like this 6K Unit Shown below) that will Let Viewers Look Around the Scene with Full 6 Degrees of Freedom. This is Similar to the Tech Lytro Uses for its Cameras that, Lets you Change Focus after a Picture is Taken -- and just Got a $50 Million Investment to Implement on VR. According to NextVR, its Patented Approach Creates a 3D Geometric Model of the Scene Ready for Headsets like the Oculus Rift, Sony's Project Morpheus or Even Augmented Reality Units like Microsoft's HoloLens or Magic Leap's...Whatever it is. Company Co-Founder, David Cole, Didn't Mince Words, Calling it the "next step towards creating a holodeck" and Combined with What we've Seen over the Last Few Years we're Inclined to Believe him.


In the Existing NextVR Demos and Live Broadcast, they already Include Depth Information Used to Create the 3D Effect that really Brought "You-are-There" Feeling, as Shown in Recent Tests with the NBA and NHL. Watching 3D Sports Broadcasts has Always been a Neat Trick but, Some of the Restrictions of 3D Killed the Immersion. Sure, When it's Working Correctly it Looks Great but, When you Catch the Edge of the Display Boom -- you're Back in your Living Room. Wearing a VR Headset Ups the Awkwardness Factor but, has the Added Benefit of Putting you actually in the Scene you're Watching, Where you Can Look in Every Direction without Losing the Effect. Now, What NextVR is Promising with "Light Field", Means you Could actually Look Around that Ref Standing in Front of the Camera, or Get a Better Angle on a Play Happening across the Court, just like if you were Really There. Well, Not Like if you were Really There, since at Home you probably Won't be Paying $12 for Terrible Beer -- but, you Get the Point. ;-)




Info Source:

http://www.nextvr.com

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YouTube Switches from Flash to HTML5, Goodbye Flash

No One Notice the Video Streaming Giant, YouTube, Quitely Moved from Providing Flash-Based Videos to HTML5-Based Videos on Desktop. If this had Happened a Few Years Ago, there would Have a Huge Brouhaha of Online Users but, No One Seems to Have Noticed the Change Happening Now. For One, till a Few Years Ago, Flash was Considered Ultimate for Providing Video or Animation Based Graphics Online. In Fact, it would Have been Seen as a Sacrilege to Use any Other Medium for Videos. But Over the Years Things Have Changed Radically, Adobe is Not What it was a Few Years Ago and Adobe’s Flash has Become Less Relevant Nowadays. Also Technology Wise Things are Different Now. Till a Few Years Ago Every Thing Online was Woven around Microsoft Internet Explorer and Flash was One of Them. Not Anymore, IE itself is on the Verge of Becoming Irrelevant with Microsoft itself, Ditching is Partly for Windows 10 Preview Version.


Also with New Technologies Came New Browsers which were Capable of Supporting Different Formats without a Hitch. Google Chromium Project of One of these Projects and Almost All Popular Browsers Now Tend to Use Chromium for their Browsers. With the Upgradation Can the Inherent Change and YouTube’s Move to HTML5 is One of Them. Also the Support HTML5 is Getting from Tech Companies including Firefox and Smartphone Manufacturers including Samsung et al Means that, May Have HTML5 Based Smartphones in Not so Distant Future. Making the Announcement on a Blog Post, YouTube Stated that, its Web Video Player will Demote Adobe Flash and Start Streaming HTML5 Videos by Default on All Modern Browsers including Chrome, IE11, Safari 8 and in New Beta Versions of Firefox. Stating the Obvious, YouTube Engineer, Richard Leider Said that, the Company is Officially Ditching Flash in Favour of HTML5, since the Latter Adds More Flexibility for Developers, Bloggers and Consumers, with Benefits that “Extend Beyond Web Browsers”. To Move from the Flash-Based Videos to HTML5 Support, YouTube had to Embark on a Massive Technological Exercise. First of All they Have Moved to MediaSource Extensions to Provide Adaptive Bitrate (ABR) Streaming. ABR is Very Critical for Providing a Quality Video Experience for Viewers, as it Allows YouTube to seamlessly Adjust Resolution and Bitrate for Good, Bad and Worst Network Conditions. YouTube says that, ABR has Reduced Buffering by More than 50% Globally and as Much as 80% on Heavily-Congested Networks. MediaSource Extensions also Enable Live Streaming in Game Consoles like XBox and PlayStation 4, on Devices like Chromecast and in Web Browsers. Second they Have Moved to VP9 Codec which Gives you Higher Quality Video Resolution with an Average Bandwidth Reduction of 35%.


VP9 Allows More People to Access 4K and HD at 60FPS — and Videos Start 15-80% Faster. YouTube Hopes to Make VP9 Codec Mainstream in the Future. Third for Encryption, YouTube has Taken WebRTC Support. YouTube Says that, this will Enable Everyone to Share their Videos with the World, Whether Uploading Pre-Recorded Videos or Broadcasting Live. WebRTC Allows YouTube to Build on the Same Technology that, Enables Plugin-Free Google Hangouts, to Provide Broadcasting Tools from within the Browser. YouTube will also Use New Fullscreen APIs in HTML5, YouTube is Able to Provide an Immersive Fullscreen Viewing Experience which is Perfect for Streaming 4K Videos, All with Standard HTML UI. “Over the last four years, we’ve worked with browser vendors and the broader community to close those gaps, and now, YouTube uses HTML5 by default in Chrome, IE 11, Safari 8 and in beta versions of Firefox. The benefits of HTML5 extend beyond web browsers and it’s now also used in smart TVs and other streaming devices”, Leider Noted on the Blog Post. With these Changes, YouTube will Now be Streaming Videos in HTML5 so, for YouTube, Flash is Officially Dead, Long Live Adobe Flash. ;-)

