Tech Thoughts Daily Net News – April 4, 2013

Five Signs Your Android Device is Infected With Malware – We’ve written a lot about the dangers of Android malware, but how to diagnose an infested device is another issue. Today, the antivirus and security company Bitdefender released a list of five symptoms that might indicate a malware infection. Do any of these sound familiar?

Smartphone users tap Facebook obsessively – How addicted are we to Facebook? According to a new report, the answer is very: The average smartphone user checks Facebook on their phone at least 14 times a day.

Six ways to cope with flaky hotel Wi-Fi – During a recent trip I stayed at a hotel offering free Wi-Fi—always a nice perk. Just one problem: the network was terrible. The connection speed reminded me of my old dial-up modem, but without the consistency.

Free Opener can open almost any type of file you can think of – What do you use to open files? If you’re in the majority, your answer would be “depends on the file.” This is not the case with Free Opener. Free Opener claims to open over 80 different file formats—anything from Microsoft Office documents and PDF files, to image, video and music files, with many more in between.

Google’s Quickoffice Now Available on iPhone, Android – Google this week released its Quickoffice app for Android and iPhone so users can edit Microsoft Office files on the go. “From Word to Excel to Powerpoint, you can make quick edits at the airport or from the back of a taxi and save and share everything in Google Drive,” Quickoffice Product Manager Mark Beaton boasted in a blog post.

Infographic: Skype Usage Tops 2 Billion Minutes a Day – It’s clear that users love Skype, but just how much time are we all spending on the Microsoft-owned video chat service? Skype on Tuesday morning announced the milestone on its blog, noting that 2 billion minutes is enough time to travel to the moon and back more than 225,000 times.

Court slams shut music locker ReDigi, says “first sale” doesn’t apply – ReDigi claims to offer a legal way for consumers to buy and sell iTunes tracks through its “music locker.” In a stern court ruling, a judge said the service amounts to widespread copyright infringement. The ruling is likely to force the service to shut down and also dims the prospect for a mainstream marketplace for used digital goods. (suggested by Aseem S.)

Doodad Offers International Prepaid SIM Cards for Affordable Data in 54 Countries – Doodad is a new service that lets you use your smartphone wherever you travel without fear of an expensive bill full of roaming charges waitying for you when you get back home. Just order one of their prepaid SIM cards for your device, load it up with as much data as you think you’ll need, and head to the airport.

How to fast-charge your iPhone or iPad using a standard USB port – Check out Asus Ai Charger. This free utility promises to charge iPhones, iPods, and iPads up to 50 percent faster using your PC’s existing USB ports. That’s a pretty lofty claim: software that can boost the effective power output of hardware? It sounds almost impossible, but I’m here to tell you: it works.

Manage and secure files with ShareFile Mobile on Android – ShareFile is a worthy entry into the cloud storage race. From the ShareFile Mobile app to the backend management tools, it’s a solid and well-implemented solution for mobile workers.

Installing OpenSuSE on my netbook – how I did it – A step-by-step screenshot walk-through of how I installed Linux on a system with UEFI BIOS and Secure Boot.

Coupon apps save time, money – Savvy shoppers are putting their smartphones to good use and downloading apps that can save them money. CNET’s Kara Tsuboi reports on the new popularity of coupon apps.

Where can you find a PC running Windows 7? – Some of my readers are complaining that they want to avoid Windows 8 but they can’t find Windows 7 PCs. Really? I just surveyed the market and found lots of Windows 7 choices. The secret is knowing where to look.

Security:

How to stop your friends’ Facebook apps from accessing your private information – Many internet users are wary of sharing their personal information willy-nilly with the world, but did you know that sometimes it’s your Facebook friends who might be unwittingly passing your private details on?

Clouds leak Amazon torrents of data – The security on Amazon’s cloud has come under question after it was revealed that customers have accidentally revealed confidential information including sales records and source code.

California Considers Pushing Data Disclosure Envelope Again – California, which set the standard for data breach notifications nationwide, is again seeking to set a precedent by becoming the first state in the nation to require companies upon request disclose to California consumers the data they’ve collected and to whom it was shared during the past year. They would be required to respond within 30 days and provide the report for free.

Firefox 20 Fixes 11 Critical Flaws, Adds Per-Tab Private Browsing – FirefoxMozilla has added a new privacy feature to Firefox that enables users to begin a new private browsing session in a separate tab while still running a normal session in other tabs. Firefox 20 also includes patches for 11 critical security vulnerabilities.

Organizations on Average Hit Every Three Minutes with Malware – A report released Wednesday indicates an organization on average experiences a malware-related event every three minutes, often involving business-related spear phishing and targeting technology companies.

Company News:

Twitter Adding App Download Links to Tweets – Twitter is taking a page from Facebook and integrating direct links to app downloads into tweets. Going forward, a tweet that includes a photo from Path, for example, might include a link to the Path app in the App Store or Google Play for those who do not already have Path installed.

