UK government will unblock websites after adult filter blunder
Shortly after the UK government implemented a nationwide adult content filter, it transpired that it wasn’t just naughty sites you couldn’t access. Copyright blogs, relationship education sites and even women’s crisis centers were all marked as being dangerous for family viewing. After much hand-wringing, the government has admitted the error, and is now working on a whitelist of sites that shouldn’t be censored. At the same time, there are plans to develop an appeals system — so that we can all go back to reading about James Earl Miles Jr. without fear.
Filed under: Internet
Source: BBC
What will Android 4.5 look like? Cristian Ruiz of Pixel Shift thinks he Knows
With each iteration of Android, our collective minds continue to wonder what the next version will look like, and although many of us have yet to taste the sweetness that is Android 4.4 KitKat, some people are already wondering about its successor. Many are already assuming that the next iteration will be called Android 4.5, but the real question is, if it does come to be: what will Android 4.5 look like? Well, Cristian Ruiz of Pixel Shift has decided to give it a go, and the results are very pretty indeed.
Ruiz, a UI/UX Designer by trade, has produced several mockups of what he thinks Android 4.5 might look like including the Settings screen, Google Drive and even the Calculator. Some of the things he’s done are quite subtle, but the overall effect is incredibly pleasing to the eye. He’s even postulated that Google could include a light or dark theme to its menus in general, which I think is pretty cool. Who knows: Ruiz might one day find himself employed by Google, as these concept mockups are a pretty good resume.
What do you think about Ruiz’s work? What do you think Android 4.5 is going to look like? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: Pixel Shift via Android Ice Cream Sandwich
Tiptoe through Spotify’s untouched tunes with Forgotify
Not every song is a smash hit, and for every Katy Perry, there are thousands of Justin Guarinis praying for some attention. At last count, there are around four million songs on Spotify that haven’t even been played — which is why some kind soul has created Forgotify. Simply head to Forgotify.com, click the start listening button and the web app will randomly pick one of the unloved tracks to play. Voila! New music you probably never knew existed. If the outfit’s estimates are accurate, you could go a long time before hearing something even remotely well-known, but be warned — some of these songs were probably forgotten for a reason.
Filed under: Internet
Via: The Next Web
Source: Forgotify
Sony upgrades smartphone-pairing QX10 and QX100 lens cameras with higher ISO and 1080p video capture
Shutterbugs who shunned traditional point-and-shoots in favor of Sony’s QX10 and QX100 lens cameras can now take even better images and videos. Thanks to a firmware upgrade, both smartphone lens attachments are now capable of recording clips with a higher resolution (1,920 x 1,080) than before (1,440 x 1,080). It also cranks up the clip-ons’ max ISO settings from 1,600 to 3,200 on the QX10 and from 3,200 to 12,800 on the QX100, which is bound to please those especially fond of nighttime photography. Other than these two feature boosts, folks with the more expensive QX100 get an extra shutter speed mode for their devices. Unfortunately, users can’t upgrade over their phones and will have to download the firmware on a Windows (XP/Vista/7/8) or a Mac computer.
Via: SonyAlphaRumors, Softpedia
US phone companies to explore replacing all phone numbers with IP addresses
Voice-over-IP (VoIP) is nothing new as a technology, of course, but so far it’s been regarded merely as an add-on to America’s regular, analog-based copper and cellular voice networks — networks that are currently maintained as a matter of legal requirement. The FCC isn’t necessarily such a stickler for tradition, however, as it is now encouraging phone networks to explore what would happen if VoIP replaced everything else. In other words, how would the system cope if the only phone numbers were Internet Protocol addresses; if even emergency calls were transmitted over the web; and if remote rural communities became dependent on VoIP, with no other type of network as a backup? Companies that want to participate in the experiment have until late February to submit their ideas, with approvals expected to be granted as early as March — but don’t fear, the tests will only be permitted in “discrete geographic areas or situations,” which is the FCC’s way of politely reminding telecom providers not to get ahead of themselves.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile
Via: Reuters
Source: FCC
Canadian spy agency used airport WiFi to track travelers
Questionable data collection isn’t just for the US and Britain — according to CBC News, Canada’s own spy agency may have been tracking its citizens illegally too. Documents allegedly provided by Edward Snowden show that Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC) collected metadata from thousands of Canadian travelers by tapping into a major airport’s free WiFi service. In addition to revealing that the data was collected over a two-week period, the report shows that CSEC was able to use the metadata to digitally follow travelers as their devices passed through other WiFi hotspots in both Canada and the US.
