Deals of the Day (6-15-2016)

Deals of the Day (6-15-2016)

Not every computer needs a big, high-resolution screen, support for 4K video playback and enough horsepower to handle a high-end virtual reality headset. Sometimes you just want something to check your email and watch YouTube videos… and a dirt cheap Chromebook’ll do the trick.

Right now Walmart is running a few Chromebook sales, letting you pick up an 11.6 inch model for just $129, or buy a Chromebook + laptop bundle for $136 and up.

Continue reading Deals of the Day (6-15-2016) at Liliputing.

Deals of the Day (6-15-2016)

Not every computer needs a big, high-resolution screen, support for 4K video playback and enough horsepower to handle a high-end virtual reality headset. Sometimes you just want something to check your email and watch YouTube videos… and a dirt cheap Chromebook’ll do the trick.

Right now Walmart is running a few Chromebook sales, letting you pick up an 11.6 inch model for just $129, or buy a Chromebook + laptop bundle for $136 and up.

Continue reading Deals of the Day (6-15-2016) at Liliputing.

Microsoft: Xbox One mouse and keyboard support is “months away”

Company’s efforts to link PC and console gaming get even more explicit.

Pictures: A future Xbox One controller.

PC gamers may not be able to lord their preferred control scheme over their console brethren for much longer. Microsoft is promising that Xbox One developers will be able to easily integrate mouse and keyboard controls for their console games in a matter of months.

"Truthfully in our dev kit modes now keyboard works, mouse support is a little bit further away," Microsoft's Phil Spencer said in an interview with PCGamesN. "I say it because I know it’s not years away, it’s more like months away, but we don’t have an exact date yet."

Based on the quote, it's hard to say if that means full keyboard-and-mouse Xbox One games are just months away from market or if that's just when developers will be able to start work on adding such support for future games. Either way, it's a clear sign that Microsoft is speeding along in bridging gaming's decades-long PC-vs-console control scheme gap.

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VG Augsburg: Presserecht gilt nicht für Neonazi-Watchblog einer Zeitung

Das Verwaltungsgericht Augsburg sieht in einem Blog zum Thema Rechtsextremismus einer großen deutschen Zeitung kein Presseorgan. Zudem sei der Autor in dem Fall kein Redakteur einer Zeitung oder Zeitschrift und habe damit keine Auskunftsrechte. (Politik/Recht, Web2.0)

Das Verwaltungsgericht Augsburg sieht in einem Blog zum Thema Rechtsextremismus einer großen deutschen Zeitung kein Presseorgan. Zudem sei der Autor in dem Fall kein Redakteur einer Zeitung oder Zeitschrift und habe damit keine Auskunftsrechte. (Politik/Recht, Web2.0)

Netzallianz: Regierung stellt 350 Millionen Euro für Glasfaser bereit

Wenn es um Gewerbegebiete geht, gibt es schon mal 350 Millionen von der Regierung für den direkten Glasfaseranschluss. Die Netzallianz verständigte sich auch auf ein neues Kursbuch, das laut einer Kritikerin keine neuen Ansätze liefert. (Glasfaser, Breko)

Wenn es um Gewerbegebiete geht, gibt es schon mal 350 Millionen von der Regierung für den direkten Glasfaseranschluss. Die Netzallianz verständigte sich auch auf ein neues Kursbuch, das laut einer Kritikerin keine neuen Ansätze liefert. (Glasfaser, Breko)

Oh, there’s my hand: Testing out the latest Oculus Touch prototypes

As planned release approaches, we look at Oculus hand-tracking solution.

(video link)

LOS ANGELES—We first tried Oculus' hand-tracking Touch controller at E3 2015. At this year's show, we had another chance to use the company's crucial new control solution before its planned release later this year (We're hearing a possible November date through the grapevine but nothing reliable enough to be certain).

Overall, the latest prototype feels pretty similar to the controllers we first tried at last year's E3, but a few small refinements make it feel closer to a retail product. The triggers are especially easy to push now, requiring a very light touch compared to the thick, springy resistance on something like the HTC Vive's triggers. The thumbsticks seem improved with additional resistance and a rubberized grip.

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Runcible: Stummes und nachhaltiges Smartphone sucht Finanzierer

Runcible soll die Art und Weise, wie digitale Medien konsumiert werden, von Grund auf ändern – indem das Smartphone weder piept noch klingelt. Über ein Jahr nach dem ersten Prototypen sucht der Hersteller jetzt Unterstützer, um Runcible herzustellen. (Smartphone, Android)

Runcible soll die Art und Weise, wie digitale Medien konsumiert werden, von Grund auf ändern - indem das Smartphone weder piept noch klingelt. Über ein Jahr nach dem ersten Prototypen sucht der Hersteller jetzt Unterstützer, um Runcible herzustellen. (Smartphone, Android)

GVIDO is a dual-screen E Ink device for sheet music

GVIDO is a dual-screen E Ink device for sheet music

When you think of E Ink (if you think of it at all), you probably think of eBook readers like the Kindle or NOOK. But E Ink technology is also used in digital signage, price tags, luggage tags, and other fields.

And a Japanese company is working on an E Ink product for musicians. Terrada Music Score Co.’s GVIDO is a dual-screen E Ink device for showing sheet music.

The GVIDO features dual 13.3 inch E Ink Mobius displays, each with a resolution of 1200 x 1600 pixels.

Continue reading GVIDO is a dual-screen E Ink device for sheet music at Liliputing.

