Cinema 3D: Das MIT arbeitet an 3D-Kino ohne Brille

Wer Filme schaut, kennt das Problem: Bedingt durch unterschiedliche Sitzplätze sind Bild und 3D-Darstellung für jeden Zuschauer etwas anders. Ein neues Display des MIT ändert das; obendrein sind keine 3D-Brillen notwendig, womit die Idee für Kinos interessant ist. (3D-Display, Digitalkino)

Wer Filme schaut, kennt das Problem: Bedingt durch unterschiedliche Sitzplätze sind Bild und 3D-Darstellung für jeden Zuschauer etwas anders. Ein neues Display des MIT ändert das; obendrein sind keine 3D-Brillen notwendig, womit die Idee für Kinos interessant ist. (3D-Display, Digitalkino)

It’s now or never: Free Windows 10 upgrade ends in just a few hours

Act now before it’s too late.

It's better, we promise.

If you use Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 and want to upgrade to Windows 10 for free, there are just a few more hours left to grab your copy. The offer expires today, July 29. At the time of writing, less than 19 hours still remain.

If you're eligible, you should upgrade. In almost every regard, Windows 10 is a better operating system than Windows 7 or 8.1 (unless you use Media Center, in which case you're trapped on old operating systems forever). If you want to get the free upgrade but can't upgrade right now because of timing or compatibility concerns, your best option is to install Windows 10 onto an empty hard drive using your existing Windows 7 or 8.1 key. Activate that installation and magic will occur: your key will become Windows 10 "enabled," and you should be able to use it to perform the upgrade at a later date. Similar results can likely be achieved by installing into a virtual machine rather than an empty hard disk.

The cut-off doesn't apply to those who use assistive technology such as screen-readers; those Windows users will be able to upgrade to Windows 10 whenever they feel like it, though Microsoft apparently has yet to fully explain how this will work.

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Broadband industry tries again to kill net neutrality and Title II

Broadband lobby groups petition for full court review at DC Circuit.

(credit: Getty Images | ullstein bild)

Six weeks after federal judges preserved net neutrality rules for the broadband industry, ISPs are seeking a full court review of the decision.

ISPs' attempt to overturn the Federal Communications Commission rules were rejected when a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit voted 2-1 in favor of the FCC. Now the broadband industry's trade groups are seeking an "en banc" review in front of all of the DC Circuit court's judges instead of just a three-judge panel. If this fails, ISPs can appeal to the Supreme Court, but the odds against them winning appear to be long.

One en banc petition submitted this morning before the case's deadline came from the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) and the American Cable Association (ACA), the two biggest cable lobby groups. En banc petitions were also filed by CTIA—The Wireless Association, the mobile broadband industry's primary lobby group; the United States Telecom Association (USTelecom) and CenturyLink (representing DSL and fiber providers); and a small Texas ISP named Alamo Broadband.

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Broadband industry tries again to kill net neutrality and Title II

Broadband lobby groups petition for full court review at DC Circuit.

(credit: Getty Images | ullstein bild)

Six weeks after federal judges preserved net neutrality rules for the broadband industry, ISPs are seeking a full court review of the decision.

ISPs' attempt to overturn the Federal Communications Commission rules were rejected when a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit voted 2-1 in favor of the FCC. Now the broadband industry's trade groups are seeking an "en banc" review in front of all of the DC Circuit court's judges instead of just a three-judge panel. If this fails, ISPs can appeal to the Supreme Court, but the odds against them winning appear to be long.

One en banc petition submitted this morning before the case's deadline came from the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) and the American Cable Association (ACA), the two biggest cable lobby groups. En banc petitions were also filed by CTIA—The Wireless Association, the mobile broadband industry's primary lobby group; the United States Telecom Association (USTelecom) and CenturyLink (representing DSL and fiber providers); and a small Texas ISP named Alamo Broadband.

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AVM: Hersteller für volle Routerfreiheit bei Glasfaser und Kabel

Routerhersteller wie AVM, Devolo und Lancom wollen auch Zugang zu den bislang weitestgehend abgeschotteten Kabel- und Glasfasernetzen. Ihr Herstellerverbund fordert die Veröffentlichung von Schnittstellenspezifikationen. (Router, DSL)

Routerhersteller wie AVM, Devolo und Lancom wollen auch Zugang zu den bislang weitestgehend abgeschotteten Kabel- und Glasfasernetzen. Ihr Herstellerverbund fordert die Veröffentlichung von Schnittstellenspezifikationen. (Router, DSL)

Zika outbreak confirmed in Florida, first in continental US [Updated]

No Zika-positive mosquitoes yet, but 10 new cases confirmed since last week.

(credit: CDC)

Update (8/1/2016): On Monday, Florida Governor Rick Scott announced that 10 new Zika cases have been identified in Miami's small, localized outbreak, bringing the total to 14 cases. All of the new cases, thought to be transmitted by local mosquitoes, appear to have occurred in the same one-square-mile area that officials had previously identified as an area where active transmission may be occurring.

