The Spec Sheet

[wr250]

Hewlett-Packard and three subsidiaries pleaded guilty Thursday to paying bribes to foreign officials in Russia, Mexico and Poland and agreed to pay $108 million in criminal and regulatory penalties.

The guilty pleas, entered in San Francisco federal court, resolved a long-running government investigation and came after the company and the Justice Department reached a plea agreement in April. The giant technology company pleaded guilty to violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, according to a statement from the office of U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag of the Northern District of California.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/09/11/hp-russia-poland-mexico-bribery/15479533/

[wr250]

A confidential internal document we received has shed some light on the future of devices produced by Microsoft Mobile, formerly Nokia’s devices and services division. It’s no secret that Microsoft are trying to hide the Nokia name from products, ever so slowly, regional Nokia.com sites have already begun redirecting users to Microsoft owned pages; and the word “Nokia” is hardly ever mentioned when referencing new devices.

Now we can confirm that Microsoft will be completely dropping the “Nokia” branding from their devices, leaving “Lumia” as the hero brand for upcoming devices. In fact we understand that the Lumia 830 and Lumia 730 will be the final two devices to launch with “Nokia” branded on the phone.  Future devices will most likely carry the “Microsoft” name along with “Lumia”.
http://geekongadgets.com/2014/09/10/windows-phone-nokia-replaced-by-microsoft-windows/

[Catsmile]

Why I hate 8!

And AOL circa 1995.

It's worth repeating, doomed or not.

[jazmunda]

You guys should just give in and buy Macs already. You know you want too.

[wr250]

You guys should just give in and buy Macs already. You know you want too.

this house has:
2 macbook pros
4 ipods of various vintage (from mini to nano touch)
3 iphones
and a ipad air

[Catsmile]

You guys should just give in and buy Macs already. You know you want too.

I'm afraid Microsoft is attempting the walled garden of Macs.

Step one is simplifying and unifying the OS across all platforms and a Windows Store.
Next step will be the Chrome OS route, turning Windows into a always connected OS.
With the long term goal being a fee based cloud OS for PC, tablet, phone.
I say this with my foil hat pull down firmly. 

[Mr. Fidget]

   In a general sense, I am surprised that mac/pc/linux+derivatives is the whole game field. What happened to the innovators. Where is our next game changer. Have the collective geeks of the world acquiesced to a three+ course meal until the end of time? It's sad.

mf

[zeebo]

Haha, beautiful!  First it was retro 90's nites, now the friggin tiles are back!

[Tarbaby]

   In a general sense, I am surprised that mac/pc/linux+derivatives is the whole game field. What happened to the innovators. Where is our next game changer. Have the collective geeks of the world acquiesced to a three+ course meal until the end of time? It's sad.

mf

The Chinese are working on creating a brand-new from-the-ground-up computer system. Because their keyboard and instruction language was too vague and cumbersome being based on pictures. And they want to build in complete isolation like certificate handling, security issues, etc.

[GeorgieForPresident2216]

The Chinese are working on creating a brand-new from-the-ground-up computer system. Because their keyboard and instruction language was too vague and cumbersome being based on pictures. And they want to build in complete isolation like certificate handling, security issues, etc.

Damn, once the Chinese discover they can design their own computers better than anyone else, it's all over.

[b_dubb]

The Chinese will sell their designs to foreign nations. Because they're just that corrupt.

[albrecht]

A confidential internal document we received has shed some light on the future of devices produced by Microsoft Mobile, formerly Nokia’s devices and services division. It’s no secret that Microsoft are trying to hide the Nokia name from products, ever so slowly, regional Nokia.com sites have already begun redirecting users to Microsoft owned pages; and the word “Nokia” is hardly ever mentioned when referencing new devices.

Now we can confirm that Microsoft will be completely dropping the “Nokia” branding from their devices, leaving “Lumia” as the hero brand for upcoming devices. In fact we understand that the Lumia 830 and Lumia 730 will be the final two devices to launch with “Nokia” branded on the phone.  Future devices will most likely carry the “Microsoft” name along with “Lumia”.
http://geekongadgets.com/2014/09/10/windows-phone-nokia-replaced-by-microsoft-windows/

I understand their plan but honestly I think with most people "Nokia" has a better reputation than "Microsoft!" Nokia phones were almost always reliable and functional. And started the texting boom (I recall in Europe all the kids were texting and nobody in the US even knew what it was.) I still have an Nokia 6310i and recently powered it up (after a year or more) due to a lost phone and it worked and was STILL CHARGED even. It also allowed you to identify the name/carrier of the tower you are connected with etc (interesting how many cell towers still have names of carriers/operators long since bought out by others.) But my main point was Nokia made a solid, good phone with long lasting batteries and should have good reputation. I'm sorry to see them go but I guess the smartphone world bypassed them. I still don't get battery life, reception, and call quality (not that cell phones are about talking to people) like with my old Nokia 6310i.

[wr250]

While Bono and Tim Cook might be excited about the release of U2’s new album, not everyone is sharing their enthusiasm.

Toward the end of Tuesday’s Apple event, Tim Cook and Bono announced that every iTunes user would be given the band’s new album for free. While that might not sound like a bad thing, many people are angry over the way Apple chose to “gift” us the album.

U2’s new album, Songs of Innocence, shows up in iTunes libraries as purchased, whether users have chosen to buy it or not. That’s made a lot of people angry, as it’s nearly impossible to get rid of the album.

