Ford and General Motors have been both slapped with a class action lawsuit from the Alliance of Artists and Recording Companies on behalf of 300,000 artists and record labels. At the heart of the issue is the companies’ CD-ripping feature in some cars, which is said to violate copyright law. The information comes from TorrentFreak, which says that it has … Continue reading
When it comes to keeping trade secrets, well, a secret, Motorola has been doing a pretty good job thus far, although one cannot say the same about the Moto 360 smartwatch. Well, a trademark that was recently filed by Motorola could point to a possible future release, where the trademark’s name is Moto Maxx – and it has been spotted on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s website.
This particular filing was made by Motorola just slightly more than a week ago on the 22nd of July, where the whole point of this trademark is to use it for“Mobile phones, smartphones and accessories therefor, namely, battery chargers and adapters.”
While Motorola did roll out its fair share of smartphones before that carried the “Maxx” name, it is interesting to note that all of them happened to arrive with large batteries. Extremely large ones, I might add. The more recent smartphone releases in the form of the Moto X, Moto G and Moto E do point to a possible new non-Droid Maxx smartphone, and chances are this would also mean a large battery in the process.
Would you be interested in a smartphone that is svelte and looks good, but will need more frequent charging, or one that can last the entire day and beyond?
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If you are a mobile phone user residing in the U.S., chances are you would have fallen under this particular category – to be a victim of ‘cramming’. Basically, ‘cramming’ involves unauthorized charges into your mobile phone bill, and the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee did share that U.S. phone users could have ended up paying a total to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars over time throughout these years.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, shared, “Scammers figured out a way to beat the system. They have been absolutely relentless in doing so.”
How does cramming work? It more often than not starts with small companies that deliver juicy details such as celebrity gossip, ring tones or other similar services to your device. All money will be collected by cellphone providers however, and that would include the major players such as AT&T, T-Mobile US, Verizon, or Sprint, where the revenue is then split between the small companies and the cellphone providers.
There are select carrier policies that empowers vendors to bill consumers non-stop even when the vendors had gone through a few months of non-stop high consumer refund rates, with certain documents pointing to such a practice continuing in spite of vendor refund rates which topped 50% of monthly revenues at times. Hopefully such a practice will be put to a stop, and that there will be proper enforcement carried out in due time.
Senate Study: U.S. Cellphone Users Are ‘Cramming’ Victims
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They say that good things come to those who wait, and for the masses who were wowed by the fact that a high definition TV could bend to become straight from its curved form factor, it looks as though you do not have far too long to wait any more. Samsung’s bendable TV is all set to debut this coming 1st of August in where else, but its home country of South Korea.
Just to refresh our memories, the 85” version of this bendable behemoth was spotted at CES earlier this year, but one ought to take note that the 1st of August release of this bendable TV will not be the 85” model, but rather, it will be a wee bit smaller at 78” in size. Would it make that much of a difference in your viewing experience? Not really, but I suppose for the extremely particular, it would.
There is still no word as to how much this particular model will cost when it finally arrives day after tomorrow in South Korea, but chances are with something of this magnitude and capability, it is not going to be cheap in the first place. Who do you think will win the duel of flexible TVs among the two South Korean behemoths? [Press Release]
Samsung Bendable TV Rolls Out In South Korea August 1st
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Samsung’s Milk Music was presented to the masses earlier this March, where it came across as a fully free music service that remained exclusive to its devices. However, it was eventually revealed that this will come to an end, as nothing remains free for life. Users will still be able to stream tunes without having to fork out a single cent sans ads, but the latest Milk Music update would include a $3.99 monthly subscription if you would like to enjoy extra features that come alongside this update.
Prior to upgrading, however, one would first need to sign in with a Samsung account in order to have the choice of upgrading. Those who decide to do so will have to input the relevant credit card details. While some have raised the possibility of using the Play Store subscription system for added convenience, this would also mean Samsung will have to provide Google with a cut – which is most probably something that Samsung is not too reluctant to do. Of course, those who continue to make use of the limited version of Milk Music need not go through such a process.
