An enthusiastic X-Men fan has made his own magnetic shoes to walk on the ceiling.
This is one of the funniest and spectacular feats (pun intended) I have ever seen. I will be keeping an eye out for this guy to see what he comes up with next.
If you could make a superhero power a reality, whose/what would it be? Leave a comment below!
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
The days of swiping the iconic yellow and blue card at train stations (and then swiping again because it didn't swipe properly the first few attempts, and now there's a line of impatient New Yorkers behind you cursing under their breath) may soon come to an end.
The MTA announced on Monday that it expects the 20-year-old MetroCard (feel old yet?) will be replaced with a touch-friendly system that will be designed by the end of the year and introduced in 2016, phasing out over three years until fully replaced by 2020, according to reports.
Aaron Donovan, a spokesman for the MTA, told Gothamist early this year that the electronic system "would be a new fare payment system that is based on a form of technology for payment, which is technically known as the RFID or NFC for near-field communication type of payment."
This type of system is used in Europe and is similar to London's Oyster Card, and will allow straphangers to tap sensors with their smartphones, credit cards, or other RFID or NFC-enabled devices to pass through subway turnstiles.
According to Time Out New York, the cost of producing an estimated 80 million MetroCards for 2014 alone is around $6 million, so this technology may save the MTA a substantial amount of money in the long run—that is if installing the system pays off, since the digital upgrade is reliant on other industries to implement the technology.
While this does away with those flimsy cards that always find themselves tossed on the ground throughout stations (eco-activits rejoice)—not to mention the annoying $1 surcharge for a new one—and the dated and expensive vending machines, could the new system be potential grounds for opportunistic thieves to score iPhones and credit cards from commuters, adding to the spike in smartphone thefts that are already a cause for concern? Moreso, RFID-technology isn't all that secure, as we've seen in last year's wide-spread credit card theft at Target stores.
Another challenge is that the MTA may have failed to realize that not everyone has or can afford a smartphone—especially school-aged commuters that rely on student MetroCards. And according to a study commissioned by the Department of Consumer Affairs' (DCA) Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE), more than 825,000—13 percent—of adults in New York City do not have bank accounts.
Though the change will take a few years, Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road commuters are close to being able to buy tickets via their phones and tablets, the New York Post reported.
Lets just hope this doesn't encourage the MTA to raise fairs even more—oh hell, we all know it will.
What do you think about the coming changes? Do you think we're technically advanced for this yet or should the money be better spent actually improving the train service (really, it should). Let us know in the comment section below!
The argument about artificial intelligence (AI) has been heated since before Stephen King crapped Christine. Interestingly enough, intelligent minds say it has more validity than most people give credit for. AI could literally change the lives of every person on the planet, not only because they would have plenty more time to shape their figures into figures similar to the people on Wall-E, but because it would literally change everything we know and think about the world around us.
If robots can do all the work, the inevitability of socialism would undoubtedly drop. The wool over our eyes would be pulled back. No person would have the heap of excuses for not accomplishing anything any longer. After all, and some minds were intelligent enough to figure this out before, eventually no person would have to work, and there would be no reason to make them do so. That's socialism, unless we don't plan on feeding the people when we have no reason to refuse. Business? What business? I have no need for money, because I'm taken care of by robots of human invention. Socialism. Sorry to break it to you, but it's not as evil as we all thought, especially when everyone is cared for like a rich baby.
The space race would be the joke of the last era if we had AI. It would be the Earth space project, and we would be star trekking in no time. After all, Jesus said, "It is less likely for a rich man to make it to Heaven, than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle." The problem? What would this AI think about us? Are we worth keeping around? What sort of conscience would it have?
Perhaps it's time for a rewind, because I sense you are laughing. The Independent ran an op-ed Sunday containing some of the concerns of famed physicist Stephen Hawking, one of few brave enough to take on Einstein. Stephen Hawking's concerns over the future advancements in AI probably came as a surprise to most, as the common consensus is that nonliving material cannot manifest a soul and cannot thereby be animated in the sense that a living being can be. "Success in creating AI would be the biggest event in human history," Hawking wrote. "Unfortunately, it might also be the last."
