Congratulations Tennessee! Governor Bill Haslam, has put your state in the national spotlight and, for once, it has nothing to do with Bonnaroo or how bad the Titans are. The republican executive of the state signed a ban on “distressing images” into law last week that we’re sure constitutional lawyers are going to have a field day with. Anyone who sends or posts an image online (and yes, that includes TwitPics) that they “reasonably should know” would “cause emotional distress” could face several months in jail and thousands of dollars in fines. The best part? Anyone who stumbles across the image is a viable “victim” under the law and the government doesn’t even have to prove any harmful intent. So, Tennessee residents who aren’t cautious enough using Google image search could get a few people in trouble. Another, and perhaps more perturbing, part of the same bill also seeks to circumvent restrictions on obtaining private messages and information from social networking sites without a search warrant. We give it about a month before this gets struck down on obvious grounds that it’s unconstitutional. Tennessee law bans ‘distressing images,’ opens your Facebook inbox originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 16:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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This got a bit lost amid all the WWDC 2011 hubbub earlier this week, but Apple quietly delivered a bit of bad news to steadfast Windows XP users with its iCloud announcement. Unlike its MobileMe service and recent versions of iTunes, which have somewhat surprisingly supported Windows XP all this time, use of Apple’s iCloud service on a PC will require either Windows Vista or Windows 7. Of course, XP users shouldn’t feel too bad about being left behind — as TUAW notes, Apple’s only extended support for the Mac version of iTunes 10.3 back to OS X 10.5, which was just released in 2007 (when Windows XP was already starting to tell other upstart operating systems to get off its lawn). [Thanks, Stephen] Windows XP users will finally need to upgrade to enter the iCloud originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 16:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Report: Evidence Mounts that Electronic Interference May Affect Airplane Safety
June 10, 2011 No Comment
In 75 instances between 2003 and 2009, electronic interference was cited as a possible cause of airplane dysfunction, according to a report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Seasoned travelers, and even travelers who fly more than once or twice a year, sometimes find themselves jaded by the rules of the air: required safety
Continue reading …A woman pretended to be a 17-year-old to draw out incriminating evidence from her ex-husband via Facebook. But an investigation after his arrest showed that he was the true online mastermind. Oh, the e-intrigue! According to the Smoking Gun, 29-year-old Angela Voelkert created a fake account for 17-year-old “Jessica Studebaker,” complete with a trashily attractive
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For almost two years now, Google’s been talking up the idea of always-on, always-connected laptops based on a version of its Chrome browser. Local storage, of course, was not an ingredient in the equation. And while a lucky few developers got to put the concept to the test with the help of the CR-48 , it never surfaced as an honest to goodness consumer product. At last, though, the Chromebooks are here, starting with Samsung’s Series 5 , a cute little number that promises instant-on access, 3G connectivity, and long enough battery life to web surf with the best of ‘em. But is this new class of computers — and this solidly built one, in particular — poised to make an impact? Let’s find out. Gallery: Samsung Series 5 Chromebook review Continue reading Samsung Chromebook Series 5 review Samsung Chromebook Series 5 review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Microsoft talks Xbox Live integration in Windows 8, says service will be ‘pervasive’ across devices
June 10, 2011 No Comment
Microsoft’s already brought Xbox Live integration to Windows Phone 7, and it looks like you can count on some similar, if not deeper, integration in Windows 8 as well. Speaking to The Seattle Times , Microsoft VP Mike Delman said that “Live has been successful on the Windows Phone,” and that “Live will be built into the PC. It will be the service where you get your entertainment.” Delman went on to add that “Xbox Live will the pervasive media service across devices,” and that “whether it’s us or Apple or anybody else, people want to be able to navigate through multiple devices in a certain ecosystem very seamlessly so we’re committed to that.” As you might expect, however, he was still fairly light on any further specifics, but he did say that assets like Live and SkyDrive will be unified, and he promised that Microsoft will have plenty more to show at next year’s E3 — according to Delman, “you will not just see consoles and handhelds at this show next year, this show’s going to morph into other devices.” Microsoft talks Xbox Live integration in Windows 8, says service will be ‘pervasive’ across devices originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Microsoft talks Xbox Live integration in Windows 8, says service will be ‘pervasive’ across devices
