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.
New year, new you… new fitness band
Why I love to hate my fitness band
Empowering Youth to Combat Bullying & Cyberbullying
Youth Bullying (and adult bullying too) has been around for a very long time, but over the past couple of decades it’s evolved — hence the term “cyberbullying.”
At the end of the day, bullying — whether in school or online — is still bullying so strategies to combat cyberbullying have to be integrated into the entire school climate.
There are a lot of programs that seek to accomplish this and what the good ones have in common is the understanding that young people themselves are an essential part of the solution. One such program, Community Matters, has been around since 1996. The Northern-California based non-profit reports that it has worked with more than 1,000 schools, agencies and organizations across 30 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and Canada.
And, as its CEO and founder Rick Phillips said in an interview (scroll down to listen to 14 minute podcast) the organization’s strategy is to “see the young people in our schools (including those who may have engaged in bullying) not just as the perpetrator but as the solution.” He added that “young people are in the best position to intervene because they see, hear and know about these things before an adult ever knows about them.” He said that “young people are powerful,” but “adults underutilize youth.”
Click below to listen to the interview:
VIDEO: 30 years on: UK's first mobile call
UK’s first mobile phone user remembers the call
Filmmakers: Finally, There's 4K on Your Phone
The ultimate goal for most filmmakers is a multi-million dollar budget, a sizable crew and plenty of cool toys — including a high-end camera. The reality is that most of us want to film quality content more frequently than we’re able to Kickstart a new budget. But last Tuesday the Ultrakam 4K app debuted for the iPhone 6, allowing filmmakers on a shoestring to create amazing images on their phones for less than $10.
Amazing detail caught on via an iPhone (play on 4K setting if you can)
While the iPhone doesn’t have a standard setting to shoot 4K, the phone’s A8 processor has the capacity to shoot in the ultra-high definition format. Now that Ultrakam has tapped the technology, expect a slew of shorts to start popping up at festivals that you would never suspect were shot on a cell.
I caught up with Ultrakam 4K developer Hassan Uriostegui and his collaborator (and serial tech entrepreneur) Brett O’Brien to talk the democratization of high-def filmmaking and to witness a demo of the future.
Photo by Gina Hall
“Bringing 4K image resolution to Ultrakam makes high-quality filmmaking accessible to everyone” says Uriostegui. “Ultrakam provides an incredible filming experience with image resolution that rivals the GoPro Hero4 and it shoots cinematic quality video, just like the Sony F55 or any high-end professional video camera, for a fraction of the cost.”
The crystal clear images I saw were primarily nature scenes — shots of the ocean and a time lapse overlooking a forest. I felt like I was looking out of a window on the actual location and had to remind myself that the images were shot with a phone.
A filmmaker, himself, Uriostegui is excited to see what artists will do with his app.
“With Ultrakam’s 4K resolution and full production suite, content creators all over the world can create the finest productions possible without any extra hardware, simply by using a device they already have in their pocket,” says Uriostegui.
Ultrakam 4K developer Hassan Uriostegui – photo courtesy of Hassan Uriostegui
Support apps are being developed to go along with the advance. This one also comes with a companion app that allows a separate iPhone to act as a remote control so the user doesn’t shake the camera while adjusting the settings during a shot.
While sound recording quality on an iPhone is still poor and much of the post-production work on 4K video is still not ideally suited for a phone app, it probably won’t be long before solutions become more accessible. YouTube already allows for 4K uploads even though many screens can’t accommodate the format — yet.
“Hassan is a visionary, and one of the most talented mobile video developers in the world,” says O’Brien.
Here’s to hoping that the future catches up to 4K soon.
8 Tech Resolutions Your Kids Want You To Make
Please don’t shoot me. I’m just the messenger, here to deliver a short list of “tech resolutions” from your kids. Teaching weekly middle school digital literacy classes, aka “Cyber Civics,” gives me a unique view into their digital world; a world where they spend more time than they do in school or with their families. I’ve discovered that they have some strong opinions on resolutions they’d like us to make in 2015.
Look Up. Kids tell me there is nothing they dislike more than being on the soccer field or in the choir recital only to see mom or dad looking down at their smart phone. When attending these events, they’d like us to look up and be present, which is actually the next resolution…
Be Present. This doesn’t include recording every goal, pirouette, or touchdown for posterity. It actually means enjoying the moment and, in fact, not posting photos, videos, or announcements of your child’s every achievement (there is a reason “overshare” is 2014′s word of the year). Kids actually don’t like it when we overshare like this. Which leads to…
Practice Conscious Posting. Kids say they really dislike it when parents post photos of them without their knowledge or consent. Sure, they’re our kids, and they’re minors, right? But remember, a photo they might consider embarrassing will become a permanent part of their digital footprint; one they have to live with forever and ever. So, I agree with the kids, it’s good policy to ask first, post second. And if your child is too young to have an opinion, ask yourself if the image is one you want to become a permanent part of your child’s digital reputation.
