Crazy Zediva streams movies only out on DVD
Want to stream a movie over the Internet that's not available for streaming on a service like Netflix or Amazon? Zediva can stream films that you can only get on physical DVDs--through a goofball workaround that actually has strong legal precedent. Zediva rents you a DVD but keeps the DVD in a player in its own facility. You then control this player remotely from your computer, and the output is piped over the Net to you. Think of it as a wall of Slingboxes, availablefor rent. If you want to watch a movie online that's only available on disc because it's in the pre-streaming, DVD-sales-only "window," this will punch through that restriction.Or will it? The service just launched today, and in my quick test, at about 5 p.m. PT, only 6 of the 49 "new releases" on the site's main movie selection screen were available for viewing. The marquee title, "The Fighter," was available, but "127 Hours," "Megamind," "Due Date," and most other titles were marked as "rented out." Unlike services such as Netflix, which can stream as many copies of a single video as it has bandwidth to support, Zediva only has so many copies of each DVD, and each lives in its own dedicated DVD player. When all the players holding a given movie are in use, nobody else can rent the film.Zediva founder Venky Srinivasan says the balance sheet on this mechanism works out, and the company can grow to support demand, but he does acknowledge that there will be periods of high load that may make some films unavailable to some users. An e-mail (and later, SMS) alert system will tell users when the movies they want become available again.The Zediva streaming experience is, by nature, much more like watching a DVD in your living room than streaming from other services. The service can try, on your behalf, to skip past the annoying previews and FBI warnings on a DVD you've rented. You can see it trying. It's just like when you angrily mash the buttons on the remote yourself, trying to get... to... the damn... movie.In my trial, unfortunately, just as my movie ("Dinner for Schmucks") was starting, Zediva threw me a connection error and disconnected me from my player. When I tried to play it again, it told me my film was rented out. Not an auspicious early experience.Launch-day capacity issues can be solved, of course. What we may be more concerned about is Zediva's future fighting the movie studios. But there is at least precedent for this idea. Zediva buys retail DVDs, and the first sale doctrine lets them rent those DVDs to consumers.Furthermore, the place-shifting service Slingbox is legal, and so is the concept of the "networked DVR," which is conceptually similar. Media industry disruptor Michael Robertson explains a key place-shifting ruling: As long as the consumer is pressing the buttons--even remotely--it doesn't matter where the video stream comes from. This argument may be extended to include the playback of rented DVDs. Zediva has not yet be challenged in court, Srinivasan says, but his company is "adequately capitalized" to mount a legal defense if necessary. (He would not disclose details of his financing)."We are confident that the law allows consumers to watch DVDs that they have rented. We hope the studios will see us a partner," Srinivasan says, adding that he makes sure Zediva stays in "strict compliance" with the law, that there's no back-room caching going on to boost availability of services. There are consumer benefits to the service, not the least of which is the (theoretically) instant gratification of being able to stream a film that's not available any other way except via physical DVD. Rental prices and terms are competitive. Movies cost $2 to rent and users have two weeks to watch each one. (Some other streaming rental services, like iTunes, only give you 24 hours once you press play.)Zediva is crackpot, but appropriately so, as it highlights how crackpot current laws and contracts are in the movie industry. It makes a reasonable person's head hurt to think that streaming content from a physical DVD player instead of from a identical electronic copy of the DVD somehow makes it legal. We don't know yet how the movie industry will react to this service. In an uncommon display of reasonableness, it has not so far done anything.
