In the Wake of Megaupload Crackdown, Fear Forces Similar Sites to Shutter Sharing Services?

The Feds put the smackdown on Megaupload and its whole executive team last week, charging the them with criminal charges for copyright infringement and racketeering in addition to conspiracy to commit copyright infringement and money laundering. As a result, it appears that several other cloud locker companies have curbed their sharing ways to avoid similar DOJ entanglements.

FileSonic and Fileserve have eliminated file sharing from their service menus, and Uploaded.to is no longer available to those of us in the US. Naturally, none of these companies have said that Megaupload's legal problems are the reason for the changes, but the timing suggests it's more than mere coincidence.

Untethered Jailbreaker for iPhone 4S and iPad 2 Now Available for Windows

Last week, the first untethered jailbreak for iPhone 4S and iPad 2 was announced — but it only worked if you ran OS X. Forunately, the Windows version is now ready.

The tool, built by Greenpois0n and called Absinthe, works on the iPhone 4S running iOS 5.0 and 5.0.1 and the iPad 2 running iOS 5.0.1, and it will either work really well or you'll end up bricking your device. Still, worth a try. You can download the Windows version of Absinthe. More here.

Grass Flip Flops Make Every Day a Walk In the Park

Krispy Kreme (of all companies) created a similar kind of sandal as part of a promotion a few years ago, but Kusa's grass flip flopshave two distinct differences. They're made with artificial turf, and you can actually buy them.

While it very much looks like real grass, the thick layer of green stuff on Kusa's sandals is actually a synthetic material known as Syn-Turf. It not only looks the part, but I bet it feels pretty similar to the real thing, without leaving grass stains on the bottom of your feet.

The material does need to be fluffed from time to time, but that's far easier maintenance than weeding, mowing, and fertilizing. And the sandals are available now in small, medium, and large sizes for about $31 here.

University of Vienna Researchers Quantum Leap Into the Cloud, Ensure Privacy for Distributed Computing

Afraid of the cloud? You're not alone, as rising concerns surrounding the security of distributed computing have led University of Vienna researchers to seek out quantum mechanics as a privacy fix. The team's findings, soon to be published in the journal Science, prove that an end user's data can remain encrypted throughout its journey to and from remote servers, essentially rendering the quantum computer's calculations as "blind."

So, how exactly does this evasive entanglement work? Qubits (or quantum bits) containing the pertinent information are transmitted to a central facility where they're processed according to a specific set of measurements, leaving the resultant computations readable only by the original user. More here.

Microsoft Sells More Windows 7 than Every Mac, iOS, and Android Device Combined

If it doesn't have "8" or "Phone" after it, nobody thinks or cares about Windows anymore. But let's not forget that Microsoft is still selling a gargantuan tower of operating systems every second—and it matches everything else combined.

Dan Frommer put Microsoft's recently reported 525 million Windows 7 licenses in perspective:

Since...October, 2009, Apple has likely sold about 35 million Macs, possibly 250 million iOS devices, and Google has seen almost 250 million Android activations.

We may have our eyes on mobile software and operating systems that don't yet exist, but an enormous chunk of the human race still looks at (and buys!) regular old Windows every single day. Every, single, day.

Apple’s Value Reaches $400bn, Worth More Than Greece

On Thursday, Apple's value on the stock market reached an all-time high of $400 billion. That figure makes it worth more than Greece, Austria, Argentina and South Africa. And, come to mention it, quite a lot of other things, too. More here.

Megaupload.com has Been Shut Down!

According to the Associated Press the worlds largest file-sharing sites, MegaUpload.com, has been shut down. As it stands right now, the website is completely inaccessible.

Federal prosecutors have accused the owners of Megaupload with violating piracy laws, possibly exceeding 500 million dollars in pirated content. One the 13th most popular website in the world, operating as a free file hosting service for any kind of content, Megaupload.com is potentially gone forever.

Megaupload.com staff claims they were always on top of complaints about material that might have been pirated, but for now the service and the content stored within are gone. Currently, there are no answers available as to whether or not the legitimate content stored there will be released.

For users who had previously used Megaupload, some alternatives to the service are RapidShare, MediaFire, DropBox, or Box.net

New Kindle Fire Update Unleashes Full-Screen Web Browsing

Amazon rolled out the second update to its Kindle Fire 6.2.2 firmware today. In addition to a few minor bug fixes and performance tweaks, this update grants Amazon's Silk browser access the Fire's entire seven-inch screen. It does also bork rooted devices like November's update did, so get ready to re-root if you need. The update is being pushed live now.

Why Android Handsets Are Bigger Than the iPhone

The iPhone screen is, and probably always will be, 3.5 inches. But Android handsets have gotten enormous over the last year or two, to the point where 4.3 inches feels standard, if not a bit small. Why is that?

Android OEMs and Google responded to the 3.5-inch 960×640 Retina display by improving the pixel format to 1280×720. But because Android renders text and graphics like Windows or OS X, increasing resolution above 320 ppi means smaller UI elements. The display had to grow in size to compensate for shrinking UI elements. 

