As developers for tablets and smartphones we like to keep abreast of the latest mobile technology developments . This is a daily digest of mobile development and related technology news gathered from the BBC, the New York Times, New Scientist and the Globe and Mail to name a few. We scour the web for articles concerning, iPhone, iPad and android development, iOS and android operating systems as well as general articles on advances in mobile technology. We hope you find this useful and that it helps to keep you up to date with the latest technology developments.
Sony Hacking Fallout Explodes As Theaters Cancel 'The Interview' Showings
NEW YORK (AP) — Threats of violence against movie theaters. Cancelled showings of “The Interview.” Leaks of thousands more private emails. Lawsuits by former employees that could cost tens of millions in damages.
The fallout from the hack that began four weeks ago exploded Tuesday after the shadowy group calling themselves Guardians of Peace escalated their attack beyond corporate espionage and threatened moviegoers with violence reminiscent of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The Department of Homeland Security said there was “no credible intelligence to indicate an active plot against movie theaters,” but noted it was still analyzing messages from the group, dubbed GOP. The warning did prompt law enforcement in New York and Los Angeles to address measures to ramp up security.
Those security fears spurred Sony to allow theater chains to cancel showings of the Seth Rogen and James Franco comedy “The Interview,” that has been a focus of the hackers’ mission to bring down Sony. Carmike Cinemas, which operates 247 theaters across the country, was the first to cancel its planned showings of the film, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It remains to be seen if other chains will follow suit.
GOP also released a trove of data files including 32,000 emails to and from Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton in what it called the beginning of a “Christmas gift.”
And two former Sony film production workers filed lawsuits alleging the Culver City, California company waited too long to notify nearly 50,000 employees that data such as Social Security numbers, salaries and medical records had been stolen.
The filing follows another lawsuit this week from two other former Sony employees accusing the studio of being negligent by not bolstering its defenses against hackers before the attack. It claims emails and other leaked information show that Sony’s information-technology department and its top lawyer believed its security system was vulnerable to attack, but that company did not act on those warnings. Sony potentially faces tens of millions of dollars in damages from a class-action lawsuit, said Jonathan Handel, an entertainment law professor at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law.
In “The Interview,” Rogen and Franco star as television journalists involved in a CIA plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Speculation about a North Korean link to the Sony hacking has centered on that country’s angry denunciation of the film. Over the summer, North Korea warned that the film’s release would be an “act of war that we will never tolerate.” It said the U.S. will face “merciless” retaliation.
The film’s New York premiere is scheduled for Thursday at Manhattan’s Landmark Sunshine, and it is expected to hit theaters nationwide on Christmas Day. It premiered in Los Angeles last week.
But on Tuesday Rogen and Franco pulled out of all media appearances, canceling a Buzzfeed Q&A and Rogen’s planned guest spot Thursday on “Late Night With Seth Meyers.” A representative for Rogen said he had no comment. A spokeswoman for Franco didn’t respond to queries Tuesday.
The FBI said it is aware of the GOP’s threats and “continues to work collaboratively with our partners to investigate this matter.” FBI director James Comey last week said that investigators are still trying to determine who is responsible for the hack.
The New York Police Department, after coordinating with the FBI and Sony, plans to beef up security at the Manhattan premiere, said John Miller, the NYPD’s top counterterrorism official.
“Having read through the threat material myself, it’s actually not crystal clear whether it’s a cyber response that they are threatening or whether it’s a physical attack,” Miller said. “That’s why we’re continuing to evaluate the language of it, and also the source of it. I think our primary posture is going to be is going to have a police presence and a response capability that will reassure people who may have heard about this and have concerns.”
Following a commission meeting earlier Tuesday, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said his department takes the hackers’ threats “very seriously” and will be taking extra precautions during the holidays at theaters. The National Association of Theatre Owners had no comment on the developing situation. Neither Sony nor representatives from individual theater chains, including Carmike, responded to requests for comment.
Since the hack surfaced late last month, everything from financial figures to salacious emails between top Sony executives has been dumped online.
The nearly 32,000 emails to and from Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Lynton leaked Tuesday include information about casting decisions and total costs for upcoming films, release schedules for Sony films through 2018 and corporate financial records, such as royalties from iTunes, Spotify and Pandora music services. They include information about new electronics devices such as DVD players and cell phones. They also include budget figures for the Motion Picture Association of America, of which Sony is a member, and at least one email about a senior Sony executive who left the company. The emails also include banal messages about public appearances, tennis matches, home repairs, dinner invitations and business introductions.
In their warning Tuesday, the hackers suggested Sony employees make contact via several disposable email addresses ending in yopmail.com. Frenchman Frederic Leroy, who started up the yopmail site in 2004, was surprised to learn the Sony hackers were using yopmail addresses. He said there was no way he could identify the users.
“I cannot see the identities of people using the address … there is no name, no first name,” he said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. He said yopmail is used around the world but there are “hundreds and hundreds” of other disposable email sites.
