Reputation Changer

The Internet has given a lot of power to the consumer?buyers of goods and services have many, many ways to sing a business's praises online or destroy its reputation. This has resulted in a new service industry called Online Reputation Management (ORM). Fortune 500 businesses and even celebrities are often clients of such services, but with one service called Reputation Changer, even small-to-mid-sized businesses can keep tabs on their online reputation. It's a very interesting service and, if your business has an online presence, it's worth a look.

How It Works
Reputation Changer is a cloud-based service that monitors any keywords you enter (such as your business name). The company also offers assistance in improving online reputation by manipulating search engines to push negative content about an individual or business further down in search results. The monitoring part is free.

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Reputation Changer is not the biggest name in the ORM business. That is arguably, Reputation.com. However, Reputation.com does not offer a trial account for small to mid size businesses to test?not even the monitoring capabilities. With Reputation.com, you can sign up and cancel anytime, but to test the service out, you do have to sign up for it. The ability to test-drive reputation monitoring with Reputation Changer is a definite plus for small businesses.

You can create a free account at reputationchanger.com (it doesn't even require a credit card).You sign in the first time, and are asked to enter up to three keywords to search against. This creates a campaign.

Seeing as I'm not a business owner, I tested Reputation Changer by entering my first and last name. Once I did a dashboard displayed. This interface contains quite a bit of information and activity and the UI is aptly referred to as the "Command Center." This gives the user quite a bit of insight and information into their or their business's online reputation. The company tells me that the Command Center interface and tools are what set them apart from other ORM services.

Command Center
There are several different panels on the dashboard. In one, you are presented with a listing of any URLs to sites containing your keyword?the top-ranked URLs are displayed first. For example, at the top of the list was my PCMag bio information, likely the most searched or viewed URL containing my name.

There's a drop down list above this panel that allows you to switch the view to find URLs in the three major search engines: Google, Bing, and Yahoo.

The listed URLs are shown by their ranked position. Next to each, you can flag a URL as "negative" meaning it contains content on the site that can hurt a reputation. Now, Reputation Changer also has underlying algorithms that allow it to find and flag negative content for you. The service recognizes more than 100 negative domains and keywords that contain terms such as "fraud."

On the left panel from the URL listings, you can see how many negative listings a keyword tallies up. You can also here view how many times your keyword was searched. Two lower panels display related keywords and reputation alerts?these are notifications of any recent content on the Internet that contains your keywords.

I created another trial account (you can only have one campaign in the free account) and used a keyword containing a restaurant that had recently closed in my neighborhood, Manganaro's. The two abrasive sisters who ran the place were subject to a lot of criticism online. Sure enough, when I looked at the URL listings for this restaurant's name, there were several flagged as negative by Reputation Changer (a few links are to Yelp.)

Reputation alerts can also show postings in social media about your keyword. I asked a friend on Facebook to create a message tagging me and then delete it. Sure enough, I saw that person's post in Reputation Alerts, and I kept seeing it after it was deleted, days later. My concern about this feature is how up-to-date it is. You could be worrying about negative comments or posts online that no longer exist on a live server.

Reputation Monitoring
With a free account, you can also initiate active monitoring. By clicking "Reputation Monitoring" on the tabs at the top of the interface, you are given the option to add your keywords or a URL for monitoring. You can also send alerts to an email address.

One of the cleverest features is Auto Complete. You know when you type in words in Google and it will auto complete a search term? Well, Reputation Changer also monitors any auto-completed search terms associated with your keyword. Example: my keywords are my first and last name. Google auto complete shows my name auto-completing with "pc mag," "email," and "Linkedin." Reputation Changer automatically picked up on this and monitors these search terms.

The High Price of a Good Reputation
There is a lot to this service, more than I covered in this review. But, you may be asking, OK, so if I get negative reviews and see negative content on the Internet about me or my business how do I fix it? Well, monitoring is free. Fixing that negativity is not. For a fee, the company will provide ways to help bury negative content really deep down in searches. They do this in myriad ways: By creating reviews on sites Reputation Changer hosts, by posting favorable comments?essentially bombarding your keyword with positivity, and keeping the negativity down. That type of salvage will cost you, though.

This is how Reputation Changer makes money. To help an individual or business save face costs at least $5,000. Subscribing as a paid client also gives you more tools and features in the Command Center Additionally, without changing the problems that lead to the bad reviews in the first place, it's likely these sorts of review would crop up again.

Some may question the tactics of this type of service, I know I did. However, businesses (and people) are very vulnerable to attack from the open stage that is the Internet. It only takes one disgruntled customer, who is online-savvy, to really demean your business or service, and they may do so unfairly. Reputation Changer and other ORM services, give you a chance to be active in keeping intact a good reputation for your business, or yourself. It's a fascinating market and one of the first services we've reviewed in this space. I do think the free service offers much benefit to SMBs who want to track what the online community is saying about their business and for that, it gets four out of five stars for SMB services.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/WK4BxNnOI-Y/0,2817,2421194,00.asp

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Swell Launches A Personalized App For News Radio Listening

Swell, a smartphone app launching today, is quickly becoming my favorite way to listen to spoken-word content. There are other apps focusing on that kind of content ? for example, when we wrote about Stitcher's growth last year, we said it was starting to sound like "the Pandora of talk radio." Stitcher, however, actually follows more of an on-demand model ? you choose what you want to listen to (although there are also content recommendations). Swell, on the other hand, is closer to the Pandora experience, where you just open the app, hit play, and interesting content should immediately start streaming.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/4141EHh6YYc/

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Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR

The Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR ($399.95 direct) is Nikon's take on a popular lens design?the enhanced kit lens. Most SLRs ship with an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom that cuts some corners in its manufacturing quality and optical design in order to keep costs down. This longer zoom design generally comes in at a higher price point, but is well-built, and has better optics, but still retains a rather modest f/3.5-5.6 aperture. The Nikkor 18-105mm doesn't quite offer the zoom range of competing 18-135mm lenses, but it's sharp and priced more reasonably than others in this class, including the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM.

The lens measures 3.5 by 3 inches (HD) and weighs 14.8 ounces. It uses 67mm front filters, and includes a lens hood. The close focus distance is 1.5 feet at all focal lengths; working that close will allow you to create a shallow depth of field, even with the modest aperture. It is compatible with Nikon DX cameras, but can also be used with full-frame models in a crop mode. Regardless of what body you attach it to, it captures a 35mm-equivalent field of view of 27-157mm. The Vibration Reduction system helps to compensate for camera shake related to handheld shooting; it can be toggled via a switch on the lens barrel, as can the manual and automatic focus settings. The zoom ring occupies most of the barrel, it's textured to enhance your grip when adjusting the focal length. The manual focus ring sits behind it; it's much smaller, and can be a little uncomfortable to adjust. This is a lens that's designed for use with an autofocus camera. Other 18-135mm lenses, including the Sony 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 and Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR are designed similarly. The Canon 18-135mm reverses the positions of the zoom and focus ring, which makes manual focus a bit more comfortable.

