|
Creativity Motivation – What is motivation – Corey K Katir
Advertising From http://www.creativitymotivation.com Describes motivation process for creativity with emphasis on intrinsic motivation by Corey K Katir Comcast to begin trials to expand Internet data caps
From feeds.washingtonpost
Comcast said Thursday it will test new Internet data caps, expanding its lowest tier to 300 gigabytes a month from 250 gigabytes of data. It will charge an additional $10 for every additional 50 gigabytes of data on top of the basic tier when purchased up-front.Read full article >>
The Circuit: Comcast ditching data caps, Howard Schmidt stepping down, Facebook IPO
From feeds.washingtonpost
Comcast ditches data caps, moves to tiers: Comcast announced Thursday that it will move to tiered plans.
In a blog post on the subject, the company said that it has adecided to change our approach and replace our static 250 GB usage threshold with more flexible data usage management,a and that it will offer all households 300 GB per month and add additional tiers based on connection speeds. Those who use more data at each tier can buy additional blocks, the post said, at a price of $10 per 50 GB. Read full article >>
The Circuit: Senate confirms new FCC commissioners; Franken asks about Comcast; DT asks to halt Verizon deal
From feeds.washingtonpost
Senate confirms FCC commissioners: The Senate has confirmed the nominations of Federal Communications Commissioners Ajit Pai and Jessica Rosenworcel on Monday.
The vote had been held up after Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) placed a hold on the vote because he wanted documents from the agency regarding LightSquared. He lifted his hold on the confirmation late last month.Read full article >>
Al Franken questions Comcast XBox streaming as net neutrality violation
From feeds.washingtonpost
Pressure is mounting on Comcast, with Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) joining critics who say the cable giantas streaming video service over the XBox console may violate open Internet access rules.
The controversy surrounds Comcastas launch last March of its Xfinity video streaming service over Microsoftas XBox. The streaming service wonat count against consumersa 250 gigabyte monthly data cap, which has sparked the ire of Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and public interest groups who say the practice gives unfair preference to its own service over competitors.Read full article >>
By John D. Seiver and Paul Glist
Yesterday, both the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took actions that will allow Comcast to create and control a joint venture with NBC Universal, Inc. (NBCU). DOJ announced it would allow the transaction to move forward under a proposed Final Judgment that resolves DOJ’s competitive concerns regarding the Joint Venture through imposition of several significant conditions. Similarly, the FCC announced it had approved all necessary license transfers to allow completion of the transaction, subject to its own set of conditions. The text of the FCC’s order has not yet been released, but a news release outlining the FCC’s conditions was made available yesterday afternoon.
The FCC approval order will require increased local and news programming on NBC broadcast stations, carriage of increased independent and diverse programming on Comcast cable systems, expanded availability of Comcast broadband to rural areas and to lower income customers, as well as a wide variety of other conditions and voluntary commitments offered by Comcast-NBCU (Joint Venture). However, of broader interest to the video programming and distribution industries are requirements contained in both the DOJ Final Judgment and the FCC’s order relating to access to programming for online video distributors (OVDs), and well as the requirements relating to the manner in which Comcast carries such online video programming over its own Internet facilities.
Access to Comcast-NBCU programming for OVDs
Although the FCC order will contain conditions requiring Comcast-NBCU to license its content to traditional MVPD competitors (i.e. satellite and telephone companies), the FCC and especially the DOJ focus upon the manner in which OVDs can obtain access to video programming owned or controlled by Comcast-NBCU.
Programming provided to traditional MVPDs
First, any OVD may request that the Joint Venture make available all video programming provided by the Joint Venture to any traditional MVPD (with more than one million subscribers) on terms that are “Economically Equivalent” to the terms under which the Joint Venture provides such programming to traditional MVPDs. In this context, it is contemplated that the OVD will provide “linear” carriage of such programming and that the “economically equivalent” price, terms and conditions will take into account all reasonable differences in revenues earned by the Joint Venture in connection with the provision of such programming to traditional MVPDs as opposed to carriage by an OVD—specifically including differences in advertising revenues.
The Joint Venture is required to “provide any bundle of channels, and all quality formats (e.g. high definition, 3-D) and video-on-demand rights that [the Joint Venture] provides to any MVPD in the United States with more than one million subscribers.” However, the Joint Venture may condition its provision of such video programming to an OVD upon a reasonable demonstration of the OVD’s ability: (1) to meet its financial obligations; (2) to satisfy reasonable quality and technical requirements for display and to secure protection of the video programming and; (3) to limit the distribution to domestic subscribers.
