DJI's latest Phantom quadcopter comes ready to film

The DJI Phantom ready-to-fly quadcopter let amateur pilots capture amazing footage from the sky, but it didn't come with the equipment necessary to actually film that footage, stabilize it, or see what you were shooting in real time. This week, the company's introduced a copter that does. The new Phantom 2 Vision comes with a custom 14 megapixel, 1080p camera with a 60-degree tilting gimbal, an f/2.8 aperture lens, and a wide 140 degree field of view — all mounted on a shock-absorbing bracket to avoid the jitters which plagued the original GoPro-compatible model.

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5053088/dji-phantom-2-vision-comes-with-camera-beams-to-smartphone

Amazon's Kindle Countdown Deals give customers ticking-clock discounts

Amazon's launched a new program that's going to give Kindle owners discounts on ebooks — albeit in a rather high-pressure fashion. Kindle Countdown Deals are basically ticking-clock sales: users can visit the page for the Kindle edition of a participating book and see the discounted price, along with a bubble that counts down the minutes until the deal expires, complete with a warning about the pending price increase.

Amazon is positioning Countdown Deals as a way for books to gain additional exposure, with choices about the length of the sale and price put into the hands of the publisher. There are some guidelines, however. Ebooks must be exclusive to the Kindle to opt into the program, and the deals need to run between one day to a...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/business/2013/10/31/5052876/amazons-kindle-countdown-deals-give-customers-ticking-clock-discounts

Track the scariest movie locations of all time with The Geography of Horror

When trying to figure out what movie to watch for Halloween, you can pick from your favorite franchise, director, or even type of scare — but what about using location? That's what location analytics company Esri makes possible with The Geography of Horror. It's an interactive map that takes the top 200 horror films, as listed by the IMDB, and maps out where they were set across the globe. Films are broken down by decade — it's pulling from a deep catalog — letting you spot trends in scary movies as they evolved over the years.

Now, the data's not ironclad — World War Z takes place in a lot more locations than just Philadelphia, and the Iraq-set prologue from The Exorcist doesn't warrant a mention — but it's still a great way...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5052636/track-the-scariest-movie-locations-of-all-time-with-the-geography-of

Nexus 5, Syria's chemical weapons, and Bret McKenzie: 90 Seconds on The Verge

On Day Four, the office was in mourning. A somber production staff tried their best to continue with their day-to-day work, but the sadness was palpable. Surprisingly, the lone editor continued his work as his deadline was fast approaching and he was already in hot water with his boss. If he can get his work done in time, it will truly be a happy Halloween.

via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5052492/nexus-5-syrias-chemical-weapons-and-bret-mckenzie-90sotv

Liberty Reserve co-founder pleads guilty in $6 billion money-laundering case

In May, the anonymous online banking service Liberty Reserve was abruptly shut down as part of an international sting by the Justice Department. The site was charged with laundering more than $1 billion each year for identity thieves and drug traffickers from their headquarters in Costa Rica. Today, one of the co-founders, Vladimir Kats, has pled guilty to the charges, admitting his role in the criminal marketplace than spanned more than one million users worldwide.

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5052428/liberty-reserve-co-founder-pleads-guilty-in-6-billion-money

Every HTC One in North America will have Android KitKat within 90 days

Google says that Android 4.4 will come to the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One Google Play Edition devices "in the coming weeks," but what if you bought your device from a cellular carrier instead? If you own an HTC One in North America, you should see an update within the next 90 days. In an interview with Engadget , HTC America president Jason Mackenzie committed to deliver the update to every HTC One device within that time period.

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5052342/every-htc-one-in-north-america-will-have-android-kitkat-within-90-days

Google plans to dock mystery barge at former Army post in San Francisco

Google has held initial discussions with San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center to dock its mysterious barge on a pier there, The Verge has confirmed. "They’re in discussions on the idea of mooring a floating barge off of one of the piers at Fort Mason for a period of time," said Howard Levitt, director of communications and partnerships at Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which manages Fort Mason. "The details, we’re still trying to ascertain ourselves."

