Maxim Bange

MARIGNANE - Eurocopter heet nu officieel Airbus Helicopters. Dat maakte de helikopterbouwer woensdag bekend. Eurocopter was onderdeel van EADS, het Europese luchtvaart- en defensieconcern dat sinds 2 januari door het leven gaat als Airbus Group. De naam Eurcopter ontstond in 1992 na een fusie van de helikopterdivisies van het Franse Aerospatiale en het Duitse DASA.

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What’s ahead in 2014 for the IAEA? Here is a selected preview of what to expect…

Accidentally buy much more than you intended?

You may not have been planning on it, but the store certainly was. From supermarkets to clothing boutiques, shopping hubs are carefully engineered to get you to spend the most money possible.

Want to beat retailers at their own game? Then you'd better learn how they think.

A big, bold "SALE" sign helps get people in the store, where they are likely to buy non-sale items.

Once you enter, there's the shopping cart. This invention was designed in the late 1930s to help customers make larger purchases more easily.

Source: Idea Finder

In supermarkets, high margin departments like floral and fresh baked goods are placed near the front door, so you encounter them when your cart is empty and your spirits are high.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

For Valve, the promise of its living room gaming PC initiative, dubbed Steam Machines, is less about replacing consoles and more about giving its existing audience a way to bring their Steam experience into the living room.

Speaking to Polygon at CES, Valve's Jeff Cain said many of Steam's 65 million customers want a transportable experience, and Steam Machines are the company's answer to the demand.

"We've been hearing for quite some time that [our customers] don't want to leave all the features that Steam offers just because they want to switch the rooms in which they play their games," he said. "So our focus has really been on taking that Steam ecosystem, all the features and capabilities that Steam offers to our customers, and...

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Facebook has just announced that it'll be phasing out its controversial Sponsored Stories ad units as of April. While the company did confirm it was planning to drop Sponsored Stories back in June, we now have a date for when the ads will actually disappear from the site. Sponsored Stories were one of Facebook's more controversial ad units — essentially, they would repackage some of your actions on Facebook and let advertisers sell them to your friends without your permissions. (Imagine if you checked in at Starbucks on Facebook — the company could then sell that action back to Starbucks and let them insert it as an advertisement.)

Facebook is likely happy to finally remove the stories from its site — a class-action lawsuit was...

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The pool deck at the Marquee, a $1,500 bottle-service club at the Cosmopolitan hotel, is lined by cabanas heated by lamps and jacuzzis with walls made of plexiglass. On the first night of CES, the consumer electronics show that overtakes Las Vegas every January, a much more average-looking crowd than usual sat uncomfortably on the all-white furniture, dressed in business casual and puffing on e-cigs with glowing orange tips.

Kevin Frija, the CEO of Vapor Corp, which sponsored the decadent scene, pulled on an e-cigar at the back of the party and encouraged his employees to pass out chocolate- and coffee-flavored e-hookahs. “Vaping is one of those new disruptive technologies that could very well overtake the tobacco business and...

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When I sat down for my first demo with Tactus Technology, it felt like I was witnessing magic. A completely normal looking, smooth-screened tablet had suddenly transformed into a device equipped with a little, bubbly keyboard.

The buttons had risen up out of seemingly nowhere. Then they melted back down into the screen. 

Tactus creates hardware that morphs. It makes tactile buttons grow out of a screen when you need them, and disappear when you don't. You can activate buttons over your keyboard to make typing easier and more natural, or control buttons to enhance gaming. 

Here's the bare bones of how it works:

Tactus has created a thin layer that can replace the Gorilla Glass on top of the touch sensor and display layers of a smartphone or tablet. The surface of that layer is a semi-elastic polymer under which there are little channels filled with a special transparent micro-fluid. To make buttons appear (for a keyboard, a game controller, whatever), you can increase the fluid pressure in a certain area. The added fluid physically stretches and raises the polymer surface.

Presto! Real buttons on your previously flat screen. 

Last year at CES, Tactus wowed crowds when it publicly demonstrated its technology for the first time. This year, Tactus is ready to bring its product to market.

Tactus CTO Micah Yairi told Business Insider that the company will be releasing a smartphone or tablet cover this year that you can use to make the buttons appear. Yairi also said that Tactus is working on partnerships to get Tactus layers built into new devices within the next several years. 

Check out Tactus' demo vid:

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If surveillance has become more common in recent decades, it might be because it's so much cheaper. A new report from security researcher Ashkan Soltani and Kevin Bankston looks at the hourly cost of the surveillance techniques used in various Supreme Court cases, and emerged with some interesting figures. The paper was inspired by the common question of how GPS tracking is any different from simply following a suspect in an unmarked car. In the new report, the answer is more than $200 per hour.

