Jan 25
There are plenty of ways to kill a zombie, but everyone knows destroying the brain is the most important ingredient in the recipe for eliminating the undead.
Jan 25
If you’ve wanted a laptop where all the software is free and open source (FOSS), you’ve usually had to settle for mediocre hardware. Even FOSS champion Richard Stallman is making do with a ThinkPad that’s several years old. At last, though, it looks …
Jan 25
On international variants of Sony’s smartphones the bootloaders are unlocked which means its easier for users to tinker with the software. However carrier locked units, like the ones sold in the U.S., have locked bootloaders which makes rooting a pain. Developers have long been working to come up with a solution for Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact, there has finally been a breakthrough. A new exploit has been released which enables users to root Xperia Z3 with locked bootloader.
The new exploit has been incorporated in the “giefroot rooting tool,” which can now be used to perform the procedure on both Sony Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact. It has been put together by zxz000 over at XDA Developers forum.
Xperia Z3 root procedure is fairly simple. Hook up the device to a computer and run the extracted install.bat file. Keep in mind that this only works on devices that have older firmware build like 23.0.A.2.93. Those who are on the newer firmware build, 23.0.1.A.5.77, will first have to downgrade before achieving root.
Download and install instructions for the root are available on its formal thread. XDA forums also has steps for updating the firmware on Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact once root has been achieved, as well as for saving the DRM keys.
Root Xperia Z3 With Locked Bootloader Using New Exploit , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Jan 25
Software updates tend to take up a considerable amount of time before they’re deemed ready for Republic Wireless. That’s because this carrier’s Wi-Fi cellular calling system requires certain changes to be made to the software which take up time. Those who are using the Moto G and Moto E on this carrier are now receiving the Android 4.4.4 KitKat update. The carrier has also confirmed that the update for first generation Moto X won’t arrive until next month.
Before this update was rolled out Republic Wireless conducted a soak test which determines whether or not there are any lingering issues with the software that need fixing.
The soak test brought to light an issue with the first generation Moto X update thus Republic Wireless had to resubmit the device to the lab for re-certification. The carrier worked with its partners and got it done quickly so now it says that this smartphone will receive the update at some point in February.
Android 4.4.4 brings some new functionality for these devices apart from performance improvements. There is a new immersive mode that allows users to view videos, books and more in a completely full screen mode. A redesigned phone application is onboard as well.
The initial roll out is only on the Moto G and Moto E, whereas the first generation Moto X is going to get the Android 4.4.4 KitKat update next month.
Republic Wireless Releases Android 4.4.4 For Moto G And Moto E , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Jan 25
Last year Google made public a list of 34 cities in which it could potentially expand its Google Fiber service. An announcement from the company was expected before Christmas last year but at that time Google said that it would talk more about Fiber’s expansion in early 2015. Even though an official word hasn’t come in yet it appears that the gigabit internet service might be coming to a handful of cities in North Carolina.
According to DSLReports Google has invited a few groups and Charlotte city officials for a reception that’s going to take place on January 28th. Similar invites have been sent out for an event in Raleigh on the same day and for an event in Durham on January 29th.
Interestingly Google had listed Charlotte, Durham and Raleigh in the list of 34 potential cities in which Google Fiber could be launched next. One doesn’t have to look too far to connect these dots.
When asked to comment by the scribe Google only said that it doesn’t have any news to share right now, “but we hope to give you an update on Google Fiber early this year.”
This would be the first time that Google expands Fiber into several markets in the same state simultaneously, but we must wait until next week to find out if Fiber really is coming to these three North Carolina cities.
Google Fiber Likely Headed To North Carolina , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Jan 25
Over Christmas you might have heard about PlayStation Network troubles but that was nothing compared to what happened back in 2011. Many of you would remember that back then PlayStation Network had been knocked offline for almost a month, and not only that, account information of more than 77 million users had also been compromised. Sony is making up for that ordeal by offering cheap old games and some other digital content.
A class action lawsuit was naturally filed after the 2011 PSN hack and Sony had announced a settlement last year. As part of that settlement the company has now started accepting claims from users that were affected by the outage.
Those who are submitting claims must have had a U.S. based PlayStation Network, Sony Online Entertainment or Qriocity account before May 15th, 2011. What they’ll receive as part of the settlement depends on certain criteria like whether their accounts have been inactive since the outage and whether or not these users got content under Sony’s Welcome Back promotion after PSN returned from the outage back in 2011.
The games that are being offered aren’t going to excite anybody. Available choices include LittleBigPlanet, Super Stardust HD, God of War HD and a few other games for PlayStation 3 and PSP.
