The 404 1,054: Where we're gonna need to see some ID (podcast)
This Friday, 25 bars and restaurants around the San Francisco Bay Area will adopt Scenetap, a social analytics app that uses facial recognition technology to gather real-time data on customer relations and crowd sizes. Don't worry, the cameras only analyze facial features to determine approximate age and gender of clients entering the bars, and the restaurants swear that they won't upload videos of patrons stumbling out and doing whatever people do outside of bars at 4 a.m.Today we'll also tell you about a new project from Disney called Touche that can turn anything into a button using a single electrical wire and a wireless connection back to a controller. This new device is still in testing, but soon you'll be able to effortlessly automate all the functions in your house, from doorknobs to couch cushions and even underwater. This is not the same thing as the The Clapper.Finally, we're warning all our young listeners about their long-banged hairstyles -- according to optometrist Andrew Hogan, young chaps with "emo" hair are at a higher risk of developing Amblyopia, commonly known as a "lazy eye." It's all blamed on the long, sweeping bangs that have a tendency to obstruct view in one eye that can lead to stunted visual developments, so either cut your hair or harness the power of the head-shake-bang-straightener.Video Voicemail: Matt honks his hornThis content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayEpisode 1,054Listen nowYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video  Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff Bakalar
iTunes tip- Organize your music for better Cover Flow
iTunes tip: Organize your music for better Cover Flow
There are three things that you should check for:The Album Name differs slightly. This is particularly possible if your main way of acquiring music is not via the iTunes Music Store or another online retailer or by ripping compact discs. Downloaded music can often have incomplete or funky information in the fields that iTunes reads. Make sure there are no extra spaces, including a space before the Album Name, and that all the capitalization and spellings are exactly the same. To be sure, users can access the info pane in iTunes and copy/paste the Album Name to each song in the album or select each track in the album and edit them all with the Multiple Item Information pane (below).The songs of an album have different artists. Many albums are compilations of performances by several artists. Sometimes iTunes will split the album up between the artists instead of linking them all together. To alleviate this problem, select each song in the album, access the Multiple Item Information pane in iTunes, and check the box for "Part of a Compilation." Choose "Yes" from the drop-down menu.AppleThe Album Artist field is different. The Album Artist field is an optional field that allows you to organize an album that contains several contributing artists by the main artist's name. If you're unsure which artist you should put in this field, you can leave it blank and follow the compilation method above to keep all the songs in the same album.Once you've made the changes to your iTunes Library, sync your Apple mobile device and the changes should show up, making your listening experience much more enjoyable. If you upkeep your iTunes Library often, tasks like this won't seem as daunting, and you'll have much more power when sorting and organizing your media.How do you keep your iTunes Library in order? Let me know your methods in the comments!
There are three things that you should check for:The Album Name differs slightly. This is particularly possible if your main way of acquiring music is not via the iTunes Music Store or another online retailer or by ripping compact discs. Downloaded music can often have incomplete or funky information in the fields that iTunes reads. Make sure there are no extra spaces, including a space before the Album Name, and that all the capitalization and spellings are exactly the same. To be sure, users can access the info pane in iTunes and copy/paste the Album Name to each song in the album or select each track in the album and edit them all with the Multiple Item Information pane (below).The songs of an album have different artists. Many albums are compilations of performances by several artists. Sometimes iTunes will split the album up between the artists instead of linking them all together. To alleviate this problem, select each song in the album, access the Multiple Item Information pane in iTunes, and check the box for "Part of a Compilation." Choose "Yes" from the drop-down menu.AppleThe Album Artist field is different. The Album Artist field is an optional field that allows you to organize an album that contains several contributing artists by the main artist's name. If you're unsure which artist you should put in this field, you can leave it blank and follow the compilation method above to keep all the songs in the same album.Once you've made the changes to your iTunes Library, sync your Apple mobile device and the changes should show up, making your listening experience much more enjoyable. If you upkeep your iTunes Library often, tasks like this won't seem as daunting, and you'll have much more power when sorting and organizing your media.How do you keep your iTunes Library in order? Let me know your methods in the comments!
