Update On SOPA
I was reading this new post on Tom’s Hardware, a site I frequently go to for tech news, which I subsequently post here, and found this article. I’m going to quote it verbatim, because I really could not convey the information better myself.
“SOPA’s biggest supporter claims the legislation will not censor the internet. Really.”
“On Wednesday, Reuters reported that some members of Congress had switched sides to oppose the anti-piracy legislation. The news arrived while “protests blanketed the Internet” as websites visually displayed their stance against SOPA and PIPA whether it was a simple link to anti-SOPA material, or a complete website blackout. Even one game developer launched a non-profit organization to protest against the ESA which in turn supports the legislation instead of the wishes of the enlisted “artists” and “content providers” it supposedly protects.
All the while, several sponsors of the legislation, including Senators Roy Blunt, Chuck Grassley, Orrin Hatch and John Boozman and Marco Rubio, announced their withdrawal of support for the legislation. Reports indicated that their sudden turn was due to pressure stemming from critics of the bill. But some of them openly blamed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for rushing the Senate version of the bill (PIPA, or the Protect IP Act). Blunt said the legislation is “deeply flawed,” while both Rubio and Boozman cited “unintended consequences” that could stem from the proposed law. Still, all those that formerly opposed the legislation said they still supported taking action against online piracy.
Playstation Vita Sales Not Strong in Japan
I’ve been a fan of portable gaming ever since my first gameboy color, we had some good times together. I have owned several handheld multimedia devices, from Nokia’s first attempt at such a device, the NGAGE, which most people had more fun pretending to be an electronic taco than a cell phone/gaming device, to Sony’s first PSP, which I received as a Bar Mitzvah gift. I don’t think it’s terribly difficult to determine the victor of the two devices.
The original PSP was (and frankly remains to be) a fantastic device. It might not have had the highest specs, the most internal RAM or fastest CPU speed (although these could be tweaked via firmware hacks), but it was excellent at a few things: delivering almost every type of content and content format in a way that was easily experienced by the user, and in the palm of their hand with fantastic battery life. For its time, it played games better than any other handheld devices you could buy, and for a price that was just right for many people; your wallet might yell at you, but it would thank you later.
“OMG! Did you hear that ___ tracks you through ___?!”
Whether it’s Facebook tracking you through cookies on their “Like” button, or Carrier IQ logging your android usage through a difficult-to-disable phone feature. It seems like the Internet community is ever-busy with new invasion of privacy complaints over the products that they are using.
Although the part that I’m most shocked by:
The tech world is STILL surprised every time a story like this comes out! It may just be me, but these stories have begun to have the same affect on me as when someone tells me the email they clicked on saying they won a free iPad turned out to be a virus.
That’s not to say that this isn’t a valid concern. I understand fully where people are coming from when they say they don’t want their activities to be tracked, or at least want to be notified by the tracker before they do it (Because we all read our terms and conditions before agreeing, right?).
With that said, I do feel there should be some differentiation and regulations for the types of tracking being done, as some cases are more severe than others.
The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) & What it All Means
There major buzz around the internet this month is the new bill called the, “Stop Online Piracy Act” which will go through the House of Representatives next month. If passed, the bill would basically allow Internet Service Providers to block certain domains if they are hosting content that infringes copyright. This fight is a huge deal, a war waging between everyday businesses, website owners, and users with the entertainment industry and big media companies, and even worse The GOVERNMENT.
The bills goal is to stop online piracy and to protect copyrights but, to what and who’s expense. The line is a thin line to be crossed, with seems to no middle ground being able to be reached.
Can you shut down a website for hosting or people uploading illegal content? The fight is targeted at foreign websites who specifically steal online content and profit from it. A lot of opponents say this won’t come without consequences though. Can you shut down sites like YouTube, which its users post infringing copyright material?
The Best of 2011
We are moments away from ushering in a brand new year. The twelfth year of the 21st century.
Profound discoveries and amazing accomplishments have happened in 2011.
And as for The Tech Fire, it would behoove us not to talk about some of the best technologies this past year had to offer.
The iPhone 4s and Siri
iPhone’s are old news. New updates and versions of the phone come out often, and people have become desensitized to its amazing capabilities. But this year, the iPhone 4s was released, with Siri. Siri is a voice controlled “personal assistant” available with the new iPhone. You speak, and she listens. Then she performs. This voice-controlled app organizes, answers questions, and tells you what to do. The future is here.
Google Reportedly Working On Android-Based Wearable Technology
Have you ever looked at a product, be it online or at the store, and wanted to know if it was available for less, or perhaps wanted to know about similar products? All of this may be a reality in the future, as tech and web giant Google is working on a pair of Android-based thick-rimmed glasses, similar to those worn by many celebrities.
The concept of these new optics entails not glass, but LED or AMOLED displays integrated into the frames, and would be able to communicate directly with the cloud via IP. They are also not directly tied to Android, which means that if you are an iPhone, Windows Phone 7, or Blackberry user, you’d still be able to take advantage of this radically game-changing technology.
Users would interact with the glasses via buttons on the arms of the frame. If the glasses are wirelessly paired with a smartphone, they will connect to the Internet via the phone’s data service/Wi-fi. And since they’re a Google product at their core, you’d be accessing their search engine, the most powerful in the world.
Call of Duty, Cloud Gaming, and What It All Means
According to an article from New Rising Media, Treyarch, developer of the Call of Duty series, posted job openings on their website soliciting help to work on the next installment of the hit video game series.
The recent November release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 broke all previous sales records by accumulating $775 million in the first five days of the game’s release. Some believe the video game developer will be taking the battlefield to space due to the fact Activision has registered domain names like “Call of Duty: Future Warfare” and “Space Warfare” in the past.
Activision CEO Bobby Kotick confirmed the release of a new installment in 2012 in a letter accompanying the financial quarterly report, according to an article on Gamespot.
Be that as it may, the question you should be asking yourself isn’t “When will I be playing it?” but rather “What am I going to be playing it on?”
Oh, My! What Nice Features You Have…
Almost everybody has a smart phone by now. Whether it be 3G, 4G, iPhone, Android, AutoBot; they are all amazing machines. And the reasons why people have them are abundant: Internet surfing capabilities, pristine picture and video resolution, and style points for being an up-to-date technology consumer.
With Christmas coming up, many smart phones will likely be found laying in unopened boxes wrapped in colorful paper.
However, there are still people who are afraid. The cost, and the required purchase of a data plan along with a smart phone just scares them. They still have a regular phone, able to call and text, but with none of the prestige. But they still have hope.
There is an alternative option for people who want a smart phone, but don’t want to mess with the extra monthly data charges. Look no further than the new iPod Touch.