The great browser shake-up of 2013 – In a jam-packed 24 hours, Google announces it is forking WebKit, and Samsung teams up with Mozilla to develop a new engine.

Rdio Tackles Movies, TV With Vdio – Music-streaming service Rdio stepped into the video space today with the launch of Vdio, which will let users buy, rent, and share movies and TV shows. At this point, Vdio is only open to Rdio Unlimited subscribers in the U.S. and U.K., who will get a $25 credit to explore the Vdio lineup. Rdio is extending the same offer to anyone who subscribes to the $9.99 per month Rdio Unlimited in the next 60 days.

Micron’s 320GB/sec Hybrid Memory Cube comes to market in 2013, threatens to finally kill DDR SDRAM – The Hybrid Memory Cube Consortium, which consists of such silicon luminaries as Micron, Samsung, and IBM (but not Intel), has finally finished hammering out the Hybrid Memory Cube 1.0 standard. The HMC is a complete paradigm shift away from conventional DDR1/2/3 SDRAM, offering up to 15 times the performance of DDR3, while using 70% less energy.

Microsoft Updates SkyDrive for iOS Following Dispute With Apple – Microsoft today released a long-awaited update to its SkyDrive for iOS app, indicating that the software giant’s kerfuffle with Apple over in-app revenues has been resolved.

Intel, AMD detail new video technologies, cloud gaming, and upcoming GPUs – Intel and AMD spent much of last week detailing their plans for graphics architectures and capabilities in 2013. Cloud gaming and better CPU-GPU cross-communication were major features along with a new top-end GPU from AMD.

Webopedia Daily:

Office 365 file sharing on SkyDrive – Microsoft Office 365 Home Premium allows users to access and share documents and other files stored on SkyDrive. When you are signed in, Office 365 Home Premium saves your documents to SkyDrive by default so you can access the files from any Internet-connected device. Via SkyDrive, documents are automatically backed-up and you can share, collaborate and edit the files online. File sharing for business and enterprise editions of Office 365 is managed via SharePoint Online external sharing.

Games and Entertainment:

Disney Shutters LucasArts Game Studio – After almost 31 years producing video games, interactive entertainment studio LucasArts is shutting down. The move comes about five months after The Walt Disney Company acquired LucasFilm and LucasArts for $4.05 billion.

Is Sony’s Playstation 4 a “perfect” gaming PC? – Epic VP Mark Rein says Sony’s decision to incorporate off-the-shelf PC components in the Playstation 4 (PS4) is a good one for devs and gamers alike.

EA treading into social networking territory? – The game maker known for Medal of Honor and Mass Effects launches a social networking app that has nothing to do with games — instead it lets users share photos paired with music.

DragonBox+ for Android makes learning basic algebra fun – Named “Best Serious Game” at the 2013 International Mobile Gaming awards, DragonBox+ is an awesome example of a game-based learning app that can be used by either children or adults.

Block building, tower defense, and first-person mayhem in one game – Block Fortress mixes three different game genres resulting in some fun gameplay, but it might be a little too complicated for its own good.

Off Topic (Sort of):

Kinect-based system diagnoses depression with 90% accuracy – Computer scientists at the University of Southern California have used Microsoft’s Kinect sensor to detect, with 90% accuracy, whether you are depressed. All you have to do is sit down in front of Kinect, answer some questions from an on-screen virtual psychologist, and the clever software does the rest. The process is entirely automated, objective, and self-contained, meaning accurate testing could be carried out in complete privacy at home.

Cracked: 25 Invasions of Privacy We’ll Probably See Next – Like crew cuts and college sweaters, privacy is something of a relic of the past. We asked our readers to show us what George Orwell would’ve written about had he based his novel just a tad bit further in the future.

Here’s a sample.

UK businesses waste billions a year on tech investment – IT software provider SolarWinds released a new study today which examines what challenges IT staff face in small and medium businesses this year. Reaching out to 500 firms in the U.K. and Germany, the study found that although IT budgets have remained the same or increased over the last five years in 93 percent of SMBs, over 75 percent of firms are wasting money.

Bitcoin isn’t illegal because it isn’t real money – Mainstream sites and esteemed financial analysts are now weighing in on the Bitcoin matter. Instead of just providing yet another explanation of what Bitcoin is, though, analysts are now wondering why the pseudo currency has caught on, and why it’s not illegal. As it turns out, James explains, it’s not illegal because of that “pseudo” moniker. See why Bitcoin is a prime target for phishing.

Post-PC success comes from embracing humanity’s darker side – Smartphones and tablets cover the whole gamut of human experience, not just the nice stuff about unicorns and rainbows. Accepting that fact lets us all have better tools to support our lives.

Phablets are a passing phase – More than a billion smartphones and tablets are in use around the world, and research outfit Flurry has detected more than 2,000 unique device models so far. Rapid development has resulted in a multitude of form factors, from tiny smartphones to huge tablets, but it appears some of these form factors are just fads. One of the biggest fads, quite literally, seem to be phablets.