Hawking outlined the progress in robotics to date—robotically-driven vehicles, digital personal assistance, all the information we could ever need at our fingertips almost anywhere. People don't even need to pick up maps anymore. We are currently in the beginning stages of building our own science fiction setting. Hawking's issue? Is the Earth rapidly becoming the sort of sci-fi blockbuster we want to take part in, i.e., Human victims similar to those in The Matrix?
Will we soon be living sci-fi? In other words, will sci-fi be known as science fact? There is no shortage of financing for AI start-ups. The ever-crushing titan that is Google is at the helm and with such competition, other companies will not be short with ideas to squeeze in next to the beast. It's a fact that has Hawking saying,"All of us should ask ourselves what we can do now to improve the chances of reaping the benefits and avoiding the risks."
Regarding the common consensus of people concerning robots and conscience: coursing through the human body is a combination of earthly metals, soil nutrients, and a powerhouse that turns mass into fuel. It's no less likely for a man-made earthly contraption to be intelligent and capable of independent thinking than for an environmentally manufactured biological contraption. Perhaps we should be asking this: is Hawking correct? We all know it is in our nature to rush to the next level. We are still the tots outside who pick up something icky and stick it in our mouths. Too bad our mommies aren't trying to stop us. Tell me what you think downstairs.
You're probably wondering why Fanboys Anonymous, a website dedicated to entertainment, technology, and geek culture, is featuring a device that is primarily sports related. The answer is simple. When we see something that has the awesome potential to change lives for the better, we like to pass on the good word!
 |
| Disclaimer: Doesn't come with electronic Darth Vader sound effects! |
 |
| Henry Winkler can't breathe, fetch me "The Official Bas Rutten O2 Trainer!" *wink-wink* |
 |
| Bas kicking a dude in the head. |
So if you're sitting indoors, browsing the Internet, watching movies, and reading comics on a sunny day by no fault of your own, you may consider visiting the official page and seeing if this is for you. I have a feeling that this is going to change a lot of lives. Victory dance?
Sound off, Fanboys! For all the complex-sounding devices and drugs that come and go in the world of sports and online shopping, once in a while there comes something that just makes sense. Maybe spread the word, if you have an unhealthy friend or two, because it may be worth a read to them. Thanks for reading and feel free to comment below. You can also visit the official Facebook page here!
Apple Maps has never had the best reputation but now is being credited with helping to find a creature of mystery that has eluded even the most experienced of monster hunters—until now.
Amateur monster hunters Andy Dixon and Peter Thain came across an intriguing image that shows "something" in the water. The photo was taken directly from Apple's satellite images, which got off to a rocky start a couple years ago with images like this:
Upon finding the image by chance, Dixon and Thain immediately contacted the Official Loch Ness Monster Club (you heard me).
"Whatever it is, it's just below the surface and heading south, so unless there have been secret submarine trials going on in the loch, the size of the object would make it likely to be Nessie," said Gary Campbell, a club representative.
It appears less like the famous plesiosaur and more like giant catfish, the wake of a passing boat, or just a glitch from an earlier photo capture.
The image has caught headlines worldwide but is finding little in the way of credibility. Currently, there are no plans for further investigation via satellite imagery. Do we want to know more? Dig deeper? Or is this picture clearly of something, anything, else?
A major online security bug, called "Heartbleed," plagued the Internet early this week, compromising the private and financial information of millions in a server flaw that has left major websites vulnerable.
The widespread bug surfaced the Internet on Monday, forcing major sites to scurry for a patch in their servers. Affecting everything from emails and social media accounts to e-tailers and online banks, it permits cyber-criminals to access usernames, passwords, credit card information, and other sensitive information without leaving any trace. Heartbleed also allows access to a websites's cryptographic keys to impersonate the site and exploit more information.
A Google Inc. security engineer and researchers at the Finnish security firm Codenomicon discovered the server flaw, CNN reported.