Consider The Privacy of Others. This resolution isn’t from the kids but one I added on their behalf… last week there was a story in the news about the partner of a Welsch father who took a video of his 4-year-old daughter in a school play and posted it to her personal Facebook page. The school demanded she remove it because it violated a school policy about protecting the privacy of others who appeared in the video. This is an important reminder to us all, even if we are at a school without a policy like this one, remember that not every family wants their child’s image shared online.
Try Something New. It’s easy to bash new apps with funny names — Yik Yak, Snapchat, Ask.fm, Tumblr, Vine, Kik — and scratch our heads in wonder why kids find them so appealing. So resolve to give at least one of them a try in order to find out. I tried Snapchat over the holidays and found I actually like sending short, silly videos to family members, especially knowing they quickly disappear and won’t fill up my hard drive (of course, as we’ve all learned in 2014, nothing really “disappears” online… so be careful what you share).
Follow and Friend. Surprising as it sounds, kids tell me that they like it when their parents “friend” or “follow” them on social media (well, preteens like it, anyway). So when your kids first start socializing online, resolve to join them on the social media sites they use and get to know what they’re up to and whom they hang out with. Just like you would in real life. But be transparent, nobody likes a spy lurking about. Eventually as kids get older they will want more privacy and have accounts you won’t keep up with, but establishing a watchful eye early on gets them in the habit of thinking twice before they post because, as my kids like to say, “big mother is always watching.”
“Like” But Don’t Comment. Kids like it when we “like” their posts, but they don’t like it so much when we comment (for example, the night I posted “Go to Bed” on my daughter’s Facebook was a Big Mistake). Kids in my classes have expressed disappointment over parents not showing interest in the funny, creative, and/or intriguing things they share online. This window to their world closes fast, so resolve to take advantage of it while you can.
Finally, Get Interested. This is probably the most important resolution you can make. The time to get digitally-interested is now. Actually it was five minutes ago, but it’s still not too late.
As Clay Shirky explains in “Here Comes Everybody” (2008), “Communication tools don’t get socially interesting until they get technologically boring.” He wrote,
It’s when a technology becomes normal, then, ubiquitous, and finally so pervasive as to be invisible, that the really profound changes happen, and for young people today, our new social tools have passed normal and are heading to ubiquitous, and invisible is coming.
That was seven years ago. It’s safe to say that for kids today, invisible is here. It’s high time for parents to resolve to get interested.
Student Projects Apply 'Internet of Things' Principles in Sustainability and Product Design
Integrating the power of data and Internet connectivity into everyday objects has become a big trend in product development today, more so with the recent rise of the ‘Internet of Things’. University of Pennsylvania students are at the forefront of this, and are applying these novel concepts in creating solutions that tackle everyday problems. Two Penn projects at the forefront of this movement are PennOrb and Nimbus.
PennOrb provides college houses with color-changing plastic orbs whose color reflects the respective houses energy consumption. The goal of PennOrb is to raise awareness on how much energy we use.
The PennOrb team has developed an algorithm that calculates the expected energy value based on the temperature, humidity and visible light. It then compares this expected value with the actual usage. According to their website, when the orb glows green, it means your building is using energy efficiently, and when it turns red, it means that you’re going over the expected energy consumption level.
PennOrb Founder Jason Choi believes that having a visible and tangible representation of one’s energy consumption can be the game-changer in making more people aware of their energy usage, and hopefully getting them to consume less.
PennOrb was also the winner for the PennSustains competition, which awarded them $3000 to pursue the idea. According to Choi, students from the London School of Economics have expressed interest in doing a pilot in their buildings as well.
“We hope to make PennOrb a long term staple in Penn; And so our exit strategy might be to pass it on to the next batch of students, and see how far we can take this,” stated Choi.
This same trend of using Internet connectivity with tangible objects is seen in Nimbus, a Penn Product Design class project. Nimbus, which is a smart weather forecast umbrella stand, was developed by a team of graduate and undergraduate students who wanted to take advantage of the trend of consumers wanting tangible items that can present them data.
The Nimbus team emphasized how they wanted to create a product that served more than one purpose, and helped make the lives of people better. By integrating weather forecasts using the Internet, the Nimbus weather stand lights up depending on the weather, helping you know when to use your umbrella.
