Microsoft Build 2013 event wrap-up

We came. We handled Windows 8.1. We grabbed news about the latest and greatest from Microsoft. We picked up a few new Steve Ballmer catch phrases ("touch touch touch touch!"). Then, we left. In a nutshell, this was our experience covering Microsoft Build 2013 this week at the Moscone Center, though it obviously was much more involved. Fortunately, we were able to bring you, dear reader, along for the action -- but in case you missed any of the excitement as it happened, you'll find a list of all of the announcements, hands-ons and other posts we covered during the event below the break. Feel free to also visit our Build event page for an extra visual oomph.

Filed under: Announcements, Microsoft

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/FG8GDkyE3dA/

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Filing: Gov doesn't want challenge to surveillance

CHICAGO (AP) ? Lawyers for a U.S. citizen charged with terrorism in Chicago said Friday in a filing that the government is purposely dodging questions about whether it used expanded secret surveillance programs against their client in a calculated bid to ensure the hotly debated practices can't be challenged in the Supreme Court.

The claim came in an early morning filing at federal court in Chicago by attorneys for Adel Daoud. The 19-year-old, of Hillsdale, is accused of trying to ignite what he thought was a car bomb outside a bar last year in Chicago. Daoud, whose trial is set for Feb. 3, has pleaded not guilty to attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and other charges.

In their own filing last week, federal prosecutors refused to say whether they used far-reaching surveillance programs to launch their two-year investigation of the suburban teenager, saying they were under no legal obligation to spell out just what led to an FBI sting focused on Daoud.

Recent leaks by a former National Security Agency contractor, Edward Snowden, revealed that a secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, or FISA court, authorized one program that gathers U.S. phone records and another that tracks the use of U.S.-based Internet servers by foreigners with possible links terrorism.

Friday's 13-page defense filing argues the government's refusal to confirm or deny whether it used those programs left defense attorneys legally hamstrung: With no answer, they have no grounds to mount a challenge to the programs' constitutionality, and yet prosecutors could still use the evidence at trial.

"Whenever it is good for the government to brag about its success, it speaks loudly and publicly (about its surveillance methods)," the filing says. "When a criminal defendant's constitutional rights are at stake, however, it quickly and unequivocally clams up under the guise of state secrets."

A message seeking comment was left early Friday with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago. Federal prosecutors typically do not comment on pending cases.

U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman, who is overseeing Daoud's case, has said she will hear oral arguments soon on the dispute. She could order government attorneys to state clearly if they used the expanded surveillance or she could agree with prosecutors that they are under no obligation to do so.

The main point of contention in Daoud's case, as in much of the national debate over U.S. surveillance, is the secret FISA court ? set up by the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

FISA amendments adopted by Congress in 2008 allow the government to obtain broad intercept orders from the court ? raising the prospect that calls and emails between foreign targets and innocent Americans could also be subject to surveillance.

In February, the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to throw out an attempt by U.S. citizens to challenge the 2008 expansion of FISA on grounds they could not prove the government will monitor their conversations along with those of potential foreign terrorist and intelligence targets.

But the high court added that its decision did not insulate the FISA expansion from judicial review, and it suggested a couple of ways a challenge could be brought, including a scenario in which an American lawyer did get swept up in FISA monitoring.

Prosecutors have said the investigation of Daoud began in 2011 when the FBI detected he was active on extremist Internet forums and sites in which he inquired about killing Americans. By 2012, undercover agents posing as terrorists had engaged Daoud in email conversations, telling him they would help him stage an attack. On Sept. 14, 2012, Daoud allegedly drove a Jeep Cherokee to the Chicago bar with what he thought was a bomb inside. After he pushed a mock triggering device, FBI agents moved in and arrested him.

___

Follow Michael Tarm at www.twitter.com/mtarm

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-06-21-US-Chicago-Terrorism-Arrest-Surveillance/id-807faf1a41634b82aedb925718eeaa8d

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Graphene-based system could lead to improved information processing

June 21, 2013 ? Researchers at MIT have proposed a new system that combines ferroelectric materials -- the kind often used for data storage -- with graphene, a two-dimensional form of carbon known for its exceptional electronic and mechanical properties. The resulting hybrid technology could eventually lead to computer and data-storage chips that pack more components in a given area and are faster and less power-hungry.

The new system works by controlling waves called surface plasmons. These waves are oscillations of electrons confined at interfaces between materials; in the new system the waves operate at terahertz frequencies. Such frequencies lie between those of far-infrared light and microwave radio transmissions, and are considered ideal for next-generation computing devices.

The findings were reported in a paper in Applied Physics Letters by associate professor of mechanical engineering Nicholas Fang, postdoc Dafei Jin and three others.

The system would provide a new way to construct interconnected devices that use light waves, such as fiber-optic cables and photonic chips, with electronic wires and devices. Currently, such interconnection points often form a bottleneck that slows the transfer of data and adds to the number of components needed.

The team's new system allows waves to be concentrated at much smaller length scales, which could lead to a tenfold gain in the density of components that could be placed in a given area of a chip, Fang says.

The team's initial proof-of-concept device uses a small piece of graphene sandwiched between two layers of the ferroelectric material to make simple, switchable plasmonic waveguides. This work used lithium niobate, but many other such materials could be used, the researchers say.