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In October, Microsoft announced a major success in its quest to get enterprises to buy its Windows 8 Surface tablet instead of Apple's iPad.

Delta Air Lines agreed to buy 11,000 Surface 2 tablets for pilots. It is also buying 19,000 Nokia Lumia 820 Windows Phones, equipped with credit card readers, to be used by flight attendants as a cash register when passengers buy food and drinks.

The Surface tablets will be rolled out on all flights by May, the company says. Delta hopes to make all of its cockpits paperless by the end of the year, Microsoft told Business Insider.

Tablets in the cockpit are nothing new, but other airlines are choosing iPads, or, in some cases, Samsung Galaxy tablets. American Airline for instance, has deployed 33,000 tablets including iPads and Galaxy Notes, it says.

Bloomberg journalist Olivia Sterns interviewed a Delta pilot Captain Karen Ruth and asked  if she'd rather have an iPad. 

The pilot said she's happy with the Surface. "It's sleek. It's got a gorgeous display. You can split the screens. It's lightweight," Ruth said.

Best of all, the tablet replaces 38 pounds worth of paper charts and manuals that pilots carry onto every flight. That will save the company $13 million worth of fuel costs, Sterns reports.

Here's what the tablet looks like in a Delta cockpit.

 

SEE ALSO: 2013 Was The 'Worst Decline In PC Market History,' Gartner Says

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Here's an interesting map we saw on MyModernMet.com via Mark Perry.

It separates the countries where drivers drive on the left (blue) from those where drivers drive on the right (red).

It says a lot.

SEE ALSO: 36 Maps That Explain The Entire World

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Smartphones with interchangeable parts is the future… or so companies like Motorola and ZTE believe. Both manufacturers are currently working on prototypes of what’s known as modular smartphones. Such a device, if it comes to market, will give consumers a few benefits: the chance to customize their phone exactly the way they want, the ability to upgrade specific parts (or modules) of your device without having to upgrade to a completely new version, the option to buy and sell individual modules to others and less electronic waste left over as a result. Neither Motorola or ZTE has exactly kept their efforts a secret, but what we’re unsure of is when we can expect to see real hardware show up on the market. Fortunately, ZTE showed off its first concept device (under glass, unfortunately) on the CES floor this week, and reps told us that we should plan on seeing this concept come to fruition within the next two years.

The phone, known as the Eco-Mobius, looks a lot sleeker than what we’ve seen of Ara so far, and is divided into four separate swappable modules for LCD, core (processors, RAM and ROM), camera and battery. This comes in quite handy for enthusiasts of all kinds who want to take advantage of different modules; if you’re into photography, you could theoretically take multiple modules with you, each one with its own strengths and weaknesses — we’d fancy having a macro lens module for specific shots. Perhaps you want to change the size of your screen, depending on whether you’re at the office, at home or a party? No problem. Need a stronger battery? Sure thing. In addition to making this kind of phone a reality, its designers are also putting together a platform in which users can buy, sell and trade modules with each other. Hopefully we’ll see more of this concept as things come together, but so far we’re very curious about how the final product will look down the road. While we wait for the future to catch up with our dreams, enjoy our images below.

Joseph Volpe contributed to this post.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

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While it’s legal to pay with Bitcoin in the US, the digital currency hasn’t been very useful for mainstream shoppers. However, that’s changing today — Overstock has just become the first major American online retailer to accept Bitcoin. You’ll still see prices listed in old-fashioned dollars, but you can choose the newer payment method at checkout. CEO Patrick Byrne tells Wired that he made the move for both pragmatic and idealistic reasons: Bitcoin doesn’t cost as much to accept compared to credit cards or PayPal, and its nationless nature reduces the chances that a failed bank or country will create problems. It’s tough to tell whether other big e-retailers will follow suit, but we can’t imagine that competing shops will want to leave that much virtual money on the table.

Filed under: Internet

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Via: Wired

Source: Overstock

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No close call here: Razer’s Nabu wearable accounted for nearly 50 percent of the 54,511 reader votes. We’d venture to say that Razer’s promotion of its finalist selection had something to do with the overwhelming turnout, but the company couldn’t pull off such a landslide victory without an extremely enthusiastic fan base. Though it didn’t snag our award for Best Digital Health and Fitness Product, the Nabu is pretty cool; it sports two OLED displays rather than the standard one, and Razer’s planning to add some of its gaming roots to the activity tracker with augmented-reality applications. Congratulations, Razer, and enjoy your 3D-printed trophy!

