Hasta La Gadget!

Newsweek is up for a fresh start. Now unchained from the pillars of print, the American weekly newspaper is launching its first digital version featuring an animated cover image. This is a first in the history of the popular magazine. This week’s issue will feature a four-second animation of the descent of the deep-diving submarine Pisces IV. The first digital edition carries the headline “Have We Hit Bottom?” which basically chronicles the last deep sea diving expedition to be ever made by humans. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Facebook Charges $100 To Send Mark Zuckerberg A Message, Google+ Hangouts On Air Now Has A Full-Screen Option,

If you love using Google+ Hangouts, then you will probably be glad to hear that the popular video chat service on Google+ has been updated to support full-screen viewing. We’re talking about Hangouts On Air, a feature that lets users stream hangouts publicly on their Google+ profile, while giving them the option to post directly on YouTube. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Newsweek’s First Digital Edition Features An Animated Cover, Facebook Charges $100 To Send Mark Zuckerberg A Message,

There are benefits of using social networking sites. One of them is the connection it brings even when people are thousands of miles apart. Social media proved to be very nifty for 8-year old Eddie Hanzlin, who helped his neighbor, Clifford Boyson, locate his long-lost sister using Facebook. It only took a simple Facebook search for the second grader to trace Boyson’s older sister, Betty, now 70 years old. The boy typed Betty’s maiden name “Boyson” and eventually found the Facebook profile of Betty Boyson Billadeau. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Wikimedia Foundation’s ‘Wikivoyage’ Travel Site Launching On January 15th, Anonymous Launches Petition To Make DDoS Attacks A Legal Form Of Protest,

Anonymous has been making the Internet interesting to be on for the past couple of years as they hacked a number of services like PayPal, breached the PlayStation Network, and hacked the CIA website. Today, they’re making their voice heard through the White House’s website, WhiteHouse.gov, but for once, they’re not relying on hacking methods to get their point across.

Anonymous have launched a petition on WhiteHouse.gov with the title “Make, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS), a legal form of protesting.” In their petition, they write:

“With the advance in internet techonology, comes new grounds for protesting. Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS), is not any form of hacking in any way. It is the equivalent of repeatedly hitting the refresh button on a webpage. It is, in that way, no different than any “occupy” protest. Instead of a group of people standing outside a building to occupy the area, they are having their computer occupy a website to slow (or deny) service of that particular website for a short time.

As part of this petition, those who have been jailed for DDoS should be immediatly released and have anything regarding a DDoS, that is on their “records”, cleared.”

It’s interesting for Anonymous to attempt to rally the Internet around it in order to have a petition be considered to the U.S. Government. What makes this more interesting is their request to have anyone who has been jailed for DDoS attacks to be released and have their record cleared of the attacks. We’re not entirely sure why Anonymous would want that to be a part of the petition as it leads us to believe maybe one of their own is having a little bit of trouble with their record.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Wikimedia Foundation’s ‘Wikivoyage’ Travel Site Launching On January 15th, Gmail Updates Compose View With Ability To Label, Star Before Sending,

The newly restored Madison Hotel in Washington D.C. is busy preparing to host the VIPs who will witness the second inauguration of President Barack Obama. In fact, the hotel is offering a “Inaugural Town and Country” package that is priced at $47,000. The package includes a four night stay in one of the Madison’s Presidential Suites, a private Presidential Inauguration tour, a $5,000 shopping experience at Brooks Brothers, a personal town car and driver, and a “dedicated” social media butler. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Anonymous Launches Petition To Make DDoS Attacks A Legal Form Of Protest, Gmail Updates Compose View With Ability To Label, Star Before Sending,