Road Angels taps social networking for roadside assistance
Road Angels taps social networking for roadside assistance
Breaking down while driving is always a stressful experience, and when Marcus Wong was told he had the wrong kind of vehicle, and therefore the company he'd trusted couldn't help him, he decided to take action."Imagine that, after paying for years of subscription fees totalling almost AU$2000, the company you trusted with roadside assistance refused to help you because you were 'driving the wrong car'. I mean, shouldn't policies cover people, not cars? This, unfortunately, happened to me," he said. "I was left stranded 30 kilometres from home with a flat car battery with no help on the way; so I had to improvise a solution. I walked around the area prompting strangers for a helping hand, and after an hour searching, I found a helpful elderly couple. They gave me a quick jump-start, and I was back on the road. I was so grateful I gave them AU$20 for their service. Out of the maelstrom of frustration, gratitude, anger and happiness came an idea, and Road Angels was born."Road Angels, a free iPhone app, lets you leverage your Facebook friends for help. When you break down, you can send a notification to up to 300 Facebook friends so that, if anyone happens to be nearby, they can pop by with a spare tyre, jumper cables or jerry can of fuel, and you can even sweeten the pot by offering them something in return."Our purpose is to make roadside assistance affordable, more efficient and accessible for everyone, regardless of location or socioeconomic status," Wong said. "We understand that many people living outside the Melbourne CBD experience extremely long wait times for roadside assistance, which can sometimes be upwards of two hours during peak periods. On top of that, many people do not possess a roadside assistance policy at all, meaning they have no insurance when things go wrong."As well as allowing you to ask your mates for a helping hand, the app â€" which won the Startup Weekend Melbourne competition earlier this year â€" has an assistant mode that helps you troubleshoot common problems and a quiz mode that gives you something to do while you wait for help to arrive.But the team has more in store; much like Airtasker and GoCatch, it wants to create a system where practictioners can be reviewed and approved."Our future plans include growing a grassroots roadside-assistance community, the 'Airtasker' of roadside assistance, where anyone at anytime can find vetted, skilled roadside-assistance practitioners (with or without professional qualifications) at the press of a button," Wong said. "As a natural corollary, these practitioners will be able to help those in need for a nominal fee of their choosing."You can download Road Angels for free from the iTunes App Store.
Breaking down while driving is always a stressful experience, and when Marcus Wong was told he had the wrong kind of vehicle, and therefore the company he'd trusted couldn't help him, he decided to take action."Imagine that, after paying for years of subscription fees totalling almost AU$2000, the company you trusted with roadside assistance refused to help you because you were 'driving the wrong car'. I mean, shouldn't policies cover people, not cars? This, unfortunately, happened to me," he said. "I was left stranded 30 kilometres from home with a flat car battery with no help on the way; so I had to improvise a solution. I walked around the area prompting strangers for a helping hand, and after an hour searching, I found a helpful elderly couple. They gave me a quick jump-start, and I was back on the road. I was so grateful I gave them AU$20 for their service. Out of the maelstrom of frustration, gratitude, anger and happiness came an idea, and Road Angels was born."Road Angels, a free iPhone app, lets you leverage your Facebook friends for help. When you break down, you can send a notification to up to 300 Facebook friends so that, if anyone happens to be nearby, they can pop by with a spare tyre, jumper cables or jerry can of fuel, and you can even sweeten the pot by offering them something in return."Our purpose is to make roadside assistance affordable, more efficient and accessible for everyone, regardless of location or socioeconomic status," Wong said. "We understand that many people living outside the Melbourne CBD experience extremely long wait times for roadside assistance, which can sometimes be upwards of two hours during peak periods. On top of that, many people do not possess a roadside assistance policy at all, meaning they have no insurance when things go wrong."As well as allowing you to ask your mates for a helping hand, the app â€" which won the Startup Weekend Melbourne competition earlier this year â€" has an assistant mode that helps you troubleshoot common problems and a quiz mode that gives you something to do while you wait for help to arrive.But the team has more in store; much like Airtasker and GoCatch, it wants to create a system where practictioners can be reviewed and approved."Our future plans include growing a grassroots roadside-assistance community, the 'Airtasker' of roadside assistance, where anyone at anytime can find vetted, skilled roadside-assistance practitioners (with or without professional qualifications) at the press of a button," Wong said. "As a natural corollary, these practitioners will be able to help those in need for a nominal fee of their choosing."You can download Road Angels for free from the iTunes App Store.
