Microsoft will slash up to 18,000 jobs by the end of the year. That’s 14 percent of the company’s workforce, and it amounts to the largest round of layoffs in the nearly 40 year history of the software kingpin.
On Thursday morning, with an email euphemistically titled “Starting to Evolve Our Organization and Culture,” CEO Satya Nadella announced that the bulk of the cuts would affect employees working for Nokia, the mobile phone company Microsoft acquired last September. According to Nadella, these cuts would encourage “work simplification,” “integration synergies,” and “strategic alignment.” But even the heavy-handed business jargon couldn’t mask the simple fact that 18,000 jobs is a hell of a lot of jobs to lose. Read more...
With the Recent release of 4.4.3 and yesterdays release of 4.4.4 for Nexus devices, all of you Nexus 5 owners running fully stock software will be getting a notification to apply the patch soon, but what about those of us with rooted phones?
The over-the-air update that comes directly from Google will not install on a rooted phone. The script that it uses to patch your OS to the newer version performs a check that will abort installation if any changes to the system partition are detected. And since the Superuser binaries are installed on the system partition, rooted phones cannot pass this checkpoint. Read more...
It starts out simply. One day, you’re scrolling through the Naval Criminal Investigative Service database, identifying a perp’s body when an alert flashes red on your monitor. “INTRUSION DETECTED,” it screams. You’re getting hacked and there’s only one solution: Call your bumbling partner over and have him join you at the keyboard. The two of you frantically bang out rapid-fire key sequences as random program windows flash onscreen. The hacker’s getting further and further into the system. Your partner’s never seen code like this before and his usual tricks to combat it aren’t working. That’s when the display goes dead and your silver fox of a boss saves the day by pulling the power plug of your workstation. Read more...
This iWatch concept by Todd Hamilton shows what the mythical device could look like. But with reports of Apple buying a display technology company could it go from concept to reality? Source: toddham.com Source: Supplied
TALK of an Apple iWatch has been pumping through the internet gossip pipes for some time but now we might have been given the strongest signal yet this gadget could be coming our way.
According to industry insiders, Apple has made a move to snap up LuxVue, a developer of micro-LED displays. Read more...
If you’re arrested for overdue speeding tickets, is it acceptable for the police to search the phone on your person? How about if you’re arrested for drug trafficking? In the eyes of the law, there is no difference: If you’re arrested, you’re arrested, whatever the crime. Isn’t that an invasion of privacy? That depends on your interpretation of the US Constitution’s Fourth Amendment, which states:
“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” Read more...
The new OnePlus One phablet promises a Galaxy S5-class experience for a mere $299. We check out an early model.
It’s promising, that’s for sure. The new OnePlus One smartphone has been bubbling through social media for a few weeks now, helped by a slow drip of official details and the buzz behind its cult CynaogenMod 11S Android operating system. With specs similar to the Samsung Galaxy S5, a price under $300 unlocked, and LTE on the AT&T and T-Mobile networks, the OnePlus One could shock the entire Android market. Read more...
Today, Google’s Vic Gundotra announced that he would be leaving the company after eight years. The first obvious question is where this leaves Google+, Gundotra’s baby and primary project for the past several of those years.
What we’re hearing from multiple sources is that Google+ will no longer be considered a product, but a platform — essentially ending its competition with other social networks like Facebook and Twitter.
A Google representative has vehemently denied these claims. “Today’s news has no impact on our Google+ strategy — we have an incredibly talented team that will continue to build great user experiences across Google+, Hangouts and Photos.” Read more...
We came away relatively impressed with the Fire TV during our brief hands-on. But we all know that units set up specifically for press demonstrations are hardly the best indicator of how a device will function in the real world. So we immediately went back to our lair and began putting the newest kid on the streaming block through its paces. Once away from the carefully controlled demonstration area, it became clear that the Fire TV is more of a mixed bag — and still tied to its Android/Google TV roots — than Amazon would like you to believe. Read more...
