Song “Covers” Uploaded to YouTube Could Land You in Jail For Five Years

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82VtBxeJH3I

Beyonce lip-synching videos are in danger, people! Along with CathyMay15 s Boom Boom Boom and any other YouTube videos that could be contravening the law. If passed, US Senate bill 978 will make the internet a lot less fun.

It's obviously not the first time YouTube has come under fire for housing videos that flout copyright laws, but everyone's getting a little twitchy about this bill. Currently, it's only against the law to upload or reproduce (make a copy of) something copyrighted, like a TV show or a song, but if Congress amends the rulebook and includes performances, YouTube will have a lot of work on its hands, deleting contravening videos.

Website TruthOrTreason points out that the proposed bill also suggests punishment for those who distribute copyrighted performances. So if I were to post a video of CathyMay15 in this post, and more than 10 people view it, I personally could face five years in jail. Whoops.

Google takes on Facebook with the Google+ project

New social network announced by search giant

Google has just announced its new social networking platform, the Google+ project - its most blatant attempt at Facebook's throne to date.

Google+ is live now, as an invitation only "Field Trial", and the blog post announcing its arrival isn't shy in stating why this could be your social network of choice (without mentioning the F-word at all, you understand):

"The problem is that today's online services turn friendship into fast food - rapping everyone in 'friend' paper and sharing really suffers," it reads.

"It's sloppy. We only want to connect with certain people at certain times, but online we hear from everyone all the time.

"It's scary. Every online conversation (with over 100 'friends') is a public performance, so we often share less because of stage fright.

"It's insensitive. We all define 'friend' and 'family' differently - in our own way, on our own terms - but we lose this nuance online."

Ouch. Take that Zuck.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwnJ5Bl4kLI

Google+ puts you in control of groups, called Circles, so as you can always control who sees what content that you put online.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeMZP-oyOII

The Big G is also aware that you may be boring you social networking pals by talking about subjects that do not really interest them. To solve this, it has created Sparks within Google+, where you can create groups of people and sections for specific interests.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRkAdTflltc

Hangouts looks like being the Google Skype killer that we'd heard rumoured. It allows you to join in a video chat with a group of your friends (no limit is stated - but the demo video shows a maximum of six people in one conference) all within the browser.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tku1vJeuzH4

Google+ doesn't forget Android either, there's location tagging and instant uploading of your pics on hand - as well as a group chat platform called Huddle.

In fact, the Google+ app is already in the Android Market - with a promise that it'll be App Store bound soon too.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA22daAstNg

As we said, it's invite only at the moment - although if your Gmail user, be on the lookout for one.

"Online sharing needs a serious re-think, so it's time we got started. There's just one more thing -really the only thing: You." the blog post reads.

"When your invite arrives we hope you'll join the project. But it's entirely up to +You."

You can ask Google to keep you updated on the invite front over at plus.google.com, or even take a tour of the platform's features. You'll need a Google ID mind.

We'd love to be a fly on the wall at Facebook HQ right now.....

Google+ or Google nonplussed? Let us know using the comments below.

AOL Radio set for relaunch in partnership with Slacker

AOL is teaming-up with Slacker to relaunch its AOL Radio app/service in late summer. The revamped service will offer "an enhanced radio experience" with fewer ads, new personalization features and premium subscription offerings. AOL's 250 expert-programmed original music stations will remain on place alongside Slacker programming including stations and content from ESPN Radio and ABC News Radio.

That Slacker-powered "part" of the service will provide access to ad-free radio, enabling users to create tailored radio stations, save favorite songs and stations, read album reviews, access artist bios, review station histories, increase song skipping capabilities and much more, depending on the tier of service selected.

Slacker on it end will reach a larger audience, while making an extra money from new advertising opportunities.

Initially, AOL Radio will be launched for iPhone users with Android and other platforms to follow shortly. For the record, the existing AOL Radio iOS app has been downloaded by more than 3 million users.

Article: RSS via IntoMobile

Browser extension brings Facebook stream to Google+

So many social networks...such little time

Developer Crossrider has released a tool that allows you to integrate your Facebook stream into the Google+ dashboard.