Leroy, who lives in Barr, outside Strasbourg in eastern France, said he heard about the Sony hackers yesterday on the radio but knows nothing more. He said he has not been contacted by any authorities.
___
Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Washington, D.C., Lindsey Bahr in Los Angeles, Jake Coyle and Tom Hays in New York and Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed to this report.
Carmike Cinemas Pulls Sony's 'The Interview' Amid Threats
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Carmike Cinemas has decided to cancel its planned showings of “The Interview” in the wake of threats against theatergoers by the Sony hackers.
Sony Pictures Entertainment told theater owners on Tuesday that it would be supportive of their individual decisions on whether or not to show the film, which is still set for a Christmas release, according to multiple reports. The late developments came just hours after the hackers released a data dump that they’re calling a “Christmas gift.” Included in the latest breach are emails from Sony Pictures co-chair and CEO Michael Lynton, as well as specific threats against patrons of the comedy, which depicts an assassination attempt against North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
In a chilling message invoking the memory of 9/11, the hackers urged audiences to stay away from venues showing the film.
Carmike Cinemas operates 278 theaters across the country and is the first theater to pull the screenings of the controversial film, according to Hollywood trade publications The Hollywood Reporter and Variety.
The Georgia-based company is the fourth largest cinema chain in the nation, following Regal, AMC, and Cinemark, none of whom commented on their plans for “The Interview” showings.
The Department of Homeland Security has said that there is no credible intelligence to indicate a threat, but is still investigating the message.
The National Association of Theatre Owners had no comment about pulling of the film by its members. Neither Sony nor representatives from Carmike responded to requests for comment.
Apparently, The Holiday Season Is Also Cheating Season (INFOGRAPHIC)
‘Tis the season for cuffing — and for some people, that’s true even if they’re already in relationships.
Mobile dating app Clover announced this week that there’s been a 300 percent increase in sign-ups from people already in existing relationships during the month of December.
Take that data with a grain of salt, though; of the 150,000 respondents, only 6 percent of women were already dating someone, compared to 4.5 percent of men — a very small percentage of Clover’s user base overall.
Check out more of Clover’s findings below:
Keep in touch! Check out HuffPost Divorce on Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our newsletter here.
Ideas for Increasing the Numbers of Women Tech Leaders
A recent piece on the New Yorker‘s financial page titled “Valley Boys” caught my eye. Its discussion focused on demographic reports released this year from big tech companies. To sum it up, the reports and article described tech as a “man’s world.” As a computer scientist, technology executive and woman, I am troubled and puzzled by this characterization. I wonder: why are there so few women leaders like me in technology companies? Also, what might we do to change the environment so that fewer biases block women’s success in my field?
As the New Yorker piece points out, the numbers look grim: 45 percent of tech companies don’t have a single female top executive. The number of female computer science majors is dwindling. I’ve written before about how to inspire more women to pursue careers in technology fields. Inspiring them to aspire to tech management is even harder, especially when articles like the New Yorker‘s draw attention to the daunting, uphill battle that women in tech can face.
When I consider how to inspire other women to think about their long-term careers in technology, I want to encourage them to think big. There really is no reason more women can’t reach leadership positions in tech like I have, and those of us already here can help with that.
I have three ideas that I think will help companies to become “bias interrupters” as the New Yorker references. These ideas will help to grow the number of women succeeding in tech and growing into positions of tech leadership.
1) Women tech leaders need to tell their stories.
Women executives in technology need to tell their stories, not just the one about breaking the glass ceiling but also about our paths to careers in tech. This brief “elevator pitch” can inspire others to see themselves in our shoes longer-term. For me, I’ve talked often about my parents raising me gender-neutral, with the same expectations, toys and activities that they’d have offered a son. This helped me to develop in a way that led me to feel my choices were wide open and not limited by my gender. Whether raising sons or daughters, sometimes our kids just need to hear “you can do it,” whether they’re on a soccer field or thinking about majoring in computer science in college. Positive encouragement goes a long way from parents and also from role models in fields that young women are considering. In telling our stories, we need to be honest about the mistakes we made and obstacles we scaled, too, so that younger women can learn from us.
2) Tech leaders need to think actively about eliminating prejudice and increasing fairness in all processes, from hiring to retention to managing ongoing cultural shifts.
To change the conversation about women in tech from how few of us are here to how many of us might get here, we have to begin at the beginning. How might companies change their recruiting and interviewing policies to attract more women? The New Yorker remarks on how Google asks the same interview questions of all candidates. This would be a great policy for all tech companies to adopt.
Then there’s the problem of retention. Women who get here often don’t stay. Why? I’ve written before about the “brogrammer” culture, and this is one major reason. It turns women off. Companies need to find a way to eliminate it. Hiring more women will help, but, until then, blending gender on teams and paying careful attention to leading in a gender-neutral way will help.
It is important to keep discussing gender-balance in the workplace, as numerous studies have shown how gender-balance is a net-positive for a company. More balanced teams are more innovative and successful. Open and honest internal conversations, as I’ve done with our women’s leadership group at RingCentral, help. Raising the conversation with other professionals, as in this recent piece I wrote for Project Eve, is important, too.