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5051642/google-plans-to-dock-mystery-barge-at-former-army-post-in-san

MTV Artists is a surprisingly useful one-stop music search and discovery app

Once upon a time, the channel known as MTV — believe it or not — played music. It sounds crazy, in the these days of non-stop reality show and celebrity coverage, but music was the name of the game, and a new app MTV just released today moves the company back to its roots, at least in one small way. MTV Artists for iPhone is best described as a mashup between Shazam and Ticketmaster. For starters, it comes with a Wikipedia-style database — you can search for an artist and see photos, videos, interviews, a biography, some band history, and other content. There's also a "top 10 songs in 90 seconds" feature, which pulls audio from Rhapsody to give you a quick overview of the artist.

Another highlight feature is Song ID, which...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5052004/mtv-artists-one-stop-music-search-discovery-app

Federal court blocks NYC stop-and-frisk ruling

A federal court has blocked an August ruling that named the NYPD's stop-and-frisk practices as unconstitutional, and removed the presiding judge from the case amid accusations of impartial conduct. The new motion blocks any consequences from August's ruling until the city has had time to appeal. The case had sent shockwaves through local law enforcement, but any changes to the long-standing practice will now have to wait until the appeals court can make a more definitive ruling.

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5052184/federal-court-blocks-nyc-stop-and-frisk-ruling

The Vergecast 100 extravaganza

The boys are back in town. We're on the eve of The Verge's two-year birthday, we're celebrating 100 episodes of The Vergecast, and right now we're haphazardly watching people go to work in costumes - so it must be Halloween, as well! Join Josh, Nilay, and Paul (yes, Paul) for news, hijinks, a look back, and a look forward, a look sideways - just like our elevators. Tell us your favorite memories, your clips, show us your costumes (bonus points if it's of The Verge crew), and we might include them in the show. Keep it locked!

via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5052072/the-vergecast-100-october-31-video

Toast your favorite Red Wings

DETROIT – Yzerman, Lidstrom, Osgood, Konstantinov, Datsyuk, Shanahan – just a few names of the many Red Wings that have skated at Joe Louis Arena. In just a few weeks, Hockeytown fans will have an opportunity to stand where they’ve lifted the ...



via Red Wings Recent Headlines http://redwings.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=689364&cmpid=rss-nelson

Malaria cases in the US reach a 40-year high, new data shows

Malaria has been nearly obliterated in the United States — but rates of the deadly tropical illness recently saw a striking rise stateside, according to new data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5051838/malaria-rates-US-40-year-high-in-2011

Hans Zimmer enlists Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, Pharrell for 'Amazing Spider-Man 2' soundtrack

Prolific composer Hans Zimmer is no stranger to scoring music for superhero movies, having provided the soundtrack for Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy as well as this year's Man of Steel . Now, it's been announced that he's on board to compose the soundtrack for The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and he's bringing a lot of friends to the project. Johnny Marr, guitarist for The Smiths and Modest Mouse (among many other acts) will again partner with Zimmer after the duo worked together on the soundtrack for Inception. Zimmer's also enlisted the help of Pharrell, fresh off of his work on Daft Punk's latest; Pharrell and Zimmer previously worked on the Despicable Me soundtrack. Rounding out the group is Incubus guitarist Mike Einzinger (who...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5051794/hans-zimmer-johnny-marr-pharrell-amazing-spider-man-2-soundtrack

Lucasfilm and Disney struggle over 2015 'Star Wars' release date

J.J. Abrams' new Star Wars trilogy has been widely anticipated among fans, but apparently no one is more eager for the film to hit screens than Disney. After the departure of screenwriter Michael Arndt last week, The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that the Episode VII script isn't close to ready, and much of the creative team has asked to push the release date to 2016 to accommodate the change. (The film was also a no-show at Disney's recent D23 conference.) But despite the widespread pleas, Disney has held fast to the Summer 2015 release date, a move that frustrated the creative team and many say leaves "zero margin for error" in the development of the film.

Part of Disney's reluctance stems from the intricate plans for the new...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5051710/j-j-abrams-and-disney-struggle-over-2015-star-wars-release-date

Family feud: is Google's Nexus 5 the best pure Android phone?

When it was released last year, the Nexus 4 was one of the best Android smartphones around, aside from one glaring issue: it didn’t include LTE. Google has finally righted that wrong this year with the Nexus 5, and it’s overhauling the phone in a number of other big ways as well. But in a year where Google has already released stock versions of the most powerful Android phones around, and Google-owned Motorola has learned to stand out from the crowd, is a new Nexus able to hold its own in Google's all-star lineup?