Penn Integrated Product Design Graduate Student Aobo Zhou said, “From this class, I learned that design is a process. Anyone can become a designer if they follow this process because design thinking can be applied to any type of business or any profession you’re in.”
Fellow Nimbus project team member and Graduate Student Karla Caicedo added, “This product design class taught me the importance of trying. As engineers, we think of a product than immediately focus on building it and making sure it’s perfect. We forget that it might not be what people actually want. This class taught us how to prototype then change our idea based on feedback.”
For Nimbus team member and Penn Engineering Junior Bianca Pham, “For me, taking this Product Design class was really important in teaching me design. It gave me an extra skillset I could combine with coding; understanding what people like and being able to apply it to actual products.”
It will be interesting to see what other products Penn students come up with in the future with the Internet of Things slowly catching on with students, and user-centered design thinking becoming a core principle in product development.
David Ongchoco is a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania majoring in LIFE. An aspiring entrepreneur, David has been working on different side projects during his free time like the Global Youth Journal, while also blogging about all the inspiring people he’s been meeting in his first semester of college in his person blog www.davidongchoco.com. If you want to talk more about entrepreneurship, startups, education or any random topic, feel free to hit David up at david.ongchoco@gmail.com.
Bae, It Would Be Cray To Stop Using These 'Banned' Words
If you had plans to spend next year calling your boo bae, describing the chilly weather as a polar vortex or talking up your foodie lifestyle, cancel them immediately. Those three terms can never be spoken again.
At least, that’s the tongue-in-cheek goal of the “List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness,” released Wednesday by Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The college’s 40th annual list has a total of 12 new words we’re supposed to collectively excise from our vocabulary in 2015.
The other nine entries include hack, skill set, swag, curate(d), friend-raising, cra-cra (alternately spelled cray-cray), enhanced interrogation, takeaway and nation when used to denote the fans of a particular sports team (e.g. Cubs Nation).
The banished word list was started in January of 1976 by W.T. Rabe, a savvy former LSSU public relations director, who’s also known for inventing the school traditions of issuing unicorn questing licenses and burning a snowman each spring.
The first list came directly from LSSU staff and Rabe’s personal language pet peeves. But at this point in time (that phrase made the list in 1976), it’s generated by the wider populace, with people submitting the words they loathe on the school’s website and a committee compiling the final selection each December. The list has since grown to include more than 800 entries.
Some of the phrases on the list have been faulted for redundancy, like 1995′s vast majority; others, like enhanced interrogation, speak to a dead serious (another banned phrase) critique of cultural mores. Other words are clearly targeted because they’re trending (yep, also banned).
Nominators also take issue with overused words that become divorced from their original meaning, like using “hack” to describe mascara application tips or calling a box of different dog foods “curated.”
It’s easy to get annoyed by slang terms that crop up suddenly — especially if you need an article from Time to understand them — and then die out within a year or two anyway. But part of the fun of language is the difficulty of predicting which words will naturally fall by the wayside — we barely knew you, cybarian and chillaxin’ — and which ones will become so commonplace — prioritize, parenting, brainstorm, blog — it’s strange to think of trying to ban them. With something as delightful and amazing as language, half the fun for wordsmiths is watching usage change over time.
In some ways, putting a straight-up ban on words that are part of people’s everyday conversations seems like a stodgy approach. However, LSSU’s banished word list serves as a reminder to be creative and deft with word choice — to encourage thinking outside of the box — rather than as a prescriptive ban. It can also just be an interesting snapshot of what’s hot and hated in language year-by-year.
That said, if you catch yourself telling your bae, who’s a real foodie, about a cra-cra hack for getting free swag, it might be time to think about expanding your vocabulary.
Or not, whatever. It’s all good.
Best Tweets: What Women Said On Twitter This Week
The new year has finally arrived and the ladies of Twitter are definitely ready to celebrate. Twitter user Van was possibly the most excited, tweeting, “Bring in 2015 the same way you came into this world. Naked and screaming.” Barbara The Ninja celebrated a bit differently: “I’ll put a bra on, so ya, I guess you could say I’m ‘dressing up.’” We shall meet you on the couch, lady.
Caroline Moss came to the same conclusion the rest of us did when she tweeted, “What did you accomplish in 2014? personally I spent the entire year staring at my phone.” Who needs nature when you have technology, right?
Happy New Year’s everyone!
For more great tweets from women, scroll through the list below. Then visit our Funniest Tweets From Women page for our past collections.
A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.