CSEC claims that “no Canadian or foreign travelers’ movements were ‘tracked,’” which technically, might be correct. While the documents explained how the data was collected and what it can be used for, the report doesn’t mention any subjects by name. In fact, the documents say the operation was just a test — a trial run for an advanced tracking program CSEC is developing with the help of the NSA. Although its not clear how much access the NSA will have to the software once it’s completed, its motives for supporting the project seem clear. After all, according to the US judicial system, collecting cell phone metadata is completely legal down here.
[Image credit: Charleston’s TheDigital, Flickr]
Filed under: Misc
Source: CBC News
PlayStation 4 companion app update highlights live game broadcasts
The latest update for Sony’s PlayStation mobile app is out for Android and iOS, and it’s surprisingly video-focused. Thanks to the new Live from PlayStation section, available game streams can be browsed directly from your device — although they won’t open in the app itself. Ustream feeds open in the service’s own application (at least on Android), while Twitch.tv streams are relegated to your mobile device’s browser. The change log also notes that video notifications from the PS Store are supported, and you’ll find them under the What’s New section on the home screen. Additionally, the update promises to not pull your PS4 out of sleep mode when you open the app to, say, accept a friend request or queue a game download — perfect if you’re looking to conserve a little electricity.
Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Mobile, Sony
Via: Wario64 (Twitter)
Source: Google Play, iTunes
Numerous States Looking to Ban Google Glass While Driving
You knew it was going to happen. Even though Google Glass essentially is supposed to be a hands-free experience, there are going to be those uptight people out there that want to outlaw people wearing them while driving. We all remember the girl who got a ticket for wearing them debacle. Now it looks like several states want to put a ban on the glasses now.
Common sense would tell you that really you don’t need to look at a little computer while driving, that it endangers you, your passengers and other drivers.
That was said by Wyoming senator, Floyd Esquibel, who is drafting a bill before Google Glass is made public. Illinois, Missouri, Delaware, New York, West Virginia, and New Jersey, are some of the other states that are backing this bill up. The bill will be considered next month, and I am sure a lot of you disagree this. I mean if they are going to outlaw Google Glass while driving, they might as well outlaw docks on dashboards that people use for their phones or GPS. Seems to me that those take your eyes off the road more than Google Glass, and I bet these senators haven’t even tried Google Glass. They are great at pushing bills for things that don’t matter. Let us know what you think of this.
Source: Talk Android
Archos’ Neon tablets are even more budget-friendly than usual
Archos is summoning 2011 with the specs for its new Neon tablet line.The slate trio represents the low-end of Archos’ lineup, and doesn’t impress in the specs department.
Falling under its Cobalt and Titanium series of tablets, all three tablets come sporting a quad-core A9 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of onboard storage and microSD expansion. The Neon line includes the 9-inch Archos 90 Neon with 800 x 400 display, 9.7-inch 97 Neon with 1024 x 768 display, and the 10.1-inch 101 Neon with a 1024 x 600 display.
The 9.7-inch tab comes with a 2-megapixel rear-facing cam, and all three come rocking forward-facing cams. Pricing and availability has yet to be announced, but we expect these three to come soon and under $200 apiece.
Filed under: Tablets, Wireless, Mobile
Via: Android Community
Source: Archos
The next Windows 8.1 update might skip the Start screen by default
Microsoft already gave Windows 8 users the option to boot their machines directly to the desktop, but a future update could make the classic interface standard. According to known leaker WZor, the latest Windows 8.1 test build skips over Microsoft’s tiled interface by default. Of course, those aren’t the only changes — WZor also posted screenshots showing that the OS’ power options (sleep, shut down and restart) have been moved to the Start Screen, and modern UI apps now feature a “minimize” option, lending credibility to rumors that a future update would allow them to be run from the desktop. So that’s what they meant by business friendly.
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, Microsoft
Via: WinBeta
Source: WZor (Russian)
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