There is this long standing gamer belief that a computer is not a computer unless it can run, and play, DOOM. Taking that philosophy to heart, two Australian hackers have embarked on a perilous journey to install DOOM on one machine where you least expect to see it: a cash-dispensing ATM. Granted, computers running ATMs are not exactly as esoteric … Continue reading
The Emberlight smart socket has some new competition: the Vocca voice-controlled smart socket, which has recently arrived on Kickstarter. Vocca allows users to control the lighting in their home or apartment using voice commands, and to demonstrate this, the folks behind it have rolled out a catchy musical you can watch after the jump. The Vocca smart socket is a … Continue reading
Back in June, Google released the 64-bit version of the Chrome browser as a beta to developers, but if you’re just a regular user who wants to see what all the fuss is about, you might be pleased to learn that Google has officially announced that the 64-bit Chrome beta is now open to the general public.
According to Google, “The new version replaces the existing version while preserving all your settings and bookmarks, so there’s no need to uninstall a current installation of Chrome.” So why upgrade to a 64-bit version of Chrome? Well according to Google, the 64-bit version of its browser promises to be faster, more stable, and more secure.
However we should point out that the 64-bit version of Chrome is still in its beta phase, meaning that there will probably be some bugs in the software as well as certain features probably not working the way it should for now. We’re not sure when Google will officially release the final version of the 64-bit Chrome to the masses, but given that the beta is now open to the public, we reckon we shouldn’t be too far off from an official release.
Either way for those who are interested in checking out the browser, you can head on over to the Google Chrome beta page for the download.
64-bit Chrome Beta Browser Now Available For The Masses
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According to a report the other day, Verizon had announced that they would soon be throttling the speeds of its Unlimited 4G LTE users. This is apparently part of the carrier’s “network optimization” that would limit the speeds of extremely data-heavy users who might otherwise be clogging up the network.
In a way it makes sense and it does seem fair for everyone else who wasn’t grandfathered into those unlimited plans, but at least one person is not too pleased by it. The FCC’s Chairman, Tom Wheeler, recently penned a letter expressing his displeasure at Verizon’s move, claiming that he is “deeply troubled” by the news.
According to part of the letter written by Wheeler, it reads, “It is disturbing to me that Verizon Wireless would base its “network management” on distinctions among its customers’ data plans, rather than on network architecture or technology.” Wheeler also points out that Verizon could have violated the obligations they undertook when they acquired the C Block spectrum.
As part of the rules, Verizon “may not deny, limit, or restrict the ability of end users to download and utilize applications of their choosing on the C Block networks.” Wheeler has since asked Verizon’s CEO, Dan Mead, to offer his thoughts on the subject promptly. Given that throttling isn’t exactly new, it could be cause of the C Block spectrum purchased by Verizon that could have led to Wheeler’s displeasure. Either way we’ll be looking forward to hearing Verizon’s side of things.
FCC Chairman “Troubled” By Verizon’s Plans To Throttle Its Users
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NEW YORK (AP) — His paintings made news worldwide, but it turns out that former President George W. Bush has been working on another, highly personal project since leaving the White House: He has quietly completed a biography of his father, former President George H.W. Bush.
Crown Publishers told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the book, currently untitled, will be released November 11. In 2010, Crown published the younger Bush’s million-selling memoir, “Decision Points.”
“George H.W. Bush is a great servant, statesman, and father,” George W. Bush said in a statement issued by Crown. “I loved writing the story of his life, and I hope others enjoy reading it.”
According to Crown, the book will cover the elder Bush’s whole life and his influence on his son, from George W.’s “childhood in West Texas to his early campaign trips with his father, and from his decision to go into politics to his own two-term presidency.”
The book will be “heartfelt, intimate, and illuminating,” Crown publisher Maya Mavjee said in a statement.
“As the only father and son to each have served as President of the United States since John and John Quincy Adams, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush occupy a unique position in history,” Mavjee said. “George W. Bush brings to vivid life his unique perspective of the personal qualities and principles that have animated George H. W. Bush’s extraordinary life of service to country and family.”
Financial terms were not disclosed. George W. Bush was represented by Washington attorney Robert Barnett, who also handled negotiations for “Decision Points.”