So often, companies think of how their products might be disruptive in industry. We could ask ourselves the same question by turning inward: how might we disrupt the way companies are run by doing things differently? How might hiring, retaining and promoting more women improve our company’s culture for both genders?
3) Tech managers can encourage our employees to focus on and build on their strengths.
Knowing both what you are good at and also that you are good at it counts for a lot in this field. In my case, I know that my strengths include solving hard technical problems as well as motivating teams to be innovative. The more I focus on my strengths, the stronger they become, and the more people notice and consider me expert in those areas. Good managers must pay gender-neutral attention to employee confidence. It is known that men will advocate for themselves more than women. If we are to hire and retain more women, we must promote them more, too. This may mean that we have to help them speak up for themselves more. I consider it a “win” when I hear any employee, male or female, say “I’m good at that.” Confidence is among the best assets an employee can have.
It’s also disruptive for women not to conform to a “norm.” I have spoken about how I’ve never been uncomfortable working alongside men, even tolerating their sports-talk and cigar bars. Sure, I’m a woman — one who always enjoyed playing sports. I’m also one who will wear skirts and heels to the office. I don’t have to be one way or the other. “Norms” disappear and workplaces become more gender-neutral when we treat each other more like we’re the same than like we’re different because of our gender.
Even if companies do all of these things, it’s going to be hard work to get more women in tech and in tech leadership positions. I am convinced that the best route is to start somewhere: get more women to join tech companies, including some who aspire to leadership. Support them strongly and help them evolve into role models who will encourage more of the same. With 45 percent of tech companies absent women executives, there are too few women like me who young computer scientists can imagine as themselves 20 years down the line. The more we focus strategically on these issues now, the better for diversity in leadership – and successful innovation – in the longer run.
See more posts on women in technology, innovation and more by clicking here to link to Kira’s personal blog.
You can also find Kira on Twitter by clicking here.
Heather McDonald Sounds Off On Instagram's Nipple Ban
Comedian Heather McDonald doesn’t blame Instagram for its highly-disputed ban on nipples.
In a conversation with HuffPost Live, the host of the forthcoming TLC series “All About Sex” said Instagram has a responsibility to protect users from pornographic photos.
“Instagram has those rules to protect from pornography and things like that, and kids are on it,” McDonald said. “When they [Instagram] take down someone’s nipple photo, it’s not because they hate women.”
McDonald was a frequent guest on “Chelsea Lately”, E!’s late-night show starring Chelsea Handler, who famously slammed Instagram for removing a topless photo she posted of herself riding a horse.
Using BitLocker and Windows 8.1 with Bing
Like many of you, I use USB key drives all the time to move data around from device-to-device or to share data with a colleague. I also use Bit Locker to Go on those drives, especially if they are going to be out of my hands (think UPS or FedEx) to that colleague. As you may know, BitLocker is a file encryption system which allow you to protect your files by encrypting the drive those files reside on. That can be your entire hard disk in your PC, an external disk or a USB drive. So long as you have
The post Using BitLocker and Windows 8.1 with Bing appeared first on Clinton Fitch.
Top Celebrity Moments Of 2014, According To Instagram
If it wasn’t posted to Instagram, did it even happen? Not if you’re a celebrity.
Good thing the people who tinker around behind the scenes at Instagram came up with a list of the top celebrity moments of 2014:
1. Blue Ivy and Beyonce killed it as Michael and Janet Jackson for Halloween.
Janet and MJ
A photo posted by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on Oct 10, 2014 at 2:39pm PDT
2. One Direction’s Liam Payne joined Instagram, teens rejoiced.
Da boyyyzzzzzZ
Zdjęcie zamieszczone przez użytkownika Liam Payne (@fakeliampayne) Kwi 4, 2014 at 2:50 PDT
3. Solange’s wedding was better than your wedding.
Fotka zveřejněná uživatelem Beyoncé (@beyonce), Lis 11, 2014 at 7:27 PST
4. Kimye actually broke Instagram records with their wedding photo.
Una foto publicada por Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) el May 5, 2014 at 7:58 PDT
5. Taylor Swift one-upped everyone by leaving comments on her fans’ Instagram photos.
[@dreamingswiftie]
6. Justin Bieber stopped slacking off, and teased some music.
Cold waters
Um vídeo publicado por Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) em Jul 7, 2014 at 6:18 PDT
7. Alicia Keys announced she was pregnant!
Happy Anniversary to the love of my life @therealswizzz !! And to make it even sweeter we’ve been blessed with another angel on the way!! You make me happier than I have ever known! Here’s to many many more years of the best parts of life! ☺️
A photo posted by Alicia Keys (@aliciakeys) on Jul 7, 2014 at 10:20pm PDT
8. Beyonce took care of those pesky breakup rumors.
My favorite hue is JayZ Blue
A photo posted by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on Jul 7, 2014 at 2:18pm PDT
9. LeBron James asked a mathematical question.
6 or 23?……
A photo posted by LeBron James (@kingjames) on Jul 7, 2014 at 8:38am PDT
10. In this moment, Allison Williams had no idea her #tbt photo would be a million times better than NBC’s “Peter Pan Live!”
