iPhone 6 bending

Apple's new iPhone 6 Plus model, which went on sale Friday, has faced criticism from some customers who say the phone has bent in their pocket. Getty Images

Apple Inc. AAPL +2.16% on Thursday defended against reports that its largest iPhone bends easily in people's pockets, saying warping is "extremely rare" through normal use.

Since going on sale Friday, Apple said only nine customers have contacted the company about a bent iPhone 6 Plus—the larger and more expensive of its two new iPhones. Apple said both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus passed a series of tests meant to check the products' strength and durability through everyday use.

The company said the new iPhones are made from a custom grade of anodized aluminum, which is tempered for extra strength. Apple said the phones also feature stainless steel and titanium inserts to reinforce high-stress locations.

Apple is addressing reports that the new iPhone 6 Plus was bending when people sat with the phone in their pockets. Videos of people bending the jumbo-sized iPhone with their hands quickly made the rounds on social media.

Read More

• Apple Releases iOS 8.0.2 Update Promising Fix
• #Bendgate: Five Durability Tests Apple Used
• Apple Stock Gets Bent
• Can iPhone 6 Plus Users Bend It? (Sept. 24)
• Apple Pulls iOS Software Update (Sept. 24)
• Apple Sells Over 10 Million New iPhones in First Weekend (Sept. 22)
• iPhone 6 Is the Most Durable iPhone Yet, Says Insurer (Sept. 22)

The company's response differs from the apology it provided on Wednesday afteryanking a software update on Wednesday, because of complaints from users that the new version of its operating system was disrupting cellular connectivity and disabling the TouchID fingerprint reader for unlocking the device.

Apple apologized for causing a "great inconvenience" to users. On Thursday, Apple released a new update of its iOS 8 software designed to fix those issues and a variety of other problems. The company said its latest update also corrects a bug that affected apps working with Apple's HealthKit repository for health and fitness data, a much-anticipated new feature of its operating system. Apple noted that less than 40,000 iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus devices were affected by the faulty software during the one hour that Apple had released the update.

In the past, Apple has sometimes remained defiant against customer complaints about a new product. Most famously in 2010 when it introduced the iPhone 4, then-CEOSteve Jobs struck back at complaints that the phone had a flawed antenna design, causing connection problems. He said the complaints were blown out of proportion and mocked the media frenzy as "antennagate." For the past two days, "#bendgate" has been a trending topic on Twitter.

Apple pointed to five different tests that new iPhones go through in the development process, including what is known as "pressure point cycling test" when it applies substantial force on the display and enclosure hundreds of times while the phone is held by the sides. Apple said this process bends the enclosure repeatedly to ensure that the iPhone can be bent and pressed at reasonable force throughout its life.

Another test, according to Apple, is called the "sit test." This test simulates sitting on a hard surface with the phone in the back pocket of a pair of tight jeans. Apple said it runs the phones through thousands of cycles testing the phone in different positions.

The iPhone 6 Plus with a 5.5-inch display measured diagonally is the largest iPhone that Apple has ever produced. Despite the larger surface area, the iPhone 6 Plus is 7.1 millimeters thin, compared with 7.6 millimeters for the iPhone 5S and 8.97 millimeters for the plastic-encased iPhone 5C.

The company said earlier this week that it sold more than 10 million of its latest iPhones in its first weekend of availability amid significant supply shortages and demand for scalped iPhones in Asia.

Apple said the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus set a record for first weekend iPhone sales, eclipsing last year's mark of nine million units when the iPhone 5S and 5C went on sale.

The frenzy around new iPhones is nothing new for Apple, but the company prepared for more than usual this year after it increased iPhone screen sizes to satisfy consumers who have sought bigger-screen iPhones for years.

Friday, September 26, 2014 - By Unknown 0

'She's a strong girl': Sarah Hyland will 'bounce back' after securing restraining order against abusive ex Matthew Prokop

Last Friday a Los Angeles court granted Modern Family actress Sarah Hyland a restraining order against her abusive ex-boyfriend Matthew Prokop.

On Thursday a source gave hope that the 23-year-old will soon put the relationship behind her, telling Us Magazine: 'She's a strong girl. I have no doubt she will bounce back from this.