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5051604/nexus-5-vs-moto-x-vs-google-play-edition-galaxy-s4-htc-one

Google releases pricy new 'bumper' cases and QuickCover for Nexus 5

To go along with the just-introduced Nexus 5, Google and LG are offering up a few new cases for the flagship device. Rather than go with another bumper-style case like it did for the Nexus 4, Google is offering a full-protection case in black, red, grey, and yellow for $34.99. Confusingly, the company still calls it a bumper case, though it covers the back as well as the sides. Google says its made of a hard exterior and a soft rubber lining — we'll have to see how it works in practice, but there's no doubt its an expensive accessory.

Even more expensive is LG's $49.99 QuickCover case — it's similar to the new bumper case but includes a front cover, as well. It's similar in design to Apple's full-protection iPad cases, and opening...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5051624/google-nexus-5-bumper-case-quickcover

Google's next generation: Nexus 5, Android 4.4 KitKat, and more

Today Google launched the latest in the Nexus line, the Nexus 5, and showed off the newest version of its Android OS, KitKat.

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5051682/googles-next-generation-nexus-5-android-4-4-kitkat-and-more

Samsung ousts Apple from top spot in JD Power tablet satisfaction rankings

The great tech rivalry of recent times has a new milestone in its narrative today, courtesy of JD Power whose tablet owner satisfaction study has placed Samsung ahead of Apple for the first time. Apple has in the past cited these very rankings as indicative of the iPad's preeminence and superiority — having noted back in June that iOS devices were on a run of nine consecutive JD Power awards — so it's a blow to the company's public image to lose out in a comparison that it has shown itself to care about.

The margin between Samsung and Apple is razor thin, with the Korean maker of Android tablets gaining a score of 835 to Apple's 833. Tim Cook and company will find solace in the more detailed breakdown, where Apple's tablets earn the...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5051594/samsung-ousts-apple-from-top-spot-in-jd-power-rankings

Google launches new wireless charging pad for the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7

Google has supported wireless charging on its Nexus devices for some time, and last year's Nexus 4 smartphone launched with a semi-circle "puck" that acted as a dock and charger for the device. This year, the company has gone back to the drawing board with its wireless charger, revamping its design and adding magnets for better stability when placing a device on it.

The new charger is glossy on top, unlike the sticky, dust-collecting rubber finish on last year's model, and is compatible with the new Nexus 5 and this year's Nexus 7. Presumably, it will charge any Qi-compatible device, including last year's Nexus 4, but only devices that have the magnets built in to them (the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7) will be able to actually stick to the...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5051354/google-launches-new-wireless-charging-pad-for-nexus-5-and-nexus-7

Google's Nexus 5 with KitKat available today, starting at $349: hands-on impressions

Google's Nexus program has a simple goal: make the best, purest, most perfect Android phone. And, beginning with last year's Nexus 4, Google did all that at a remarkable price, charging with no strings attached what most carriers and manufacturers would charge with a two-year contract. The Nexus 4 had a few issues — its missing LTE support chief among them — but overall it was an excellent phone, a refined and usable example of Android's prowess and possibilities.

That's why Google's new device, the Nexus 5, has been so remarkably hyped. It's been leaking for months, speculated about for much longer — and today Google's finally pulling the veil all the way back on the device that it hopes will show the world what Android can...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5049068/googles-nexus-5-with-android-kit-kat-available-today-starting-349

Google Now and speech recognition get big updates in Android 4.4 KitKat

Over the past year and a half Google's steadily added new features and cards to its predictive search assistant, Google Now. With Android 4.4 KitKat, the company's taking the opportunity to upgrade Google Now and search on mobile with the goal of "bringing apps and the web together," as Android and Chrome OS chief Sundar Pichai said in a meeting with press today.

