Microsoft might suspend the Xbox one production

The Xbox One was released in late 2013 and 5 million consoles have been shipped to retailers since. These 5 million Xbox do not represent sales of the console since many of then are still enthroned on the shelves of shops which making Microsoft consider suspending the production of its console for some time to sell the stocks.
  

Gamasutra indicates that Microsoft is considering to slow or stop the production: The market is about to saturate and it would be pointless for Microsoft to continue to manufacture consoles; Stocks would be sufficient to take effect until the fourth quarter of this year.


Of course, the situation could change if Microsoft announces at the E3 some new games that will boost the sales of the Xbox.
 
Microsoft has released its console in 13 countries so far, but it will be available in more markets in the coming months, which will allow them to sell the stocks and re-boot the production.

Twitter disappoints beta-testers with a Facebook inspired design

Twitter is always looking for ways to capture new users since the audience is in decline. To do so, they clearly intended to inspire from Facebook's design, which is, sadly, far from everyone's taste .

 The new design was made ​​for a tiny fraction of users and unfortunately for twitter, for Matt Petronzio, a Mashable journalist, who was more than happy to relay the news.  This new design looks very much like Facebook with profile picture, cover picture, central column and tabs. Obviously these items are important to Twitter items, but must admit it feels particularly "Facebooky".

Meet Siri

When the CNN reporter Jessica Ravitz was interviewing the voice actress Susan Bennett about voice-over work, she realized that the voice she was hearing over the phone was very familiar.

While Apple is being very secretive about it and still won't confirm it, Bennett revealed her self as Siri, the mysterious voice of the iPhone.

Source: CNN

YouTube offline: Vevo is categorically opposed

Last week, we learned, not without joy, that the YouTube application for Android mobile devices will soon allow watching videos offline. Once the video is loaded on your device, you'll be able to watch it as much as you want in a period of 48 hours.A new feature that can be useful when you are in a bad coverage area, when you carefully monitor your 3G consumption or simply if you intend to listen repeatedly to the same song over and over again.

Vevo: A party pooper!

  

Unfortunately , apart from our expectation about the eventual integration of offline mode on YouTube, Vevo sees this novelty as evil.

"We’re not going to allow viewing of our music videos or other programming in offline mode"
 
The ultimate promotion tool on the net of giants like Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment, Vevo account, aren't counting on  losing a dime generated by advertising, nor will consider the risk that they might be overshadowed by Youtube's own application. A choice that is anything but a wise on their part and should further encourage piracy.After all who want to wait four minutes loading whenever he wants play a song when you can just download it illegally to be available on the SD card as soon as you want? It is clear that only way to attract music consumers in making it accessible . But obviously, Vevo couldn't care less.

However, Vevo's decision should not compromise the integration of offline mode in the YouTube application, expected in November .

The Apple handkerchief 1.0

Apple hit hard by announcing its integrated within the iPhone 5S fingerprint reader. We know for sure that third-party developers can not use this technology, but what wasn't announced is the Apple handkerchief you get whenever you buy a 5S: a very useful accessory in the company of this smartphone!


      

The future iPhone 5S owners, shall, to unlock their phone, put their finger on the home button. However if you have sweaty fingers Touch ID may not recognize you. In this case, you can say goodbye to the ability to unlock your mobile. A shame isn't it?

However, if the phone was restarted, or it hasn't been unlocked for 48 hours (sweaty fingers? ...), an option with a password you pre-registered will be displayed for you to avoid the hassle of "brick in your pocket."

What's really going on between Google and Nestlé?

After the quite unexpected announcement Google made about the name of the next version of Android, some additional explanations were published today to clarify that this agreement was non monetary .
  
  

For every major new version of Android, Google gives a new name corresponding to a dessert. And for each new version, the first letter is incremented in an alphabetical order. Thus, with the letter K we were expecting Key Lime Pie, but finally Android 4.4 KitKat has been announced to take us by surprise.

Obviously, many questions have been raised about this partnership with the Swiss food giant. Many tech writer started to talk about a financial settlement that has been reached between the two firms. But this is not the case.

Thanks to a publication of the BBC, we learn that this marketing operation began in a telephone meeting between the Android sales manager and Nestlé's advertising consulting agency. Then all that was finalized at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, last February. More importantly, no money has been raised, only an exchange of visibility between the two giants has been concluded.

Shortly, you now should expect to find Android shaped chocolate bars since Nestlé plans to distribute more than fifty million of these treats, stamped Android. And maybe we'll get then the chance to win one the latest Nexus, or gifts from Play Store.

And finally to learn more about this, visit http://kitkat.com, which is, I might say the most perfectly designed website I've seen so far. It is just AWESOME!