Heartbleed went undetected for two years, according to the Washington Post, and was found in the OpenSSL software that's behind many HTTPS sites and is used by an estimated two-thirds of the Internet's servers to encrypt sensitive information. It has been reported that at least 500,000 servers were left vulnerable, although it's uncertain as to which have actually been affected.
The most notable open source web servers using OpenSSL are Apache and nginx. These web servers are used on 66% of all websites, according to Netcraft's April 2014 Web Server Survey.
Codenomicon created a website that provides an in-depth look at Heartbleed, stating that the bug "allows anyone on the Internet to read the memory of the systems protected by the vulnerable versions of the OpenSSL software. This compromises the secret keys used to identify the service providers and to encrypt the traffic, the names and passwords of the users and the actual content. This allows attackers to eavesdrop on communications, steal data directly from the services and users, and to impersonate services and users."
Codenomicon tested the vulnerability of their servers, hacking in without leaving a trace. "Without using any privileged information or credentials, we were able to steal from ourselves the secret keys used for our X.509 certificates, usernames and passwords, instant messages, emails, and business critical documents and communication," the company wrote on their website.
There is little users can do to protect their information until websites patch their servers. All users are strongly urged to change their passwords and delete cookies on each website they frequent after it's confirmed that the site has patched its servers.
Among the sites where it's safe to change your password are Facebook, Google, YouTube, Gmail, Yahoo, Tumblr, Flickr, and OKCupid.
Amazon, AOL, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citibank, HSBC, LinkedIn, Microsoft Hotmail and Outlook, PayPal, PNC, TD Bank, Twitter, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo have been unaffected as they use different software. However, American Express, Apple, iCloud and iTunes are still in the process of being patched, so do not change your password for those accounts since doing so would affect your new password as well.
There is no easy fix for the "small coding error," according to CNN. In order to protect data and encryption keys, websites must upgrade to the patched version of OpenSSL, revoke compromised SSL certificates, and have new certificates issued.
Mark Maxey, a director for cybersecurity firm Accuvant, told Reuters that, "Due to the complexity and difficulty in upgrading many of the affected systems, this vulnerability will be on the radar for attackers for years to come."
CNN has kept an ongoing tally of all websites that have been affected and patched so far. Click here to see which websites are safe and which to stay away from. You can also test websites using the Heartbleed test or the SSL Server Test.
If you are worried about your personal information on the Internet or have any questions, let us know in the comment section below.
Meet five-year-old Kristoffer Von Hassel, the youngest security researcher ever credited with working for Microsoft. He's just been paid off with $50, four free video games, and a free year of Xbox Live Gold membership for reporting a major security flaw in the Xbox One's log in security system!
Kristoffer recently managed to access his dad's gamer profile apparently by entering the wrong credentials and then filling the password entry box with spaces. As is with most innocent kids, the young boy's glee was replaced with anxiety, and the possibility of getting in trouble and having his games taken away got to him. With that, he owned up to his dad and they chose to report the flaw to Microsoft, resulting in a cache of goodies that Kristoffer's dad probably ran away with whilst laughing maniacally….
Sound off, Fanboys! Any of you just lose out on a second Christmas there? Comment below and thanks for reading.
In yet another major multibillion-dollar venture for Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook has bought virtual reality gaming company Oculus VR for $2 billion, Business Insider reports.
 |
| A prototype of the company's VR headset, the Oculus Rift. |
Though still in pre-orders for $350 each, the Oculus Rift VR headset—with its low-persistence OLED display and low-latency positional head tracking—will certainly change gaming. The device fully immerses you into a virtual reality world, and Zuckerberg sees it as just the beginning for a new communication platform.
Virtual reality has been embedded in science fiction for decades. Oculus' technology proves that we're that much closer to the future of entertainment and gaming.
According to Zuckerberg, Facebook's mission is to "make the world more open and connected," far beyond their agenda towards building mobile apps over the past few years. "We have a lot more to do on mobile, but at this point we feel we're in a position where we can start focusing on what platforms will come next to enable even more useful, entertaining, and personal experiences," he continued.