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/people-are-freaking-out-over-apples-forced-itunes-97218237854.html

[jazmunda]

Does that artificially inflate the "sales" of the album gifting them a "no.1" hit?

[wr250]

Does that artificially inflate the "sales" of the album gifting them a "no.1" hit?

yes. since they all are "purchases".

[b_dubb]

That entire affair was embarrassing. The way they "acted" spontaneous was just dumb and contrived. Why was that necessary? It wasn't.

[albrecht]

yes. since they all are "purchases".

That would strike me as illegal "payola" or the equivalent of a newspaper printing and dumping papers to claim larger subscription rate and defraud advertisers.

[zeebo]

... it’s nearly impossible to get rid of the album.

You can't un-ring a bell, and apparently you can't un-purchase a free U2 album.   

[zeebo]

...The way they "acted" spontaneous was just dumb and contrived. ...

So many "reality" shows these days, the line between reality and contrived advertising is getting even more blurred. 

I just saw an episode of a dumb car restoration show I sometimes watch, where they were working on a custom car for Sonic, and wouldn't you know, they all suddently had a hankering for a Coney Island dog, so decided to, spontaneously, cruise over to Sonic and shoot a little scene there.

[wr250]

That entire affair was embarrassing. The way they "acted" spontaneous was just dumb and contrived. Why was that it necessary to pull a george noory? It wasn't.

fixed.
u2 - the noory of the music world.

[onan]

I don't get the umbrage about an album for free, even U2. It is really no sweat off of anyone's nose. Yeah, I guess Apple may be a bit out of touch with cool... cool hasn't been on my horizon for a long time.

It's a promotion, and it isn't as offensive as the woman spraying cologne in  the aisle.

Hey free U2...

[Tarbaby]

And the promo is lost on me since I am eligible for the album and don't even want it.

[Treading Water]

I don't get the umbrage about an album for free, even U2. It is really no sweat off of anyone's nose. Yeah, I guess Apple may be a bit out of touch with cool... cool hasn't been on my horizon for a long time.

It's a promotion, and it isn't as offensive as the woman spraying cologne in  the aisle.

Hey free U2...

Isn't all this cloud stuff connected to "social media?"  I think folks are upset that their timelines are full of "Oh, look!  I have the new U2 album. And I got it FREE!!"
Maybe a review of "terms of service" for a "free" social media service might be in order....     :

[saucerlike]

Not a big deal to me unless I get charged for it...  I'll take free shit anytime.

[Heather Wade]

While Bono and Tim Cook might be excited about the release of U2’s new album, not everyone is sharing their enthusiasm.

Toward the end of Tuesday’s Apple event, Tim Cook and Bono announced that every iTunes user would be given the band’s new album for free. While that might not sound like a bad thing, many people are angry over the way Apple chose to “gift” us the album.

U2’s new album, Songs of Innocence, shows up in iTunes libraries as purchased, whether users have chosen to buy it or not. That’s made a lot of people angry, as it’s nearly impossible to get rid of the album.

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/people-are-freaking-out-over-apples-forced-itunes-97218237854.html

You can't un-ring a bell, and apparently you can't un-purchase a free U2 album.   

I told you Bono was an asshole.

[WOTR]

...many people are angry over the way Apple chose to “gift” us the album.

U2’s new album, Songs of Innocence, shows up in iTunes libraries as purchased, whether users have chosen to buy it or not. That’s made a lot of people angry, as it’s nearly impossible to get rid of the album.

Great... Has anybody closed their accounts?  No?  That is kind of what I thought and what Apple is banking on.  They do it once and it is news- by the tenth time people will just accept anything they do.

I was looking at what was found in Facebooks app a few days ago... "iOS forensics and security researcher Jonathan Zdziarski spent Tuesday morning disassembling Facebook Messenger’s iOS binary, at one point declaring via Twitter that “Messenger appears to have more spyware type code in it than I've seen in products intended specifically for enterprise surveillance.”

There have been a few users who are not happy (just like the other 50 times that there is news about what facebook is doing / collecting / forcing on their users.)  However, I doubt that more than 2 out of millions deleted the app.  People are happy to live in an era of convenience and while they feign outrage at the antics of Apple and Facebook they really do not care.

I bought a "new" phone last week and spent the weekend loading what I needed to get rid of facebook and all of the spywear / bloatware that came with it, hardening the Kernel, loading a VPN, putting secure, encrypted messaging and VOIP on it and other such fun.  It boggles my mind that people will pay $500 for a device to track you, analyze you and market to you.

Link to the facebook story.  Read through to the end where Facebook finally issued a statement for a good laugh.  http://motherboard.vice.com/en_uk/read/facebooks-messenger-app-is-tracking-a-lot-more-of-your-data-than-you-think

[b_dubb]

Apple released a tool that will remove the album from your account.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29208540

[Camazotz Automat]

I bought a "new" phone last week and spent the weekend loading what I needed to get rid of facebook and all of the spywear / bloatware that came with it, hardening the Kernel, loading a VPN, putting secure, encrypted messaging and VOIP on it and other such fun.  It boggles my mind that people will pay $500 for a device to track you, analyze you and market to you.

[attachimg=1]

[jazmunda]

Apple released a tool that will remove the album from your account.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29208540

A tool to remove a tool. How apt.

[Catsmile]

Maybe Apple can "innovate" a tool that came stock on Windows forever.
Apple would also have to "innovate" a second mouse button for a right click sub-menu.

[attachimg=1]