'She's been through a lot in her life, but she's still an amazing and strong person.'

Scroll down for video 

+6

Regaining normality in her life: Sarah Hyland posted this Throwback Thursday snap as she began the battle to recover from her abusive relationship with ex-boyfriend Matthew Prokop

The young star is 'focusing on work' as a way to deal with her terrible experiences, according to the source.

The insider added, understandably, it will probably be a while 'before she's ready to date again.'   

Sarah is already making a big effort to return her life to normality, posting a slew of snaps on her Instagram page including a cute Throwback Thursday selfie of her standing between two young men, captioned: '#tbt to senior year. I was a very unhappy 80s aerobics instructor.' 

In the court documents filed on Friday, Sarah claimed she was choked, pushed and threatened by Matthew. 

+6

Legal filing: Sarah has been granted a restraining order against Matt, pictured in June in London

Her rep provided MailOnline with a statement from her attorney Lee A Sherman: 'On September 19, 2014, Ms. Hyland obtained a Domestic Violence Temporary Restraining Order against Matthew Prokop. The documents filed speak for themselves.'

The statement goes on to assert: 'Out of respect for the court, the process and all parties, I have advised Ms. Hyland not to comment on the matter. 

'We request that you respect the parties' privacy during this time.' 

+6

Acting duo: The pair starred on Modern Family together and Disney Channel movie Geek Charming

Sarah films in Australia accompanied by her ex-boyfriend Prokop

In the court papers Sarah said it was only when her Modern Family co-star Julie Bowen stepped in that she was able to break free of 24-year-old Matt, according toTMZ.

The actress alleged she experienced four years of abuse at his hands during their relationship.

She described an incident in May where she claimed he pinned her against a car during an argument, choked her and called her a 'c***' over and over again.

'His grip was so tight that I could not breathe or speak,' Sarah said in the documents. 'I was scared and in fear for my life.'

+6

Threatened: The 23-year-old claimed in court documents that she was physically abused by Matt during their four-year relationship

In the court filing she also says she had sustained injuries with a 'very sore throat following this event.'

Sarah then described how she got her TV mother Julie Bowen involved to help her 'peacefully end the relationship.'

The actress, who plays Julie's daughter Haley Dunphy on the hit ABC comedy, flew out her beau to his home in Texas earlier this year.

But when Matt arrived and saw everyone in his house, including Julie, he 'ran outside into the backyard and began screaming,' according to the documents.

+6

Seeking help: Matt, who had a stint on Modern Family and co-starred with her in Disney Channel movie Geek Charming, entered rehab in August

Sarah said he threw a 'lighter' at her, which triggered Julie to step in and get her out of the house as she 'wasn't safe'.

She also claimed that Matt threatened to commit arson by setting one of her homes on fire and to get rid of her dog.

Following their split, Sarah said her former boyfriend 'relentlessly bombarded me with vile, threatening and emotionally disturbing texts and voice mails including his own suicide threats.'

The former couple started dating after meeting while auditioning for High School Musical 3: Senior Year in 2008. They later starred together in the Disney Channel film Geek Charming in 2011.

• SHARE PICTURE

+6

Helping hand: Julie Bowen reportedly helped the young star, both pictured on an episode of Modern Family, break off her relationship with Matt

Friday, September 26, 2014 - By Unknown 0

Sony Xperia Z3 Review: The Pursuit of Refinement

Should we be surprised that Sony is already refreshing its flagship smartphone? Only six months after the launch of the Xperia Z2 comes its successor, the Xperia Z3. Sony hopes this will help it gain traction in the notoriously fickle Android superphone market, and knows that there are customers who will only buy the latest and greatest model at any given point of time, for whom money is no object.

As Sony sees it, the Xperia Z3 is not so different from its predecessor that anyone who bought an Xperia Z2 (Review | Pictures) will have regrets. However, those who are in the market for a new high-end phone right now will see a brand new Sony up against the now-common Samsung Galaxy S5 (Review | Pictures) and HTC One (M8) (Review |Pictures). Plus, if the company can do something new in this time, why should it wait for an artificial cycle?