OVD access to “comparable” programming
The second scenario in which an OVD may obtain access to Joint Venture programming occurs when an OVD can demonstrate that it has obtained “Comparable Video Programming” from a broadcast network, cable programmer, or production studio “peer” of the Joint Venture. In other words, if an OVD can establish that it has obtained “comparable” video programming from the ABC, CBS or FOX television networks or from the Time Warner, News Corp, Viacom, Sony, or Walt Disney production studios or cable programmers, then the OVD can seek comparable programming from the Joint Venture on “economically equivalent” prices, terms and conditions. In this context, economically equivalent means “price, terms, and conditions that, in the aggregate, reasonably approximate those on which the Peer provides Video Programming to the Qualified OVD, and shall take account of, among other things, any difference between the Value of the Video Programming the Qualified OVD seeks from the [Joint Venture] and the Value of the Video Programming it receives from a Peer.” As to “comparable” programming, that is considered to be programming that is “reasonably similar in kind and amount to the Video Programming provided by the Peer considering the volume of the Video Programming and its Value.”
The DOJ proposed Final Judgment contains many criteria and qualifiers as to when, how much, and what kind of “comparable” programming may be requested by an OVD, but the essence of this requirement is based on the OVD having obtained comparable programming from one of the Joint Venture’s industry Peers.
OVD rights to commercial arbitration
Both the DOJ and FCC provide OVDs with rights to commercial arbitration if the OVD and the Joint Venture fail to agree upon the appropriate “economically equivalent” terms for programming that the Joint Venture has provided to traditional MVPDs. Commercial arbitration is also available for any failure to agree upon what constitutes “comparable” video programming or the “economically equivalent” terms for such programming when the OVD claims that it has obtained comparable programming from a Joint Venture Peer. DOJ has stated that as long as the FCC’s commercial arbitration process results in a timely resolution of disputes, it will defer to the FCC arbitration process. However, DOJ retains the ability to pursue the Joint Venture for failure to comply with the requirements of the Final Judgment.
Requirements concerning Comcast Internet facilities
The second area of broader industry interest pertains to the requirements and restrictions imposed upon Comcast’s Internet facilities. In the DOJ’s proposed Final Judgment, Comcast agrees to abide by the FCC’s recently enacted open Internet requirements—regardless of whether such FCC requirements are invalidated by future court action. The DOJ specifically acknowledges that Comcast may invoke caps, tiers, metering or other usage based pricing, but in so doing, Comcast may “not measure, count or otherwise treat [the Joint Venture’s] affiliated network traffic differently from unaffiliated traffic.” Further, DOJ specifies that “Comcast shall not prioritize [the Joint Venure’s] Video Programming or other content over other Persons’ Video Programming or other content.” Although the FCC’s order is not yet available, its “News Release” specifies that Comcast-NBCU may not “disadvantage rival online video distribution through its broadband internet access services and/or set-top boxes.” The Order may provide greater clarity as to what practices or actions might “disadvantage” competing online distributors.
As to affirmative requirements relating to Comcast’s Internet facilities, the FCC order will require Comcast to offer a reasonably priced stand-alone broadband Internet access service of sufficient bandwidth so customers may access online video services without having to purchase a cable television subscription. Further, DOJ requires that in all markets where Comcast has upgraded to a DOCSIS 3.0 or better provisioning standard, Comcast shall offer an Internet access service that can typically achieve download speeds of at least 12 megabits per second.
ElcomSoft’s Phone Forensics Software Offers Near Real-Time Access to iCloud Backups
From macrumors.com Obtaining a user’s Apple ID password may not always be trivial, but ElcomSoft tools can also be used to capture that information from offline backups stored in iTunes. And of course if the user disables iCloud syncing on its device or changes the Apple ID password, remote access is lost. ElcomSoft has been at the forefront of development of password-cracking tools, last year incorporating a tool to bypass hardware encryption included in iOS 4. Such tools are increasingly being used by law enforcement to aid their investigations as smartphones become increasingly common and collect a growing amount of information about users and their activity. ElcomSoft offers several levels of its software, with the most powerful versions restricted to certain governmental agencies, including law enforcement, intelligence services, and other qualified forensic organizations. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
According to the report, Apple officials in Moscow declined to comment on the claims, but Skolkovo executive Roman Romanovsky indicated that the two sides have expressed interest in negotiating about possibilities. No deal appears to be imminent, although Romanovsky hopes that the talks will eventually lead to an agreement. Apple is in the process of opening up its first major international research and development center in Israel, looking to leverage its own expertise and that of Anobit, an Israeli flash memory company acquired by Apple earlier this year, to spur new innovations. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
Apple’s Annual iTunes Festival in London Moves to September
From macrumors.com Each July since 2007, Apple has held its iTunes Festival in London, offering a month’s worth of free concerts from some of the industry’s top performers. Apple is now beginning to unveil this year’s plans, and the most notable change for 2012 is a move to the month of September. For the fourth consecutive year, the iTunes Festival will be held at The Roundhouse in London, with at least 60 acts performing over the 30 nights of the festival. Five acts have been announced so far: Usher (September 1), Emeli SandA(c) (September 5), Jack White (September 8), Norah Jones (September 10), and One Direction (September 20).