— INNOCENCE OF MAYHEM (@liliths_lair) December 29, 2014
Whenever he says “no” to me I always remind him that Noah wrote Allie 365 letters for 365 days
— L O R I (@LoriLuvsShoes) December 28, 2014
2015: be more of a khloe and less of a kourtney
— Jessica Roy (@JessicaKRoy) December 31, 2014
getting in my hot serial takes™ under the wire then no more in 2015
— Rachel Syme (@rachsyme) December 30, 2014
what did you accomplish in 2014? personally I spent the entire year staring at my phone
— Caro (@socarolinesays) December 31, 2014
Walmart intercom: Guy in Too Illegitimate to Quit shirt please come to the front
* 5 mins later*
W: Sorry I should have been more specific.
— antisocialsocialist (@gobmentcheese) December 30, 2014
Sheila’s log
12/31/14 12:30 am
The kittens have found a Qtip & a golf ball and all hell has broken loose.
Save me
Please
— NotTHATSheila (@peb671) December 31, 2014
Here’s a guide to travel around New York City on New Year’s Eve from least to most expensive:
Subway
Cab
Buy a car
Uber
— Michelle Wolf (@michelleisawolf) December 30, 2014
If New Year’s Eve was like ‘The Purge’ I would maybe think about going out.
— Molly (@Molly_Kats) December 31, 2014
Bought plastic New Years tiaras off the street & am very excited to break them into little pieces & throw at people like Cady Heron 2nite
— Taylor Trudon (@taylortrudon) December 31, 2014
Somebody in Europe used my debit card to spend thousands of dollars on video games and e-cigs. @Chase, can you find out if he is single
— Julieanne Smolinski (@BoobsRadley) December 30, 2014
My laundry method: If it’s clean, it’s on the floor. If it’s dirty, it’s on the floor over there.
— clare graham (@ClareNV_G) December 31, 2014
If any of you receive drunken messages from me, it wasn’t me.
— bourgeois beth (@bourgeoisalien) December 30, 2014
I’ll put a bra on, so ya, I guess you could say I’m ‘dressing up’
— barbara the ninja (@ninjadinosaur1) December 31, 2014
My only New Years resolution this year is have sex.
With someone else.
— Ginger (@GingerJ17) December 27, 2014
Bring in 2015 the same way you came into this world. Naked and screaming.
— van (@vanluvz1) December 31, 2014
I know you’re a guest and all, but if you squeeze my toothpaste tube in the middle one more time, I’m gonna lose my shit.
— Breathing is Good (@dancefeverbarbi) December 30, 2014
I miss you, I REALLY hope to see you soon ..seriously!!!
*Hallmark card for a missed period.
— Darling Nikki (@NicoleRasmuss75) December 31, 2014
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION: finish at least one page-a-day calendar
— Aparna Nancherla (@aparnapkin) December 29, 2014
new years resolution: get rich or cry tryin
— tina (@tinatbh) December 29, 2014
Didn’t think Times Square during New Years could get more aggravating… Then God created the “selfie stick” #grrrrr
— jen cody (@Jen__Cody) December 30, 2014
The Funniest 2015 New Year's Resolution Jokes The Twittersphere Has To Offer
Are you prepared for the New Year’s resolutions that are about to flood your feed?
It’s as much a tradition as watching the ball drop: making promises to oneself which will later also be dropped. And yet, year after year, we continue to make these resolutions in the hopes that this new year will be different. Unfortunately, the only thing that’s really different IS the year.
Many Twitter folk have resorted to laughing at the idea of resolutions rather than making them, and these are some of the best of the bunch. Check out the funniest #NewYearsResolution tweets below and have a happy new year!
Be ready, people. http://t.co/NCDPK134Xm #NewYearsResolution pic.twitter.com/dRAJxJg0l2
— Kim LachanceShandrow (@LaShandrow) December 29, 2014
NEW YEARS RESOLUTION: To catch up on my resolutions for 2O12, 2O13, and 2O14..!!
#NewYearsResolution
— jjay michael (@stfujjay) December 29, 2014
#NewYearsResolution Make a handful of people believe I’m normal before blindsiding them with my actual personality
— Jake from State Farm (@iGrowBeard) December 29, 2014
Ain’t this the truth…
#NewYearsResolution pic.twitter.com/eSY4CaxAJl
— Scott Warner (@ScottWarner18) December 27, 2014
#NewYearsResolution bulk up to look exactly like this guy. Don’t say it’s unrealistic cuz imma do it just watch pic.twitter.com/lJkoAvIs6Z
— ß@$$|\/|3N7 Dvv3LL3R (@JOSHSTEP69) December 19, 2014
That’s it, best to ease into your routine.