Search has always been closely tied with Google Now, and it's receiving some much-appreciated attention today. Search results no longer ignore the apps on your phone. Google is now crawling through mobile apps to find their content and bring features directly to the fore, just like the company has done for years on the web. For example, a simple search for a restaurant will...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5051458/android-kit-kat-bring-big-updates-to-google-now-and-speech-recognition

Google's Nexus 5 won't come to Verizon, but 'a set of projects for 2014' will

Google and Verizon haven't had the closest relationship in recent years — the Verizon-specific Galaxy Nexus was held back by the carrier's long software review process, making it feel like a second-class citizen in the Nexus family. And, of course, the Nexus 4 didn't support LTE and only worked on GSM-based networks, leaving Verizon customers out in the cold. Unfortunately, that's still the case with Google's newest flagship: senior VP of Android Sundar Pichai told us that "the Nexus 5 will not be on Verizon." Somewhat surprisingly, the Nexus 5 will run on Sprint's network — the carrier is listed as one of Google's official retail partners, making the phone's lack of compatibility with Verizon a bit surprising.

This comes after...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5051304/google-nexus-5-wont-work-on-verizon

Android 4.4 KitKat comes with smarter, more connected phone dialer

When you step back and look at just how powerful smartphones have become, there's one important tool that's been criminally neglected: the phone dialer. At least that's what Google thinks. "Smartphones have been getting smarter and smarter, and yet the dialer seems to be stuck in a feature phone world for some reason," said Google engineer Dave Burke, who moments later unveiled a new dialer that's debuting with Android 4.4. According to Burke, KitKat brings with it a modernization of the dialer — a utility that's obviously essential to voice calls, but one that's rarely gotten much attention throughout Android's evolution. That's all changing today. "We applied some Google smarts to the problem," he said.

Android's new dialer is...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5051134/android-4-4-kit-kat-new-dialer

Android 4.4 KitKat: Google's simpler, integrated operating system designed for every phone

At its event in San Francisco, in the midst of flashing some new hardware, Google's also unveiled version 4.4 of Android, the long-awaited KitKat. It's much more than a marketing gimmick, or an excuse to make limited-edition candy bars in Paris — it brings some real change to Android, and some much-awaited integration among Google services.

Most immediately obvious are a handful of design tweaks to the OS, which make Android cleaner and simpler than ever before. The status and notification bar are now translucent, and they disappear completely when you're in a fullscreen app; there's less chrome across the entire OS, and more space on the Nexus 5's five-inch display for whatever you're doing. There's a new launcher, a new condensed...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5049672/android-kit-kat-4-4-google-software-operating-system

WINGS RETURN GLENDENING

The Detroit Red Wings on Thursday assigned center Luke Glendening to the Grand Rapids Griffins.



via griffinshockey.com - News Releases http://www.griffinshockey.com/news/releases/?article_id=2617

The devil you know: inside the world of a psychopathic scientist

James Fallon is a happily married father of three, an award-winning neuroscientist at the University of California, Irvine, the founder of several successful biotech companies, and a scientific advisor to the US Department of Defense. He is also a psychopath.

In 2005, after decades of studying the brain scans of psychopathic killers, Fallon made a startling discovery when examining his own PET scan as part of a separate research project. His brain, Fallon discovered, looked precisely like those of the cold-blooded murderers he’d spent the last 20 years scrutinizing. And after analyzing his DNA, Fallon later uncovered that his genetic profile contained several genes strongly linked to violent, psychopathic behaviors.

After Fallon...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5025744/james-fallon-the-psychopath-inside-interview

Dead meat: how to raise livestock in a post-antibiotic era

We've been warned for years that our reckless use of antibiotics threatens to render the drugs useless — ushering in a public health crisis that could see once-benign germs become deadly. But overzealous prescriptions for human patients are only one part of the problem: experts increasingly agree that antibiotics in animal agriculture contribute to resistant infections in people. And some are now investigating surprising techniques, from probiotics to vitamins to garlic extracts, to curb antibiotic dependency among meat producers.

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5050624/antibiotics-in-animal-agriculture-replacements

‘Ender’s Game’ review: virtual reality

Ender’s Game has had a long and troubled path to the big screen. Despite the acclaim and popularity surrounding Orson Scott Card’s novel, the author refused to part with the film rights for years. When he did relent, multiple screenwriters — including Game of Thrones’ D.B. Weiss and David Benioff — took passes at an adaptation, but the movie never materialized. When things finally moved forward with writer-director Gavin Hood (Tsotsi, X-Men Origins: Wolverine), Ender’s found its pre-release buzz overwhelmed by boycott talks thanks to Card’s own strident anti-gay views, an issue that Harrison Ford himself eventually had to address.