I used Imatest to check the sharpness of the lens when paired with the Nikon D7100. It exceeded 1,800 lines per picture height, our cutoff for a sharp photo, at all tested apertures and focal lengths. At 18mm f/3.5 the lens managed an impressive 2,506 lines, which increased to 2,860 lines at f/5.6. The edges were a smidge soft, 1,567 lines, at the widest aperture, but they improved to 1,882 lines when stopped down to f/5.6. The knock on performance at 18mm is barrel distortion?the lens records 3.5 percent there, which gives images a slight fisheye look. This can be corrected in software?the distortion slider in Lightroom does the trick?but you'll have to spend a little bit of time post-processing photos in order to get the best images from this lens at its widest angle.

Zooming to 35mm narrows the maximum aperture to f/4.5, but eliminates the barrel distortion. It shows 1 percent pincushion, which makes lines in images curve slightly inward; this isn't as noticeable as the barrel distortion on the wide end. Sharpness is good here as well; 2,714 lines at f/4.5 with decent (1,700 lines) edge performance. Stoping down to f/4.6 boosts the resolution to 2,801 lines. Edges are about the same, even at f/8.

The 70mm setting gives you a maximum aperture of f/5.3 and adds some problematic pincushion distortion?it increases to 2.2 percent. The resolution score here is good, 2,591 lines, but edges soften to 1,454 lines. Overall sharpness dips a bit at f/8, dropping to a reasonable 2,681 lines, but the edges improve to 1,567 lines. We're seeing a pattern here; the center and middle areas of the frame are doing well as you zoom in, but the edges are suffering as a result.

Distortion is about the same, 2 percent, at 105mm, and the sharpness at the maximum f/5.6 aperture is also good?2,558 lines. Edge performance is a little weak here as well at 1,521 lines. Things stay about the same when you stop down to f/8. Despite its issues with edge sharpness?which is often an issue with zooms?the Nikon does an overall better job with sharpness in comparison to the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM. That lens is sharp at the wide and tele end, but softens a bit at the 50mm setting at its maximum aperture, and also shows edge softness, as well as barrel and pincushion distortion.

Every zoom lens includes some compromises in its design. The Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR limits its zoom range compared with similar lenses, but delivers photos with acceptable center-weighted sharpness throughout its range. There's some distortion and the lens isn't sharp edge-to-edge like a good prime or a pro-grade zoom, but photographers who are in the market for this level of optic will be pleased with the results. It can create a shallow depth of field under the right conditions, but will never be a bokeh machine like a fast 50mm prime lens or a 70-200mm telephoto optic. If you're unhappy with the zoom range the 18-55mm kit lens delivers, or simply have the budget to get a better lens with your new D-SLR, this is a worthwhile upgrade, especially when you consider the price. The Nikon 18-105mm is priced at $400, while competing 18-135mm lenses all hover around the $500 mark.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/pfV0ld7YT0o/0,2817,2420967,00.asp

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?I Find Myself in Love With Every Part of the Filmmaking Process ...

Nicholas Arnold graduated from the Film Production program in 2009. He?s spent the last four years working on William?s Lullaby, an independent feature film that he wrote, produced, and directed. With his film preparing for the 2013/2014 film festival circuit, William spoke with us about his fast-paced year at VFS, his inspiration for creating William?s Lullaby, and what?s up next for the versatile Toronto artist.

Tells us about your experience in the Film Production program.

Nicholas: Where to begin and where to end? I still find it hard to sum up my VFS experience. That was a jam-packed, intense, fulfilling, emotional, frustrating, satisfying, and extraordinarily educational year. It was an excellent experience that really helped me grow from just being a dreamer to being a dreamer with an action plan. I was lucky enough to come away from my year with a film I had shot on 16mm. That was my first time shooting anything on film ? real film and there?s nothing like it! It?s an incredible experience that every aspiring filmmaker should try and do at least once, even in this digital age. I had some incredible teachers in my year and mentors in the form of instructors, roommates, and fellow students and I am grateful for all they taught me.

You just finished post-production on William?s Lullaby, a film you wrote, produced, and directed. Tell us about the film and what inspired you to write about this particular subject.

Nicholas: Well, William?s Lullaby?tells the story of a newly single father who is struggling to raise his five-year-old son while dealing with a serious depression stemming from his own childhood. It tackles grief and how it affects children and adults alike but also tells a very beautiful, albeit tragic, story of a father and son trying to live together in a very fragile relationship. For me, the relationship between these two characters is a very interesting dynamic. When you look a little deeper, what you really have are two children trying to understand each other. You have the literal child in the five-year-old and you have a child in the father who was never able to properly grow up due to his upbringing and events in his life. There?s a lot you can start to pull from those themes ? a real nature vs. nurture story, really.

I actually wrote the first draft of the script, then called Ducklings and Swans, when I was 17, before attending VFS (if I do recall, I may have even pitched the script in my application process!), and back then I was very interested in the idea of potential in a child. I was particularly drawn to the idea of evil and how that grows and develops in a person; the idea that these people we label as monsters in the media, who in some cases have truly become monsters due to their heinous acts, all started out as children at one point. I found the best way to explore this theme was through a father/son relationship. How do we raise our children to be the best they can possibly be? What if we?re not suited for the job and in the end fail our kids? These are the main questions our protagonist is faced with right off the bat and it starts a downward spiral in what becomes a very dark look at family life.

How did you get this project off the ground? What was the experience like of living and breathing it for so long?

Nicholas: To be honest, after graduating VFS I sat on my butt for almost a year. And that?s of no fault of the program. I was 19 and stubborn. I was waiting for the elusive film directing job to fall into my lap. After all, I was a film school graduate and was, therefore, entitled! I say this because I think this can be a very real emotion for young graduates of any film/arts program. I was coasting on the tails of a short I had done in my program, The Boy Who Knew, as it went from film festival to festival, but that would only last awhile and you?re really only as good as your last film!

I had been sitting on this script since I was 17 and I found that when I asked myself if I felt mentally ready to direct it, the answer was ?yes!? So why wasn?t I? I think there was a little bit of fear there. The films we were producing at VFS were so professional, could I live up to that on my own, with my own resources? At the end of the day, what got the project off the ground was me taking a deep breath and saying ?I can do this!? It?s amazing how a project comes together when you set a solid goal that you can?t back down from (telling people you?ve committed to this goal generally makes it harder to back away from too).