#NewYearsResolution
Go to the gym once this year.
— Raquel (@rockii96) December 29, 2014
Just a few more days til I can cross off “Don’t die” from my 2014 #NewYearsResolution Hopefully it goes better than my others.
— Jeremy Bridges (@Jbridges300) December 29, 2014
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION: finish at least one page-a-day calendar
— Aparna Nancherla (@aparnapkin) December 29, 2014
my only New Years resolution is to not spend money on food I honestly might be rich by 2016
— Tweet Like A Girl (@TweetLikeAGirI) December 29, 2014
My New Years Resolution is to not let my good looks make me insecure! We pretty ppl have opinions that count too! 143 pic.twitter.com/427btgdm8F
— Artie Lange (@artiequitter) December 30, 2014
new years resolution: get rich or cry tryin
— tina (@tinatbh) December 29, 2014
New Years resolution – become 110% huggable. pic.twitter.com/cg48eeNVm5
— FederalDonuts (@FederalDonuts) December 30, 2014
“@LexeLovex: “@tbhjuststop: New Years resolution pic.twitter.com/ZxkQA0PsLz” @breanna_hinson what about this resolution??? ” nahhhh
— ✨ℬ.ℍıℕ$ʘℕℕ✨ (@breanna_hinson) December 22, 2014
Nothing new. #NewYears – http://t.co/kwnKP1qqbg pic.twitter.com/419MAvq8aA
— someecards (@someecards) December 30, 2014
Your New Years resolution: Exercise more. And after, call Erin Whitehead to meet you for lunch. (She hates brunch so don’t even try)
— erin whitehead (@girlwithatail) December 30, 2014
I’m down for a New Years kiss with a bottle of pineapple ciroc
— jess (@jessicaaetaylor) December 30, 2014
Didn’t think Times Square during New Years could get more aggravating… Then God created the “selfie stick” #grrrrr
— jen cody (@Jen__Cody) December 30, 2014
What is everyone giving up for New Years, to start doing again in March? #NewYearsResolution
— preston pohl (@PrestonPohl) December 30, 2014
i’ve never had a new years kiss, or a mistletoe kiss but i did have a hershey’s kiss and it was spectacular
— SHELDON COOPER∞ (@Sheldon_Jokes) December 30, 2014
That’s certainly one way to do it.
Say hello to my new years kiss!!! (Aka me) pic.twitter.com/mvWrwXDwOh
— kayla koen (@kaylakoen) December 30, 2014
My cat’s New Years resolution is to continue staring at nothing
— Ry Doon (@RyDoon) December 30, 2014
Apple Sued Over Storage-Devouring iOS 8
Apple is facing a class action lawsuit over the storage on its iPhones, iPads and iPods.
A class action lawsuit was filed Tuesday in California, alleging that Apple “fails to disclose” to people that as much as 23.1 percent of the advertised storage space on 8 GB and 16 GB devices would be consumed by iOS 8. There is also a discrepancy between the advertised amount of space available for users on a device and the actual space available, the lawsuit claims. Instead of providing the promised amount of storage, Apple pushes users to buy more space on the iCloud.
“Our clients and consumers across America were provided less than Apple promised them and we look forward to vindicating their rights through the lawsuit,” Bill Anderson, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told The Huffington Post in a phone interview on Wednesday.
Apple did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
The operating system takes up 1.1 GB of space and it needs 5.8 GB to install wirelessly. So many people were having difficulty making space to download iOS 8 that we wrote a guide to downloading it via iTunes, which takes up significantly less space on your iPhone. iOS 7, in comparison, only required 3.3 GB of space to download wirelessly.
People realized that iOS 8 was going to eat up all the space on their iPhones as soon as it was released last September. Many had to delete photos and apps, even going as far as to remove the Bible app from their phones. We warned iPhone 4S owners not to download the new operating system, since it reportedly was slowing down that model so significantly.
There’s a lot to complain about when it comes to iPhone storage. Some devices that Apple offers — like the 16 GB iPhone — have such small amounts of storage that they quickly become unusable.
A report released last Thursday by Apple analysis blog Above Avalon predicted that Apple will make $3 billion in 2015 from people upgrading to iPhones with more storage after their 16 GB models become unusable. The more money you spend on an iPhone, the more storage you get. The 16GB iPhone 6 starts at $199, and you can get the 64GB and 128GB models of the iPhone 6 for $299 and $399, respectively. You get 5 GB of free storage when you sign up for Apple’s iCloud storage system, but if you want more, it will cost $0.99 per month for 20 GB of storage, and goes all the way up to $19.99 per month for 1 TB (terabyte) of storage.