The differences between each successive new model in Sony's Xperia Z series have been pretty minor, but you can see a clear improvement over time. Owners of the Z2 might not have any reason to upgrade, but those who bought the Xperia Z or Z1 will be tempted. The strategy is a gamble, but it has worked for the past two years.

Look and feel
The Sony Xperia Z3 is the biggest change for Sony since the first Xperia Z was launched a year and a half ago. The harsh rectangular shape has morphed into a more organic one, with curved sides and corners replacing chiselled edges for the first time. Sony's distinctive purple option has also thankfully reached the end of the line - the new Xperia Z3 is still available in white and black, but the signature colour is now Copper Gold. One of our gripes with the Z2 was that it looked exactly like its predecessors, and Sony has taken the message to heart.

The Z3 is a hair slimmer than the Z2, but more noticeable are the sleek new buttons and inset flaps on either side that hide (and protect) the various slots and ports. The metal trim around the edges is broken up at the corners, and Sony says this design is intended to make the Z3 resistant to damage when dropped - the corners can absorb some impact, reducing the likelihood that the glass front or rear will shatter.

The dust and liquid resistance rating has been upgraded to IP68 which means this phone should be able to survive for up to 30 minutes in fresh water up to 1.5m deep. However, as before, this means you have to deal with a fiddly flap and recessed Micro-USB port each time you need to charge the Z3. The battery is of course sealed in, and all ports and controls are around the edges.

Sony's signature round power button is on the right edge, but it's neither centred nor at thumb height. The volume rocker is right below it, and both are incredibly awkward to reach. Sony is one of the few companies still equipping their phones with dedicated camera buttons, and we found the Z3 easy to hold and use as a camera. The Nano-SIM and microSD card slots are under a flap on the upper right, and the Micro-USB port is under a flap on the left, next to the same magnetic dock connector that we've seen on previous Z-series devices. It still looks as though a patch has been gouged out on one side for the dock connector, but even this is less jarring than it was on the Z2.

As pointed out in a snarky social media post, Sony has managed to make the Z3 thin and improve its camera without resorting to a protruding lens. The rear glass surface is in fact so smooth that we found the Z3 slid around on tables when we tried to use it.

The Xperia Z3 is tall and narrow like its predecessor, making it one of the more comfortable large phones on the market. It's definitely easier to hold than the Z2 was, thanks to the new curves. If this is still too much for you though, there's the very interesting Xperia Z3 Compact to consider, which has most of the same specifications but has a smaller screen and body.

Specifications
There haven't been any great game-changing strides in core smartphone hardware in the past six months, and so the Z3's guts are much the same as those of its predecessor. The quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC is slightly faster at 2.5GHz as opposed to 2.3GHz, but its Adreno 330 graphics processor is the same.

Sony could have chosen to go with a bigger and higher resolution screen, but it claims it consciously chose not to so that battery life would not suffer. 1080x1920 is already pretty crazy for a smartphone, so we don't have any problem with this. If you're the type for whom bragging rights are more important than utility, you might want to look at LG and Samsung's most recent launches.

You get 16GB of storage space and 3GB of RAM. The microSD slot will work with cards up to 128GB in capacity. Sony throws in Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and GPS. Sony has stated that LTE is supported on Indian bands.

Sony has concentrated on refinements that aren't really spelled out by the sheet of specifications. The screen, camera, battery and audio processing systems have all been tweaked and improved. The company claims it has applied technology from its TV, gaming and audio divisions, and so the screen boasts of features named "X-reality" and "Live Colour LED" which enhance sharpness and colour reproduction. Sony claims that the Z3 has the "world's brightest display of leading premium smartphones" and it definitely is bright.

The Xperia Z3 has another unique feature to boast of - not only does the device claim to "upsample" MP3 and AAC audio tracks, it can also natively handle High-Resolution Audio files in a variety of formats, which can be purchased online. Digital noise cancelling is built in, but it requires a specific Sony headset to work.