Microsoft agitates the world of smartphones

Since the announcement of the "cooperation" between Microsoft and Nokia at Mobile World Congress 2011 , observers have been waiting for what looked very much like an inevitable logical sequence, with this recurring question: When will Microsoft buy the once was Finnish giant ?  
As I was struggling to sleep -it was 5 am here-, I checked twitter to find out that #Microsoft is trending. We finally got an answer:  Microsoft announced the acquisition of Nokia for $ 7.2 billion. The news were received by surprise and mockery.


In an email sent yesterday evening to employees of the firm, Steve Ballmer , CEO leaving Microsoft , announced the acquisition of Nokia 's Devices & Services business , a deal that includes smartphones and mobile division development and design teams , manufacturing units in the world, and operational teams: marketing and support. In total 32,000 Nokia employees will pass directly under Microsoft's banner.
 
Ballmer said that the transaction is " a big step for the future and is in line with the changes announced on July 11". Lumia and Asha in one basket Besides the Nokia Lumia range smartphones composed exclusively of the Windows Phone operating system from Microsoft, this purchase also covers "basic" Asha phones , which will enable Microsoft to expand its hold on mobile telephony.
A major challenge to the two companies , which have failed to negotiate in good time and in the best of their place in the great upheaval of telephony and mobile internet , especially on the smartphone market , monopolized by Apple , Samsung and Google's Android OS , which in turn has also offered another manufacturer , Motorola .  

So, what remains to Nokia? 

Three activities " software, network and services":  Their mapping service, the network infrastructure NSN and Advanced Technologies, and business license and development .  
For Microsoft , it's not big surprise. Their goal was clear, to regain the special privileges they granted Nokia to adapt Windows phone and then to end Nokia. So it is safe to say that the next phone after the latest Lumia ( to be released on the 2nd of October) will be signed Microsoft.

An artist got an RFID chip implanted under his skin

The worst has happened! An artist, Anthony Antonellis just got an RFID chip implanted in his skin. The RFID chip is the size of a grain of rice and can contain up to 1KB of data. All you need is to approach your smartphone to scan the hand and discover content. For now, Anthony Antonellis is using it to display his favorite GIFS.
     

              
This experience can be scary because we can easily imagine the marketing excesses that could result if everyone starts to implement this kind of chip in their skin. Some say that it could store vital data, which would be effective in an accident for example. Some would say it is just a new way to be more "controlled" than we already are ...

So, for or against?

For the first time in 5 years, Yahoo is #1

For the first time in five years, Yahoo passes Google in web traffic in the United States. The Mountain View giant lost its number one spot in July. A surprising result, but is Yahoo able to sustain its position?
  

The figures from ComScore for July confirms it, Yahoo sites surpassed Google sites by 4 338 900 visits (196 564 000 to 192 225 100  visits for Google).  
To realize better what just happened, you must know that Google has been holding the number one spot since April 2008, while Yahoo always oscillated between the second and third place.
 
In the rest of the chart, we find Microsoft Sites in third with 179 595 visits and Facebook in fourth with 266.142 million visits. Note that these figures refer only to the United States. This is a real "tour de force" to Yahoo and its president, Marissa Mayer, who herself worked at Google in the past.  

The figures do not rely solely on search engines, but on all the sites operated by these companies. This includes for example the online messaging and blogs. ( Note that Google recently bought Tumblr from Yahoo, and is currently ranking 38th with 38 367 000 visits)

While this is great news for Yahoo, and whether it is able to hold its position or not, we cannot but wonder if Google professing the lack of privacy their users have to deal with and Microsoft's infamous campaign against them (Scroogled) - Keeping in mind,  Microsoft services mediocrity and lack of security - played a role in boosting the number of visits for the already popular site (Yahoo) in the US.  





Source: Phonandroid

Apple developer's site under attack

Following an attack on developer.apple.com, certain personal information of developers were stolen.

Just back online, the Apple website dedicated to developers, was inaccessible since last Thursday. The Cupertino branch confirms that it was not an extended maintenance, but the result of an attack.

"Last Thursday, an intruder tried to access the personal information stored on our dedicated website for Apple developers. Sensitive personal information was encrypted and could not be found, however, the possibility that they had access to names, email or mailing addresses developers address is not spread, "said the message on the Apple website before restarting.

A possibility confirmed by Ibrahim Balic, a security researcher who says that the site 9to5Mac have had access to names, Apple IDs and email addresses of nearly 100,000 developers. He proves his claims via a YouTube video.

 

To prevent a new vulnerability is exploited in the future, Apple decided to overhaul its system and its infrastructure, updating its servers software and fully rebuild its database.

