Google has finally launched its
long-awaited social network, the Google+ project. The Google+ network is designed around
users' social circles (called +Circles) and lets users selectively share with
specific groups within their personal network, rather than sharing with all
their social connections at once.
"In real life, we have walls and
windows and I can speak to you knowing who's in the room, but in the online
world, you get to a ‘Share' box and you share with the whole world," Bradley
Horowitz, a VP of product management at Google, told the New York Times. By
granting the user more control over what is shared, how and with whom, Googel+
attempts to make the online sharing experience more secure and more
personal. In addition to +Circles, Google's network will also let users add
interests, video chat in groups, share content via mobile and many more features
that should be familiar to social network users..
The search giant will integrate its new
network directly into its massive web presence to allow users to socialize as
they use various Google proucts.Mashable explains how Google will accomplish this:
The search giant's new social project
will be omnipresent on every Goolge product, thanks to a complete redesign of
the Google navigation bar. The familiar gray bar at the top of every Google page
will turn black, and come with several new options for accessing your Google+
profile, viewing notifications and instantly sharing content at any time. The
notification system is similar to how Facebook handles notifications, complete
with a red number that increases with each additional
notice.
Goolge is completing its field trial of
the network, which is currently open only to a select few. However, you can
visit Google+ to sign up, and Google will send you a notification
when the service is ready. You can also explore the social network's landing
page and to see what new features are in store. Check out the slideshow (below) to get
a taste of the Google + project, then see our guide to 9 things you need to know
about the new social network.
Google Offers is a deal-of-the-day website that will be localized to major geographic markets in the United States and abroad. Google confirmed the website in January 2011, after an attempted buyout by Google of established competitor Groupon for a reported sum of US$ 6 billion was turned down.
Googlelaunched its Groupon-killer,"Offers," in Portland, Oregon, about a month ago.
And now it's gearing up to launch in San Francisco and New York.
Could Offers become a massive new revenue stream for Google--the "second huge growth engine" that Google has long searched for in vain?
Could Google's entry into the deals business clobber Groupon and other deal providers like Living Social?
To begin to answer these questions, we spoke to representatives of merchants who have signed on to offer Google Offers in New York. We also spoke with Google's Eric Rosenblum, the lead engineer on Offers, and Google spokesperson Nate Tyler.
In other words, if Google makes a big commitment to the deals business--a big if--its entry
into the market could hurt the businesses of Groupon, Living Social, et al, even if it does not end up "killing" them
.
The deals business is a "chicken-and-egg" business. To sell coupons (and get a commission), you have to 1) persuade merchants to offer the coupons, and 2) persuade consumers to buy them. Failure on one side of the business means failure overall: You have to succeed on both sides at once.
Google's competitive advantages come on both sides of the deals: The distribution side (consumers who buy the "offers") and the merchant side (merchants who sell products and services through the offers.)
This rouge hacker group released their latest intrusion into Arizona Department of Public Safety’s internal servers..
Lulz Security, a group of hackers who have claimed responsibility for a number of recent online data attacks, said Thursday that it had successfully breached the Arizona Department of Public Safety’s internal servers, gaining access to hundreds of law enforcement documents, police profiles and e-mails.
The group posted a huge log of data it said it had obtained, releasing them on public file-sharing Web sites and a link via its Twitter account.
Lulz Security said in a news release that it had chosen to attack Arizona law enforcement because it the group is opposed to the state’s law against illegalimmigration.
A Department of Public Safety spokesman, Capt. Steve Harrison, said the biggest worry was the release of personal information about officers, which could endanger their safety. He said the documents appeared to be authentic but were sensitive, not confidential.
The content of the documents obtained by Lulz Security include what appear to be the names, addresses and phone numbers of Arizona law enforcement officials. The data also covers hundreds of documents described as “not for public distribution.”
Some of the documents offer instructions and manuals for interrogating individuals who have been arrested.
The documents also include intelligence the department has collected about gangs in Arizona and Mexico..
Lulz Security also said it planned to release “more classified documents and embarrassing personal details of military and law enforcement” in the coming weeks.
In the last several months Lulz Security has attacked a number of government and private Web sites, including Sony, the Senate’s Web servers and the Central Intelligence Agency’s Web site.
iPhone 5 (or the iPhone 4S, as some are calling it) rumours are flying thick and fast already.
Let's raid the iPhone 5 rumour fridge to find the tomatoes of truth amid the stinky stilton of baseless speculation.
But first, our colleagues on T3.com have rounded up the latest rumours in the iPhone 5 video below.
iPhone 5 Release Date might be most buzzing topic among tech geeks. Each day is rising with a new rumor or a speculative guess about iPhone 5 launch date. CNET UK, a top internet review site for electronics, has grabbed attention of the techies posting update on iPhone 5 release date.