Finally, there's a twist that ties in with Sony's PlayStation 4 console - the Xperia Z3 is the first smartphone to support PS4 Remote Play, which means you can wirelessly stream game video from your PS4 console to the phone using your home Wi-Fi connection. You'll still have to use a PS4 Dualshock controller but you can buy an adapter that lets you snap the Z3 on to it so you can hold it up and play like you're using a handheld console.

Software
You'll either love Sony's Android skin or hate it. We like how easy it is to move around and arrange things as we like them, but it really is a bit too heavy and overdone. We always find ourselves trying to disable all the little animations, such as the colour-changing swirl of the default "live" wallpaper. It might not feel like bloat thanks to the super-fast hardware, but it's still unnecessary and distracting.

Nothing much has changed in software between the Xperia Z2 and Z3. There's still a massive number of non-removable preloaded apps, many of them related to Sony-branded properties and most of them quite useless. The first homescreen has a giant spammy "What's New" widget that not only advertises Sony media you might not be interested in, but also consumes quite a bit of data to keep its thumbnails fresh. The icon dock on the homescreens is filled with Google and Sony app shortcuts rather than the more obvious messaging, email or browser, which we think is ridiculous.

Sony hasn't jammed in quite as many features as Samsung and LG tend to do - there's no split-screen functionality (though you can launch tiny "floating" apps from the app switcher view) and there are very few shortcuts and tweaks that make the big device more manageable. For example, we really missed the ability to wake the Z3 by double-tapping its screen, especially since the power button is so tiny.

Two apps stand out - Sony's Lifelog, and Sketch. Lifelog lets you track health and fitness data such as the amount of exercise you've had in a day, but stands out from other smartphone makers' health apps by also including timestamps for other phone-related activities such as listening to music, taking photos and playing games. Logging happens continuously in the background and works better if you use one (or more) of Sony's wearable products, but we don't really see the appeal of the concept.

Sketch on the other hand is a fun little app that lets you draw with various brushes and put silly stickers or text captions on photos. Some users might find Sony's other apps useful, but they're easy to forget about. PartyShare lets you broadcast photos live and create a music playlist that friends (with compatible Xperia phones) can contribute to. News from Socialife shows assorted third-party feeds including ones from popular news, sports, entertainment and tech websites. You can add your own RSS URLs or browse through the presets by category. Smart Connect, despite its name, lets you create profiles to automate actions when you plug in a charger or headset, or when you just don't want to be disturbed at night.

There's also Line, Kobo, AVG Antivirus, Facebook, Evernote, Kingsoft Office, Bigflix, Google Drive, LinkedIn, and Wisepilot Navigation. Sony's branded apps include Sony Select, What's New, TrackID, Xperia Care Support, Sony Music, Liv Sports, Sony Liv, Xperia Lounge and Xperia Update Center.

Camera
Both hardware and software have been given a refresh. Sony makes the bold claim that the Z3 has "the world's best camera and camcorder in a smartphone", which is apparently based on actual subjective market research. The camera can go up to ISO 12800 for low-light captures, and there's a 1/2.3-inch sensor with Sony's proprietary processing tech. The lens is a wide-angle 25mm one, for shots that include more subject matter. Video recording goes up to 4K, though 1080p is the default. Even photos are taken at 8-megapixel resolution by default, though you can step up to the full 20.7-megapixels whenever you like.

(Click to see full size)

Sony's suite of "camera apps" has grown. In addition to the basic Superior Auto and Manual modes, you now have Sound Photo which lets you take stills annotated with ambient sound; Face In, which lets you superimpose your own face and those others in a scene; Multi Camera, which lets you synchronise and merge streams with split-screen effects using multiple Xperia phones; and AR Fun, which lets you squiggle notes and put stickers into a scene, and then change your position so that the AR bits appear to be floating in the air in 3D.

(Click to see full size)

We couldn't try Multi Camera, but we did find that AR Fun wasn't half as good as it seemed in Sony's demo videos. The app was very finicky about letting us create annotations, often told us we were moving too fast even when we were perfectly still, and crashed once or twice during testing. When it worked, though, the effect was tremendously fun. The app seemed to be calculating surfaces and distances in real-time, so for example we could throw virtual paint and it would know whether to land on the floor or spatter on a wall. There were even shadows of things we drew floating in the air.