Oculus echoed this news:
"At first glance, it might not seem obvious why Oculus is partnering with Facebook, a company focused on connecting people, investing in internet access for the world and pushing an open computing platform. But when you consider it more carefully, we're culturally aligned with a focus on innovating and hiring the best and brightest; we believe communication drives new platforms; we want to contribute to a more open, connected world; and we both see virtual reality as the next step."Facebook's first initiative after absorbing the virtual reality company will be immersive gaming. Oculus has big plans for the industry, and Zuckerberg reassures us that Facebook will give Oculus the resources to develop their technology more quickly, while leaving the developers free to work independently. "The Rift is highly anticipated by the gaming community, and there's a lot of interest from developers in building this platform," he said. "We're going to focus on helping Oculus build out their product and develop partnerships to support more games."
Facebook plans to extend virtual reality beyond video games. With the new technology, "we're going to make Oculus a platform for many other experiences," Zuckerberg said, describing the possibilities of a courtside seat at a game or a virtual classroom filled with students from around the world—just by the use of the headset.
Oculus isn't the only company in the market developing VR technology. SONY recently announced their own prototype VR headset for PS4. With a much sleeker black and white design, Project Morpheus will be available for developers soon, though no release date has been set.
Zuckerberg has high hopes for Oculus, saying, "Imagine sharing not just moments with your friends online, but entire experiences and adventures."
What do you think of the deal? Is Facebook taking on too much with their past multibillion-dollar ventures? Let us know in the comment section below.
Luckily, cover photos remain mostly unchanged. Your custom design made to fit the dimensions of 851x315 should still fit snugly into place. However, the thumbnail for the designated profile picture is now significantly larger, therefore overlapping more of the cover photo.
Easily redesign your new cover photo by downloading this PSD template and using the tutorial video below.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE NEW LAYOUT?
TELL US IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!
On March 6, 2014 Channel News Asia reported details about the investigation on the sudden death of Autumn Radtke, the CEO of the virtual currency exchange firm First Meta. Radtke was only 28 years old when she died. She was found at the bottom of an apartment block in Singapore, China by police on the morning of February 26.
The first investigation into the cause of her death revealed that no foul play was involved. She was found on the second-level parapet of the apartment console, but officials still do not know which floor she lived on.
There is reason to believe that she may have committed suicide due to the unsteady situation of the virtual currency Bitcoin (Source: The Diplomat). After the flaw with Bitcoin currency, the Mt. Gox crash, a few months ago, and the inconsistent value of Bitcoin, there were many problems dealing with cryptocurrency (Source: Cryptocoins News). However, based on Business Insider's report, Bitcoin has yet again saved itself from these problems and has increased to $700.
Even though this may be the case with Bitcoin, Ratke was a very successful woman. Despite her young age, she had worked with Fortune 500 companies such as Apple, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, Clear Channel, and Universal. Ratke's career in the technology sector began beside billionaire Richard Branson, working as a Virgin Charter consultant.
In 2008, she became the CEO for First Meta, which was the company that brought about the first virtual credit card, used in online games such as Second Life. First Meta does not focus on Bitcoin alone like Mt. Gox does: "First Meta would accept all different types of virtual currencies both centralized and decentralized. Bitcoin was but many of the options that First Meta offered to its customers" (Source: Cryptocoins News).
In regard to Ratke's death, First Meta has said that they are "shocked and saddened by the tragic loss" (Source: CBC News). No one knows for sure what happened to Ratke. There may have been several different reasons why she may or may not have committed suicide. Tell us how you feel about this news in the comments section below.
On March 4th, FunnyOrDie.com played a practical joke on the nerd world: hoverboards are real! There was a video (very well produced, by the way) featuring Billy Zane, Moby, Tony Hawk (who would have clearly been the perfect spokesperson for the supposed product), and none other than Christopher "Doc Brown" Lloyd.
 |
| Well played, T.H. |
It was a cool hoax. The visual effects were well done, and it was nice to see Christopher Lloyd get into it. The best part is that many many people all over the web really fell for it. I searched "hoverboard" on Google, and I found an avalanche of websites reporting the hoax and how it had everyone upset about the technology's illegitimacy, to the point where I gave up my search for scientific information on the progress made thus far in actual research. I guess powerlaces will have to do for our Back To The Future wishlist. Of course, the true year of the hoverboard is 2015, so let's wait for next year and see if something doesn't actually work. Perhaps we'll get fourteen more Jaws movies until then. Flying cars? Nah, too retro-passé.