Do you think that $3.99 a month is worth for the following features and benefits? Being able to listening to stations without a network connection, to receiving unlimited song skips, the turning on/off of station DJ commentary, and pausing the app thanks to Sleep Timer.
Samsung Milk Music Updated, Gets $3.99 Premium Subscription Option
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Samsung has had its fair share of smartwatches announced in the past like the Gear Live, and it does not look as though the company is going to stop anytime soon with the wearable tech market starting to heat up. In fact, Samsung has on offer, a whole lot more variety of smartwatches compared to other companies, but they all do arrive with a square watch face. Mobile Geeks have discovered a new series of patent filing that points to the very real possibility of a rounded display on a future Samsung smartwatch, which would follow in the footsteps of the Moto 360 from Motorola.
The latest round of patent filings point to a couple of models that feature screens which resemble circles, whereas there is a third one that is roughly square-shaped, although it will come with rounded corners.
Other than the rounded screens, the watches will depart a wee bit from the current range of Gear watches as the charging port would have been relocated to the bottom of the watch band, placing it close to the clasp which will keep the band together whenever you wear the timepiece. Apart from that, all of the drawings do point to an integrated camera, which is a feature that right now remains exclusive to a select few of Samsung smartwatches.
New Samsung Patent Filing Points To Smartwatch With Round Displays
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* Netanyahu presses assault, sends envoys to Cairo
* U.N. outraged at refugee deaths at Gaza shelter
* Palestinian deaths exceed 1,360; 59 on Israeli side
By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Dan Williams
GAZA/JERUSALEM, July 31 (Reuters) – Israel pressed ahead with its Gaza offensive saying it was days from achieving its core goal of destroying all Islamist guerrilla cross-border attack tunnels, but a soaring Palestinian civilian toll has triggered international alarm.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet on Wednesday approved continuing the assault launched on July 8 in response to a surge of rocket attacks by Gaza’s dominant Hamas Islamists. But Israel also sent a delegation to Egypt, which has been trying, with Washington’s blessing, to broker a ceasefire.
Gaza officials say at least 1,361 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have now been killed in the battered enclave. Israel has lost 56 soldiers to Gaza clashes and three civilians to Palestinian shelling.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon was incensed on Wednesday at the deaths of at least 15 Palestinians among thousands sheltering at a school whose U.N. administrator said appeared to have been hit by Israeli artillery.
“It is outrageous. It is unjustifiable. And it demands accountability and justice,” Ban said.
Israel said its forces were attacked by guerrillas near the school, in northern Jabalya, and had fired back. It did not immediately comment on another incident, in nearby Shejaia, in which Palestinian officials said 17 people were killed by Israeli shelling near a produce market.
“Such a massacre requires an earthquake-like response,” said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum, whose group has kept up dozens of daily rocket launches deep into Israel. The Israelis have kept casualties from the salvoes low with nine Iron Dome interceptor batteries and air-raid sirens that send people to shelters.
Rolling Israeli ground assaults on residential areas, prefaced by mass-warnings to evacuate, have displaced more than 200,000 of Gaza’s 1.8 million Palestinians. The tiny territory’s infrastructure is in ruin, with power and water outrages.
Israel says it is trying to avoid civilian casualties and blames these on Hamas and other Palestinian factions dug-in for urban combat.
Both sides have voiced openness to a truce, but their terms diverge dramatically. Israel wants Gaza stripped of infiltration tunnels and rocket stocks. Hamas rules that out, and seeks an end to a crippling Gaza blockade enforced by Israel and Egypt, which view the Palestinian Islamists as a security threat.
The negotiations are further complicated by the fact Israel and the United States shun Hamas as a terrorist group, while the go-betweens – Egypt, Qatar and Turkey – disagree on Gaza policy.
