Microsoft is suing the Department of Justice to demand the right to tell users when it gives officials access to personal data. The company says forcing it to keep such searches a secret is a double constitutional violation. The case centers on the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, which dates back to 1986 and extends the […]
Facebook has launched a tool that describes photographs to visually impaired users. However, it seems to be keeping expectations low. The tool is the work of Facebook engineer Matt King, who lost his sight through a medical condition. He wanted to deal with the way screen readers currently “speak” the name of the person who […]
The Associated Press has decided to switch from “the Internet” and “the Web” to “the internet” and “the web” from June 1. It’s provoked a mix of politeness, pedantry and philosophy. The changes will come in the AP stylebook. Not only does that determine the “correct” usage in the AP’s reports, but it’s also used […]
Netflix has revealed that it has intentionally varied mobile streaming bitrates based on the user’s cellphone service provider. It’s now dropping the policy amid claims of hypocrisy. The revelation came in a blog post that explained that its default bitrate for mobile viewing has been capped at a somewhat low-sounding 600 kilobits per second, something Netflix […]
This comic from our pals over at Commitstrip illustrates what happens to sites that block people who use ad blockers. As far as you guys go, I know that between 20% and 40% of you are blocking ads on Geeks are Sexy. I’ve recently moved to a single gaming/geek-focused ad network, which should help quite […]
For today’s free eBook, we’re offering you “The Most Useful Keyboard Shortcuts for Popular Services.” This eBook is about the most important and relevant keyboard shortcuts for skyrocketing your productivity. This neatly designed list is about that the most useful keyboard shortcuts for popular tools and online services. When we say ‘most useful’, we really […]
The Federal Communications Commission is proposing much tighter rules on what broadband providers can do with customer data without consent. Thanks partly to regulatory quirks, the rules would mean the likes of Verizon and Comcast are much more restricted than sites such as Google and Facebook. The planned rules are an attempt to apply the […]
In one of the more headscratching hires of recent times, Google has hired 4chan’s founder Chris Poole. The man known online as “moot” will work on Google’s social media offerings, notably Google +. At its most basic, 4chan is simply an image posting board with particularly relaxed rules on content and user identity, but it’s […]
Here’s our free eBook for today: Implementing SSL/TLS Using Cryptography and PKI (Valued at $39.99.) A hands-on, practical guide to implementing SSL and TLS protocols for Internet security! Coverage includes: Understanding Internet Security Protecting against Eavesdroppers with Symmetric Cryptography Secure Key Exchange over an Insecure Medium with Public Key Cryptography Authenticating Communications Using Digital Signatures […]
Ray Tomlinson, who developed what we now know as email, has died at the age of 74. As well as the technology itself, he created the use of the @ sign in addresses. Tomlinson worked at tech firm Bolt, Beranek and Newman and developed some key technologies for ARPANET, the military network that lay the […]