GVIDO is a dual-screen E Ink device for sheet music

When you think of E Ink (if you think of it at all), you probably think of eBook readers like the Kindle or NOOK. But E Ink technology is also used in digital signage, price tags, luggage tags, and other fields.

And a Japanese company is working on an E Ink product for musicians. Terrada Music Score Co.’s GVIDO is a dual-screen E Ink device for showing sheet music.

The GVIDO features dual 13.3 inch E Ink Mobius displays, each with a resolution of 1200 x 1600 pixels.

Continue reading GVIDO is a dual-screen E Ink device for sheet music at Liliputing.

Neurons that interpret vision can swap eyes, switch back

Individual cells can repeatedly re-activate unused connections.

Converted RGB Inovision image. (credit: Shelley Halpain, UC San Diego)

If one eye is temporarily or permanently damaged, the visual cortex will rewire itself, devoting more resources to the remaining functional eye. This change is reversible if binocular vision is restored. But until a recent study published in Science, we didn’t know how the brain manages to reallocate its resources. This new study shows that this change happens at the level of individual cells, which can shift their attention to eyes as needed.

The visual cortex functions by integrating information from the neurons that are wired to one of an animal’s two eyes. If you cover one eye up for long enough, there’s a shift where the other eye becomes dominant, and more of the visual cortex is devoted to the working eye. This occurs in many animals, including carnivores, primates, and rodents—in mice, this shift in dominance is reversible. What we haven't known is how it takes place. Does the visual cortex contain entire tissues devoted to different eyes that it repurposes, or do individual cells change their connections to follow different eyes?

The scientists used a technique called ratiometric calcium imaging, which allowed them to see excitatory changes in calcium concentration within the neurons, an indication that they're busy processing signals. The team used this to follow the sight-driven activity in the binocular visual cortex of adult mice.

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U.S. ISP Sues Music Group Over Piracy Allegations

U.S. based Internet provider RCN is suing music rights group BMG. The Internet provider has asked the court to declare that it is not responsible for copyright infringements allegedly committed by its customers. Among other things, RCN argues that the notices sent by BMG’s anti-piracy partner Rightscorp are flawed.

Source: TF, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, torrent sites and ANONYMOUS VPN services.

RCN_Corporation With 400,000 subscribers nationwide, RCN is one of the larger Internet providers in the United States.

Like many other ISPs the company has been overloaded with piracy notices in recent years. One of the most prolific senders is Rightscorp, who submit DMCA notices on behalf of clients including BMG.

These notices are controversial, because they use an aggressive tone paired with settlement demands.

In addition, Rightscorp and its clients claim that ISPs could be held liable for the infringing actions of their customers if they fail to take proper action. This includes disconnecting repeat copyright infringers.

RCN is not pleased with these allegations and this week took legal action. The Internet provider filed a lawsuit against music rights group BMG at a New York federal court, seeking a legal opinion on the matter.

“The central question for this Court’s determination is whether an Internet service provider should be held liable for copyright infringement simply because it provides Internet connectivity to its customers,” RCN writes.

The Internet provider explains that BMG and its anti-piracy partner are demanding payment for the alleged wrongdoings of its customers. In the process, they are bombarding RCN’s mailservers with notices.

“Both BMG and Rightscorp are wrongly demanding payment from RCN for that alleged infringement, and have clearly expressed their intention to enforce these purported rights,” the ISP writes.

“To substantiate its allegations, BMG asserts that RCN is on notice of the alleged wrongdoing by pointing to Rightscorp’s history of inundating RCN’s email server with millions of notifications purportedly reflecting instances of subscriber infringement.”

demandpayment

According to the Internet provider the notices are so numerous and so lacking in specificity, that it’s not feasible to investigate the claims. In addition, RCN points out that Rightscorp’s monitoring technology is flawed for various reasons.

Among other things, the ISP notes that Rightscorp only checks if a small portion of an alleged copyrighted work is shared, not the entire file.

RCN further says that it is not liable for the infringement of its subscribers because it is merely passing on traffic, which allows the company protection under the DMCA’s safe harbor provision.

The company is asking the court to review the matter and issue a declaratory judgment to provide more certainty.

“BMG’s repeated assertions that RCN is liable for copyright infringement lack merit. RCN therefore seeks a judgment from this Court declaring that it is not liable to BMG for copyright infringement,” RCN writes.

rcnrightscorp

This is not the first lawsuit to deal with the question of liability.

In a similar case last year, Internet provider Cox Communications was held responsible for the copyright infringements of its subscribers. In that case a Virginia federal court ordered Cox to pay BMG $25 million in damages.

Given the stakes at hand, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see various other ISPs and copyright holders taking an interest in RCN’s case, as it’s likely to have a wide impact.

The full complaint filed by RCN is available here (pdf).

Source: TF, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, torrent sites and ANONYMOUS VPN services.

Patchday: Microsoft behebt Sicherheitslücke aus Windows 95-Zeiten

Alle Windows-Versionen seit 95 haben eine Sicherheitslücke, die die Manipulation des Datenverkehrs ermöglichen soll. Microsoft bezeichnet das Problem nicht als kritisch, der Entdecker sieht es anders – und will auf der Blackhat mehr verraten. (Microsoft, Browser)

Alle Windows-Versionen seit 95 haben eine Sicherheitslücke, die die Manipulation des Datenverkehrs ermöglichen soll. Microsoft bezeichnet das Problem nicht als kritisch, der Entdecker sieht es anders - und will auf der Blackhat mehr verraten. (Microsoft, Browser)