The 404 819- Where everybody knows your name (podcast)
The 404 819: Where everybody knows your name (podcast)
We had a quick olfactory disaster this morning, but we cleared the air and can get on with our regularly scheduled programming. There's more Google news following yesterday's I/O developers conference, and this time the search giant introduces Chromebooks and several new apps to its Chrome Web store.In other Google news, the company is suffering from a smear campaign in the tech media that sources have traced back to Facebook, of all companies. Spurned from competitive tension in the social-networking space, the two companies are going head to head over growing privacy concerns.You might've noticed a lack of audio and video voicemails lately, and that's because we haven't received any! If you want to make it on the show, let us know your comments/feedback/criticisms by calling into 1-866-404-CNET (2638) or record a video on YouTube and send the link to the404(at)cnet(dot)com.The 404 Digest for Episode 819This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayGoogle debuts Chromebooks.Angry Birds for Chrome already hacked, unlocking all levels.Glympse.com lets people follow your every move for a given amount of time.Facebook hired a PR Firm to plant anti-Google stories in the media.Let's get a 404 ad on TV!Loser of the week: Mom gives Botox to 8-year-old daughter.Episode 819Listen nowYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video  Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
We had a quick olfactory disaster this morning, but we cleared the air and can get on with our regularly scheduled programming. There's more Google news following yesterday's I/O developers conference, and this time the search giant introduces Chromebooks and several new apps to its Chrome Web store.In other Google news, the company is suffering from a smear campaign in the tech media that sources have traced back to Facebook, of all companies. Spurned from competitive tension in the social-networking space, the two companies are going head to head over growing privacy concerns.You might've noticed a lack of audio and video voicemails lately, and that's because we haven't received any! If you want to make it on the show, let us know your comments/feedback/criticisms by calling into 1-866-404-CNET (2638) or record a video on YouTube and send the link to the404(at)cnet(dot)com.The 404 Digest for Episode 819This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayGoogle debuts Chromebooks.Angry Birds for Chrome already hacked, unlocking all levels.Glympse.com lets people follow your every move for a given amount of time.Facebook hired a PR Firm to plant anti-Google stories in the media.Let's get a 404 ad on TV!Loser of the week: Mom gives Botox to 8-year-old daughter.Episode 819Listen nowYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video  Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
Pink Floyd wins court fight on downloads
Pink Floyd wins court fight on downloads
The U.K.'s High Court ruled that EMI Music isn't entitled to exploit individual recordings via the Web or any other distribution means without Pink Floyd's consent, according to a story by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Pink Floyd charged in its suit that the financially troubled label violated its contract by selling individual songs. The label countered that the clause in the contract that prohibited those song sales applied only to physical DVDs or albums. EMI denied that the court's decision would require it to stop selling Pink Floyd's individual songs on iTunes, Amazon or any other Web music service. "Today's judgment does not require EMI to cease making Pink Floyd's catalog available as single track downloads," EMI said in a statement. "EMI continues to sell Pink Floyd's music digitally and in other formats." The band's most recent contract was signed prior to the rise of digital music, according to the BBC and a report in The Associated Press. The BBC's story didn't make it clear whether the famed rock band, known for albums such as The Wall (from 1979) and The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), is opposed to the sale of individual songs on the Web or to the narrower point of EMI doing so without its permission. What is also unclear is how many acts this decision could affect in the future. The High Court fined EMI $60,000, with an additional fine to be decided later, the BBC reported. Pink Floyd also objected to the way EMI paid royalties for downloads. Corrected at 8:53 a.m. PST: This story incorrectly stated how the court's decision will affect EMI. It is unclear whether the label will be forced to stop selling individual song downloads of Pink Floyd's music.Updated 8:50 a.m. PST:to include EMI statement.
The U.K.'s High Court ruled that EMI Music isn't entitled to exploit individual recordings via the Web or any other distribution means without Pink Floyd's consent, according to a story by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Pink Floyd charged in its suit that the financially troubled label violated its contract by selling individual songs. The label countered that the clause in the contract that prohibited those song sales applied only to physical DVDs or albums. EMI denied that the court's decision would require it to stop selling Pink Floyd's individual songs on iTunes, Amazon or any other Web music service. "Today's judgment does not require EMI to cease making Pink Floyd's catalog available as single track downloads," EMI said in a statement. "EMI continues to sell Pink Floyd's music digitally and in other formats." The band's most recent contract was signed prior to the rise of digital music, according to the BBC and a report in The Associated Press. The BBC's story didn't make it clear whether the famed rock band, known for albums such as The Wall (from 1979) and The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), is opposed to the sale of individual songs on the Web or to the narrower point of EMI doing so without its permission. What is also unclear is how many acts this decision could affect in the future. The High Court fined EMI $60,000, with an additional fine to be decided later, the BBC reported. Pink Floyd also objected to the way EMI paid royalties for downloads. Corrected at 8:53 a.m. PST: This story incorrectly stated how the court's decision will affect EMI. It is unclear whether the label will be forced to stop selling individual song downloads of Pink Floyd's music.Updated 8:50 a.m. PST:to include EMI statement.
