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Right to be Forgotten forced Google to Remove 170,000 Links

October 15, 2014 By Paul Leave a Comment

Google is threatened with a $100 million lawsuit over the nude celebrity pictures that have been splashed all over the internet following the iCloud hack. Earlier this week, Google has removed over 170,000 links after being forced to do so by the European right to be forgotten.

Right to be Forgotten

Even though the removal has nothing to do with the iCloud nude celebrity pictures, the issue is somewhat similar. If you haven’t heard of the Right to be Forgotten, you should know that it is a ruling made by the European Court of Justice that gives people the power to request the removal of links to content that they no longer want to appear online.

Such requests are being sent out to Google for it to remove them from its search engines. This ruling only applies in the countries inside the European Union, so Google won’t show the content inside the EU, but if you search for it from the U.S. you will find it. Basically, only the links are removed from the search engine, not the content.

Up until now, Google has received about 150,000 requests, which add up to half a million links to be removed. After careful examination, it went on to remove 41% of it, or 171,183 links, leaving the rest online.

This measure has been dubbed by Tim-Berners Lee, Word Wide Web founder, as draconian. He joins the many Internet freedom advocates who are protesting the Right to be Forgotten ruling.

So what were the websites the people wanted to delete themselves from? Facebook tops the list, followed by Profile Engine and YouTube. France was the country with the most requests, followed closely by Germany, Britain and Spain.

Would you want to have links to content of you removed from the web? Would you want the Right to be Forgotten to come to the U.S.? Tell us about it in the comment section below.

Asus Transformer Book Trio to be Launched in Japan in November, No US Launch Date Revealed

October 30, 2013 By Jack M. Robinson Leave a Comment

Asus is all set to unleash its Transformer Book Trio device in various world markets this November. In case you have joined in late, the said device from the Taiwanese manufacturer can be considered to be the amalgamation of a tablet, a desktop and a notebook in its various configurations, and hence the name Trio. Japan would be among the first countries that would be getting the device which is slated to hit the market there on 2^nd November for 139,800 yen or $1430. The actual cost of the Trio though is expected to be lesser when it arrives in the US market. The Transformer Book Trio is already available in the French market for 899 Euros which is approximately $1240. Its not known though when the device will eventually make it to the US markets.

For using the device as a tablet alone, the display will be required to be detached from the keyboard leaving the screen portion free as a tablet. This way, the device with its 11.6 inch display will make for a generous sized tablet. Also, a unique aspect of the Trio, apart from its three-in-one functionality, is that the OS in the standalone tablet mode is Android and when the keyboard is connected, it turns into full fledged laptop with Windows as the OS.

For using the device as a desktop, the user would need to connect the keyboard to any external display and the set up turns into a desktop. In such a set-up, the keyboard acts as the CPU and comes equipped with an Intel Haswell processor within it. It also houses a 4 GB RAM along with a 1 TB storage space. The keyboard also includes a battery pack of 33 Whr rating and like most other devices has WiFi, Bluetooth functionality besides also including USB, audio and video ports in it. The keyboard can well be called a laptop of its own accord with only the display screen absent.

The screen part which acts the tablet comes with a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and is based on IPS technology to allow for wider viewing angles. It has an Intel Atom clover Trail+ processor at its core. Has 2 GB of RAM and storage of 54 GB. It also sports both front and rear cameras. There are the standard microSD expansion slot, WiFi and BlueTooth. It weighs 1.5 pounds while the keyboard section weighs 2.2 pounds, thereby making the total weight of the entire setup in laptop mode at less than 4 pounds.

Battery life with just the tablet is 5 hours with Windows as the OS but with the keyboard connected, it goes up to 13 hours with Android as the OS.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Kids Now On Pre-Order in the US, Shipping Starts November 10

October 29, 2013 By Deborah Cobing Leave a Comment

The Galaxy Tab 3 Kids had been officially made public by Samsung back in August this year though a firm launch date has been missing so far. Not anymore now that we know pre-order for the Galaxy Tab 3 Kids for people in the US would start from 1^st of November as per an official announcement by Samsung themselves. They have also mentioned that the Galaxy Tab 3 Kids would be priced at $229.99 and that the device will be ready to ship on November 10.

Coming to specifications, the Galaxy Tab 3 Kids comes with a 7 inch display with a screen resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. The Core processor would be dual core and clocking 1.2 GHz. It would have both front and rear camera with the front one of 1.3 MP and rear one of 4.1 MP. RAM of the device would be 1 GB and storage capacity at 8 GB. There would be the microSD card slot for expanding storage space. To power this set there would be a 4000 mAh battery pack.

Other interesting features of the device that make it kid friendly are the games that it comes loaded with. These include Toca Train, Wipeout, Fruit Ninja, Disney’s Toy Story: Smash It! and Where’s My Perry and more. The user interface has also been made to be easy for kids to navigate through. After having played some, kids would take on some learning value with apps like I Learn with Ocean, Dolphin Reader, Inventions 2 and Kids Planet Discovery. Parents would also have some control over their child’s usage of the device with the apps that are specially installed on the tablet. There is also the casing of extra strong material to take the handling that kids would have on the device. The casing is also of colorful choice to keep interest of the kids in mind.