Apple also typically releases a number of live EPs and albums from the shows, available for purchase through the iTunes Store. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
Steve Jobs ‘Worked Closely’ on Design of Next-Generation iPhone with Larger Display
From macrumors.com Apple has been working on the new device since before the current iPhone 4S model was introduced last October, said one person with knowledge of the project. Jobs, who had gone on medical leave from Apple starting last January, played a key role in developing the phone, this person said. Bloomberg becomes the third major publication to offer an independent report this week regarding a larger display for the next iPhone, following The Wall Street Journal and Reuters yesterday. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin Shares Some Thoughts About Steve Jobs Biopic, Woz Hired As Advisor
From macrumors.com Reuters reports that Sorkin held an interview with reporters and said he was still looking for something in Jobs’ life to hang the movie on. Sorkin noted that “The Social Network” saw the Facebook story through the lens of an acrimonious lawsuit that pitted CEO Mark Zuckerberg against his Harvard friends over the creation of the social media network. He noted that it won’t be a “straight ahead biography” because a biography has a natural “cradle-to-grave structure” that is very hard to overcome. Sorkin also disclosed that Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has been hired as a consultant by Sony Pictures to advise the filmmakers on the technical aspects of computers and about Jobs himself. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
Apple Board Member Mickey Drexler on Steve Jobs’ iCar Dreams, Apple’s Living Room Push
From macrumors.com Drexler also mentioned in passing that Apple will be making a push into the living room “in the near future”, fueling further interest in and speculation on an Apple television set and perhaps ultimately content deals that could remake how television content is consumed. Look at the car business a it’s a tragedy in America. Who’s designing the cars? They talk about expense, they talk about this, and then you say ‘Who’s designing the cars?’
Drexler closed with a quip about how difficult it is to take over a company that is doing well, comparing his move to take over struggling J. Crew nearly a decade ago with Tim Cook’s move to the CEO position at Apple. (Photo via Flickr/juanpol) Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
Verizon Clarifies Discontinuation of Grandfathered Unlimited Data: Applies to New Subsidized Devices
From macrumors.com Verizon yesterday made headlines for comments from Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo revealing that the carrier is planning to discontinue its grandfathered unlimited data plans when the carrier rolls out new shared data plans this summer. Verizon dropped those unlimited data plans within months of introducing the iPhone early last year, but customers who had previously been on the unlimited plans have been allowed to keep them, even through handset upgrades.
 Tim Cook and Verizon Wireless CEO Dan Mead introduce the Verizon iPhone in January 2011 Verizon issued a clarification to The New York Times today, noting that the loss of grandfathered unlimited plans will be limited to those customers purchasing new subsidized devices for use on the carrier. Users who do not upgrade their devices or who choose to upgrade at unsubsidized prices will be able to keep their unlimited data plans. Still, the change would appear to be set to affect the majority of Verizon’s current unlimited data customers, as most customers are interested in regular handset upgrades at subsidized prices. - Customers will not be automatically moved to new shared data plans. If a 3G or 4G smartphone customer is on an unlimited plan now and they do not want to change their plan, they will not have to do so. Sprint remains the only major U.S. carrier to offer unlimited data for iPhone users, and the carrier has indicated that it will continue to do so for the next-generation device, even if it supports 4G LTE networks that could lead to consumers using more data capacity. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
Apple Cutting Off Mac App Store Hotkey Apps as Sandboxing Requirement Goes Live on June 1? [Updated]
From macrumors.com TUAW reports that Apple will be scaling back on systemwide “hotkey” apps, which allow users to call up other apps and functions, in the Mac App Store as of June 1, the same date the company’s sandboxing requirements are scheduled to go into effect. TUAW has been told that Apple will be rejecting all MAS apps with hotkey functionality starting June 1, regardless of whether the new features are hotkey related or not. Basically, if you’re developing one of those apps, an app that assumes you can still add hotkeys, don’t bother submitting it to the Mac App Store. Various cross-scripting and macro apps will be affected by the change, which appears to be related to the sandboxing requirement that limits what applications can do on other parts of users’ systems.
