Add History to Your Holiday Weekend With the Library of Congress Digital Collection
With Memorial Day just ahead this weekend, you may want to supplement your schedule of beaching and barbecuing with an educational trip into the holiday’s history. If you don’t have the time to travel to Arlington National Cemetery or Washington D.C., you can still brush up on American military history for free digitally on the Library of Congress’ website.
A perfect exhibit for this weekend is the Veteran’s History Project, which collects and preserves the personal stories of American war veterans. Documents include soldiers’ first hand accounts, touching personal letters and photographs from all major American conflicts since World War I.
Along with Veteran’s history, you can browse recordings from the National Jukebox Project, archival newspapers and thousands of photographs documenting important events in American history. Many of these items are available to download for free.
Another staple of summery Americana can be found in the baseball section of the website that features a collection of more than 2,000 early baseball cards.
Take Live TV Wherever You Go With Belkin’s New Mobile TV Receiver – No Internet Required
Just in time for finale season and the beginning of summertime
shows, Belkin released its Dyle Mobile TV receiver for Apple devices.
The mobile TV receiver is designed to enable live broadcast
television content to be watched on your iPhone or iPad using the Dyle TV App. What makes this device stand out from other mobile TV receivers is that it does not require Wi-Fi or a mobile network to stream content. Instead, it uses the Dyle App to pick up live TV over the air. Access is limited to 37 major markets
around the country. (more…)
Google Glass Puts Users’ Privacy at Risk
Google Glass was released to the public recently when 8,000 beta testers were selected by the company to purchase and try the new device. Already several security risks are coming to light.
Besides the fear that wearable technology equipped with cameras can put any bystanders at risk of being recorded without their knowledge (one bar in Seattle has preemptively banned the device to protect patrons’ privacy) several holes in Glass’ security put the wearer’s privacy at risk as well.
As reported by The Guardian, Google Glass does not utilize a PIN authentication system like those permitted on other Android devices. The absence of a PIN based security system puts the device at risk of data and information theft if it falls into the wrong hands.
Santa Barbara-based programmer and Glass beta tester, Jay Freeman, reported that he had rooted the device by opening the Debug menu – an area that is typically only accessible on Android devices with a PIN. Freeman identified the risks of this flaw in the device:
“Even if you wear Glass constantly, you are unlikely to either sleep or shower while wearing it; most people, of course, probably will not wear it constantly: it is likely to be left alone for long periods of time. If you leave it somewhere where someone else can get it, it is easy to put the device into Debug Mode using the Settings panel and then use adb access to launch into a security exploit to get root.
“The person doing this does not even need to be left alone with the device: it would not be difficult to use another Android device in your pocket to launch the attack (rather than a full computer). A USB “On-The-Go” cable could connect from your pocket under your shirt to your right sleeve. With only some momentary sleight-of-hand, one could “try on” your Glass, and install malicious software in the process.”
Glass’s feature of being worn and used to record at the same time carries serious security implications as well. There are countless ways the gadget can be used against its owner. For example, privacy and safety risks range from being recorded inconspicuously to having your location tracked, while theft possibilities, like recording an ATM PIN as it’s entered, are also boundless.
New Tech Polls Twitter for Real-Time Ratings of Candidates
After the first presidential debate, we showed you apps that can help you stay informed on the candidates’ positions and standings as they campaign through the last few weeks before the election.
This week, not only can you keep track of their records, lies and flip flops, you can also gauge how their performance in the debate will influence voters’ opinions – in real time.
During the debate tonight, the NetBase 2012 Election Mood Meter will poll Twitter every 10 seconds to determine exactly what viewers are thinking about the candidates’ last statement or gesture.
As seen in the vice-presidential and first presidential debates, the emotions linked with the rhetoric of all the candidates had a great impact on who viewers thought won. Did Biden’s facial expressions hurt or help his ticket? Were Romney’s arm movements signs of enthusiasm or aggression? (more…)
Keep Up With the Candidates Using these Presidential Debate Apps
The first presidential debate was this week, kicking off a month of direct discourse between President Barack Obama and Republican Candidate Mitt Romney.
If you want to keep track of the candidates during this final head-to-head stretch in the campaign, International Business Times has compiled five apps that can help you monitor the candidates’ records, their standing in the polls and how much of what they’re saying is actually true:
WP Politics: This Washington Post app for the iPad details both candidates’ views on certain issues. It also features an interactive map that shows presidential election results across the nation since 1789. There is a free version available in the App Store and a $3 edition that includes access to political blogs and other content. (more…)
A Beginner’s Guide to Gmail
In honor of Google’s 14th birthday, Mashable published a beginner’s guide to Gmail. Now that it’s securely in its teens, you can finally feel comfortable closing that AOL Account you’ve been hanging on to since 1998, and make the switch to Gmail.