Samsung is also offering some other add on benefits for the purchase of the device like $10 credit while purchasing applications, books and movies from Google Play. Users also get to play Boingo Mobile for 12 months in the WiFi mode. Users also get membership to Hulu Plus and storage space at DropBox to the tune of 50 GB for two years.

Interested people can pick up the device from Samsung.com, Amazon, Best Buy, Fry’s, Office Depot, Sam’s Club, Tiger Direct and Toys “R” Us.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini Confirmed to Make its US Debut in November

October 25, 2013 By Jack M. Robinson Leave a Comment

The Galaxy S4 Mini is all set to make its debut in the US next month. And for a chance, this is not a rumor anymore now that Samsung have officially announced the availability of the same via carriers in November. Exact dates and price that the carriers would levy for the set however is yet to be known. The carriers that would be dealing with the set are AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless and the US Cellular, whih makes up for all the major network carriers of the US.

So far as specs of the handset goes, with so much of rumors and leaks doing the rounds, not much remains to be unearthed. Just for those who might have missed out, the Galaxy S4 Mini would be powered by a dual core processor clocking at 1.7 GHz. The OS would be Android 4.2.2. Jelly Bean and the display will be made up of a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED screen having a resolution of 960 x 540 pixels. The device would have 1.5 GB of RAM along with internal storage space of 16 GB expandable via a microSD card slot to 64 GB.

For wireless connectivity, the S4 Mini has Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0 as well. The S4 Mini is with dual camera option where the front is of 1.9 MP and rear mounted one of 8 MP, complete with LED flash. To give better rendition of the pictures being shot, the S4 Mini also boasts of such advanced features as Sound & Shot , Best Photo, Beauty Face, Panorama, Continuous Shot applications and such to enhance the photography action. As for its battery, the device would feature a 1900 mAh pack and will be available in color choice of Black Mist or White Frost.

Users would also benefit from compatibility with the Galaxy Gear smartwatch though not with the shipped version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini. Rather, the support would be added later on when Samsung releases an update to its software. Users would however have to purchase the watch at a cost of $299 to draw the benefit of this pairing later on.

The handset would also come with an S-View Flip cover that has a cut out to allow for the user to take note of incoming call notification without the need to flip open the cover. Further, the cover would be available in color options of light blue, pink, black and white.

Kobo Arc 7 HD and Kobo Arc 10 HD Clears FCC, US Launch Expected Soon

October 21, 2013 By Deborah Cobing Leave a Comment

A visit to the FCC site would give details about two new entries, one being the Kobo Arc 7 HD and the Kobo Arc 10 HD. Both of these form the latest from the Canadian company with which it wishes to take on the likes of the new 2013 Nexus 7 or the Kindle Fire HDX. The same also goes for the new upcoming iPad Mini 2 as well. That they figure at the FCC site indicates that a market launch is imminent and is expected to happen soon enough.

The listing at the site deals mainly with the wireless connectivity aspects of the two tablet devices which might too technical in nature for the common public. But then, FCC documents are rarely revealing in nature. It also has the user manuals which though detailing the rudimentary issues like how to power up and shut down the set or how to enable airplane mode of operation. There is however drawings and diagrams of the device also available in the user manual uploaded at the site that may be of interest to those who are technically inclined.

The general specifications of the two sets are well known by now. The Kobo Arc 10 gets its name from the 10 inch screen that it sports. The screen resolution is 2560 x 1600 pixels which is quite decent to speak of. It is powered by an NVIDIA Tegra 4 quad core processor which together with its 2 GB RAM ensures brisk performance. Internal memory of the device is 16 GB and users would get about 9.5 hours of operation, which it must be said is quite decent considering the pixel rich display the tablet comes with. All this at a price tag of around $400.

The Kobo Arc 7 HD on the other hand is aimed at the budget tablet segment. Priced at $199, the Arc 7 HD is powered by a NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad core processor. The screen size is 7 inch with a resolution factor of 1920 x 1200 pixels. It has on board RAM of 1 GB and internal memory is 16 GB, with the latter being expandable to 32 GB.

New BlackBerry Z30 Release Date US Launch After The Smartphone Debuts in Asia

September 18, 2013 By Jack M. Robinson Leave a Comment

Users in the US waiting for the release date of new BlackBerry need wait a couple of weeks more to get their share of the latest BlackBerry Smartphone. The company plans to launch its latest device in France, India and Malaysia the coming Wednesday, which is 18 September, as reported by Pocket-Lint. As regards a launch of the device for the UK market, there is no word as yet from the Canadian company.

The Smartphone would have a 5 inch display based on Super AMOLED technology and a resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels. Named the Z30 model, it would have at its core a dual core processor clocking at 1.7 GHz. Onboard RAM would be 2 GB and the storage space would be of 16 GB. Camera on the device would be of 8 MP. The device would have a Qi wireless charging feature as well. These speculative details have not yet been confirmed by BlackBerry and have been doing the rounds since July last. Also, during the initial stages, the smartphone had made its way to the news center carrying the name of A10. Later, for reasons best known to them, the devices came to be known as the Z30.