Update: Macworld refutes the claim regarding hotkey apps, citing its own sources saying “such apps remain welcome in the cozy confines of Apple’s software store.” Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
Apple’s Data Centers to Be Powered by 100% Renewable Energy
From macrumors.com Earlier today, we noted that Apple had received official approval for its 20-megawatt solar farm across the street from its data center in Maiden, North Carolina. But even more significant developments are also occurring today, with Apple posting a new page to the environmental section of its website touting that all of the company’s data centers will be powered by 100% renewable energy.
Weare currently building two solar array installations in and around Maiden. These sites use high-efficiency solar cells and an advanced solar tracking system. A 100-acre, 20-megawatt installation on the same site as our data center will produce 42 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy annually. A 100-acre site located a few miles away will produce another 42 million kWh. Together thatas 84 million kWh of clean, renewable energy supplied annually. When our bio-gas-powered 5-megawatt fuel cell installation comes online later this year, it will provide more than 40 million kWh of renewable energy annually. This means Apple will be producing enough onsite renewable energy a 124 million kWh a to power the equivalent of 10,874 homes. Apple’s efforts in renewable energy will also extend to its other data center facilities, as the company previously disclosed that its upcoming Prineville, Oregon data center will be powered by 100% renewable energy. And the new page posted today reveals that the company’s original, smaller data center in Newark, California will soon be powered by renewable energy as Apple works to locate and purchase clean energy for the facility, with the capacity scheduled to be in place by February 2013. Greenpeace last month bashed Apple using estimates it claimed showed that only 10% of the North Carolina data center’s power would be from renewable sources. Apple rebutted those claims, noting that at least 60% of the center’s energy would be from renewable sources. With today’s announcements, Apple has expanded its efforts even further to power all of its data centers with 100% renewable energy. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
ElcomSoft’s Phone Forensics Software Offers Near Real-Time Access to iCloud Backups
From macrumors.com Obtaining a user’s Apple ID password may not always be trivial, but ElcomSoft tools can also be used to capture that information from offline backups stored in iTunes. And of course if the user disables iCloud syncing on its device or changes the Apple ID password, remote access is lost. ElcomSoft has been at the forefront of development of password-cracking tools, last year incorporating a tool to bypass hardware encryption included in iOS 4. Such tools are increasingly being used by law enforcement to aid their investigations as smartphones become increasingly common and collect a growing amount of information about users and their activity. ElcomSoft offers several levels of its software, with the most powerful versions restricted to certain governmental agencies, including law enforcement, intelligence services, and other qualified forensic organizations. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
According to the report, Apple officials in Moscow declined to comment on the claims, but Skolkovo executive Roman Romanovsky indicated that the two sides have expressed interest in negotiating about possibilities. No deal appears to be imminent, although Romanovsky hopes that the talks will eventually lead to an agreement. Apple is in the process of opening up its first major international research and development center in Israel, looking to leverage its own expertise and that of Anobit, an Israeli flash memory company acquired by Apple earlier this year, to spur new innovations. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
Apple’s Annual iTunes Festival in London Moves to September
From macrumors.com Each July since 2007, Apple has held its iTunes Festival in London, offering a month’s worth of free concerts from some of the industry’s top performers. Apple is now beginning to unveil this year’s plans, and the most notable change for 2012 is a move to the month of September. For the fourth consecutive year, the iTunes Festival will be held at The Roundhouse in London, with at least 60 acts performing over the 30 nights of the festival. Five acts have been announced so far: Usher (September 1), Emeli SandA(c) (September 5), Jack White (September 8), Norah Jones (September 10), and One Direction (September 20).
Apple also typically releases a number of live EPs and albums from the shows, available for purchase through the iTunes Store. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
Steve Jobs ‘Worked Closely’ on Design of Next-Generation iPhone with Larger Display
From macrumors.com Apple has been working on the new device since before the current iPhone 4S model was introduced last October, said one person with knowledge of the project. Jobs, who had gone on medical leave from Apple starting last January, played a key role in developing the phone, this person said. Bloomberg becomes the third major publication to offer an independent report this week regarding a larger display for the next iPhone, following The Wall Street Journal and Reuters yesterday. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin Shares Some Thoughts About Steve Jobs Biopic, Woz Hired As Advisor
From macrumors.com Reuters reports that Sorkin held an interview with reporters and said he was still looking for something in Jobs’ life to hang the movie on. Sorkin noted that “The Social Network” saw the Facebook story through the lens of an acrimonious lawsuit that pitted CEO Mark Zuckerberg against his Harvard friends over the creation of the social media network. He noted that it won’t be a “straight ahead biography” because a biography has a natural “cradle-to-grave structure” that is very hard to overcome. Sorkin also disclosed that Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has been hired as a consultant by Sony Pictures to advise the filmmakers on the technical aspects of computers and about Jobs himself. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
Apple Board Member Mickey Drexler on Steve Jobs’ iCar Dreams, Apple’s Living Room Push
From macrumors.com Drexler also mentioned in passing that Apple will be making a push into the living room “in the near future”, fueling further interest in and speculation on an Apple television set and perhaps ultimately content deals that could remake how television content is consumed. Look at the car business a it’s a tragedy in America. Who’s designing the cars? They talk about expense, they talk about this, and then you say ‘Who’s designing the cars?’
