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Social media surveillance is legally okay, says British counter-terrorism official

Jun17
by on June 17, 2014 at 1:11 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider

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If you’re opposed to mass surveillance, the plot just thickened. Privacy International reports that a top British counter-terrorism official has revealed a UK Government policy that is used to justify social media snooping within legal parameters. The statement came from Charles Farr, Director General of the Office for Security and Counter Terrorism, who claimed that “the indiscriminate interception of UK residents’ Facebook and Google communications would be permitted under law because they are defined as ‘external communications’,” according to Privacy International, which added: “By defining the use of ‘platforms’ such as Facebook, Twitter and Google as ‘external communications’, British residents…

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Ginger Page wants to improve your written English

Jun17
by on June 17, 2014 at 1:04 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Insider, Product Launches

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Ginger Software, an Isreali startup that focuses on ‘language enhancement software’, has released mobile, Windows and Web apps designed to make it easier to write English correctly. Available today, the Chrome extension, desktop download and mobile apps (Android and iOS) go beyond in-line spell checking to provide users with tools for instantly rephrasing certain words and options for contextual synonyms, translations or definitions – all of which can be very useful, even if English is your first language. In addition to providing these tools out-of-the-box, the company said its software can also learn a user’s writing style and modify suggestions and corrections to accommodate individual style….

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Terrain’s new Android homescreen widget gives you quick access to your favorite apps and services

Jun17
by on June 17, 2014 at 1:00 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Insider

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The Terrain Android homescreen utility is built around the idea that opening 10 apps to see what’s going on in the world is a waste a time. Instead, the information you want is only a flick away. A beta version of the app is currently available in Google Play. The utility places “cards” that include social networks, RSS feeds, weather and other widget-like items in a drawer that can be accessed with a swipe to the right. A swipe to the left presents an alphabetical all app drawer. An up swipe presents a local search. At launch there are cards available from…

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FiftyThree’s Pencil stylus will offer greater control with ‘Surface Pressure’ update for iOS 8

Jun17
by on June 17, 2014 at 1:00 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Gadgets, Product Updates

Surface Pressure
FiftyThree’s Pencil, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) stylus for the iPad, is about to get even closer to the art and writing tool it’s named after. When iOS 8 is released this fall, the New York-based startup will roll out a new software feature called Surface Pressure. In short, the width and ‘character’ of your strikes will vary depending on how you’re holding the stylus. So if you press down with just the tip, you’ll see a thin, delicate line on the screen; conversely, holding Pencil flat, or at an acute angle – so more of the tip is touching the…

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Oyster brings its ‘Netflix for ebooks’ subscription service to Android, Kindle Fire and Nook HD

Jun17
by on June 17, 2014 at 12:00 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Product Launches

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Oyster, often referred to as “the Netflix of ebooks,” is now available for Android devices, Kindle Fire tablets and the Nook HD. It joins the company’s existing iOS app, which the startup has supported since its official launch last fall. The service is targeting serious bookworms in the US with a $9.95 per month, all-you-can-eat subscription service. Unlike Google Play or the iBooks Store – where users pay for titles individually – this set up encourages readers to try ebooks they may have otherwise ignored, as well as ditch those that they may have tried, but ultimately don’t want to persevere with….

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