Thrilled to be playing Peter Pan live on NBC in December. I’ve been rehearsing for a REALLY long time.
A photo posted by Allison Williams (@aw) on Jul 7, 2014 at 6:39am PDT
11. Ariana Grande’s boyfriend, Big Sean, showed her some Insta-PDA.
Ari’s #1 in 80 countries! So great when good things happen to good people. I’m more than proud of you @arianagrande n grateful to be apart of it!
A photo posted by BIGSEAN (@bigsean) on Aug 8, 2014 at 4:37pm PDT
12. 1997′s self-proclaimed “King of the World” joined Instagram.
Today, I have the privilege to speak at the United Nations #Climate2014 Summit where world leaders are expected to announce the bold steps they will take to tackle climate change. Thank you Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
A photo posted by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on Sep 9, 2014 at 5:24am PDT
13. Taylor Swift had super secret listening sessions with fans, because she’s Taylor Swift.
Yes we are ladylike. #1989SecretSessions
Ett foto publicerat av Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) Okt 10, 2014 at 12:21 PDT
14. Rihanna decided to give Instagram a second chance.
Hellurrr #badgalback
Ein von badgalriri (@badgalriri) gepostetes Foto am Nov 11, 2014 at 10:08 PDT
15. Britney Spears just wanted the simple things in life.
How I spend my Saturdays….lol.
Un vídeo publicado por Britney Spears (@britneyspears) el Jun 6, 2014 at 11:55 PDT
16. North West sat front row at Givenchy for Paris Fashion Week.
Reserved for Mademoiselle North West #Givenchy
Uma foto publicada por Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) em Set 9, 2014 at 5:59 PDT
17. Channing Tatum celebrated Father’s Day for the first time.
First Father’s Day with my girls!
A photo posted by Channing Tatum (@channingtatum) on Jun 6, 2013 at 3:46pm PDT
18. Supermodels Gisele Bundchen and Heidi Klum celebrated the World Cup. Go soccer/football!
Vai Brasil!!!!! Go Brazil!!!! #WorldCup #CopadoMundo
A photo posted by Gisele Bündchen (@giseleofficial) on Jun 6, 2014 at 11:11am PDT
Can you believe this…I cant . 1…2…3…..4….5….6…..7…⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️
A photo posted by Heidi Klum (@heidiklum) on Jul 7, 2014 at 2:35pm PDT
After Copyright Debacle, Hollywood Tries Again with State Attorneys General
“Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.”
The wisdom of this old adage is again demonstrated in recent media reports which indicate that the entertainment industry has sought to entice some state attorneys general to utilize their prosecutorial powers to block Internet sites. Hollywood knows how controversial that proposal is; state attorneys general may not.
Three years ago I wrote in this space about a disastrous entertainment industry-backed legislative proposal that pursued the same goal, known as the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). That bill, according to the National Journal, “once had broad bipartisan support and was a top priority for the entertainment industry, [but] has become a dirty word.” Despite warnings from engineers, security experts, human rights advocates, and many Internet users, many members of Congress initially championed and rushed toward passage this extremely ill-considered bill.
That miscalculation led to one of the largest grassroots uprisings in recent political history, and certainly the largest ever involving technology policy. Even the MPAA later likened it to the Arab Spring. Thousands of websites participated in an Internet Blackout in January 2012. Members of Congress who had been assured the issue was uncontroversial found their office mobbed, and their phone banks and inboxes swamped with millions of phone calls and emails in a single day. Tumblr users alone made over 87,000 calls to Congress; at one point, 2,000 calls per second were attempted to Congressional offices. Overnight, the bill gained dozens of Congressional opponents and lost over a dozen supporters; it even became a subject in the 2012 Republican presidential primary, drawing criticism from nearly all candidates.
Those rapidly defecting members had been led down the proverbial garden path; they were persuaded that the effort was not technologically destabilizing censorship, but rather righteous law-enforcement. They were misled. Three years after paying the public relations price for that mishap, members of Congress are understandably wary of doing anything that looks even remotely like SOPA.
This is apparently why the entertainment industry turned its focus from Washington to the states, devising what some accounts allege to be a prosecution-for-hire arrangement, where the legal heavy lifting is outsourced to industry-funded law firms, and AGs assume they will reap the benefits of media coverage cultivated by industry funded PR firms. This arrangement is predicated on the assumption that there will be PR benefits to cultivate, however. Taking history as a guide, site-blocking mostly generates PR catastrophes. Following SOPA, for example, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) floundered through a series of misadventures as it seized the domain names of websites that were not, in fact, infringing IP rights.