Today’s Quote:

“Sometimes the mind, for reasons we don’t necessarily understand, just decides to go to the store for a quart of milk.”

–    Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider Northern Exposure

Today’s Free Downloads:

Soluto – Frustrated by your sluggish and unresponsive PC? Soluto is bringing an end to PC user frustration with transparency, killer technology, and your help.

Customize and alter your photos with PC Image Editor – You don’t need to be a highly skilled designer with a copy of Photoshop to make your photos sparkle. PC Image Editor is an easy-to-use program that will help you get the most out of your images.

FotoMix 9.2.2 – FotoMix is a versatile program that allows you to mix and manipulate different pictures, to create a wide variety of images. The result is so high in quality that it is almost impossible to tell if the photo has been manipulated. Once your creations are finished, you can print them, email them to friends or transfer them to T-shirts, mugs, calendars, etc. Make the most out of your photo collection! Play with it. Explore the possibilities. You will love it.

Tech Thoughts Daily Net News – April 3, 2013

Free (Until April 4, 2013 at 11:59 PM Pacific) EaseUS Todo Backup Workstation – EaseUS Todo Backup has been featured on dotTech multiple times in the past. Now we bring you a treat: free and unlimited dotTech exclusive giveaway of EaseUS Todo Backup Workstation ($39.95 value)! EaseUS Todo Backup is a drive-level (image) backup program that allows you to backup and restore drives, partitions, and whole systems. On top of that, it also supports file-level backup plus has other features like drive cloning, system snapshot, and virtualization. (Thanks Deleen 13)

Tax time! We name the best PC-based solutions for filing your returns – Web-based filing may tempt you, but more complex financial situations require full-fledged software.

Firefox Updates with Per-Window Private Browsing, a New Download Manager – Firefox’s latest update offers better privacy controls and an easier downloading experience. Now you can browse privately in a new window without interrupting your current browsing session, better access and find your downloaded files, and also close hanging plugins without shutting down the entire browser.

Getting to know the new Firefox download manager – Firefox 20 has a new download manager. We’ll show you how it works and how to switch back, if you prefer the old download manager.

Ubuntu vs. Mint: Which Linux Distro Is Better for Beginners? – There’s nothing like digging into your first Linux distribution, whether you’re a tech-savvy user looking to branch out or whether you’re installing it on a friend’s computer. But which distribution is actually better for beginners? Here, we’ll delve into the differences between Ubuntu and Mint, the two most popular beginner distros, and perform a little experiment to see what new users prefer.

How to Survive Your First 24 Hours with Windows 8 – This guide will help you overcome the most confusing aspects of Windows 8 and get you ready to start your day’s work.

Yahoo Mail gets Dropbox support to handle large attachments – Starting today, Yahoo Mail users can add files directly from Dropbox, allowing attachments to exceed Yahoo’s 25MB size limit. Users can also save attachments directly to their Dropbox accounts, which could come in handy when using a public computer.

Windows XP decline stalls as users hold onto aged OS despite 2014 deadline – The decline in usage share of Windows XP, which is slated for retirement in 53 weeks, has slowed significantly, hinting that millions of its users will hold onto the operating system much longer than some, including Microsoft, expect. Data published monthly by California-based Web analytics company Net Applications indicates that XP’s long-running slide has virtually stalled since Jan. 1.

How to keep “work from home” employees accountable – We all hear the jokes about employees not-really-working at home. If you’re not sure what remote employees are up to, use these tech tools and management tips to get the most out of them and take the worry out of your work-at-home policy. (Surprise: Spying is not the best answer.)

Do’s and don’ts for using Android in business – While it’s important to remember that the use of Google Android software in the enterprise is still a comparatively young phenomenon, there are a few general guidelines that businesses looking to use the platform would do well to remember.

Security:

TDoS attacks target US emergency call centers – The FBI and DHS are seeing dozens of attacks on ambulance and hospital communication lines as extortionists demand $5,000 for supposedly unpaid payday loans.

How you may have inadvertently participated in recent DDoS attacks – The botnets driving the recent distributed denial of service attacks are powered by millions of infected computers. Their coordinated flood of requests overwhelms the Internet’s DNS servers, slowing them down and even knocking the servers offline. The long-term solution for site operators and visitors alike may rely on reluctant ISPs working together.

Mobile device security in the US military comes under fire – A recent report by the US Inspector General revealed staggering flaws in the US military’s management of mobile devices, and a severe lack of basic IT security protection in place for such devices.

Company News:

Microsoft launches special Chinese version of Surface Pro aimed at home users – Microsoft is hoping to build momentum behind its Surface Pro tablet in China by launching a special edition including Office Home & Student 2013—but with Windows 8 Standard, rather than Windows 8 Pro.

Microsoft Store slashes prices on Windows 8 tablets, hybrids – Microsoft is implementing pretty stiff price cuts on some laptop-tablet hybrids. Is this just the beginning?

Europe continues privacy tussle with Google – Six countries launch “coordinated and simultaneous enforcement actions” against the company over changes made to its privacy policy in 2012 that let Google combine personal data across multiple products.