Apple benefits from creating these problems in its operating systems. The company releases a new OS every year, and most apps regularly update to work better on new systems. The newer operating systems don’t work well on older Apple products, encouraging people to buy newer devices. Of course, you can always choose not to upgrade your operating system and apps.
You can read the lawsuit in its entirety below:
Class-action lawsuit against Apple over iOS 8 storage by appleinsider
The 10 Best Photos From The Department Of The Interior's Instagram Account In 2014
We’ve seen some stunning photos of America’s public lands pop up on the Department of the Interior’s Instagram account over the past year, including some striking animal shots and glorious nightscapes.
The agency is tasked with protecting more than 500 million acres of public lands and waterways across the country, including a wide breadth of national parks, from Acadia to Yosemite.
Take a look at the top 10 Instagram posts on the Interior Department’s account from 2014, and follow along throughout the new year @usinterior.
Moose in the Mist There was a heavy fog in the river valley this morning in Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge in Wyoming. This large bull moose was spotted eating his breakfast of Pacific willow leaves and branches near Headquarters. Photo: Tom Koerner/USFWS
A photo posted by U.S. Department of the Interior (@usinterior) on Aug 8, 2014 at 2:18pm PDT
Photo by Tom Koerner, USFWS.
The morning commute is a little different at #Yellowstone #NationalPark. Cameron Patrick captured this photo on a cold morning — just after the #bison herd had waded through a river along side the road. The bisons’ body heat caused the water to turn to steam in the cold air, creating the mist around the bison.
A photo posted by U.S. Department of the Interior (@usinterior) on Nov 11, 2014 at 9:00am PST
Photo courtesy of Cameron Patrick.
The Teton Range glows orange and red after a fresh coat of snow. Robert Buman captured this gorgeous photo just before #sunrise at #GrandTeton #NationalPark in #Wyoming. Photo from www.sharetheexperience.org.
A photo posted by U.S. Department of the Interior (@usinterior) on Oct 10, 2014 at 8:01am PDT
Photo by Robert Buman (www.sharetheexperience.org).
From all of us at the Department of the Interior and NPS (including this grizzly bear), we want to thank you for the kind words about the National Park Service 98th birthday today. Here is our second photo celebrating the national parks and the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Wilderness act on September 3rd. This bear is in Lake Clark National Park, a land of stunning beauty where volcanoes steam, salmon run, bears forage, craggy mountains reflect in shimmering turquoise lakes, and local people and culture still depend on the land and water of their home. Solitude is found around every bend in the river and shoulder of a mountain. Venture into the park to become part of the wilderness. Photo: Kevin Dietrich (www.sharetheexperience.org)
A photo posted by U.S. Department of the Interior (@usinterior) on Aug 8, 2014 at 3:25pm PDT
Photo by Kevin Dietrich (www.sharetheexperience.org).
Happy National Public Lands Day! To celebrate the national day that is dedicated to playing, learning, serving and working on our public lands, we’re waiving the entrance fee for all national parks, wildlife refuges and other public lands — including the J. Clark Salyer Refuge (pictured here) in #NorthDakota. This 58,700 acre refuge has a diverse mix of habitats — from grass prairie and marshes to sandhills and woodlands — that help support waterfowl, migratory birds and other wildlife. Photo by Gary Eslinger (@USFWS).
A photo posted by U.S. Department of the Interior (@usinterior) on Sep 9, 2014 at 7:17am PDT
Photo by Gary Eslinger, USFWS.
America’s first #nationalmonument, Devils Tower is a geologic feature that protrudes out of the rolling prairie in #Wyoming. David Lane (@drlane56) captured this amazing 16-image panorama of the monument illuminated by the #MilkyWay and green airglow. Of visiting #DevilsTower, David says: “From ancient stories of the Pleiades taking refuge at the top to the generations of Native Americas that held it sacred, it had a deep sense of age and a stoic nature that impressed me. It’s so unexpected, so large in person, so steeped in traditions.”
A photo posted by U.S. Department of the Interior (@usinterior) on Nov 11, 2014 at 2:24pm PST
Photo courtesy of David Lane (@drlane56).
