Twitter isn't quite done refining TweetDeck's interface following recent web and desktop overhauls -- there's still a little tweaking left in store. The company has just updated the Chrome and web versions of its social app with grab handles that let users drag and drop columns at will. It's also easier to jump back to the top of a column when there are unread tweets, and a selected column now snaps to the sidebar when there are fewer than three total columns on the screen. While the fresh interface is web-only for now, those who prefer the native Mac and Windows apps should get matching upgrades in the near future.

Filed under: Internet

Comments

Source: Twitter

Although Google Drive has spread far and wide, its localization hasn't always kept pace. The service just took a few needed strides forward, however, with the addition of 18 new languages. Asia gets the most recognition with support for Hong Kong Chinese, Khmer, Lao, Malaysian, Nepali, Persian, Sinhalese and Urdu. Not that Google is neglecting other corners of the world, mind you: Africa is well covered with the additions of Afrikaans, Amharic, Swahili and Zulu, while Europeans get some TLC through support for Basque, Estonian, Galician and Icelandic. French Canadians and Spanish-speaking Latin Americans get localizations, too. Google Drive still isn't tuned for every language on Earth, but those with cloud storage in Cape Town or Kuala Lumpur should feel at home.

Filed under: Storage, Internet, Google

Comments

Source: Google Drive Blog

Even though scientists created this glorious internet you see before you, current scientific practice is still based more on publishing academic papers than sharing ideas online. As one of the more prominent proponents of the open web, Mozilla stepped in to offer a solution with a new open science initiative called Science Lab. It's designed to bridge the gap between the open web community and researchers so that they can share ideas, tools and best practices on how the web can be used to solve problems and improve research techniques. Led by Kaitlin Thaney, a long-time open science advocate, the Lab will initially focus on bringing digital literacy to the scientific community with the help of Software Carpentry, a program that teaches basic computer skills to researchers. From there, the group hopes to foster a global conversation on how to encourage the use of the web in science. It's great to see that the internet has a lot more to offer the field than just Foursquare check-ins.

[Image credit: Håkan Dahlström, Flickr]

Filed under: Alt

Comments

Source: The Mozilla Blog, Mozilla Science Lab, Kaitlin Thaney

No, we're not joking. Google is seriously proposing hot air ballon-powered internet access, and has already launched a pilot project in New Zealand with 50 testers trying to connect via a helium-filled, solar powered balloon. One of the Google[x] moonshot projects, there are a couple of videos embedded after the break explaining the issue, and the technology Google wants to use to address it. Project Loon's playful logo reflects the custom designed antennas users will use to receive their signal from balloons floating twice as high as commercial airplanes fly. The signal goes from ground based antennas, up to the balloon, which use their high-altitude placement to broadcast much further than other methods. In the future, the company envisions cell phone users connecting to the balloons to extend service where none exists today.

According to Google, in "more than half" of the countries in the southern hemisphere and for two out of three people on earth, internet access is far too expensive. It's trying to set up pilot projects in other countries on the same latitude as New Zealand, so interested 40th parallel south residents should forward this info to the appropriate officials immediately. Meanwhile, curious Kiwis can sign up to take part in the project on its website, or attend the Festival of Flight in Christchurch on Sunday to meet the team and learn more about it.

Update: Check out another video of the launch of the first balloons embedded after the break, shot via Google Glass by Trey Ratcliff and see even more photos on his site Stuck in Customs.

Filed under: Internet, Google

Comments

Source: Google Blog, Project Loon (Google+), Project Loon

Habitual Foursquare users don't have much context for their check-ins -- it's easy for them to track their favorite haunts, but not their long-term trends. The just-launched Foursquare Time Machine could help draw those missing connections, however. Sign in and it creates a map-based timeline of each and every check-in, color-coded by its nature. While the superficial result is a very pretty light cluster, it's surprisingly functional underneath: members can see their exact check-in times, their favorite days of the week and their most active periods. Naturally, there's also an option to share the stats with others. Time Machine is already popular enough that it's struggling to cope with the early demand, but the functioning site should be worth visiting for the (eventual) trip down memory lane.

Filed under: Internet

Comments

Via: Foursquare Blog

Source: Foursquare Time Machine

It's common for Twitter regulars to get a stream of new followers, but it's not always clear why they should follow back -- how do you summarize a person's post history in a few seconds? Twitter wants to solve this by launching its #FollowMe tool. The service uses Vizify to build a short, HTML5-based highlight clip from a person's followers, photos, tweets and Vine videos. Most of the legwork is automatic; users only have to edit the clip if they want to fine-tune the results, and any tweet with the relevant link will show the animation in-line. The #FollowMe rollout won't guarantee any additional popularity in the Twittersphere, but it should at least make for a stronger sales pitch.