Apple's ginormous iPad prototype kept out of trial
Apple's ginormous iPad prototype kept out of trial
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- One of the first iPad prototypes will not be used as evidence in the trial between Apple and Samsung, despite it having been shown to jurors.In a ruling near the end of the court session here today, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh said that Samsung could not use the tablet, which cropped up in a pile of new evidence last month, to help show differences in what Apple originally envisioned for its patented tablet design, and what it eventually shipped.The design patent, called the '889 patent in the case between the two tech giants, depicts a rectangular tablet device. So far Apple says that has become the look of the iPad 2 and beyond, but that some of its subtleties -- like round corners, unibody back, and bezeled glass -- applied to the first-generation iPad as well.A drawing of what a tablet looks like in action in Apple's '889 design patent.Apple / U.S. Patent and Trademark OfficeIn early court filings, Samsung argued that the differences were more broad, pointing to an early prototype of the iPad, dubbed the 035 model (pictured above), which looked more like the thick lid of one of the company's plastic MacBook laptops.Despite Koh's decision, today was the second time the 035 prototype has been shown to jurors during this trial. Samsung's attorneys held it up during the company's opening statements last week, and once again today before Apple's attorneys took offense to its presentation, calling it an "ambush" during the tail end of industrial design expert witness Peter Bressler's testimony.The trial continues tomorrow, with the expected testimony of early Apple designer Susan Kare, who is perhaps best known for creating the initial set of icons for the first Mac.
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- One of the first iPad prototypes will not be used as evidence in the trial between Apple and Samsung, despite it having been shown to jurors.In a ruling near the end of the court session here today, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh said that Samsung could not use the tablet, which cropped up in a pile of new evidence last month, to help show differences in what Apple originally envisioned for its patented tablet design, and what it eventually shipped.The design patent, called the '889 patent in the case between the two tech giants, depicts a rectangular tablet device. So far Apple says that has become the look of the iPad 2 and beyond, but that some of its subtleties -- like round corners, unibody back, and bezeled glass -- applied to the first-generation iPad as well.A drawing of what a tablet looks like in action in Apple's '889 design patent.Apple / U.S. Patent and Trademark OfficeIn early court filings, Samsung argued that the differences were more broad, pointing to an early prototype of the iPad, dubbed the 035 model (pictured above), which looked more like the thick lid of one of the company's plastic MacBook laptops.Despite Koh's decision, today was the second time the 035 prototype has been shown to jurors during this trial. Samsung's attorneys held it up during the company's opening statements last week, and once again today before Apple's attorneys took offense to its presentation, calling it an "ambush" during the tail end of industrial design expert witness Peter Bressler's testimony.The trial continues tomorrow, with the expected testimony of early Apple designer Susan Kare, who is perhaps best known for creating the initial set of icons for the first Mac.
Apple's giant data center pops up on Google, Bing
Apple's giant data center pops up on Google, Bing
Apple's 500,000-square-foot behemoth of a data center in Maiden, N.C., is now ready to have eyes laid on it. Satellite eyes that is.As picked up by Fortune this morning, Apple's data center--which the company said would go live in the spring--now appears in Google Maps (map), having previously shown up as a large patch of empty land. Of course all the exciting bits are inside, including what has been estimatedto be capacity for 95,000 to 120,000 servers. While the satellite imagery has been updated, Google's Street View has not. Entering into Street View on the road just outside the facility yields a nice view of a large, open field. Microsoft's Bing Maps also has satellite imagery (map), which has more cars in the parking lot, but appears to have been taken earlier than Google's based on the progress of nearby construction:The same data center seen through Microsoft's Bing Maps.MicrosoftAlong with its existing facility in Newark, Calif., Apple reportedlysigned a seven-year lease with DuPont Fabros Technology earlier this year for approximately 11,000 square feet of data center space in DuPont Fabros' Santa Clara, Calif., facilities. That data center would reportedly go live later this year. Apple said yesterday that it will be taking the wraps off iCloud at its Worldwide Developers Conference, which kicks off next week. So far it's only been described as a "cloud services offering," though signs have hinted that it will be anything from a digital storage locker to a subscription service for music and movies. Apple's data center efforts are expected to be tied closely to that effort, along with the company's advertising and voice services.Updated at 1:18 p.m. to correct time differences between the Google and Bing images.