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Facebook and Google Chat Integration in Outlook.com, Being Discontinued

Users of Microsoft's Outlook.com Email Service will No Longer be Able to Chat with their Facebook or Google Talk Contacts through the Web Client as the Integration is Set to be Discontinued. Earlier the Other Day, Microsoft Started Sending Out Emails to Outlook.com Users Saying that, the Chat Integration with Facebook and Google Accounts will be Removed in the Coming Weeks. Users Can still Connect to their Facebook Friends Using Skype but, Google Chat Integration is Going Away Completely. As Reported Earlier, Google is Dropping Support for Jabber and Moving to the Proprietary Hangouts Platform for Chat. Due to this Change, Microsoft Won't be Able to Provide Google Chat / Talk Integration Anymore. The Email Mentions that, the Contacts Integration Won't be Affected by the Removal of Chat and Users will Continue to Get the Latest Updates as before. Microsoft has Recommended that Users Who Wish to Chat with Other Outlook.com Users right from the Web Client should Link their Skype Accounts with the Email Service and Install the Skype Plugin for Video Chat.




Info Source:

http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-to-drop-facebook-google-chat-integration-in-outlook-com

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Bjork's Next Music Video is Made for Virtual Reality

Let's Say for a Moment that, the Experimental Oculus VR Movies that Came Out of Sundance, Didn't do Anything for you but, that Icelandic Songwriters Totally Float your Boat. You're in Luck because, Björk's upcoming Video for "Stonemilker" will be Available for Oculus Rift, according to an Interview with Fast Company. She Says that, the Platform is "almost more intimate than real life" and Finds it Exciting in General, Citing its "crazy panoramic" Abilities. Don't Go Thinking this Means she'll Release an Entire Album for it, Similar to What she did with 2011's Biophilia being Released as an App, though:

"I only did that album because I felt like I had content that made sense, that could relate to the technology. It can't just be working with the gadget for the sake of the gadget. But also it's about budgets. You can do apps cheaply. Apps was kind of punk, actually. It was like starting a punk band again. Filming for Oculus Rift is not."

One Other Way you Can See her Work in Virtual Reality is at the Museum of Modern Art's Retrospective of her Career, which Opens March 8 in New York. What's More, Björk Says she's Keeping her New Album Off of Spotify because, well, in her Words Streaming Music "seems insane". Her Reasoning is that, like Taylor Swift's, it's about Respect for Music, Not Particularly the Financial Aspect. Should you Want a Deeper Look Inside her Brain, be Sure to Hit the Source Link, below.

Info Sources:

http://pitchfork.com/news/58650-bjork-keeping-vulnicura-off-spotify-its-about-respect-you-know

http://www.fastcompany.com/3042429/creative-conversations/bjork-on-keeping-her-new-album-off-spotify-its-not-about-the-money-it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjI2J2SQ528

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Vulnerability in Blu-Ray Players, Can Allow Hackers to Infiltrate into Network

Security Researchers Have Discovered 2 Flaws in Blu-Ray Players which Can Allow a Potential Hacker to Access the PC Remotely and Steal Personal and Confidential Information. The Vulnerabilities Allow Potential Hackers to Create a Blu-Ray Disc and Allow them to Run any Executable Program without Running the Media Content on the Disc. The Flaws was Discovered by British Hacker, Stephen Tomkinson, Who Presented the Vulnerability on NCC Blog.




"Vulnerability 1 – Windows – Cyberlink PowerDVD


The first vulnerability demonstrated by Tomkinson shows how a potential hacker can create a malicious Blu-Ray disc by taking advantage of poorly implemented Java. The malicious disc can execute arbitrary codes automatically and also bypass the auto-run prevention mechanism in Windows. To show his vulnerability, Tomkinson used the popular Cyberlink’s PowerDVD software. Tomkinson says that Cyberlink’s PowerDVD supports Blu-Ray since 2009 but, has hardly updated security mechanisms since then. PowerDVD comes with a range of additional Java classes which provide functionality internal to the player, but which are still callable by Xlets on the disc. One of these is the CUtil class which provides access to functions implemented in native code which fall outside of the SecurityManager’s control. These functions allow the player to obtain the current licence details, the ability to pop-up windows confirmation dialogs and most usefully for us an ability to read arbitrary files from the disc.

Additionally Cyberlink have written their own SecurityManager App for limiting the functionality of an Xlet, a Java-based application containing the disc’s dynamic menus and embedded content that is run in a Java Virtual Machine. “PowerDVD comes with a range of additional Java classes which provide functionality internal to the player, but which are still callable by Xlets on the disc. One of these is the CUtil class which provides access to functions implemented in native code which fall outside of the SecurityManager’s control”, Tomkinson stated on the blog post. Tomkinson used or rather abused these functions and created instructions that read the arbitrary code once they were placed on the disc. Once the Blu-Ray disc was put in the PC, it could run the executable without even running the content and bypassing the auto-play trigger in Windows OS.


Vulnerability 2 – Physical Blu-Ray Players


While the first vulnerability was in the software part of the the Blu-Ray, the second vulnerability presented by Tomkinson and associates exploited a physical Blu-Ray player vulnerability. This vulnerability was based on previous research by Malcom Stagg, whose project permits modification of the Sony Blu-Ray BDP firmware in order to remove anti-piracy technology Cinavia. Tomkinson achieved the hack by launching a library from a USB drive plugged into the device and the web browser based on Stagg’s work. Tomkinson relied on the embedded Linux system to provide a path onto the target’s network; using the Xlets on the disc, it is possible to access the “net inf” and “ipc” daemons, which have client applications on the player.