TUNNEL HUNT
In the absence of a deal, Israel has ordered its ground forces to focus on locating and destroying a warren of tunnels with which Hamas has menaced its southern towns and army bases.
Major-General Sami Turgeman, chief of Israeli forces in Gaza, said on Wednesday they were “but a few days away from destroying all the attack tunnels”. The army said 32 of the secret passages had been found so far and half of them blown up.
Three Israeli soldiers were killed on Wednesday by a booby trap detonated as they uncovered a tunnel shaft, the army said. Military losses are more than five times those from the last Gaza ground war, in 2008-2009, but Israeli opinion polls show strong public support for fighting on until Hamas is quelled.
Netanyahu faces intense pressure from abroad to stand down, however. The United States and the U.N. Security Council have urged an immediate, unconditional ceasefire by both sides in Gaza to allow in humanitarian relief and for further talks on a more durable cessation of hostilities.
The White House on Wednesday voiced worry at the deaths in Jabalya and other U.N.-run shelters shelled during the clashes.
“We are extremely concerned that thousands of internally displaced Palestinians who have been called on by the Israeli military to evacuate their homes are not safe in U.N.-designated shelters in Gaza,” said National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan.
“We also condemn those responsible for hiding weapons in United Nations facilities in Gaza,” she added, referring to three cases in which the UNRWA aid agency reported rockets found at its schools.
Separately, the Pentagon said it had allowed Israel to stock up on grenades and mortar rounds from a U.S. munitions store located in Israel as part of bilateral emergency preparedness arrangement.
Israel briefly observed a July 15 ceasefire proposed by Egypt, but Hamas continued attacks, saying its conditions had been ignored. Egyptian officials say they put together a revised truce plan this week that had been provisionally accepted by Israel, though Hamas was still undecided.
However, an Israeli security cabinet minister, Gilad Erdan, denied on Wednesday that his side was suing for a truce.
“We are not looking for a ceasefire, though of course military maneuvers are supposed to be followed by diplomatic maneuvers,” Erdan said. “But a ceasefire must fulfill Israel’s terms, a long-term calm and the demilitarization of Gaza.” (Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Michael Perry)
There is no doubt that the 32 people who lost their lives on the Costa Concordia need and deserve justice. But in a land where values and fundamental rights have been turned upside down, people like Captain Francesco Schettino become celebrities. Newspapers and television continue to follow the story closely, as millions of Italians gawk in curious disdain in front of pictures and videos of the slick skipper’s VIP lifestyle.
Very little is said about the hundreds of migrants and refugees who continue to arrive every day along the Sicilian coasts. They come from Syria, Libya, Egypt, sub-Saharan Africa. They — children, women and men, aboard rundown barges, oftentimes without food nor water — land on Italian soil in a desperate attempt to build a normal life for themselves and their loved ones. It has become impossible to count the precise number of deaths, the number of human beings who vanish during the crossings.
July 22, 2014. Sixty-five miles off the the coast of Lampedusa. Another ship packed with migrants, refugees, precisely 569, reaches Messina, Sicily. Authorities count 30 deaths, including that of a little boy.
Ashore, a 40-year-old Syrian man tells a different story. As he wipes the tears from his wife’s face, a dramatic, horrifying truth unravels:
There were 750 of us on that boat. Only 569 survived. The other 181 died. Many drowned as we moved closer to the Danish mercantile ship that was trying to help us. There were many children. Many of those who were found in the hold were stabbed by other migrants who did not want to let them out, because there was no more room on the deck. Every centimeter of that boat was occupied by all of us. We were piled, one on top of the other, like animals, and with many children, amongst them my son, Mohamed, only 1 year old.
In a recent article, Kofi Annan, former secretary general of the United Nations, faces the ongoing issues tied to migration:
We must recognize the desperation of those who attempt these journeys. From friends or from the media, they know what awaits them. They are aware of the risks and have heard the horror stories. Seeing their options for passage narrowing, they put themselves at the mercy of unscrupulous smugglers, often at enormous expense. They are crammed onto precarious ships that cannot bear the load. They travel at night, when neither border police nor rescue operations can see them.