I don?t know exactly how to explain how things come together, they just do. When you are on that wave-length of achieving a goal, and you are mentally focused on it, somehow you start talking to the right people, finding the right connections and before you know it, every element of the production has come together and you are on set, behind a camera, in front of your cast. William?s Lullaby?is a feature film shot in 16 days on a no-budget with a crew of seven ? how this project got off the ground (and completed) is something I?ll marvel at years from now.

What was your favourite part of the process?

Nicholas: I find myself in love with every part of the filmmaking process as I go through it. Ask me on set and I?ll tell you directing my actors and capturing the scenes as they play out is my favourite thing. Then I find myself totally enthralled with the editing process as the puzzle of the film comes together to scoring the film to sitting in the sound mixing sessions ? I love it all! Despite the dark nature of the story, the set was actually very light and I suppose at the end of it all I will always reflect on those 16 days and the bonds that developed between a cast and crew that I am happy and proud to call friends.

How did your education at VFS prepare you for creating this film??

Nicholas: This was the first time I really did homework as a filmmaker ? I mean real, stay-up-all-night, blood-sweat-and-tears homework prior to shooting and I learned how to do that properly through some long nights at VFS. VFS really taught me that you can pull off some pretty impressive things if you are prepared and spend the time necessary to be prepared. This is the first time I storyboarded an entire project. I have a great big binder that has every frame of William?s Lullaby?drawn out on index cards from start to finish and that became the bible for myself, my cast, and my crew on set and throughout editing. I had never felt more prepared as a leader.

Another one?of my biggest take-aways from VFS was efficiency in storytelling. I think William?s Lullaby?is a very tight film because?of what I learned at VFS from trimming the fat off your script to killing your babies in editing. Of course, I learned about how to properly frame shots, set protocol etc? all of which I applied to the production of the film. And although?William?s Lullaby?is still very much a stepping stone and a learning experience for me as a director/producer, I think it shows a maturity in the filmmaking process?that I did not possess prior to VFS.

Now that you have wrapped post-production, what are the next steps for the film?

Nicholas: Right now we?re getting our festival package ready and diving head first into some heavy promotion. We just want people to know about our little film! We anticipate screenings to start popping up in the fall. We have a cast and crew that are very passionate about this film and so we?re going to work hard at getting it out to as wide of an audience as possible.

Do you think you will stick to being a triple threat or would you rather focus on a particular area of filmmaking?

Nicholas: I don?t know about triple threat. I?m just learning as I go. To answer this though, I think I can be fairly confident in saying that I am not happy being tied down to one aspect of filmmaking or story-telling. I find it a little suffocating really.

Calling myself a film director never quite felt right because I?ve always been doing other stuff too. I do a fair bit of acting right now and tour around with my own stage-show. So I like the fact that I feel free enough to explore different aspects of storytelling and challenge myself in different roles. I learn from every aspect of the arts. What I discover in acting makes me a better director, and what I learn from directing makes me a better producer, writer, editor, etc.

I hope I continue to explore and learn from all aspects of film and theatre. It will always come down to the story/idea and how I feel I can best contribute. I feel like I have a very balanced creative life and I hope to keep that going through my career.

Thanks for speaking with us, Nicholas. Good luck with William?s Lullaby!

Posted in Film Production, Grad Success. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://blog.vfs.com/2013/06/27/i-find-myself-in-love-with-every-part-of-the-filmmaking-process/

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Military announces same-sex spousal benefits after Supreme Court decision

The Department of Defense moved to extend benefits to same-sex military spouses after the Supreme Court's decision on Wednesday to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act.

"The Department of Defense intends to make the same benefits available to all military spouses?regardless of sexual orientation?as soon as possible. That is now the law, and it is the right thing to do," Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a statement hours after the Supreme Court decided that DOMA?a federal law barring the recognition of same-sex marriage?was unconstitutional.

"Every person who serves our nation in uniform stepped forward with courage and commitment. All that matters is their patriotism, their willingness to serve their country and their qualifications to do so. Today's ruling helps ensure that all men and women who serve this country can be treated fairly and equally, with the full dignity and respect they so richly deserve," Hagel said.

The department will immediately take several actions in the wake of the decision, including making identification cards available to same-sex spouses of members of the military (which the department estimated will take six to 12 weeks) and offering them housing, medical and dental benefits as well as interment at Arlington National Cemetery. The department is reviewing its policies regarding overseas tours, according to a spokesman.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/news/military-announces-same-sex-partner-benefits-following-supreme-222026405.html

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Realistic robot carp created: First robot fish with autonomous 3-D movement in Asia

June 26, 2013 ? A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering has developed a robot fish that mimics the movements of a carp. This robot which is essentially an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is ready for applications, as it can be programmed to perform specific functions, for example, for underwater archaeology such as exploring nooks and corners of wreckage -- or sunken city which are difficult for divers or traditional AUVs to access. Other applications include military activities, pipeline leakage detection, and the laying of communication cable.

The team comprises Professor Xu Jianxin, Mr Fan Lupeng, graduating Electrical Engineering student and Research Fellow, Dr Ren Qinyuan. Mr Fan worked on the project for his final year which won the High Achievement Award at the Faculty's 27th Innovation and Research Award. It will also be featured at the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, a top international conference on intelligent robots, in Tokyo on 3-7 November 2013.

Said Prof Xu, "Currently, robot fish capable of 2-D movements are common, meaning that these models are not able to dive into the water. Our model is capable of 3-D movements as it can dive and float, using its fins like a real fish. Compared to traditional AUVs, they are certainly more mobile, with greater manoeuvrability. If used for military purpose, fish robots would definitely be more difficult to detect by the enemy."

Fish robots are also quieter and consume less energy, compared to traditional AUVs. Said Mr Fan who studied the movements of real life carps for three months, in order to develop their robot, "We chose to study carps because most fish swim like them. There is no literature at all on designing a mathematical model on the locomotion of fish and so we had to start from scratch. We used a camera to capture all the possible movements of a carp and then converted the data mathematically so that we could transfer the locomotion of real carp to our robot using different actuators."

This has been most challenging as fish use a lot of different muscles to move, and many actuators are required to enable the robot to move in the same manner.

Added Dr Ren, "Some fish can achieve almost 180 degree turning in a small turning radius through bending their body while traditional underwater vehicles have a much larger turning radius. Hence it is quite a feat for us to achieve this movement in our robot fish."

Other challenges included waterproofing the fish body, the motor and the control box. The fins and tails also need to be flexible and the team decided to use very fine (1mm) acrylic board for these. Buoyancy and balance for the robot is maintained by using plastic foams attached to both sides. For the diving mechanism, their robot fish is equipped with an internal ballast system to change density. The system is sophisticated enough to enable the fish to dive suddenly, as well as to the precise depth intended.

