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Orangutan Outreach wants Apple’s help popularizing apes using iPads
December 31st, 2011 | Add a Comment
The next time you head to the zoo, you might see more than just a monkey and his uncle. One organization is giving iPads to primates and hopes Apple will lend its support. Yep, that’s right. According to Extreme Tech, Orangutan Outreach, an organization focused on saving the world’s orangutan population, is setting up zoos with iPads especially for our monkey kin. The project is called Apps for Apes and the organization isn’t just monkeying around; it would like Apple to step in and help stir awareness. “We believe that Apple will have much to gain by supporting our project and working with us to promote it,” the organization’s website says. “By helping to bring attention to the incredible intelligence and capability of orangutans, Apple will be helping protect a critically endangered … Read entire article »
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Electric-car maker Fisker recalling Karmas due to battery issue
December 31st, 2011 | Add a Comment
Electric car maker Fisker Automotive has issued a recall for 239 of its Karma vehicles, fewer than 50 of which have actually been sold to customers. The $96,000 luxury electric sedans have an issue with a hose clip in their battery units that could result in a coolant leak and possibly a fire. All Karma owners have already been contacted by Fisker, and the company aims to have all the batteries replaced in customer cars before Jan. 1, Fisker spokesperson Roger Ormisher told VentureBeat. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report, the issue is with all Karma models produced between July 1 and Nov. 3. The battery units, which are produced by A123 Systems, were positioned incorrectly, making it possible for the battery compartment to interfere with the hose clamps, resulting in … Read entire article »
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The Apple collection: Secret Stanford warehouse houses company history
December 31st, 2011 | Add a Comment
Thirty-five years of Apple memorabilia make up a museum-like collection of company archives that are hidden away in an off-campus Stanford University warehouse. Stanford’s Apple Collection takes up more than 600 feet of shelf space in a climate-controlled facility at a location kept secret from the public, said the Associated Press, which paid a visit to the archives. Should you ever be let in — and one can only dream at this point — you would find a company video of co-founders Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs talking about the Apple I computer, the iconic 1984 Super Bowl ad, a video interview of Wozniak recounting the story behind the company’s name, early financial reports, old letters and thousands of Douglas Menuez photographs from his time chronicling Jobs’ stretch at NeXT. The story, according … Read entire article »
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Nintendo, Sony and EA quietly drop SOPA support
December 31st, 2011 | Add a Comment
Major game companies Nintendo, Sony and Electronic Arts have quietly removed themselves from the official list of organizations that support the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). For anyone who’s unfamiliar with it, the proposed SOPA legislation gives both the U.S. government and copyright holders the authority to seek court orders against websites associated with infringing, pirating or counterfeiting intellectual property. If the act passes, it could drastically change the way the Internet operates. On the surface, the gaming companies probably threw their support to the bill because it would also help curb piracy of gaming. However, I’m sure they’ve been paying attention to the onslaught of negative press and customer dissidence experienced by domain registrar Go Daddy over the last few weeks. In Sony’s case, it’s probably best to stay clear of any … Read entire article »
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Intel’s first Android smartphone will be made by LG, shown off at CES
December 31st, 2011 | Add a Comment
Intel has already hinted at its smartphone and tablet processor plans for next year, but it seems that LG will hold the title of the first company to create a modern smartphone with Intel inside. Intel will be showing off an LG smartphone running Android and its Medfield mobile processor at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which is only a few weeks away, reports the Korea Times. Intel Korea head Lee Hee-sung confirmed to the paper that the company would announce a Medfield smartphone at CES, and unnamed high-level exec said that it would be made by LG. The companies partnered earlier this year for a MeeGo smartphone (which was also showed off at CES), but plans for that fell through. It makes sense for Intel to team up with LG … Read entire article »
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No Facebook Timeline for Internet Explorer 7 users
December 31st, 2011 | Add a Comment
Facebook’s new Timeline feature recently went live for everyone – well, almost everyone. The social network shipped its shinny new scrapbook feature without support for Internet Explorer 7. “IE7 users visiting profile pages that would otherwise be Timeline-enabled are presented with the old Facebook profile design, complete with a number of very evident styling issues,” The Sociable is reporting. Before you cry foul, keep in mind that IE7, like IE6, is going the way of the dodo. The outdated browser, released in Oct. 2006, was holding on to 10.5 percent of the browser market at the start of 2011, but has since dropped off to just 4 percent global market share, according to StatCounter. The silver lining here is that should you wish to avoid Timeline altogether — we know change is hard … Read entire article »
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Law firm threatens to shut Twitter down for allowing terrorist groups to tweet
December 31st, 2011 | Add a Comment
Israeli legal center Shurat HaDin has threatened to sue Twitter for allowing alleged terrorist groups to use the service. In a letter to Twitter, Shurat HaDin executive director Nitsana Darshan-Leitner called Twitter’s allowing Hezbollah and Al-Shabaab (a group affiliated with Al Quaeda) to use the service “illegal” and threatened both the company and its executives with civil and criminal lawsuits. Hezbollah is a Shi’a Muslim militant group and political party based in Lebanon. Many Western governments classify Hezbollah as a partly or wholly terrorist organization. The letter from Shurat HaDin goes on to mention a 2010 Supreme Court decision that states providing material or even intangible support to foreign terrorist organizations is a crime. The law center feels that allowing access to social media tools constitutes support, in this case. In the past year, … Read entire article »
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Updated: Verizon reverses $2 fee after FCC inquiry, customer outrage
December 31st, 2011 | Add a Comment
Update, 12:31pm PST: Verizon wireless has reversed its decision to institute a $2 fee on customers paying their bills online. The company released a statement confirming the about-face on Friday, a couple hours after the Federal Communications Commission decided to look into the fee. The statement reads: Verizon Wireless has decided it will not institute the fee for online or telephone single payments that was announced earlier this week. The company made the decision in response to customer feedback about the plan, which was designed to improve the efficiency of those transactions. The company continues to encourage customers to take advantage of the numerous simple and convenient payment methods it provides. “At Verizon, we take great care to listen to our customers. Based on their input, we believe the best path forward is … Read entire article »
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Verizon convenience fee sparks Change.org petition
December 31st, 2011 | Add a Comment
A petition on Change.org sprouted up in response to U.S. wireless carrier Verizon’s announcement that it would begin charging a $2 “convenience fee” for people who pay their bill online or by phone. Change.org is the same site that was effective in getting Bank of America to reverse its decision to implement a debit card fee to customers. The Verizon convenience fee petition already has 33,465 signatures — roughly half of the 75,000 it seeks. Verizon’s convenience fee, which begins January 15, 2012, is part of the company’s effort to cut costs on fees accumulated from credit transactions. If you prefer to use a credit card, Verizon is willing to waive the fee for anyone who signs up for automatic payments online. You can also avoid the fee by paying your bill … Read entire article »
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How Washington went social in 2011
December 31st, 2011 | Add a Comment
Politicos have been warming to social media since the 2008 Obama campaign, and 2011 saw more online activity than ever before from U.S. government leaders. On Facebook specifically, the past year has brought us quite a few memorable highlights — especially as Republican candidates were put through their primary paces and the country geared up for another election year. But it wasn’t all about political campaigning and self-promotion. Facebook was also a strong platform for speaking out on social issues such as preventing anti-gay bullying and working to decrease unemployment. “Whether fighting for political victory or connecting one-on-one with voters, politicians made 2011 the most social year ever,” wrote Facebook’s politics team on the company blog. “As we head into 2012, Facebook users can look forward to a Facebook/NBC presidential debate and the vigor … Read entire article »
Filed under: Social Network News
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