Now playing in iOS Game Center- Your real name
Now playing in iOS Game Center: Your real name
If you're a gamer who revels in your status as a faceless player, you should pay attention to the change Apple rolled out with its Game Center app today.Starting today, when you send a friend request or accept a friend request, your real name in addition to your gamer tag or nickname will be shown to that person. Apple added that new policy in a change to its terms of service agreement to Game Center.Previously, when you added a friend it only displayed a username. Now, it shows both the person's username and real name. While that may seem harmless to some, it's a change from how most online gaming works.To understand the importance of privacy for gamers, look no further than the recent controversy kindled by Blizzard Entertainment, the creators of popular World of Warcraft and the StarCraft franchises. In July, Blizzard started requiring users to register with their real names instead of anonymous usernames, but just days later backed down due to the firestorm of criticism from its rabid users.
If you're a gamer who revels in your status as a faceless player, you should pay attention to the change Apple rolled out with its Game Center app today.Starting today, when you send a friend request or accept a friend request, your real name in addition to your gamer tag or nickname will be shown to that person. Apple added that new policy in a change to its terms of service agreement to Game Center.Previously, when you added a friend it only displayed a username. Now, it shows both the person's username and real name. While that may seem harmless to some, it's a change from how most online gaming works.To understand the importance of privacy for gamers, look no further than the recent controversy kindled by Blizzard Entertainment, the creators of popular World of Warcraft and the StarCraft franchises. In July, Blizzard started requiring users to register with their real names instead of anonymous usernames, but just days later backed down due to the firestorm of criticism from its rabid users.
Now it's a Google tablet that will challenge Kindle Fire-
Now it's a Google tablet that will challenge Kindle Fire?
So maybe there's not a rumored Apple iPad in production to challenge the Kindle Fire after all. Maybe the purported Fire fighter is actually a Google tablet.That's according to DigiTimes, which reported today that sources in Google's upstream supply chain believe the tablet could be positioned to challenge Amazon's 7-inch Kindle Fire. The sources expect the Android tablet to arrive in the spring at a price below $299 to compete with Amazon.The report comes a few weeks after Google Chairman Eric Schmidt allegedly told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that the company plans to "market a tablet of the highest quality" in the next six months. It's possible that the newspaper misunderstood or misquoted Schmidt, but Google has refused to clarify his comments.However, this rumor should be taken with a grain of salt as the Taiwan news site already has a shaky reputation for accuracy; sources have told it three different tablet suspicions in as many weeks. The tech blog reported in mid December that Apple would "likely" launch a 7.85-inch tablet in the fourth quarter of 2012 to compete with Amazon's Android-based tablet. The site then reported last week that Apple would unveil two 9.7-inch versions later this month at the Macworld|iWorld conference--a report that was largely rebuffed by the many tech observers.
So maybe there's not a rumored Apple iPad in production to challenge the Kindle Fire after all. Maybe the purported Fire fighter is actually a Google tablet.That's according to DigiTimes, which reported today that sources in Google's upstream supply chain believe the tablet could be positioned to challenge Amazon's 7-inch Kindle Fire. The sources expect the Android tablet to arrive in the spring at a price below $299 to compete with Amazon.The report comes a few weeks after Google Chairman Eric Schmidt allegedly told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that the company plans to "market a tablet of the highest quality" in the next six months. It's possible that the newspaper misunderstood or misquoted Schmidt, but Google has refused to clarify his comments.However, this rumor should be taken with a grain of salt as the Taiwan news site already has a shaky reputation for accuracy; sources have told it three different tablet suspicions in as many weeks. The tech blog reported in mid December that Apple would "likely" launch a 7.85-inch tablet in the fourth quarter of 2012 to compete with Amazon's Android-based tablet. The site then reported last week that Apple would unveil two 9.7-inch versions later this month at the Macworld|iWorld conference--a report that was largely rebuffed by the many tech observers.
Woz concedes Android advantages over iPhone
Woz concedes Android advantages over iPhone
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak may have waited in line for the release of new iPhones, but he says there are ways Android has leaped ahead of iPhone.In an interview with Dan Lyons for the Daily Beast comparing iPhones with Android phones, the Woz laments the limitations of Apple's smartphone. "My primary phone is the iPhone," the Woz said. "I love the beauty of it. But I wish it did all the things my Android does, I really do."However, don't get the idea that Woz is getting ready to dump the iPhone. He said his main beef is with Siri, which he said no longer works as well as he would like."I used to ask Siri, 'What are the five biggest lakes in California?' and it would come back with the answer," he said."Now it just misses. It gives me real estate listings. I used to ask, 'What are the prime numbers greater than 87?' and it would answer. Now instead of getting prime numbers, I get listings for prime rib, or prime real estate."He also said he prefers the GPS navigation on Android phones and he also takes issue with the battery life on the iPhone ("it just started running through the battery so fast").Despite those gripes, Woz says he still recommends the iPhone, especially for people who might be intimidated by Android's complexity."The people I recommend the iPhone 4S for are the ones who are already in the Mac world, because it's so compatible, and people who are just scared of computers altogether and don't want to use them. The iPhone is the least frightening thing. For that kind of person who is scared of complexity, well, here's a phone that is simple to use and does what you need it to do," he said.
