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Amar Toor

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Facebook Strikes Deal to Create New Social Network in China

by Amar Toor on April 11, 2011 at 02:50 PM

Facebook is reportedly working with China's largest search engine to create a new, jointly owned social network. The collaboration with Baidu would allow Facebook to get a foothold in the Chinese market while giving Baidu the chance to capitalize on Mark Zuckerberg's network-building expertise. The new site would still need to be approved by Chinese's Internet regulators, who retain final say ...
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Google Will No Longer Collect Street View Photos in Germany

by Amar Toor on April 11, 2011 at 02:00 PM

Google has decided to stop collecting Street View photos in Germany, where regulators have spent much of the past two years railing against the search giant for violating the privacy of German residents. A company spokesman confirmed the decision in a statement sent to the Register, explaining that the images gathered across 20 German cities will remain available online, but reiterating that ...
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Jonathan Franzen's New Yorker Piece Hides Behind a Facebook Like Wall

by Amar Toor on April 11, 2011 at 01:10 PM

Jonathan Franzen has a new piece in The New Yorker, but you'll have to become a fan of the magazine on Facebook if you want to read the whole thing. Taking its cue from the likes of Lil Wayne and Jennifer Lopez, The New Yorker has published Franzen's piece exclusively on its Facebook page in an effort to engage readers on the social network. The essay covers Franzen's trip to the island of ...
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Julian Assange Says WikiLeaks Is More Accountable Than Most Governments, Gets a Little Sassy About It

by Amar Toor on April 11, 2011 at 10:20 AM

julian assangeJulian Assange thinks WikiLeaks is more accountable than any democratic government in the world. And if you dare say otherwise, you'll probably get sued.

That was essentially the message that Assange conveyed over the weekend, during his first public appearance since being arrested in December, amid accusations of rape and sexual assault. Speaking to an audience at a public debate in London, Assange claimed that his whistleblowing organization is more accountable than most democratically elected governments -- simply because WikiLeaks relies upon personal donations, rather than corporate money.

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Russia Won't Ban Gmail or Skype Amid Security Concerns

by Amar Toor on April 11, 2011 at 09:25 AM

It looks like Russia won't be banning Skype or Gmail, after all. The Kremlin was reportedly considering blocking both services, along with Hotmail, in response to a major cyberattack that crippled the country's most popular blog and an independent news site. Some within the Kremlin had believed the services posed a major threat to national security, but some critics had thought the government may ...
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Steve Jobs Approves New Bio to Be Published in 2012

by Amar Toor on April 11, 2011 at 08:32 AM

Steve Jobs has finally given his seal of approval to a new book about his life. Walter Isaacson's 'iSteve: The Book of Jobs' is slated for release in early 2012, marking the first time that the Apple CEO has participated in a biography. Isaacson, who has been working on the book since 2009, reportedly interviewed members of Jobs' family, his colleagues at Apple and, of course, the man himself. ...
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Students Create Smartphone App Capable of Detecting Malaria

by Amar Toor on April 9, 2011 at 09:00 AM

child testing for malaria
A group of grad students has come up with a way to instantly diagnose malaria, using only a smartphone and some fancy software.

The team, comprised of students from around the nation, developed the prototype using a Samsung Focus smartphone, running Windows 7. After adding a microscopic camera lens to the phone, the students developed software capable of analyzing and scanning blood for malaria parasites. With the app installed on the phone, doctors or nurses could theoretically take a photo of any blood sample, and instantly know whether or not a patient is infected with malaria, and how severe the case may be.

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Man Goes to Prison for Threatening Eric Cantor on YouTube

by Amar Toor on April 8, 2011 at 04:00 PM

A man named Norman LeBoon is headed to prison after making threats to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a video posted to YouTube. In the clip, the 38-year-old LeBoon called the Republican "a liar" and "a Lucifer," and promised to shoot him. LeBoon pleaded guilty to the charges in November, and, on Thursday, was sentenced to two years in prison, along with an additional three years of ...
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Convicted Hacker Says He Committed Credit Card Heist for U.S. Government

by Amar Toor on April 8, 2011 at 01:35 PM

albery gonzalezThe hacker who orchestrated the biggest computer crime operation in U.S. history is alleging that the American government authorized him to do so.

Last year, 29-year-old Albert Gonzalez pleaded guilty to hacking into computer systems at TJX, Office Max, Dave & Busters, Heartland Payment Systems and other companies, in order to steal some 130 million credit card numbers. He received a 20-year prison sentence, which he's currently serving at a low-security facility in Michigan.

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Florida Man Guns Down SWAT Team Robot With an AK-47 -- Naked

by Amar Toor on April 8, 2011 at 11:40 AM

What's crazier than locking yourself in your house and threatening to kill anyone that crosses its threshold? Walking out of your house to shoot a robot with an AK-47. Naked. While being videotaped. A Florida man accomplished all of those feats, during a recent standoff with a camera-equipped SWAT team bot. The $65,000 robot bravely attempted to enter the man's house, where it was greeted with ...
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GameStop Unveils New Facebook Store

by Amar Toor on April 7, 2011 at 02:20 PM

GameStop opened a new store today on Facebook. The shop, accessible via GameStop's Facebook page, allows users to purchase games online, read product reviews, watch trailers and find nearby GameStop outlets. Fans of the retailer can also "like" and share specific games on Facebook, and earn points via GameStop's customer loyalty program. Today's launch is just the latest in a series of ... Read more »
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U.S. Might Use Facebook, Twitter to Broadcast Terrorism Alerts

by Amar Toor on April 7, 2011 at 01:40 PM

The U.S. government is considering using Facebook and Twitter to issue terrorism warnings, as part of its revamped terror alert system. According to a draft of a Homeland Security plan obtained by the AP, the government would broadcast the warnings via Facebook and Twitter "when appropriate," and only after federal, state and local officials have already been alerted. But these warnings won't ... Read more »
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Future of Online Customer Support Looks Like 'Minority Report'

by Amar Toor on April 7, 2011 at 11:25 AM

Online shopping can be a pretty solitary endeavor, unless you're shopping at B Reel's 3Live Shop. On the 3Live Shop, shoppers are invited to start video calls with sales reps, who can guide them through their purchases, using touchscreens to drag different products into the frame. According to B Reel, it's a "simple and personal" approach to online shopping -- assuming you're not averse to ... Read more »
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Google Adding 'Channels' to YouTube, Looking to Compete With TV

by Amar Toor on April 7, 2011 at 10:40 AM

Google is looking to make some major changes to YouTube in an attempt to keep up with the expansion in services that allow users to stream content directly to their TVs. Sources close to the matter told the Wall Street Journal that YouTube is planning to introduce new channels on the site, featuring both professionally produced, original content, as well as content that already exists on the ... Read more »
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New Dating Site Blurs the Line Between Capitalism and Prostitution

by Amar Toor on April 7, 2011 at 08:39 AM

Somewhere near the intersection of online dating and unabashed prostitution is where you can find WhatsYourPrice.com -- a new dating site where cash trumps compatibility. Site founder Brandon Wade compares WhatsYourPrice.com to eBay. "When you see a hot single you want to date, just make an offer and buy the first date," Wade explains, in a press release. But that's where the similarities ... Read more »
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