Equally important, governments should view migration as a profoundly binding dimension of the human experience. Through migration, human beings share an understanding of sorrow, hope, and compassion. Indeed, this understanding has inspired some of the international community’s greatest feats of solidarity, such as the 1951 Refugee Convention, which defines a person’s right to find safe havens across borders.
The continuing rise in migrant deaths in transit poses a conundrum: as these migrants are pushed toward trafficking and smuggling networks, they are dragged further into the grey areas of the international community’s response. For example, the European Union’s border police do not have clear search-and-rescue guidelines for migrant ships in distress. Member states are divided on how to address this, and recent discussions in Brussels have only begun to make some progress.
Due to the exceptional inflow of migrants, on Oct. 18, 2013, a humanitarian/military operation called “Mare Nostrum” came into effect in the Strait of Sicily. Its goal: to reinforce another marine military mission named “Constant Vigilance.” Active since 2004, it regularly monitors the waters of the strait by using ship and air patrol.
Operation “Mare Nostrum” has a double function: to safeguard life at sea, and to hand over to justice all those who make a profit from illegal trafficking of migrants.
Nonetheless, human beings continue to die, swallowed in the depths of our seas. The time has come when we must ask ourselves how effective our plans to aid have really been. Should we be doing things better? How can we resolve this senseless tragedy?
In a statement released to the press, the mayor of Lampedusa, Giusi Nicolini, states:
“Mare Nostrum” works. It works very well. But it is not the solution to the problem of migration…. These ships carry human beings with life stories. They should not be at sea in the first place. These people — and now there are Palestinians too — should not find themselves in the position of having to put their lives in the hands of organized crime. They should be able to ask for help to a humane and more-civilized Europe. “Mare Nostrum” saves as many lives as it can, and Italy deserves credit for this. But again, it is not the solution. Everyone should participate in the rescue missions, even Germany and France. After all, the Mediterranean is a resource for all. We need an organized system at an international level, as well as the active presence of the European community.
As yet another day unfolds in what is an unusually rainy Italian summer, and tourists from many parts of the world visit our “beautiful but wretched country,” an old but ever-so-current song comes to mind. It’s called “Imagine.”
If you’re traveling in the United States, you’re likely armed with a mental checklist of the iconic sights you’re supposed to see.
So if you’re heading to New York City, Times Square is most likely your first stop. In Philadelphia, you probably won’t leave without seeing the Liberty Bell. And if you are lounging in sunny Los Angeles, you’ll undoubtedly stop for a selfie in front of the iconic Hollywood sign.
Now: We’re not discounting these destinations. But in the rush to check off boxes, you just might lose sight of the cool attractions that will make your trip truly memorable.
To help you on your next great American road trip, we’ve partnered with the Hopper from DISH — which gives you the power to transfer your favorite recorded movies and shows to any device — to give you some advice on the destinations you absolutely should not skip.
With the Hopper from DISH, you can transfer recorded TV to your mobile device, so you can watch your favorite movies and shows on the road, even without an Internet connection.
The war in Gaza and Israel enters its fourth week, and the news is as bad as ever. Ceasefires fade into memory, and Israeli and Hamas munitions both continue to find their targets.
Meanwhile, on computer and tablet screens across the world, missiles of another kind home in on virtual targets. Welcome to war in the age of Twitter. In support or defiance of one side or another, would-be war correspondents write pointed attack pieces, often training their fire on strangers. If civilians have always been inevitable casualties of war, so now, too, is civility.
It’s fitting, then, that the Jewish scriptural cycle brings us this week to the book of Deuteronomy. As Moses prepares to die, he makes one long speech, an impassioned plea to uphold out dearest principles, parashat D’varim. “D’varim” means “words.” As a Hebrew speaker can tell you, it also means “things.”