Filed under: Internet

Comments

Source: Vizify, Twitter

Pandora has complained for years that royalties for internet-only radio stations are too steep. It may have found an end run around the problem, however: it just bought an FM radio station in South Dakota. The company's Chris Harrison argues that the deal will make ASCAP and music labels offer Pandora the same songwriting licenses that they do to rivals like iHeartRadio, which allegedly gets better terms through its traditional broadcasting roots. Opponents argue that Pandora is simply trying to dodge fair compensation through the buyout, although the streaming service claims to have been forced into more than one unfair rate hike with current licensing. Whatever the truth, Pandora is racing against the clock -- competition won't get any easier when built-in services like iTunes Radio are on the way.

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Internet

Comments

Source: The Hill (1), (2)

I've traveled to remote islands in the South Pacific where wireless internet is proving to be the go-to technology for broadband, and increasingly, it's looking as if tether-less connections will be what brings millions upon millions of Africans online. Google's own Eric Schmidt has confessed as recently as March that the most exciting part of the web's future isn't any one technology or product, but the "next five billion people looking to get connected." So, it figures that Google was a major constituent at the recent TV White Spaces & Dynamic Spectrum Africa Forum in Dakar, Senegal. It -- along with 15 African nations, Microsoft, the Association for Progressive Communications, Afrinic and others -- recently convened in order to discuss the opportunities that are currently facing the continent. Indeed, the fact that there is over 90MHz available in Dakar alone to be used for wireless broadband deployment puts Africa in a unique spot -- one of the most disconnected regions of our planet could become a pioneer in bringing the next wave of humans online.

ICASA, the South African regulator, will reportedly use various trial outcomes to evaluate possible rules for use of the TV white spaces. And, as Steve Song of Village Telco points out, it's pretty astounding to have Microsoft and Google working in some fashion towards a similar goal. As it stands, a lot has to happen -- final standards have to be agreed upon, equipment makers have to decide that it's a profitable enterprise, and individual nations have to place a high priority on getting their populations connected. That said, the amount of momentum that's already happening is supremely compelling, and I'm hoping to report back in the coming months on how a smattering of these very trials are impacting communities across Africa right now. Stay tuned!

Filed under: Wireless, Internet

Comments

Source: Official Google.org Blog, Many Possibilities

Microsoft wants Bing Desktop to transcend the limits of web-based search, and that's especially clear with a newly posted app update -- it's all about doing what most browsers can't. The software brings inline searching that lets users run Bing queries on websites, PDFs and Word files just by selecting text. Newshounds also don't have to wade into every article now that there's both at-a-glance previews and a trending stories section. We suspect most users won't mind the real-time weather forecasts and live Facebook notifications, either. Existing Bing Destkop users should automatically receive the new features in the days ahead, but those who refuse to wait can grab the upgrade straight from the source.

Filed under: Internet, Software, Microsoft, Facebook

Comments

Via: Bing Search Blog

Source: Bing

These days, the danger of a stolen PC resides less in local files and more in cloud access -- presumably, no one wants to share their online storage with a thief. SugarSync's paid subscribers won't have to worry, as the company just rolled out a remote wipe option. Customers now just have to sign in through the web to purge a Mac or Windows system of both its shared files and any active logins. A wipe target doesn't have to be online when the purge starts, either. The new failsafe won't help if an evildoer moves data elsewhere, but we'll gladly take what extra security we can get.

Filed under: Storage, Internet

Comments

Via: Computerworld

Source: SugarSync

Snapchat is reportedly one of the biggest media sharing services outside of Facebook, so it's only fitting that the service's iOS app just got an equally big update. The 5.0 revamp switches to a cleaner, swipe-driven control scheme that leaves more room for all those short-lived pictures. It's likewise possible to peek at profiles within the app, reply through a double-tap and send images to address book contacts. We don't know if the new Snapchat will be enough to make Facebook worry about its sharing supremacy -- again, that is -- but it's likely worth hitting the source link for the update.

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile

Comments

Source: App Store

When you're reading angry tweets about dropping to 3G in an LTE dead zone, it's easy to forget that for some people, getting online isn't even an option. In Cuba, internet access is extremely limited and out of financial reach for most, but news early this year of an undersea cable to Venezuela suggested the country might, with time, become better connected. As it turns out, that link has already made something of an impact, as the Associated Press is reporting that 118 government-run centers where one can swap cash for web time have just opened.

That doesn't mean all Cubans will be able to while away hours on YouTube from now on, though, as the cost of full access at one of these centers is $4.50 per hour, or in other words, roughly a quarter of the average monthly wage (AP pegs a typical salary at around $20 per month). We guess really expensive internet is better than none, and if Cuba's vice minister of communications Wilfredo Gonzalez is to be believed, mobile internet is said to be arriving in "a relatively near future."

