O'Reilly helps Japan, offers entire e-book catalog for 50% off, today only

O'reilly make some of the best computer books in the world. They also sell them as DRM-free e-books in a bunch of formats, including PDFs and Mobi for Kindle.

They usually offer one "Deal of the Day", which is a 50% discount code for a book chosen for that one day. But just for for today, they've created a discount code -- DDJPN -- that gives you a 50% discount on their entire catalog, and they give a part of the proceeds to aid Japan relief efforts.

So far they've raised over $60,000, and the day is still young. So if you've been recently hankering after some nerdy book (or three), now would be a great time to grab one.

O'Reilly helps Japan, offers entire e-book catalog for 50% off, today only originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/22/oreilly-helps-japan-offers-entire-e-book-catalog-for-50-off/

Kevin Fickenscher Amelie Schweizer Elfriede Oltmanns Janine Hillenbrand

Shaw Cable's Netflix competitor bypasses bandwidth caps on its way to the TV

While US residents seethe over increases in Netflix's pricing, our neighbors in Canada are upset by the competing Movie Club package Shaw Cable is offering. The $12 per month service offers unlimited access to "hundreds of the best Hollywood movies" and plans to have high definition feeds later this summer for an additional $5 (cable companies in the US have a similar scheme under the name Vutopia.) Causing the issue are promises that "the only limit is the number of hours in your day" unlike bandwidth capped streaming from unnamed services like Netflix. While Movie Club viewing over the internet on a PC, tablet or other device is capped just like any other service, access via the cable box is not metered. That distinction doesn't sit well with subscribers and consumer groups arguing for net neutrality, particularly as the CRTC is in the midst of hearings over usage-based internet billing. While that case hasn't been decided, our own ruling is already in and is firmly against Shaw, or anyone else, advertising based on advantages that exist only due to policies it created in the first place.

Continue reading Shaw Cable's Netflix competitor bypasses bandwidth caps on its way to the TV

Shaw Cable's Netflix competitor bypasses bandwidth caps on its way to the TV originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 16 Jul 2011 15:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceShaw Cable Facebook, Movie Club  | Email this | Comments


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/sDAfPv-8V7M/

Arne Koller Fiona Brandenburg Franziska Spanier Erna Van den Hout

Firefox 4 Mobile officially released for Android and Maemo devices

Firefox 4 MobileMoments ago, Mozilla stripped the release candidate moniker from Firefox 4 Mobile and pronounced it fit for public release. If you have a Nokia N900 phone, or a fairly-modern Android 2.0-or-later device, go ahead and install it from the Market, by using scanning the QR code after the break, or by visiting Firefox.com/m.

Accompanying the release is the launch of Spark, a cute social game that's designed to fuel the adoption of Firefox 4 Mobile, much like last week's use of Glow and Twitter Party during Firefox 4 PC's release.

While the browser still feels a little rough around the edges, it's definitely worth trying out if you're still using Android's stock browser. Its JavaScript performance is significantly better than any other Android browser, and if you use Firefox on your PC, its built-in Sync functionality is awesome.

Over the next few days we'll have plenty of tips and tricks for Firefox 4 Mobile, and a list of the best add-ons available for the new browser.

Continue reading Firefox 4 Mobile officially released for Android and Maemo devices

Firefox 4 Mobile officially released for Android and Maemo devices originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/29/firefox-4-mobile-officially-released-for-android-and-maemo-devic/

Maike Beetz Fiona Henschel Joshua Heinlein Markus Wigger

Nikon Shows Off Rather Dull Future Camera Concepts

Nikon is showing off a few of its own concept cameras on the I Am Nikon blog. These prototypes were on display at La Cité des Sciences in Paris, and are now conveyed across the world in photographic form for your titillation. First up is the Multi-Ball (above), a camera with many, many spherical eyes arranged [...]

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/07/nikon-shows-off-rather-dull-future-camera-concepts/

Robin Jones Ingeburg Otte Moritz Beller Gabriela Prell

Vitamin Water bus-stop ad lets devices juice-up before the commute

Battery running low during the rush-hour commute? Glacéau's Vitamin Water Energy Bus Shelter by Crispin Porter & Bogusky wants to help you get charged while you're waiting to board. The new billboards feature a bottle of the vitamin / caffeine-packing drink, sporting a triple-USB port, which you can plug your devices into for some extra juice. Apparently, you'll be seeing these if your daily public-transit hustle takes you through the fine cities of Boston, New York, Chicago or Los Angeles -- we'd imagine owners of HTC's Thunderbolt will find them very useful.