According to CNET UK, iPhone 5 release date is likely to be September 7th 2011. We guess this is the first exact date prediction about launch of the next generation iPhone.
iPhone 5 will be iCloud-based
Apple says it is "cutting the cable" with iOS 5 - just as well, as it claimed the iPad 2 was the first post-PC device earlier in the year. OS updates can be delivered over the air - you'll just received what's changed rather than the usual 600MB download - and devices can be activated without plugging them into iTunes.
You can also now create and delete iOS calendars and mailboxes too, so you really can devolve your device from your PC or Mac.
"You can activate on the device and you're ready to go," explained Apple's Scott Forstall.
"Software updates are now over the air. So you no longer need to plug in to update your software. And they're now Delta updates. Instead of downloading the whole OS, you only download what's changed," he continued.
iPhone 5 form factor
The Wall Street Journal reported that: "Apple is also developing a new iPhone model, said people briefed on the phone. One person familiar said the fifth-generation iPhone would be a different form factor than those that are currently available… it was unclear how soon that version would be available to Verizon or other carriers."
This has since been backed up by reports from Engadget, which state the design will be a 'total rethink'.
Of course, since the iPhone 3G was followed by the 3GS it's possible the new iPhone won't be a total refresh and we'll see an iPhone 4S (or iPhone 4GS) before an iPhone 5.
An iPhone 4S looked more likely on 16 May 2011 after analyst Peter Misek wrote: "According to our industry checks, the device should be called iPhone 4S and include minor cosmetic changes, better cameras, A5 dual-core processor, and HSPA+ support."
However, earlier reports from China backed up the larger-screened, metal chassis-sporting iPhone 5 rumours, so the redesign still seems firmly on the cards.
On 22 March 2011, China Times also reported that the iPhone 5 will feature a 4-inch display.
A rumour we covered on 7 March 2011 suggests that the new iPhone will do away with the glass back and opt instead for a metal back which will act as a new iPhone antenna.
And an Apple patent that we reported on on 7 April 2011 suggests that we could see the bezel put to good use on the new iPhone. The patent describes how visual indicators and touch-sensitive buttons could be incorporated to the space around the iPhone screen.
Rumours that we covered on 3 May 2011, suggest that there may even be two versions of the new iPhone: a 'standard' iPhone 5 and an iPhone 5 'pro'. Apparently, Apple is buying in components of differing quality, and those parts wouldn't be required for a single phone.
A cheaper, smaller iPhone 5 - an iPhone nano
A prototype version of a smaller iPhone is said to exist, built to ward off competition from cheap Android handsets.
Rumours around an iPhone nano picked up again on 13 February when the Wall Street Journal claimed that the so-called 'iPhone nano' exists and may even be on sale later this year.
Those iPhone nano rumours may hold little truth, though. As we reported on 18 February, the New York Times cites an anonymous source who says there will be no smaller iPhone from Apple. "The size of the device would not vary," says the source.
A white iPhone 5
The Economic Daily News is reporting that white iPhone 5 glass is being shipped, with a supplier called Wintek being the sole touch panel vendor for the white iPhone.
iPhone 5 will support 1080p HD
It's fairly likely - given that the iPad 2 supports Full HD - that the new iPhone will do the same.
iPhone 5 specs
According to the Chinese Economic Daily News (via AppleInsider), with the exception of Qualcomm chipsets - which would replace the current Infineon chipsets in the iPhone 4 - Apple's sticking with the same suppliers for the 2011 iPhone 5G components.
We'd expect the basics of the iPhone 5 specs to get a bump - more memory, faster processor, and more storage. The A5 dual-core ARM processor from the iPad 2 is extremely likely to be included.
The specs? A new antenna, 1.2GHz processor (possibly dual-core) and a larger screen: 3.7" instead of 3.5". The iPhone 5 may also be made from a new kind of alloy, or maybe meat.
iPhone 5 screen
In other rumours which surfaced on 15 February 2011, Digitimes is reporting on information supposedly leaked from component suppliers that claim the iPhone 5 will feature a larger, 4-inch screen. Digitimes quotes the source as saying that Apple is expanding the screen size "to support the tablet PC market as the vendor only has a 9.7-inch iPad in the market."
On 23 May, we reported on rumours that the iPhone 5 could feature a curved glass screen. These rumours also came from Digitimes, which said that Apple has purchased between 200 and 300 special glass cutting machines because they're too costly for the manufacturers to invest in.
The iPhone 5 or iPhone 4S will also get a massive graphical boost as it moves to a dual-core GPU - this could herald true 1080p output from the new device, according to our news story on 18 January.
iPhone 5 digital wallet
There's been some speculation that Apple might include Near Field Communication (NFC) technology in the iPhone 5G, turning it into a kind of credit/debit card. However, as Techeye.net notes, "Apple has looked into NFC before" so this might not be imminent.