(Click to see full size)

When it comes to actual image quality, the Xperia Z3 is astonishingly good. It's a little shaky sometimes, especially in Auto mode and at night. For the most part, photos came out with incredible detail and impressive colour reproduction. Textures were generally detailed and clear, though there was a bit of noise in shots with clear subjects against distant backgrounds. We managed to take some decent shots in tricky conditions such as a dimly lit room with small, bright lights.

The front camera also performed well, and photos were usable in most conditions. There was considerably more noise and fuzziness than in photos taken with the rear camera, but we were still quite satisfied.

(Click to see full size)

Video recorded at 4K was very impressive, but then again so was regular old HD video. We found recordings to be just a bit dark. Be prepared for massive file sizes though - approximately 120MB for 15 seconds.

The main problem we had with the camera was that we kept seeing popup warnings that the device was getting too hot and that the app might shut down. We started seeing the message within a few seconds of opening the camera app outdoors on two different (but very sunny) days - which does not say much for the Z3's ability to be useful in India.

(Click to see full size)

Performance
With specifications like these, it would have been impossible for the phone to lag or slouch anywhere, and thankfully it didn't. We really had no problem with anything we tried doing. HD videos played perfectly well and so did 3D games. The twin front-firing speakers were quite powerful and rich - distortion was minimal at high volumes and subtle details actually did come through.

Benchmark test scores were at par with those of the Xperia Z2 - the two traded blows between tests, but the difference was always minor and the Z3 was on top more often. The Z3 and Z2 scored 29.9fps and 29.4fps respectively in GFXbench, and the Quadrant scores were 19,210 and 18,392. Interestingly, both phones were bested by the smallerSony Xperia Z1 Compact (Review | Pictures), which scored 34.9fps in GFXbench (thanks to its lower resolution screen) and 21,100 overall in Quadrant. We can't wait to see what the new Xperia Z3 Compact has in store for us.

Sony hasn't been silent about battery improvements in the Z3, and we were rewarded with a very impressive 13 hours, 27 minutes in our video loop test - and that's without any of the company's battery-saving features turned on. This easily translates to two full days of reasonably heavy usage on a single charge.

Verdict
The Z3 might be newer than its contemporaries, but the downside of that is that its price hasn't had time to settle. At Rs. 51,990, the Z3 is significantly more expensive than the Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One (M8) and LG G3. You'll really have to consider whether it's worth the premium over the Z2 which now costs around as much as those phones. In terms of price alone, it will probably be more of a competitor to theiPhone 6, as and when it launches in India.

The Sony Xperia Z3 has many merits, but owners of the Z2 and even Z1 shouldn't be in any hurry to upgrade. These phones are still very competitive. However, if you're in the market for a new premium smartphone right now and only the latest and greatest will do, you'll be very happy with the Z3. There's also the Z3 Compact to consider, which should deliver much the same experience in a smaller package, and at a lower price.

Sony really has managed to improve a phone that was already pretty impressive. We enjoyed using the Z3, but we have a feeling that Sony's pricing and pace will make it easier and more sensible for a lot of people to keep themselves one step behind the curve. 

Friday, September 26, 2014 - By Unknown 0

ET deals: $250 off Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro, with 256GB SSD, Haswell CPU, 3200×1800 screen

0
inShare

Convertible laptops can be a great way to combine the best of two worlds in one device, allowing you to get the power and full keyboard of a traditional laptop, along with some kind of rotating touchscreen so that you can comfortably use it as a tablet too. There are a lot of different ways manufacturers have attempted to get this done — one of the first was the Dell XPS 12, with a unique display that spins vertically within its frame — but one of our favorites is definitely Lenovo’s Yoga line. That’s why we were pretty excited to find a deal today on the high end 13.3-inch Pro 2 model.
Lenovo’s Yoga line of ultrabooks takes on the idea of a multi-purpose, laptop/tablet hybrid with a display that folds into four positions — Lenovo labels these positions Laptop, Tablet, Stand, and Tent. The high-resolution display rotates a full 360 degrees, and Lenovo includes software that is custom designed for each mode as well as the ability to recognize which mode you’re in and make some recommendations. At 3.1lbs, 0.6 inches thin, and packing up to a 9-hour battery life, it’s a versatile machine that will be easy to carry around wherever you need it.