The team has constructed two fish robots. The larger prototype is about one and half metres in length, weighing about 10kg and it can dive to a depth of 1.8 metres. The smaller robot is about 60 centimetres long and weighs a mere 1.5kg. It is developed for investigation on 2D motion control and motion planning in a small place, and it can only swim at water surface.

"To my knowledge, the world's smallest fish robot is one about 12.7 centimetres (5 inches) in length. It was designed by MIT for specific military purpose and could go to a depth of 1.5 metres," said Dr Ren.

Moving forward

Underwater vehicles have long gone past the days of the submarines, said Mr Fan. Fish robots, besides being a micro submarine, can also be fully autonomous and can be programmed to perform many difficult and dangerous tasks.

The team hopes to make their robot fish even smaller and more realistic. Said Mr Fan, "We intend to equip it with more sensors like GPS and video camera to improve autonomous 3-D movement. We also intend to test out our fish with more challenging tasks such as object detection."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/Hexvc4gQL0o/130626113027.htm

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iMore weekly photo contest: Sunsets!

Alright iPhoneographers, our weekly photo contest is back! This week, the topic will be sunsets. It's summer time and we know lots of you are out and about whether it's on a beach, hiking, or doing other fun summer activities. Sunsets are one of the most beautiful things in nature and summer is a perfect time to catch lots of them. We want to see what kind of sunsets you're seeing where you're at.

The contest begins today and ends Wednesday, July 3rd, at 10pm Eastern time.

The prize: A 4-pack of 5x5" DeepSquare Prints of your own photos

In addition to a thumbs up from the iMore crew and all of us yelling about how great of an iPhoneographer you are, you'll also win a 4-pack of 5x5 inch DeepSquare Prints from our friends over at Static Pixels who were nice enough to sponsor this week's photo contest.

Static Pixels will allow you to turn any four of your photos into beautiful DeepSquare prints to hang on your own walls.

The rules

The rules of entry are very simple. The photo must have been taken with an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch (we'll check the EXIF data of the original file to verify) and any edits must have been done with an iPhone or iPad app. No Photoshop, Lightroom, or other external editing programs! If you have external lens accessories such as an Olloclip or other snap-on lens, you are more than welcome to use them.

You can submit as many photos as you'd like, but remember, this is a contest, so make sure you submit your best work!

Resources

Now, before you run off to take your photo, remember that it's not technical skill alone that will claim this prize. Even if you're not the best photographer (yet!), a great eye and a great subject can still get you the win.

However, a little help can never hurt, so make sure you check out our iPhone photography series for some tips.

How to submit

Submitting your photos is easy. just head over to the iMore Photography Forum and post your photos to the official contest thread. Don't forget to state which apps, if any, you used to edit your photo!

That's it! Now go out and shoot!

ENTER NOW

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/4LnTTsTd8L4/story01.htm

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Keeper 5.0

Most password managers start as desktop applications, with mobile versions added as the product evolves. Keeper 5.0 ($9.95 per device per year) turns that model on its head. Keeper for iOS and Android came out last year, while its PC-based version wasn't fully finalized until recently. Keeper's password capture and replay process isn't as fully automated as some of its competitors, but by involving the user in the process it handles login scenarios that baffle the competition.

Keeper runs on a wider variety of platforms than most. You can install its desktop application for Windows, Mac OS, or Linux, or install its browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. Sorry, Internet Explorer fans, there's no extension for IE.

Pricing and Syncing Options
You can download and install Keeper on any one device for free, and the free edition will manage as many passwords as you like. Its encrypted password storage will remain totally local, which also means you won't be able to log into your passwords from another device. It's also possible to create a Keeper account and use it strictly through the Web application, also free.

However, paying the $9.95 per year subscription for one device opens up quite a few options. You can back up your encrypted credentials to the cloud, for starters, and you can sync between devices. A paid Keeper subscription lets you share credentials with other users, and also qualifies you for 24/7 live support.

You can, of course, add paid subscriptions for all of your devices. However, my Keeper contacts explain that many users pay for one subscription and then use the Web app on other PCs and tablets. At $9.95 per year, a one-device Keeper subscription costs less than LastPass 2.0 Premium ($12 per year) or Dashlane 2.0 ($19.95 per year).

Security Choices
Those looking for maximum security may choose to use Keeper on a single device, without syncing. It's worth noting, though, that Keeper encrypts your data before syncing it to the cloud. Your password isn't stored anywhere, so if you forget it, you'll have to start over. By the same token, the people at Keeper can't be legally compelled to turn over your passwords.

LastPass always keeps your encrypted data on its secure servers. Dashlane gives you the choice of syncing or not. RoboForm Desktop 7 is strictly local, while RoboForm Everywhere 7 will sync across multiple devices.

Keeper's unusual Wi-Fi Sync option lets you sync multiple devices while keeping your data within the local network. With this sync option enabled, your devices can all sync with each other when connected to your own network. Changes made on a device that's away from the network won't be passed along until that device returns, naturally.

As with all password managers, Keeper requires a strong master password that protects all of your other passwords. Unlike LastPass and Dashlane, it doesn't enforce strong password rules, doesn't rate your master password as you type, and doesn't include an actionable security report on the strength of your saved passwords.

By default Keeper logs off after 30 seconds, requiring re-entry of the master password to continue. If you step away from your desk it will probably lock down before your nosy officemate tries for a peek. You can raise the idle-time cut off as high as 10 minutes, but you can't turn it off. That seems like a fine feature to me.

In addition, Keeper can self-destruct after five wrong password attempts. If someone has stolen your laptop, they're not likely to guess the password in five tries. You made it strong, right? Self-destruct here means that it will wipe out the local encrypted copy of your password data. If you recover the computer you can restore the data from a cloud backup.

It's possible you might switch from Keeper to some other password manager. If you do, you'll probably want to erase all of your data from cloud storage. A click of a button (and a confirmation) will do just that.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/JvuNdmEd6os/0,2817,2420942,00.asp

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Holy Crap It's Good This Airplane Wasn't Flying When Its Engine Exploded

Yesterday this Airbus A330 was zipping down the runway of Manchester Airport, UK, ready to take off and head to the Dominican Republic. And then, holy crap, its engine exploded.