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak may have waited in line for the release of new iPhones, but he says there are ways Android has leaped ahead of iPhone.In an interview with Dan Lyons for the Daily Beast comparing iPhones with Android phones, the Woz laments the limitations of Apple's smartphone. "My primary phone is the iPhone," the Woz said. "I love the beauty of it. But I wish it did all the things my Android does, I really do."However, don't get the idea that Woz is getting ready to dump the iPhone. He said his main beef is with Siri, which he said no longer works as well as he would like."I used to ask Siri, 'What are the five biggest lakes in California?' and it would come back with the answer," he said."Now it just misses. It gives me real estate listings. I used to ask, 'What are the prime numbers greater than 87?' and it would answer. Now instead of getting prime numbers, I get listings for prime rib, or prime real estate."He also said he prefers the GPS navigation on Android phones and he also takes issue with the battery life on the iPhone ("it just started running through the battery so fast").Despite those gripes, Woz says he still recommends the iPhone, especially for people who might be intimidated by Android's complexity."The people I recommend the iPhone 4S for are the ones who are already in the Mac world, because it's so compatible, and people who are just scared of computers altogether and don't want to use them. The iPhone is the least frightening thing. For that kind of person who is scared of complexity, well, here's a phone that is simple to use and does what you need it to do," he said.
Words with Friends players richer than Angry Birds fans-
Words with Friends players richer than Angry Birds fans?
Angry Birds players tend to skew Republican, while Words with Friends players tend to make more money. That's according to a recent study by JumpTap, which provides targeted mobile advertising and collects trending data.Another finding: the new iPad has exceeded sales expectations, even if its traffic levels are lower than prior versions of Apple's hit tablet. The results -- particularly from the mobile games -- provide some interesting insight into the patterns and preferences of players. Words with Friends players are more likely to have an annual income over $100,000 and tend to use smartphones. Angry Birds players, meanwhile, are more likely Republican than their Words with Friends counterparts. They are also twice as likely to be on a tablet as the average mobile user, according to JumpTap. Such characteristics apparently help a company like JumpTap deliver more relevant advertisements to consumers on their mobile devices. On the new iPad, JumpTap said use was heavy for the first six days after its launch, but only represented a small percentage of use from total iPads. The original iPad and the iPad 2 each maintained a share of 45 percent of total traffic during the launch week. JumpTap market executive Paran Johar said the early read of the data suggests the new iPad is stealing traffic from the iPad 2, meaning that iPad 2 users may be more inclined to switch to the new iteration than original iPad users. That flies in the face of conventional thinking, which assumed many original iPad users would be willing to upgrade to the new version. The new iPad only offers a few improvement to the iPad 2, which would seem to discourage upgrades from that model. Apple iPad (March 2012, 16GB, Wi-Fi, black)...See full gallery1 - 4 / 9NextPrev
Angry Birds players tend to skew Republican, while Words with Friends players tend to make more money. That's according to a recent study by JumpTap, which provides targeted mobile advertising and collects trending data.Another finding: the new iPad has exceeded sales expectations, even if its traffic levels are lower than prior versions of Apple's hit tablet. The results -- particularly from the mobile games -- provide some interesting insight into the patterns and preferences of players. Words with Friends players are more likely to have an annual income over $100,000 and tend to use smartphones. Angry Birds players, meanwhile, are more likely Republican than their Words with Friends counterparts. They are also twice as likely to be on a tablet as the average mobile user, according to JumpTap. Such characteristics apparently help a company like JumpTap deliver more relevant advertisements to consumers on their mobile devices. On the new iPad, JumpTap said use was heavy for the first six days after its launch, but only represented a small percentage of use from total iPads. The original iPad and the iPad 2 each maintained a share of 45 percent of total traffic during the launch week. JumpTap market executive Paran Johar said the early read of the data suggests the new iPad is stealing traffic from the iPad 2, meaning that iPad 2 users may be more inclined to switch to the new iteration than original iPad users. That flies in the face of conventional thinking, which assumed many original iPad users would be willing to upgrade to the new version. The new iPad only offers a few improvement to the iPad 2, which would seem to discourage upgrades from that model. Apple iPad (March 2012, 16GB, Wi-Fi, black)...See full gallery1 - 4 / 9NextPrev
