This network DVR costs less to run than a TiVo Roamio OTA, but we had a few issues with its lack of Wi-Fi and its excessive fan noise.
A proposed Internet sales tax that could see new life in Congress in coming weeks would cost U.S. online shoppers $24 billion in its first year, according to a study from an anti-tax group. Supporters of the Marketplace Fairness Act, But the legislation, which would allow states and local governments to collect sales tax on Internet purchases their residents make from sellers elsewhere, would cost U.S. Internet shoppers $300 billion to $340 billion over 10 years,
Aereo, which aimed to let customers stream live broadcast TV over the Web, is closing its Boston and New York offices and laying off employees in both locations. The office closings will conserve resources as the company figures out the best path forward following legal setbacks. “This was a difficult, but necessary step in order to preserve the company,” company spokeswoman Virginia Lam said, via email, adding that a “small team remains.” Aereo will permanently shut down its operations in Boston effective next Wednesday, closing that office and laying off 43 employees then
The alleged operator of Silk Road 2.0, a website used to sell illegal drugs, computer-hacking tools and fraudulent identification documents, has been arrested and will face charges in a U.S. court. Blake Benthall, 26, was arrested Wednesday in San Francisco and will appear in court there Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a press release. Benthall has allegedly operated Silk Road 2.0 since December 2013, after U.S. law enforcement officials shut down the original Silk Road just weeks earlier. The second version of Silk Road was “a nearly identical criminal enterprise” to the first version, Preet Bharara, U.S Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement.
Facebook has come up with a new way of ranking and categorizing Android phones—something it hopes will keep mobile users engaged with its app while helping to determine what features and content they should see. The social network has more than 500 million [m] people log into its service from roughly 10,000 different models of Android phone, everything from the latest Samsung Galaxy or Motorola Droid to basic Android phones that can be five years old. Different processors, memory configurations, screen sizes and networks all have an effect on how smoothly the Facebook app runs, so ensuring a wide number of users get a good experience can be a challenge.
A controversial U.S. Federal Communications Commission program that subsidizes telephone or mobile service for poor people needs to move into the 21st century by expanding into broadband, a broadband advocacy group said. The FCC or Congress should reform the Lifeline program, called “Obamaphone” by some critics, by expanding its coverage to include broadband service and by giving its monthly subsidy directly to eligible U.S. residents, instead of paying it to telephone and mobile carriers, the Internet Innovation Alliance [IIA] said
“Is there an Echo in here?” There could be soon. Amazon released a YouTube video on Thursday teasing a new product called the You give it a “wake word” that it listens for—the family in the video named theirs Alexa, so I hope they don’t listen to a lot of
So yeah, no surprise that
Protests are planned outside the White House in Washington, D.C., and at several locations across the U.S. on Thursday evening to object to leaks that the U.S. Federal Communications Commission is considering a new “hybrid” proposal to break through the deadlock over net neutrality rules. Taking a cue from
Facebook knows how to get you to pay attention: Just put information at the top of your News Feed. From updates about engagements and births to , if it’s right in front of your face, you’re more likely to interact with it. So the social network is raising awareness about Ebola with the same strategy: A Donate button you’ll see as soon as you navigate to your News Feed. UNICEF and Facebook are partnering on health messages.
With the news that Microsoft is making all of its mobile Office apps free—the Of course, Microsoft still wants users to consider an Office 365 subscription, so in addition to offering
The idea of a cheap high-end phone has its fans, it appears. On Thursday, OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei The revelation comes as a bit of a surprise, given the
Over the last year, I’m rarely without a smartphone in my pocket or a tablet within arm’s reach, so the idea of choosing what to watch in apps like Netflix, and then beaming that content to the TV, has been far more efficient than thumbing around with a remote-controlled set-top box. No device handles this better than Chromecast, and the fact that it costs just $35 is icing. Still, Chromecast hasn’t been perfect. While it’s great for quickly getting to the video you want, it would be nice to have a dedicated remote control to fall back on, with on-screen menus for group viewing sessions and ideas on what to watch. In theory, that’s what Google’s new $99 Nexus Player provides. It includes all the same functionality as Chromecast, but is also a full-blown set-top box with its own remote control, on-screen interface and app store.
Microsoft is developing an interesting new system the company believes could radically change the way visually impaired people navigate an urban environment. The new prototype technology doesn't have an official name yet, but Microsoft refers to it as 3D soundscape technology. The assistive technology relies on three components: a smartphone, a bone conductive headset that rests over the user's ears (see image at top), and Bluetooth beacons placed throughout the city or suburb. As the blind person walks around, the headset provides a clicking noise that guides the user in the right direction and not, say, veering off the curb and onto the street. The beacons generate the directional information for the clicks.
Android tablets are no longer being left out of Microsoft's Office party, with a preview version due to launch soon. As with Office's iPad version, which
The RE Camera is great for taking “life” shots like selfies and landscape photos of the open road, but that about sums it up.