In six of the 10 new cases, the individuals had no symptoms of a Zika infection and were only found during a survey of residents. No mosquitoes surveyed have yet to test positive for carrying Zika virus. Gov. Scott is now calling on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to activate emergency response efforts. Also today, the United Kingdom issued a Zika travel advisory for Florida. Our original story on the initial discovery in Florida appears below.

On Friday, Florida health officials confirmed the first local Zika outbreak in the continental US. The outbreak so far involves four people believed to be infected by bites from local mosquitoes, and health officials believe that active transmission may be occurring in a one-square-mile area of Miami-Dade County, just north of downtown.

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Zika outbreak confirmed in Florida, first in continental US

No Zika-positive mosquitoes yet, but transmission may be occurring in tiny area.

(credit: CDC)

On Friday, Florida health officials confirmed the first local Zika outbreak in the continental US. The outbreak so far involves four people believed to be infected by bites from local mosquitoes, and health officials believe that active transmission may be occurring in a one-square-mile-wide area of Miami-Dade County, just north of downtown.

So far, mosquito surveillance has not detected the presence of Zika virus in any mosquitoes in that area—or any other areas. However, the four infected Floridians, residents of Miami-Dade County and bordering Broward County, had not traveled to a Zika-stricken area or recently had sex with an infected or potentially infected person. By ruling out those two routes of transmission—which explain how 1,657 other US residents became infected—officials believe local mosquito transmission is to blame.

Local mosquitoes presumably picked up the virus from returning travelers and passed it on to uninfected residents. So far, Florida has documented 381 cases statewide.

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Microsoft sold 13.8 million Lumia phones last year

Microsoft sold 13.8 million Lumia phones last year

It’s no secret that Microsoft’s Windows software for smartphones has a relatively tiny market share. But the same week that Apple is trumpeting the sale of its billionth iPhone, Microsoft has released financial documents showing that the company sold just 13.8 million Lumia phones in 2016… and just about 1.2 million in the last quarter.

The decline in sales is part of a trend, but the news comes two months after Microsoft announced a major shift in strategy for its phone hardware: the company is streamlining its smartphone plans to focus on the enterprise market and enthusiasts, selling off its feature phone division, and eliminating 1,850 related jobs.

Continue reading Microsoft sold 13.8 million Lumia phones last year at Liliputing.

Microsoft sold 13.8 million Lumia phones last year

It’s no secret that Microsoft’s Windows software for smartphones has a relatively tiny market share. But the same week that Apple is trumpeting the sale of its billionth iPhone, Microsoft has released financial documents showing that the company sold just 13.8 million Lumia phones in 2016… and just about 1.2 million in the last quarter.

The decline in sales is part of a trend, but the news comes two months after Microsoft announced a major shift in strategy for its phone hardware: the company is streamlining its smartphone plans to focus on the enterprise market and enthusiasts, selling off its feature phone division, and eliminating 1,850 related jobs.

Continue reading Microsoft sold 13.8 million Lumia phones last year at Liliputing.

Hearthstone: Blizzard feiert eine Nacht in Karazhan

Wer World of Warcraft kennt, kennt auch Karazhan. In einer Erweiterung für Hearthstone wird die Instanz nun reaktiviert – und ist dort Schauplatz eines besonders feierlichen Abenteuers. (Hearthstone, Blizzard)

Wer World of Warcraft kennt, kennt auch Karazhan. In einer Erweiterung für Hearthstone wird die Instanz nun reaktiviert - und ist dort Schauplatz eines besonders feierlichen Abenteuers. (Hearthstone, Blizzard)

Democratic Party’s congressional fundraising committee was also hacked

DCCC’s website redirected donors to a fake contribution page controlled by attackers.

This page redirected some would-be donors to a fake website controlled by hackers, Reuters reports. (credit: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee)

Yet another cyber-attack has targeted a Democratic Party organization—or more specifically, the party's donors. Reuters reports that the FBI is investigating a breach of the systems of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. While the details of the alleged intrusion were not revealed, visitors to the DCCC's site were apparently redirected to a malicious lookalike website mimicking the DCCC contribution page.

Visitors to the DCCC page who clicked a link to donate were directed to a look-alike domain name registered in June instead of the site of a donation processing contractor. The IP address of the fake site "resembled one used by Russian government-linked hackers suspected in the breach of the DNC," Reuters' Joseph Menn, Dustin Volz, and Mark Hosenball reported. Data collected included donor's contact information, e-mail addresses, and possibly credit card information.

It is not clear whether the attackers were after financial information for credit card fraud, or if they were collecting personal data for use in directed attacks against donors. But the attack's timing—or at least the registration of the domain used in the attack—matches up with the recent discovery of a Democratic National Committee breach. The DCCC shares office space with the DNC in Washington.

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