Vitamin Water bus-stop ad lets devices juice-up before the commute originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 17 Jul 2011 03:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TUAW  |  sourceCreativity  | Email this | Comments


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/FEPKUJqTXsE/

Hugo Ruß Edith Hupertz Heinrich Peller Viktoria Barz

Netflix Price Hike Tied to Unexpected Demand for Those Little Red Envelopes [DVDs]

Contrary to popular belief, the humble DVD is not dead! Streaming, while popular, simply cannot wrest away the public eye from those silly plastic discs and onto the cloud where it belongs. Ergo, Netflix raised its prices. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/pqRZz_cyaYI/netflix-price-hike-tied-to-greater-than-expected-demand-for-those-little-red-envelopes

Svenja Hoferichter Carola Auer Luca Liebe Finja Kerkhoff

Help Bob make money in Sticks, a fun physics game

sticks
Sticks is another one of those rare games where the intro is actually worth watching. It introduces you to office worker Bob, who is basically a wage slave fantasizing about a better existence.

Then, on his way back home from another grueling day at the office, he passes a huge sign which says "Sticks." This is where the game starts.

Each level has a number of coins hovering in mid-air, and your goal is to place sticks that lead those coins to Bob -- but you only have a limited amount of wood to play with. As soon as you're done placing your sticks strategically, hit the big Play button and let nature, or rather gravity, run its course. The coins will drop down, and if you place your sticks correctly, they will roll all the way to Bob.

The soundtrack is soothing and playful, and didn't get on my nerves even after playing for quite a while. All in all, a very cute game, especially for a day at the office.

Help Bob make money in Sticks, a fun physics game originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/18/help-bob-make-money-in-sticks-a-fun-physics-game/

Viktoria Barz Emma Sauter Rosemarie Ramsauer Jörn Domenighini

Russia's RadioAstron telescope finally set to launch, blanket space with its radio eye

Considering all the space nostalgia we've been swimming in recently, it's somewhat appropriate that a Cold War-era telescope is gearing up to make its maiden voyage, after more than three decades of development (and delays). The Russian mission, known as RadioAstron, will finally become a reality on Monday, when a radio telescope launches from Kazakhstan's Baikonur cosmodrome before soaring into orbit some 350,000 kilometers away from the Earth. At just ten meters in width, the craft's antenna is small in comparison to other radio 'scopes, but its reach can be dramatically expanded when combined with signals from those on the ground. This technique, called interferometry, will effectively create the largest telescope ever built, covering an area nearly 30 times the Earth's diameter and allowing RadioAstron to capture interstellar images in 10,000 times the resolution of the Hubble Space Telescope. There remains, however, one major hurdle -- because the spacecraft collects data at about 144 megabits per second, it must constantly transfer information to antennas on the ground. Problem is, there's only one antenna capable of receiving RadioAstron's signals and, unless others are constructed soon, a healthy chunk of its observations could be lost. How do you say "buzz-kill" in Russian?

Russia's RadioAstron telescope finally set to launch, blanket space with its radio eye originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 17 Jul 2011 20:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceNew Scientist  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/17/russias-radioastron-telescope-finally-set-to-launch-blanket-sp/

Marion Dallmeyer Hanna Wohlrab Henrik Brenner Karla Reusch

New and updated iPhone and iPad apps for Friday, July 15

Every day, TiPb gets flooded with announcements for new and updated iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps and games. So every day we pick just a few of the most interesting, the most notable, and simply the most awesome to share with you! TUI Stopper: Do you have a habit of Texting-Under-The-Influence? Or maybe Calling-Under-The-Influence? [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/BjOCsMW6XmE/

Johannes Liebl Arne Koller

Color vulnerable to simple GPS hack, lets you spy on anyone, anywhere

Color, the $41-million-in-funding location-oriented photo sharing startup, is susceptible to simple GPS spoofing. With nothing more than a jailbroken iPad or iPhone, you can use FakeLocation to trick Color into thinking you're somewhere else. Within seconds you can be browsing photos that were snapped thousands of miles away. With a little digging, you can pore through photos not intended for your eyes.

Of course, such a hack isn't illegal as such -- every photo you take with Color is public. With FakeLocation you are simply circumventing Color's very limited location-oriented security mechanism. It does undermine Color's usefulness (and uniqueness), though -- if nefarious types can sit in their bedroom or basement and eavesdrop on classy dinner parties and wild night club soirees, people might be less inclined to share personal photos with those around them.

Fortunately, both for Color and its users, this is an easy security hole to plug -- at least in the short term. The app (or server-side) code simply checks to see if the user has 'teleported' an impossibly large distance, without any intermediate steps in between. In the long term, though, Color's users must be aware that its social graph is completely public. Color's users must realize that every photo they upload is visible by anyone, from any place.

After the break, just to elucidate a little on Color's actual business model and ultimate intention, we have two amazing quotes from Bill Nguyen, Color's founder.

Continue reading Color vulnerable to simple GPS hack, lets you spy on anyone, anywhere

Color vulnerable to simple GPS hack, lets you spy on anyone, anywhere originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 05:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/29/color-vulnerable-to-simple-gps-hack-lets-you-spy-on-anyone-any/

Malin Hock Helmut Hölzer Maurice Giese Frederik Faulhaber