As such, an “execute” function is available and it could be used to run a command. The exploit consists in dumping the TCP stream for a valid execute request of something already present on the disc, from the IPC client application. Then, an Xlet can be written to replay the same byte to the daemon and thus execute the arbitrary code on the disc. Tomkinson says that the exploits for both the software and the physical Blu-Ray players can be embedded on the Blu-Ray without the knowledge of the potential victim and launched selectively. There is no patch for these vulnerabilities as of now so Tomkinson recommends users not to play Blu-Ray discs from unknown sources and disable the AutoPlay functionality in Windows."

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"Unreal Engine 4" is Now Available for Free as Promised by Epic Games

"Unreal Engine 4" is Now Available to Everyone for Free and All Future Updates will be Free ! You Can Download the Engine and Use it for Everything from Game Development, Education, Architecture and Visualization to VR, Film and Animation. When you Ship a Game or Application, you Pay a 5% Royalty on Gross Revenue after the First $3,000 per Product, per Quarter. It’s a Simple Arrangement in which we Succeed Only When you Succeed. This is the Complete Technology they Use at Epic When Building their Own Games. It Scales from Indie Projects to High-End Blockbusters; it Supports All the Major Platforms and it includes 100% of the C++ Source Code. Their Goal is to Give you Absolutely Everything so that, you Can do Anything and be in Control of your Schedule and your Destiny. Whatever you Require to Build and Ship your Game, you Can Find it in UE4, Source it in the Marketplace, or Build it Yourself – and then Share it with Others.




DEVELOP IN THE UNREAL ECOSYSTEM


Beyond the tools and source, Unreal Engine 4 provides an entire ecosystem. Chat in the forums, add to the wiki, participate in the AnswerHub Q&A, and join collaborative development projects via GitHub. Buy content in the Marketplace, or build your own and sell it there. To help you get started, the engine includes a large number of video tutorials and documentation, as well as ready-made game templates, samples and content.


UNREAL SET FREE


In early 2014, we took the step of making Unreal Engine 4 available to everyone by subscription for $19 per month. We put all of our source code online, available to all who signed up. We flipped the switch and crossed our fingers. The past year has been a whirlwind for everyone at Epic Games. Our community has grown tremendously. The quality and variety of creative work being done has been breathtaking. When we asked people to submit their projects to be shown this year at GDC, we had the challenge of picking just 8 from over 100 finalists that were all good enough to show. The state of Unreal is strong, and we’ve realized that as we take away barriers, more people are able to fulfill their creative visions and shape the future of the medium we love. That’s why we’re taking away the last barrier to entry and going free.


MADE POSSIBLE BY THE COMMUNITY


For those of you who have been with us for the last year, thank you! With your input and participation, we’ve worked insanely hard to make the engine better, more useable and more powerful, releasing 7 major updates and more than a dozen minor updates. In going free, we’ll be issuing a pro-rated refund to current subscribers for their most recent month’s payment. And, everyone who has ever paid for a UE4 subscription will receive a $30 credit that can be spent in the Unreal Engine Marketplace.


BLUE SKIES AHEAD


This news comes during an unprecedented time in our industry, amidst revolutions in virtual reality and augmented reality, and in the presence of the largest community of indie developers that has ever existed, all facing a crowded market and seeking the opportunity to stand out from the crowd. Yet in Epic’s 25 years as an independent company, we have seen no time of greater opportunity for developers than today. Whatever your development aspirations, Epic stands with you, both as a technology provider and as a fellow game developer counting on UE4 to power our own games."




Download UE4, from here (Only for Registered Users) :

https://www.unrealengine.com

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"Blade Runner" Sequel Will See the Return of Harrison Ford

The Long-Awaited Sequel to Ridley Scott's, "Blade Runner", will See the Return of Harrison Ford, Alcon Entertainment Confirmed Today. In an Announcement from the Production Company's Co-Founders, Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson, it was also Confirmed French-Canadian Director, Denis Villeneuve, is in Negotiations to Direct the upcoming Film. Villeneuve Originally Made a Name for Himself with his Award Winning Films, Maelstrom and Incendies, the Latter of the 2 was Nominated for an Oscar. however, he's Likely Best Known to American Audiences for his Work on the 2013 Thriller, Prisoners, Featuring Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhall.


"We are honored that Harrison is joining us on this journey with Denis Villeneuve, who is a singular talent, as we experienced personally on Prisoners", Said the Studio Owners in a Statement. The Sequel is Being Written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green. Fancher Co-Wrote the Original "Blade Runner", while Green is also currently Signed on as Screenwriter for Prometheus 2. The Movie will be Based on an Idea by Fancher and Ridley Scott. While Little is Known about the Film so far, the Sequel is Said to Take Place Several Decades after the 1982 Original Film.




Shooting is Scheduled to Take Place in the U.S. in Summer 2016.




Info Source:

http://www.slashfilm.com/blade-runner-sequel-director

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Storing 1000TB on a Single DVD or 50.000 HD Movies; Australian Researcher Shows How its Done

Technology is Growing with Rapid Speed Leading to New Ways and Ideas for Another Major Revolution in World. Humans are Now in the Race to Produce Much More Data than What we Have Seen in Recent Few Years Back. Now More than 90% Data are Generated in the Last Past 2 Years. Also there will Come a Point When our Data Storage Centres and the Cloud Can No Longer Keep Up. But, Dr Zongsong Gan, a Researcher at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, has Came Up with Revolutionary Technology in which we Can Fit a Whole Lot More Data onto Traditional Optical Storage Devices, such as CDs and is Now Using that Technology to Help Data Storage Keep Up with Demand. In 2013, Gan and his Colleagues Found Out How to Fit 1,000 Terabytes (TB), or 50,000 High-Definition Movies, onto a DVD – an Increase from the 4.07 Gigabytes they’re currently Capable of Storing.


