US Archives - VR World

Analysis, Business, Facebook, Global Politics, Google, News, Social Media, VR World

Earth vs. Social: Facebook is the Largest Nation in the World

Facebook often claims they are the largest social network in the world. Even though there are many non-humans on the list (pets), the undeniable fact is that Facebook has more people using its services than there are people living in China. If we would extrapolate the numbers of social media users and real world countries, we would get quite an interesting list. Thus, we decided to compile data from Wikipedia, showing the list of citizens in largest countries in the world, and an August 2015 report from We Are Social, a British-based analyst firm which focuses on tracking trends in the world of social media. The results

VR World

ISIS Ally Hacks US Military’s Central Command Social Media Accounts

Hackers sympathetic to radical Islamist militants in Iraq briefly gained control over some of the U.S. military’s social media accounts.

2015, Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Event, Mobile Computing, VR World

Two Lost Kids; Two New Wearable Tracking Devices at CES 2015

Wearable devices are being used to keep track of wandering children. CES showcases two competing companies with differing visions who are vying for your dollars.

VR World

US Moving Closer to Using Commercial ‘ Space Taxis ’

The U.S. government has upheld NASA’s contracts with Boeing and SpaceX to build ‘space taxis’ to fly astronauts to the International Space Station by 2017.

Audio/Video, Hardware, Mobile Computing, VR World

Schiit Audio Introduces The Fulla USB DAC/Amp

Schiit Audio’s “Fulla” promises rich and crisp sound, and is made from US-sourced components too.

Business, Hardware, Mobile Computing, VR World

New Trade Deal Means Lower Prices on Electronics Next Year

A new trade deal signed at this year’s APEC summit has modified the ITA last signed in 1997 in order to improve the flow of technology and products globally

Global Politics, US

Huawei Looking Beyond the US

Guo Ping thinks his company can do just fine without the US market.

Analysis, Mobile Computing, Opinion

AT&T-Vodafone Venture: Good Times Ahead For Global Mobile Industry?

The world’s mobile industry is on the brink of a major shakeup. With European Vodafone Group (LON: VOD) having divested its stake in US carrier Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) , the stage is open for a possible deal with yet another American player, AT&T (NYSE: T). Sources close to both Vodafone and AT&T have said that executives from the two companies are laying the groundwork for a possible acquisition, merger or partnership, which will boost the combined network’s coverage to about 500 million subscribers — second only to China Mobile’s (HKG: 0941) 740 million. In a deal estimated to reach US$175 billion at Vodafone’s current market capitalization, AT&T is

Android, Apple, Cloud Computing, Companies, Mobile Computing, Operating Systems, Software Programs, VR World

Google Introduces Free Calling via Hangouts

Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) today announced that via an update to Google Hangouts users will be able to make free phone calls to eachother as well as to numbers within the US and Canada. The search giant is also introducing “affordable” calling rates abroad, which should equate to a few cents a minute. This is a clear extension of the company’s Voice service, which has been rumored to be killed off but really only appears to become integrated into Hangouts. This move makes sense as Google has been quietly trying to integrate all forms of communication, Voice, Video and Chat under one app. Right now, hangouts combines chat

Hardware, Mobile Computing, Reviews

Thoughts on Logitech’s Anywhere MX Mouse

What makes this mouse unique is that it has what Logitech calls Darkfield Laser Tracking. This feature enables it to track on glass. How often someone mouses on their windshield is uncertain, however. The mouse is advertised to work anywhere, on anything, and with anything. Anywhere MX works with old and new systems from Windows XP through Vista – if anyone is still using this failed operating system – to Windows 7, 8 and RT. Mac compatibility wasn’t overlooked in the design either. The Unifying receiver connects up to 6 compatible devices. Logitech offers several wireless Unifying mouse choices from $29.99 to the top Performance MX

Audio/Video, Entertainment, Software Programs, Technology Security, VR World

NZ Police Can't Share Kim Dotcom's Encryption Keys with FBI

During the raid on Kim Dotcom’s property, the NZ Police took countless computers and hard drives from his residence and offices, many of which were fully encrypted. However, there was a lot of data on those drives that the NZ Police had no right in sharing with the FBI or any US authorities. In fact, they had already shared copies of the drives’ encrypted data to the FBI, which by now has probably cracked the encryption without Kim Dotcom’s keys. Kim’s lawyers have been wrangling with the policy negotiating whether or not he would provide the encryption keys to them and under what circumstances. According

Opinion, Technology Security, VR World

NSA Can Spy on Any Country Not in the "Five Eyes"

According to documents obtained by the Washington Post, the US court that oversees the FISA-based activities, also known as the FISA Court, has given the NSA the ability to effectively spy on any country that isn’t part of the Five Eyes alliance. The countries included in the Five Eyes alliance are all English-speaking powers that are England or former English colonies. These include, The UK (who has GCHQ), Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The US is also part of the Five Eyes alliance, which is the fifth member of this English-speaking alliance. And due to agreements signed by these five countries, they have all agreed

Business, Cloud Computing, Software Programs, VR World

Google is Killing Orkut

The once popular social networking site Orkut just got the axe from Google. This website was incredibly popular with people BRIC countries, especially in Brazil and India. Because of those countries’ growth on the internet and the network’s popularity in those countries, it saw amazing growth over the past few years. Orkut itself was actually managed and run by Google Brazil and will continue to until the company shuts down all operations in September. Google says that Orkut users will be able to save their data using Google Takeout if they wish to and will have until September to do so. Additionally, Google will not

2014, Analysis, Business, Comic-Con, Enterprise, Event, Hardware, Opinion, VR World

Post-Computex Blues – Yet Another Bloodbath on the Horizon

Or… The Vendors Never Learn It’s been a full 2 weeks now since the end of Computex, and the associated roaming around Greater China and certain (mostly Chinese speaking too) neighboring realms. This being at the very least fifteenth Computex for me, I didn’t bother much with press conferences and such, but checking the show floor to see what’s really going on, and then do a real check with selected vendors after the event is done with. The Taiwanese, with diminishing focus on high end ‘added value’ PC stuff, moving towards mainstream consumer things with corresponding reduction in differentiation and ability to charge larger margins,

Cloud Computing, Software Programs, VR World

Twitter Another Battleground in the War in Iraq

As the war in Iraq rages on with an upsurge of ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) violence in the northern parts of the country, a battle also rages on in the web, especially on Twitter. Originally started by a tweet from what appears to be an unofficial ISIS Twitter account which stated that ISIS brought $500 million worth of wealth to the people of Mosul. This is in reference to the fact that they managed to break into Mosul’s central bank and steal 500 billion Iraqi Dinars which comes out to about $425 million, making them possibly the wealthiest terrorist group the world, overnight.

Cloud Computing, Entertainment, VR World

High Court Rules Kim Dotcom Gets $17 Million in NZ Assets Back

The High Court of New Zealand has ruled that Kim Dotcom must have all of his assets seized by the New Zealand government returned to him immediately and that barring an appeal from the Crown Prosecution, all $17 million in assets will be returned to him, including his cars, helicopter and any cash seized on hand. Thankfully for Kim, he’s already successfully launched a replacement service for Megaupload called Mega as well as a music service called Baboom. When the New Zealand goverment, in conjunction with the US and Hong Kong governments seized all of Megaupload’s assets illegally (without any due process) it slowly became