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02/04/2012 03:10 PM
Apple Overturns Motorola's German iPad and iPhone Sales Bans

SpuriousLogic sends this excerpt from a BBC article detailing the suspension of a sales ban on certain Apple products in Germany: "Motorola Mobility had forced Apple to remove several iPad and iPhone models from its online store [yesterday] after enforcing a patent infringement court ruling delivered in December. An appeals court lifted the ban after Apple made a new license payment offer. However, Germany-based users may still face the loss of their push email iCloud service after a separate ruling. 'A suspension like this is available only against a bond, but Apple is almost drowning in cash and obviously won't have had a problem with obtaining and posting a bond.' ... A statement from Apple said: 'All iPad and iPhone models will be back on sale through Apple's online store in Germany shortly.'" Reader DJRumpy points out that Motorola is seeking royalties of 2.25% for Apple's wireless devices in exchange for a license to use Motorola's patents.

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02/04/2012 02:09 PM
LibreOffice Developer Community Increasingly Robust

New submitter someWebGeek writes "LibreOffice, the community-driven fork of OpenOffice, appears to have a very healthy and growing group of code contributors. The Document Foundation has published new stats that portray the climbing rates of developer involvement both in terms of numbers of people and numbers of code commits. One of the most encouraging aspects, as noted by Ryan Paul in an article at Ars, is that non-corporate code contributions by independent volunteers constitute the largest slice of the latest commit-pie."

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02/04/2012 01:01 PM
Canada's Massive Public Traffic Surveillance System

New submitter cqwww writes "A small magazine in Victoria, BC just uncovered a massive public traffic surveillance system deployed in Canada. Here's a quote from the article: 'Normally, area police manually key in plate numbers to check suspicious cars in the databases of the Canadian Police Information Center and ICBC. With [Automatic License Plate Recognition], for $27,000, a police cruiser is mounted with two cameras and software that can read license plates on both passing and stationary cars. According to the vendors, thousands of plates can be read hourly with 95-98 percent accuracy. ... In August 2011, VicPD Information and Privacy Manager Debra Taylor called me to explain that, even though VicPD had the ALPR system in one of their cruisers, the [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] ran the system, and I should contact them for any information. "We actually don’t have a program," Taylor said. "We don’t have any documents per se." ... A month later, Taylor handed over 600 pages. ... [The claim they kept no documents] was apparently only in reference to digital information. VicPD had kept 500 pages of written, hard-copy logs of every ALPR hit they’d ever seen.'"

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02/04/2012 11:54 AM
German Government Endorses Chrome As Most Secure Browser

New submitter beta2 writes "Several articles are noting that the German IT security agency BSI is endorsing Google Chrome browser: 'BSI ticked off Chrome's anti-exploit sandbox technology, which isolates the browser from the operating system and the rest of the computer; its silent update mechanism and Chrome's habit of bundling Adobe Flash, as its reasons for the recommendation. ... BSI also recommended Adobe Reader X — the version of the popular PDF reader that, like Chrome, relies on a sandbox to protect users from exploits — and urged citizens to use Windows' Auto Update feature to keep their PCs abreast of all OS security fixes. To update applications, BSI gave a nod to Secunia's Personal Software Inspector, a free utility that scan a computer for outdated software and point users to appropriate downloads.'"

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02/04/2012 10:50 AM
Milky Way Magnetic Fields Charted

eldavojohn writes "Using radio telescope data, scientists from around the world have plotted the Milky Way Galaxy's magnetic field in the form of Faraday Depth. From the article, 'For 150 years, scientists have measured cosmic magnetic field by observing the Faraday effect. They know that when polarized light passes though a magnetized medium, the plane of polarization turns. This concept is called Faraday rotation. The strength and direction of the magnetic field governs the amount of rotation that occurs. So scientists observe the rotation to investigate the magnetic fields' properties. Radio astronomers study the polarized light from distant radio source, passing through the Milky Way on the way to Earth, in order to measure our Galaxy's magnetic field. By measuring the polarization of the light sources at different frequencies, researchers can determine the amount of Faraday rotation.' In the future, radio telescope technologies like LOFAR, eVLA, ASKAP, MeerKAT and the SKA hope to provide enhanced Faraday rotation data so scientists can better understand turbulence in galactic gas and these galactic magnetic field structures."

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02/04/2012 09:45 AM
New Book Helps You Start Contributing To Open Source

jrepin writes "This new book Open Advice is the answer to: 'What would you have liked to know when you started contributing?' 42 prominent free and open source software contributors give insights into the many different talents it takes to make a successful software project; coding, of course, but also design, translation, marketing and other skills. They are here to give you a head start if you are new. And if you have been contributing for a while already, they are here to give you some insight into other areas and projects."