If the specifications come true, the handset would be sporting the largest screen ever on a BlackBerry device. That Blackberry is focusing on the Asian market for their latest handset is noted from their event schedules slated for this month. There are events scheduled by BlackBerry in the countries of France, India and Malaysia this month and therefore the probability of the launch of the handset Z30 at the event is quite likely. BlackBerry has even refused to give any press release statements on the device, even though the dates are so close to launch.

Users would have to hold their patience for the actual launch of the Z30 to get the specifications of the gadget from BlackBerry.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 US Release Date Discussed : Verizon And T-Mobile Versions Clears FCC

September 13, 2013 By Jack M. Robinson Leave a Comment

Galaxy Note 3 from Verizon is set to be available for US consumers on 10^th October. The on contract price tag that the carrier have set for the Galaxy Note 3 is $299 while those opting for the off contract product would have to pay $699. The release date and price set by Verizon matches up with that of AT&T. The other significant development on this is that the Verizon and T-Mobile version of the Note 3 has already acquired the necessary FCC certification, which can be considered the last major hurdle before their eventual release in the market.

At the price users would get a 1080p capable 5.7 inch display. This marks a big jump over specifications of the Galaxy Note 2 that offers a 5.5 inch display having 720p resolution. Further, users would experience a better viewing time as the Galaxy Note 3 comes with the Adapt Display feature which caters for ambient lighting while setting display brightness.

Other interesting features of the Galaxy Note 3 are its faux leather back which in turn is removable. The device would be upgradable by memory capacity to 64 GB for which the rear panel would need to be detached. This would also be required when swapping battery pack.

The S pen which comes with the device opens up Air Command automatically. With this application, users’ can choose between Action Memo, Scrapbook, Screen Write, S Finder and Pen Window panel for using the S Pen. The app also caters for easier selection of utility applications with the S pen. There is also the feature by which alarms and event lists set on the device gets highlighted on screen at the set date and time, calling the users’ attention. Apps from Galaxy Gear have been confirmed for compatibility on this device.

Coming to the other carriers in the US, while T-Mobile has stated Oct 2 as the launch date for the Note 3, others such as US Cellular and Sprint are mum on the issue so far. The Note 3 versions for AT&T, US Cellular and Sprint is yet to make it past FCC which means a release from these carriers isn’t forthcoming anytime soon.

US 17th most happiest country, says UN report

September 10, 2013 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

Those looking forward to super power United States as the happiest destination in the world may be disappointed this time as the new United Nations report on happiness shows US at 17th position out of 156 countries.

The nation’s “happiness scores” declined slightly compared to the first World Happiness Report, which was published by the United Nations Sustainable Development and Solutions Network in 2012.

Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Sweden are the world’s happiest countries, according to the UN survey. The saddest places were Rwanda, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Benin and Togo.

The other prominent nations with cheerful scores were United Kingdom (22nd), France (25th), Germany (26th) and China (93rd), Canada (6th), Israel (11th) Costa Rica (12th) and Mexico (16th).

Six variables were taken into consideration to track the happiness score. The variables were real GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, having someone to count on, perceived freedom to make life choices, freedom from corruption and generosity.

According to the report, the countries hit by the financial crisis, job losses and other economic factors experienced the most declines in their spirits.

Another major factor that may be affecting happiness scores may be mental health treatment. Even in richer countries, less than one-third of the mentally ill are in treatment.

US withdraws staff from Lahore consulate over terror threat, issues travel advisory to Pakistan

August 9, 2013 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

Washington: The US State Department on Friday evacuated all non-emergency staff from its consulate in the Pakistani city of Lahore, citing specific terrorist threat against the facility.

The consulate in Lahore was scheduled to be closed for the Eid holiday from Thursday to Sunday and no reopening had been scheduled, one of the State Department officials has reportedly said.

The US has also issued a travel advisory to all its citizens asking to defer unnecessary travel to Pakistan amid a worldwide alert over Al-Qaeda intercepts. US citizens who are in Lahore despite the travel warning were asked to limit non-essential travel within the country. A senior State Department official has reportedly said that the US citizens in Pakistan should enroll their presence in Pakistan through the Smart Traveller Enrolment Program (STEP) in a bid to avoid any untoward incident.

“The presence of several foreign and indigenous terrorist groups poses a potential danger to US citizens throughout Pakistan,” the official statement read.

“Thought the Government of Pakistan maintains heightened security measures, threat reports indicate that terrorist groups continue to seek opportunities to attack locations where US citizens and Westerners are known to congregate or visit,” the statement read.

Earlier this week, 19 US embassies in 16 countries in the Middle East and Africa were closed to the public through Saturday and nonessential personnel were evacuated from the US Embassy in Yemen.
Most of al-Qaeda’s core leadership is believed to reside in Pakistan and the city of Lahore is home to other extremists sympathetic to the group. Lahore is well-known as a base for Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is considered a terrorist organization by the United States.

Right to be Forgotten

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