However, with the tech being inside the Google Nexus S, the time for NFC may finally be here.
UPDATE: On 24 February 2011, we reported that an Apple patent has revealed an e-wallet icon on the iPhone homescreen. This adds credence to the rumour that iPhone 5 will feature NFC.
However, on 14 March 2011, reports in The Independent cited sources from 'several of the largest mobile operators in the UK', who said that Apple told them not to expect NFC in the iPhone 5. So perhaps we'll have to wait for iPhone 6 for that.
But who to believe? On 22 March 2011 China Times reported that the new iPhone will include an NFC chip.
LTE support
At least one analyst thinks the iPhone 5 will support LTE, super-fast mobile broadband, in the US. That would make the iPhone 5G a 4G phone, which won't be confusing at all. LTE is certainly coming - AT&T plans to roll out its LTE service in 2011 - but an LTE iPhone has been rumoured for a while. USA Today floated the idea of an LTE iPhone on Verizon last year.
iPhone 5 camera
Speaking at a live Wall Street Journal event, Sony's Sir Howard Stringer was talking about the company's camera image sensor facility in Sendai, a town that was recently ravaged by the recent Japanese earthquake and tsunami.
According to 9to5Mac, he said something along the lines of, "Our best sensor technology is built in one of the [tsunami] affected factories. Those go to Apple for their iPhones… or iPads. Isn't that something? They buy our best sensors from us."
Other sources have also said that the new iPhone could have an 8MP camera.
iPhone 5 price
If the iPhone 5 is an evolutionary step like the move from the iPhone 3G to the iPhone 3GS then we'd expect the price to stay more or less the same, although in the UK higher VAT rates may well mean a higher price tag.
iPhone 5 pictures
A spurious photo of an iPhone 5 front case has been unearthed by a Chinese reseller, suggesting that the next Apple handset will feature an edge-to-edge display. We're not convinced it's a genuine Apple part, though.
On 17 March 2011, we reported on another supposed set of leaked iPhone 5 cases, this time looking remarkably similarly to iPhone 4 cases.
Whatever the iPhone 5 looks like, it appears Samsung wants to see it.
Apple has accused Samsung of trying to harass it, as the Korean company demands to see top secret future iPhone and iPad devices including the new iPhone and iPad 3.
What do you want to see in the next iPhone? Hit the comments and share your thoughts.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's former Harvard classmates Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss have decided not to pursue their legal battle against the billionaire CEO over a dispute related to the idea of developing the popular social-networking site.
In a San Francisco federal court filing, the Winklevoss twins said they have decided not to seek a review of the ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that had upheld the USD 65 million cash-and-stock settlement reached with Zuckerberg in 2008.
A fight that inspired a Oscar-winning movie 'The Social Network' seen its finale when in the one-paragraph court filing, Cameron and Tyler said they would accept the USD 65 million settlement and "careful consideration" they would not file a petition to take their battle to the Supreme Court.
The Winklevosses had been trying to undo the settlement, saying that Facebook had held back information about the real value of its shares when the settlement was reached.
Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes said in a statement: "We have considered this case closed for a long time, and we are pleased to see the other party now agrees."
The Court of Appeals had in May rejected a bid by the twins to have a panel of 11 judges to review a ruling made earlier by a three-justice panel.
The three-judge panel had said that the litigation in the case "must come to an end" and threw out the bid by the Winkevosses to review the USD 65 million settlement.
Google are all about breaking internet records so it comes as no surprise that Google were the first Internet company in the world to reach 1 billion unique visitors in may over all of their services/sites including Gmail and YouTube. This means that Google’s unique visitors average has more than doubled in the past 5 years. All of this data comes courtesy of comScore who can be considered the Nielsen of the internet. In second place comes Microsoft whose total equates to 905 million unique visitors over all of their sites including Hotmail and msn.com while Facebook with only one domain managed to reach 714 million unique visitors.
Now the question is; who will be the first to reach 2 Billion?
From last two months barely anybody heard about the term "DoS" or "DDoS", but nowadays everyone appears to be using it.
However, people do not seem to understand the actual meaning of the term. For example: one week ago my friend said that CIA website has been "ddosed" for 2 hours(he meant, someone was insulting the website).
I'm getting pretty tired of the use of the term while barely anybody actually knows what it means or is facing real attacks, so I've decided to make this post to make it all clear.
What is a Dos or DDoS attack?
The purpose of a DoS or DDoS attack is to overload a server (as in "a computer" used to host services, not a "private server") by overloading it with connections.
An overload on a server will cause the server to go offline for a while and be unavailable for the users, meaning that any services such as a website or private server will be inaccessible.
Is there a difference between a DDoS and DoS attack?
Yes! There's a difference between a DDoS and DoS, even though the purpose will remain the same.