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Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/CoZvXQY1XIs/holy-crap-its-good-this-airplane-wasnt-flying-when-it-570062797

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Time Warner Cable taps into Starz Play and Encore Play

Many subscribers of Starz and Encore have known the joy of free, on-demand movies for some time now, but customers of Time Warner Cable are more likely accustomed to another feeling -- one of exclusion. Fortunately, that all changes today, as Time Warner now provides access to Starz Play and Encore Play. The services are free to subscribers of the pay channels, and are accessible both over the web and via apps for Android and iOS. As it stands, Starz Play offers access to 400 titles (including 300 movies), while Encore Play offers somewhere in the neighborhood of 900 titles, 300 of which are movies. Signing into Starz Play and Encore Play is simply a matter of plugging in your Time Warner Cable ID, which is used for authentication with the Play system. Naturally, the latest announcement serves as a nice complement to TWC TV, and could also prove itself a worthwhile Plan B for times when Netflix is on the fritz.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/24/time-warner-taps-into-starz-play/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Western Digital boosts SSD cred with $340 million sTec acquisition

Western Digital has clearly made a name for itself in the magnetic drive space, but it's hardly the go-to brand when it comes to SSDs. WD's betting that'll soon change, though, thanks to a $340 million investment. That sum will be used to acquire sTec Inc., a US-based SSD manufacturer best known for its enterprise solid-state drives (and a recent insider trading scandal). The company will fall under HGST, a WD wholly owned subsidiary, and will likely continue focusing its efforts on SSDs designed for business use -- serving up ones and zeroes in servers and data centers, for example. Catch a few more deets at the source link just below.

Filed under: Storage

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Source: Reuters

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/24/western-digital-stec-ssd/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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10 Things to Know for Today

Afghan security force members investigate nearby the entrance gate of the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan Tuesday, June 25, 2013. Suicide attackers blew up a car bomb and battled security forces outside Afghanistan's presidential palace Tuesday after infiltrating one of the most secure areas of the capital. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the Kabul palace attack, which came as reporters were gathering for a news event on Afghan youth at which President Hamid Karzai was expected to talk about ongoing efforts to open peace talks with the militant group. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

Afghan security force members investigate nearby the entrance gate of the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan Tuesday, June 25, 2013. Suicide attackers blew up a car bomb and battled security forces outside Afghanistan's presidential palace Tuesday after infiltrating one of the most secure areas of the capital. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the Kabul palace attack, which came as reporters were gathering for a news event on Afghan youth at which President Hamid Karzai was expected to talk about ongoing efforts to open peace talks with the militant group. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

FILE - This undated image released by Smithfield Foods shows celebrity chef Paula Deen wearing a Smithfield apron as she stands in front of various Smithfield meat products. On Monday, June 24, 2013, Smithfield Foods said it was dropping Deen as a spokeswoman. The announcement came days after the Food Network said it would not renew the celebrity cook's contract in the wake of revelations that she used racial slurs in the past. (AP Photo/Smithfield Foods via PRNewsFoto)

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

1. RUSSIA CALLS DEMAND FOR EXTRADITING SNOWDEN 'UNACCEPTABLE'

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov lashed out at the U.S. for warning negative consequences if Russia doesn't turn over the NSA leaker.

2. SEARCHING FOR SNOWDEN

Lavrov says Snowden hadn't crossed the Russian border. He didn't board a Cuba-bound flight he was registered on in Moscow and the country where he sought asylum doesn't know where he is.

3. ATTACK ON AFGHAN PRESIDENTIAL PALACE

Taliban militants with military-style uniforms infiltrated one of the most secure areas of the capital; all eight attackers died. It wasn't clear whether Karzai was at the palace.

4. INTERNET SHUTDOWN ON KOREA ANNIVERSRY

Major websites in both North and South Korea crashed for hours on the 63rd anniversary of the start of the Korean war.

5. WHAT PROSECUTORS WANT ZIMMERMAN JURY TO HEAR

They will ask a judge today to allow phone calls the ex-neighborhood watchman made to police about suspicious people in his neighborhood.

6. OBAMA'S CLIMATE CHANGE PLAN

The president will propose the first-ever carbon dioxide emission limits on new and existing power plants at a speech today.

7. IMMIGRATION TEST CLEARS WAY FOR SENATE VOTE

Senate passage of the overhaul that allows millions a chance at citizenship is likely this week, but House Republicans have shown little support.

8. WHY THE WEATHER IS SO EXTREME

The AP's Seth Borenstein says the jet stream that generally rushes from west to east in a straight line has been wobbly and going north and south.

9. ANOTHER BUSINESS DROPS PAULA DEEN

Smithfield Foods, which sold hams with Deen's name on it, ended its relationship with the food celebrity after she admitted using racial slurs.

10. LAST-MINUTE GOALS POWER CHICAGO TO STANLEY CUP

Brian Bickell and Dave Bolland each scored 17 seconds apart to give the Blackhawks a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins and its second Cup in four years.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-06-25-10%20Things%20to%20Know-Today/id-03ae518f4ece4e73a8e8413a447eeb63

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Musical inspired by Tupac Shakur songs being born

NEW YORK (AP) ? A musical inspired by the music of Tupac Shakur hopes to bring gangsta rap to a Broadway stage.

A workshop of "Holler If Ya Hear Me" is currently under way in New York under the direction of Kenny Leon, who helmed the Broadway hits "Fences" and "The Mountaintop." The new musical sets Shakur's music to an original story and hopes to be ready for the 2013-2014 Broadway season.

Producers said Monday the musical is set in a Midwestern industrial city during present time and tells the story of two childhood friends "as they struggle to reconcile the challenges and realities of their daily lives with their hopes, dreams and ambitions."

Rapper and actor Shakur, who had multimillion-seller albums like "2Pacalypse Now" and "All Eyez on Me," was killed in September 1996 as he sat in a car in Las Vegas. He was 25 and known for his raw lyrics that drew on the rage of a coarse urban existence.

The new musical has a book by Todd Kreidler, who was a dramaturg for "Radio Golf" and "Gem of the Ocean," and choreography by Tony Award-winner Wayne Cilento of "Wicked" and "Sweet Charity." Afeni Shakur, the late artists' mother, is a producer.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/musical-inspired-tupac-shakur-songs-being-born-171901773.html

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lern2play Resources and Information. This website is for sale!

By using our site, you consent to this privacy policy: This website allows third-party advertising companies for the purpose of reporting website traffic, statistics, advertisements, "click-throughs" and/or other activities to use Cookies and /or Web Beacons and other monitoring technologies to serve ads and to compile anonymous statistics about you when you visit this website. Cookies are small text files stored on your local internet browser cache. A Web Beacon is an often-transparent graphic image, usually no larger than 1 pixel x 1 pixel that is placed on a Web site. Both are created for the main purpose of helping your browser process the special features of websites that use Cookies or Web Beacons. The gathered information about your visits to this and other websites are used by these third party companies in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. The information do not include any personal data like your name, address, email address, or telephone number. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, click here.