Basically, the way iOS uses its increased resolution is to increase the clarity and sharpness of what it displays. Because of the way Android's rendering engine is currently set up on most phones, matching the iPhone's resolution but keeping the same 3.5-inch screen size would make the icons and text about one fourth smaller. (Note that it is possible for Android devices to rival the retina display clarity, and some recent phones like the HTC Rezound have higher pixel density than the iPhone, but they're in the minority.)

That would make text uncomfortably small and reduce the size of on-screen tap targets. To match iPhone resolution and maintain usability, while still using the same rendering techniques, Android phones will always have to be bigger.

One final thought: with the iPhone still market-leader, I think it's fair to say that people neither desperately want nor need massive screens on their phones. Size: it doesn't matter, guys.

How To Access Wikipedia During Tomorrow’s Blackout Protest

Wikipedia may be going dark within the hour in protest of SOPA/PIPA but that doesn't mean it's going offline completely. With very little work, you'll be able to access the online encyclopedia tomorrow—even if that does mean going against the entire spirit of the protest.

According to the Wall Street Journal, a Wikimedia spokesman confirmed today that the mobile version of the website will remain online at en.m.wikipedia.org. Also, any API that pulls information from the Wikipedia servers will remain active as well. That means you'll also still be able to access Wiki content through Facebook.

The Best Features Required of Windows 8 Hardware

Microsoft dropped the hardware requirements for Windows 8 a month ago, but may of the choice bits were buried amongst the 1000-page sea of technical jargon and general obscura. The brave souls over at WithinWindows ostensibly just emerged from the depths with the choicest pearls of compatibility wisdom.

What can we expect from devices running Windows 8?

• Touch devices: all will be required to detect five points of touch, which is good for 99% of most multitouch uses.
• NFC devices: all will be required to have a designated (read: a visual) zone for functionality. That way, your father won't be rubbing his phone along the back of his laptop phone in search of a link.
• Tablets and convertible PCs: Allwill have five—and only five—hard buttons. Power, rotation lock, Windows button, volume up, volume down. Any devices without keyboards must support Windows key+power as the new Ctrl+Alt+Del. Oh, and all screens will be 1366x768!
• Intel-based devices: all must resume in under two seconds.
More here.

The Steve Jobs Action Figure Is Canceled

In Icons, the company responsible for thefreaky-awesome Steve Jobs action figure, is stopping production because of legal threats from Apple and Jobs' family.

In a statement, Tandy Cheung, the Hong Kong businessman behind the doll said:

"Though we still believe that we have not overstepped any legal boundaries, we have decided to completely stop the offer, production and sale of the Steve Jobs figurine out of our heartfelt sensitivity to the feelings of the Jobs family."

One thing is certain: these dolls are now going to be super expensive. One is already for sale on eBay for $2,500; expect that figure to grow in the future. More here.

Is the Nokia Lumia 900 Coming in March?

You'll be able to get your mitts on the gorgeous Nokia Lumia 900 in March according to a newsletter published on the Nokia Developer website. Details here.

This Magnetic Mount Is a Stylish Alternative To Soap On a Rope

Whether you're at home or stuck in prison, dropping the soap in the shower is something you'll want to avoid altogether. So once again magnets have improved the human condition with this soap holder that ditches the rope.

Now I will admit, it doesn't have quite the same alliteration as "soap on a rope", but this magnetic soap holder is far more aesthetically pleasing. And it won't look like your shower is frequented by lumber jacks.

One section of the holder attaches to the wall, while you simply jam the other into a bar of soap until it sticks. The two are connected via a magnet, and I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume they're made from stainless steel so they don't immediately rust after your first. At $40 it's unfortunately quite a bit more expensive than a short length of rope, but totally worth it for those of us with slippery hands. More here.

Adorable Tool Tank Totally Out-Cutes Your Swiss Army Knife

The term 'cute' and 'tool' aren't often associated, but I can't think of a better way to describe this tiny screwdriver designed to look like a miniature tank hanging from your keyring.

The Tool Tank's barrel accepts one of the three screwdriver bits stored in its tracks, which are held in place through the magic of magnets. The barrel also raises, letting you—you know—actually use the Tool Tank as a screwdriver, while its large base provides plenty of grip when you've really got to tighten something down.

It's unfortunately not as well equipped as a Swiss Army Knife, but it will also sell for just $15when it's available come February. More here.

Quirky’s Invisible Drawer Locks Only Open With a Magnetic Key

Unless you work at the Pentagon, the key locks on your desk drawers are probably easy to compromise. So with their new Covert, the folks at Quirky figured that a drawer lock can't be picked if it can't be found.

The sliding locking mechanism comes with adhesive tape for a temporary solution, but if you were hoping for any kind of real security you'll want to screw them in. Once installed on the inside of a drawer the mechanism is completely invisible, and the only way to open it is with an included magnetic key that lets you slide the latch across.