In the real world, the technology is not impossible, but it is far too impractical as of yet. If they made magnetic hoverboards and tracks for them, we could have them by next Christmas. The maneuvers displayed in the video would not be possible, however, because the angle of the magnets needs to be VERY precise or you'd just fall and injure yourself on the tracks. Yikes!
 |
| In case you're wondering, this is the closest thing we have. |
It's always good to dream, though. In fact, the dream lives on in the form of an actual hovercraft called the Airboard, designed by Kevin Inkster. It's a big lug of a machine, but at least it hovers via a high-powered propeller. That's the closest we have so far.
Oh, an open message to the world: don't fuck with our dreams again. I'm still mad about the Warcraft Adventures hoax a few years back. Have a nice day…unless you guys can think of a more cruel hoax? Comment!
Nike designer Tinker Hatfield has given the world hope that the future is, indeed, now. Hatfield, speaking at Jordan Brand's Flight Lab space in New Orleans teased, "Are we going to see power laces in 2015?…To that, I say, YES!"
 |
| Batter up! |
Now it looks as though a new version of the shoes might be released in 2015 with the original light accents and self-tying laces. Was Hatfield actually serious in his comments, or just trying to get a round of applause for fun? Who knows, but hope floats and so do hoverboards.
 |
| You made a time machine...out of LEGO? |
Over the years, Back to the Future has remained as popular as ever. Making the rounds are a variety of exclusive models of the DeLorean (LEGO, Hot Wheels, etc) and the annual "Future Day" meme. The meme seems to go out annually, trying to trick people into thinking "today is the day Marty McFly traveled to." For your reference, the real date will be 21 October 2015. This year, however, The Michael J. Fox show featured a guest appearance by Doc Brown himself, Christopher Lloyd.
In the long, run, these shoes may not actually be released. If they do, it may be a limited run and for charity again. Either way, 2015 is going to be a popular year for Back to the Future merchandise.
What do you think? Would you own a pair of these shoes? Even just for charitable purposes?
YouTube just doesn't ever seem to be happy with what it has and feels the need to tinker around with its layout every couple of months. Thus it should come as no surprise that in February 2014, Google has launched yet another change. Although the new look keeps many of the same elements of the One Layout concept that was implemented before, there are some changes that will affect everyone who wants to have a balanced cover photo.
While everyone is scrambling to redo their graphics, we here at Fanboys Anonymous figured we would give you the heads up and do the heavy lifting for you. We present to you a Photoshop template that you can use to make sure you get the right measurements the first time around instead of playing with it and readjusting it a million times.
If you would like to download the PSD template seen below, go to MediaFire here.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE NEW LAYOUT?
TELL US IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!
Facebook has announced that it will now offer a customizable gender option to appeal to its transgender members, adding about 50 different terms people can use to identify as.
Transgender members amongst Facebook's 159 million monthly users in the United Sates will now be able to choose how they are represented on the social network. International users will soon share the option.
Facebook said in a post on its Diversity page:
When you come to Facebook to connect with the people, causes, and organizations you care about, we want you to feel comfortable being your true, authentic self. An important part of this is the expression of gender, especially when it extends beyond the definitions of just "male" or "female." So today, we're proud to offer a new custom gender option to help you better express your own identity on Facebook.
Facebook collaborated with a group of leading LGBTQ advocacy organizations to come up with the new gender categories, CNN reported.
Among the new gender options are: Trans Female, Trans Male, Trans Person, Transsexual, MTF or FTM, Bigender, Androgynous, Cis-gender, Cis-Female, Cis-Male, Gender Nonconforming, Genderqueer, Pangender, Gender Variant, and Gender Questioning.
The new feature also allows users to select a custom pronoun that will represent them across the website, such as "her," "him," or "them."
Users will also have the option to control who can view their custom gender.