Pebble Smart Watches : pre-orders exceeded 275,000 units

The pre-orders of Pebble smartwatch, had surpassed the 275,000 pre-orders, in addition to having received nearly 1 million app downloads to date. Of the 275,000 pre-orders, about 85,000 of them were received during its Kick starter campaign. Eric Migicovsky, CEO of Pebble said: "This is great news for users and for developers. More Pebble = a bigger market and more demand for Pebble watchapps. With the objective to see Pebbles appear on many wrists as possible, our team is constantly working to improve the quality of this product and to increase its capacity. Every day thousands of new Pebbles are produced. "  

A security vulnerability affecting 99% of Android devices

The security problem affecting 99% of Android devices has been fixed by Google. And now it's up to manufacturers to deploy the update.

Last week, the security editor Bluebox revealed a security flaw affecting 99% of Android devices and indeed relevant terminals in circulation for four years, since the 1.6 version of Android, or about 900 million devices. This flaw allows a malicious user to modify the installation file an application without changing the signature and insert malware.

"The company has not seen any evidence to support use of the fault on Google Play or other app stores through (their) security scanning tools."  
According to Google's communications manager Gina Scigliano.

Anyway Google confirmed that hey have corrected this vulnerability and sent the patch to its partners.On Samsung, for example, it would already be deployed. Other OEMs task provide a quick update, including the oldest terminals.

Source: ZDnet

What did Burger King get for its fiftieth birthday!

Burger King has revolutionized the world of hamburger with a handsfree kit called Hands Free Whopper.

Burger King should satisfy all those who do not have time to eat. With the kit, you can now enjoy your burger while continuing your activities on the Internet, in the office, on the subway ... proposed by the fast food concept is fairly simple, you put the hands-free around your neck. The burger fits in the slot provided for this purpose and the height is normally perfect. Your sandwich will be right in front of your mouth, so it is ready to be tasted. You can then perform a second activity while eating.

Burger King has decided to invent this product for its 50 years. The conflicting views on the Internet, some find this a stupid accessory, others are very interested and eager to try it. Users also noted that the company is trying by all means to create a buzz for the crowd in its facilities. For the famous hands-free kit, it will go to the island of Puerto Rico, Burger King will only sell this place the Hands Free Whopper.
 
McDonald's fries and-door

This is not the first time such a handsfree born. The rival of Burger King had proposed a fried-door car. It was distributed in Japan and is easily fixed on the dashboard. You could drive while eating, you can now do the same with a burger. It will be around your neck, it must pay attention to bad jokes. The sandwich could quickly be IN your face.

And finally, there is no better way to display my objection than this scene from "Modern Times" where the Tramp(Charlie Chaplin) tries out an automated lunch feeder, for which the owner of the factory reluctantly agrees to a demonstration, in hopes of cutting the costs of needless "break time".

Codename Haswell: Official launch and test of the Core i7-4770K

Intel chose today, a Saturday to launch its new generation of processors, known as Haswell. And since Haswell is the fourth generation of processors using the name code "i",  it will be marketed with references: Core ix-4000.  
 
Not the entire range will be launched today, we can only approach the performance of desktop processors. Our case concerns therefore the Core i7-4770K, the top of the range Haswell. Is the new architecture really faster? Is the 22nm engraving better controlled? smaller consumption? better overclocking? And what about the graphics performance, expected to be up to 3 times higher compared to Ivy Bridge?

To get your answers check this post on the TechSpot reviewing the Core i7-4770K.

The first smartphone with a watercooling system

Desktop computers are often equipped with a water-cooling system, to support overclocking and/or intensive operations for extended periods. Our smartphones always demanding more power they are also subjects. NEC has developed the first smartphone with water-cooling.

X Medias N-06E, will be the first smartphone to benefit from a water-cooling system.
 

Why? Simply because the quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro that drives the device can be boosted up to 1.9 GHz, and in these cases, the temperature rises rapidly.

If however decided to keep the processor at 1.7 GHz (and therefore a water-cooling benefits should not really be felt), the owners of the X Medias N-06E, mainly Japanese (expected release in late June NTT Docomo) will have in their hands a smartphone equipped with two heat pipes.

A Blu-Ray that smells like pizza

As part of a marketing campaign launched in Brazil, the fast food chain Domino's Pizza has partnered with some Blu-Ray rental shops.
 
The idea is to edit some special Blu-Ray versions, which will be leased by customers.  
Covered with a fragrant black film, that by heating in the drive will wipe ink and scent the room with the smell of pizza. Once the film is completed, the disc will have then the appearance of a pizza with a message written on it: 

"Did you like the movie? The next will be even better with a hot and delicious pizza from Domino's. "

Twitter has got your back!