Drexler closed with a quip about how difficult it is to take over a company that is doing well, comparing his move to take over struggling J. Crew nearly a decade ago with Tim Cook’s move to the CEO position at Apple. (Photo via Flickr/juanpol) Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
Los Angeles Accident Attorney
Advertising From theaccidentattorneylosangeles.com/ Personal Injury Lawyer Los Angeles – FREE CONSULTATION by Personal Injury Attorney Los Angeles – Legal Defenders, Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyers – Law Offices of Burg and Brock, who have won over $100 million in verdicts and settlements for clients Page took 2 seconds to load.
|
Russian forensics firm ElcomSoft earlier this week announced that it has discovered a way to easily access iCloud backups of iOS devices, incorporating the functionality into its Elcomsoft Phone Password Breaker software. While the Apple ID and password must be known in order to access the iCloud data, once that information has been obtained the software makes it easy for investigators to download full iCloud backups and then follow incremental backups in near real-time to track a device’s use without the knowledge of the user.
Russian newspaper Izvestia reports [Google translation] that the organizers behind the Skolkovo technology park near Moscow are currently in talks with a number of high-profile companies including Apple, Google, and Facebook about locating research and development facilities in the area. Skolkovo has already landed agreements with Microsoft, IBM, General Electric, Cisco, and others, with the project’s backers envisioning the region becoming Russia’s version of Silicon Valley bolstered by dozens of major corporations. 
Bloomberg reports that Steve Jobs was intimately involved in the design work for the next-generation iPhone scheduled for release later this year, reiterating claims that the device will be a substantial change from previous designs in part because of a larger display.
Aaron Sorkin, the creative genius behind The Social Network, The West Wing, and upcoming HBO show The Newsroom was recently confirmed as the screenwriter for Sony’s upcoming movie based on Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs — though, Sorkin himself says he has a lot of work to do.
Speaking at Fast Company‘s Innovation Uncensored conference earlier this week, J. Crew CEO and Apple board member Mickey Drexler shared his thoughts (via Business Insider) on several topics related to Apple, including Steve Jobs’ dream to build an “iCar” that would have revolutionized the automobile industry. While the idea obviously never developed very far, it is an intriguing glimpse into Jobs’ interests and ambitions. 
Advertisement:
Immigration
Spar and Bernstein has helped over 50,000 immigrant families in the last 50 years, and that number is still growing. Legal immigration is this law firm’s specialty, with a diverse team of lawyers that have over 74 years of immigration experience. Spar and Bernstein’s attorneys handle everything from permanent residence, Green Cards, Visas, corporate immigration and family immigration, to violations of immigration law and deportation defense.
Personal Injury
Though Spar and Bernstein specializes in immigration, the firm also has a team of lawyers who handle personal injury cases. These attorneys can deal with injuries resulting from all kinds of accidents including car accidents, construction accidents, medical negligence and malpractice and even minor slips and falls. The best part is the lawyers only get paid when you get paid, so you have nothing to lose.
Criminal Defense
Spar and Bernstein’s team of criminal defense lawyers can handle anything from violent crimes, theft, drug crimes, white-collar crimes, to sex crimes, weapons offenses, juvenile defense, and even homicide. And, of course, they work hand-in-hand with the immigration department to handle deportation as well.
Family Law
If you’re going through a separation and divorce, Spar and Bernstein’s attorneys can help you with issues related to child custody, child support and visitations. This law firm has also handled prenuptial agreements, adoption and equitable distribution of property following divorce.
Tax Relief
If you owe the IRS money, Spar and Bernstein can help. This experienced team offers tax relief from the IRS and can help you save money when it comes to paying off your tax debts.
What puts Spar and Bernstein at the top among New York’s law firms? It is one of the only law firms in the state that offers such a comprehensive list of services, while specializing in immigration. And with Brad Bernstein running the show, you can be sure your case will be handled well.
Copyright All Rights Reserved