"This new feature is a step forward in recognizing transgender people and allows them to tell their authentic story in their own words," GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis—whose LBGT rights organization worked with Facebook on the new feature—said in a statement, NBC reported. "Once again, Facebook is on the forefront of ensuring that the platform is safe and accessible to all of its LGBT users.""There's going to be a lot of people for whom this is going to mean nothing, but for the few it does impact, it means the world," said Facebook software engineer, Brielle Harrison, to LGBTQ Nation.
In a major step by Facebook for its 1.23 billion users around the world, they are the first of the social media giants that offers a custom gender option. While Google+ offers male, female, and "other" as choices, the more specific terms will set Facebook apart from its competitors.
However, Facebook's advertising targets users according to "male" or "female," so for those who opt. to use the custom gender, ads will be targeted based on the pronoun they select. Advertisers will not be able target to the transgender community—at least not yet, anyways. Additionally, changing of your gender is not perceived as a "life event" and will not post publicly on your timeline.
With Facebook and other social media outlets becoming a person's online identity, the basic addition plays a significant role in the nation's growing transgender rights movement, allowing users to comfortably and accurately represent themselves.
To further support the LGBT community, Facebook added the options of "In a Civil Union" and "In a Domestic Partnership" in 2011, and in 2012, gay marriage timeline icons were added.
Transgender activists have long been pushing for a gender-neutral option. LGBT rights network, All Out, started an online petition demanding the change, gaining 38,566 signatures as of today.
According to The Human Rights Campaign, roughly three-quarters (73 percent) of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youths it surveyed in 2013 say they are more honest about themselves online than in the real world. The survey reported that 56 percent of LGBT youth have said they came out to their immediate family, with only a quarter coming out to their extended family.
With LGBT youth being two times as likely to be verbally harassed at school—identifying at a younger and younger age—Facebook addresses the need to be comfortable with who you are and how you are represented on the Internet.
This is a crucial milestone to the overall acceptance of the LGBT community on the Internet, and hopefully other social networks follow suit. Let us know how you feel about the changes in the comments section below.
Twitter is testing a completely new design on its website, making it a mash between its rival Facebook and Google+.
Users may have noticed a whole new look to their Twitter profile late Tuesday night. The huge update contains a larger main photo and bio on the left and a significantly emphasized header photo on top.
 |
| Twitter's new profile design |
The new stream departs from its signature look of a vertical timeline of tweets, leaving greater focus on photos and videos. A newly added "photos/videos" category is joined under the header by tweet count, who you're following, your followers, favorited tweets, and lists. It also added the date in which the user joined the social media site.
Twitter is known to quietly test new features and updates on a few randomly selected users before rolling them out to the general user, Mashable said.
"We are constantly evolving the product," Twitter's vice president for engineering told TIME's Techland. "Some changes are visible—they may help you protect your Twitter account or make it easier to share photos; others are under-the-hood changes that help us suggest relevant contact in real time and make Twitter more engaging."
Twitter follows other social media outlets as they create a more visual experience for users, making photo and video sharing a main focus.
If you would like to alter your header photo, the recommended photo size is 1500 x 500 pixels.
Love it? Hate it? Let us know what you think about the new design in the comment section below.
Do you ever look at people that say, "well now I've seen it all" and laugh/scream on the inside for long periods of time? Do you ever feel the need to grab them by the shoulders and shake them violently, yelling "stop encouraging them!"? By them I mean the people that come up with inventions, such as the one I'm about to introduce you to.
It's Valentine's Day in a day's time, and you're counting on the local store having an abundance of chocolate and vodka. If you're really classy, you've probably thrown in some of the same stuff you buy your special lady-friend every year, like…perfume, and…can you tell I don't do this?
Well thanks to some mad boffins, say hello to your girlfriend's new wake-up call, the Wake-Up Vibe!
 |
| I shit you not. |
The Wake-Up Vibe is essentially an ergonomically designed vibrator with a timer that women place in their underwear the night before (if they sleep in their underwear, that is) and wakes them up on time with hands-free, er…seriously, though?! In the UK, this is retailing at about £44.99, so that's going to be upward of $70 in the US. But beware, all you romantic geeks, because we're not quite sure what kind of an effect this is going to have on the lady.
