New Technology : What Does the NSA Court Ruling Mean for You and The Future of Surveillance?

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A US appeals court has ruled that bulk collection of phone records by the National Security Agency (NSA) is illegal. Despite overturning a 2013 decision, the court stopped short of asking the US Congress to halt the program, but did strongly urge them to take action. Legal experts and privacy campaigners have hailed the verdict, saying the landmark decision has effectively paved the way for a full legal challenge against the legitimacy of the NSA. The extent of the NSA surveillance program came to light in the aftermath of the Edward Snowden revelations in June 2013. The program started after...

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New Technology : What You Need To Know About Wireless Charging

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How to improve your battery life is one of the most pressing concerns for all smartphone users. Until our devices offer week-long battery life, charging on the go will remain a reality for us all. The good news is we may not have to remember to pack our chargers for too much longer. The era of wireless charging is almost upon us, with airports, car makers and restaurant chains installing charging stations. But while the new Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone has been designed to work with all wireless chargers, the picture is not so clear for everyone else, with competing...

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New Technology : Learn How to Rock Instagram With These Top Role Models

Instagram Inspiration

If you’re looking for likes and followers, Instagram is a tough nut to crack. But you can follow and study these Instagram role models to see what the crème de la crème are publishing over there. Many people say the optimal frequency to post on Instagram is just once per day. After doing my own research, I found that a maximum of 3-4 photos should be posted throughout each 24 hours. Having such a strict limit like this means your photos really have to be something special. They need to be photos that urge other users to follow you, like your posts, and look...

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New Technology : 6 Types of Home Automation You Can Actually Afford

Are you ready to join the smart home revolution but worried that it’s beyond your budget? Have no fear! As it turns out, smart homes aren’t that expensive, and there are plenty of components that the average homeowner or rental tenant can afford. Money is only an obstacle if you want the absolute cutting edge in home automation. On the other hand, if you’re willing to wait until the early adoption phase passes over, these components will drop even cheaper. Waiting is probably the most frugal option, but that doesn’t mean you can’t plan ahead and start eye-shopping today. Here...

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New Technology : Save 50% on a Sound Kick Bluetooth Speaker – Now Just $49.99

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Do you like music? Do you like jamming to your favorite tunes anywhere you go? How would you like to save 50% on a high-quality Bluetooth speaker? Well, today is your lucky day, because we have a Sound Kick Bluetooth speaker for just $49.99. That’s right, you don’t need to go out and spend $100 to get a quality Bluetooth speaker, because you can get this awesome deal from MakeUseOf right now! Buy: Sound Kick Bluetooth Speaker from MakeUseOf Deals Sound Kick Bluetooth Speaker Features This isn’t some cheap Bluetooth speaker. No, this thing has received praise and accolades all around...

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New Technology : Infrared Everywhere: Extending Harmony Ultimate Remote to Multiple Rooms

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The Harmony Ultimate series is a fantastic bit of kit which simplifies the mass of remote controls in your living room, and can be reprogrammed to control anything which works off infrared (even these cheap RGB LED strips). It’s a perfect solution, but only if your home entertainment den is located in a single room. With decent projectors available for less than $400, it’s quite possible you’ll have both a TV and a home cinema. In that case, things get messy; you can’t pair a Harmony Ultimate Remote with two hubs, so you’d need to buy two full $350 remote...

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New Technology : Verizon Buys AOL, Facebook Launches Instant Articles, & More… [Tech News Digest]

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Verizon buys AOL, Facebook starts publishing, Microsoft starts translating, TunnelBear extends to Chrome, Domino’s delivers via emoji, and Conan O’Brien plays The Witcher 3. Verizon Buys AOL for $4.4 Billion Telecoms giant Verizon is buying Internet giant AOL for a total of $4.4 billion in cash ($50-per-share). Once the deal is completed later this year, AOL will become a mere subsidiary of Verizon. AOL CEO Tim Armstrong is expected to remain in charge of the company after the deal has gone through. According to Verizon, the deal “further drives its LTE wireless video and OTT (over-the-top video) strategy. The agreement...

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New Technology : How Much do the World’s Biggest YouTube Stars Make?

YouTubeStars

It’s no secret that some of the most successful YouTubers are, well, successful. But just how big are the biggest YouTube stars? Who are the biggest money-makers on Google’s massive video service? Spoiler alert, PewDiePie is the biggest, by a huge margin, which shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone who uses YouTube on a regular basis. But just how much is he estimated to be taking home? Check out the infographic below for a fascinating breakdown of the dollars and cents. There’s also a fascinating look at the backstories of some of these YouTube superstars. Check out the image and...

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New Technology : That Awkward Moment When You… Complete Social Media Fail

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That feeling when you’ve said something stupid on Twitter and realize you’re going to get flamed. Been there? Well, be thankful that’s as bad as it gets for most people. And then there are the real screw-ups. This week has been full of social media blunders from the criminally stupid, the perpetually petrified and rude business-people in general. It’s amazing how big these people messed up. Read on and you’ll see why no-one will even remember your own social stumbles. These people are unbelievable! When He Posted Pics Of His Crime On Instagram So, this guy Dominyk Antonio Alfonseca decided...

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New Technology : “My Child Is Being Bullied” – Check out These 7 Helpful Resources

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Over 25% of children and teens in the US admit to being the victim of bullying, with 15% admitting to being cyber-bullied. The effects of this kind of behavior can cause issues from social anxiety and depression, to eating disorders and even suicide. If you think your child (of any age) is being bullied at school, this article covers several resources that we hope will help. Please forward these resources on to anyone you think could benefit from them, including teachers. If we take the definition of bullying put forward by Stopbullying.gov as: “unwanted aggressive behavior; observed or perceived power imbalance; and repetition of...

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