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The bill was introduced on Wednesday by Attorney General George Brandis, and it gives the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation the power to imprison leakers (including reporters) for five years, with ten year sentences for anything regarding "special intelligence operations" (illegal spy operations conducted under promise of immunity). Read the rest

Apple will pay $450 million as part of the US state lawsuit against it claiming the company conspired to raise the price of ebooks to consumers. Pending an appeal effort from Apple, $400 million of that could be going back to consumers, which would add to an earlier $166 million book publishers agreed to pay out as part of an earlier settlement.

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Scientists have discovered a novel protein-based treatment that restores normal blood-sugar levels in diabetic mice for a period of seven days. The study, published in Nature today, reveals a possible new therapeutic pathway for people who suffer from type 2 diabetes. "We had no idea that this molecule would have this effect," says Michael Downes, a diabetes researcher at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California and a co-author of the study. "But it appears that the molecule restores insulin sensitivity in diabetic mice."

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 BlackBerry is trying to build up some steam for its upcoming BlackBerry OS 10.3 launch, and for its new BlackBerry Passport hardware, and today that means a new feature reveal: The company detailed BlackBerry Assistant on its official blog today, and the feature looks unsurprisingly like Siri and Cortana for iOS and Windows Phone respectively. The Assistant features the now-omnipresent… Read More

 Amazon might give readers something to get really excited about: A digital ebook and audiobook subscription service that provides Kindle users with all the content they can consume from a potential library of over 600,000 titles for just $9.99 per month. That’s according to this cached link, first spotted by GigaOM. This ‘Netflix for ebooks’ would compete with existing… Read More

If you are on a Windows laptop, you might want to shut your Chrome and use Firefox or Internet Explorer in case you need to conserve juice. Chrome has a core problem that causes it to consume more battery than other browsers, Forbes says.

The root cause here is something called the "system clock tick rate," which is responsible for how often the CPU wakes up. By default, Chrome sets that to 1.000ms, while Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox are at Microsoft's recommended recommended setting of 15.625ms. Naturally, Chrome's rate affects battery significantly. Forbes writes:

In fact, at 1.000ms the processor is waking 1000 times per second. The default, of 15.625ms means the processor wakes just 64 times per second to check on events that need attention. Microsoft itself says that tick rates of 1.000ms might increase power consumption by "as much as 25 per cent."

This problem doesn't exist on Mac and Linux because their tick rate system is different. Web browser battery usage tests in the past have showed that Internet Explorer is best and Chrome in particular is a power-hog.

There's no fix for this issue at the moment, but you can go to Google bugs and star the issue to give it priority. Read the full article at Forbes for more details on this.

Google's Chrome Web Browser Is Killing Your Laptop Battery | Forbes

Photo by Tandyman100, youmat.

Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android applications, games, and live wallpapers that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous 2 weeks or so.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A separate roundup for Android Wear apps, Wear-enabled apps, and watch faces is coming soon.

22 Best New Android Apps And Live Wallpapers From The Last 2 Weeks (7/1/14 - 7/15/14) was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

 Google has Nest, Apple has HomeKit and Samsung has…SmartThings, we’re hearing. The deal was completed for around $200 million dollars, though it might have been less according to one source. (Update: The deal is not done yet, says another.) SmartThings is in the home automation space, and allows you to connect devices like lights and doorlocks to a system controlled by your… Read More

 One fun Google trick is the ability to type in “5 Euro in USD” and get an acceptably accurate currency conversion in a few seconds. Now, however, you can get your BTC on by simply typing “price of bitcoin” or “X bitcoin to euro.” The feature rolled out yesterday as a reaction to Bing’s addition of BTC pricing in that search engine. Read More

The controversial "right to be forgotten" European court ruling has Google removing embarrassing (and worse) search results from search-results served in the EU. Read the rest

After this audio recording of an infuriatingly aggressive Comcast representative arguing with a customer went mega-viral, Comcast, which instructs its employees not to take no for an answer, is now throwing its representative under the bus because he refused to take no for an answer.

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 Google has teamed up with Udacity to make available a free course in Android development available to all – complete with videos, quizzes, course materials and forums. The course is called ‘Developing Android Apps: Android Fundamentals,” and it provides everything you need to learn how to make an Android app step-by-step; provided, that is, you already have a basic… Read More

After years of receiving complaints that its policies put users at risk, Google said today that it has eliminated the requirement that people use their real names on Google+. The real-name policy, which debuted with the launch of Google+ three years ago, was designed to create a network that looked like Facebook. "But it also excluded a number of people who wanted to be part of it without using their real names," the company said today in an unsigned post on Google+. The policy generated criticism from privacy advocates and journalists who argued that it threatened to expose people who had valid reasons for wanting to use pseudonyms.