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02/04/2012 08:38 AM
$100,000 Prize: Prove Quantum Computers Impossible

mikejuk writes "Quantum computing is currently a major area of research — but is this all a waste of effort? Now Scott Aaronson, a well-known MIT computer scientist, has offered a prize of $100,000 for any proof that quantum computers are impossible: 'I'm now offering a US$100,000 award for a demonstration, convincing to me, that scalable quantum computing is impossible in the physical world.' Notice the two important conditions — 'physical world' and 'scalable.' The proof doesn't have to rule out tiny 'toy' quantum computers, only those that could do any useful work."

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02/04/2012 07:31 AM
President By Day, High-Tech Headhunter By Night

theodp writes "The White House is following up on an offer made by President Barack Obama this week to help find a job for an unemployed semiconductor engineer in Texas. The offer was made during a live online town hall after the ex-TI engineer's wife questioned the government's policy concerning H-1B visa workers. Obama asked for EE Darin Wedel's resume and said he would 'forward it to some of these companies that are telling me they can't find enough engineers in this field.' While grateful, patent-holder Wedel said the president's view on the job prospects for engineers in his field 'is definitely not what's happening in the real world.' Duke adjunct professor Vivek Wadhwa offered his frank take on 40-year-old Wedel's predicament: 'The No. 1 issue in the tech world is as people get older, they generally become more expensive. So if you're an employer who can hire a worker fresh out of college who is making $60,000 versus an older worker who is making $150,000, and the younger worker has skills that are fresher, who would you hire?' Coincidentally, Texas Instruments sought President Obama's help in reducing restrictions on the hiring of younger foreign workers in 2009, the same year it laid off Wedel."

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02/04/2012 06:25 AM
You Will Never Kill Piracy

scottbomb writes "This is perhaps the best op-ed I've read about the whole SOPA/PIPA controversy. The author challenges Hollywood to re-think their entire business model. It will undoubtedly fall on deaf ears, for now. But sooner or later, they will have no choice but to adapt. From the article: 'Now that the SOPA and PIPA fights have died down, and Hollywood prepares their next salvo against internet freedom with ACTA and PCIP, it's worth pausing to consider how the war on piracy could actually be won. It can't, is the short answer, and one these companies do not want to hear as they put their fingers in their ears and start yelling.'"

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02/04/2012 05:21 AM
New Mobile Plan Pools Data On Unlimited Devices

Hugh Pickens writes "PC Magazine reports that Ting, a new reseller of Sprint's voice, 3G and WiMax services, has a new approach to mobile pricing that lets customers buy minutes, messages, and data separately, and allows households to pool them to an unlimited number of phones and data devices on one account. 'Household data plans are the next step for consumers, mainly because people are adding more connected screens and devices to their lifestyle,' writes Kevin Tofel. 'And different household members have different data needs; some use a little while others consume gobs of gigabytes. Why not average out the usage across multiple devices?' Both AT&T and Verizon have hinted at offering shared data plans in the future, but the devil's in the details, says Tofel. 'My hope is that family data plans come soon, to all carriers, just like we have for family voice and messaging plans.'"

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Top News

02/04/2012 08:13 AM
Apple iPad Split Keyboard Features a Few Hidden Buttons [PIC]
You may be familiar with the iPad’s split keyboard, introduced along with the roll out of the iOS 5. The wonderful keyboard has some more hidden features...

02/03/2012 10:31 AM
F.B.I. Admits Hacker Group’s Eavesdropping
The group known as Anonymous listened in on a call between the bureau, Scotland Yard and other foreign police agencies about their joint investigation of the group and its allies.

02/04/2012 07:07 AM
We Need Copyright Reform, Not The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA)
As a Member of the European Parliament, I very much welcome the increased attention the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) has received in the past weeks. It has taken a while for massive outcry to emerge, but we are seeing protest voices getting louder and louder.

02/03/2012 10:09 PM
Polish Protests Put ACTA ‘On Hold’
Last week the European Union has officially signed the controversial “anti-piracy” trade agreement ACTA. This brings ACTA a step closer to passing, but individual EU Member States and the European Parliament still have to ratify ACTA later this year. But this may not happen.

02/03/2012 04:54 AM
Act on Acta now if you care about democracy and free speech
David Meyer: The anti-counterfeiting trade agreement could criminalise internet users globally. But it hasn't been ratified yet …

02/03/2012 04:50 AM
Watch The Most Amazing Table In The World.
A beautifully-crafted table encapsulates electronics and robotics, allowing images to be magically sculpted in a layer of sand.