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Iterate 49: iOS 7 design special (Part 2)

Chris Clark, Brad Ellis, Louie Mantia, Neven Mrgan, Rene Ritchie discuss iOS 7 and the new design language Apple unveiled for it at WWDC 2013, including icons, fonts, physics, interactions, and more. (Part 2 of a 2 part special edition.)

• Subscribe via iTunes
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Show notes

• Wrong
• iOS Icons (Version 2)
• Given Time
• Binary Bonsai on iOS 7
• iOS 7 and a second coat of paint

Panel

• Chris Clark of Release Candidate One
• Brad Ellis of Pacific Helm
• Louie Mantia of Pacific Helm
• Neven Mrgan of Panic
• Rene Ritchie of iMore

Feedback

Yell at us on Twitter/ADN via the above accounts. Loudly.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/tL8a_HCuqD4/story01.htm

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Suicide bombers, gunmen kill 23 in Iraq attacks

BAGHDAD (AP) ? A suicide bombing inside a Shiite mosque during evening prayers and other attacks north of Baghdad killed 23 people in Iraq on Saturday, as officials announced preliminary results for local elections in two provinces that showed the bloc of the country's speaker of parliament in the lead.

The attacks are the latest in a wave of killing that has claimed more than 2,000 lives since the start of April. It is the bloodiest and most sustained spate of violence to hit Iraq since 2008.

The deadliest attack happened after sunset when a suicide bomber blew himself up inside a Shiite mosque in the village of Sabaa al-Bour, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of Baghdad. It killed 14 and wounded 32, police said.

The community used to be a religiously mixed area that was home to both Sunni and Shiite Muslims, but the Sunnis were displaced by members of the Mehdi Army Shiite militia during the post-invasion wave of sectarian killing that peaked in 2006 and 2007, according to police.

Many large religious sites in Iraqi cities are surrounded by concrete blast walls and armed checkpoints, but police said the village mosque had no protective barriers.

At least five of the victims died in ambulances as they made their way from the remote village to the nearest hospital in Baghdad, police said.

Earlier, a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into a police patrol in al-Athba village near the restive northern city of Mosul, a police officer said. Three civilian bystanders and one policeman were killed, and six other people were wounded.

Al-Qaida in Iraq and other militant groups have been gathering strength in and around Mosul, some 360 kilometers (220 miles) northwest of Baghdad.

In the city of Tuz Khormato, 210 kilometers (130 miles) north of Baghdad, gunmen on motorcycles riddled a civilian vehicle carrying four off-duty policemen with bullets, killing three and wounding another, a police officer said.

Another group of gunmen attacked a police checkpoint in the city of Samarra, killing two policemen and wounding four, another police officer said. Samarra is 95 kilometers (60 miles) north of Baghdad.

Police also said two civilians were killed and nine wounded when a bomb ripped through a small market late Friday in Baghdad.

Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release information.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but al-Qaida's Iraq arm and other Sunni extremists frequently target Shiites and security forces in an effort to undermine public confidence in the Shiite-led government.

Meanwhile, election officials said a partial count of ballots for provincial-level elections held Thursday in Sunni-dominated Anbar and Ninevah provinces showed Sunni parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi's United bloc leading with the largest number of votes in both provinces. That bloc is backed by Iraqi Finance Minister Rafia al-Issawi and prominent Sunni sheik Ahmed Abu Risha.

A coalition of Kurdish parties was in second place in Ninevah, which has a sizable Kurdish minority. A bloc headed by Anbar's existing governor, Qassim al-Fahdawi, was in second place in that province.

Iraqis voted in 12 of Iraq's 18 provinces two months ago. Officials had delayed elections in Anbar and Ninevah because of what they said were security concerns, though some Iraqis questioned that rationale and dismissed it as a political ploy related to the unrest in the provinces. The provinces have been the scene of months of anti-government protests.

Final election results are expected to be released in the coming days.

Also on Saturday, the United Nations said another 27 residents of a camp housing members of an Iranian exile group have been relocated to Albania. The move follows a deadly rocket attack on the facility last week.

A total of 71 residents of Camp Liberty have now relocated to the southeast European country, which has agreed to accept 210 of them. Germany has also offered to take 100 residents. The U.N. is urging other member states to accept some of the more than 3,000 living in Iraq.

The dissident group, the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, is the militant wing of a Paris-based Iranian opposition movement that opposes Iran's clerical regime and has carried out assassinations and bombings there. It fought alongside Saddam Hussein's forces in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, and several thousand of its members were given sanctuary in Iraq. It renounced violence in 2001, and was removed from the U.S. terrorism list last year.

Iraq's government wants the MEK members to leave, and the U.N. has been working to resettle them abroad.

Two residents of Camp Liberty were killed in a June 15 rocket attack on the facility. A Shiite militant group claimed responsibility, saying it wants the group out of Iraq.

______

Associated Press writers Sinan Salaheddin and Sameer N. Yacoub contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/suicide-bombers-gunmen-kill-23-iraq-attacks-183709554.html

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Rajon Rondo And Doc Rivers Nearly Had A Fight After Rondo Cursed Out Coach

Sheridan Hoops:

One piece of information that has not come out during the alive/dead/alive/dead Celtics-Clippers trade talks is Rivers? motivation in wanting to leave the Celtics.

It isn?t just that he doesn?t want to be a part of a rebuilding situation; it is because he has an intense dislike for point guard Rajon Rondo.

Read the whole story at Sheridan Hoops

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/22/rajon-rondo-and-doc-river_n_3484119.html

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Today in History

Today is Sunday, June 23, the 174th day of 2013. There are 191 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On June 23, 1888, abolitionist Frederick Douglass received one vote from the Kentucky delegation at the Republican convention in Chicago, effectively making him the first black candidate to have his name placed in nomination for U.S. president. (The nomination went to Benjamin Harrison.)

On this date:

In 1757, forces of the East India Company led by Robert Clive won the Battle of Plassey, which effectively marked the beginning of British colonial rule in India.

In 1812, Britain, unaware that America had declared war against it five days earlier, rescinded its policy on neutral shipping, a major issue of contention between the two countries.

In 1860, a congressional resolution authorized creation of the United States Government Printing Office, which opened the following year.

In 1931, aviators Wiley Post and Harold Gatty took off from New York on a round-the-world flight that lasted eight days and 15 hours.

In 1938, the Civil Aeronautics Authority was established.

In 1947, the Senate joined the House in overriding President Harry S. Truman's veto of the Taft-Hartley Act, designed to limit the power of organized labor.

In 1956, Gamal Abdel Nasser was elected president of Egypt.

In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson and Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin (ah-LEK'-say koh-SEE'-gihn) held the first of two meetings at Glassboro State College in New Jersey.