America’s public lands, like #Yosemite #NationalPark in California (pictured here), are some of the best places for stargazing. Joseph Taylor (@joe__taylor) captured this stunner of the endless #MilkyWay galaxy floating above the granite monoliths — Washington Column and #HalfDome — in @YosemiteNPS’s Stoneman Meadow. “To be a part of a beautiful moment on Earth like this one is always breathtaking, but to capture it with my camera was incredible,” says Joseph. Want to be featured on @USInterior’s Instagram account and our other social media channels? Tag us in your amazing images of national parks, wildlife refuges (@usfws) or @mypubliclands, and we could end up sharing your photo of America’s public lands!
A photo posted by U.S. Department of the Interior (@usinterior) on Nov 11, 2014 at 3:06pm PST
Photo courtesy of Joseph Taylor (@joe__taylor).
“If it isn’t God’s backyard, then he certainly lives nearby.” – Robin Williams on Glacier National Park. RIP Photo: Kim Hang Dessoliers
A photo posted by U.S. Department of the Interior (@usinterior) on Aug 8, 2014 at 5:34pm PDT
Photo by Kim Hang Dessoliers (www.sharetheexperience.org).
Tunnel View in #Yosemite #NationalPark (@yosemitenps) provides one of the most famous views of the Yosemite Valley. From here you can see El Capitan and Bridalveil Fall rising from the valley, with Half Dome in the background. Toby Harriman (@tobyharriman) snapped this photo from that viewpoint a few weeks ago on as low fog rolled into the valley — capturing conditions he had always dreamed of. His favorite part of the photo: The climber’s headlamp that is visible mid way up El Capitan on the left. Photo courtesy of @tobyharriman.
Ein von U.S. Department of the Interior (@usinterior) gepostetes Foto am Dez 12, 2014 at 2:13 PST
Photo courtesy of Toby Harriman (www.tobyharriman.com).
Amazing photo of a moose through a light blanket of fog in #GrandTeton #NationalPark! Daniel D’Auria (@drdadbooks) captured this image at the Cattleman’s Bridge site just after #sunrise as a lone bull moose was crossing the Snake River.
A photo posted by U.S. Department of the Interior (@usinterior) on Oct 10, 2014 at 7:45am PDT
Photo by Daniel D’Auria (www.sharetheexperience.org).
Our 2014 Google Searches Show That Amid Conflict, 'There Is A Lot Of Hope'
A person’s search history can reveal a lot, and as Google found, people around the world searched for one encouraging thing more than anything else: hope.
2014 provided plenty of conflict — from violence in Russia, Gaza and the Middle East to the Ebola outbreak in Northern Africa — and left many scrambling for a slice of good news. Watch the video above to see how we used the Internet to find light in dark times.
Check out the full HuffPost Live conversation about the year’s most popular searches here.
Sign up here for Live Today, HuffPost Live’s new morning email that will let you know the newsmakers, celebrities and politicians joining us that day and give you the best clips from the day before!
Georgia Tech Student Indicted For Hacking UGA's Online Calendar
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia Tech student accused of hacking the University of Georgia’s online calendar and posting a message stoking the schools’ football rivalry has been indicted.
The Athens Banner-Herald reported Tuesday ( http://bit.ly/1rxPS2p ) that 21-year-old Ryan Gregory Pickren is charged with computer trespassing for allegedly posting a calendar entry days before the Georgia Tech-Georgia game.
The newspaper reports the entry was made for noon on Nov. 29. Georgia Tech beat Georgia 30-24 in Athens in overtime. UGA Vice President for Public Affairs told the newspaper the listing was quickly discovered and removed.
UGA police submitted evidence to an Athens-Clarke County grand jury. Pickren surrendered Dec. 22 and was released after posting $5,000 bond.
It’s unclear if Pickren has an attorney. A phone number for him could not be located.
Leaked NSA Documents Reveal How To Hide From The NSA
If you want a truly anonymous life, then maybe it’s time you learned about Tor, CSpace and ZRTP.
These three technologies could help people hide their activities from the National Security Agency, according to NSA documents newly obtained from the archive of former contractor Edward Snowden by the German magazine Der Spiegel.
The combination of Tor, CSpace and ZRTP (plus another anonymizing technology for good measure) results in levels of protection that the NSA deems “catastrophic” — meaning the organization has “near-total loss/lack of insight to target communications,” according to Der Spiegel.
“Although the documents are around two years old, experts consider it unlikely the agency’s digital spies have made much progress in cracking these technologies,” Spiegel’s staff wrote.
In comparison, accessing somebody’s Facebook messages is considered a “minor” task for the agency. Similarly, virtual private networks (or VPNs), which are widely used by companies, are easily accessed by the NSA, according to Der Spiegel’s report, as are so-called “HTTPS” connections.
So, what are these services and what do you actually have to do to use them?