Some state attorneys general, perhaps including Mississippi’s Jim Hood, may not recall the Internet Blackout and don’t know the controversial history of site-blocking. This may explain why they are venturing into this political minefield. The entertainment industry’s actions, however, cannot be explained by mere ignorance. Since SOPA, Hollywood has publicly claimed a preference for Internet collaboration over combat, yet these recent media accounts suggest that it is waging a secret war in state capitals.
As the New York Times recently covered, reasonable questions can be asked about the propriety of influence-driven law enforcement decisions. In addition to questionable ethics, this is bad business. If the money being spent to ghost-write legal process for media-hungry attorneys general were instead invested in forging partnerships to find new ways to reach consumers using technology and digital distribution, rights holders, online services, and consumers alike would benefit. Instead, we seem to be re-fighting the battles of yesteryear, except this time the victims of political backlash will be in state capitals, rather than on Capitol Hill.
Seth Rogen & James Franco Cancel Press Appearances Following Threats Against 'The Interview'
After a terror threat made by hackers against anyone who plans to see “The Interview” was published, Seth Rogen and James Franco have canceled planned press appearances set for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. According to a source close to Rogen, the promotional schedule will be reevaluated after Wednesday. Representatives for Sony Pictures, which is distributing “The Interview,” and Franco were not immediately available to comment.
Thus far, Rogen and Franco have pulled out of an interview they were supposed to do with BuzzFeed (as part of the site’s BuzzFeed Brews live event series) and Rogen’s appearance with Seth Meyers, which was scheduled for Thursday. A planned interview with HuffPost Live set for Thursday had also been canceled.
The news comes the same day that hackers cited the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in a note published online. “We will clearly show it to you at the very time and places ‘The Interview’ be shown, including the premiere, how bitter fate those who seek fun in terror should be doomed to,” the note read in part. (Read the full threat here.)
An unnamed official at the Department of Homeland Security told The Huffington Post via email that “there is no credible intelligence to indicate an active plot against movie theaters within the United States.”
The film’s New York premiere is set for Thursday. According to The Hollywood Reporter, plans are still in place for that screening to occur at Manhattan’s Sunshine Cinema. Whether customary interview opportunities will be available on the red carpet is unclear. Sony did not allow interviews during the film’s world premiere in Los Angeles last week. “If you’re going to ask me questions, I’m going to run away!” Rogen said to Variety reporter Dave McNary before the screening began. (Per McNary, Rogen did follow through on his threat.)
Rogen and Franco have made press appearances since the cyberattack against Sony Pictures became widespread. The duo appeared with Howard Stern to denounce media coverage of the hack. “I do think it’s fucked up how everyone is doing exactly what these criminals want,” Rogen said.
And speaking to ABC, Rogen told George Stephanopoulos that he had no regrets about making the film. “At this point, it’s too late to have any [second thoughts],” Rogen said. “I like the movie. I can’t, in my head, over-connect everything surrounding it with the movie itself. [...] We set out to make a movie that was really entertaining to audiences. I genuinely think we did that. And that’s where my job ends.”
The Plot for Tech to Drive You Crazy
It’s a plot I tell you. Little things about the tech world are designed to make you think you’re crazy. Here’s my list of things that drove me to tech-stress this year. What’s on your list?
Phone Cases: Never mind the fact that there are enough of them so that each person on the planet can own 10, but they’re all flawed, each in their own way. I’ve used cases that I had to hold open like a book to my ear, others that made it impossible to plug in a headphone jack, and others that made volume control untouchable. Never mind the fact that you pay all this money to own a skinny phone and then add a case that causes serious pocket bulge (Hint: I did love my phone cover with my photo on it, given to me as a gift. It singlehandedly got my phone returned to me twice as people matched the phone to me — the one seated in 10B).
Tablets and their on/off switches: Watch someone pick up a tablet device and observe the machinations as they try to turn the darn thing on. My favorite turn-ons are the ones that camouflage the button into the molded plastic casing. These make me feel like I’m reading Braille, hunting for the on switch. The other variant is the indent that you need serious nail strength to depress, or the ones that build the on switch right into the cover, ensuring you’ll accidentally turn on to off when you pick it up.
Videos that pop up but don’t shut up: Fess up, you’ve been surfing the web or answering some email in some boring meeting and suddenly a video pops up with a big sound blaring. You’re now the center of attention as some women talking about poop deodorant emanates from your speakers. And you, of course, cannot figure out which window to close to shut her up because the ad creators prefer you didn’t have that power (Tip: Make sure sound is off in public places — which is a chore in and of itself, since there are multiple ways for sound to make itself heard even when you’ve drove to silence it).
Syncing calendars: I’m really happy that my phone, tablet and notebook can all share a calendar. I’m not happy when they’re all in the same room. A pending meeting sets off enough alarms to make my home sound like the war room.
Home entertainment systems: I love my husband. I hate his home entertainment system. By the time I fiddle with the four requisite remotes and awake the various sleeping components, I inevitably have forgotten what I wanted to watch or worse still, it’s half over.