With Ender’s Game arriving in theaters, the conversation can now shift to the merits of...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5049138/enders-game-review

Classic film posters reimagined for 'Little Print Shop of Horrors'

For the past three years, British creative agency Creativespark has put a small collection of limited-edition posters on sale for Halloween. The posters celebrate classic horror movies using typography and bold design, and the collection on sale right now features some stunning prints. This year's selection evokes memorable moments and imagery from The Shining , Psycho, Candyman, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and others.

The 2013 collection is priced at £12 (roughly $19) per 16.5-inch by 11.7-inch poster, but unfortunately Creativespark doesn't ship outside the UK. All proceeds from the sale will be going towards Forever Manchester, a local non-profit that focuses on bringing positive change to Manchester neighborhoods. There are also a...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5050022/little-print-shop-of-horrors-2013

FAA officially approves using electronics during all phases of flight

The FAA is officially allowing the use of some electronics during takeoff and landing, not just while in the air. In a statement, the agency said it was immediately providing guidance to airlines that would let them develop policies, which could vary by company.

Passengers will eventually be able to read e-books, play games, and watch videos on their devices during all phases of flight, with very limited exceptions. Electronic items, books and magazines, must be held or put in the seat back pocket during the actual takeoff and landing roll. Cell phones should be in airplane mode or with cellular service disabled - i.e., no signal bars displayed-and cannot be used for voice communications based on FCC regulations that prohibit any...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5050468/faa-officially-allowing-electronics-during-all-phases-of-flight

Pandora brings its personalized streaming radio to Chromecast

Pandora is now available on Google's Chromecast dongle, giving one of the biggest names in streaming media another point of access to the living room. An update to Pandora's Android and iOS mobile apps will now include a "Cast" button, which will allow for one-touch streaming to the TV, the company said. "By integrating Google Cast technology into our mobile apps, users now have another easy access point to a better listening experience from the biggest screen in their living room," said Tom Conrad, Pandora's chief technical officer, in a statement.

Netflix, Hulu Plus, and YouTube already were available on Chromecast. With Pandora, the dongle adds one of the biggest missing names to its lineup of service providers. Pandora users can...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5047346/pandora-brings-its-personalized-streaming-radio-to-chromecast

New York City votes to raise minimum smoking age to 21

New York City could be about to become the latest place to ban cigarette sales to 18-20-year-olds. The news comes from a city council vote that passed a bill barring the sale of cigarettes to anyone under the age of 21. The votes came through 35 for the change versus 10 against, and the bill now awaits Mayor Bloomberg's signature — likely a formality — in order to be made city-wide law. Bloomberg has 30 days to sign the bill, and the changes would take effect six months later.

NYC isn't the first place to prohibit the sale of cigarettes to over 18s. Some New York counties including Nassau and Suffolk have raised the bar to 19, while several towns in Massachusetts have banned smoking for under 21s. It's worth noting that the ban,...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5049962/new-york-city-bans-smoking-under-21

Edward Snowden gets a tech support job at 'major' Russian website

On the run from the US government at a secret location somewhere in Russia, Edward Snowden has decided to do something productive with his time. His lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, has informed a Russian news agency that Snowden has secured employment with a "major" Russian website and will start work on Friday. Neither the particular employer nor Snowden's exact duties have been detailed, other than to say that he'll be performing a "technical support" role.

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5050096/edward-snowden-tech-support-job

CHECKMATE

The Griffins extended their winning streak to three games and earned their first home-ice victory of the season on Wednesday with a 5-2 decision over the Charlotte Checkers at Van Andel Arena.



via griffinshockey.com - News Releases http://www.griffinshockey.com/news/releases/?article_id=2616

Sprint CEO calls net neutrality 'a hard concept to get my head around'

Today, Sprint held a series of events to tout the capabilities of its just-announced "Spark" network, which enables cellular data speeds of up to 60Mbps — and by the end of 2015 CEO Dan Hesse says he hopes consumer devices could achieve speeds as high at 150Mbps. If Sprint can pull it off it would be, without question, a different kind of wireless service than what we've seen before. Different enough, in fact, that it's worth asking whether Sprint has plans to alter its famously unlimited data plans to accommodate it.