Without Apple, 'supply chain' shrinking, says analyst
Without Apple, 'supply chain' shrinking, says analyst
Apple is so important to the group of companies that build tech-related electronics products that without Apple there would be negative growth, according to Citibank. The tech electronics supply chain is barely showing year-to-year growth and would be in the red if it wasn't for Apple, according to a research note today from Citibank analyst Jim Suva. The supply chain is an amorphous collection of manufacturers, many located in Asia. In a subheading titled "Ex-Apple, the Tech Supply Chain is Still Not Growing Y/Y," Citibank said Apple is the linchpin for growth."Projected annual sales growth in the supply chain has slowed significantly and is expected to be +1.5% y/y in June, well below the 5-year and 10-year averages of +4.2% y/y and +6.8% y/y, respectively," Citi's Suva wrote. He continued. "Year over year, Apple on a dollars basis is expected to [be] outgrowing overall tech supply chain in the June quarter or, in other words, without Apple the supply chain is actually shrinking." Citibank breaks down the supply chain into "upstream suppliers" like semiconductor chip suppliers, "hubs," e.g., distributors, and "downstream vendors" such as wireless equipment and PC hardware suppliers. Products like the third-generation iPad keep the supply chain humming.When reporting second quarter financial results in April, Apple said it sold 11.8 million iPads, a 151 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter.
Apple is so important to the group of companies that build tech-related electronics products that without Apple there would be negative growth, according to Citibank. The tech electronics supply chain is barely showing year-to-year growth and would be in the red if it wasn't for Apple, according to a research note today from Citibank analyst Jim Suva. The supply chain is an amorphous collection of manufacturers, many located in Asia. In a subheading titled "Ex-Apple, the Tech Supply Chain is Still Not Growing Y/Y," Citibank said Apple is the linchpin for growth."Projected annual sales growth in the supply chain has slowed significantly and is expected to be +1.5% y/y in June, well below the 5-year and 10-year averages of +4.2% y/y and +6.8% y/y, respectively," Citi's Suva wrote. He continued. "Year over year, Apple on a dollars basis is expected to [be] outgrowing overall tech supply chain in the June quarter or, in other words, without Apple the supply chain is actually shrinking." Citibank breaks down the supply chain into "upstream suppliers" like semiconductor chip suppliers, "hubs," e.g., distributors, and "downstream vendors" such as wireless equipment and PC hardware suppliers. Products like the third-generation iPad keep the supply chain humming.When reporting second quarter financial results in April, Apple said it sold 11.8 million iPads, a 151 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter.
With Safari 5, Apple plugs four dozen holes
With Safari 5, Apple plugs four dozen holes
Apple has released the latest version of its Safari browser that includes fixes for four dozen security holes, mostly in the open-source WebKit technology and many of which leave a computer open to compromise by drive-by-download attacks from visiting a malicious Web page.Safari 5 for Windows and Mac debuted on Monday. The impact on security issues is detailed in this advisory, which applies to Safari 5.0 and Safari 4.1.The release updates the browser to display a warning before navigating to an HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) or HTTPS (secure HTTP) Web address containing user information, to better protect against phishing attacks, removes a heap buffer overflow in the handling of images using ColorSync technology, and addresses an issue in Safari's handling of PDF files.The software also plugs 44 holes in WebKit alone that could allow for numerous types of attacks and compromises, including: information disclosure from dragging or pasting links or images; cross-site scripting attacks; unexpected actions on other sites caused by interacting with a malicious Web page; data leakage from visiting an HTTPS site that redirects to a less secure HTTP site; data being sent to an IRC server by visiting a malicious Web site; and a plethora of the garden-variety arbitrary code execution attack from visiting a malicious site.Microsoft on Tuesday issued 10 security bulletins, fixing 34 vulnerabilities in one of its largest Patch Tuesdays to date. Meanwhile, Adobe said it would issue a patch for a critical hole in its Flash technology being exploited in the wild by delivering an update for Flash Player by Thursday, and for Adobe Reader and Acrobat by June 29.