Words, then, are also things. They have weight and substance. They are real and tangible. But that doesn’t mean we understand them. By now, it’s cliché to criticize an opponent’s argument by referencing Humpty Dumpty’s semantic disclaimer, “When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean.” But this war has brought out the Humpty Dumpty in all of us. And so the conversation becomes harder, because it hardly seems we’re part of the same conversation.
At the very least, let’s be honest about it. Here, then, is my list, a glossary of words of my choosing, with definitions and annotations I’ve devised. If something here makes you angry, or outraged, if you find that you are filled with hate at my very typing on this very keyboard, I sincerely extend you my sympathy. I know the feeling. I only ask that you resist the urge to tell me about it. Why not pretend I never wrote it, shut off your screen, and go hug someone you love? The world could use some more love right now. I know Israel could. I know Gaza could. I know I could.
Anti-Semitism: A term used colloquially to refer to the hatred of Jews just for being Jews. Some have protested the use of the term, claiming that Arabs too are Semitic people. This makes perfect sense, as the term is a pseudoscientific nonsense word created by 19th-century Jew-hating Germans to put a fancy gloss on the fact that they hated Jews. If you think that disagreeing with Israeli government policy makes it acceptable to attack the persons and property of Jews in Paris, and London, and Brussels, and southern California, and God knows where else, I’m happy to eschew the term “anti-Semite” and simply call you a loathsome, disgusting Jew-hater.
Apartheid: A structure of oppression enforced by the government of South Africa in the 20th century, after Dutch invaders had conquered the majority-black inhabitants of the land and denied them basic political and civil rights. Supporters of Palestinian rights like to use this term to refer to Israeli actions in the West Bank and Gaza. Though effective as a rhetorical tool, the use of the term in this context is problematic, as (unlike the Dutch) both Jews and Palestinians have historical claims to the land. On the other hand, if birth rates continue along current demographic trends, an Israel that maintains control of Palestinian land will find itself a Jewish minority government in charge of a majority-Arab population, and in your heart, do you really feel good about that?
Argument: Reasoned statements and rebuttals used to establish and defend a particular viewpoint. Jews are known for reasoned debate and love to engage in spirited argument… unless the issue is Israel, in which case Jews who disagree with Israeli government actions are told to keep your damn mouth shut, isn’t it just so easy to criticize from the comfort of a cushy American suburb, and I can’t believe you’d actually defend Hamas.
Choice: The ability to weigh options and select one course of action over another. In the book of Deuteronomy, God demands that the Israelites “choose life, that you may live!” A basic principle of the religion, Judaism refuses to believe in a doctrine of predetermination, allowing for moral agency for every human… unless Hamas shoots rockets at Israel, and in that case, what should Israel do, there’s no other option, and what choice do we have, and we have no choice.
Colonialism: The exploitation of an indigenous people by an invading and uninvited foreign power. Supporters of Palestinian rights sometimes call the existence of the state of Israel colonialism, since many Jews who settled the modern state of Israel came from Europe. This conveniently ignores (1) the continued, multi-millennial presence of Jews in what is today called Israel, and (2) the main reason Jews went to Europe to begin with is that they were kicked out of Israel by Jew-haters. (See also: Anti-Semitism)
Genocide: A coordinated and systematic effort to completely destroy a people or ethnic group. Whatever you think of Israeli actions in Gaza, they do not constitute genocide. And if you still maintain that they do, you must really be upset by the 180,000 Syrians killed by the Assad regime. And if not, you might ask yourself why only the Israeli government has earned your scorn for its “genocide.” (See also: Anti-Semitism, Talking Point)
God: The Creator and Force of Holiness and Justice in the Universe. God often gets blamed for the current hostilities, but last time I checked, God taught of the divinity of all humans and didn’t cynically build a political career at the expense of innocent lives.