02/02/2012 07:12 AM
Meetings Are Stand-Up Jobs
Stand-up meetings are part of a fast-moving tech culture in which sitting has become synonymous with sloth.

02/03/2012 10:30 AM
6 HDTVs You Wish You Had For The Super Bowl But Can't
These cutting-edge HDTVs would be great for watching the Super Bowl, except they're not out yet.

02/03/2012 12:07 PM
ADZero bamboo smartphone prototypes hands-on
We were so beguiled by AD's bamboo-bound smartphone that we had to track down the designer to get some hands-on time with these

02/03/2012 11:26 AM
iOS apps crash more often than Android apps
A new report from start-up company Crittercism claims that iOS apps are crashing at a greater rate than most popular Android apps.

Recent Free Downloads on ZDNet | Shareware, Trialware, Evaluation Software

02/03/2012 07:14 AM
DBF Viewer Plus 1.66 (Windows)
DBF Viewer Plus is a portable application features editing and searching DBF files.It features include filtering on multiply fields to query data,printing Tables and preview,add, Edit, Deleting and Updating records,search with partial and Case Insensitive options and table Info displaying Record count, Type, Language type, Records size, Indexed, Encryption, Last updated, fields and field types.

02/03/2012 07:14 AM
Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation (Android) 1.0.1 (Mobile)
Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation (Android) features a frantic multiplayer with 12 players, six maps and seven different modes. It provides an intense 13-mission campaign with impressive cinematics and memorable moments. Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation (Android) includes an addictive ranking system with more than 90 experience ranks, modern weaponry with modifications and attachments, and includes good quality visuals that will compete with the RAGE and UNREAL engines.

02/03/2012 07:14 AM
One Piece HD Live Wallpaper 4 1.0 (Mobile)
If you are super fans of One Piece,you should own this app - "One Piece HD Live Wallpaper".Here as a collection, many nice pictures and wallpapers are collected from all over the world. This application allows you to browse through One Piece Series High Definition(HD) general images, more over you get to set those images as your Phones wallpaper with a simple tap.Try our beautiful Live Wallpapers, all my apps are free for you, download it, set it as live wallpaper and enjoy with it, every week we can find new free live wallpapers in order to increase your collection, remember always free.Features:1.Selected HD Wallpapers are definitely the high level collection.2.Support to set pictures as the wallpapers.3.Support to add pictures to the favorites.4.Specially designed for all users, ensuring smoothly browsing.5.All resolutions supported.Keyword: Wallpaper, Picture, Photo, Image, Gallery, Video game, Game, Cartoon, Anime, japanese cartoon, One PieceContent rating: Everyone

02/03/2012 07:14 AM
Ginkgo CADx 2.8 (Windows)
Ginkgo CADx is a open source application providing common generic features as visualization, dicomization, reporting, integration, import, export, print, and PACS communication. Ginkgo CADx convert conventional image formats like JPEG, png, tiff, bmp to dicom image format. Once imported you can easily calibrate image and use rule tool.

02/03/2012 07:14 AM
Ginkgo CADx Portable 2.8 (Windows)
Ginkgo CADx Portable is a open source application providing common generic features as visualization, dicomization, reporting, integration, import, export, print and PACS communication.Ginkgo CADx convert convential image formats like JPEG, PNG, TIFF, BMP... to DICOM image format. Once imported you can easily calibrate image and use rule tool.

02/03/2012 07:14 AM
Ares Galaxy 2.1.8 (Windows)
Ares is a peer to peer file sharing program that enables users to share any digital file including images, audio, video, software, documents. You may now easily publish your files through the Ares Network.As a member of the Ares network, you can also search and download just about any digital media file. With Ares you can also join or host chat rooms and meet new friends. Softgap is an international software company engaged in the business of providing cutting edge peer to peer filesharing software. Features include:Advanced search for all types of media files (Audio, Video, Games, Software, Photos).Very fast downloads from multiple users simultaneously. Automatic resume feature that assures the completion of all your requested downloads. A Media Player with play lists and full-screen mode. Ability to preview Audio and Video files while their download is in progress. Enhanced Library Manager ideally designed for organizing all your PC?s media files. Advanced media filter that prevents access to offensive files and viruses.Ability to create your chat room and chat with your friends while downloading.The most friendly and intuitive user interface. Bandwidth and queue control.