Does this mean you'll get a longer lie-in (actual sleep) from now on? Does it mean you'll be expected to perform twice as much in the mornings instead, seeing as so many of these Duracell Bunny-devouring devices turn out to be nothing more than warm-up sessions for most? What if your girlfriend loses her job because she was waking up just fine, but just couldn't get out of bed in the mornings? Goddammit, what if it's the best thing you ever bought her and this happens:
 |
| Permanently. |
Sound off, fanboys! Which poor sap's going to end up watching Nicholas Sparks films this year? Comments below and thanks again for reading.
Hey hey hey, Dacetacular Fanboys Nation, Chris Dace here bringing you some more geek news that's hot off the internet presses. When current CEO Steve Ballmer stepped down on February 4, 2014, the world of Microsoft was thrown into mystery.
Ballmer, who led the company as CEO after the nerve-wracking Y2K scare—and also the man who replaced Microsoft legend Bill Gates—announced last August that "within twelve months" he'd be calling it quits. Well, the day has come to announce his successor, and that man is... Satya Nadella. In the past few weeks leading up to this epic announcement, many believed the front-runner to the race was going to be Nadella, Microsoft’s former cloud and enterprise head. Nadella will be Microsoft's third CEO since the company's birth in 1980.
With the news of Satya's appointment comes the news that Bill Gates will step down as chairman of the board and take on a new technology adviser role to "devote more time to the company." And with him stepping down, the man who led the new CEO search, John Thompson, will take Gates' place.
Prior to joining the Microsoft family, Nadella worked with Sun Microsystems as a member of its technology staff. Before taking the mantle of EVP for Microsoft's Cloud initiative, Nadella had accomplished much within Microsoft's walls—President of the server and tools business; Senior VP of R&D for the online services division; VP of the business division; senior VP of the search, portal and advertising platform group; VP of development for the business solutions group and GM of Consumer and Commerce. In the press release regarding his appointment, Nadella was quoted as saying:
"Microsoft is one of those rare companies to have truly revolutionized the world through technology, and I couldn’t be more honored to have been chosen to lead the company..... The opportunity ahead for Microsoft is vast, but to seize it, we must focus clearly, move faster and continue to transform. A big part of my job is to accelerate our ability to bring innovative products to our customers more quickly."For more perspective from the new head of Microsoft, check out his first interview below as the CEO of Microsoft.
As always, check back regularly to see what Chris "The Dace Man" Dace is looking at—and no, not just porn—as well as all of the other bloggers here at Fanboys Anonymous. Remember, keyboard warriors: leave your feedback! Until the next time, for the few, the proud, and of course the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and in this case your copy of MS-DOS 1.x —and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!
On Feb. 4, Facebook will celebrate it's tenth birthday. After it was created in a Harvard University dorm room by Mark Zuckerberg and his friends, TheFacebook.com forever changed the landscape of social media, how breaking news is shared and how companies and businesses promote their products.
Over the past decade, Facebook has undergone a plethora of changes including dropping its "The" from the domain name to make it simply "Facebook.com," and several layout changes that have further enhanced the social media experience.
But have you ever wondered how much time you've actually wasted skimming your News Feed, updating your status, uploading photos and liking pages? This "Facebook Time Machine" can calculate the number of days, hours and minutes you've spent on Facebook based on your estimated daily usage and the number of posts since you first joined.
 |
| techland.time.com |
Since it's launch in 2004, Facebook has gained 1.23 billion users around the world and has a net worth of around $135 billion, according to Business Week.
Even though Facebook users have complained about the changes to the layout of the social website, Zuckerberg has unveiled his future initiatives that will span over the next decade, Business Today reported.
His plans include highly personalized targeted ads in News Feeds, standalone apps like Facebook Messenger and Instagram that will deliver unique experiences, Search Graphs and cheaper, more functional devices and data centers. He also plans on bringing Internet access to the two-thirds of people throughout the world who are not connected.
