By Gilbert Falso :: 10:16 PM
Sales of George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 have skyrocketed in the wake of the revelation last week that the United States government has been overseeing a number of broad and invasive spy programs that tap into telephone and web-based communication systems in the country.
This evening, the book
1984 coincidentally celebrated its 60th birthday last week, right as the news of Verizon’s involvement in an NSA wiretap program that allows the government to access metadata from all telephone calls originating or passing through the U.S.
The fact that the book has gained in popularity is likely not only because of the events that took place last week, but also the fact that the edition that has peaked in popularity is the special 60th anniversary version of the book.
By Cynthia Herbert :: 5:14 PM
When Apple revealed the new Mac Pro (picture above) today in its annual World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco, reaction across Twitter and other social media sites was swift – everyone thought it looked like something besides a computer.
Below are the top 5 items we all thought the new Mac Pro looks like, besides a computer:
1. Trash Can
2. Coffee Maker
3. Subwoofer
4. Thermos
5. Paper Shredder
By Paul Thomson :: 3:13 PM
Two new MacBook Air models, the slim laptop produced by Apple, have been announced today at Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco.
Boasting improved battery life, the models are priced as follows: The 11″ 128GB model is $999, the 11″ with 256GB is $1199, the 13″ with 128 GB is $1099, and the 13″ with 256 GB is $1299.
The battery on the 11″ model will last 9 hours, according to Apple, with the 13″ model’s battery lasting 12 hours. In addition to improved battery life, the new MacBook Air will also feature enhanced wireless performance that is up to 3 times faster than the current MacBook Air models, with extended range capabilities.
Both new models are available now on Apple’s website or in Apple retail stores.
By Paul Thomson :: 1:44 PM
Apple today announced the next version of its computer operating system – it will be called OS X Mavericks. The announcement came during the keynote portion of Apple’s annual World Wide Developers Conference, held in San Francisco.
The name Mavericks is a departure from the previous OS X naming scheme, which used big cats: Panther, Leopard, and Mountain Lion, for example. Mavericks is a surfing location in Northern California, and the announcement revealed that Apple is moving toward a “California place” naming scheme. As a joke, an image of a sea lion appeared on the screen briefly during the demonstration, causing many to wrongly assume that the name of the next OS was OS X Sea Lion.
Among the new functionality in Mavericks is a much-touted suite of CPU management tools, which can reduce CPU usage by over 50%. Significant changes have also been revealed for the Safari web browser, and Apple’s Mail client.
A Developer Preview version of the OS will be made available today, and it will be generally available to the public sometime in the fall.
By Cynthia Herbert :: 9:56 AM
Shares in Booz Allen Hamilton, the consulting firm and government contractor that employed NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden have opened sharply lower in trading today, down over 4% in the first twenty minutes of trading.
The firm issued a statement yesterday afternoon after Snowden was identified as the source of the leaks of confidential government documents that revealed the existence of two spy programs focused on U.S. citizens. One program focused on the tracking of metadata for U.S. telephone calls, and the other, dubbed PRISM, tracked online communications.
In the statement, Booz Allen Hamilton said that Snowden’s action, “represents a grave violation of the code of conduct and core values of our firm.” The form vowed to “work closely with our clients and authorities in their investigation of this matter.”