Gan has been Awarded as 1 of 12 Victoria Fellowships in 2014, which will Help to Incorporate his Research into Practical, Mass Storage Devices. The Team were Able to Create Much Enough Space or Data on DVD Storage so Significantly by Using Light to Create Extra Small Dots or ‘Bits’ – the Unit Used to Store Information. It Means that Much More Information Can be Wrote than Ever before onto Discs the Same Size. The Task Wasn't Easy for the Team and was Difficult to Achieve. So, to Get into it, they had to Break a Physical Barrier Known as the Diffraction Limit of Light. Light Cannot be Split further than Around 500 Nanometres and before they Started on this Project they Thought that, because of this, Light Wasn’t Capable of Writing Bits of Information Smaller than 500 Nanometres across.


But, as you All Know that, there is Nothing Impossible. Gan and his Colleagues Cracked the Difficultly. They Used 2-Light-Beams with Different Abilities, to Whittle Down the Point of Light Writing the Data to just 9 nm across, or One 10 Thousandth the Diameter of a Human Hair. Both the Beams Used were 500-Nanometres-Wide but, One was for Writing Information (Red) and the Other Beam (Purple) Blocked the First from Writing Information. By Making the Second One Doughnut-Shaped, they Created only a Small Space that, the 1st Beam could Write Information through, as Shown in the Image below.


Gan Now, with $18,000 Fellowship will Collaborate with Industry and Researchers Around the World to Work on New Breakthroughs for Data Storage Devices and also, he will be also be Working with Industries to Implement his Recent Research to Increase the Capacity of Optics-Based Information Technologies on a Large Scale. Gan Explained in a Press Conference, “The successful development of our technology will result in possible Victorian owned long-term patents and create a global role for Victoria, reinforcing the state’s profile of fostering high-tech industry and an innovative research environment, in particular in optics-based information technologies”. The Technology if Once Implemented on Large Scale will Bring an Affective Revolutionary Change in Terms of Storage Data. We will be Able to Get High Space on our Earlier Used Storage Devices.

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VIDEO: There Will Not Be a Sequel to "The Babadook"

The Horror Genre Thrives on Sequels. The Instant a Filmmaker Creates Some Kind of Interesting, Iconic Villain or Scenario, it is Pillaged and Marketed into Oblivion. Sometimes that Works, Sometimes it Doesn’t but, it’s just the Way it Goes. Sequels Print Money. Often, too, they Happen because the Filmmaker is New to the Game and Signs Away any Rights just to Get their 1st Film into Cinemas. Both of those Scenarios would’ve Made Sense with Jennifer Kent‘s, The Babadook. The Terrifying, Super-Smart Horror Film is Currently in Cinemas and on Demand and it Not Only has a Wonderful, Creative Hook and Villain, it’s by a First Time Director. Those 2 Facts Make it Seem like a Sequel would be Likely. However, Kent has Definitely Said, there will Never be a Babadook 2. Read Why, below. Kent was Talking to IGN about The Bababook and they Asked about the Possibility of a Sequel. (Note: Because the Film is still in Theaters and you Should See it, we Won’t Discuss the End of the Movie and its Bearing on the Hypothetical Sequel).




Here’s Kent:


"The good news is, I had the foresight to make sure that my producer and I owned the rights to any sequels. The reason for that is I will never allow any sequel to be made, because it’s not that kind of film. I don’t care how much I’m offered, it’s just not going to happen. [Laughs]"




While there is Definitely a Way, Like Any Other Film, you Could do a Follow Up to The Babadook, I’m Glad Kent is so Against it. Any Kind of Follow Up would Pretty Much Remove Any of the Power the 1st Film has. But, Not as a Horror Film, Mind you. The Scares and Tension would be there, No Matter What. A Sequel would Undermine its Commentary on What it Means to be a Single Parent. That’s Where The Babadook‘s True Power Lies.




Are you Surprised or Happy we Won’t See, The Babadook 2 ?




Info Sources:

http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/12/05/director-jennifer-kent-on-the-babadook

http://youtu.be/k5WQZzDRVtw

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Li-Fi-like System Intended to Bring 100Gbps Speeds Straight to Your Computer

Earlier the Data which was Transferred to our Computer Wasn't Accurate and Had Drops while Travelling a Long Way to its Final Destination that is you. The Data which Travelled in the Form of Light has Certain Drops in Midway Due to Various Reasons. Now, Researcher Believe it’s All Over. How Would it Sound if we Take the Light All the Way to the Computer or TV, Projecting it through the Air over the Last Few Meters and Only Converting it to an Electronic Signal at the End ? That Sounds Amazing Isn’t. The Researches at Oxford University is Working on the Similar Technique with a System that Takes Light from the Fiber, Amplifies it and Beams it Across a Room to Deliver Data at More than 100 Gigabits per Second. Ariel Gomez, a Ph.D. Student in Photonics at Oxford University Who Describes the System in IEEE Photonics Technology Letters Says that, such Indoor Optical Wireless probably Wouldn’t Replace Wi-Fi but, if Compared with Data Rates of 3 Terabits per Second and Up, it’s certainly Amazing and Could Find its Uses. Wi-Fi, by Contrast, Can Give a Maximum Top Speed of about 7 Gb/s.