Users can also choose to claim themes or get three months of free PlayStation Plus, that’s probably the best deal there is, but current members aren’t eligible for the free PS Plus subscription.
Tentative deadline to submit these claims is August 31st, 2015. Content will be rolled out after the deadline passes.
Sony Makes Up For 2011 PSN Outage With Cheap Old Games , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Jan 25
There are countless streaming sticks available in the market and all of them serve the same purpose more or less. Options include the Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast, Roku Streaming Stick and more. There were rumors that Walmart might introduce one of its own and indeed it has. The retailer is now selling Vudu Spark streaming stick which intends to undercut its rivals on price as it only costs $25.
The Vudu Spark is pretty much like every other streaming stick out there. It hooks up to a HDMI port and is powered through USB. It is controlled through a separate remote control. There’s support for 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and the Vudu Spark and provide full 1080p output with 7.1 surround sound.
As per the device’s user manual it comes with the Vudu app pre-installed. It doesn’t say if users will be allowed to install additional applications so that they might enjoy multiple content services.
Walmart’s propping up its Vudu streaming service though. The $24.95 price for this stick isn’t just $10 less than Chromecast but it offers extra value by providing existing customers with $25 Vudu credits once they activate the device.
Walmart Vudu Spark streaming stick can be purchased through the retailer’s website. A company spokesman tells Gigaom that the stick is also being sold “in about 2400 Walmart stores.”
Walmart Launches Its $25 Vudu Spark Streaming Stick , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Jan 25
Two U.S. passenger flights bound for Atlanta were grounded and searched for bombs after threats were made via Twitter from the account @kingZortic (now suspended). Delta flight 1156 and Southwest flight 2942, from Portland and Milwaukee, respectively, were already in the air when the threats were made. Both planes were escorted by F-16 fighter jets to their landings, and were … Continue reading
Jan 25
LAKE RONKONKOMA, N.Y. (AP) — A suburban New York man who served nearly 18 years in prison before his conviction on a charge he killed his wife was overturned has died in a car crash.
Suffolk County police say 52-year-old John Grega lost control of his van in Lake Ronkonkoma on Friday and hit a tree.
Grega was pronounced dead at a hospital.
His wife, Christine Grega, was found dead in a condominium in Dover, Vermont, where the couple had been vacationing in 1994. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled.
Grega was convicted of aggravated murder. His conviction was overturned and he was released in 2012 after DNA from an unknown man was found in his wife’s body.
Grega filed state and federal lawsuits last year against the police and prosecutors in his case.
Jan 25
Are women “wired” to be more emotional? Not exactly — but new research provides more evidence that the male and female brain may have very different ways of processing emotion.
Previous research has shown that women generally experience higher levels of emotional stimulation than men. Now, a new large-scale study from the University of Basel suggests that gender differences in emotion processing are also linked to sex variation in memory and brain activity.
The Basel researchers designed an experiment to determine whether women perform better on memory tests than men because of the way that they process emotional information. The researchers exposed 3,400 test participants to images of emotional content, finding that women rated these images as more emotionally stimulating than men, particularly in the case of negative images. When presented with emotionally neutral imagery, however, the men and women responded similarly.
After being exposed to the images, the participants completed a memory test. The female participants were able to recall significantly more of the images than their male counterparts. The women had a particularly enhanced ability to recall the positive images. The study’s lead author, Dr. Annette Milnik, explained, “This would suggest that gender-dependent differences in emotional processing and memory are due to different mechanisms.”
Then, fMRI data from 700 participants suggested that womens’ stronger reactivity to negative emotional images is linked with increased activity of motor regions of the brain.
Previous studies have suggested that women display heightened facial and motor reactions to negative emotional stimuli.
“In our study, we see a similar pattern with the fMRI data,” Milnik said in an email to The Huffington Post. “One possible explanation would be that women might be better prepared to physically react to negative stimuli than males. Another explanation would be from normative expectations, with women being expected to be more emotional, and also to express more emotions.”
The red and yellow patches indicate patches of the brain that are more active when presented with stimuli ranked as highly emotionally stimulating. The green indicates regions that become more active in women only.
The findings may help scientists to come to a better understanding of gender differences in neuropsychiatric conditions, which may pave the way for improved treatment options.
“Women are more likely to develop major depression, anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder, all of which are related to emotional dysregulation,” Milnik said. “We hope that understanding the neural correlates of sex-specific emotional processing will be an important step towards elucidating the mechanisms linked to sex-dependent emotional dysregulation.”
The findings were published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Who's in charge here?
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.