Category Archives: Technology

Amazon Appstore Launches in Europe; Now Available in the U.K., Germany, France, Italy and Spain

Amazon Appstore rollout across the EU is the latest in a series of additions that make Amazon the most complete end-to-end platform for developers looking to build, market and monetize their apps and games

SEATTLE & LUXEMBOURG–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Aug. 30, 2012– Amazon.com, Inc. today announced the launch of its Amazon Appstore in the U.K., Germany, France, Italy and Spain, giving European customers access to Amazon’s broad selection of quality Android apps with the convenience of shopping on Amazon from their Android phones and tablets. Customers can get the Amazon Appstore for their Android phones and tablets by visiting www.amazon.com/getappstore.

Amazon’s Appstore offers a great selection of games and apps, including local favorites like “Jamie Oliver’s 20 Minute Meals” and “Skyscanner,”established bestsellers like “Fruit Ninja” and “Cut the Rope,” and new apps from top-tier brands like Rovio and Glu Mobile. In addition to localized content and a localized mobile store for each specific country, European customers will have access to popular Amazon Appstore features like the “Free App of the Day,” which offers a paid app for free every day. Today’s Free App of the Day is the ad-free version of “Angry Birds.” All Free Apps of the Day are specially-selected for the Free App of the Day program. Apps and games purchased from Amazon can be used across a customer’s Android devices, enabling them to buy an app or game once and enjoy it everywhere. (more…)

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How to Become James Bond: Online Deals on Electronics

Today’s technology market is saturated with electronic devices from smartphones and e-book readers to sleek tablet computers and digital media players. The consumer challenge is knowing what these devices do, where they can be purchased, and which storefronts afford the optimal blend of affordability and marquee products. Oftentimes the best prices can be found online because digital sellers are competing with one another, which leads to competition and lower cost to the consumer. That said, this article will look at some online storefronts as well as online publications that critique the products sold at those online storefronts. The goal is to help the consumer find the best deals on cutting-edge technologies.

uBid.com

This company has been around since 1997 and its auction format, layout, and customer satisfaction measures are very similar to eBay. At any rate, uBid.com states in its credo that it functions as a top auction site that caters to new, overstock, rectified, and closeout products. This means that the customer is receiving a well cared for product at an extremely low cost! uBid showcases twenty five categories and one of which is electronics. uBid carries the latest computers, tablets, phones and cameras. Unlike eBay, uBid’s products are usually sold in bulk and there are many available – perhaps this accounts for the bargain basement deals! Many of the items and auctions on uBid, including electronics, start at only one dollar! (more…)

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Microsoft Launches More Expansive Imagine Cup 2013

Eleventh year features new categories and bigger cash prizes to inspire more young developers and entrepreneurs around the globe

REDMOND, Wash. — Aug. 29, 2012 — Students ages 16 and older can now register for Microsoft Imagine Cup 2013, the world’s premier student technology competition, in its 11th year. To inspire more students and encourage a wider variety of aspiring innovators to participate, Microsoft Corp. has redesigned Imagine Cup around three new core competitions — World Citizenship, Games and Innovation — and more than doubled the prize money to US$300,000. (more…)

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5 Easy Steps to Make Your Computer Run Faster

Most computers are not slow out of the box, with use and new programs installed a computer can slow down significantly. A slow running computer can be a nightmare, and really cut productivity. Not only that, but it can be extremely aggravating and time consuming to fix. It is actually very simple to speed up a slow running computer with just a simple few steps. Here are 5 easy steps to make a computer run faster.

Disable Startup Items

Many programs automatically startup even though it may not be necessary. By clicking start, run, and typing msconfig, then going to the startup tab. You can see which programs are automatically starting up when the computer is turned on. It would be prudent to disable anything that is not necessary to startup with the computer. Any programs that do not startup automatically can be opened manually later if needed. This frees up memory for more essential activities. (more…)

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Q&A: Libraries Turn New Page into Digital Age

Michael Dula recently began his appointment as chief technology officer for the Yale University Library, which is one of the largest university libraries in North America. In this newly created role, he will develop a technology strategy for the University’s 18 different libraries, which house over 12.5 million volumes.

Prior to coming to Yale, Dula worked at Pepperdine University, where he began as a consultant. In 2006, he accepted a full-time position at Pepperdine as director of digital initiatives for the university’s libraries. In addition to managing central library technology systems, he was actively engaged in implementing new tools for research and learning, including digital content collections, scholarly publishing, podcasting, and social computing models. (more…)

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From Town Hall Forums to Xbox LIVE, Microsoft Focuses on Involving Young People in the Political Process for 2012 U.S. Presidential Election

Company’s latest efforts are part of an ongoing initiative to close the “opportunity divide” facing the next generation.

REDMOND, Wash. — August 23, 2012 — In the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, young people emerged as a force to be reckoned with. They canvassed neighborhoods, worked phone banks and, on Election Day itself, streamed to the polls in numbers eclipsed only by the 1972 election. But in 2012 it appears young people may be less engaged in the political process, even though the issues at the forefront — jobs, education, student loan debt — are ones that affect them directly.

Charles Hauser has heard all this firsthand. A student at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C., he admits he doesn’t think his peers are as involved politically as they could be. “I have heard some young people say they don’t feel their votes count,” he says. “I also feel it is harder to be actively involved when there is so much turmoil economically.” (more…)

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In India, 1 in 4 Online Minutes are Spent on Social Networking Sites

Google Sites, Facebook and Yahoo! Sites Lead as Top Destinations in India

comScore to Present Complimentary Webinar on “The Rise of India’s Digital Consumer and What it Means for the Future”

Mumbai, India, August 20, 2012 – comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released a study on the top online sites and activities in India from its comScore MMX service. The report found that Google Sites ranked as the top destination in June 2012 reaching nearly 95 percent of the online population, while social networking reigned as the top online activity accounting for 25.2 percent of all online minutes. These findings, among others, will be presented via a complimentary, live webinar titled The Rise of India’s Digital Consumer and What it Means for the Future on Tuesday, August 21. For more information and to register, (more…)

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