And with Light, there’s No Worry about Sticking to a Limited Set of Radio Frequencies. “If you’re in the optical window, you have virtually unlimited bandwidth and unlicensed spectrum”, Gomez Says. So, to Use this Feature, you Need to Install a Base Station on the Ceiling of a Room, which Would Project the Light toward the Computer and also Receive Data Heading Out from the Computer to the Internet. The Transceivers should be Mounted with a Wide Field of View to Make the Alignment Task Easier, because the Device Relies on Wavelength Division Multiplexing, which Splits the Signal into Slightly Different Colours of Light. Just like a Prism, which Diffracts the Light into Several Colours, the Diffraction Grating of the Beam Steerer Bends Each Wavelength a Different Amount.


With a 60° Field of View, the Team was Able to Transmit 6 Different Wavelengths, Each at 37.4 Gb/s, for an Aggregate Bandwidth of 224 Gb/s. With a 36° Field of View, they Managed only 3 Channels, for 112 Gb/s. The System Requires a Direct Line of Sight and for Now, the Receiver Must be in a Fixed Position. The Next Step is to Develop a Tracking and Location System so that, a User Could Place a Laptop at a Random Spot on a Table and Have the System Find it and Create a Link. The Team which is Working on this Technology also included Researchers from University College, London, Accomplished this Using So-Called Holographic Beam Steering at Both the Transmitter and Receiver Ends. These Use an Array of Liquid Crystals to Create a Programmable Diffraction Grating that Reflects the Light in the Desired Direction. The Device is Similar to that Used in Projectors, Says Dominic O’Brien, a Photonics Engineer at Oxford, Who Directed the Work.


Brien is a Member of the Ultra-Parallel Visible Light Communications Project, with Colleagues at the Universities of Edinburgh, Strathclyde, St. Andrews and Cambridge. Among Several Goals, One of their Goals is to Develop Li-Fi, which Uses the Light that’s also Illuminating a Room as a Way to Send Data Signals. He Says Li-Fi usually Refers to Schemes Based on Visible Wavelengths of Light, whereas this System Relies on Infrared Light at 1550nm, which is Used in Telecommunications. All these Technologies — Wi-Fi, Li-Fi, Optical Wireless — May Wind Up Being Part of How People Link Devices to the Internet. There is No Limitations in the Field of Technology and Today or Some Other Day, the Most Advanced and Reliable Technology has to Come and Replace All Others. The Fact that Remains, is the Time which the Technology would Take to Develop.

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PRESS RELEASE: Annapurna Pictures to Open Virtual Reality Division

Annapurna Pictures is Well-Known for Releasing Some of the Most Engaging Movies Out There Today. So, in a Way, it Makes Sense that, they’d Embrace a Technology that itself is Literally Engaging. The Company is Opening a New Virtual Reality Division Called, 'VRSE.FARM', along with Artist, Chris Milk. Together, they’ll Offer Filmmakers the Opportunities to Explore Virtual Reality Outlets and Concepts for their Movies like Nowhere before. Read More about the Annapurna Virtual Reality Division, below.




Here’s the Full PRESS RELEASE on 'VRSE.FARM' :


"Annapurna Pictures announced Thursday they are forming a Virtual Reality division of the company. The new division has begun by forming the joint venture VRSE.farm, a partnership with artist Chris Milk to develop and produce Virtual Reality content. With VRSE.farm, Annapurna is dedicated to giving visionary filmmakers the opportunity to explore and push the limits of VR and build this new language for storytelling. Annapurna’s new VR division will further the company’s commitment to working with ambitious and bold filmmakers and shepherding their singular visions to the screen regardless of medium. VRSE.farm will be providing cutting edge audio/video technology, craftsmen, and crew to a select handful of filmmakers interested in testing out new ideas, pushing boundaries and pioneering a new era in filmmaking. The partnership will allow filmmakers guidance and support from both Annapurna and experienced VR artist Chris Milk as they experience the new form of filmmaking.

VR is able to appeal directly to a part of our senses in a way that is normally only achievable in real life, giving you the ability to physically and emotionally immerse yourself in a story in ways that have never been possible before. In VR, when you are standing on top of a cliff, you feel as if you are there – you feel vertigo. When someone’s telling you their secrets, you feel intimately connected to them. VR has the massive potential to give an audience this true sense of presence of any moment, regardless of where that audience is. Milk’s “Evolution of Verse”, which will premiere as part of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival’s New Frontier section, will serve as the first piece to come out of Annapurna’s new VR division and the VRSE.farm partnership. “Evolution of Verse” is also being presented by Digital Domain 3.0 and will be available to the public via the VRSE app, which will be available Friday in the Apple and Android app stores. “Megan has the most vision and foresight of any producer working in cinema today”, said Milk. “I’m humbled and honored to be exploring the virtual reality medium alongside her. We can’t wait to help our fellow filmmakers write a completely new storytelling language.”"

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The White House Officially Launches its New Cyber Warfare Agency

One of the Reasons that, the US has been Slow to Respond to Attacks is because, its Security Agencies Don't Talk to Each Other. This Lack of Communication May Make the FBI, CIA etc Look Very Butch but, it's Pretty Terrible When Lives, Businesses and 2nd-Tier Studio Comedies are on the Line. This is Why the White House has Sanctioned the Creation of a New Agency that's Designed to Remedy the Problem. The US Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center has been Given the Official Go-Ahead and will Sit between the FBI, NSA and CIA, amongst Others, Collating that Data and Offering a Cohesive Policy to Fight Off Digital Attacks. Another Thing the CTIIC will be Responsible for is Informing Both Lawmakers and US Businesses of Impending Threats and Advise upon Solutions, Maybe Starting with "don't make movies about North Korea without making sure your network is full of holes".