Apple has released the latest version of its Safari browser that includes fixes for four dozen security holes, mostly in the open-source WebKit technology and many of which leave a computer open to compromise by drive-by-download attacks from visiting a malicious Web page.Safari 5 for Windows and Mac debuted on Monday. The impact on security issues is detailed in this advisory, which applies to Safari 5.0 and Safari 4.1.The release updates the browser to display a warning before navigating to an HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) or HTTPS (secure HTTP) Web address containing user information, to better protect against phishing attacks, removes a heap buffer overflow in the handling of images using ColorSync technology, and addresses an issue in Safari's handling of PDF files.The software also plugs 44 holes in WebKit alone that could allow for numerous types of attacks and compromises, including: information disclosure from dragging or pasting links or images; cross-site scripting attacks; unexpected actions on other sites caused by interacting with a malicious Web page; data leakage from visiting an HTTPS site that redirects to a less secure HTTP site; data being sent to an IRC server by visiting a malicious Web site; and a plethora of the garden-variety arbitrary code execution attack from visiting a malicious site.Microsoft on Tuesday issued 10 security bulletins, fixing 34 vulnerabilities in one of its largest Patch Tuesdays to date. Meanwhile, Adobe said it would issue a patch for a critical hole in its Flash technology being exploited in the wild by delivering an update for Flash Player by Thursday, and for Adobe Reader and Acrobat by June 29.
With Passport phone, BlackBerry says it's hip to be square
With Passport phone, BlackBerry says it's hip to be square
If you're wondering why BlackBerry would create a smartphone with a square screen, the company's answer is pretty simple: It's all about getting work done.In a blog post on the company's website, BlackBerry claimed Monday that its new 4.5-inch display Passport phone -- which goes on sale in September -- will be an ideal device for professionals. It said the square screen and physical keyboard are well-suited for developing spreadsheets, trading stocks, and writing notes.The smartphone maker went a step further, saying that all the rectangular phones out there -- think Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One M8, and on and on -- may be "limiting innovation," and that a new shape could help change that.BlackBerry has been struggling to make a turnaround after falling behind in a smartphone market now led by Samsung Electronics and Apple. In November, BlackBerry installed a new chief executive, John Chen, who has been working to refocusing the Canada-based company on business customers instead of general consumers. That strategy seems to fit well with how BlackBerry is pitching the Passport phone. In the BlackBerry blog post, the company gave examples of architects being able to look at full designs and schematics, healthcare workers looking at X-rays, and traders using Web-based trading platforms, all on their phones.Sales at BlackBerry have been shrinking for years and the company now holds a small sliver of the overall smartphone market. Still, last month the company posted quarterly losses that weren't as bad as expected, thanks mostly to its efforts to cut costs.The Passport could help BlackBerry reconnect with its traditional business and government customer, though some may still be wondering whether a square phone will fit in their pockets.
If you're wondering why BlackBerry would create a smartphone with a square screen, the company's answer is pretty simple: It's all about getting work done.In a blog post on the company's website, BlackBerry claimed Monday that its new 4.5-inch display Passport phone -- which goes on sale in September -- will be an ideal device for professionals. It said the square screen and physical keyboard are well-suited for developing spreadsheets, trading stocks, and writing notes.The smartphone maker went a step further, saying that all the rectangular phones out there -- think Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One M8, and on and on -- may be "limiting innovation," and that a new shape could help change that.BlackBerry has been struggling to make a turnaround after falling behind in a smartphone market now led by Samsung Electronics and Apple. In November, BlackBerry installed a new chief executive, John Chen, who has been working to refocusing the Canada-based company on business customers instead of general consumers. That strategy seems to fit well with how BlackBerry is pitching the Passport phone. In the BlackBerry blog post, the company gave examples of architects being able to look at full designs and schematics, healthcare workers looking at X-rays, and traders using Web-based trading platforms, all on their phones.Sales at BlackBerry have been shrinking for years and the company now holds a small sliver of the overall smartphone market. Still, last month the company posted quarterly losses that weren't as bad as expected, thanks mostly to its efforts to cut costs.The Passport could help BlackBerry reconnect with its traditional business and government customer, though some may still be wondering whether a square phone will fit in their pockets.
The Best of 2014: What's Your Favorite Biopic?