Many people believe it's the same and just use the term "DDoS" because an extra D rougher, but that's incorrect because people here are most likely facing a DoS attack instead of a DDoS attack.
DoS stands for Denial of Service. An attack coming from one single computer and internet connection.
If you have any tool on your computer to attack a server, it'll be a DoS tool. By using the tool you're exposing your own IP address, computer information and such information to the target of your attack.
In most cases a simple attack coming from one single computer is not strong enough to make a server unavailable.
My private server is down, is it a DDoS attack?
No. Like I said, barely anybody here has a proper botnet and is able to do such a DDoS attack.
If you are facing an overload of connections it is most likely a DoS attack coming from a single computer, if it was a real DDoS attack your internet connection probably wouldn't even be working unless you are using another internet connection to host your website (e.g. a dedicated or virtual server at another host/datacenter).
Can I defend my server, private server or website from such attacks?
Yes, it is possible but hard for a private server. Your host usually has an expensive firewall (such as CISCO's), but these gadgets are to fight real DDoS attacks. Attacks done in this RuneScape private server business cannot be considered as real attack because they're too small to be recognized by firewalls, which will mean you have to fight it on your own. Fighting attacks is easier when using an OS like Linux with Shell instead of Windows with remote desktop, however I'll spare you this story because you most likely do not want to use Linux due to all the typing instead of clicking. For people who are serious in life, internet and fighting the attacks, obtain some information about "null routing".
I am sure that the sites mentioned below solve at least one problem really well and they all have simple web addresses (URLs) that you can easily learn and thus saving you time to visit Google.
01. screenr.com – record movies of your desktop and send them straight to YouTube.
02. bounceapp.com – for capturing full length screenshots of web pages.
03. goo.gl – shorten long URLs and convert URLs into QR codes.
04. untiny.me – find the original URLs that's hiding behind a short URLs.
05. localti.me – know more than just the local time of a city
06. copypastecharacter.com – copy special characters that aren't on your keyboard.
07. topsy.com – a better search engine for twitter.
08. fb.me/AppStore – search iOS app without launching iTunes.
09. iconfinder.com – the best place to find icons of all sizes.
10. office.com – download templates, clipart and images for your Office documents.
11. woorank.com – everything you wanted to know about a website.
12. virustotal.com – scan any suspicious file or email attachment for viruses.
13. wolframalpha.com – gets answers directly without searching - see more wolfram tips.
14. printwhatyoulike.com – print web pages without the clutter.
15. joliprint.com – reformats news articles and blog content as a newspaper.
16. isnsfw.com – when you wish to share a NSFW page but with a warning.
17. e.ggtimer.com – a simple online timer for your daily needs.
18. coralcdn.org – if a site is down due to heavy traffic, try accessing it through coral CDN.
19. random.org – pick random numbers, flip coins, and more.
20. mywot.com – check the trust level of any website - example.
21. viewer.zoho.com – Preview PDFs and Presentations directly in the browser.
22. tubemogul.com – simultaneously upload videos to YouTube and other video sites.
23. truveo.com – the best place for searching web videos.
24. scr.im – share you email address online without worrying about spam.
25. spypig.com – now get read receipts for your email.
26. sizeasy.com – visualize and compare the size of any product.
27. whatfontis.com – quickly determine the font name from an image.
28. fontsquirrel.com – a good collection of fonts – free for personal and commercial use.
29. regex.info – find data hidden in your photographs – see more EXIF tools.
30. tineye.com – this is like an online version of Google Googles.
31. iwantmyname.com – helps you search domains across all TLDs.
32. tabbloid.com – your favorite blogs delivered as PDFs.
33. join.me – share you screen with anyone over the web.
34. onlineocr.net – recognize text from scanned PDFs and images – see other OCR tools.
35. flightstats.com - Track flight status at airports worldwide.
36. wetransfer.com – for sharing really big files online.
37. pastebin.com – a temporary online clipboard for your text and code snippets.
38. polishmywriting.com – check your writing for spelling or grammatical errors.
39. awesomehighlighter.com – easily highlight the important parts of a web page.
40. typewith.me – work on the same document with multiple people.
41. whichdateworks.com – planning an event? find a date that works for all.
42. everytimezone.com – a less confusing view of the world time zones.
43. warrick.cs.odu.edu – you'll need this when your bookmarked web pages are deleted.
44. gtmetrix.com – the perfect tool for measuring your site performance online.
45. imo.im - chat with your buddies on Skype, Facebook, Google Talk, etc. from one place.
46. translate.google.com – translate web pages, PDFs and Office documents.
47. youtube.com/leanback – enjoy a never ending stream of YouTube videos in full-screen.
48. similarsites.com – discover new sites that are similar to what you like already.
49. wordle.net – quick summarize long pieces of text with tag clouds.
50. bubbl.us – create mind-maps, brainstorm ideas in the browser