Info Source:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/02/25/presidential-memorandum-establishment-cyber-threat-intelligence-integrat

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Graphene Shown to Neutralize Cancer Stem Cells

Elite Materials like Graphene usually Aren’t just Lone Success Stories. Generally, the Whole Family of Related Materials — Oxides, Nitrides, or Other Derivatives — are All Sought after for Unique Applications. As it Typically Happens, Folks First Imagine Using a Promising New Material to Store Bits or Energy but then, Settle for Trying to Make Better Battery Terminals. Eventually Someone Gets Bold Enough to Want to Stick it in your Brain, either by Crafting Fine Electrodes or Synthesizing Molecular Scale Vehicles for Drug Delivery. Ultimately, if it’s Really Good, they just Grind it Up Raw and Sprinkle it on Cancer Cells in the Hope it will be the Magic Bullet that Spares the Good and Conquers the Evil. Graphene Oxide has Now Reached the Pinnacle of any Material’s Evolution, Successfully Proving itself in the Lab against 6 Kinds of Cancer Cells. Researchers from the University of Manchester Have Found that Flaked Graphene Oxide Preferentially Hits these Cancers Where it Hurts Most, right in the Stem Cells. These are the Guys that Not Only are Often Responsible for Starting the Tumor but, they also Tend to Stick Around after the Radiation, Chemotherapy and Surgery to Reseed a Tumor just When it Looks like it was Defeated. Researchers at University of Manchester Previously Won the Nobel Prize for their Groundbreaking Work on Graphene. They are Kind of like the Rice University of Graphene.


Rice was Where the Late Richard Smalley Won his Prize for C60 Fullerenes and Carbon Nanotubes and Where New Applications are still Similarly Developed for that Class of Materials. Graphene Oxide is Technically Less of a Traditional Oxide Structure and More of What is Called an Epoxide. Epoxide Groups are Oxygen Atoms that Bond to and Bridge 2 Different Groups, Much like we Might Imagine Happens in Epoxies. The Actual Structure of Graphene Oxide Varies Significantly and depends on How it was Synthesized but Generally, the Interlayer Spacing is Much Greater. Exactly What this All Means for Killing the Worst of the Worst Remains to be Seen. The Authors Report that, the Selective Toxicity May be Explained by Various Chemical Effects as Opposed to Some Kind of Mechanical Process (Perhaps as we Might Imagine in the Case of Asbestos Needles). In Particular, they Suggest that Key Signalling Pathways Only Active in Cancer Stem Cells are Inhibited by the Graphene Oxide Flakes. The Genes they Mention Have Names like WNT and Notch — Esoteric Gene Names More Typically Bandied about When Discussing the Early Development of the Organism. It May be a Bit of a Stretch at this Point to Remove All Doubt that, these Genes are the Essential Players Involved. However, it is Certainly Possible to Gain Experimental Evidence for Theories along these Lines in a Cell Culture Setting like the Researchers Used. Because this is ET, we are Going to Let you in on a Special Term that, Even Professional Oncologists Have probably Never Even Heard of.


That Word is Anoikis, which is Greek for “the state of being without a home”. One Characteristic of Cancer Stem Cells is their Ability to Survive in New Places they Have Never Seen. Places without the Familiar Extracellular Matrix Environment that Most Other Mortal Cells Require to Maintain their Footing, or to Become Invasive. In the Cancer World, Anoikis is the Special Form of Molecular Suicide that Many Cells Choose for Themselves When they are Removed from their Comfortable Matrix and Cultured in a Suspension. Usually this a Clean Process Where the Cell Digests its Own Contents and Recycles them for Use by Another. The Ability of Graphene Oxide to Target the Cells that Survive the Harsh Conditions of Living in a Free-Floating Tumor Spheroid is What is so Attractive here. The Researchers Imagine Using it, in Some Kind of a Washing Solution that is Pumped into the Cancer Area after Surgery to Expunge any Stem Cell Survivors. Expunging Means, Destroying any Vestige of Hope that a Particular Cancer Cell Lineage May Ever Return to Wage War on the Body. Such Lavages are Now Used in the OR but, Generally they Leave Much to be Desired. If the Researchers Successes in Cultured Cells Hold in Actual Bodies then Graphene Oxide May Graduate from Being the Curious Material it is Now to Being an Actual Drug. At that Point, Anything May be Possible for Graphene Medical Applications.

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Police Kill Money-Stealing Botnet that, Infected Millions of PCs

Europol and Police Forces across Europe Have Shut Down 'Ramnit', a Botnet that Infected Up to 3 Million Computers Worldwide. The Virus, Generally Installed by Email Phishing Attacks or Rogue Websites (Please Stop Clicking on Attachments, Whoever you are) was Mostly Used by Criminal Hackers to Steal Banking Information. If you were so Foolish to Click, the Program Gives Hackers Remote Access to your Windows PC, Letting them Steal Banking Credentials, Personal Details and Other Info. The Countries Hit Hardest were the US, India and Bangladesh. To Wipe Out the Botnet, Authorities Shut Down the Master Servers along with over 300 IP Address Used by Crooks. They were Aided in their Efforts by Microsoft (the Virus only Affects Windows Machines), along with Symantec and AnubisNetworks. As you'd Expect, Clearing the Virus from Individual PCs Isn't Trivial. For Instance, it Loads into Memory When the Victim Boots Up and Re-Installs itself, if the Virus is Deleted from the Hard Disk. It also Disables Antivurus Software and Can Monitor your Websurfing to Steal Cookies. If you're Worried, UK Police Have Recommended you use Specialized Software that Can Detect and Disinfect the Virus -- Microsoft has it here:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/detect-remove-ramnit-virus