Whilst not quite being perfect Facebook/Google harmony, it is as close as you can currently get to unifying your split social networks under one roof. Now all we need is Twitter added into the mix and things will really get exciting.

The Google+Facebook Chrome extension was created in a day using the Crossrider developer framework. It is a clever JavaScript framework for creating quick cross browser extensions. For those who fancy giving it a go themselves and possibly integrating Twitter into Google+, read here.

Expect having to grant the application full access to your Facebook account to deliver updates, not the most secure of options admittedly, but is necessary if you want to use it. The need to constantly notify your friends, fans and public of your thoughts and feelings can now be done twofold, both on Facebook and Google+, all from one browser.

For those struggling to remove themselves from a deep Facebook addiction in order to start a new one with Google+, it looks like the chrome extension is the best option. The day will come however, when a choice between the two needs to be made. Judging by the speed that Google+ has been adopted, that day might come sooner rather than later.

Article: RSS via Pocket-lint

Google+ Hangouts Can Now Be Initiated From YouTube

Google has quietly rolled out yet another feature of its Google+ social network, letting users click Share from any YouTube video, revealing an icon that suggests watching the video with friends in a Google+ hangout.

Google didn't formally announce this new feature, instead revealing it via product manager Brian Glick on - where else - Google+, where he casually mentioned it like so:

You can now start a Google+ Hangout with a YouTube video, directly from YouTube. Watch with your friends.

Just click on "Share" underneath any video, and then click on "Start a Google+ Hangout" in the bottom right-hand corner.

A few weeks ago, YouTube Live product manager Brandon Badge quietly mentioned the upcoming ability to enable hangouts from YouTube with live streaming video, and this must be the first stage of that initiative.

As we mentioned then, it's been possible to watch videos with friends since the beginning of Google+, through a more complicated manual process that must be initiated in Google+. But this new button allowing you to initiate hangouts from YouTube with a couple of clicks makes it considerably easier.

Firefox 7 Beta uses less memory

We do know that Mozilla has just released Firefox 6, but here we are with Firefox 7 Beta - and this particular version (also, we did cover whispers of Mozilla mulling over whether to do away with version numbers) is said to be the first to implement Memshrink. Just what does Memshrink bring to the table? It will be able to reduce Firefox's memory usage by get this - nearly 50%. Now that is certainly something worth looking into, and if such low memory usage levels can be achieved even in a beta, imagine what the full version will be able to do.

You will be able to download the new Firefox 7 Beta for Windows, Mac and Linux platforms, and as for those who have been running the Firefox beta, they need not worry since their version(s) will be updated automatically. On a slightly different note, Mozilla has also rolled out a beta version of Firefox for Android. It must be noted that Firefox 7 s memory usage will remain constant even if you decide to leave the computer and browser running overnight, where it will free up even more memory whenever you close more tabs.

For those who have made the upgrade, how do you find it? Are there any bouquets or brickbats that you want to share with us?

Article: RSS UberGizmo

Twelve Things About Voxer's Tom Katis

Frustration was the impetus for Tom Katis to co-found Voxer in 2007. While he was serving in the U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan, he experienced the limitations of communication via military walkie-talkie firsthand. Now his push-to-talk app is looking to be the Nextel of the future, with free Voxer Pro and Voxer Pro for Business versions available on iOS and Android. He sat down recently to answer some of our questions about what interests and drives him.

What qualities do you like in a person?
The qualities I find appealing are simple: Courage, intellect, enthusiasm.

Name one thing you will regret never having done (if you never do it).
Having kids. I love my life, but I feel like I'm missing out on something if I never have kids.

Name one thing you will never regret having done.
Challenging myself. Attempting something hard. Even if I fail.

Do you still buy CDs or rent DVDs?
No. I get everything off the Internet all the time. Sometimes I use a thumb drive to move media around, but even that seems counter to where things are going.

What would you be doing if you were not in your current job?
I am doing exactly what I want to be doing. I pay myself nothing and have given myself no stock options. It doesn't feel like work. I built Voxer for myself. I want Voxer to exist in the world, and it's exciting to make it happen.

iPhone, Android or BlackBerry?
iPhone. Android keeps getting better, but iPhones are still the best devices out there.