The cloud: Don’t get me started. The cloud has become the Internet’s version of the kitchen catch-all drawer — the latest excuse for being clueless about where your stuff is. You use Dropbox. My Dropbox hit the “full” limit months ago and I haven’t had a chance to clean. I use Google drive. I need to remember whether it was me who initiated the file creation or you… what kind of organizational system is that? It’s not a structure… It’s a memory test. As Joni Mitchell said, “I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now… I really don’t know clouds at all.” She, however, wasn’t betting her life’s work on them.
Passwords: I bought my eighty-something-year-old mom her own iPad this year thinking about how much joy it would give her. First task was to get some music. Do you have any idea how many passwords it takes to get a song off the web? First there’s your WiFi connection at home, then you’re prompted for your iCloud name and password, next your iTunes name and password, then your Amazon name and password (for a little comparison shopping). Again, by the time we got to the music selection we’d actually forgotten what song we were looking for (“I Will Always Love You” – Whitney version). To add insult to injury, once purchased we had to figure out where it lived.
Wireless is not: Don’t get me wrong… Bluetooth is the martini of the digital age — smooth and sophisticated but, have you noticed that going wireless with Bluetooth is never wireless? Have you ever bought a Bluetooth device that didn’t require cables — often special cables? USB cables and plugs spawn like salmon in the spring, they are flaky about working from device to device, and I still haven’t found a good way to organize them yet. Happy for any suggestions.
What’s your biggest peeve of 2014? Please share on the social media of your choice. Which gets me to another peeve — there are too many of them. But I’ll do my best to check.
Robin Raskin is founder of Living in Digital Times (LIDT), a team of technophiles who bring together top experts and the latest innovations that intersect lifestyle and technology. LIDT produces conferences and expos at CES and throughout the year focusing on how technology enhances every aspect of our lives through the eyes of today’s digital consumer.
Sony hackers threaten US cinemas
Hackers targeting Sony Pictures have threatened to attack US cinemas showing the studio’s controversial film The Interview.
How I Lost My Wife to an iPad and How I Plan to Get Her Back: A Year Later
Some of you may be wondering, who read my blog last year, how I’m doing? Did I indeed win the battle for the heart and soul of my amazing wife and beat the little tin man for her devotion and adoration — not to mention quality time spent? Or did I lose ground?
Well, I’m not winning. May have actually lost ground to that silver, square creep. I tried so hard. Flowers, frequent hugs and maximum empathy — empathy even during trivial conversations that normally would have gone in one ear and out the other. While I manufactured over-the-top attention and interest. I absorbed every chat as if I couldn’t wait for more. Hung on every word.
And attention? — I lavished it. At every turn. I juiced up my love gauge and reached out and reached out and reached out. But the tin monster stayed by her side through it all. Mocking me. Showing me up. Always the one in her lap, gazing up at her as if she’s a saint. Idealizing her and making her feel relaxed, excited and alive.
Oh, I had my moments. Love was not lost on my dear lover. But I’m afraid she squeezed me in. Between love fests with the rectangular guru. Yes, he’s a guru. He surfs the web for her, offers her games, and connects her with her friends. Acts as if he invented Facebook.
I think one day I heard him talking. May be my paranoia, but he’s a clever dude. Can’t help wondering if he whispers to her, “Hold me — we’re one?”
He follows her everywhere. Except maybe the shower. I’m sure there will be a version of him someday — the waterproof one — where he sneaks his way into her private time, soaking up the warm water, sparkling as beads of water drip down his glass face. Offering her games and attention as she rests in the tub, oblivious to time and space. After all, she has warm water and sneaky square man with her.
He has so many faces like love faces, looks of excitement, coy, winsome and demure stares as she pokes at him with her finger. Her love finger I believe. He loves her finger. It’s his love language.
Do I sound jealous? You bet. But I have to pretend — pretend he’s part of the family. Part of the marriage. He goes to bed with us at night. I can never get away.
So I continue to compete. I have my stealthy ways. I occasionally hide him under the pillows and have done everything but throw him in the garbage. But he’d find a way out. I swear sometimes he has legs.
I continue to watch and wait. To see if I can gain ground, to get her to hold me like she does the little, mechanical freak. Even though I’m often invisible, I’m continuing to fight back. I can’t lose any more points — or I may end up giving up and resigning myself to the crumbs off the table. I know she loves me, but I’m not so sure I have a hold on her like that cold, thin pervert.
But here’s my fighting plan. My “Art of War.” I have a few tricks up my sleeve. And I’m determined to win. I plan to win. I’m going to win. Here goes:
1. Last year, I planned to find ways every day to get her attention. That told her I love her. Hugs and touch that showed her I’m thinking of her and loving her in action. This year? I will ramp up the physical stuff. Hold her even more. Because I’ve got arms. Like I said last year, see if you can compete with that Mr. silver god. And just to remind you, you don’t have any arms. Ha ha ha!!!
2. Last year, I committed to asking her how she’s doing. And I listened well. No matter what she said — including the minor chatting over nothing. Try chatting thin man. Oh yes, you can’t really talk can you. Forgot. Ha ha ha!