The company noted that is has gradually relaxed restrictions on the policy, allowing YouTube users and...

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 Late last week it emerged that the UK government intended to railroad emergency surveillance legislation through Parliament just before the summer recess — meaning members of parliament would not be able to properly scrutinise the law. The new Data Retention and Investigation Powers Bill (aka DRIP) is being debated in the House of Commons today — but has been criticized for… Read More

 About a year ago, Google switched all of its Gmail users over to the new compose window it had announced in 2012. Instead of getting what was essentially a full-screen text editor for your emails, Gmail now opened a smaller window in the bottom-left corner of the screen and hid all of its advanced editing features. There was much weeping and gnashing of teeth. Google is never going to bring… Read More

Shazam, the company whose app uses a phone or tablet's microphone to identify a song or TV show, has partnered with Rdio to offer users full in-app song playback. Previously Shazam kicked users out to a separate app to check out the track. Going forward, people with Rdio subscriptions won't have to deal with such disruptive behavior.

Yes, that's an iPhone screenshot. Android's update is coming soon.

The integration doesn't stop there.

Shazam Will Now Stream Full Songs In-App Via Rdio, Android App Update Coming Soon was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Over 5,100 miles of ocean separate Tokyo from San Francisco, a journey that ordinarily takes air travelers over 9 and a half hours to complete. But imagine if the trip could be done in a little over a minute: that's the effect created in a new timelapse video from YouTube user psp747. Said to be compiled from over 3,400 still images taken during the course of a flight, the video shows clouds whipping underneath at an incredible rate and the sun setting and rising over the horizon. The backing track, "A Courageous Light Instrumental," comes by way of musician Adam Michaels. It's certainly not the first aerial timelapse, but it is almost enough to make you forget the headaches associated with most commercial flights these days (delays,...

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 Meet InkCase Plus: a second companion screen for your Android smartphone that’s designed to slot into a case so you can stack one pane atop the other, sandwich style. Currently it’s just a Kickstarter prototype, with its makers looking for $100,000 in crowdfunding to get the device to market. Read More

Research into online piracy comes in all shapes and sizes, often with equally mixed results. Often the main question is whether piracy is hurting sales.

A new study conducted by economist Koleman Strumpf is one of the most comprehensive on the subject so far.

Drawing on data from a popular BitTorrent tracker and revenue projections from the Hollywood Stock Exchange he researches how the release of a pirated movie affects expected box office income.

The research covers 150 of the most popular films that were released over a period of seven years, and the findings reveal that the release of pirated films on file-sharing sites doesn’t directly hurt box office revenue.

“There is no evidence in my empirical results of file-sharing having a significant impact on theatrical revenue,” Strumpf tells TorrentFreak in a comment.

“My best guess estimate is that file sharing reduced the first month box office by $200 million over 2003-2009, which is only three tenths of a percent of what movies actually earned. I am unable to reject the hypothesis that there is no impact at all of file-sharing on revenues.”

So while there is a small negative effect, this is limited to three tenth of a percent and not statistically significant.

Interestingly, the data also reveals that movie leaks shortly before the premiere have a small positive impact on expected revenues. This suggests that file-sharing may serve as a form of promotion.

“One consistent result is that file-sharing arrivals shortly before the theatrical opening have a modest positive effect on box office revenue. One explanation is that such releases create greater awareness of the film. This is also the period of heaviest advertising,” Strumpf notes.

One of the advantages of this study compared to previous research is that it measures the direct effect of a movie leak on projected box office revenues. Previous studies mostly compared early versus late leaks, which is less accurate and may be influenced by other factors.

“For example, suppose studios added extra security to big budget movies which then have a delayed arrival to file-sharing networks. Then even if file-sharing has no impact at all, one would find that delayed arrival on file-sharing leads to higher revenues,” Strumpf tells us.

Another upside of the research lies in the statistical precision. The data includes thousands of daily observations and relatively precise estimates, something lacking in most previous studies.

The downside, on the other hand, is that the expected box office impact is estimated from the Hollywood Stock Exchange. While this has shown to be a good predictor for actual revenues, it’s not a direct measurement.

In any case, the paper suggests that file-sharing might not be the biggest threat the movie industry is facing.

