IT-Code-News: IT News Head Lines (Ars Technica) 11/20/2014

LittleBigPlanet 3 single-player impressions: Waiting for the Internet
A few interesting new features pass the time until community levels come along.

US Senate falls two votes short of shutting down NSA phone spying
Spying hawks raise fears of ISIL terror, and win by a razor-thin margin.

Nonprofit effort aims to encrypt the Web
Let's Encrypt will offer certificates and help websites enable private browsing.

PSA: Google Wallet is giving away $200,000 to attract new users
Send cash to a new user, and each of you could get five bucks for free.

Unscheduled Windows update kills critical security bug under active attack
Bug gives untrusted users control over sensitive Windows domain controllers.

Researchers craft a battery that can be recharged with waste heat
Can produce current during heat up and cool down.

Gov’t board: Like a drone, your RC aircraft is regulated by law, so pay up
Man must pay $10,000 fine for using remote-controlled flying wing.

Grand Theft Auto V next-gen impressions: First-person looter
Rockstar's huge crime game gets a tech boost and a surprising first-person mode.

Frontier service is so unreliable customers wish they still had AT&T
"I loved AT&T," says CT resident who was forced onto spotty Frontier service.

Nokia launches an Android tablet, with smartphones likely to follow
Nokia N1 has Nokia's brand, design, and launcher. Everything else is Foxconn.

The Dealmaster has an Alienware Alpha bundle for $549
Bundle includes an Xbox 360 controller, Payday 2, and $100 Dell eGift card.

Jury: Apple must pay $23.6M for old pager patents
In recent years, Apple is taking more patent cases to trial—with mixed results.

Apple releases WatchKit developer tools alongside first iOS 8.2 beta
New framework tells us more about how the Apple Watch and its apps will work.

Woman posts “love” of ISIS on Facebook, charged with “promoting” terrorism
"Jihad for Allah's sake" job description earns Facebook a search warrant.

Prosecutors drop key evidence at trial to avoid explaining “stingray” use
Baltimore Police detective refused to tell court how suspect's phone was found.

Whatsapp brings strong end-to-end crypto to the masses
User-friendly strong crypto is something of an oxymoron. That may change soon.

More detailed paleoclimate records, brought to you by lasers
With lasers, ocean cores can now produce records with a four-year resolution.

Publishers remove confusion about climate change from Texas textbooks
Social studies texts no longer suggest scientists have no idea what's going on.

Cubic Ninja prices soar as hackers reveal it’s key to unlocking Nintendo 3DS
Obscure 2011 game sees a popularity surge following a 3DS homebrew exploit.

16-cent E-rate phone fee hike will fund $1.5 billion in school broadband
E-rate spending boost sets up battle between FCC Democrats and Republicans.

Missouri man fired for posting pictures of DHS vans to Facebook
Navy vet says employers’ security chief called him a terrorist.

Samsung decides 56 smartphones a year is too many, will cut lineup by 30%
Samsung's 2015 lineup will be still be massive—just slightly less massive.

Uber exec suggests “opposition research” on journalists
It would be easy and relatively inexpensive to smear someone. Just sayin'.

Facebook wants to be your office friend, too
Facebook at Work will focus on collaboration, not cat pics.

Obscenity laws prevent Indian release of Dragon Age: Inquisition
EA says decision is "not specific to same gender romance."

Available Tags:Google , Windows , security , Nokia , Android , Apple , iOS , Nintendo , Facebook , Samsung ,

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

IT News Head Lines (Ars Technica) 11/20/2014

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