How T-Mobile’s new service plans could change the industry – T-Mobile’s no-contracts, no-subsidy plans could lead to more device interoperability and lower prices on handsets across the industry.

Intel, Cisco strike chip deal, Intel official reportedly says – Intel and Cisco have reportedly signed a chipmaking deal, according to a report quoting an Intel official in Korea.

Dump your HP stock. And now – Goldman Sachs, the outfit which gave such sterling advice during the subprime mortgage scandal, has warned shareholders to dump HP stock.

Webopedia Daily:

Small business server – A small business server is typically a low-end server designed to be affordable and manageable in a small business environment. Small Business servers are suitable for one to dozens of employees and may come pre-installed with the software needed to run the server. A small business one server is often used to manage multiple network services including email, threat management, Internet connectivity, file and printer sharing, remote access and data backups. Small business servers differ from servers used in large corporations and data centers, which are often dedicated to perform a primary task. Multiple dedicated servers (such as print servers, Web servers or database servers) perform no other function apart from their designated task.

Games and Entertainment:

Zynga starts real money gambling games April 3 – The social-gaming company will officially roll the dice on gambling dollars this week.

Can Ouya take on the PS4 and Xbox 720 (Next)? – The $99 Android-powered Ouya console boasts a definite advantage over its console rivals in terms of price, but can it effectively compete against powerful next-gen systems like Sony’s Playstation 4 (PS4) and Microsoft’s Xbox 720 (Next)?

Why the Windows Store has so few indie games – Why can’t Microsoft gain traction with small gaming studios? Software tools and even philosophical differences play pivotal roles.

Game of Thrones and Walking Dead go FTW – One show ends, another begins, and both have brought in insane ratings numbers. But this shouldn’t be a shock with The Walking Dead, which made TV history in its season three debut, and Game of Thrones, which was sure to have a huge third season debut.

A closer look at Nvidia’s Project Shield – Nvidia’s Project Shield can best be described as an Android-powered mobile console that is also capable of streaming games from a Windows PC.

Off Topic (Sort of):

16 Completely Unnecessary Gadgets – Ever thought you’d buy a gadget that required taking out a mortgage? What about one so ridiculous no one would ever want it? Here’s our collection of the most unnecessary tech toys currently on the market.

The Psychology of Language: Are Some Words More Persuasive Than Others? – What’s actually going on in the brain when it processes language? And if words affect the mind in different ways, are some more persuasive than others?

Project stores 3D images of world historic sites in limestone mine – When some of Iraq’s most historic sites were destroyed by war, Ben Kacyra decided to sell his civil engineering company and start a nonprofit in 2003 with the mission of digitally preserving cultural heritage sites throughout the world with 3D laser imaging. Kacyra, an Iraqi-born U.S. citizen, is providing the open access to those images through his organization, CyArk (short for Cyber Ark).

How Big Data changes the game for non-profits – Big Data projects for non-profits are providing answers to problems that were previously considered to be almost insurmountable.

The Internet Will Literally Kill You By 2014, Predicts Security Firm – In a self-described bold move, the security firm Internet Identity released a statement this week in which it prognosticated that the Internet will become a murder weapon by 2014. The predictions read like some kind of cyberpunk nightmare, with Internet Identity (IID) president and CTO Rod Rasmussen writing that the increased connectivity of vehicles and medical devices will eventually allow fiends to kill via their Internet connection. IID points to remotely operated pacemakers and self-driving cars that could be hijacked.

Why Not Apologizing Makes You Feel Better – To err is human. So is refusing to apologize for those errors. Parents, educators and even public relations flacks have talked at length about the value of coming clean, and there is abundant research on the psychological value of apologizing. But psychologists recently decided to take a new tack: If so many people don’t like to do it, there must be psychological value in not apologizing, too.

Today’s Quote:

“It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn’t feel like a giant. I felt very, very small.”

–      Neil Armstrong

Today’s Free Downloads:

Recuva Portable – Recuva (pronounced “recover”) is a freeware Windows utility to restore files that have been accidentally deleted from your computer. This includes files emptied from the Recycle bin as well as images and other files that have been deleted by user error.

SlimDrivers – SlimDrivers uses crowd-sourcing to spider and aggregate millions of devices. Using our cloud-based system, SlimDrivers not only detects when a driver needs updating, but also identifies the proper executable for your system and initiates the driver install automatically.

LinuxLive USB Creator 2.8.20 – LiLi USB Creator is a handy, easy to use application designed to enable you to create a bootable Live USB key with a Linux on it. This software also offers an exclusive option of automatic virtualization to directly run Linux in Windows without any configuration nor installation.

Tech Thoughts Daily Net News – April 2, 2013

The simple, practical way to share a Dropbox folder – Dropbox offers two approaches to sharing: a regular share and a share link. The regular share is the best known, but in most cases a share link makes more sense.

