Hasta La Gadget!

Back in January, Twitter announced that it would allow the company to ban content in specific countries upon legal request, rather than restrict it globally to all Twitter users. Now, for the first time, the company has used its new-ish tool, blocking access in Germany to the Twitter account Besseres Hannover, a neo-Nazi group. This action was taken after the Germany Ministry of the Interior for Lower-Saxony sent a request to Twitter asking that the account be removed.

If you were in Germany, visiting the banned Twitter page would reveal the message, “Tweet withheld. This Tweet from @hannoverticket has been withheld in: Germany. Learn more.” When visiting the offending Twitter account in the US, however, it shows up like normal. This is because the account in perfectly legal in the US, but not in Germany, where neo-Nazi hate groups are illegal.

The moment was announce with a simple tweet by Twitter’s general counsel, Alex Macgillivray, which reads: “We announced the ability to withhold content back in Jan. We’re using it now for the first time re: a group deemed illegal in Germany.” This is the same process that Google uses, as well, in censoring information that may be perfectly fine in one locale, but banned or otherwise restricted in another. The thought of censorship in any form draws its fair share of critics.

During the Olympics, Twitter was accused of censoring the social media account of Guy Adams, journalist, who was critical of NBC’s coverage of the event. Twitter apologized, and while many felt that the accusation was unfair, others claimed it hinted at a dangerous trend. Whatever your stance on censorship, it should be noted that Twitter has had this feature for almost a year, and just now used it, indicating that the company isn’t particularly keen on running around blocking content.

[via Marketing Land]

Twitter uses country-block censorship tool for first time in Germany is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Canon has just announced that they will be introducing a new firmware update for their flagship EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. With the latest firmware update, the EOS-1D X will be able to handle AF point illumination during AI Servo AF and cross-type AF for maximum apertures which are as small as f/8. Not only that, to sweeten the deal, this new firmware update can be downloaded for free over at the Canon U.S.A. website as well as via Canon Factory Service Centers.

When you are shooting weddings, portraits, sports, wildlife, and theatrical performance, photographers tend to work in low light conditions, and this new firmware update paves the way for AF points in the EOS-1D X’s viewfinder to be illuminated in red whenever the shutter button is pressed halfway during AI Servo AF, making it far easier to view the selected point in a jiffy. This valuable feature enhances the photographers’ ability to aim the camera accurately under such conditions, and exposure-metering accuracy will be maintained as illumination is intermittent instead of continuous. Have you downloaded the firmware update already? [Press Release]

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Canon EOS 7D gets new firmware update, Canon EOS-1D X makes a splash,

The NuForce S3-BT is an active loudspeaker that supports high-fidelity (apt-X and AAC) Bluetooth wireless connectivity. Measuring 18 cm x 11.6 cm x 19 cm and weighing 2.5 kg, the speaker consists of a 1-inch soft dome tweeter, two 3.5-inch composite paper cone woofer, producing a maximum power output of 18 Watt x 2 RMS. The woofer is constructed using a patented “anti-resonance” cone technique and powerful magnet assembly, while the tweeter is a custom soft-dome design to provide the lowest distortion and smoothest natural response. Priced at $299, the NuForce S3-BT Bluetooth 4.0 speaker is currently available for pre-order. [NuForce]

Microsoft’s Surface tablet has generated a massive buzz over the last few weeks, culminating in the lowest priced option, the $499 32GB tablet sans-cover, having already sold out in pre-orders. The device was opened to pre-orders yesterday, and is now backordered by three weeks. For now, the other two models are available for shipping on October 26th.

At first glance, this is a bit of a head-scratcher. The $499 model Surface doesn’t include the cover, which is a pressure sensitive keyboard that doubles as a trackpad. This essentially means that a whole lot of buyers purchased a rather expensive tablet running Windows RT, missing out on half of the Surface experience. It’s worth noting that the next model up includes a black cover, so it’s possible that many buyers elected to buy a different color cover separately. We also don’t know what Microsoft’s initial supply numbers were, throwing a variable into the mix.

The $599 Surface RT has 32GB of internal storage space, and includes a black cover. The $699 model features 64GB of internal storage sapce, and also includes a black cover. For those who want something a bit more colorful, a type cover can be purchased separately for $129.99 in blue, pink, or red. A white touch cover can be purchased for $119.99. The type cover resembles a normal laptop keyboard, and includes a full set of function keys.

Microsoft declined to offer specifics. When asked about the number of units sold, the spokesperson said, “No numbers to share, the $499 one is now on back order so that means the SKU is out but all three SKUs will be ready for launch day.” While time will tell whether the Surface ends up being a hit for Microsoft, it certainly is off to a good start.

[via Computer World]

Microsoft sells out of $499 Surface RT pre-orders is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

June 23, 2012 marked the 100 year anniversary of mathematician and logician Alan Turing‘s birth. It was celebrated around the world in his honor. Alan Turing was a genius, a visionary, and a war hero. He developed a machine that cracked the German Enigma code during World War II, helping to end the war early, saving millions of lives. He has been called the father of computer science and artificial intelligence. His Turing Machine was one of the earliest models of a modern computer, illustrating the simple and brilliant logic necessary for algorithmic processing.

Alan Turing was also gay. And in post-war England, this was a crime. He was unafraid to live his life the only way he knew how, and his tragic end is a testament to his strength and character. In honor of LGBT history month, join me in celebrating the life of Alan Turing.

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