The relationship between the two presidents has long fascinated scholars, political insiders and the general public. Many have speculated that the younger Bush felt competitive with his father, driven to surpass him and to gain his approval. In a 2013 appearance on “CBS This Morning,” George W. Bush said his father was a role model and that their relationship was based upon “love and admiration.”
George W. Bush first thought of the book around 2010 and began writing it two years later, consulting widely with friends and family members, including his father. The book is expected to be around 300 pages and Crown is planning a first printing of 1 million copies. Although Bush had assistance with research, he wrote the book himself.
George H.W. Bush, who turned 90 in June, was defeated for re-election in 1992 by Bill Clinton, but his stature has steadily grown. In 2012, he was the subject of an admiring HBO documentary, “41,” referring to his being the 41st president. Jon Meacham, a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, is working on a book about Bush. “George H. W. Bush: Character at the Core,” by former Bush speechwriter Curt Smith, is scheduled to come out this fall.
The elder Bush is one of the few presidents in modern times not to have written a memoir. His books include “All the Best: My Life in Letters and Other Writings” and “A World Transformed,” a collaboration with former National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft.
A couple of months ago and after many rumors, Apple had confirmed that they will be acquiring Beats in the tune of $3 billion. The deal has yet to be finalized pending approval by regulatory bodies and while the deal does sound interesting for consumers and could usher in a new era at Apple, not everyone will be reaping the rewards of the deal.
According to a report by The New York Post, they claim that they have heard that Apple is planning to cut about 200 jobs at Beats Electronics once the deal has closed. The deal is expected to close on the 1st of August and the cutting of 200 jobs would essentially be about 40% of the company’s global workforce.
One of their sources was quoted as saying, “Last week everyone was given an offer from Apple. Some were transitional offers with a set end date.” It is unclear as to how accurate their source’s information is, although the claims are backed up by Bloomberg who heard from sources of their own.
Cutting jobs after an acquisition is nothing new. After all additional employees do count towards additional expenses. However we guess this still pales in comparison to Microsoft who had announced 18,000 job cuts by next year, most of whom are Nokia employees who were part of the cellphone division that Microsoft had officially acquired earlier this year.
Apple To Cut 200 Jobs From Beats Once Deal Closes [Rumor]
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In mid-July Dr. Deborah Walters, a 63-year-old grandmother, launched a kayaking trip 2500 miles from Maine to Guatemala, solo. No stranger to wilderness, she once camped alone near polar bears on a six-week expedition to the Arctic. Now she’s paddling to raise awareness for Safe Passage, an education program for the severely impoverished families who live inside the teeming garbage dumps near Guatemala City.
Dr. Walter’s trip has been seven years in the making. “Safe Passage is dear to my heart. I knew I had to get involved,” she said.
For example, on August 7 she will land at Center Point in Pleasure Bay in South Boston and will do four presentation events in and around Boston. Then it’s back into her kayak to the next stopping point.
About nine years ago she visited the dumps near Guatemala City and the methane gas, rot, and stench made it almost unbearable. Yet families dwell in shanties built on landfill created by tons of waste. Every day they scavenge through mammoth filth for anything to be sold or recycled. It was there Walters spoke to the parents of children served by Safe Passage and realized the difference it has made.
The government does very little to help the children, and Walters said, “A few years ago there was a huge dump fire. It shut down the airport, and finally the government stepped in and said that children under 14 could not be allowed in the dump, but the families still live in the landfill part of the dump.
“There are estimates of 10,000 people in the dump community and we serve a percentage of them. It is making a difference.”
For the last 15 years, Safe Passage (Camino Seguro) has served this forgotten population. Founded in 1999 by Hanley Denning, an American, she came to Guatemala to study Spanish, but was moved to action by the desperate plight of the poor. It began with schooling 46 children. Now Safe Passage operates an early childhood center and adult literacy program, all housed in a separate and safe location. Denning was killed in a car accident in 2007, but her work continues through volunteers like Dr. Walters who will speak at various venues along coastal stops of her 2,500-mile trip, all to bring attention and help to Safe Passage.