Even if the negative effects were twice as big as the data suggests, it would still be less than the $500 million Hollywood spent on the MPAA’s anti-piracy efforts during the same period.

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

Usually you should embrace new tasks and responsibilities at work to demonstrate your potential, but sometimes an opportunity comes along that might only bog you down without advancing your career. Here are four instances where you might be better off saying no thanks.

This post originally appeared on The Muse.

If you're like most professionals, you'll eventually reach a point in your career when you realize that you can't advance to the next level without being able to show that you have relevant experience—a lot of it.

One way to demonstrate that you have potential to grow beyond your current role is to take on "stretch" assignments. In 2003, Catalyst reported that a whopping 40% of women in corporate leadership positions said that seeking out difficult, highly visible assignments had been a very important advancement strategy. It makes sense: by volunteering for additional responsibilities, you can learn new skills, make your talents visible to your leaders, and demonstrate your readiness to step into a role that goes beyond the one you're currently in.

But despite all the benefits of volunteering for stretch assignments, there are times when the extra workload can actually work against you. In a recent coaching program, one participant told me, "A mentor told me that volunteering for stretch assignments will help improve my career. I took on three new projects, and now I'm not getting any sleep. Help!"

This woman's mentor had given her good advice, but it has to be applied within reason. We have to learn to put guardrails around accepting stretch assignments so that we don't get stretched too thin by them!

But how? How can you say "no" to stretch assignments without also saying "no" to furthering your career?

The key is to be highly selective. One common misstep that both high performers and new employees make is accepting too many low-visibility assignments that require them to work overtime without gaining the benefits of recognition and new skills that such assignments should bring. To avoid stretching yourself too thin for no visible career benefit, here is a checklist for when to diplomatically say "no" to extra assignments.

Assignments That Stretch You Too Thin

Before saying yes to a stretch assignment, do a risk assessment. Be brutally honest with yourself: Is there a risk you'll overreach, take on too much, and compromise your ability to fulfill your regular responsibilities well?

Start by weighing the obvious factors, such as whether this side project will suck time away from your core priorities and what trade-offs it might take in your personal life to accommodate extra hours at work.

For example, Andy, a technical project manager, had recently earned his MBA and was looking out for opportunities to build a reputation as a strategic thinker. When invited to take on a stretch assignment to combine numerous products into a single product line, he said, "I weighed the probability of being successful against the workload and lack of a cohesive business plan, and saw a no-win scenario." Ultimately, he declined to participate.

Don't ignore the possibility of unexpected emotional costs, either. Will saying yes to this assignment mean working with a leader who is known for burning people out? Will it require you to collaborate with co-workers who are notorious for slacking off in the face of a looming deadline?

Look for projects that stretch you without overwhelming you, so that you can deliver a consistently high quality of work. Focus on the quality of assignments, not quantity—and take them on at a cadence that allows you some recovery time between deadlines and deliverables.

Assignments That Don't Build Your Strengths

The best stretch assignments are those that require you to build business acumen, new technical skills, or leadership ability. Don't volunteer yourself for a project unless it has the potential to expand your skill set and lets you demonstrate your potential to go beyond the job you're currently in.

After turning down the first stretch assignment, Andy noticed that his business unit lacked a single point of contact for coordinating requests for new product development investments. Whereas the previous assignment would have used his existing project management skills, this one required him to develop new skills, such as strategic thinking and engaging stakeholders across the organization. He volunteered, shouldering an additional full-time workload for a month. "I built credibility as a strategic leader, which helped me land the higher-profile role that I'm in today," he said.

Assignments That Don't Meaningfully Expand Your Network

Stay away from projects that are all about work and have no relationship-building opportunities. Go after projects that allow you to build stronger working relationships and demonstrate your expertise to leaders, sponsors, potential mentors, and peers.

For example, say your company's annual charitable giving campaign is spearheaded by a leader you admire, who is responsible for an increasingly important business division in the company. Even though the campaign isn't directly job-related, taking a lead role in it can be a way to show that person that you are smart, energetic, and reliable—and to convey that you'd like to work for him or her one day. And the random collection of colleagues you'll meet and bond with? If you stay in touch, you can become each others' eyes and ears for what's going on in different departments.

Assignments That Don't Build the Reputation You Want to Be Known For

Say no to projects that don't align with the personal brand you're trying to build and promote within your organization. For example, if you want to be regarded as a strong cross-functional project leader, think twice about committing to assignments that require you to work alone. Ideally, the assignments you accept should align with your brand and give you opportunities to showcase your accomplishments and make your value visible to management.