In 1969, Warren E. Burger was sworn in as chief justice of the United States by the man he was succeeding, Earl Warren.

In 1972, President Richard Nixon and White House chief of staff H.R. Haldeman discussed a plan to use the CIA to obstruct the FBI's Watergate investigation. (Revelation of the tape recording of this conversation sparked Nixon's resignation.) President Nixon signed into law Title IX, which barred discrimination on the basis of sex for "any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance."

In 1988, James E. Hansen, a climatologist at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, told a Senate panel that global warming of the earth caused by the "greenhouse effect" was a reality.

In 1993, in a case that drew widespread attention, Lorena Bobbitt of Prince William County, Va., sexually mutilated her husband, John, after he'd allegedly raped her. (John Bobbitt was later acquitted of marital sexual assault; Lorena Bobbitt was later acquitted of malicious wounding by reason of insanity.) Canada's Senate ratified the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Ten years ago: A divided Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, allowed the nation's colleges and universities to select students based in part on race, as long as race was not the determining factor. The Supreme Court said the government could require public libraries to equip computers with anti-pornography filters. Democrat Howard Dean formally announced his presidential campaign. Maynard Jackson Jr., the first black mayor of Atlanta, died in Arlington, Va., at age 65.

Five years ago: Outraged at the turmoil in Zimbabwe, the U.N. Security Council declared that a fair presidential vote was impossible because of a "campaign of violence" waged by President Robert Mugabe's government. Seattle's Felix Hernandez hit the first grand slam by an American League pitcher in 37 years, then departed with a sprained ankle before he could qualify for a win in the Mariners' 5-2 victory over the New York Mets.

One year ago: Syria and Turkey desperately sought to ease tensions following an incident in which Syria shot down a Turkish reconnaissance plane, saying the plane had entered its airspace. Ashton Eaton broke the world record in the decathlon, finishing with 9,039 points at the U.S. Olympic trials in Eugene, Ore. The Daytime Emmys showered "General Hospital" with five trophies, including best drama; NBC's "Today" show won as best morning show and the syndicated "Jeopardy!" was named best game show.

Today's Birthdays: Singer Diana Trask is 73. Musical conductor James Levine (luh-VYN') is 70. Rhythm-and-blues singer Rosetta Hightower (The Orlons) is 69. Actor Ted Shackelford is 67. Actor Bryan Brown is 66. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is 65. Actor Jim Metzler is 62. "American Idol" ex-judge Randy Jackson is 57. Actress Frances McDormand is 56. Rock musician Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth) is 51. Actor Paul La Greca is 51. Rhythm-and-blues singer Chico DeBarge is 43. Actress Selma Blair is 41. Rock singer KT Tunstall is 38. Rhythm-and-blues singer Virgo Williams (Ghostowns DJs) is 38. Singer-songwriter Jason Mraz is 36. Actress Melissa Rauch is 33. Rock singer Duffy is 29. Country singer Katie Armiger is 22.

Thought for Today: "Suffering without understanding in this life is a heap worse than suffering when you have at least the grain of an idea what it's all for." ? Mary Ellen Chase, American author (1887-1973).

(Above Advance for Use Sunday, June 23)

Copyright 2013, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/today-history-050206767.html

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Fighting infectious disease the modern way - with robots

June 21, 2013 ? Hospitals are synonymous with cleanliness and now Loyola University Health System is the first academic medical center in Illinois to take disinfection to futuristic levels. Nicknamed "Ralph" by the housekeeping staff at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital and "little Joe" at Loyola University Medical Center, 3-foot upright cylindrical robots provide the finishing touches to room sanitation. A rotating telescopic head emits cidal ultraviolet (UV) rays for 15 minutes in closed, unoccupied rooms to systematically kill germs dead.

"Loyola is a world leader in infection control and now the addition of automated room disinfection reinforces our ongoing commitment to patient safety," says Jorge Parada, MD, MPH, FACP, FIDSA, medical director, Infection Control Program, Loyola University Health System. "Loyola is doing everything humanly possible to control disease and that includes robotics."

According to studies, the disinfection robots eliminate Clostridium difficile (C. diff) in less than 4 minutes and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) in less than 2 minutes. "The robots are used for further disinfection in the operating suites and patient rooms including isolation, burn and transplant," says

Alex Tomich, DNP, RN, CIC, manager, infection prevention and control at Loyola. "Loyola takes very seriously its responsibility to protect patients, visitors and our hospital staff from infections and we are early adopters of proven technology as well as best practices."

The hospital housekeeping staff cleans the rooms and then uses the robots for additional sterilization. The pulsed UV light destroys viruses, bacteria and bacterial spores without human contact or use of chemicals.

Hospital infections are linked to approximately 100,000 deaths each year and add as much as $30 billion a year in medical costs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/h2UwSxICoac/130621121003.htm

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Loose Ends: What We Still Don't Know About Next-Gen Consoles ...

With E3 in the books, the vision of Sony and Microsoft's next-generation consoles is starting to take shape.?We've seen the consoles, played with the controllers, and previewed the game libraries, but we still have a few burning questions for both camps.?

What are the official release dates?
Both Sony and Microsoft have committed to a holiday release, but gamers still don't know which days they need to request off work to dive into their new consoles. If we were to bet, our money would be on the announcements taking place before or during Gamescom in late August. ?

What are the day-one launch lineups?
Both Microsoft and Sony have announced a broad collection of next-generation games, many of which look amazing. Which of these games will be available to purchase when the system hits store shelves? We expect many of the cross-platform games like Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Battlefield 4, Call of Duty: Ghosts, FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, NBA 2K14, and Watch Dogs to show up on day one or in the weeks following the launch. For the first-party games, the only intel we have to go off right now is pre-order bundles being sold by Amazon and GameStop. We know Sony is selling both Killzone: Shadow Fall and Knack bundles, so those two are likely a given on day one barring unforeseen pitfalls. For Xbox One, GameStop is selling Dead Rising 3, Forza Motorsport 5, Kinect Sports Rivals, and Ryse: Son of Rome bundles. The full lineups should take shape in the coming months.

Which cable/satellite companies are compatible with Xbox One?
Microsoft's promise of an all-in-one entertainment device comes with a catch ??we don't know which cable companies are compatible with the Xbox One. Previous demonstrations featured Comcast, so we expect the console to be compatible with that service. However, Microsoft's dreams of living room dominance could be rendered moot for a large swathe of the population if the Xbox One fails to support DirecTV, Dish Network, U-Verse, and/or Time Warner. With more than 30 cable providers operating across the United States alone, Microsoft is facing a lot of compatibility issues. Once we know the companies that the Xbox One supports, then the question becomes which cable/satellite boxes are compatible?