Hesse tells us that the answer to that question is "no," that Sprint is sticking with its clear and unambiguous unlimited plans. Cable broadband providers charge different rates for different bandwidth offerings, but...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/30/5048398/sprint-ceo-calls-net-neutrality-a-hard-concept-to-get-my-head-around

More NSA, Google Glass, and 'Titanfall': 90 Seconds on The Verge

On Day Three, things took a turn for the worse. Despite protective measures taken to ensure the health and safety of the lone editor, we were unable to cure him of his...stomach bug. He will be greatly missed. We would also like to take this time to put to rest the rumors that this was some sort of "outbreak" or "infection." That is preposterous. This was simply a really bad stomach bug. That is all.

via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/30/5048420/more-nsa-google-glass-and-titanfall-90sotv

Sen. Franken calls transparency hearing with Google and 'top administration officials'

On the heels of today's NSA revelations, Senators Al Franken (D-MN) and Dean Heller (R-NV) have announced a new hearing for their transparency bill, slated for November 18th. The hearing will bring together top administration officials, privacy experts and, most importantly, a representative from Google, which is said to be reeling from news that surveillance agencies collected unencrypted data from its internal network.

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/30/5048080/sen-franken-calls-transparency-hearing-with-google-and-top

Motorola surprises Moto X owners with interactive film from 'Ratatouille' co-director

Sometime yesterday, a red cowboy-style hat began mysteriously appearing on the home screen of some Moto X phones. As the quirky icon suggested, it wasn't anything sinister: Motorola had delivered a digital story — something between a movie and a game that the company expressly describes as being neither — to owners of its new flagship handset. The story is called Windy Day, and it tells a short slapstick tale of a cartoon mouse chasing after his hat as the wind whips it around the forest.

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/30/5047644/motorola-debuts-windy-day-interactive-movie-on-moto-x

Scientists discover Earth’s fiery doppelganger

The sci-fi worlds of Star Wars and Star Trek have trained us to think there are rocky, solid planets orbiting far away stars that are so similar to Earth we could walk upright and breathe their atmosphere. In reality, scientists have yet to identify a single planet outside of our solar system that's comparable to the size and composition of Earth.

Until now, that is.

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/30/5044096/exoplanet-kepler-78b-discovery

The sinkhole that swallowed a swamp

Everyone in the state of Louisiana knows about the Bayou Corne sinkhole. It even shows up on Google Maps. But it still took a year for the crisis to get national attention, by which time the pit of brackish water was 24 acres across. And when the nation finally turned its eye on Bayou Corne, it wasn’t because of the Mother Jones expose. It was because of a YouTube video.

The video, “8/21/13 Slough in,” opens on a copse of hulking cedars at the edge of what appears to be a calm lake. Suddenly, voices in the background shout, “They’re moving!” as a dozen trees glide downward in unison, their tops shaking and quivering as they’re sucked beneath the surface. Soon, the water is still again.

The video was posted everywhere...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/30/4841458/bayou-corne-sinkhole-swallowed-a-swamp

Sprint's 'Spark' technology enables cellular data speeds of up to 60Mbps

Sprint claims it has developed a new wireless technology that could allow the carrier to surpass the wireless data speeds of its rivals. Dubbed Sprint Spark, the "super-high-speed" currently reaches peak rates of 50 to 60Mbps, but Sprint insists that number will grow as the technology matures. In fact, to illustrate the progress it's making on that front, Sprint today demonstrated 1Gbps over-the-air speeds at one of its labs.

The carrier isn't wasting time deploying Spark; it's rolling out in "limited availability" in five US cities (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Tampa, and Miami) today. Sprint Spark is expected to reach 100 million Americans by the end of 2014, assuming the carrier's LTE expansion remains on track. From there, Sprint...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/30/5047154/sprint-spark-enables-cellular-data-speeds-of-up-to-60mbps

GM's CEO wants Millennials 'to start buying cars over the internet'

The CEO of General Motors says his company wants to allow customers to order cars over the internet. Speaking during GM's quarterly earnings investor call, CEO Dan Akerson suggested the automaker is actively exploring the concept — which could bring GM closer to Tesla's innovative retail structure. "I don’t think it should go without passing to note that we want people to start buying cars over the internet," Akerson said. He described these theoretical web sales as "a potential half-step away from our traditional channels."

