Obama's 2013 budget: SOPA rises from the grave
While the White House in January signaled deep concerns about the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and PROTECT IP Act (PIPA), President Barack Obama's 2013 budget proposal suggests that he still plans to push for wider enforcement of intellectual property, a concession to the entertainment industry that could prove critical to his reelection efforts in 2012.
Last month, coordinated protests erupted across the Internet as prominent websites, Wikipedia among them, blacked out for 24 hours. Protesters argued that either bill, if passed into law, would greatly impede free speech and give the Justice Department unprecedented powers to censor the Internet. Those hailing victory over SOPA and PIPA should have a look at back-door enforcement championed by the White House.
Unwrap Windows 7 in a Box
Windows 7 comes packed with useful applets, functions and features, and locating them isn’t always easy. Can you remember where the Data Execution Prevention settings are to be found, for instance? If you don’t know already, tracking them down can be a problem, as they’re not flagged on the Start menu anywhere and entering various keywords in the Windows Search box won’t return anything relevant.
But then that’s where Windows 7 in a Box comes in. It’s a tiny tool (268KB in size) that organizes more than 160 functions, applets, applications and folders into just six menus so there’s actually a chance that you can find the option you need.
Coffee addicts need an app, too: Caffeine Zone 2
I shocked a group of total strangers this weekend when I admitted that I drink something on the order of twenty-five cups of caffeinated beverages per day, with the poison of choice being black coffee with just a hint of sugar.
I explained that my consumption is always hitting peaks and valleys depending upon my scheduling obligations, and at the moment, I happened to be at one of the peaks. Some random event will occur that requires me to wake up extra early, and I'll fueltank the coffee like a camel at an oasis. Then to prevent headaches and crashes, I have to ramp up my consumption.
Reopen Windows apps with UndoClose
If you close a tab in Firefox and then realize you’ve made a mistake, it’s easily fixed: just press Ctrl+Shift+T and the last-closed tab will be instantly reopened. Very convenient.
If you’re working at the Windows 7 desktop and accidentally close the wrong application or Explorer window, though, there’s no obvious safety net to reload them. Unless, that is, you run UndoClose, which delivers very similar functionality at the press of a key.
LibreOffice 3.5 pushes past OpenOffice, not recommended for biz users
The Document Foundation has announced the release of LibreOffice 3.5.0 FINAL, its cross-platform, open-source office suite. Version 3.5.0 introduces a number of new features, including faster grammar checking, multi-line input bar in Calc, and a better user interface for headers and footers in Writer.
LibreOffice is a spin-off of OpenOffice, and comprises word processor (Writer), spreadsheet (Calc), presentations package (Impress), database (Base), graphics editor (Draw) and equations tool (Math). This is LibreOffice’s third major release since the project launched back in September 2010.
Cisco shows why mobile data throttling is a load of crap
If you hate wireless data throttling, thank Cisco for making your argument against the practice that much easier. The telecommunications company says it expects at least 100 million smartphone users to exceed one gigabyte of data monthly in 2012. That is a large group of users with significant data needs.
But wait -- wasn't I just told that the average user doesn't need gigabytes of data, you ask? Yes you were: I wrote about it last week as part of the bigger story of AT&T's plan to screw its longtime customers with unlimited data plans, and the topic has been covered ad nauseum by the tech media at large for years.
Would you buy 8-inch iPad?
Wall Street Journal claims that Apple is testing a smaller tablet, around 8 inches. The question: Would you buy one, if available?
Who knows, maybe your answer will help Apple, given how super-secretive is the company's product development. You can be the customer research Apple should seek before launching new products, particularly now that Steve Jobs -- master of good taste and guiding voice of one -- is gone. Please answer in comments and take our poll. But first read this perspective on what 8 inches could mean.
iPhone silent movie app gets major Valentine's Day update, free
To celebrate the romance of Valentine's Day, app developers MacPhun LLC on Tuesday released a major update to Silent Film Director for iOS 4.2+ and have made it available for free.
What's so romantic about silent film? Maybe it's the fact that more of them were lost to history than survived, maybe it's the fact that you don't have to hear what the actors are saying to understand the message of the film. Whatever the reason, MacPhun picked a good day to roll out their new version of Silent Film Director.
Get Laplink PCmover Express for free
You got a new PC, and you're excited. Only then you realize how much work is involved setting it up. Chances are your old computer held a very large number of personal files that you will want to transfer to the new machine. It is also likely that you have a number of settings in place that you have become used to, and the task of reinstating all of these could be a very lengthy one.
This is where Laplink PCmover Express can help, and you can take advantage of a free copy of the program worth $29.95. For 24 hours, so do hurry.
Kaspersky Lab teams up with VMware on virtualized security
Security solutions company Kaspersky Lab announced its first security product for virtual machines on Monday, appropriately named Kaspersky Security for Virtualization, which is meant to simplify the security management practices in a
network of virtual machines --especially ones running on VMware virtual infrastructure-- and integrate them with Kaspersky's endpoint security solutions.
Kaspersky Security for Virtualization is a centrally-managed virtual security appliance that integrates with VMware vShield Endpoint and Kaspersky Endpoint Security. With the anti-malware functions operating in a centralized virtual appliance, admins can intelligently deploy virtual and endpoint security alongside one another in a single admin console. This can eliminate the need for duplicated resources on each virtual machine and ultimately improve the overall performance.
Googolora receives critical regulatory approval
Amid rumors the US Justice Department will approve Google's merger with Motorola Mobility this week, the European Union's Competition Commission acted first, clearing the deal.
In a procedural move, the European Commission halted merger review in mid December, after requesting additional information. Today's approval puts Googolora (not any official name, of course) within view. Merger now seems all but inevitable.
How far Apple has come to reach $500
I don't own any stock (for conflict-of-interest reasons), but it's hard to ignore Apple pushing above $500 a share today. By three dollars and eighty-three cents. In midday trading shares are still a respectable $499.79. Apple opened at $499.74 today from Friday's close of $493.42.
The Cupertino, Calif.-based company has come a long ways to reach this point.
Amtel adds free tier to its enterprise Mobile Device Managment service
Monday, telecommunications management solutions company Amtel announced it added a free tier to its Mobile Device Management (MDM) services for enterprise. The free service includes mobile password security, detection of compromised devices, real-time device information and statistics, application discovery and listing, and mobile asset inventory.
The free service uses a Web-based management console and supports the most popular mobile operating systems (iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and more.)
Serif PagePlus X6 review
If you’ve not taken a look at Serif’s flagship DTP application of late, then you’ll be pleasantly surprised. It has come leaps and bounds in recent generations, closing the gap to high-end packages like Adobe InDesign and Quark Xpress while managing to retain a sub-$100 price point and remaining beginner-friendly to boot.
The question is, can Serif PagePlus X6 continue this fine run of form? What new features does it offer to tempt existing users to upgrade, and does it manage to maintain that perfect blend of power, value and accessibility?
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 has Ice Cream Sandwich, not much else
Korean consumer electronics giant Samsung on Monday announced its first Android tablet to be powered by Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) will be the 7-inch Galaxy Tab 2.
Though it's called the Galaxy Tab 2, it's actually the third of Samsung's 7" tablets. The first Galaxy Tab debuted in September 2010, and then just about a year later, the Galaxy Tab 7.0 plus was launched.
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