June 10, 2011 No CommentMicrosoft’s already brought Xbox Live integration to Windows Phone 7, and it looks like you can count on some similar, if not deeper, integration in Windows 8 as well. Speaking to The Seattle Times , Microsoft VP Mike Delman said that “Live has been successful on the Windows Phone,” and that “Live will be built into the PC. It will be the service where you get your entertainment.” Delman went on to add that “Xbox Live will the pervasive media service across devices,” and that “whether it’s us or Apple or anybody else, people want to be able to navigate through multiple devices in a certain ecosystem very seamlessly so we’re committed to that.” As you might expect, however, he was still fairly light on any further specifics, but he did say that assets like Live and SkyDrive will be unified, and he promised that Microsoft will have plenty more to show at next year’s E3 — according to Delman, “you will not just see consoles and handhelds at this show next year, this show’s going to morph into other devices.” Microsoft talks Xbox Live integration in Windows 8, says service will be ‘pervasive’ across devices originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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The long arm of the law may have finally caught up with some of the hackers behind the recent (and seemingly endless ) PSN outage. Authorities in Spain say they have arrested three members of the hacktivist collective Anonymous and seized at least one computer used in the attacks on Sony. Those arrested are believed to have been important in coordinating the group’s activities in the country and to have distributed the Loic DDoS tool to others. Now, of course, the Spanish government will have to be on high alert — if we know one thing about Anonymous, it’s that it is not trigger shy when it comes to exacting revenge. Three suspected members of Anonymous arrested in Spain originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Music collectors in the US will be able to subscribe to Apple’s iTunes Match service this fall, but it looks like our friends across the pond will have to wait a little longer before lofting their libraries up to the cloud. According to sources within the British recording industry, licensing negotiations between Apple and the country’s major labels have only just begun and likely won’t be concluded until 2012. A spokesman for the Performing Right Society, an organization that protects the rights of musicians and songwriters, likened the situation to the launch of iTunes, which only spread to international markets some 14 months after launching in the US. Speaking to the Telegraph , Forrester Research vice president Mark Mulligan echoed these predictions, while offering some insight into the industry’s approach: “Apple’s cloud music service will not launch in the UK until at least quarter one of 2012. These types of negotiations take a long time… For one thing the UK arms of all the major record labels are biding their time and waiting to see how the service affects download sales in the US before they sign up to anything.” Neither Apple nor any of the major labels have commented on the negotiations, but if things drag on we’d be willing to share our cloudy iTunes in exchange for a crack at Spotify. iTunes Match not coming to the UK until 2012? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Primed goes in-depth on the technobabble you hear on Engadget every day — we dig deep into each topic’s history and how it benefits our lives. Looking to suggest a piece of technology for us to break down? Drop us a line at primed *at* engadget *dawt* com . The introduction of Google Wallet felt a little too good to be true, didn’t it? It’s magical, like the tech equivalent of pulling a rabbit out of a hat. In reality, the tech behind mobile payments has been around since 2003 on a much smaller scale using near-field communications , more commonly known as NFC. The idea behind Wallet (amongst other services, like ISIS) is contactless pay — using your phone as a credit card — and is just one of the many ways NFC can be useful in our everyday lives. In fact, we’re only scraping the surface of what’s theoretically possible. Google is definitely not the first company to dabble in NFC, but it appears to be poised and ready to push the tech’s adoption forward at a rapid pace with the advent of Wallet and Offers . Until now the coals have been hot; but if a fire’s going to start, someone monolithic has to throw a few newspapers in as kindling — and Google volunteered. But what good is NFC if it’s just an acronym that causes our eyes to glaze over? Is El Goog the only instigator? After the break we’ll focus on what NFC is capable of, and why we want it on our phones as soon as yesterday. Continue reading Engadget Primed: What is NFC, and why do we care? Engadget Primed: What is NFC, and why do we care? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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