What are the finer details of Sony's streaming library?
We know Sony plans to roll out Gaikai's streaming service for PlayStation 4 starting in 2014 with a select number of PlayStation 3 titles. This service will evenutally come to the Vita as well. What we don't know is how deep this library will eventually get (will it eventually include PSOne and PS2 titles?), if it will cost you money to stream these older titles, or if the back catalog will be available free of charge as a part of the PlayStation Plus subscription. ?

What does the full picture look like regarding DRM?
While Sony says used games work on the PlayStation 4 and Microsoft eventually reversed course to arrive at the same position with the Xbox One, one wild card is still in play regarding DRM ??publishers.

At E3, Sony Computer Entertainment head Jack Tretton said, "PS4 will not have any gating restrictions for used disc-based games," but he also said, "we will not dictate the online used game strategy (the ability to play used games online) of its publishing partners." Microsoft has also pushed the gate keeping down the line, saying publishers can enact their own DRM measures as they see fit on the Xbox One.

Watching what happens next should be interesting. Already voted the worst company in America two years running, EA would likely suffer another seriously blow to its reputation if it chose to place consumer restrictions on its titles, especially in light of its decision to?kill online passes. Ubisoft has publicly stated that it wants a single set of rules across both platforms, which it now has in control of thanks to Sony and Microsoft taking a step back. Having previously stated it sees the value of the used games market, the French publisher would also take a hit in the public relations department should it decide to enforce its own brand of DRM, something the company has struggled with?in the past. ?

If publishers decide to put content on Xbox One behind a DRM gate, don't be surprised if they try a back-door method of getting a similar system in place on the PS4 via an online pass (which you can guarantee would be re-branded to distance itself from the previous policies).?

What features are hidden behind the Xbox Live Gold/PlayStation Plus pay wall?
At E3 Sony announced that access to PlayStation 4 online multiplayer is going behind the PlayStation Plus pay wall, which got us thinking ??are there any other features for either PS Plus or Xbox Live moving to the other side of the pay wall?

Both parties have been forthcoming regarding the increased benefits to having the premium subscriptions. Microsoft is rolling out a PlayStation Plus-style free games promotion that grants Live subscribers two free games a month through the release of the Xbox One, Fable III is already free, and in July Halo 3 and Assassin's Creed 2 are getting the same treatment. PlayStation Plus subscribers can look forward to early access for game betas, automatic updates, and free games (including a special edition of DriveClub).

Sony reiterated that video services like Hulu and Netflix won't require a PlayStation Plus account, which is one of its major points of distinction against Xbox Live. Microsoft could win some goodwill by moving these services into the Silver membership territory, especially considering the company's push to attract more non-gamers to the console.

Source: http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2013/06/21/loose-ends-what-we-still-dont-know-about-next-gen-consoles.aspx

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5 things to note heading into NBA offseason

The Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade speaks during the post game news conference following Game 7 of the NBA basketball championship game San Antonio Spurs, Friday, June 21, 2013, in Miami. The Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs 95-88 to win their second straight NBA championship. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

The Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade speaks during the post game news conference following Game 7 of the NBA basketball championship game San Antonio Spurs, Friday, June 21, 2013, in Miami. The Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs 95-88 to win their second straight NBA championship. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

From left, San Antonio Spurs basketball players Tony Parker (9), Tim Duncan (21) and Manu Ginobili (20) are shown in the fourth quarter of their Game 7 loss to the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals in Miami, early Friday, June 21, 2013. (AP Photo/El Nuevo Herald, David Santiago) MAGS OUT

From left, San Antonio Spurs basketball players Tony Parker (9), Tim Duncan (21) and Manu Ginobili (20) are shown in the fourth quarter of their Game 7 loss to the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals in Miami, early Friday, June 21, 2013. (AP Photo/El Nuevo Herald, David Santiago) MAGS OUT

Miami Heat basketball players from left, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh celebrate after the Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs 95-88 to win Game 7 of the basketball series in Miami, early Friday, June 21, 2013. (AP Photo/El Nuevo Herald, David Santiago) MAGS OUT

Miami Heats basketball players LeBron James, left, holding his Most Valuable Player trophy, and Dwyane Wade, holding the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship trophy, celebrate after the Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs 95-88 to win Game 7 of the basketball series in Miami, early Friday, June 21, 2013. (AP Photo/El Nuevo Herald, David Santiago) MAGS OUT

MIAMI (AP) ? Five things to note as the NBA offseason opens the same way it did last year, with everyone chasing LeBron James and the Miami Heat:

___

THE L.A. STORY: The two best free agents on the market share the same building. Dwight Howard had a disappointing first season with the Lakers, Chris Paul led the Clippers to their greatest success, and now they have decisions to make on July 1. Will they stay put? Follow James' model and go somewhere to play together? Leaving Los Angeles means leaving money ? we're talking more than $20 million ? on the table, so the best guess is both will be back at Staples Center next season.

___

WORTH THE PAIN: The last team standing in the Eastern Conference next season? Maybe the one with the healthiest knees. Specifically, the one whose star has the best recovery from a knee injury. Derrick Rose should be back in Chicago after sitting out all season with his torn ACL. The Indiana Pacers, who took Miami to a seventh game in the East finals, could have leading scorer Danny Granger back after he played just five games this season. Rajon Rondo could have the ball back in his hands in Boston. And imagine how much better the Heat can be if Dwyane Wade, bothered by a painful right knee all spring, is fully healthy this time next year.

___

BIG THREES, BIG QUESTIONS: Long before James, Wade and Chris Bosh came together, San Antonio and Boston proved the best route to a title was through a Big Three. Now, both could be broken up. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili might've had their last, best chance for another title in Game 7 after more than 100 postseason victories together. Ray Allen's already gone in Boston, having moved on to Miami, and now the Celtics have to decide if they're keeping Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett around.

___

TAKE YOUR PICK: It's 10 years ago this month that James, Wade and Bosh were all taken in the first five picks in what may go down as one of the best drafts in history. This one doesn't look as good. The Cleveland Cavaliers have the No. 1 pick, just as they did when they selected James in 2003. Will it be Nerlens Noel, the Kentucky defensive star coming off a torn knee? A trade? The rebuilding in the post-James era depends on making the right decision.

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COACHING CAROUSEL: The NBA's Coach of the Year is out of work. So is the coach of the Western Conference runner-up. It's a turbulent time in the coaching ranks, and George Karl and Lionel Hollins are proof that winning games can still mean losing jobs. Even the Clippers are looking for a coach, firing Vinny Del Negro after he led them to their first division title. With so many good candidates out there, teams looking for a leader can still get a good one.

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Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-06-21-BKN-NBA-Offseason-Five-Things/id-379a0ce893824593a128664a51096d3e

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