During the journey, Dr. Walters will need help. The waters along the Mexican coast are treacherous, and small craft are warned of pirates, drug cartels, and being attacked at gunpoint. From Key West to Belize, Dr. Walters and her kayak will be carried aboard a boat owned by supporter Bernie Horn, President of Polaris Capital Management in Boston and crewed by Safe Passage board member Richard Howe of Milton. Once in safer waters, Dr. Walters again will paddle solo for 250 miles along the Barrier Reef and open coast to reach Guatemala.
“I like meeting people and I love learning from them. I spent three hours with a kid in Guatemala. I was so pleased that at the end, the young boy said, ‘You are my teacher and I am your teacher and we are equal.’
“Any little thing that changes the way they look at themselves is wonderful.”
Click for more information about Dr. Deb Walters’ expedition.
Email Suzette Standring: suzmar@comcast.net
Suzette Standring is syndicated with GateHouse Media and is the Amazon bestselling author of The Art of Opinion Writing: Insider Secrets from Top Op-Ed Columnists. and the award winning, The Art of Column Writing: Insider Secrets from Art Buchwald, Dave Barry, Arianna Huffington, Pete Hamill and Other Great Columnists.
Visit www.readsuzette.com
Earlier this year, Movidius came out with Myriad-1, its first “Vision Processing Unit”. It was adopted by Google for its Project Tango initiative, which has generated a lot of interest worldwide. Today, Movidius announces Myriad-2, its next-generation VPU, which is set to hit the market in products next year.
“MYRIAD-2 IS ALL ABOUT PERFORMANCE PER WATT”
While Myriad-1 was targeting developers and was aimed at providing an early taste of the functionality that VPUs can bring to bear, Myriad-2 is all about performance. It is backwards compatible with Myriad-1, so any existing software will run without any modifications, but is much faster thanks to several deep hardware optimizations by Movidius.
The second-generation VPU from Movidius uses a mix of fixed-function hardware and programmable hardware, where the previous-Gen hardware only had programmable hardware. It is clear that using small dedicated blocks of logic to handle very specific functions is the way to go to increase performance, and more importantly, performance/Watt through the roof. There’s no way that programmable hardware can beat dedicated logic blocks for very specific tasks.
When I spoke to Movidius CEO Remi Remi El-Ouazzane, he went over specific details of Myriad-2. The new chip features 12 custom cores, whereas the previous one had 8. In addition to the increase in cores number, their frequency was more than tripled, going from 180 MHz to 600 MHz.
“AGGREGATE COMPUTATIONAL POWER: 2 TERAFLOPS”
The aggregate hardware (cores + fixed functions) computational power of the chip is 2 Teraflops says Movidius’ CEO (this is a very theoretical number, but still a point of reference), and the 12 cores peak at 200 GFlops, which is not unlike Desktop PC CPUs launched in the past 5-6 years, except that Myriad 2’s power consumption is around 500mW (0.5W). That is precisely what makes it so desirable for mobile devices. It’s all about power consumption.
The Myriad 2 chip’s power can be harnessed via the OpenCL API, and developers have been working on apps for many months now. The first goal for a VPU is to bring DSLR-like photo quality into a tiny form-factor like a phone. Since using a DSLR-lens is not an option, computational photography is the only option.
The idea is that DSLR cameras are using a brute-force approach by simply gathering as much information as it can with a large lens and sensor. It works great, but is not possible on mobiles. The solution is to compute or reconstruct the visual information by using algorithms and other data (multiple frames, secondary lens, statistics…). With millions of pixels per photo, you need a ton of raw processing power, but at the same time, you don’t want your battery to go “poof” each time to snap a picture. Not an easy task…
Recently, I played with Tango demos at Google I/O and by next year, there should be a number of interesting apps, including 3D scanning, 3D modeling, 3D reconstruction, etc. For instance, you could imagine an app thatsnapsp a photo and provides precise measurements of anything in it. Handy when you are home or furniture shopping.
“ANYTHING THAT HAS A LENS COULD EVENTUALLY BENEFIT FROM VPUS”
Beyond these simple examples, the possibilities are endless once you get a good vision system in the hands of developers: surveillance, auto-safety, robotics, and entertainment. Nearly everything that you do with your eyes could be enhanced, automated or supplemented by better computer vision. My personal take on this, is that anything that has a lens could eventually benefit from VPUs.