[Image credit: Franklin Reyes, Associated Press]

Filed under: Internet

Comments

Via: CNET

Source: Associated Press

It's been a few years since we've heard about O3b's mission to provide affordable internet access where it's not currently available, and for a while we thought we'd never see it happen. Thankfully, the company's plans didn't fall by the wayside: O3b is finally slated to launch its first four satellites on June 24, with the next four shooting into orbit sometime in September. The company aims to send a total of 16 medium-earth orbit (MEO) satellites to space that small ISPs in Latin America, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, and Africa can tap into. Once they're operational, O3b claims the previously unconnected can experience max download speeds of up to 1.2Gbps, giving Google Fiber a run for its money. The satellites will begin their journey from French Guiana, but you don't need to fly there to be part of the event -- just kick back and monitor it live online via Ariane Space.

[Thanks, Vicki]

Filed under: Internet

Comments

Cloud storage from the likes of Dropbox and Google is all well and good, but let's face it -- many of our friends won't venture far beyond Facebook. Thankfully, Pipe is about to publicly launch a file transfer service built with them in mind. The company's namesake Facebook tool lets socialites send files without dedicated apps, and automatically picks a method depending on whether or not both contacts are online. If they are, they can send files up to 1GB through a peer-to-peer link; a locker will also hold on to as much as 100MB if the recipient isn't ready and waiting. Pipe doesn't go live until mid-day on June 5th, but those who want to share more on Facebook than their memories can get a heads-up on availability at the source link.

Filed under: Storage, Internet, Facebook

Comments

Via: GigaOM

Source: Pipe

The European Union has only taken baby steps toward proper net neutrality legislation so far. Today, however, the European Commission's Neelie Kroes just gave the first glimpse of what those continent-wide rules could look like. Her proposals would let companies prioritize traffic, but not block or throttle it. The measures would also prevent gotchas once customers have signed on the dotted line: internet providers would not only have to offer clear terms of service, but make it easier to jump ship for something better. There are concerns that the proposals would let providers favor their own services, but Kroes also makes no arbitrary distinctions (and thus exemptions) between wired and wireless networks, like we've seen in the US -- can we get these rules elsewhere, please?

[Image credit: The Council of the European Union]

Filed under: Wireless, Networking, Internet

Comments

Via: GigaOM

Source: European Union

When Camino's web browser launched in February 2002 as Chimera, it rescued many Mac users caught between a dying Internet Explorer and the distant launches of Firefox (Phoenix) and Safari. It's unfortunate, then, that the Camino team has just laid their once-heroic browser to rest. There's little surprise as to why, though: Camino hasn't been keeping pace with its rivals, which makes it both obsolete and a security risk. We won't mourn when there's now an abundance of alternatives, but we'll certainly pay our last respects.

Filed under: Internet, Software

Comments

Via: TUAW

Source: Camino

Who knew that tighter security was all the rage these days? Following Dropbox, Google and virtually everyone else, LinkedIn has joined the trendy (if smart) ranks of those offering two-factor authentication as an option. Switch it on and you'll have to enter a verification code delivered by SMS before you can log in with a device that LinkedIn doesn't recognize. That's all there is to the process, really, but it may be enough to prevent ne'er-do-wells from messing with your CV.

Filed under: Internet

Comments

Via: The Next Web

Source: LinkedIn

Opera for desktops may be a couple of steps behind the recently finalized Android version, but it's coming along nicely. A preview build of the now WebKit-based browser (or, technically, Blink-based) is available to try on Windows and Mac with a bunch of features which in some ways look similar to other browsers and add-ons, but which also do things a bit differently:

• Speed Dial -- a home tab that brings large tiles and folders for quick access to favorite sites
• Stash -- a web clipping tool that follows a similar big-tile aesthetic (shown above)
• Smartbox -- a search box that not only predicts what you're looking for but also offers to hunt for it on different search engines, such as Google or Twitter.

Filed under: Desktops, Internet, Software

Comments

Source: Opera Next for Windows, Opera Next for Mac, Opera Mail

Google's Street View Trekker has already captured some dramatic scenery in its young life, but we haven't seen it venture far beyond US borders. The company is making up for that in style through its recently completed image-gathering expedition to the Galapagos Islands. The visit will produce 360-degree shots of 10 representative areas chosen by the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galapagos National Parks Directorate. There's more involved than just stunning Google Maps imagery, however: the panoramas will help document any threats to the local climate and wildlife. While we'll only see the results of the Galapagos trip later this year, it's good to know that they should help both humans and slow-moving reptiles in equal measure.

