It has been said by Microsoft officials that on October 25th Microsoft will be launching its new Windows 8 operating system. There is no specifics on the launch party as of yet other than it will be held in New York City. There is also talk of a store for Microsoft opening in Manhattan this fall. Microsoft will be launching not only Windows 8 but the Surface RT tablets on October 26th. Just a day after the launch of the OS. Microsoft seems to enjoy making a splash in New York City as they have had launch parties for Windows XP, Vista and 7 all in New York City.
The Dropbox application for iOS is getting more social after an update. The app now has options to be able to share content to Twitter and Facebook and will now also support AirPrint. Before the sharing options were very limited, to just email and copy to clipboard but now with this update you can post to Twitter or Facebook without a problem. This new update is only available at the moment on the iOS platform but should be coming to Android shortly. The AirPrint is also a very nice feature. So the app is available now on the app store and if you already have dropbox make sure to look for an update.
The FBI has a $1 billion budget for its newest venture, which is using facial recognition technology to fight crime. Named the Next Generation Identification (NGI) project, it has already been approved in some states, and is expected to go nationwide by 2014, according to NewScientist.
NGI improvements and new capabilities are slated to be introduced in a phased rollout across many years. The system will offer ?state-of-the-art biometric identification services? and give a ?flexible framework of core capabilities that will serve as a platform for multimodal functionality.? The company behind it all is Lockheed Martin Transportation and Security Solutions, which the bureau states, won a multi-million dollar contract that consists of a base year and the potential for up to nine more years.
Here?s an excerpt from the project description worth emphasizing:
?The NGI Program Office mission is to reduce terrorist and criminal activities by improving and expanding biometric identification and criminal history information services through research, evaluation, and implementation of advanced technology within the IAFIS environment.
Its goals are as follows:
? Public Safety and National Security
? Biometric Leadership
? Efficiency Improvements
? Privacy and Data Protection
? Smooth Transition?
It looks as if the FBI wants to give law enforcement officials somewhere to put all those mugshots they have collected so they can pick you out from a crowd. The idea is to have agents compare images obtained from public cameras to the FBI?s database of criminals, or use an image of a suspect and compare it to the FBI?s repository of public images to look for leads. This project seems to be an expansion of the FBI?s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) services.
Details on how this will actually work exactly are unknown. The algorithm driving the technology will be a huge issue in the coming years: the agency will want to keep it under wraps, while the public, or at least privacy advocates, will want it exposed.
Speaking of privacy, here?s what the project page has to say on that:
?Privacy considerations have been built into NGI. NGI developed a privacy threshold analysis in June 2006. A Privacy Impact Assessment for the Interstate Photo System has been completed to assess NGI compliance with the Privacy Act. The System of Records Notice is being updated to reflect NGI capabilities. NGI also has continued involvement with the CJIS Advisory Policy Board and the Compact Council.?
The FBI says this is legal. The biggest worry, however, is how this will affect the public at large given that facial recognition technology is basically one massive trial and error test. What happens to all the images of people who are caught on camera but found to be innocent? This will be very interesting indeed.
With Apple?s release of iOS 6 you can expect companies such as Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and undoubtedly other carriers to be supporting Passbook?s mobile boarding pass functionality at launch or soon thereafter.
With Passbook, you are able to scan your iPhone or iPod as mobile boarding passes at airport gates for airlines that support the feature. Passbook would even automatically display the boarding pass when you arrive at the airport. Which is pretty cool if you ask me.
A spokesperson for American Airlines reveals it will be ?rolling out an app update in the coming weeks in support of Passbook. In the meantime, customers can still access their mobile boarding passes in the current version of American?s mobile app.?
Delta and other airlines have not officially commented on the situation as of yet.
However, United?s logo is used in Apple?s photos depicting Passbook so it wouldn?t be a big shock if United is on board.
On the rail front, Amtrak?s logo is in Apple?s Passbook pics, as well.
There are some various reports stating that Virgin Australia is already supporting Passbook, which also stores movie tickets, loyalty cards and coupons, in addition to mobile boarding passes.
A Virgin Australia passenger was running a developers? preview version of iOS 6 on his iPhone, and Passbook detected his airline boarding pass and asked whether he wanted to store it in Passbook, Australian Business Traveler reports.
Passbook?s location-based features are geared to surface your mobile boarding passes when you reach the airport so there would be no fumbling around trying to dig out your boarding pass from some long-forgotten email.
?And if your gate changes after you?ve checked in for your flight, Passbook will even alert you to make sure you?re not relaxing in the wrong terminal,? Apple states.
Some airlines might still be uncomfortable about Apple inserting itself with Passbook into the passenger-carrier relationship, but the early signs from American, Delta and Virgin Australia, at least, are that the advantages may outweigh such concerns.
Apple?s next new iPhone will work on the fastest wireless networks around the world which is including the U.S., Europe and Asia, though it is unlikely to be available on every carrier, people familiar with the matter said.
The technical compatibility with so-called LTE networks removes a competitive danger for Apple and gives carriers the chance to sell their fastest data services to Apple’s base of iPhone customers.
Smartphone makers, including market leader have begun offering LTE phones globally. That has given them a selling point that so far Apple has not had.
Many wireless carriers are eager to drive more customers to their networks, which are more efficient and could spur faster growth in data revenue by making it easier for consumers to use services like streaming video.
Apple is expected to show off its latest iPhone, which will also have a slightly larger screen, at a press event in San Francisco on Sept. 12. Many analysts have widely expected that the new phone will support LTE.
It isn’t likely to work with all carriers’ LTE networks in all countries, the people said, though it wasn’t clear which would be left out. If I had to speculate on this however I would say that Verizon and AT&T will be the globally used iPhones and that companies like Tmobile and Sprint will have the iPhone but it will not be global. Just makes sense that top two would have the top type phones.
If you are unhappy with the Special Offers on the Kindle Fire HD, Amazon has announced that they will allow users to pay $15 to opt-out of the ads for the life of the device.
An Amazon spokesperson wrote:.
“We know from our Kindle reader line that customers love our special offers and very few people choose to opt out. We?re happy to offer customers the choice.
The $15 is a one-time payment for owners of the Kindle Fire HD. This will remove ads from the lock screen and from the bottom of the screen in many instances.”
Amazon first announced special offers with the e-ink Kindle and owners could opt out for $30 on the original model.
There was a minor consumer and pundit outcry when users learned they couldn?t remove the special offers. This no doubt was in place to keep the cost of the Kindle HD down but it is interesting that they would not just add into the price of the purchase because who wants ads anyways and for an extra $15 why not?