If you could meet any historical or fictional person, who would it be?
George Washington. President of the most important startup in the history of the world.

What site/app do you check first when you wake up?
Voxer, then email, then Techmeme.

What was the last thing you fixed?
Push-to-talk communication. Live-only communication is so 1930s.

What was your first computer?
TRS-80. I suppose that dates me, since most of the people I work with weren't even born when it first launched.

Do you have a dog or cat or other pet?
No. I'll get a pet when I have kids.

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?
To fly. Not that it would be useful in any particular way, but it just seems cool.

Firefox for Android tablets now available

If you've been waiting for the tablet-optimized version of Firefox for your Android tablet, we've got some good news for you. Firefox for Android tablets has just entered the nightly builds stage, which means that it is functional enough for the public to play around with and test - so we're one step closer to a final release of the web browser.

So if you love Firefox for Android you might be inclined to check it out. It's not going to be perfect - expect bugs, crashes and whatnot, but hey - that's what the testing experience is all about. Head over to the Nightly Mozilla webpage to get your hands on the web browser now. If you've given it a spin, let us know what you think of it.

Adobe’s launching Flash Player 11, Air 3 bringing HD video and 3D gaming to all

While we've had access to Adobe's Flash Player 11 in beta form for months, the company announced it will finally get official, along with Air 3, next month. Among the many new features included are support for accelerated 2D and 3D graphics with a claimed 1,000 times faster performance than Flash Player 10 and Air 2. That's enough to enable "console-quality" gaming on both computers and connected TVs and on mobile devices (Android, iOS, Playbook) with a pre-release version of Flash 11 (a production release you can take on the go is expected in "the near future"). Other new options include allowing developers to package Air 3 along with their apps in a single install, HD video quality on multiple platforms including iOS, DRM for video rentals, 64-bit support and more. Check out Adobe's pitch to developers with a press release and demo videos after the break, including a look at the hit iPad game Machinarium which was built with its tools.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkoBcA_hDf4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqMCe4caFd8

Google+ users hit 50 million mark

In just less than a week after Google opened up the doors of their own social network, Google+, to the world, it seems that the growth has proved to be phenomenal. According to Paul Allen (unofficial statistician for Google+), Google+ has already achieved the 50 million user mark. Sure, it might pale in comparison to Facebook's figure that stands more than 15 times the number, but see how fast it took for Google+ to arrive there compared to Facebook - Google+ took just 88 days, while Facebook plodded along for 1,325 days.

Talk about having an explosive start off the blocks! Here is to your next 50 million, Google+! Are you on Google+ already, and if no, why not?

Google Reader Gets a Redesign, Adds Google+ Integration

Google has begun rolling out a new version of Google Reader, one that sports a brand-new design and deep integration with Google+.

The new Google Reader sports a more spartan interface. It's similar to the Google Calendar redesign and Gmail makeover the search giant launched earlier this year.

The greater change is the addition of Google+ sharing. Google has replaced the "Like" button with the +1 button, which lets users share content to their Google+ accounts. Reader users with a Google+ login can choose which circles they'd like to share articles to using Google+ snippets.

The Google+ integration replaces the Google Reader social features the company unveiled in 2009. "Integrating with Google+ also helps us streamline Reader overall," Google Engineer Alan Green said in a " target="_blank">blog post. "So starting today we'll be turning off friending, following, shared items and comments in favor of similar Google+ functionality."

While Google Reader's notes got some usage, dropping them in favor of Google+ is the logical move for a company that is now trying to unify all of its social efforts under one banner. The company recently killed off Buzz while adding Google+ to Maps.

What do you think of the new Google Reader? Let us know in the comments.

Google Wallet Absorbing Google Checkout, Coming to Android Market

Back before the world had ever even heard of Google Wallet, we were talking about the possibilities for Google introducing an NFC-based mobile payment system built around Google Checkout. After all, as Google's in-house payment system, it seemed only natural that NFC payments would evolve as an offshoot of that project. When it came time for Google to finally announce things, though, we learned about Wallet and how it would work separately from Checkout. Now that Wallet has had some time to mature, and with more retailers than ever accepting it, Google is revisiting the Checkout/Wallet relationship and moving to integrate Checkout into Wallet, finally merging the two after all this time.