Info Sources:

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-31622306

https://www.getsafeonline.org/news/ramnit

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Microsoft is Now Offering XBox LIVE Gold, 12-Month Membership for Just $39.99

An XBox LIVE Gold Membership Isn't Quite the Must-Have that it Once was, since Microsoft Changed its Policies Last June, to Allow Console Owners to Run 3rd-Party Apps - such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer or YouTube - Without being a Gold Member. But, if you Enjoy Online Multiplayer Gaming, XBox LIVE Gold is Essential - and Given that Membership Now includes Free and Discounted Games Every Month, for Both the XBox One and XBox 360, there's Plenty to Like about it. And as 'Major Nelson' (a.k.a. Microsoft's Larry Hryb) Points Out, you Can Now Grab Gold with 1/3rd Off the Normal Price. The Microsoft Store is currently Selling 12-Month XBox LIVE Gold Membership for just $39.99, Saving you $20 on the Regular Amount. You Can Get the Membership as a Digital Download, or if you Prefer to Buy a Physical Copy - perhaps as a Gift - you Can also Order it in Card Form. As we Reported Earlier, Gold Members with an XBox One will be Able to Grab Rayman Legends Free this Month under the Latest Games with Gold Promotion, while XBox 360 Owners will Get Tomb Raider and BioShock Infinite.




Info Sources:

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Xbox-Live-12-Month-Gold-Membership/productID.288505400?tduid=15d8bd62c3e8b832d67522a3d4067f13

http://t.co/ws2I2Toxxg

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Facebook Rolls Out New Tools to Help Prevent Suicides

With over a Billion Users, Facebook Plays an Important Role in Keeping People Connected. It Serves as a Place to Share Good News but also, Provides a Platform for Users to Request Support from their Digital Peers. The Company is Keenly Aware that, it Can Assist Users When there is a Cry for Help, which is Why it Rolled Out a (Lengthy) Way to Flag Suicidal Content Back in 2011. Now, it's Taking that One Step Further by Introducing New Tools to Boost its Suicide Prevention Efforts. This Week, Facebook will Begin Rolling Out a New Option Inside Each Post that, Lets Users Flag When a Friend May be Considering Self Harm. The Concerned Party Can Click on the Little Arrow at the Top Right of a Status and Click "Report Post".


When that Person Logs in Next, Facebook will then Offer Options to Contact the Person Concerned about them, Enlist the Help of Another Friend or Put them in Contact with a Suicide Helpline. The Social Network has Teamed Up with Mental Health Organizations, Forefront, Now Matters Now, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Save.org, to Make it Easier for Users to Show their Concern. The Feature will be Available Initially to those in the US and Facebook Says, it will Complete the Rollout within the Next Couple of Months. It's also Vowed to Improve its Tools for Users in Other Parts of the World.




Info Sources:

https://www.facebook.com/fbsafety/posts/817724748265365

http://time.com/3723472/facebook-suicide-prevention-support

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Oculus Offers $1 Million Prize Pool for Gear VR Developers

Oculus VR has a Challenge for Aspiring Game and App Developers: Create Something New and Exciting for the 'Gear VR Innovator Edition', Samsung's Oculus-Powered Headset and Get a Shot at a Cash Prize from a $1 Million Pool. The Oculus Mobile VR Jam 2015 Kicks Off on April 13 and Ends on May 11, with Sign-Ups Open Now at ChallengePost. The Jam -- and the Cash -- is Split between 2 Tracks, "Games" and "Apps or Experiences", with Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze Winners in Each Segment. The Top Platinum Game Gets $200,000, while the Platinum App or Experience Snags $100,000. There are Multiple Winners for Each of the Remaining Ranks and Prizes Bottom Out at $10,000 for Each Bronze Victor. The Oculus Mobile VR Jam has 4 Must-Hit Milestones for Participants: Pitches are Due by April 20, Screenshots by April 27, Videos by May 4 and the Final Build is Due by May 11 at 9 A.M. PT.


After All that Hard Work, Oculus will Announce Winners "on or Around" June 4. Developers Can Go in Solo, with a Team or as Part of an Organization and Lonesome Devs Looking for Love Can Put Together a Group Directly on ChallengePost. This Jam is All about the Gear VR Innovator Edition, a Virtual Reality Headset that Uses the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, with a Side of Oculus VR Software. We were Reasonably Impressed with the Gear VR Innovator Edition in September, though we Noted that, it had Some Rough Edges, Technically Speaking. A Samsung Representant Told us at the Time that, these Technical Issues were What Made it an "Innovator Edition", Meant for Early Adopters, VR Enthusiasts and Professionals. It Seems that, the Gear VR is Sticking Around and we Wouldn't be Surprised to See a New, Less Buggy Model featuring Samsung's Flagship Phone, the Galaxy S6, at the Mobile World Conference in Early March.