In 2012, Facebook bought the popular photo-sharing app, Instagram, for $1 billion and put itself ahead of its online competitors such as Twitter and Tumblr.
Zuckerberg told Business Week that companies often lose their way during major transitions. "We're really at this point where we can take a step back and think about the next big things that we want to do," Zuckerberg said.
Hitting another milestone, the internet entrepreneur turns 30 this year.
Let us know how many days you've wasted on Facebook in the comment section below.
In my previous article on bitcoins I explained what they are and summarized how the bitcoin system works. Based on my opinion, I thought that the situation with bitcoins was a bit shaky. Indeed, I was not mistaken. Along with the increase in the development of bitcoins, the number of countries who are trying to regulate their use is increasing as well, even though the whole purpose of bitcoins was that they could not be regulated by any central bank, let alone any government.
.jpg "An image of a bitcoin: Libertas, Aequitas, Veritas")
So what exactly is the situation with bitcoins now? Well, in the most recent news, Business Insider says that in the United States a "civil war is emerging between Bitcoin's earliest and most libertarian adopters, and a more commercial wing seeking to embrace regulation as a means of legitimizing Bitcoin businesses."
The escalating feud between these two sides will soon lead to what Business Insider has called a Bitcoin Civil War! The feud started with two events: The first was the hearing for Bitcoin license, which according to the podcast "E79-A Bitcoin World" on LetsTalkBitcoin took place on January 28. During the first hearing, the courts proclaimed that companies who use bitcoins should all have bitcoin licenses. After the hearing, according to some tweets, supporters of bitcoins were not that worried about this:
The second event was the arrest of Charlie Shrem, CEO of BitInstant, on charges for money laundering. According to reports, Shrem was "accused of selling over $1 million in bitcoins to Silk Road users, who would then use them to buy drugs and illicit items."
With Shrem's arrest and more government control over bitcoins, it seems now that it is becoming more difficult for any other bitcoin start-up companies to establish themselves.
Another concern that comes to mind regarding government regulation is the anonymity of bitcoin itself. Bitcoins were different than regular money because they offered people the freedom to do whatever they wanted, developing or purchasing as many bitcoins as they needed, without the scrutiny of government institutions such as banks, taxes, etc.
As Amir Taaki says on LetsTalkBitcoin: "Bitcoin is a tool of resistance gifted to us by Satoshi (the founder of bitcoins). The idea has escaped and the idea of countercurrency will not be stopped. Bitcoin or some other cryptocurrency will succeed."
Tell us what you think about regulations for bitcoins!
In 2001, Assemblyman Felix W. Ortiz (D-Brooklyn) passed the bill that banned the use of handheld cellphones while driving. Thirteen years later, he has introduced legislation that may expand to include the use of Google Glass, saying it's just as dangerous as a cellphone, his website released earlier this month.
 |
| Google Glass - Google.com |
"Okay Glass, take me home," a Glass wearer could say to retrieve turn-by-turn directions straight in front of his or her right eye. You may think this would be the answer to cellphone-free driving, but Ortiz thinks otherwise.
With invasion of privacy and potential illegal recording in movie theaters at the forefront of the device's legal concerns, state legislatures are now pushing for a statewide ban on the use of Google Glass while driving.
There are yet to be any laws set in place against the use of Glass while driving, although California resident Cecilia Abadie was ticketed last October for speeding and driving while using Google Glass, San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
 |
| Google Glass directions |
The amount of information Google Glass is able to convey has the potential to become a dangerous distraction for drivers.
A spokesman for Google told ABC News in October that users "should always use Glass responsibly and put their safety and the safety of others first."
Google Glass is not yet sold to the general public and is only available to a select few in the Google Explorer program. According to Google, the device can take pictures and video, give directions, translate your voice, answer questions, send a message, and provide information on flight times—all through the tiny screen above your right eye.
As far as safety goes while driving, Google Glass has a DriveSafe app that is intended to keep drivers awake, Buffalo News said. The app will project audible alerts if it senses that the driver is dozing behind the wheel.
Do you think the proposed legislation is fair? Let us know in the comment section below.