Of course it's not the perfect solution. The magnetic key is only going to work through a certain thickness of wood panel, and once the lock is discovered even a desktop toy can be used to access your drawer's contents. But until the gig is up, you'll have co-workers wondering what manner of sorcery is protecting your pens and sticky notes. More here.

WOWee and MicroVision offer 200-inch Viewing and 'booming sound' on your Mobile

Despite all the product rivalry at CES, a little romance was inevitable -- WOWee, purveyor of the ONE portable speaker, has paired up with MicroVision and its dashingPicoP laser projector technology (shown above) to create a "marriage of sight and sound." It looks like the two companies will start out by simply bundling their respective wares, which will be available together in 120 countries from this quarter, rather than rushing to announce a hybrid device straight away. A wise decision, no doubt. More here.

Are Those Laser Keyboards Finally Usable When Embedded In an iPhone Case?

Short answer: Nope, still not.

If you have even a passing interest in tech you've seen these types of contraptions before. A laser is used to project a virtual keyboard onto a flat surface, while a camera detects the position of the typist's fingers to register keystrokes.

If it worked as awesome as it sounds, laser keyboards would be a fantastic tool for doing long form writing on a portable device. Particularly when it's integrated into a $180-$190 iPhone case. But the sad reality is that they're almost unusable for any kind of real work.

Not only is the lack of tactile feedback a huge stumbling block for touch typists, but the hardware used to track your finger motions isn't accurate enough for any kind of real speed. 

Google Just Made Bing the Best Search Engine

I just switched the default search engine in my browser from Google to Bing. And if you care about working efficiently, or getting the right results when you search, then maybe you should too. Don't laugh!

Google changed the way search works this week. It deeply integrated Google+ into search results. It's ostensibly meant to deliver more personalized results. But it pulls those personalized results largely from Google services—Google+, Picasa, YouTube. Search for a restaurant, and instead of its Yelp page, the top result might be someone you know discussing it on Google Plus. Over at SearchEngineland, Danny Sullivan has compiled a series of damning examples of the ways Google's new interface promotes Plus over relevancy. Long story short: It's a huge step backwards.

A lot of people are crying foul, and even "anti-trust." Sure, it does seem pretty transparently designed to drive traffic and users to Google Plus, and to make Google Plus brand pages the go-to place for a company's social media presence. And it's true that results from Facebook and Twitter in particular have been noticeably kicked down.

But I didn't switch for political reasons, or as an act of protest. I don't care if Google hurts Twitter or Facebook—or even Friendster for that matter. Boo-hoo. I only care if it hurts me. And this does. Google broke itself.

For years, Google Search has been the highest quality web product I've ever used. It has remained consistently essential as an information-delivery mechanism. I typically hit it hundreds of times a day—on my phone, tablet, laptop and desktop. But with one update it wiped out all those years of loyalty and goodwill it had built up. Sure, I can opt out of social results with a click—but as with all things I don't want to have to opt out. I don't want to have to make that extra click. I want to enter a query, and have the most relevant results returned to me as quickly as possible. (And if Google genuinely doesn't think it's a big deal for people to take the extra step oft opting out, why has it focused so relentlessly on optimizing speed for so many years?)

The great thing is, of course, you can just switch. Hit up your browser preferences, and swap your default to Bing. I know, I know, but yes I'm serious. Sure, Bing had a rocky start. But if you haven't seen it recently it's worth another look. It has a super clean interface. It's fast. And operators work the way you expect them to. Best of all it's relevant.

In short, it's a lot like Google. Not the Google of today, but the Google you fell in love with, the one that put your search results above its financial ones. The Google that delivered.

Reddit is Having a Blackout on 18 January in Protest Against SOPA

The web's been grumbling and muttering about SOPA for a while now, but we've not really seen any big gestures made. That's changing: Reddit admins have announced a blackout to protest against the act.

On 18 January, visitors to Reddit's usual wonderfully chaotic home page will instead be greeted by "a simple message about how the PIPA/SOPA legislation would shut down sites like reddit", according to a blog post written by the Reddit team. The blackout will last 12 hours.

As well as that message, the page will link to resources where people can learn more about SOPA, and suggest ways in which people can take action. They'll also feature a live video stream of the House hearing where Internet entrepreneurs and technical experts will be testifying that day.

In the same blog post, the team said:

The freedom, innovation, and economic opportunity that the Internet enables is in jeopardy. Congress is considering legislation that will dramatically change your Internet experience and put an end to Reddit and many other sites you use everyday... There are powerful forces trying to censor the Internet, and a few months ago many people thought this legislation would surely pass. However, there's a new hope that we can defeat this dangerous legislation.

A blackout is a bold move on Reddit's part, and probably the biggest statement we've seen made against SOPA so far.

But I don't think it's enough. There's an element of preaching to the choir here: most Reddit users are tech-savvy and, probably, already oppose SOPA.

What's needed to make real impact is for some of the big boys, like Google or Facebook, which both oppose SOPA, to do something similar. The chances of that are very, very slim — but without it, the message just isn't loud enough.