Biopics are technically movies that depict full lives of famous people. We allow the term and genre to be loose these days, because we;re typically more interested in parts of those lives rather than the whole span from birth to death. Not every potential real-life movie subject deserves or requires such scope. So, not every biopic has to play out like Boyhood with year-by-year beats in the story of someone;s existence.This year saw the release of many biopics of the more preferable piece-of-life variety. One of my favorite movies of any kind this year, Selma, is set over only a couple of months in the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. (if we don;t count the opening scene). Some would argue that it;s not actually a biopic because of this. Or because it;s more a movie about an event than a person involved in that event. But Selma does concentrate on King;s involvement, so I count it by the loosening of the label.Another popular biopic this year is The Imitation Game, which primarily focuses on Alan Turing;s work for British intelligence trying to break the code of the Nazi;s Enigma machine during World War II. But it also jumps around to two other points in Turing;s life: his schooldays in the 1920s and his arrest for indecency in the 1950s. It;s more of a man;s life story, but it;s still not a portrait of Turing in his entirety. The Theory of Everything, which is often compared to the Turing film, is mainly set in the 1960s when its subject, astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, met his wife and was diagnosed with motor neurone disease while at school.I can;t think of any fully biographical movie that came out this year unless we count documentaries, such as Life Itself, about film critic Roger Ebert, and The Internet;s Own Boy, about Reddit codeveloper Aaron Swartz. Both deal a lot with their subject;s death, but they also go all the way back to their start, too. Other great documentary biopics in 2014 includeElaine Stritch: Shoot Me(obviously about Stritch),Finding Vivian Maier(again obviously, Maier),The Salt of the Earth(Sebastiao Salgado)andMaidentrip(Laura Dekker).Among the celebrated biopics of any shape and scope this year are those about people serving in the military, namelyUnbroken(Louis Zamperini) and American Sniper(Chris Kyle). There are the obligatory musical biopics, such as Get on Up (James Brown), Jimi: All Is by My Side(Jimi Hendrix)and Jersey Boys(Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons).Also movies about artists, including Big Eyes (Margaret Keane and Walter Keane) and Mr. Turner (J.M.W. Turner). True sports stories like Foxcatcher (Mark Schultz, Dave Schultz and John du Pont) and Million Dollar Arm (J.B. Bernstein, Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel). And along with Selma, biopics on people trying to change the world include Cesar Chavez (Cesar Chavez).What is your favorite biopic of 2014?Here are some responses received so far via Twitter:@thefilmcynic Belle.— Kristy Puchko (@KristyPuchko) December 18, 2014@thefilmcynic Mr. Turner.— Damien Straker (@DStraker90) December 18, 2014@thefilmcynic MR. TURNER.— Matthew Lucas (@matthew_lucas) December 18, 2014@thefilmcynic Theory of Everything!! Didn;t know much about Hawking and the performances were incredible! Eddie Redmayne blew me away.— Philipp Schepp (@JPSchepp) December 18, 2014@thefilmcynic @JMOursler @thinkovision Meanwhile my unpopular answer is The Imitation Game. I love that movie. (Do not unfollow.)— Tomris Laffly (@TomiLaffly) December 19, 2014@thefilmcynic The Better Angels.— Jordan Raup (@jpraup) December 18, 2014@thefilmcynic All Is By My Side— JD Goldman (@BreakingPOORLY) December 18, 2014@thefilmcynic Foxcatcher.— Jack Giroux (@JackGi) December 18, 2014@thefilmcynic Foxcatcher, but only because I don;t consider Selma a biopic.— Noah Gittell (@ReelChanger) December 18, 2014@thefilmcynic Life Itself— Luke Banack (@RadioLuke) December 18, 2014@thefilmcynic Only Lovers Left Alive (Adam and Eve)— John Oursler (@JMOursler) December 18, 2014@thefilmcynic Abuse of Weakness— John Oursler (@JMOursler) December 18, 2014@thefilmcynic I;m just going to say it: Get On Up. If not for Chadwick Boseman;s performance as James Brown, the whole movie would be meh.— Keith Adams (@BigBrother1988) December 18, 2014@thefilmcynic Selmaaaaaaaaa.— kateyrich (@kateyrich) December 18, 2014@kateyrich @thefilmcynic That is indeed the correct (only?) response.— Mel Valentin (@FyodorFish) December 18, 2014@thefilmcynic Selma.— William Goss (@williambgoss) December 18, 2014@JMOursler @thefilmcynic Gonna go with the easy one: Selma.— Inkoo Kang (@thinkovision) December 18, 2014Join in the next discussion:and
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