At about $1000 on sale, the Yoga 2 Pro isn’t the cheapest of convertibles out there, but you definitely get a ton of value. A standout feature is the 13.3-inch QHD+ (3200×1800) IPS display, but the 4th Generation Intel Core i5-4200U processor, 4GB RAM and 256GB SSD are also high-end specs that outclass most cheaper hybrid ultrabooks. You’re not sacrificing processing power or speed here.
As you might expect for something sized between a full laptop and a tablet, you get an array of ports in the middle of what’s typical for those form factors. It includes two full USB ports (1 USB 3.0), a 2-in-1 card reader and micro HDMI, but no VGA or optical drive. Intel Dual-Band Wireless-N 7260 and Bluetooth 4.0 are also standard.
Rounding out the feature set are some nice extras you’ll appreciate in the Yoga 2, including motion/voice control options, stereo speakers, and a backlit keyboard. All told, you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck, so check it out now while this coupon code lasts.
Buy the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro 13.3″ Core i5 3200×1800 Laptop Tablet Hybrid w/ 256GB SSD for $999. Apply coupon code USPY2P64213 in shopping cart for total $250 savings.

Saturday, February 22, 2014 - By Unknown 0

Why Netflix streaming is getting slower, and probably won’t get better any time soon By Sebastian Anthony on February 21, 2014 at 2:13 pm 40 Comments

3
inShare

Over the last few months, many Netflix users in the US and around the world have noticed a steady decline in streaming video quality. For some subscribers, it’s got to the point where the video is constantly buffering and heavily pixelated. This is particularly irksome, because a high-quality video feed should be possible with just 1 or 2 megabits per second of sustained bandwidth — and almost every Netflix subscriber now has a connection that’s theoretically capable of 10Mbps or more. What’s going on? Why is your Netflix slow and low quality?
The short answer is that Netflix is a victim of its own success. The long answer is that Netflix has outgrown its allotted bandwidth, and thus Netflix traffic is now being throttled by ISPs and core network operators. To explain why Netflix is being throttled, we need to discuss a topic called peering.

Peering: The lifeblood of the internet

The internet, as you probably know, is a series of tubes. These tubes, connected together by routers, span most of the world, creating a network that interconnects billions of homes and businesses around the world. Now, you’ve probably never thought about it, but every last inch of the internet is owned by someone — usually a company that has invested a large amount of money (billions) on network infrastructure. When you visit Facebook, stream a video on Netflix, or otherwise do anything on the internet, your packets potentially traverse dozens of different networks, all owned by different companies. These companies, obviously, want payment.
The second thing to know about the internet is that there are two (primary) kinds of traffic: upstream and downstream. You, as a voracious watcher of House of Cards and funny cat videos, are predominantly downstream traffic. Netflix, Google, YouTube, etc., generally produce upstream traffic — i.e. they upload data to the internet, that then traverses the series of tubes to your house. In each case, the upstream and downstream users need to pay the gatekeepers in the middle — the core network operators; the telecommunications companies that own the backbone network of pipes that interconnect cities and countries.
As you can imagine, it’s awfully hard to make sure that everyone gets fairly paid for the traffic that crosses their network, which is why the internet is based on peering agreements. Basically, Netflix builds its network of routers and data centers, and then pays a core network to carry its traffic. Likewise, your ISP builds its network, and then uses your monthly subscription to arrange its own peering agreement with the core networks. Between core networks, as long as the traffic is fairly symmetrical, peering is usually free (they’re all in the boat together). Likewise, between various local ISPs, as long as traffic is fairly equal, peering is usually free. It’s also possible for local ISPs and upstream services (Netflix, Google) to have a free peering agreement, if Google installs a server in the ISP’s data center. As long as no one gets screwed, peering works really well. (Read: The secret world of submarine cables.)