Speakerfy: A Free App for Whole-Home Audio, or Silent Discos – Playing music in multiple rooms around the house can be an expensive endeavor. If you’ve already got a handful of phones, tablets and laptops, why not sync them together so they’re all playing the same songs at the same time?

Get Organized: Change Your Wi-Fi Name and Password – When guests arrive, do you fumble to find that secret slip of paper with random numbers and letters that is your Wi-Fi password? Get organized, and change your Wi-Fi network name and password.

The Secunia Personal Software Inspector – Stay secure by updating insecure programs on your computer with the Secunia PSI. Simply put, it scans software on your system and identifies programs in need of security updates to safeguard your PC against cybercriminals. It then supplies your computer with the necessary software security updates to keep it safe. The Secunia PSI even automates the updates for your insecure programs, making it a lot easier for you to maintain a secure PC.

Infographic: Techspeak Ruining Kids’ Grammar – Two Northwestern University researchers recently found that techspeak is handicapping students’ abilities to form strong language and grammar skills.

GNOME 3.8 delivers more privacy and a new ‘classic’ mode – Linux fans may recall the GNOME project’s announcement late last fall that it was planning to drop its “fallback” mode aimed at systems incapable of 3D rendering and to deliver a brand-new “classic” mode instead. Sure enough, last week saw the launch of GNOME 3.8, and there among numerous major new features and enhancements was the promised GNOME Classic traditionally flavored desktop.

Playboy Launches Nudity-Free iPhone App – Playboy is bringing its scantily clad bunnies to the iPhone, but the women featured in the app will remain clothed, so as not to run afoul of Apple’s rules regarding adult content.

BlackBerry 10 tells your friends when you’re watching porn – Anyone out there who’s the proud owner of a new BlackBerry Z10, be warned. The BlackBerry Messenger integration will tell all your friends (and family members, if they’re in your BBM contacts) when you’re watching videos on the web.

Preview BlackBerry 10 on your phone – If all the hype about BlackBerry 10 has piqued your interest — even the slightest bit — you can catch a glimpse of the new operating system directly from your iPhone or Android browser.

Why stop at talking phones? Nuance intros voice ads – Nuance powers speech interfaces in phones, TVs, cars and websites. Now its creating advertising that will both listen to your questions and respond to them. (suggested by Aseem S.)

All out of Pi: $25 Raspberry Pi sells out in U.S. – The U.S. distributor of the $25 Raspberry Pi computer quickly exhausted its limited supply of the devices Monday. Allied Electronics, which distributes the single-board computer in the United States, has posted a no mas notice at its website.

8 secrets to no-regrets telecommuting – Working from home sounds like a dream, but it takes effort to stay productive and motivated. Here’s how to do it right.

Ask Alex: Tech Etiquette Advice – How to deal with the dreaded movie theater texter; what to do when Facebook interferes with real life; and more.

China slams U.S. for discriminating against nation’s tech vendors – China has slammed a new U.S. funding law that will tighten scrutiny of information technology purchases from the country, and said it could severely damage the mutual trust between the two nations.

Security:

Ransomware boosts credibility by reading victims’ browsers – The authors of police-themed ransomware have started using the browsing histories from infected computers in order to make their scams more believable, according to an independent malware researcher.

How hackers can switch on your webcam and control your computer – A 14-year-old boy motivated by revenge is probably one of the last people you’d want to have unmitigated access to your computer. Especially if you’re female, given that one of the most commonly exploited features of RAT software is the ability to spy on a user’s webcam. Many modern laptops will display a green light when the webcam is in use; however, RAT developers have long since worked out how to disable that tell-tale sign on some computers. (suggested by Mal C.)

“Rude password – login denied”: the AT&T April Fool that wasn’t – Why, and more importantly, how, would you go about weeding out rude passwords? Surely an April Fool? It looks as though this is a true-but-wacky story rather than an April Fool.

Fake Google Play apps scam Japanese porn seekers – Security firm Symantec says these fraudulent Android apps are using a one-click method, tricking Japanese-language porn lovers into registering for a paid service that doesn’t exist.

Mobile device security in the US military comes under fire – A recent report by the US Inspector General revealed staggering flaws in the US military’s management of mobile devices, and a severe lack of basic IT security protection in place for such devices.

Company News:

Apple owns up to gouging Chinese – After an internet campaign by Apple fanboys protesting its innocence, Cupertino has finally confessed to cheating its Chinese customers.

BlackBerry Moves 1 Million Z10 Smartphones – BlackBerry recently announced that it has sold 1 million BlackBerry Z10 smartphones, the first device to sport the company’s BB10 operating system.

Bitcoin surges past $100, gains Expensify support – At the time of this writing on Monday, the last price listed for one Bitcoin was a whopping $103.90 on exchange Mt.Gox. For perspective, it closed at $34.59 one month ago. Last month it hit $1 billion in total value.

The Pirate Bay captures the file-sharing crown – It’s often said that the fight against piracy is like a game of Whac-a-Mole, when smacking down one site just causes a few more to pop up. But The Pirate Bay is no average mole; the popular BitTorrent site is now the number one destination for file-sharing on the Internet, despite numerous attempts to sink it over the years.

