In a rather ludicrous display of backdoor shenanigans several high-profile countries have created and signed a new trade agreement aimed at stomping-out the $250-billion counterfeiting market. The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is a new international trade agreement created by G8-led countries (representing 50% of world trade) was conceived under a veil of secrecy, without democratic vote or process.
The Super-Secrective Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement Gives the Finger to Citizens, NGOs and International Governing Bodies
— By Robin Wilding
The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
— By Brajeshwar
Choosing the Right Entertainment Content Streaming Device for You
— By Calvin Scott
Online media streaming has gone mainstream, and is now available through a variety of devices, both cheap and expensive. Video streaming in particular is eagerly adopted, because of the quality of streaming services such as Netflix, Vudu and Hulu Plus.
The next four media streaming devices target different groups of users – which one’s the best for you? Find Out:
- If you’re unwilling to spend more than $100 – Roku 2XS: Online streaming media devices, though increasingly popular, remain somewhat expensive. Roku 2XS is an exception. Priced at $99, it’s one of the most affordable yet cool devices of its kind, being capable of streaming video flawlessly. What’s more, it features a few fun games which are worth trying when you’re bored of watching videos. Roku 2XS works with all the big streaming services, including Video on Demand from Amazon, Hulu Plus, Netlifx, Pandora, NBA Game Time and Crackle. The downside is that it doesn’t come with Blu-ray support, and it also doesn’t let you to stream files across your home network. But you can’t have everything for $99.
- If you’re a gamer – Sony PS3: Sony PlayStation 3 is now not only a wonderful gaming console and a capable Blu-ray player, but also a formidable video and music streaming device. Sony has recently introduced a series of firmware updates which made the popular gaming console support media streaming services such as Hulu Plus, Netflix and MBL.TV. Also, don’t forget that PS3 can handle home media streaming as well through DLNA. Considering that it now costs $249, PS3 is definitely one of the coolest content streaming devices currently available. Note: Xbox 360 recently extended its media streaming services as well, but remember that Microsoft’s console doesn’t play Blu-ray.
- If you want a media player – LG BD670: LG BD670 is a top Blu-ray player, but also a great device for streaming Internet entertainment content. With integrated Wi-Fi, LG BD670 works great with streaming services such as Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, Amazon and MOG. Also, it lets you stream media from a computer through a home network. LG BD670 is the ideal choice if you want a media streaming device that can also play Blu-ray, but which is cheaper than Sony PS3.
- If you’re an Apple fan – Apple TV: Neither the most versatile nor the most complete streaming device, yet definitely one of the coolest, Apple TV is the right choice for Apple fans. Apple TV is the only TV box that works flawless with iTunes and the AirPlay app for sharing media content over your home network. Besides video, you can also stream audio through the AirPlay app, including Pandora. Alternatively you can use your iPad or iPhone to stream video content from the device to the TV screen, though you do have to make some configuration work first. With Apple TV you get video streaming through Vimeo, MLB.TV, iTunes, Netflix, YouTube, Flicker. Additionally, you also get photos through Flicker and Internet Radio. Apple TV is just $99 and despite the fact that it supports fewer services than Roku 2XS, it’s worth every dollar.
Hope you found out that one device for you.
5 Very Cool Travel Gadgets
— By Brajeshwar
Travel has gone high-tech. This is good and bad, depending on perspective. But we’re going to say it’s mostly good. An argument can definitely be made that technology innovations have no place in travel, but that entirely depends on the reason for traveling in the first place. Sure, if you are looking to escape your regular life for much needed rest and relaxation then, yes, technology may not be your best travel companion.
But if you’re a business traveler, or a vacationer that simply cannot leave communications behind, then the right tech gadgets can be a boon to the experience. Most people would probably fall into this category – it’s hard to imagine leaving behind the iPhone for an entire week or other devices like tablets, laptops and iPods for that matter.
3D TV Finally gets a boost
— By Robin Wilding
3D glasses, despite making you look horrifically like an 80s-movie nerd, do an OK job. That’s what researchers at the Tsukuba University in Japan thought too. So they made them better — much better. This new project from Tsukuba is prototyping a different kind of 3D display that focuses on multiple layers of depth that give enhanced depth perception and better focus.
Other Japanese projects recently displayed at CEATEC 2011 are bringing 3D TV to a whole another level (thank you Japan) by doing away with the silly Urkel-looking glasses entirely and using just the naked eye for their 3D experiences. BUT, since they are nowhere near as visually impressive as Tsukuba, who cares.