Tor is basically a network that offers an easy way for people to mask their location when communicating online. Anyone can download Tor’s web browser — it’s available on Mac, Windows, Linux, and smartphones. It’s not foolproof: When using Tor, you’re advised to sacrifice the convenience of browser plugins, torrent downloads, and websites that don’t use “HTTPS encryption” if you truly want to stay off the grid.
And that’s just if you want to mask your online habits — messaging and phone calls require more steps still, meaning you also have to add CSpace and ZRTP if you want to hide those from the NSA, according to Der Spiegel.
CSpace is a program that lets people text chat and transfer files, while ZRTP is a form of encryption that protects mobile phone calls and texting — it’s used in apps like RedPhone and Signal.
If that all sounds a bit daunting, anonymous living may not be for you. There are plenty of ways to stay relatively private online. But true anonymity is harder to achieve, and so coveted that some people will pay $629 for a special phone that purports to keep a user’s information more secure.
As noted, the Snowden documents are a couple of years old; it’s possible the NSA has found ways around these tools by now. But for the privacy-conscious, they are certain to work better than a tinfoil hat.
Review: iRig Pads
When it comes to mobile music products, IK Multimedia has positioned itself as one of the top suppliers. Right from the early days of iOS, IK Multimedia has remained at the forefront of the iOS music creation market with products like the original iRig and iRig Mic. As iOS has developed and become more powerful, so has the line-up of iRig products – its latest introduction, iRig Pads, brings musicians a full-featured 16-pad MIDI groove controller. Is the iRig Pads worthy of the space in your bag for creating a mobile loop workstation? We put the hardware through its paces in our full review.
Sony Announces Expanded VOD Release For 'The Interview'
The year couldn’t end without one last piece of news about “The Interview.” Sony announced on Wednesday that it had reached an agreement with multiple on-demand platforms to expand the release of the oft-discussed comedy. According to Sony, “The Interview” will be available to stream via affiliates for iN Demand (Time Warner Cable, Comcast, Bright House Networks, Cox Communications) and VUBIQUITY (Cablevision, Charter and AT&T U-verse TV) as well as on Verizon FiOS, VUDU and DirecTV. Those services join Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and XBox Video as on-demand distributors of “The Interview.” In addition to all those options, Sony revealed it will also finally release “The Interview” via its PlayStation Network beginning on Thursday. The price point for rental across all platforms is $5.99.
“We have always sought the widest possible distribution for ‘The Interview,’ and want to thank our new partners for helping us make that happen,” Sony Entertainment chairman and CEO Michael Lynton said in a statement.
Through its first four days of on-demand release, “The Interview” earned $15 million from rentals and purchases (users can own the film for $14.99). It closes 2014 as the top-selling movie on YouTube and Google Play.
Paying for health apps doesn’t mean better quality
A recent study shows that paid health apps don’t necessarily use better behavior change techniques than free ones.
The post Paying for health apps doesn’t mean better quality appeared first on iMedicalApps.
#FeministNewYearsResolutions Perfectly Reminds Us What Women Want In 2015
Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Only if they always tell you to smile.
Feeling like this New Year’s celebration called for a feminist twist, writer and feminist Ijeoma Oluo took to Twitter to voice exactly what she hopes to achieve in 2015. And it didn’t have to do with going to the gym more, being kinder or any of the other generic resolutions we so often see. Instead, Oluo created the #FeministNewYearsResolution hashtag and hilariously reminded us what feminists really hope to accomplish this upcoming year.
When a dude says you’re “not like other girls” say, “I know” and then unhinge your jaw and swallow him whole.
#FeministNewYearResolutions
— Ijeoma Oluo (@IjeomaOluo) December 27, 2014
When people ask why you aren’t married, yell “I’M MARRIED TO THE STRUGGLE” & flip over a table.
#FeministNewYearResolutions
— Ijeoma Oluo (@IjeomaOluo) December 27, 2014
Stop telling dudes I have a boyfriend when I’m not interested.
#FeministNewYearResolutions
— Ijeoma Oluo (@IjeomaOluo) December 27, 2014
As feminist hashtags often do, #FeministNewYearsResolution picked up steam and others tweeted how they resolved to be better feminists in 2015. From the earnest to the satirical to the satirically earnest, here are some of our favorite #FeministNewYearResolutions tweets:
Work on my dramatic eye roll / snark in preparation for mansplaining #FeministNewYearResolutions
— stone cold kilzer (@ann_kilzer) December 28, 2014
When told ‘you’d be prettier if you smiled more’, I’ll reply with this face #FeministNew