Hasta La Gadget!

Earlier this year outgoing Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced that he would retire within 12 months. Since then the board’s special committee has been looking at a number of possible candidates, both internal and external. It was rumored that Microsoft wants to make an announcement by the end of this year, but apparently it won’t be able to. Microsoft board member John Thompson reveals in a blog post that the new Microsoft CEO won’t be announced until early 2014.

While he didn’t specify frontrunners, Thompson said that the committee has done “deeper research and investigation,” including the full board, and its moving ahead well. He believes that they will be able to complete their work in “the early part of 2014.” Over the past few months there has been endless speculation about who will become Microsoft’s third CEO. Several names have floated around, including those of Ford CEO Alan Mulally, outgoing Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, and internal Microsoft candidates Satya Nadella and Tony Bates. The special committee certainly has a titanic task on its hands and it would obviously not rush into such a big decision. While all candidates are said to be on the shortlist, it has been rumored that Elop might not be picked up. Mulally’s chances are reportedly much better, but we can’t be absolutely sure until an official announcement is made.

New Microsoft CEO Won’t Be Announced Until Early 2014 original content from Ubergizmo.

Since Christmas is the season of giving, here we are with word that the YouTube channel is now available over on the Roke 3 player, and it will take into effect for folks who happen to live in the U.S. Canada, U.K. and the Republic of Ireland. As for those who happen to own other player models, fret not – it is but a temporary delay as the YouTube channel is tipped to be made available only on other player models in the year to come, which is not too far away, actually.

With the YouTube channel being made available, it more or less rounds out the industry-leading selection of streaming entertainment in due time for the mad holiday season. You should also be able to enjoy some of the annual year-end best-of video lists including YouTube’s very own compiled list of top trending videos that was introduced in the week before. YouTube has become so much more than just a place for you to upload your latest vacation videos, and it has more or less a little bit of something for everyone.

Apart from that, there is also the “Send to TV” feature which allows customers to pair a smartphone or tablet to YouTube on the Roku 3. Doing so is a snap, where all you need to do is to connect your device to the same Wi-Fi network that the Roku is hooked on to, and using a single click, you can then send videos to your Roku. [Press Release]

YouTube Now Available On The Roku 3 original content from Ubergizmo.

CES 2014 is set to be another time of exciting news as well as the unveiling of additional consumer electronics devices that will (hopefully) blow the world away, and the folks over at LG intend to make the most of it by announcing that they will roll out their all new 34-inch IPS 21:9 UltraWide (Model UM95) monitor. Of course, just in case you do not need such a large monitor for your use, there is also the 29” model to choose from. Needless to say, your eyes will definitely appreciate the stunning image clarity courtesy of the UltraWide QHD resolution (3440 x 1440) that is found on the display.

A larger monitor more often than not equals to improved productivity, sort of anyways. After all, you have more stuff to look at with a single glance, that you should be able to work more effectively, right? It is said that in South Korea, such monitors are marketed as the equivalent of two 4:3 monitors to boost “productivity”. The inclusion of Thunderbolt 2 connectivity in the UM95 would also go some way in making sure that users who use such technology are able to take advantage of it, supporting high-resolution displays and high-performance data devices simultaneously via a single, compact port. This means you can theoretically enjoy transfer speeds of up to 20Gbps, while viewing and editing original 4K video with a file backup running at the same time.

All in all, we have also seen such monitors make an appearance in one of LG’s more recent advertisements that poke some good natured fun at us men, touting that we are unable to multitask. [Press Release]

LG Introduces New 34-Inch IPS Monitor original content from Ubergizmo.

Apple’s suppliers based in China have time and again been accused of labor violations. Cupertino has a strict Supplier Code of Conduct that its partners are expected to adhere to, earlier this year it ended its arrangement with a supplier after it was found to have employed 74 underage laborers. Recently Pegatron, Apple’s major manufacturer for the iPhone 5c, was the recipient of much criticism as it was revealed that an underage worker at one of its factories in Shanghai died. Pegatron has reiterated that it doesn’t hire underage workers, and it has detailed the three step verification process it uses to ensure that all legal requirements are met when hiring new workers.

Pegatron scans and confirms the authenticity of an applicant’s Resident Identity Card first, which looks similar to a U.S. drivers’ license. Then the company uses advanced facial recognition technology to match the application’s face with the photo on the card. In the end, the applicant’s name is cross checked with national and local police databases. Only then, the company says, the worker is employed. However, 15 year old Shi Zhaokun who passed away was able to get employed at the plant using a fake ID and just one month after he started working there, he died of pneumonia. Pegatron hasn’t said if Zhaokun was able to beat the process it has in place, but it holds the view that his death was not caused by working conditions at its Shanghai factory.

Pegatron Details Use Of Facial Recognition Technology Amid Claims Of Labor Violations original content from Ubergizmo.

A title that no country would like to own would be that of being the world’s largest e-waste polluter, and unfortunately for those living in the US, the country remains right at the top of the list, although they do have China biting at their heels. This bit of information was gleaned from an U.N think tank study. When it comes to e-waste, it will include phones, televisions, laptops and computers, which would eventually pose a certain degree of danger to humans and the environment alike because of lead, mercury and other kinds of poisonous toxins that are present in batteries.

In the StEP initiative, it was reported that the US actually dumped in over 9.4 million metric tons of e-waste in 2012 alone, which would be an additional 2 million metric tons compared to China. If one were to look at it based on a Per Capita calculation, each person living in the US would be responsible for 30 kilograms (66 pounds) of e-waste, which is more than four times that of the global average of 7 kilograms (15 pounds) per person. There is no real winners in such a study, so with word that China is about to catch up with the US in this aspect, the whole world loses in the long run.

US Is Largest E-Waste Polluter In The World original content from Ubergizmo.