Privacy in the digital age means a lot of things to a lot of people. From social networks to government surveillance, people always seem to be concerned.
But let's not kid ourselves. Complaining about privacy has become nothing but a way to express the "geek side" or an additional item to the black geek glasses to complete the "geeky look" . For all the complaining, no one is going to do much about it. Hence the sense of what is private shrinks.

However, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has posted its annual report (Who has your back?) on which Internet vendors do the most to help protect their users' private information.

The most privacy-oriented companies should comply with these policies:

1. Requiring a Warrant for Content
2. Telling Users About Government Data Requests
3. Publishing Transparency Reports
4. Publishing Law Enforcement Guidelines
5. Fighting for Users’ Privacy in Court
6. Fighting for Users’ Privacy in Congress

2013 Results

Although these results might not comply with your expectations, you must keep in mind that the report is about the government access to user's data.

"We’re happy to report that several of the companies included in last year’s report have significantly improved their practices and policies concerning government access to user data"
  
"Readers of this year’s annual privacy and transparency report should be heartened, as we are,by the improvements major online service providers made over the last year."

In the end,  EFF thinks that things are getting better among these vendors that deal with so much user data, and it seems that they're really happy with Twitter's improvement:

"This year two companies received all six possible stars: Sonic.net and Twitter. We are extremely pleased to recognize the outstanding commitment each of these companies has made to public transparency around government access to user data."

and a bit disappointed with Google's latest statement:

"We notify users about legal demands when appropriate, unless prohibited by law or court order."

To read the full EFF annual report: https://www.eff.org/sites/default/files/filenode/who-has-your-back-2013-report.pdf

Google to launch premium TV channels on YouTube this week.

Two months ago, I wrote a post about rumors about Google trying to make more money from YouTube, back then, we talked about a premium music service that Google is getting ready to launch this year.

And the we weren't completely wrong, Google is trying to make more money from YouTube but it seems that they are in a bit of a hurry since the premium channels are expected to arrive later this week.

Last week, Eric Schmidt announced that "The television is surpassed" while YouTube exceeded one billion unique users per month.
  

Google to replace TV

 

Many sources (including the Financial Times) agree on the fact that the channels on subscription arrive this week on YouTube. First, they will launch 50 channels, for a subscription fee of $ 1.99 per month.

Google could therefore present a serious competitor to Netflix (which is not available for many users outside the U.S).  
  
Moreover, rumor has it that Google was in discussions with a number of companies such as Warner Music Group with the idea of ​​offering a music subscription service.


 





More Money for Google 


YouTube is already extremely profitable for Google, even though its economic model was only turned around advertising. This new announcement will mean both the arrival of a lot more quality content on the video platform and the arrival of a lot more cash through the subscription model.
 


However, the question is, are you willing to drop a few dollars a month for premium channels on YouTube?

Paul Miller: One year without internet.

Last year, Paul Miller (a journalist at The Verge, a news and high-tech Web site) announced to experiment to live a year without internet. 

The 26 year old man (at the time) had to learn to work without using internet. The experience forced him to call people to meet, to consult library books to learn, not to have all the information he needed in a  moment.  
"I give up one of the five most important technological innovations of all time for a bit of peace and quiet." 

The experience was tracked on The Verge and allowed to follow its progress. Yesterday, May 1, 2013, the end of this year offline, was an opportunity for Miller to make an assessment. Surprisingly, it is negative. According to him, the experience left on a false premise: life without internet just was not his "real life" because internet took an important part in his "real life". Seeking to experience something different in another world, was impossible because his life and the internet were already bound.
 

He does not deny, however, some positive aspects as being able to focus on a text for a while, return to books... even his family said that he has become closer to others.
The big problem was that he was alone in this experience and the world around him continued to live connected. 

 "Internet is not an individual activity, it is something we do with each other. Internet is where the people are" 

"For this experience to an impact, it would probably take everyone participate, not a single man in a disconnected world" 

The only real conclusion is that internet isn't causing social distancing, but the use of it, as shown by the history of P.Miller. If you want to read the full story of the journalist is here.

Read the full article on The Verge.

One in 10 people is ready to sleep with a robot

A very serious study by the Huffington Post in partnership with You Gov showed that 9% of 1000 respondents would be willing to have sex with a robot, 11% are undecided. Asked about the role of robots in our society in 2030, the panel estimated in 18% of cases that the technology will have this type of relationship.
 

                                             This might be the porn star of the future. 
                                         Until then, this blog is still safe for your children.
                                                                                  


The study also tells us that in 31% of cases, sex with a robot would not be considered adultery, while 42% of people say they are "uncertain". This is to reassure fans and robotic marriage.

On another note, the study shows that more than one in two (58%) expect the robot to take care of household chores. Military applications are mentioned in 48% of cases.


So, while waiting for the next generation of robots, I do advise all women to start working harder to attract men.Because, you have some serious competition on the way...