02/03/2012 07:14 AM
Boomerang Data Recovery 2.0.14 (Windows)
Recovers lost data due to corruption, formatted disk, bad hard drive, deleted files, accidental re-install of OS. Will recover from hard drives, RAID volumes, flash media, FireWire, and USB drives. Supports NTFS, FAT 16/32 and Vista drives.

02/03/2012 07:14 AM
Event Calendar Plus 1.3.11 (Windows)
Event Calendar Plus connects to multiple heterogeneous data sources, including SharePoint lists, Exchange calendars and custom databases. Connects to any SharePoint list type. Eight different view types are supported, including a Compact View, especially designed for crowded homepages. Event category or status can be indicated by color. Category color can fill the entire event or show up as just an icon. Events can be filtered to show only events belonging to a specified category. Events can be filtered by SharePoint view. Private and public Exchange calendar can be shown. Custom event title patterns can be defined. Additional fields can be shown on mouse-over. .NET 3.5 AJAX supported. Associated tasks can be shown graphically and managed directly from the calendar.

02/03/2012 07:14 AM
SecureFX (64-bit) 6.7.4 (Windows)
SecureFX(64-bit) is a high-security file transfer client with flexible configuration options and support for SFTP, FTP over SSL (TLS), SCP, and FTP. SecureFX combines an Explorer-like interface with advanced features like remote editing, site synchronization, and public-key, X.509, and Kerberos v5 authentication. Establish a secure connection, then drag and drop files to and from the server and your desktop, Windows Explorer, and other applications, or queue up files in the file transfer queue. Perform fully automated, unattended file transfers with the SFXCL command-line utility. "Relentless" file transfers automatically reconnect and resume when connections are broken.

02/03/2012 07:14 AM
SecureFX U3 6.7.4 (Windows)
SecureFX U3 is a high-security file transfer client with flexible configuration options and support for SFTP, FTP over SSL (TLS), SCP, and FTP. SecureFX combines an Explorer-like interface with advanced features like remote editing, site synchronization, and public-key, X.509, and Kerberos v5 authentication. Establish a secure connection, then drag and drop files to and from the server and your desktop, Windows Explorer, and other applications, or queue up files in the file transfer queue. Perform fully automated, unattended file transfers with the SFXCL command-line utility. "Relentless" file transfers automatically reconnect and resume when connections are broken.

SnapFiles - Weekly Top 25

02/04/2012 03:33 PM
Freeware - FreeCommander
FreeCommander is a dual-panel file explorer with many additional features. In addition to the standard file management features, it can be used to compare directories, display folder sizes, synchroni....

02/04/2012 03:33 PM
Freeware - Eusing Free Registry Cleaner
Eusing Free Registry Cleaner enables you to scan your registry for invalid entries. It provides a list of all errors that were found, and you can choose to remove all items, or only selected errors. ....

02/04/2012 03:33 PM
Freeware - NetSetMan
NetSetMan allows you to quickly switch between pre-configured network settings. The program is ideal for people on the road, who frequently connect to different networks and need to update or reconfi....

02/04/2012 03:33 PM
Freeware - Any Video Converter (Free version)
Any Video Converter (Free version) enables you to convert between a wide range of video formats including AVI, FLV, MOV, MP4, MPG, M2TS, MTS, RM, RMVB, QT, WMV and others. It offers ready-to-use co....

02/04/2012 03:33 PM
Trial - File Scavenger
File Scavenger is a Windows file undelete and data recovery utility for NTFS and FAT/FAT32 volumes. It can recover files that were damaged by virus or accidentally deleted from Windows Explorer, the....

02/04/2012 03:33 PM
Freeware - EMDB
EMDB (Eric#039;s Movie Database) allows you to organize and catalog your DVD collection. All you have to do is enter the title (or part of it) and the program will import detailed movie information ....

02/04/2012 03:33 PM
Freeware - avast! Free Antivirus
avast! Free Antivirus is a complete anti-virus package, that is is free for registered home non-commercial users. It contains an on-demand scanner with two interfaces (simple for novices and advanc....

02/04/2012 03:33 PM
Freeware - PhotoFiltre
PhotoFiltre is a complete image editing and effects package, that will not only surprise you with features but also with the fact that it is free (for personal use). It comes with many features that ....

02/04/2012 03:33 PM
Freeware - Jaangle
Jaangle is a media player and organizer that stands out of the crowd with a very user friendly interface and easy access to some of the most popular features such as cover downloads, lyrics retrieval....

02/04/2012 03:33 PM
Freeware - Recuva
Recuva is a file recovery tool that enables you to scan your hard drive(s) or media cards for files that have been deleted or formatted. It presents you with a list of files that were found, along wi....