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/30/5046798/general-motors-ceo-wants-millennials-to-buy-cars-over-the-internet

Google donates 17,000 Nexus 7 tablets to Hurricane Sandy victims in New York

Google has donated 17,000 Nexus 7 tablets to assist New York communities still recovering from Hurricane Sandy. The tablets, which have a retail value of over $2.7 million, will be used in libraries, senior centers, and small businesses. "For many of our state’s residents who are still building back, the generosity of companies like Google can make a huge difference," Governor Andrew Cuomo says in a statement. In areas where libraries haven't been reopened, the tablets will be loaned out as e-readers. Elsewhere, libraries and small businesses will use the tablets for job and skill training tools, and senior centers will use them to allow seniors to video chat with their family and friends.

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/30/5046698/google-donates-nexus-7-tablets-for-nyc-hurricane-sandy-recovery

Facebook may start tracking your cursor as you browse the site

For some time Facebook has studied your Likes, comments, and clicks to help create better ads and new products, but soon, the company might also track the location of your cursor on screen. Facebook analytics chief Ken Rudin told The Wall Street Journal about several new measures the company is testing meant to help improve its user-tracking, like seeing how long you hover your cursor over an ad (and if you click it), and evaluating if certain elements on screen are within view or are off the page. New data gathered using these methods could help Facebook create more engaging News Feed layouts and ads.

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/30/5046690/facebook-cursor-tracking-behavioral-data

AP: administration was told Healthcare.gov had 'high' security risk four days before launch

The Associated Press (AP) is reporting that the agency that oversaw the launch of the online health insurance marketplace Healthcare.gov received a memo warning of security risks shortly before the site was deployed.

The source of the memo, which was sent to the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), was not revealed.

The memo said that one of the contractors working on the project was unable to perform a complete security test of the site in time, which "exposed a level of uncertainty that can be deemed as a high risk." The memo recommended that a security team be established to "address risks, conduct daily tests, and [perform] a full security test within two to three months of going live," according to the AP.

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/30/5046706/ap-administration-was-told-healthcare-gov-had-high-security-risk-four

Steam rises to 65 million active users, eclipsing Xbox Live

Steam now has more than 65 million active accounts. The figure marks a 30 percent rise in players over the last year. The video game digital download platform also boasts daily peak concurrent users of more than six million.

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/30/5045830/steam-65-million-active-accounts-6-million-concurrent-users

Dutch designer wants to 'vacuum' China's smog away

Smog descends upon Beijing. (Image credit: Michael Henley / Flickr)

Winter is fast descending upon China, and with it, thick clouds of smog. Last week, officials shut down schools and major roads in the northeast city of Harbin after air pollution there reached dangerously high levels. For days, the city and its 11 million inhabitants were at a standstill; streets were desolate, businesses were closed, and visibility dwindled to just 65 feet. At the height of the crisis, pollution levels were more than 30 times the limit considered safe by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The smog has since subsided in Harbin, but the outbreak has revived longstanding debates across China, where rapid economic growth and a lingering dependence on...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/30/5042534/daan-roosegaarde-vacuum-looks-to-sweep-away-china-smog-in-beijing

Tesla opens West Coast supercharger network, promises East Coast network 'in a few months'

Tesla Motors has struggled with range anxiety in the past, but today, the company took a big step towards defeating some of those worries. This morning, the company opened up the first leg of its ambitious Supercharger network, a series of more powerful charging stations made available for free use to Model S drivers. The new West Coast corridor stretches from Tijuana to Vancouver, with particular emphasis on California's Highway 101 and Interstate 5. To celebrate the trip, Tesla sent two Model S drivers on a road trip from San Diego to the network's northern edge, 1,750 miles in total.

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/30/5046610/tesla-opens-west-coast-supercharger-network-promises-east-coast

Security hole in Healthcare.gov exposed user email addresses

Healthcare.gov has been racked with technical problems since the site's launch, but a new vulnerability may have unintentionally exposed users. Last week, researcher Ben Simo reported that the sites Password Reset function was vulnerable to social engineering, and that by manipulating the site, an attacker could deduce whether a given username was in use and what email address was associated with that username. The vulnerability was reportedly fixed on Monday, but for days after its reporting, crucial user info was exposed to anyone with rudimentary web skills.