Info Source:

http://vrjam.challengepost.com

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Skype Has Been Downloaded More than 500 Million Times from Google Play

Several Years Ago, Microsoft Shelled Out $8.5 Billion to Buy Skype and at the Time, that Seemed like a Lot of Money but Today, it has been Spotted that, the App has been Downloaded More than 500 Million Times from the Google Play Store. While we Aren't Sure How Long this App has Surpassed this Milestone, it Shows that, Skype was Worth the Price for the Purchase and the Massive Footprint of Android has in the Market. It's Important to Remember that One User Can Download the App Multiple Times and this Figure is since Skype was Introduced into the Store Several Years Ago; this Doesn't Mean that, there are 500 Million Unique Users on Android with the App. Still, 500 Million Downloads of Anything is Impressive and Shows that, Millions of Users do Use Skype. Skype has had its Fair Share of Issues over the Years but, it Seems in the Past Few Months, the Apps are Finally Becoming More Stable and the Call Quality has Improved. Microsoft has already Stated that, they will be Integrating Skype Deeper into Windows 10 so, Expect the Footprint of the Service to Grow over the Next Few Years as Windows 10 is Released and Utilized by More Consumers.

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Apple Products No Longer Welcome in the Chinese Government

The Chinese Government has Dropped Some Big Names such as Apple and Intel from its List of Approved Technology Providers as a Security Measure and to Boost Local Tech. To Encourage Local Companies and Reduce Reliance on American Technology, the Chinese Government has Dropped Numerous Products from Major US Companies from its Approved List. The Main Companies that Have been Removed include Apple, Intel, Cisco and Citrix. China has been Forcing Many Companies to Comply with their Rules and Regulations for Quite Some Time in Both the Software and Hardware Space.


The Most Recent Incident included the Heavy Anti-Trust Fine Imposed on Qualcomm for Failure to Cooperate with Local Chip Makers. The Latest Move from China could Deal a Major Blow to US Firms, as Government Agencies are Generally Big Spenders on Tech, which has Led the US State Department to Express Concern. According to a Spokesperson, the State Department is "very concerned that many aspects of China's recent regulatory actions - touted as means to bolster cyber security - are neither effective cyber security measures nor consistent with the principles of free and open trade". As the New Regulations Introduced in China are in the Early Stage, there could be More such Incidents Coming Forward in the Near Future.




Info Source:

http://news.sky.com/story/1434682/china-drops-apple-from-approved-tech-list

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"Google Play Music" Now Lets You Store 50,000 Songs in the Cloud

Even if you're Not Paying for All Access or YouTube Music Key, Google Play Can be a Useful Way to Stream your Personal Music Collection. With its Free "Locker" Service, you Can Store Thousands of Tunes Online and Stream them from the Web, as well as, your Favourite Android and iOS Devices. By Keeping them in the Cloud, they're Quickly Accessible across a Range of Hardware and Won't Clog Up your Precious Onboard Storage. Until Now, Google has Set a Limit of 20,000 Tracks per User but, Now it's Raising that Amount to 50,000. It's a Significant Increase and One that Might Appeal if you Have a Mammoth Music Library Full of EPs, Remixes and B-Sides that Aren't Available from the Major Streaming Services.

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VIDEO: DirectX 12 Can Combine Nvidia and AMD Cards

Microsoft could be on the Verge of a Graphics Card Breakthrough with the Arrival of DirectX 12, as the New API will Allow PC Users to Combine GPUs from Different Manufacturers. Presently, PC Users Who Want to Double the Number of Graphics Cards Attached to their Motherboard are Restricted by the Manufacturer. So, 2 Nvidia GeForce Cards of the Same Type would Work via SLI and 2 AMD Radeon Cards Can Unite via Crossfire but, these Cannot be Mixed and Matched. However, Microsoft is Preparing a Major Announcement at the Games Developers Conference, Where it is Expected to Explain that DX12 Can Combine All the Different Graphics Resources in a System and Treat them as though they were a Single Card. The Rumor 1st Emerged on Tom's Hardware Earlier this Week. A Source Connected to the Matter, Who Asked Not to be Named, has since Explained to GameSpot that, the Feature is Genuine. Key to the New Process is How DirectX 12 will Bind Multiple GPUs Together.


According to Tom's Hardware, the Tech then "treats the entire graphics subsystem as a single, more powerful graphics card. Thus, users get the robustness of a running a single GPU, but with multiple graphics cards". Such a Breakthrough could Bring about New Levels of Convenience for PC Enthusiasts and Developers alike. For the 1st Time, it will also Mean that, Multiple GPUs Can Pool their Memory. In Theory, this Means that, Installing 2 2GB GPUs into a System will Get the End User a Useable 4GB of Memory, Unlike the Current System, which Would only Give a User 2GB of Memory. Tom's Hardware Notes that, the API includes a "frame rendering method called SFR, which stands for Split Frame Rendering". It Explains: "Developers will be able to manually, or automatically, divide the texture and geometry data between the GPUs and all of the GPUs can then work together to work on each frame. Each GPU will then work on a specific portion of the screen, with the number of portions being equivalent to the number of GPUs installed".


AMD's Mantle API, which Similarly Sits Much Closer to the Hardware than DirectX 11, already Allows for this Feature, with Civilization: Beyond Earth Being One of the Most Recent Games to Make Use of it. Speaking to GameSpot, AMD's Game Scientist, Richard Huddy, Confirmed that, it's "Possible" this Technology Can Significantly Reduce Latency and Allow for the Pooling of Memory but, Emphasised that, the Onus is on Developers to Make Use of it. Microsoft 1st Announced DirectX 12 in January during its Windows 10 Media Briefing. At the Time, it Surprised Onlookers by Suggesting that, New Graphics Cards May Not be Necessary to Take Advantage of the API. This Dual-GPU Feature Appears to Explain Why Older Cards could Perform Capably.

 

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