What about graphics processors (GPUs)? Remi Remi El-Ouazzane expects the Myriad-2 chip to reside side by side with GPUs. In his view, GPUs are excellent for Rendering, while Movidius’ chips are good at vision. In some sense, one is for input (vision), the other is for output (rendering). To be fair, GPUs are capable of doing some of the same work (check Project Tango on the development K1 tablet), so are CPUs – but Myriad-2 should be able to perform using less power because of its unique architecture.
Movidius confirmed that “very large” OEMs are already working on handsets using this chip, although they could not confirm who. At the moment, the first samples have arrived at Movidius and once the bring-up is done (make sure that things are OK, and drivers work), customers will start getting samples in the summer. This means that Myriad 2 was finished (taped-out) in the past quarter, just a couple of months after Myriad-1 was announced. The next step for VPUs: show us what they can do in the real-world.
Myriad 2, Movidius’ Next-Gen Vision Processor
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Earlier this year it was rumored that Apple could be launching a refresh of the Apple TV in April, although safe to say that did not happen. There have been many conflicting reports about the new Apple TV, with some claiming that it will be an ambitious effort by Apple, while others claim that Apple had scaled back their ambitious plans.
That being said, a recent report from The Information (behind a paywall) has revealed that the Apple TV has been stalled and could even be delayed until 2015 as Apple’s partners are hesitating. Apparently the cable companies have been described as “dragging their heels” and one of the reasons behind the delay is also the impending Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger.
Another reason for the delay is also because Apple might have bitten off more than it can chew. They claim that Apple wants to include all sorts of content, but apparently due to the need to get permission from multiple types of rights holders, it has led to delays. What this means is that if you were hoping for a new Apple TV with new content and features, chances are you could be waiting until 2015.
Of course there is no way to confirm any of this so do take it with a grain of salt for now, but with rumored features like games, Siri voice control, and attractive subscription packages, we guess we can’t blame you guys if you were really looking forward to it.
New Apple TV Might Only Be Launched In 2015 [Rumor]
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Michael Peroutka, the Republican candidate for Anne Arundel County Council, stood up for secession and the white nationalist League of the South, at a hastily called, standing-room-only press conference on July 30 in Glen Burnie, Maryland. Peroutka has been under fire for months for his involvement in and leadership of the League of the South, a white nationalist group that advocates conservative, Christian theocracy and secession to form a Southern Republic. Top Democratic and Republican leaders had called for him to resign from the group.
Most prominently, Maryland Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Hogan, Jr., recently disavowed Peroutka because of his involvement in the racist and theocratic group. Hogan campaign spokesman Adam Dubitsky said: “Larry absolutely disavows him. Those views have never been a part of the Republican Party and they never will.”
But before the state press corps, Peroutka refused to resign from the the League, which he calls “a Christian, free market group.”
But for all of his effort to come across as bold , principled, and forthright, he managed to reveal himself as both weaselly and demagogic.
‘Not a Mistake’
Peroutka, the 2004 presidential candidate of the Constitution Party, twice affirmed that his pro-secession remarks at the League’s 2012 national conference in Alabama were “not a mistake.” In that keynote address, he had spoken favorably of secession. He had concluded by grabbing a guitar and asking the crowd to “please stand for our national anthem.” But instead of singing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” he belted out a raucous chorus of “I Wish I Was in Dixie.” “No, I don’t think it was a mistake,” he told reporters.
View an excerpt of Peroutka leading the League in “Dixie”:
Peroutka then tossed a red herring into his own press conference, but one that failed to divert attention from the matter of Peroutka’s advocacy of Southern secession and his relationship to the League of the South. In fact, his evasiveness only drew further attention to it.
Peroutka asserted that Professor Warren Throckmorton had “altered” the revealing 2012 video of his controversial comments and “Dixie” chorus at the League convention before posting it online. In fact, Throckmorton had reposted the entire, unaltered, 51-minute video on the conservative Evangelical Christian blog Patheos. The video was shot by Michael Cushman, a former member of the National Alliance, a neo-Nazi group, who now leads the League’s South Carolina chapter. Cushman had posted it at RedShirtArmy, a League-affiliated YouTube channel.