3. Last year, I did all kinds of things to affirm her. I called her my lover, best friend, soul mate. I even told her at length why she’s my best friend. But when I finished, I noticed her purse and his puny head popping out the top. He heard everything. He learns from what I do. He needs to stay home when we go on dates. With the dog!
4. Last year I reminded myself of the strengths I have to give her. Such as my ability to reach out and love, give and even forgive. My desire to give her the best life a man can, with actions that tell her she’s on my mind and in my heart. I told her she’s the love of my life, hoping to plant a seed of hope — that she might give up I-Pad-god-man and only think of me. But it’s the creepy tin man who rides by her side, like a secret service agent ready to take a bullet for her. He’s always there. Always. I keep hoping for the bullet.
5. And finally, last year, I made her feel like a princess in and out of the bedroom. I made her a priority in my schedule. I did extra handholding. Took her out on romantic “happy hour” dates. I opened the car door when possible, held her hand into the restaurant and pulled out her chair for her when she went to sat down. I turned up the romantic juice — never demanding, always thoughtful — as best I could. But he was always watching in the background — ever perky and ready for the finger jabs and constant attention to his hardened, cold face. Tricky little b________________ — bugger. Whether by her side or plugged into the wall for recharging, he watches for his turn. He wants to be her lover – really. He just waits for some kind of “lover” app that would rid him of me. God help me — literally — if such an app comes on the market.
So what will I do different this year? I’ll continue this year to make her feel like the prettiest woman in the world. Because she is. I’ll continue to make note of her uniqueness and support her in her hobbies and in those experiences that bring her joy in life. She has a wonderful mind and I’ll continue to explore her thoughts and insights into the day-to-day events and what she’s hoping for the future.
And I’ll touch and hold her out of love and desire to make her feel special. You have no arms tin head. So back off.
I’ll seduce her into my life with care and attention — the kind of love a man should bring into his woman’s life — his best friend and lover. I’ll be specific about that. I’ll think up ways to surprise her with affirmations and interesting ways to say, “I love you” and “You’re the only girl for me.”
I hope to prevail in 2015. The electronic monster, clever as he may be, will take a back seat to the kind of fertile energy and charisma I am ramping up. Watch out tin man. Step aside square head putz. You’re just a bundle of pre-programmed zeros and ones — nothing really unique about you. I’ve only begun to fight. I’m stepping up glass face. Watch me!
I will prevail.
Virtual galleries open new markets for art
Online art sales boom, led by Chinese buyers
Watch 2014's Best Viral Videos In One Epic Mashup
There were daredevils who went higher, farther and to the most extreme. There were dogs who made us laugh and people who inspired us to dance, dance, dance. There was one dad who dressed up as Spider-Man to make his kid smile, and another who zoomed around a racetrack to do the same. Strangers kissed on camera, Bill Gates took the Ice Bucket Challenge and athletes everywhere pushed the boundaries of what we thought was possible.
The aforementioned are just a handful of some of the best and most-watched videos of the year, videos that have all made it into a new, high-octane, year-end compilation video by YouTuber Luc Bergeron, aka Zapatou.
According to Bergeron, who has been creating these compilation videos for several years, the recent best-of mashup features a whopping 233 video clips.
Watch them all in the sequence above to relive some of YouTube’s funniest, most inspiring and most adorable moments of 2014.
HP Stream 8 Windows Tablet Plus Free T-Mobile 4G Data At The Microsoft Store
There is another great deal going on at the Microsoft store on a Windows Tablet. Right now you can get the HP Stream 8 Windows tablet for $161.10 which includes a free 200MB of 4G data from T-Mobile. And that data folks is free. No contract as long as you own this highly rated 8″ tablet. Normally the HP Stream 8 is $179.00 by itself. HP Stream 8 Windows Tablet with Free 4G Data from T-Mobile – $161.10 – Microsoft Store Online If you are looking for a budget friendly but powerful 8″ Windows tablet, the HP Stream 8 isn’t
The post HP Stream 8 Windows Tablet Plus Free T-Mobile 4G Data At The Microsoft Store appeared first on Clinton Fitch.
Apple defeats $1bn case over iTunes
Technology behemoth Apple has been found not guilty of engaging in anti-competitive behaviour by a jury in California.
#Yoga… The Online Edition of Our Once Beloved Practice
Yoga has long been a very powerful force in my life. It’s something that swooped in and saved me from a deeply dark and deprecating time, and for that I am forever grateful. To this day I use breathing techniques and certain stretches to better my day, my attitude, and myself as a whole. Due to a sustained injury, I’m not in a place, at present, where I have access to practice in a heated room (the real good stuff — in my opinion), surrounded by the energy and emotion of other breathing, grieving, forgiving bodies. However, my hiatus from a typical yoga practice has taught me that yoga is whatever you choose it to be, wherever you choose it to be. It’s personal, intimate, exceedingly vulnerable at times, and although explorative and exciting, it’s very individual and completely (and most importantly) ego-less. After all, regardless of yoga being incredibly accessible (popping up around corners like Starbucks — gross), at it’s core it’s a spiritual and ascetic discipline.