Overall, remember that stretch assignments are designed to build your skill set, network, and organizational brand, not simply add busy work to your already busy schedule.

But keep in mind: when you're offered assignments that aren't a match, don't just say no! You'll hurt your chances of being asked again. Thank the person for the opportunity, letting him or her know you're honored to be considered. Then graciously decline, "in order to give my full attention to responsibilities already on my plate."

Even then, don't leave him or her hanging. Recommend a colleague who might appreciate the assignment. And hint at what you'd like to do instead. This last step is critical: Give specific examples, like "Keep me in mind for future projects that require a project manager with strong interest in business strategy."

Finally, there will be times when it simply is not possible or politically astute to turn down a stretch assignment, and if that is the case, agree to help out—but seize the moment to negotiate what you want from your next assignment.

Be ruthless—but diplomatic—about negotiating assignments that align with where you want to go next in your career. Otherwise the only stretching you'll be doing is stretching yourself too thin.

4 Times You Should Say No to Additional Responsibilities | The Muse

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CEO of Women's Leadership Coaching, Inc., Jo Miller is creator of the Women's Leadership Coaching® system, a roadmap for women who want to break into leadership. She has traveled in Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East to deliver keynotes and workshops, and counts being the only Aussie women's leadership coach in Iowa among her unique "koalafications." Learn more about Jo's services at Women's Leadership Coaching.

The Muse provides career advice that includes tips on discovering your passion, and finding jobs at inspiring companies that are now hiring. Read more career advice on The Muse:

10 Companies That Are Hiring Like Crazy Right Now
How to Rewire Your Brain to Become More Successful
45 Things You Might Have on Your Resume That Need to Be Removed

Image adapted from Dashikka (Shutterstuck). Photos by Freelancers Union (Flickr), Michael Wifall (Flickr), bHope34 (Flickr), and May F. (Flickr).

Want to see your work on Lifehacker? Email Andy.

The Raspberry Pi foundation has revealed its newest PC, the Model B+, with a number of hardware improvements compared to the old Model B but still keeping its $35 price tag.

The Model B+ has the same processor, software and amount of RAM (512 MB) as the Model B, but contains four USB 2.0 ports instead of just two, and a "push-push" microSD port compared to the full SD card slot. There's also a dedicated power supply for the audio circuit, and the Model B+ uses between 0.5W and 1W less power than before. Its GPIO header has 40 pins compared to 26. All of that new and improved hardware is contained in a more organized form factor.

The Raspberry Pi Model B+ is already on sale but the foundation plans to keep the older B version around "for as long as there's demand for it." What do you think of this new version and do you plan to purchase it?

Source: Raspberry Pi Foundation

Windows: If you've ever used Steam Big Picture on a computer with multiple displays, you probably know the frustration of full screen apps appearing on the wrong screen. TvGameLauncher aims to fix this frustration.

Some applications, when placed into fullscreen mode, will occupy the primary display, even if it was running on the secondary. TvGameLauncher fixes this problem by allowing fullscreen apps to run on the secondary display. This is particularly useful if you need to run something on a display plugged into a laptop, or if you use a regular display paired with a television. It can also be set to darken any displays that are not in use while the full screen app is running.

TvGameLauncher | SourceForge via Ghacks

A paper from University of Kansas economist Koleman Strumpf (whose work we've featured here for years) empirically examines the impact of file-sharing on box-office revenues. Read the rest

The party line from MPs who are being told by their parties to vote in mass-scale, warrantless surveillance powers is that the law doesn't change anything -- it's a lie. Read the rest

As you probably know, Google tracks quite a bit of what you do online. Much of this is to improve your search results or to assist with Google Now. Google's updated Account History page now allows you to "pause" or delete Google's historical information about you.

We've told you how to remove your Google Web History and YouTube History, but Google's Account History combines search history, location history, YouTube searches, and YouTube watch history all in one place. A new feature on this page is the ability to "pause" your history. Google Now uses your history to come up with great suggestions, so being able to tell Google to ignore what you are doing online temporarily lets Now make better inferences.

This feature is slightly different using from a private mode. Pausing your history with Google still allows you to keep a history in your browser and use cookies.

In the Account History page, you can also remove individual items from your history with Google—like a search you'd rather not remember—without clearing the entire Google History.

Account History - Account Settings | Google via Google Operating System

In our podcast Gadgets, I recently reviewed my daughter's rubber band loom. This Monster Tail loom, made by the same folks is a new favorite.

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