Google Privacy Director Alma Whitten Leaving – GoogleAlma Whitten, the director of privacy at Google, is stepping down from that role and leaves behind her a complicated legacy in regards to user privacy. Whitten has been the company’s top product and engineering privacy official since 2010 and was at the helm as the company navigated a number of serious privacy scandals and controversies.

Amazon Beefs Up Cloud Drive With File Sync – Amazon on Monday updated its Cloud Drive desktop app for Windows and Mac with a Dropbox-like file synchronization feature aimed at making it easier to manage files across multiple computers.

Webopedia Daily:

Linux server – A Linux server is a high-powered variant of the Linux open source operating system that’s designed to handle the more demanding needs of business applications such as network and system administration, database management and Web services. Linux servers are frequently selected over other server operating systems for their stability, security and flexibility advantages. Leading Linux server operating systems include CentOS, Debian, Ubuntu Server, Slackware and Gentoo.

Games and Entertainment:

Our 10 Favorite Android Games – There’s an endless supply of Android games, but you only have time to play a few. We help you pick.

3Dmark for Android separates performance champs from chumps – With its latest version of 3DMark, Futuremark attempts to create a benchmark that allows for cross-platform comparisons between all tablets, smartphones, and PCs.

Game of Thrones creators say piracy doesn’t harm profits – The show’s popularity with pirates isn’t slowing, either. Game of Thrones is back on top of the piracy charts with Season 3 episode 1, which made its debut Sunday night. The show is currently the most popular torrent on The Pirate Bay, with six different torrent files for the episode making the site’s top 100 chart. Game of Thrones was the most pirated TV show for 2012 with more than 4 million downloads per episode.

Getting ready to go Under the Dome – This is a great time for genre TV. Not only is Game of Thrones back for its third season, The Walking Dead also had a triumphant return, not to mention Bates Motel and Hannibal have also been getting good reviews as well.

How Microsoft is trying—but failing—to court indie game developers – At last week’s Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, record numbers of industry players converged to showcase their latest titles. In full force were smaller, independent developers, showing off their indie games on a variety of hardware: Mac and Windows laptops, and iOS and Android devices. Windows-based devices, however, were conspicuously absent—outside of the Microsoft booth, of course.

Rope Escape offers unique side-scrolling action – See how far you can get in this unique side-scroller that lets you swing from tree to tree, Spider-Man-style.

Off Topic (Sort of):

The humorous side of IT – Some geek humor is only appreciated by IT pros. Alan Norton discusses clueless user stories, silly names, and more, as well as when humor and IT don’t mix.

Realistic Human CGI: It’s no joke – For real: Activision’s computer-generated character animation is strikingly realistic, generated in real-time, and coming soon to a computer near you.

The most honest three and a half minutes of television, EVER… – Beginning scene of the new HBO series The Newsroom explaining why America’s Not the Greatest Country Any Longer… But It Can Be.

Robot Swarms of the Future (Because Sometimes It Takes a Village) – Watch what happens when you put 40 tiny robots in a room and let them go nuts?

Audio-based virtual gaming aims to help the blind navigate – Using only audio-based cues within the context of a video game metaphor, blind users in a study out of Harvard are able to explore a building’s layout.

Cheerleader assaults centurion? Must be a new Samsung ad – How else do you show your new TVs are really, really smart? Well, with UFOs and wars and a cheerleader who kicks a centurion in the privates.

Today’s Quote:

“A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.”

–      Chinese Proverb

Today’s Free Downloads:

Wise Folder Hider 1.34.70 – Wise Folder Hider is a free file/folder hiding tool. User can use it to hide files and folders on local partitions or removable devices.

FatBatt 1.2.0 – No one we know is happy with their battery life. We built FatBatt in response to this failure of power management. It offers improvements in power management choice architecture in several key ways.

Spotify 0.8.8.454 – Any track you like, any time you like. Just search for it in Spotify, then play it. Any artist, any album, any genre – all available instantly. With Spotify, there are no limits to the amount of music you could listen to.

Tech Thoughts Daily Net News – April 1, 2013

Just how much do people hate Windows 8? – Some of you don’t like Windows 8. And thanks to Internet comments and social media, you have lots of ways to express your loathing. But a closer look at one well-known real-world rating says Windows 8 might be more popular than you think.

Find treasure with Google’s new treasure map – Following up on YouTube’s April Fool’s Day prank, Google has launched one of its own. It’s similar to its prank last year, when it launched an awesome 8-bit version of its Maps service. This year, Google has transformed Google Maps into a treasure map. In order to access the map, all you have to do is click on “Treasure Mode” on the top right of the Google Maps page. Then you can watch as your location is magically transformed into a treasure map.

Google declares end of YouTube in April Fool’s prank – In an elaborate ruse, the world’s most popular video site announces it’s been nothing but a contest site this whole time and says it’s going dark for the next decade.