Where net neutrality falls down

The problem with peering, though, is that it doesn’t cope very well with heavily asymmetrical connections. Netflix, which continues to grow at a very fast pace, accounted for around 30% of the United States’ peak bandwidth consumption at the end of 2013. In recent months, as Netflix rolled out 1080p streaming to all subscribers, its bandwidth usage has continued to climb. Someone (not Netflix!) has to carry all of that traffic to the end user. Exact details aren’t available, but the basic gist of it is this: Netflix has exceeded its peering agreements with America’s ISPs, and so now Netflix’s traffic is being throttled. (Read: 4K Netflix launches: Is 2014 the year that 4K finally reaches mass market?)
One such example is Verizon’s FiOS service, where Netflix says its prime-time speeds dropped by a massive 14% last month. Verizon could negotiate a bigger peering arrangement with Netflix’s upstream provider (Cogent in this case) to reduce the congestion — but in exchange it wants something from Netflix (money, most likely). Netflix, for its part, wants to put its own streaming video servers within the ISP’s own data centers, cutting out the core network — but again, while Netflix wants ISPs to peer with these servers for free, the ISPs (Verizon, Time Warner Cable, Comcast, AT&T) want money.
Until an agreement can be reached, Netflix’s video quality will decrease as the service gains more users. At the rate at which the quality of service is declining, Netflix will probably have to cough up some money sooner rather than later. After all, its subscribers don’t know (or even care) what’s going on behind the scenes — they just know that they don’t want to pay for a crappy service.
At stake, of course, is net neutrality. Netflix argues that, if ISPs become the bullying gatekeepers, it’s the beginning of the end for internet freedom. The ISPs claim that they’re just negotiating as normal. Cynics (realists?) claim that ISPs have their own vested interests in services that compete with Netflix. In reality, following last month’s court decision that ruled in favor of Verizon against the FCC’s net neutrality rules, this will probably only end one way: Netflix will have to cough up some money.

Saturday, February 22, 2014 - By Unknown 0

10 of the world's biggest unsolved mysteries

1.Voynich Manuscript

Named after the Polish-American antiquarian bookseller Wilfrid M. Voynich, who acquired it in 1912, the Voynich Manuscript is a detailed 240-page book written in a language or script that is completely unknown. Its pages are also filled with colorful drawings of strange diagrams, odd events and plants that do not seem to match any known species, adding to the intrigue of the document and the difficulty of deciphering it. The original author of the manuscript remains unknown, but carbon dating has revealed that its pages were made sometime between 1404 and 1438. It has been called "the world's most mysterious manuscript."

Theories abound about the origin and nature of the manuscript. Some believe it was meant to be a pharmacopoeia, to address topics in medieval or early modern medicine. Many of the pictures of herbs and plants hint that it many have been some kind of textbook for an alchemist. The fact that many diagrams appear to be of astronomical origin, combined with the unidentifiable biological drawings, has even led some fanciful theorists to propose that the book may have an alien origin.

One thing most theorists agree on is that the book is unlikely to be a hoax, given the amount of time, money and detail that would have been required to make it.

2.Kryptos 

Kryptos is a mysterious encrypted sculpture designed by artist Jim Sanborn which sits right outside the headquarters of the CIA in Langley, Va. It's so mysterious, in fact, that

3.Beale Ciphers 

The Beale Ciphers are a set of three ciphertexts that supposedly reveal the location of one of the grandest buried treasures in U.S. history: thousands of pounds of gold, silver and jewels. The treasure was originally obtained by a mysterious man named Thomas Jefferson Beale in 1818 while prospecting in Colorado.

Of the three ciphertexts, only the second one has been cracked. Interestingly, the U.S. Declaration of Independence turned out to be the key — a curious fact given that Beale shares his name with the author of the Declaration of Independence.

The cracked text does reveal the county where the treasure was buried: Bedford County, Va., but its exact location is likely encrypted in one of the other uncracked ciphers. To this day, treasure hunters scour the Bedford County hillsides digging (often illegally) for the loot.

4.Phaistos Disc 

The mystery of the Phaistos Disc is a story that sounds like something out of an Indiana Jones movie. Discovered by Italian archaeologist Luigi Pernier in 1908 in the Minoan palace-site of Phaistos, the disc is made of fired clay and contains mysterious symbols that may represent an unknown form of hieroglyphics. It is believed that it was designed sometime in the second millennium BC.