Cushman, in an irate comment posted under Throckmorton’s piece, demonstrates that the video is authentic, because he insists that he made it, and he demands credit. He complains that “neither this hit-piece nor the Leftist bloggers who are linking to it give me any credit for shooting this video.” He adds, “Nor did they ask my permission to post it on their websites.” The unedited video on Patheos is identical to the one on RedShirtArmy. Several outlets, including RightWing Watch, Raw Story, and Gawker, have posted clips of the video, crediting Throckmorton with the find.
But it is the substance of the video that Peroutka would rather we not focus on. In the video (starting at 26 minutes), Peroutka stands up for secession as an alternative to working within a democratic system that he sees as beyond repair or reform:
“I don’t disagree with Dr. Hill [League of the South president] at all that this regime is beyond reform, and I think that’s an obvious fact, and I agree with him.”
He then edges up to the kind of theocratic government he envisions, after the Union is destroyed and the South rises again. He said:
“However, I agree that when you secede, or however the destruction of the rubble of this regime takes place and how it plays out, you’re going to need to take a biblical world view, and apply it to civil law and government. That’s what you’re still going to need to do. We’re going to have to have this foundational information in the hearts and minds of the people or else liberty won’t survive the secession either.”
But his relationship with the League did not end there. In fact, it is as current as his post-primary appeal for support from League members on July 8. Peroutka emailed his thanks to League President Michael Hill and his fellow members for their friendship, work, and hospitality, and solicited their financial support. Hill separately called Peroutka’s unexpected winning of the GOP nomination for Anne Arundel County Council – as well as a seat on the GOP’s Central Committee there – “a victory for us.”
One week later, Hill discussed on the League’s website some of his ideas of how we get from here to the new Southern nation. In Hill’s July 15 essay, titled “A Bazooka in Every Pot,” he calls for “guerilla war” and “three-to-five-man” death squads to assassinate elected officials, journalists, and other public figures in order to accomplish the League’s secessionist goals.
“To oversimplify,” writes Hill, “the primary targets will not be enemy soldiers; instead, they will be political leaders, members of the hostile media, cultural icons, bureaucrats, and other of the managerial elite without whom the engines of tyranny don’t run.”
Peroutka nevertheless refused at his press conference to denounce any of the content on the League’s website, because “people can go there and see for themselves.”
In a prepared statement, Peroutka declared, “Not only am I NOT a racist, but I am an anti-racist.” Yet he remains under fire from Democrats and fellow Republicans for his involvement in the theocratic, racist group, of which he is not only a former board member but is auditioning for a role as its most proudly defiant member.
Peroutka faces Democratic challenger Patrick Armstrong, who released prepared remarks of his own:
“Mr. Peroutka reaffirmed and defended his support of an organization that promotes secession and unapologetically seeks a white southern nation. Voters in District 5, a community packed with veterans, employees of Fort Meade, the National Security Agency, and the US Naval Academy, should be appalled that a man who believes our national anthem is ‘Dixie’ is seeking elected office to represent them on the Anne Arundel County Council.”
Steve Schuh, the Republican candidate for Anne Arundel County Executive, reacted to Peroutka’s press conference by backing away from this GOP pariah. “I simply cannot support someone who is a member of an organization that appears to be racist or that advocates for the dismemberment of the United States,” Schuh told the Capital Gazette.
Yet the GOP remains in disarray about Peroutka’s candidacy, which provides a bellwether for theocratic groups seeking to leverage national influence by running for local office. The Gazette reported: “Joe Cluster, executive director of the Maryland Republican Party, said he was disappointed in Peroutka’s decision to stay with the group but that the party had made no decision on the future of Peroutka’s candidacy.”
Peroutka had set out in his stem-the-tide press conference to prove that he is not personally racist. However, what this GOP official demonstrated was his readiness to smear critics while maintaining his participation in the League of the South, a group that advocates “guerilla war” and white nationalist death squads to advance its theocratic, secessionist goals.
So bigger than questions of individual bigotry, this county-level race is now a referendum on national issues of secession and theocracy.
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.