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We were skeptical, too. The trend of gadget manufacturers putting rockstars on the payroll in figurehead “creative director” roles has gotten a bit out of hand in recent years. Again, if Alicia Keys and BlackBerry taught us anything, it’s that all the piano playing in the world can’t help right the ship of a struggling hardware manufacturer. After chatting with will.i.am high atop the 3D Systems booth in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, we’ll say this: he’s a passionate guy. The Black Eyed Peas member’s excitement is palpable as he speaks about emerging technologies and their potential roles in education and sustainability.

He freely admits that he’s not really equipped to break down the technology behind the 3D printer company’s more complex offerings, but he’s got some grand visions with regards to the part he might play in helping making the technology more accessible and broadly appealing for a mainstream audience. Check out the full video interview just after the break.

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As the single largest semi-private BitTorrent tracker that ever existed, Demonoid used to offer a home to millions of file-sharers.

This changed abruptly August 2012, after a series of troubled events took the site offline. The unexpected downtime was followed by more than a year of silence, until the Demonoid.com homepage showed signs of life two months ago.

The site owners put up a notice suggesting that they were planning to restore Demonoid to its former glory. This uplifting news was later confirmed in a short statement that was sent to us by the people behind the site.

“I can’t give you any specifics at the moment, but yeah, we are planning to bring the site back,” TorrentFreak was told.

This glimmer of hope got many former Demonoid users excited, and today we can report further progress as the site’s tracker is now back online.

A few hours ago http://inferno.demonoid.com:3396/announce was revived, and at the time of writing the tracker is coordinating the communication of 1.3 million people scattered across 388,321 torrent files. This means that Demonoid has instantly settled itself among the five largest BitTorrent trackers on the Internet.

Demonoid tracker back in action

What appears to be new is that all these torrents are tracked by a single announce URL. Previously, Demonoid used various tracker addresses and ports for its torrents. However, several older announce URLs still work as well.

The hosting location has also changed as Demonoid have traded in their Ukrainian provider for one in Sweden.

While the above is good news for those who hold Demonoid dear, there are still plenty of uncertainties regarding the comeback. For example, it is still unknown whether Demonoid users can still use their old accounts, as the database may have been compromised.

Last year a mysterious replacement surfaced, using a copy of the Demonoid user and torrent database. The operator of the spin-off claimed not to be related to the Demonoid owners, but he did have a copy of the site’s database.

The tracker that was revived today uses Demonoid’s original .com domain, so it’s presumably backed by part of the old crew.

Time will tell whether Demonoid can make a full comeback, and what the site will look like if it does.

Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing and VPN services.

Tablets are getting bigger screens, moving into cars, and dual-booting Windows and Android at this year's International CES show as tech vendors give a glimpse into the gadget's future.

Het gebruik van de vergeetachtige zoekmachine verdubbelde sinds Snowden.

Het verbod dat je wist dat uit Brussel zou komen. Als het aan de allesverbieders aan de Wetstraat ligt, voert Nederland alsnog een downloadverbod in. Met de machtige hand van de poppenspelers van de entertainmentindustrie onder zijn toga wappert een...

Firm adds more reasons to stop putting off upgrading

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Sliced apples that never cease looking fresh: that's the promise from a Canadian company behind new apples that have been genetically engineered to retain their alluring color even after being cut open. But the apples, currently being evaluated for approval by the US Department of Agriculture, aren't being lauded across the board. In fact, some producers and industry insiders worry that this particular modification takes GMO fruit one step too far.

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The International Space Station just got another lease on life. The White House has approved funding that would keep the floating lab running until “at least” 2024, as long as other countries also chip in. The additional funding should help both general science research as well as the human endurance studies that NASA needs for voyages to asteroids and Mars. The extension is primarily good news for those who want a long-term human presence in space; it’s the second extension past the original 2015 decommissioning timeframe. It’s also potentially good for business, as the deal will give SpaceX and other private spaceflight companies a better chance at growing their fledgling operations.

[Image credit: NASA]

Filed under: Science

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Source: White House

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As email is the preferred form of communication between professionals today, following email etiquette rules is especially important.

But since everyone is following the same rules, ignoring them completely will definitely make you stand out. 

This is what happened in late 2012 when Snapchat's CEO Evan Spiegel responded to an email from Mark Zuckerberg. In his email, Spiegel didn't have a proper greeting, failed to follow proper punctuation rules, and even included an emoticon.

Here's his response: "Thanks :) would be happy to meet – I’ll let you know when I make it up to the Bay Area"

Although Spiegel's email has been called "cocky and arrogant," New York magazine writer Kevin Roose writes on LinkedIn that the email was also "brilliant."