Police said to use Facebook to stop punk rock house parties – Using the alias of “Joe Sly,” the “Boston Punk Zombie,” the Boston Police Department is allegedly sleuthing out illegal DIY indie-rock shows on social media.

Infographic: What Your Instagram Filters Say About You – It used to be that the quiz in the back of Cosmo held the secrets to your inner self. Now, Instagram has the skinny on your true personality. The mobile app has turned everyone into an edgy photographer, but according to marketing firm Marketo, the filter you choose to art-up those images of sunsets, coffee cups, and last night’s dinner says more about you than the picture itself.

Breathometer Turns Smartphones Into Breathalyzers – This gadget may prevent your fun night out from turning to tragedy.

Russia censors “suicide” websites – The Russian government has started enforcing a new law that gives it the power to block internet content deemed illegal or harmful to children.

8 secrets to super-productive telecommuting – Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer’s recent ban on telecommuting sent shockwaves across the business world. Pundits were quick to take sides, with supporters of the work-at-home option insisting that such arrangements “can make you more productive,” and naysayers denouncing telecommuting as “the worst of everything.” They’re both right. If you telecommute the right way, you’ll save countless hours that you’d otherwise waste in commuting,

Facebook, Twitter Apps Updated for BlackBerry 10 – BlackBerry this week updated its Twitter and Facebook apps to make social media connection easier on all BB10-based smartphones.

Mysterious Blackberry 10 roadmap leaks – A new Blackberry 10 roadmap, leaked by a mysterious Twitter account, shows that Blackberry has a few interesting devices heading our way. In the leaked roadmap, we see that Blackberry is planning on releasing a 10-inch tablet, a phablet, and another touchscreen device with a fully QWERTY keyboard.

Raspberry Pi Model A now available for $25 – The Raspberry Pi has been around for a long time now and has been used in some really cool projects by DIY enthusiasts around the world. When the device launched it sold for $35 for the original Model B. A cheaper version of the device called the Model A is now available to purchase in the US and is priced at $10 less than the original.

Apple Deals: When’s the Best Time to Buy? – Bargain-hunting site Dealnews has run some numbers to determine the best times to get the biggest deals on various Apple products.

Global tech spending forecast to hit $3.8 trillion in 2013 – Worldwide spending on information technology products and services will grow 4.1 percent this year to roughly US$3.8 trillion, according to new forecast figures released by analyst firm Gartner.

“We apologise for the previous apology” – NZ gov dept in email CC: double-blunder – A government department in New Zealand has had to apologise twice after mixing up CC: and BCC: when apologising for mixing up CC: and BCC:. It’s a really easy mistake to make, so take a moment to remind yourself why it’s a bad idea.

Security:

Amazon S3 cloud storage users are exposing sensitive company secrets, claims report – A security researcher tested a slew of (probably inappropriately misconfigured) storage buckets and found about one in six were open to the public, exposing content we think companies would probably have preferred remain private.

Security firm suspects hired guns in South Korean cyberattacks – The people behind the destructive cyberattacks against three banks and two broadcasters in South Korea were likely employees or hired guns of a single organization, a security vendor analyzing the attack code says. In addition, Symantec says it found a connection between the recent attack and one launched against U.S. and South Korean government institutions in 2011.

S. Korea, US step up cyber warfare partnership – The two governments will work on a draft deterrence strategy to fend off unexpected attacks, and South Korea will also increase personnel for its Cyber Command unit.

Brace for more mega-DDoS attacks, security experts warn – Distributed Denial of Service attacks like the one that resulted from an altercation between a Dutch company and Spamhaus last week are on the rise, according to a report by security firm Kaspersky Labs.

iMessage DDoS attacks foreshadow a bigger threat – The attacks were executed using a simple AppleScript, where the attackers are able to send out an unlimited, fast-pace amount of messages to the recipient. Depending on the content of the message, the app would either crash, or would shell out notifications at an annoyingly, alarming rate.

Company News:

Chinese media slam Apple’s ‘arrogance’ – In a series of editorial spanning a week, state-owned newspaper People’s Daily criticizes Apple’s discriminatory policies and arrogance toward Chinese consumers. Other local media note the significance of this heavy focus.

Apple fails to appropriate English word – Apple’s bid to trademark the iPad Mini has failed, quite spectacularly. The US Patents and Trademarks Office kindly told Cupertino lawyers that they cannot have a trademark on “iPad Mini” since the law doesn’t really allow anyone to trademark a description of the product, reports Forbes.

Two unlikely PC makers emerge: Google, Microsoft – The tech giants are certainly big enough to make waves in the market for personal computers. CNET’s Brooke Crothers considers the potential impact of their entry into the arena.

Google, Nokia face off in video codec dispute – Nokia says Google is trying to force VP8 down the computing industry’s throat, but Google is backing up its free video technology with patent deals and help with HTC’s legal defense against Nokia.