The changing internet by 2020 – how can we make the most of broadband?
— By Brajeshwar
With technology changing by the day it seems likely that come the year 2020 we’ll all be making much more use of the internet in our daily lives. Even today, things have changed immeasurably compared to just a few short years ago when people had to endure the snails-pace Internet delivery of dial-up connections.
So there’s no doubt that the Internet will be a very different place when we get to 2020 and it’s very likely that the technology we’ll be using will be mind-boggling compared to today. Firstly, while many of us are already dabbling in video calls across broadband networks, the future will make this even more advanced than it is now.
Kill a background app in iOS
— By Brajeshwar
Perhaps, I’m one of the last few to discover that I can manually terminate an app running in the background in iOS. This is helpful when an app is acting up or not responsive or just want to kill it while testing your app.
How?
- Double Click/Tab the Home Button.
- When Multitask bar rolls up at the bottom with all your apps you ever opened, tap and hold one of the app till it start to ‘jiggle’.
- Now, tap the (-) for the app you want to kill instantly.
Note: This just kills that app not its associated services like notifications, etc.
10 principles of “Good Design”
— By Brajeshwar
Good design:
- Is innovative – The possibilities for innovation are not, by any means, exhausted. Technological development is always offering new opportunities for innovative design. But innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology, and can never be an end in itself.
- Makes a product useful – A product is bought to be used. It has to satisfy certain criteria, not only functional, but also psychological and aesthetic. Good design emphasizes the usefulness of a product whilst disregarding anything that could possibly detract from it.
- Is aesthetic – The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because products are used every day and have an effect on people and their well-being. Only well-executed objects can be beautiful.
- Makes a product understandable – It clarifies the product’s structure. Better still, it can make the product clearly express its function by making use of the user’s intuition. At best, it is self-explanatory.
- Is unobtrusive – Products fulfilling a purpose are like tools. They are neither decorative objects nor works of art. Their design should therefore be both neutral and restrained, to leave room for the user’s self-expression.
- Is honest – It does not make a product more innovative, powerful or valuable than it really is. It does not attempt to manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be kept.
- Is long-lasting – It avoids being fashionable and therefore never appears antiquated. Unlike fashionable design, it lasts many years – even in today’s throwaway society.
- Is thorough down to the last detail – Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process show respect towards the consumer.
- Is environmentally friendly – Design makes an important contribution to the preservation of the environment. It conserves resources and minimizes physical and visual pollution throughout the lifecycle of the product.
- Is as little design as possible – Less, but better – because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials. Back to purity, back to simplicity.
Source: Dieter Rams’ ten principles of “good design” – Wikipedia.
iOS Battery Life Quick Fix: As usual Apple users, not Apple, fix the problem
— By Robin Wilding
With the rash of Blackberry blunders the iPhone really has an opportunity to steal the smartphone limelight — and what does it do? — screws it up. In the face of the global Blackberry service shortage, Apple released the iPhone 4S, and iOS 5. iOS 5 however has been coming under attack due to it draining the battery on iPhones and iPods, drastically undoing the leverage Apple could have gained over Canadian-based RIM, makers of the currently unsuccessful Blackberry.
Thanks to the iPhone 4S’s power-mongering features, the phone seems to be dying inordinately quickly. Apple, in its usual speechless-style hasn’t responded to the claims but will likely respond once they have a quick fix — or IF they find a fix at all.
Apple’s Passcode-Based Security Fairly Useless
— By Robin Wilding
Apple’s security as of late is as effective as a one-armed man clapping. Not only can anyone access a password-protected iPad if it has a Smart Cover, Apple’s new brainchild Siri can be used to pilfer personal information despite a passcode lock.
Damn You Siri
A fatal flaw in Siri was recently discovered, tarnishing the reputation of the iPhone’s newest claim to fame. The flaw allows anyone to access an iPhone via voice-activated commands despite screen and password locks, access that includes personal information. By hitting the home screen button a person, using Siri, could have access to texts, the calendar and other services — all without having to unlock the home screen.
Email luckily is not accessible, “the positive thing is that accessing some of the more sensitive services in this manner, such as email, is forbidden,” says Alan Goode of Goode Intelligence, a mobile security firm. “But I could still run up a pretty impressive and annoying phone bill if I had malicious intent and if Apple missed this pretty easy to find vulnerability then what other security threats are hiding in Apple’s latest mobile OS?”.
Users can protect themselves from Siri by manually disabling the option to enable Siri at the password lock. The default setting however makes users vulnerable and should never have been the default to begin with.
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