"By one-upping Zuckerberg's breezy, informal style in his reply, Spiegel positioned himself as the CEO's equal," says Roose. 

"Call it 'strategic sloppiness.' We’ve known for years that the higher you are on the food chain, the more license you’re allowed to take with the rules of professional communication. It’s why Michael Bloomberg can reply to emails with “tx” instead of spelling out “thanks,” and why many of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’s emails to his subordinates consist of only a single question mark, appended to the top of a customer’s email. As the boss, you can make as many mistakes as you want. Cutting corners is a time-saving mechanism that doubles as a display of dominance."

Although this is a power play, there are definitely some caveats and at the end of the day, unless you're a tech genius being pursued, you should probably take it down a notch. The best strategy is to sound informal and casual in your email while still using proper grammar and spelling rules.

Here are some other caveats Roose says to take into account:

• Strategic sloppiness isn’t right for every situation. In my experience, the ultra-casual approach works best when the person you’re emailing is already familiar with you and your work, and interested in you for a job or a new project. It’s risky with strangers, whose communication styles you don’t know, and riskier yet with bosses, who tend to be older and more conservative, and might take your casual tone as a sign of disrespect.

• It's probably best not to try sloppiness in formal job applications (especially if you're applying to be a copy editor).

• Don't be sloppy in a way that will cast doubt on your intelligence and/or language skills. Typing "tx" instead of "thanks" is much different than mixing up "your" and "you're."

• Strategic sloppiness doesn’t work at every organization. The brash, misspelled cover letter that might get you noticed on a Wall Street trading floor might get you laughed out of an arts non-profit or a law firm.

• Don't go overboard. The goal here is to appear important, not incompetent. One grammar mistake says “I’m too busy to proofread every email I send.” Twelve grammar mistakes says “I did not pass remedial English.”

Want your business advice featured in Instant MBA? Submit your tips to tipoftheday@businessinsider.com. Be sure to include your name, your job title, and a photo of yourself in your email.

SEE ALSO: 7 Email Etiquette Rules Every Professional Should Know

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Sydney Morning Herald

Republicans move to embrace poverty-fighting Sydney Morning Herald Washington: Senator Marco Rubio says the American dream has become "unattainable." Senator Mike Lee says reforming government benefits programs should be the country's "first priority." And Representative Paul D. Ryan says the government safety net ... Sen. Marco Rubio Wants States To Have More Control Over Anti-Poverty ProgramsFox News Latino Rubio wants states, not US, to lead second wave in war on povertyMiamiHerald.com Marco Rubio Takes on PovertyDaily Beast Los Angeles Times -Washington Post (blog) -Fox News all 154 news articles »

The easiest way to get a lot of followers on Twitter is to be famous.

The best way is to tweet funny or useful tweets.

But there is another way, Luke.

We learned about it from Kolby Conrad, the 20-year-old we've been writing about who makes his living from Facebook traffic.

Conrad has a presentation he gives about how to use social media.

In it, he says the trick to getting Twitter followers is "Following and Unfollowing."

He writes:

Massive following and unfollowing is not allowed by Twitter, if you start following and unfollowing more than 100 people a day you will get banned. 

Twitter does allow moderate following and unfollowing.

I would recommend that for new accounts, you follow 75 new people every day, and unfollow 25 people.

Once you have started to follow more than 2,000 people you should start following 50, and unfollowing 50 each day.Doing this is one of the easiest ways to gain followers on Twitter, and it’s free.

Conrad also has good advice on what to tweet about: "make a tweet that is something that someone else would like to say."

"Don’t tweet about things that are super specific. Make general statements that your followers would agree with."

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Valve's Steam Machines are reinventing the game console by transforming daunting PCs into friendly boxes for the living room. But rather than make the machines all by itself, Valve has turned to hardware partners to create a whole lineup of them, from basic consoles priced like an Xbox all the way up to towers that just barely veil their gaming PC roots.

Yesterday we got a peek at what 13 of the very first of those Steam Machines will look like. Their prices range from $499 all the way up to $6,000, putting Valve's goal of a diverse ecosystem on the right track. But there's still the question of what that will get you. We're taking a look across the broad spectrum of Steam Machines to see if there's a legitimate alternative to the Xbox...

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VESA heeft aangekondigd dat de displayport-standaard zal worden uitgebreid met dockport, een interfaceprotocol dat is ontwikkeld door AMD en Texas Instruments. Hierdoor wordt het mogelijk om over een enkele kabelverbinding naast video ook usb 3.0-data en voeding door te geven.