And yet, if you were just to flick through your social media channels, you’d probably beg to differ. Intimate? Vulnerable? Spiritual? Ego-LESS? And I’d have to agree with your scoffing. For example, #yogaeverydamnday is now a hash tag that trends worldwide (I’m convinced, solely to give me an ulcer). And although I’m sure some self-indulgent moron came up with it with good intentions, it comes off as tacky and vulgar. There are definitely monks trying to bust the fuck out of their coffins (monks are buried in coffins, right?) right now to burn down our franchises and break all of our phones. And who could blame them?
Especially since there’s this new breed of yogi who wears spandex tit tops and posts photo after video after photo of themselves “practicing yoga” — personifying narcissism and yet doing it in the name of a practice whose sole intent is to unify and better the individual and others around them.
And the worst part about all of it is the people out there who comment and praise these photos, fueling the fire. “OMG YOUR ABS ARE SO FIT HOW DO I GET THOSE ABS?” “OMG YOU’RE SO AMAZING!” “OMG YOU’RE THE MOST AMAZING EVER!” Those people make me want to put my foot in a blender. Are you smoking crack? Your fingers are better utilized picking your fucking nose than typing those comments. And you may think, hey! Maybe those people are being inspired. But that’s the thing. Those photos released out into the world aren’t convincing anyone to experience the real and incredible benefits that yoga has to offer. They’re advertising commercial advantages like abs or cute, tight clothing that not everyone can wear or afford (or have the stomach for). They’re creating yet another thing we look at and yet don’t explore further (due to intimidation, etc), causing jealousy and a desire for this very physical and surface benefit of yoga (honestly, all of these people need to take aerobics, talk through class while chewing gum and then go home and throw themselves out of a fifth story window).
In my opinion, the true benefits of yoga can’t be captured in a showy photograph. How could you Instagram bettered sleeping patterns, increased patience and gratitude, decreased anxiety and depression, improved mental strength, and the realization that the physical will host, manifest and, most crucially, release the emotional (if you let it).
One of the reasons I fell in love with yoga was because of how inclusive and compassionate it was. How it helped inspire and improve the quality of life for those with physical and mental difficulties instead of alienating them because they could or would never be able to sport booty shorts (which, FYI, show everyone all of your pubes the second you bend over), or achieve the impossibly perfected figure we all lust after and see daily in the media. And now it’s bombarding our social media streams, hanging out upside down in front of the Eiffel Tower, or the Himalayans or (my favourite) splayed out on the floor of a bedroom… like a stripper.
How about we start a new hash tag that doesn’t offend the very essence of the practice itself, and connotes a genuine, encouraging and all-inclusive message? Something that wouldn’t wanna make me hurl if I came across it in my feed. Something, perhaps, like #thisismyyoga (and please can these photos be humble? Mostly clothed? And at most once a month? K cool thanks)?
Mindfulness is key. Namaste… (bitches).
Sony Hackers Threaten People Who See 'The Interview,' Invoke 9/11
Hackers have promised that “the world will be full of fear” following the Christmas day release of “The Interview.”
“Remember the 11th of September 2001,” the hackers write in a new note reportedly posted Tuesday on Pastebin, a site that lets people easily share text.
Officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security told The Huffington Post that they were aware of the threats and investigating them. However, the official from the Homeland department, who declined to be named, emphasized that “there is no credible intelligence to indicate an active plot against movie theaters within the United States.”
“The FBI continues to work collaboratively with our partners to investigate the Sony attack,” Jennifer Shearer, a representative for the FBI, told HuffPost.
The chief executive of Sony Entertainment, Michael Lynton, confirmed that the company is working with federal agencies, sending this email to employees Tuesday:
“We are aware of the latest threat and are working closely with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. Please remain vigilant,” Lynton wrote in the email, which was forwarded to HuffPost by a Sony employee. He added that workers should contact the FBI if they have “information relevant to the investigation.”
Stars James Franco and Seth Rogen cancelled press appearances intended to promote the film at least through Thursday, and a reporter from the L.A. Times tweeted that theater owners are considering pulling the movie over the threats.
SONY HACK: We are getting word that theater owners likely might PULL #TheInterviewMovie over latest hacker threats. #SonyHack
— Joe Bel Bruno (@JoeBelBruno) December 16, 2014
The hackers warn people to stay away from places screening “The Interview,” a comedy about the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un distributed by Columbia Pictures, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, according to reports in Buzzfeed and Fusion.
“How bitter fate those who seek fun in terror should be doomed to,” the note reads.
Sony has recently been subjected to a massive leak of internal documents following a hack by a group calling itself Guardians of Peace. The company has demanded that news outlets refrain from reporting on the information released through the hack.
The new message is the first to directly threaten violent action. According to Variety, it reads in full:
Warning
We will clearly show it to you at the very time and places “The Interview” be shown, including the