If you've been making online payments using Google Checkout, you'll notice the next time you go to do so that you'll be prompted to convert your account to Google Wallet. It looks like a relatively painless process, and your transaction history will be maintained. Google's going to slowly work with retailers who have been accepting Google Checkout payments to update their systems with new Google Wallet branding, but you'll be able to start using Wallet to make payments straight away - just enter in your Wallet credentials as if you were a Checkout user.

The next step for Google will be getting Wallet set up as a payment method for use with the likes of the Android Market and other Google offerings.

Facebook Will Give Trusted Friends Keys to Your Account

It's 2:30am. You're blind drunk and desperately trying to log into your FB account on your phone-ya know, to see if that hottie from the last bar Friended you yet-but your damn beer sausage fingers entered the wrong password one too many times. What's a lush to do?

Under a new program that Facebook announced today, you'll be able to assign three to five "Trusted Friends" special codes that will grant you immediate reentry to your account if you're locked out. Sure, you could just perform a password reset, but that's assuming you have access to your email-not likely on account of those sausage fingers or the double vision.

In addition, Facebook also announced App Passwords. The program reportedly will issue application-specific passwords for logging into third-party applications, similar to Google Authenticator's single-use password feature. It is expected to roll out in the next few weeks.

Firefox 8 up for FTP download now

It's time to upgrade your Firefox web browser, ladies and gentlemen, and it won't be the same peaches and cream automatic update you're used to - this one's FTP. That means Mozilla has the files you need to update your Firefox to the next version, but at the moment you'll have to manually download them from their servers and load it up yourself. In the near future (November 8th to be precise) you'll have the automatic download working, so no worries if you don't feel like traveling down the dark path.

This newest version of Firefox will be more attuned to how and when an add-on is safe to use in more ways than one. First, add-ons will be set to disabled by default until the user who added them flips the ON switch, this appearing in a one-time dialog box that'll also allow the user to work in a basic way with previously added add-ons. Twitter is integrated into the mainframe, appearing in the search bar for quick access, plus there's a few simple updates including a preference to auto-load tabs after one relaunches the browser. There's also improved WebSocket support, improved tab animations, and added support for HTML5 context menus.

This version adds performance tweaks as well as stability updates, and the first download link is available now. You can head to Mozilla's FTP area for 8.0 now if you do so dare, but know that you do so at your own risk. You've also got the option to wait until Tuesday and have the full download with full safety and many multiple mirrors for quicker download as well. Enjoy!

How to deal with disappointing exam results

In an increasingly competitive world, it does not matter if you had taken a bar exam, CPA exam, or even a college exam, disappointing exam results may seem as if they are the end of the world. Coping with worse grades than expected is not easy, but there are ways to make the process pass by as quickly as possible. As difficult as it may seem to believe in the heat of the moment, it is important that you realize that not meeting your exam result expectation is far from the end of the world. By no means do poor exam results equate to being a failure. For instance, I have heard that between 10% and 17% of participants taking all four CPA exams actually pass on the first try.

1. The first goal you should look towards is acceptance. Many of those who have worked rigorously before their exams go into a stage of denial when they see their exam results. While this process of denial is natural, one should attempt to recover from it as quickly as possible. Only once you have accepted your results can you work towards feeling better about them.
2. It often helps talking to somebody who is not involved with the situation. While talking to a classmate at a sensitive time such as when grades are published might ignite more harm than good, a teacher, counselor or a friend outside of school may offer a hug and some good advice. It might also help talking to people who are making the situation more difficult than it already is. This may include parents or friends who you fear might be as disappointed as you are with your result.
3. Poor exam results often provide a great platform for finding one's self. If you seem to be doing poorly in a certain discipline, you might finally realize that you are best off exploring options you are more comfortable with, and that you possibly enjoy more. One cannot excel at anything, and poor exam results can help give people some much needed direction.

Once you begin thinking less pessimistically about the situation at hand, you can begin diversifying your options to meet your current situation. If you are applying to colleges, you might want to prepare a more realistic list of options, rather than sticking to what you had planned before your grades arrived.