Grief: A sharp and painful experience of loss and regret, often as the result of the death of a person or group of people. Professions of grief can be powerful and cathartic… unless they are followed by a phrase beginning with the word “but” (e.g., “I grieve for those three Israeli boys, but weren’t they asking for it, studying in a settlement?” or, “I grieve for the loss of life in Gaza, but what do you expect when Hamas uses civilians as human shields?”) In this case, what you are expressing may not be grief but a talking point. (See also: Talking Point).
Hamas: The ruling political force in Gaza, known primarily for launching attacks into Israel targeting civilians, firing rockets from densely populated residential areas, explicitly and repeatedly denying the reality of the Holocaust, violating the civil rights of Gazans, and torturing political opponents. Supporting Palestinian rights and independence does not mean supporting Hamas, and if you think it does, you might not support human rights as much as you think you do.
Indigenous people: A people who have a historic and cultural tie to a particular land. Both Jews and Palestinians are indigenous peoples in regard to the area now known as Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza.
Israel: A modern state that embodies the dreams and hopes of Jews throughout history. Some people claim that Israel is a contemporary political fiction created in the 19th century, but arguments like that ignore the fact that the idea of the nation-state is in itself a modern conception, and they show no regard for the long history of the people in the land. (See also: Palestine)
Missile: A ballistic projectile designed to inflict damage and death on its intended target. More missiles have reached their targets in Gaza than in Israel, due in large part to (1) the resources and know-how that Israel utilized in creating its Iron Dome defense system, and (2) the staging of Hamas attacks from civilian areas. If you find yourself minimizing or explaining away the trauma and destruction caused by missiles aimed at either side, go lie down for awhile. You might be part of the problem.
Binyamin Netanyahu: The current prime minister of the state of Israel. In the last Israeli elections, Netanyahu and his party received only received 23 percent of the vote but maintained their power due to the vagaries of Israeli parliamentary law. According to writer JJ Goldberg, Netanyahu hid from the Israeli public the fact that the three kidnapped Israeli teenagers were, in reality, known to be dead. Goldberg claims that the information was withheld “as a pretext to dismantle Hamas’ West Bank operations.” And then things, as they often do in the Middle East, got out of hand. If Goldberg is correct, Netanyahu’s lie is responsible for untold misery in both Israel and Gaza, not to mention the resuscitation of Hamas as a relevant political force — a conversation we really need to have. (See also: Argument)
Palestine: A modern state that embodies the dreams and hopes of Palestinians throughout history. Some people claim that Palestine is a contemporary political fiction created in the 19th century, but arguments like that ignore the fact that the idea of the nation-state is in itself a modern conception, and they show no regard for the long history of the people in the land. (See also: Israel)
Talking Point: A statement crafted by political operatives to support a particular viewpoint or campaign. Talking points are not the same as statesmanship, thoughtfulness, wisdom, righteousness, or holiness.
United Kingdom: The source of much critical writing about the conflict, especially criticism of Israeli and Palestinian actions. This is ironic, as it was the UK that controlled this region in the early 20th century, promised the land to both Jews and Palestinians, and then abandoned the land once the situation became seemingly intractable… much as they did in Asia, Africa, and other parts of the Middle East. In the words of former UK foreign secretary Jack Straw, “The Balfour declaration and the contradictory assurances which were being given to Palestinians in private at the same time as they were being given to the Israelis — again, an interesting history for us, but not an honourable one.” (See also: Colonialism)
Zionism: The belief that the Jewish people are entitled to an independent state on some portion of their historic homeland. Being a Zionist is not the same as being a right-winger, an Arab-hater, a war-monger, a settler, or an otherwise unpleasant person. Being a Zionist means wanting a Jewish homeland in Israel and loving that land deeply and passionately. Sometimes it means loving Israel so much that you want it to be better, more just, a land of righteousness and love. Sometimes being a Zionist means praying and working for a land that represents the most profound and cherished values of our people. And that’s nothing to be ashamed of. (See also: God)
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