Apple's 500,000-square-foot behemoth of a data center in Maiden, N.C., is now ready to have eyes laid on it. Satellite eyes that is.As picked up by Fortune this morning, Apple's data center--which the company said would go live in the spring--now appears in Google Maps (map), having previously shown up as a large patch of empty land. Of course all the exciting bits are inside, including what has been estimatedto be capacity for 95,000 to 120,000 servers. While the satellite imagery has been updated, Google's Street View has not. Entering into Street View on the road just outside the facility yields a nice view of a large, open field. Microsoft's Bing Maps also has satellite imagery (map), which has more cars in the parking lot, but appears to have been taken earlier than Google's based on the progress of nearby construction:The same data center seen through Microsoft's Bing Maps.MicrosoftAlong with its existing facility in Newark, Calif., Apple reportedlysigned a seven-year lease with DuPont Fabros Technology earlier this year for approximately 11,000 square feet of data center space in DuPont Fabros' Santa Clara, Calif., facilities. That data center would reportedly go live later this year. Apple said yesterday that it will be taking the wraps off iCloud at its Worldwide Developers Conference, which kicks off next week. So far it's only been described as a "cloud services offering," though signs have hinted that it will be anything from a digital storage locker to a subscription service for music and movies. Apple's data center efforts are expected to be tied closely to that effort, along with the company's advertising and voice services.Updated at 1:18 p.m. to correct time differences between the Google and Bing images.
Apple's founding contract to be auctioned off
Apple's founding contract to be auctioned off
The paper contract that marked the legal beginnings of Apple goes on sale next month.Bloomberg reported today that Sotheby's is selling the document at its Fine Books and Manuscripts auction on December 13. The item is estimated to sell for anywhere between $100,000 and $150,000, Sotheby's said in a release (PDF) announcing the sale. The three-page document is signed by Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs, and Ronald Wayne. Wayne famously decided to walk away from his 10 percent share of the company in return for $2,300 split up between two payments. Before that happened though, he offered to draft the original letter, which Sotheby's notes is filled with "legal jargon." The document, dated April 1, 1976, changed hands twice since their original signing, Bloomberg says. A manuscript dealer purchased it from Wayne, then sold it in the mid-1990s to the owner who's put the document up for auction. Along with the original contract, the lot being sold includes an amendment noting Wayne's withdrawal as a partner in the venture (seen in the photo above).The sale follows the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in early October, who stepped down as the company's CEO in August. During Jobs' second stint at Apple, following his return after being ousted in 1985, the company went on to become immensely profitable. Apple surpassed Exxon Mobil as the most valuable company by market capitalization earlier this year, a spot that Exxon has taken back following a decline in Apple's stock price during the past two months. Along with the contract, Sotheby's is also selling three of Andy Warhol's self-published books, and letters from George Washington and Vincent Van Gogh as part of its auction.The signatures of Wozniak, Jobs, and Wayne in the 1976 contractSotheby's
The paper contract that marked the legal beginnings of Apple goes on sale next month.Bloomberg reported today that Sotheby's is selling the document at its Fine Books and Manuscripts auction on December 13. The item is estimated to sell for anywhere between $100,000 and $150,000, Sotheby's said in a release (PDF) announcing the sale. The three-page document is signed by Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs, and Ronald Wayne. Wayne famously decided to walk away from his 10 percent share of the company in return for $2,300 split up between two payments. Before that happened though, he offered to draft the original letter, which Sotheby's notes is filled with "legal jargon." The document, dated April 1, 1976, changed hands twice since their original signing, Bloomberg says. A manuscript dealer purchased it from Wayne, then sold it in the mid-1990s to the owner who's put the document up for auction. Along with the original contract, the lot being sold includes an amendment noting Wayne's withdrawal as a partner in the venture (seen in the photo above).The sale follows the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in early October, who stepped down as the company's CEO in August. During Jobs' second stint at Apple, following his return after being ousted in 1985, the company went on to become immensely profitable. Apple surpassed Exxon Mobil as the most valuable company by market capitalization earlier this year, a spot that Exxon has taken back following a decline in Apple's stock price during the past two months. Along with the contract, Sotheby's is also selling three of Andy Warhol's self-published books, and letters from George Washington and Vincent Van Gogh as part of its auction.The signatures of Wozniak, Jobs, and Wayne in the 1976 contractSotheby's