You can also consider retaking your examinations if the concerned education board allows for that option. You should remember that in times of immense stress such as those experienced after receiving disappointing exam results, a change of scenery can work wonders in helping you calm down. Take a break from your daily routine and spend some time having fun outdoors. Once you get some breathing space, your mind is bound to work much better to draw a plan of action on how to make up your academic life. Most importantly, you should learn to express your emotions in a positive way, and avoid using drugs to relieve the stress.

Before you consider retaking your exam, remember these two important tips.

1. It is very important to outline your scope of work before you take your exam because your brain will begin to piece together the answers for you. Have you ever forgot something you tried very hard to remember and about 15 minutes later it hits you? That is because your brain is still processing this information for you.
2. Know your upcoming exam's timetable so you are not left having to rush through the remaining answers with out giving them much thought. It has always been much easier and of course much safer to study before your exam. Try grabbing a book in reference to the subject you received the lowest score in and try to spend at least 1 week reading about this subject if time permits you to do so.

Related posts:

1. Kanpur University Results 2011 - 2012 of MA, M.Com, M.Sc, M.ed
2. How To Overcome Exam Stress
3. CA Final November 2011 Result / CPT Dec 2011 Result Dates

Facebook Premium Accounts coming says Telsyte

A subscription service may be in Facebook's cash-grabbing future if Australian analyst group Telsyte are to be believed. Speaking with News.com.au, the group via analyst Foad Fadaghi noted changes that may well be coming soon to the group that this week posted its Initial Public Offering looking for a bump in the money market in more ways than one. Better mobile apps, more invasive advertising, and "Facebook Premium" may all be on the plate for you social networkers out there inside the coming months or years.

In a Premium service, Fadaghi notes that he expects Facebook to offer up services that lesser companies simply cannot. That said, he also expects that Facebook won't be going Premium anytime soon, just so long as the competition remains in-tact. He also mentions Google+ as a good source for keeping the competition strong enough that no one social network dominates the entire landscape. He spoke thusly:

"In the app space you will see a lot more in-app advertising, purchases and subscriptions. That whole ecosystem will keep growing. It already represents a significant portion of Facebook revenue, so that side of the business can definitely grow a lot more. The challenge is companies such Google+ will provide similar services, but are likely not to charge because they are less powerful in the social networking space. As long as there is competition, social networking sites will remain free to consumers." - Fadaghi

Facebook is also setting itself up to get much better support in their mobile applications. The group will soon move a bit past the individual users and focus on businesses in not only the desktop-based browser-based site, but the mobile applications made officially by Facebook as well. Advertising will also be on the rise with more content driven or invasive methods for getting into your brain.

There may be more marketing or advertising related products or services that we see develop and come out as investors and shareholders look to make more money from the site. Traditionally social networking websites have had a lot of advertising imagery but haven't been able to get the same high rates as the premium content sites, such as news. So those metrics will come under scrutiny." - Fadaghi

It will be interesting to see the ever so gradual slide from one iteration of the most major social networking sites in the world to other versions of themselves. The advertising world is certainly sliding in on us all, and though a pay-per-use model isn't near reality now for Facebook, you never know about the future.

Gmail dethrones Hotmail as the world’s largest email service

Google announced today via its official blog that Gmail now has more than 425 million active users around the world - a gargantuan feat considering its humble beginnings as a beta release in April 2004. Google's announcement today means that Gmail is now the word's largest email service, blowing past Microsoft's Hotmail for the first time. Yahoo Mail used to be the king of email services. But both Hotmail and Gmail got Yahoo Mail users deviating the course.

I can still remember using Yahoo Mail first prior to moving to both Hotmail and Gmail. Last year in July, during its 15th-year anniversary, Microsoft announced that its Hotmail users have grown to 360 million active users, becoming the then world's largest email service. Meanwhile, web analytics company comScore reportedly said that Google "has way less unique visitors and still gives the edge to Hotmail and Yahoo".

Venturebeat notes comScore's latest numbers from May where Hotmail has over 325 million unique visitors, while Gmail only has 289 million users. Andrew Lipsman, Vice President of comScore told the publication that their data was based on global unique visitors, which means that some users are left out, particularly those who access their email via mobile devices and Internet cafes.