Some scholars believe that the hieroglyphs resemble symbols of Linear A and Linear B, scripts once used in ancient Crete. The only problem? Linear A also eludes decipherment. 

Today the disc remains one of the most famous puzzles of archaeology.

5.Shugborough inscription 

Look from afar at the 18th-century Shepherd's Monument in Staffordshire, England, and you might take it as nothing more than a sculpted re-creation of Nicolas Poussin's famous painting, “Arcadian Shepherds.” Look closer, though, and you'll notice a curious sequence of letters: DOUOSVAVVM — a code that has eluded decipherment for over 250 years.

Though the identity of the code carver remains a mystery, some have speculated that the code could be a clue left behind by the Knights Templar about the whereabouts of the Holy Grail.

Many of the world's greatest minds have tried to crack the code and failed, including Charles Dickens and Charles Darwin.

6.Tamam Shud case 

Considered to be one of Australia's most profound mysteries, the Tamam Shud Case revolves around an unidentified man found dead in December 1948 on Somerton beach in Adelaide, Australia. Aside from the fact that the man could never be identified, the mystery deepened after a tiny piece of paper with the words "Tamam Shud" was found in a hidden pocket sewn within the dead man's trousers. (It is also referred to as "Taman Shud.")

The phrase translates as "ended" or "finished" and is a phrase used on the last page of a collection of poems called “The Rubaiyat” of Omar Khayyam. Adding to the mystery, a copy of Khayyam's collection was later found that contained a scribbled code in it believed to have been left by the dead man himself.

Due to the content of the Khayyam poem, many have come to believe that the message may represent a suicide note of sorts, but it remains uncracked, as does the case.

7.The Wow! Signal 

One summer night in 1977, Jerry Ehman, a volunteer for SETI, or the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, may have become the first man ever to receive an intentional message from an alien world. Ehman was scanning radio waves from deep space, hoping to randomly come across a signal that bore the hallmarks of one that might be sent by intelligent aliens, when he saw his measurements spike.

The signal lasted for 72 seconds, the longest period of time it could possibly be measured by the array that Ehman was using. It was loud and appeared to have been transmitted from a place no human has gone before: in the constellation Sagittarius near a star called Tau Sagittarii, 120 light-years away.

Ehman wrote the words "Wow!" on the original printout of the signal, thus its title as the "Wow! Signal."

All attempts to locate the signal again have failed, leading to much controversy and mystery about its origins and its meaning.

 

8.The Zodiac letters 

The Zodiac letters are a series of four encrypted messages believed to have been written by the famous Zodiac Killer, a serial killer who terrorized residents of the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The letters were likely written as a way to taunt journalists and police, and though one of the messages has been deciphered, the three others remain uncracked.

The identity of the Zodiac Killer also remains a mystery, though no Zodiac murders have been identified since 1970.

 

9.Georgia Guidestones 

The Georgia Guidestones, sometimes referred to as the "American Stonehenge," is a granite monument erected in Elbert County, Ga., in 1979. The stones are engraved in eight languages — English, Spanish, Swahili, Hindi, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese and Russian — each relaying 10 "new" commandments for "an Age of Reason." The stones also line up with certain astronomical features.

Though the monument contains no encrypted messages, its purpose and origin remain shrouded in mystery. They were commissioned by a man who has yet to be properly identified, who went by the pseudonym of R.C. Christian.

Of the 10 commandments, the first one is perhaps the most controversial: "Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature." Many have taken it to be a license to cull the human population down to the specified number, and critics of the stones have called for them to be destroyed. Some conspiracy theorists even believe they may have been designed by a "Luciferian secret society" calling for a new world order.

10.Rongorongo 

Rongorongo is a system of mysterious glyphs discovered written on various artifacts on Easter Island. Many believe they represent a lost system of writing or proto-writing and could be one of just three or four independent inventions of writing in human history.

The glyphs remain undecipherable, and their true messages — which some believe could offer hints about the perplexing collapse of the statue-building Easter Island civilization — may be lost forever.

Saturday, February 22, 2014 - By Unknown 0