Apple's Flashback malware remover now live
Apple's Flashback malware remover now live
Apple this afternoon released an integrated tool to remove Flashback, malware designed to steal user information that was estimated to be present in more than half a million machines just last week.The tool, which was made available as part of a security update to Java today, comes two days after Apple said it was working on an automated way for users to remove the infection. Flashback is a form of malware designed to grab passwords and other information from users through their Web browser and other applications. A user typically mistakes it for a legitimate browser plug-in while visiting a malicious Web site. At that point, the software installs code designed to gather personal information and send it back to remote servers. In its most recent incarnations, the software can install itself without user interaction.According to Apple, the new tool removes "the most common variants" of the malware, as well as turning off automatic execution of Java applets on Web pages. After being discovered by Russian antivirus company Dr. Web earlier this month, several security firms -- including Kaspersky and Symantec -- verified its prevalence, while noting that infections have been in a decline. Yesterday Symantec estimated around 270,000 machines to be infected with the malware worldwide, down from an estimate of more than 600,000 counted last week. Related storiesMac Flashback malware: What it is and how to get rid of it (FAQ)How to remove the Flashback malware from OS XSymantec cuts Flashback infection estimates in halfApple's removal tool joins a small number of other solutions created to detect and remove the malware. Yesterday F-Secure released a small piece of software that makes use of AppleScript to detect it and make any necessary repairs, with Symantec rolling out its own such tool today, just ahead of Apple's. Kaspersky Lab, which was the first company to verify Dr. Web's infection numbers, introduced one of the first automated removal tools last week.Updated at 3:28 p.m. PT to note that infection numbers were estimates.
Apple this afternoon released an integrated tool to remove Flashback, malware designed to steal user information that was estimated to be present in more than half a million machines just last week.The tool, which was made available as part of a security update to Java today, comes two days after Apple said it was working on an automated way for users to remove the infection. Flashback is a form of malware designed to grab passwords and other information from users through their Web browser and other applications. A user typically mistakes it for a legitimate browser plug-in while visiting a malicious Web site. At that point, the software installs code designed to gather personal information and send it back to remote servers. In its most recent incarnations, the software can install itself without user interaction.According to Apple, the new tool removes "the most common variants" of the malware, as well as turning off automatic execution of Java applets on Web pages. After being discovered by Russian antivirus company Dr. Web earlier this month, several security firms -- including Kaspersky and Symantec -- verified its prevalence, while noting that infections have been in a decline. Yesterday Symantec estimated around 270,000 machines to be infected with the malware worldwide, down from an estimate of more than 600,000 counted last week. Related storiesMac Flashback malware: What it is and how to get rid of it (FAQ)How to remove the Flashback malware from OS XSymantec cuts Flashback infection estimates in halfApple's removal tool joins a small number of other solutions created to detect and remove the malware. Yesterday F-Secure released a small piece of software that makes use of AppleScript to detect it and make any necessary repairs, with Symantec rolling out its own such tool today, just ahead of Apple's. Kaspersky Lab, which was the first company to verify Dr. Web's infection numbers, introduced one of the first automated removal tools last week.Updated at 3:28 p.m. PT to note that infection numbers were estimates.
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