Hasta La Gadget!

Facebook made some changes to its data use policy late last year (in addition to some changes to its actual process for making changes), and it’s now back with another set of updates. As Facebook’s Chief Privacy Office Erin Egan explains, the new changes affect two of its key documents — its Data Use Policy and Statement of Rights and Responsibilities — and they come as a result of a settlement in a court case concerning its use of personal data in advertising. Among the changes are a revised explanation of “how things like your name, profile picture and content may be used in connection with ads or commercial content,” which Facebook says will now “make it clear that you are granting Facebook permission for this use when you use our services.”

The data use policy also encompasses data retention by third parties, who Facebook says you must contact directly if you wish to have your personal data deleted, even if you have deleted the third-party application itself. As AllThingsD notes, your profile picture will also now figure more prominently in Facebook’s facial-recognition system for photo tagging, although you can still opt out of that if you like. These are also all still just proposed changes for the time being; under its new process, Facebook users have seven days to offer their comments, but no vote will take place.

Filed under: Internet, Facebook

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Via: TechCrunch

Source: Facebook

It might not be the desktop app you’ve been waiting for, but this newest Mailbox is still pretty notable for its new mobile features. Perhaps the most important addition is the ability to search for emails not saved locally on your iPhone or iPad. It’s far from perfect — we’re unable to dig for old conversations dating more than a few months back — but it’s better than not having it at all. Once you’ve updated the app, you’ll also notice new sections in the Settings page, including a signature box for each linked account and the ability to change the default browser from Safari to Chrome. There’s also an option to link your account to Dropbox, which acquired Mailbox in March, in exchange for 1GB of free space on the cloud service. Unfortunately, there’s no news on the Android app or the reported integration with other email services — but we’ll keep a weather eye on the horizon.

Filed under: Internet, Mobile

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Source: Mailbox

In an interview with the BBC (which has canned making its own 3D content), Skype’s VP Mark Gillett says that the Microsoft VoIP service has been working on developing 3D calls. Don’t expect the capability to arrive soon, however, as Gillet soon added that it could be years before the tech gets to Skype users. “we’ve done work in the labs looking at the capability of 3D screens and 3D capture… we’ve seen a lot of progress… but the capture devices are not yet there.”

“We have it in the lab, we know how to make it work”, he added, saying that the company was looking into the device ecosystem and the capability to support the feature before it ever made it to a consumer launch. Also, if you liked the sound of full HD video, expect it to hit tablets and other laptops before it reaches your smartphone. The VP explained that due to the higher-level processing it entailed, it was looking into those platforms first.

Filed under: Internet, Software, Mobile, Microsoft

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Source: BBC

If it wasn’t already clear that Twitter is serious about monitoring TV trends, the company just proved it by acquiring Trendrr. The deal gives Twitter new tools for both tracking social network activity during TV broadcasts and delivering that information to advertisers and media producers. While the two companies aren’t specific regarding their plans, Trendrr is scaling back its operations: its Curatorr service will keep going, but it will stop taking customers for its Trendrr.TV engagement tracker. It will be some time before we see the results of the acquisition, but the increasingly tighter links between Twitter activity and TV suggest that the buyout could prove worthwhile in the long run.

Filed under: Internet, HD

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Via: Twitter Media (Twitter)

Source: Trendrr

If the words “ARM-powered wireless Arduino” send your heart aflutter, then you might be interested in… Flutter — a development platform with the aforementioned qualities. The Kickstarter project claims the device has a usable range of over half a mile, letting you nail that wireless letterbox-checker project with ease. Similar tools, such as Xbee and Zigbee already exist, but the $20 price tag for the Flutter basic, and $30 for Flutter Pro (adds battery charging, another button, more memory) make this a tempting option for tinkerers on a budget. So, if building that mesh network of quadrocopters has been sitting at the top of your to-do list for too long, we recommend you get backing right now.

Filed under: Networking, Internet

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Via: Ycombinator

Source: Kickstarter