Filed under: Internet, Google

Comments

Source: Google Official Blog

With Hong Kong boasting pretty much the fastest average internet speed on this planet, it's no surprise that the city is also one of the first to launch commercial 150 Mbps LTE Cat 4 service -- just right after SingTel's launch in Singapore earlier this month. Announced yesterday by CSL (who operates both one2free and the more premium 1010), its FD-LTE network takes advantage of the recently acquired 5MHz extended spectrum, in order to increase the capacity of 2600MHz from 2 x 15MHz to 2 x 20MHz. This upgrade is what enables Cat 4 download speed of up to 150Mbps on compatible devices, and it went live yesterday.

The company's 1800MHz spectrum will also get an upgrade from 2 x 10MHz to 2 x 15MHz in June, followed by another jump to 2 x 20MHz towards the end of the year. You'll find a live demo video (courtesy of RingHK) showing the performance difference between Cat 3 and Cat 4 after the break, with CTO Christian Daigneault claiming he's seen a speed increase of up to twice as fast in the lab.

Filed under: Wireless

Comments

Source: Engadget Chinese, RingHK (Chinese), Huawei

Google Ventures has a reputation for backing tech winners early on -- it gave a boost to this little startup called Nest, for example. It wants to exert influence every step of the way, however, and it's launching Google Capital to make this happen. The new fund is investing in firms that aren't quite so young, but are doing "amazing things" aligned with Google's interests, according to general partner Mike Pearson. While Google Capital won't make its formal debut until the summer, it has already invested in three unnamed companies; we wouldn't be surprised if we learn a lot more about the fund a few months' time.

Filed under: Internet, Google

Comments

Source: PCWorld

Speed. It's a movie. It's a drug. And it's also something that throngs of internet users the world over cannot get enough of. Thankfully, the wizards at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics and the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology have figured out a way to satisfy the unsatisfiable, announcing this week a world record in the area of wireless data transmission. Researchers were able to achieve 40Gbit/sec at 240GHz over a distance of one kilometer, essentially matching the capacity of optical fiber... but, you know, without the actual tether.

The goal here, of course, isn't to lower your ping times beyond where they are already; it's to give rural communities across the globe a decent shot at enjoying broadband. Distances of over one kilometer have already been covered by using a long range demonstrator, which the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology set up between two skyscrapers as part of the project "Millilink". There's no clear word on when the findings will be ported over to the commercial realm, but given the traction we're seeing in the white spaces arena, we doubt you'll have to wait long.

Filed under: Science, Internet

Comments

Via: Physorg

Source: Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics

Though Mozilla has long been a proponent of WebRTC for plugin-free video and voice chat, it hasn't been ready to enable the full protocol in Firefox as a matter of course. It's more confident as of this week: the newly available Firefox 22 beta turns on complete WebRTC use by default, allowing for both live web conversations and peer-to-peer file swaps. There's more to the release as well, depending on the platform. Windows users receive support for HiDPI displays, like that of the Kirabook; every desktop user also gets gaming-friendly OdinMonkey JavaScript tuning, a web notification API and a font inspector. Android users won't have WebRTC and other upgrades for now, but everyone can experiment with the latest Firefox beta at the source links.

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Software

Comments

Via: Mozilla (1), (2)

Source: Firefox Beta, Google Play

Despite being one of the hotter social networks, Pinterest hasn't been on the cutting edge of sharing: members wanting to send their pins through official channels have had to use old-fashioned email. The service is catching up to the modern era in style, however, with a new option to send pins directly to friends through Pinterest's mobile and web apps. While email is still hanging around, both ends now just have to be mutual followers on Facebook or Pinterest for the magic to happen. Sharers will also receive any adulation (or criticism) right away -- comments, likes and repins on those items will appear as notifications. It will take weeks to fully deploy the direct sending feature, but it shouldn't be long before everyone is on the same page.

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Facebook

Comments

Via: CNET

Source: Pinterest

ViaSat-1 recently earned a Guinness World Record as the highest-capacity satellite in (or out of) the world, but it may need to hand off that title come 2016. ViaSat-2, the company's next-gen bird, will double the capacity of its predecessor while also extending coverage to a larger portion of North America, Central America and the Caribbean, along with the aviation and shipping routes between the East Coast and Europe. Boeing will manufacture the new equipment, which will be based on the 702HP satellite platform. Once in orbit, ViaSat-2 will serve residential customers, air travelers and government agencies alike, with a massive seven-fold increase in coverage. There aren't many details beyond that, but you're welcome to dig through the press release, posted right after the break.

Filed under: Wireless, Science, Internet

Comments