Microsoft tweaks requirements, greenlights 7- and 8-inch Windows 8 tablets – It’s been rumored for a while that Microsoft would eventually allow its partners to start building 7- and 8-inch tablets running Windows RT or Windows 8. After making a seemingly minor adjustment to the minimum Windows 8 hardware requirements, it appears as though Microsoft is now ready to open the floodgates.

Java in danger of Oracle stranglehold – The CEO of CloudBees has warned that Oracle has a stranglehold over the Java community which it believes will do its bidding.

Panasonic subsidiary at center of U.S. bribery investigation – A subsidiary that makes in-flight entertainment and communications systems is under investigation for allegedly paying bribes to secure contracts, according to documents reviewed by the Wall Street Journal.

Webopedia Daily:

Easter Egg – A secret message or screen buried in an application. Typically, easter eggs are used to display the credits for the development team or to display a humorous message. To see an easter egg, you need to know a special procedure or sequence of keystrokes.

Games and Entertainment:

9 Awesome ‘Game of Thrones’ Parody Videos – There’s the usual low-hanging fruit: music videos, placing Thrones into other contexts, like high school. Heck, there are even parodies of every episode of Season 1, if you’d like to go the completionist route. Check out some of the best in the videos.

Ouya Android Console Launching June 4 – The Ouya game console began shipping Thursday, but those who didn’t snag an early machine can pick one up in stores on June 4.

PC games are growing, but will that continue after the PS4 and Xbox 720 launch? – As we near the end of this console generation, the PC has been picking up the slack. Not only are games looking and playing better on the PC these days, but data is showing that the market is growing as well. With 8% growth in 2012, PC games made an astonishing $20 billion worldwide. It’s heartening to see the uptick, but what will happen when the PS4 and Xbox 720 launch?

Games to keep an eye out for – 2013 is already at a record pace in terms of high-profile game releases. This spring keeps the momentum going with a number of blockbuster releases.

Screenshot jockey: The best BioShock Infinite screenshots – The images featured in this gallery are our picks for a spoiler-free walk through Columbia. The goal was to show off the beauty of the game, as opposed to the explosions, mayhem, and handymen.

Most-anticipated TVs – Spring is the time of year when nearly all of the new TVs hit store shelves. Here are 10 to which we’re most looking forward.

William Shatner fights alien Gorn in new Star Trek video game commercial – I’m a fan of Star Trek The Next Generation, but I’ve never really been a fan of the original Star Trek television series. I have always liked all of the big-screen Star Trek movies with the original crew. The original series was a bit too cheesy for me, but if you’re huge fan of Captain Kirk and crew you may remember an episode from 1967 called Arena.

Home theater tech soon to hit shelves – Spring ushers in a new wave of home theater gadgets, and we’ve rounded up the most interesting products slated for release.

Off Topic (Sort of):

Sight Gags 4 Geeks – Take a look at this gallery of sight gags and have a laugh. While some of the images are just for fun, others represent puzzles designed to test your Geek skills. Can you figure them out? As you work through the gallery, keep score.

How Many Floppy Disks Would It Take To Equal 1 Gigabyte? – In this day and age, we all take it for granted that we can walk around with multi-gigabyte thumb drives in our pockets. However, it really wasn’t that long ago that we carried around floppy disks. Have you ever wondered how many floppy disks it would take to equal 1 Gigabyte? If you have, then you will enjoy this gallery of images that depicts stacks of different capacity floppy disks that add up to 1 Gigabyte.

Microsoft Worldwide Telescope brings the universe to your computer – The Worldwide Telescope is an effort to construct a massive map of the universe. Microsoft Research has assembled astronomical data from scientists all over the world to build a 3D model that users can actually fly through.

On Bullshit Part 1 (video 6:11) – A conversation with Harry G. Frankfurt, author of On Bullshit, published by Princeton University Press.

On Bullshit Part 2 (video 5:21) – A conversation with Harry G. Frankfurt, author of On Bullshit, published by Princeton University Press.

The 15 Coolest Cars of the 2013 New York Auto Show – The slideshow features the coolest cars we saw at the New York Auto Show, shown in alphabetical order. While many of these cars are actual debuts, some of them came out in the past year or so, but the buzz clearly hasn’t worn off yet. We didn’t want to focus exclusively on brand-new introductions, because that would leave out some of the most amazing vehicles on the show floor. A final word of caution: Some of these cars cost more than a house.

Today’s Quote:

“In a networked world, trust is the most important currency.”

–     Eric Schmidt

Today’s Free Downloads:

Surf Anonymous Free – Surf Anonymous Free is the most advanced and reliable software for Internet users who want to ensure that their sessions and all online activities are secure and private. For instance, it is used to protect your sensitive data such as bank account information, private photos from being stolen and pried, or visit those websites, blogs and forums that once blocked you.

ZenKEY – ZenKEY allows you to control all aspects of your computer via keystrokes. Using the configuration utility of the ZenKEY Wizard, you can create menus, each containing items which perform “actions”. You can “fire” these actions by clicking on the item or pressing a key-combination.