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/30/5046482/security-hole-in-healthcare-gov-exposed-user-email-addresses

Mystery barge in Maine rumored to be another Google project

After intensive reporting linked Google to a mysterious barge docked at San Francisco's Treasure Island, supposedly planned as either a data center or a "floating marketing center" for the upcoming Google Glass launch, speculation has been rampant about the company's still-secret maritime ambitions. Now, that speculation has grown to encompass a second boat, a mysterious four-story barge currently docked outside Portland, Maine.

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/30/5046286/mystery-barge-in-maine-attracts-google-speculation

13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display review (2013)

Standing in a Best Buy is an odd time for an existential crisis. Yet it's an almost certain occurrence, at least when you're there shopping for a laptop. Moreso than with any other product category, buying a laptop forces you to make all manner of decisions and prognostications about yourself. Do I play games? Will I want to play games sometime in the next four years? How much do I travel? How much will I travel? Am I going to be using Office much, or at all, or ever again? I have cable now, but am I going to become a cord-cutting Netflix afficionado sometime before I'm back here shopping for another new laptop?

Everything's a choice with laptops, everything a tradeoff. You want power, you're going to need a big, expensive, probably...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/30/5044874/13-inch-macbook-pro-with-retina-display-review-2013

Beloved torrent site Isohunt resurrected by outside group

When Isohunt and its owner were hit with a $110 million fine from the MPAA, most users thought it was over for the beloved torrent site. But a new project has resurrected the site with a near-identical layout, hoping to recapture the community behind the original site. The only difference is new ownership and a new domain, Isohunt.to, housed by the Pacific Island of Tonga.

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/30/5046146/beloved-torrent-site-isohunt-resurrected-by-outside-group

Sprint expands LTE markets and shrinks losses in Q3

After a financially rough second quarter, Sprint's fortunes have improved somewhat over the past three months. The company recorded a net income of $383 million in Q3 2013, though operationally it's still not in the black, with a $398 million operating loss. The odd numbers are explained by Sprint recording a one-time $1.4 billion gain related to its Clearwire dealings.

Ahead of today's numbers, Sprint turned on LTE connectivity in 45 new markets, while noting that it now has 4G coverage in parts of Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island, to go with the service it's already offering in Brooklyn and the Bronx. Though less specific, Spring's 3G service is also seeing "a major expansion" in terms of its signal strength, coverage, and call...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/30/5045824/sprint-q3-2013-earnings-report

World's deepest underwater railway tunnel opens 150 years after a sultan first imagined it

An underwater railway tunnel is now open between the eastern and western parts of Istanbul. The tunnel is the world's first to connect two continents: travelling under the waters of the Bosphorus strait, it joins the Asian and European halves of Turkey's largest city together. It's also the world's deepest underwater railway tunnel, sitting 190 feet (58 meters) below the surface of the Bosphorus.

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/us-world/2013/10/30/5045174/istanbul-railway-tunnel-is-worlds-deepest-connects-asia-europe

Nintendo continues to lose money despite Wii U sales bump

Nintendo made an operating loss of ¥18.4 billion ($187 million) on sales of ¥115 billion ($1.17 billion) this quarter as Wii U sales continued to lag. Net loss was ¥8 billion ($81.74 million). The company sold 300,000 Wii U consoles between July and September, an 87.5 percent improvement on the previous quarter; sales were buoyed by a price cut and Legend of Zelda bundle, but Nintendo notes that it is still losing money on the hardware.

Wii U software showed a more marked improvement, with 5.27 million units representing an improvement of over 400 percent on the previous quarter. Nintendo points to titles such as Pikmin 3 and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD as sparking growth. The company also managed to sell 3.66 million 3DS...

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/30/5045152/nintendo-earnings-q2-2013

Lenovo's Yoga Tablets bring twisting hinges to devices of all sizes

Lenovo re-thought the laptop, bringing flexible displays to a variety of different notebooks, and has now turned its focus to the tablet. The new Yoga Tablet 8 and 10 appear almost book- or magazine-inspired, like the Sony Xperia Tablet S, with a round bulge along one edge to serve as a grip. The design itself isn't completely new — the new tablets look eerily similar to the Apple Wireless Keyboard — but the extra space allows Lenovo to pack the tablets full of battery life. Both devices will supposedly last 16 to 18 hours on a single charge, which Lenovo hopes will make these tablets stand out from the competition.

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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/29/5043356/lenovo-yoga-tablets-hinge-long-battery-life