The guide is great for beginners and longtime Gmail users, who want to brush up their mailbox and explore all of the features Google offers. (more…)
CloudSource News – September 2012
Everything Under the Cloud September 2012
The High Cost of Recovery
Small to medium size businesses are what keep this country running. Unfortunately, for many of their business owners, budgetary needs force them to make cuts that larger corporations do not have to consider. These cuts often hit IT services and result in security decisions that ultimately cost the company even more money. Find out more…
Seven Ways to Keep Your Small Business Secure
If you own and operate a small business, lowering costs is an important part of keeping your company in the black. But cutting costs on your IT budget could inadvertently compromise your company’s security. Even though small businesses may not have all of the resources that large corporations do, they are still just as vulnerable to the same security threats. Read more…
Managed Services Providers Help You with Network Monitoring
Small businesses rely on the computer networks within their organizations. Can you imagine running your business without being able to connect with each member of your team? Network monitoring is necessary to keep your technology operational and functioning in order for your business to carry out its daily activities. Learn more…
Spotify to Launch a Web-Based Application and Facebook-Free Login?
Reports surfaced this week that the popular music service is preparing to launch a version that will work entirely on a Web browser, without requiring users to download a desktop client.
According to AllThingsD:
Some users should start seeing the option pop up in the next month or so. In practical terms, that means new and current users will find it easier to play songs immediately, because they won’t have to download or boot up special software. That’s particularly useful when people encounter Spotify links via social media, or “play buttons” the company has been pushing out to Yahoo and many other sites.
The browser-based version will be missing some capabilities that Spotify thinks are crucial, like the ability to play cached music without an Internet connection.
An even bigger shakeup to the service is the option to register without a Facebook account. (more…)
App Turns Cell Phones From Driving Threats Into Driving Aids
Thousands of teens will be on the road next week for their return to school, many nervously sitting behind the wheel for the first time. With a smartphone in the pocket of almost every high school student, most parents are rightfully worried that these devices will become a threat to their teens’ already questionable driving.
The free DriveScribe App provides a way to turn these devices from a hindrance into a help for students on the road. According to Mashable, the app “turns your phone into a ‘driving coach.’ Aimed in particular at helping those new drivers learn the rules-of-the-road, the app monitors speed, and blocks all texts, updates and calls while the car is in motion. It uses GPS, social media, real-time voice feedback and a jamming function to block texts and calls. The app will tell drivers to slow down if they’re going too fast.” (more…)
Affordable Gadgets for College
College students all over the country are enjoying the last few days of summer and preparing for their return to campus life. Stocking up on dorm room supplies, a revamped wardrobe and a semester’s worth of books can make this a tough month on their (and their parent’s) wallets.
Technology is another unavoidable expense in higher education. Computers with internet access, e-readers to accommodate digital textbooks and smartphones to stay in touch with home are now supply list staples. But students don’t have to break the bank with top-of-the-line gadgets. There’s a whole assortment of affordable devices that suit any student’s academic needs and budgets. USA Today compiled a list of devices that can be purchased on even the most meager work-study salary.
For a laptop, USA Today recommends the Lenovo B570:
At $329, it delivers decent performance at a very economical price. The 15.6-inch black laptop ships with an Intel Pentium dual-core processor, 4GB of RAM (system memory) and 320GB hard drive. Along with its full-size keyboard for comfortable typing, the B570 includes a built-in fingerprint reader, DVD burner, webcam, three USB 2.0 ports, media card reader and HDMI port to connect to a television, monitor or projector. A copy of Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit edition) is preinstalled, upgradeable to Windows 8 this fall.
With universities going green, digital textbooks are becoming a more popular option than their printed predecessors. E-readers aren’t just a convenience anymore; they’re a necessity. Opting for a tablet that includes a range of features far beyond just reading is the preference of multitasking students. The iPad is the most popular tablet on the market, but with a price tag that starts at $499, it hovers above most undergraduate budgets. As an alternative, USA Today suggests the Toshiba Thrive:
From $339.99, [the Thrive is] a 10.1-inch Android tablet with 16GB of memory and numerous connection options along its rim — including a full-size USB port (to add a thumbdrive, external keyboard or hard drive), SD card slot (to view photos, listen to music or play videos stored on it) and HDMI output (to connect to a high-definition source, such as a HDTV).
Staying in touch with their parents is another requirement for college students. Smartphones are a must-have, and there are a number of affordable options.
USA Today recommends several Android phones, including “the Samsung Galaxy S 4G (free with new 2-year T-Mobile plan), LG Lucid 4G LTE ($49.99 on 2-year Verizon Wireless plan), LG Viper 4G LTE ($79.99 on 2-year Sprint plan) or Motorola Atrix HD ($99 on 2-year AT&T plan).”