Light can be confined in these waveguides down to one part in a few hundreds of the free-space wavelength, Jin says, which represents an order-of-magnitude improvement over any comparable waveguide system. "This opens up exciting areas for transmitting and processing optical signals," he says.

Moreover, the work may provide a new way to read and write electronic data into ferroelectric memory devices at very high speed, the MIT researchers say.

Dimitri Basov, a professor of physics at the University of California at San Diego who was not connected with this research, says the MIT team "proposed a very interesting plasmonic structure, suitable for operation in the technologically significant [terahertz] range. ? I am confident that many research groups will try to implement these devices."

Basov cautions, however, "The key issue, as in all of plasmonics, is losses. Losses need to be thoroughly explored and understood."

In addition to Fang and Jin, the research was carried out by graduate student Anshuman Kumar, former postdoc Kin Hung Fung (now at Hong Kong Polytechnic University), and research scientist Jun Xu. It was supported by the National Science Foundation and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/4eQl1-5Fu_M/130621095620.htm

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Jamhub TourBus: Rocking Out With the Volume Down

Price: $699

Give even the head-bangiest metal band the 85-knobbed Jamhub TourBus and it can quiet down. The semicircular $700 device acts as a studio?complete with effects and personal monitor controls?and one that's silent to anyone who's not plugged in. Seven people, each with his or her own settings, can connect to the device and listen to the group through headphones, each adjusting his or her own settings to duplicate those of on-stage playing or to avoid volume-related arguments.

Each person gets an instrument in, mic in, and headphones jack, along with controls for effects levels, input and output volumes, stage pan (to mimic physical location on a stage), and, most importantly, levels controls for everyone else in the band. So, if you're shredding away on lead guitar at turned-to-11 volume, that's fine?everyone else can turn down your levels to something they can live with. This setup would work nearly perfectly if it weren't for the fact that turning down one player's levels turns down both the instrument and vocal inputs for that person?you can't turn down someone's unsavory singing without turning down their possibly pleasant instrument playing too. Still, it's a tiny price to pay for the convenience of rehearsing as loudly as you want, anywhere.

Learning the Jamhub interface isn't as daunting as all the knobs and inputs would suggest. The inner ring of each player's left knob controls the instrument input level, while the outer ring of that knob controls the mic. On the right are the levels controls for effects (which affect vocals only) on the outside and headphones volume on the inside. The virtual stage is adjusted with the pan knob in the center. The rest of each player's controls are for limiting or boosting everyone else's volumes in that player's headphones.

Jamhub intends players to use the back row of knobs for recording. It allows them to adjust the levels of each input for well-calibrated output to a computer, but they can also be used for an eighth musician. Or you can use the rear inputs to play along with a recording; each player treats the recording as if it's just another musician, adjusting the volume of the song to the level he or she wants to hear.

As with all the inputs, the rear ones accept stereo plugs only; mono plugs will send sound to only one side of the headphones. The Jamhub comes with two mono-to-stereo adapters, which should be enough as long as you have only two guitarists (most guitars are mono). The only other accessories you absolutely need are 1/8-to-1/4 headphone adapters, a bunch of cables, and, if you want to record straight to a computer, a USB cable. The device comes with an SD card for recording and two remote units, so that drummers and other players who tend to sit out of reach of the Jamhub can make adjustments without leaving their instruments.

The Pop Mech office is heavy on guitarists, so we tried the Jamhub with a couple of guitars, including the Fender Modern Player Telecaster bass and classic Telecaster guitar above. It takes just a few minutes to set up?something you should do before you start playing to keep interruptions to a minimum. Then you can jam away, as we did to the envy of passersby gawking through the glass walls of our conference room-turned-recording studio.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/tech-news/jamhub-tourbus-rocking-out-with-the-volume-down-15608282?src=rss

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Katy Perry: Russell Brand dumped her via text

Celebs

Ashley Majeski TODAY contributor

13 hours ago

Vogue

Katy Perry graces the cover of the July issue of Vogue.

In the past, Katy Perry has shied away from publicly discussing her divorce from comedian Russell Brand, but in a new interview with Vogue, the singer reveals that their relationship -- and their split -- was hardly a "Teenage Dream."

"He's a very smart man, a magical man and I was in love with him when I married him," Perry said.

However, things with Brand, who Perry said was controlling, are anything but "magical" these days.

"Let's just say I haven't heard from him since he texted me saying he was divorcing me December 31, 2011."

Dumped by a text message on New Years Eve?! Ouch! The pop star continued to dish on life after Brand, stating that she once caught him making fun of her during a performance post-split.

"[He's] hysterical in some ways," she said. "Until he started making jokes about me and he didn?t know I was in the audience, because I had come to surprise him at one of his shows. So. Hysterical to a point."

Lucas Jackson / Reuters file

Katy Perry and Russell Brand married on Oct. 23, 2010.

While Perry admitted that her constant touring played a major role in the relationship's demise, she hints of a bigger underlying reason for the divorce, but declined to elaborate.

"I felt a lot of responsibility for it ending, but then I found out the real truth, which I can?t necessarily disclose because I keep it locked in my safe for a rainy day," she said.

Perry also revealed the real truth about her much-publicized on-and-off relationship with singer John Mayer, refuting claims that she only dated Mayer to get revenge on Brand.

"No, I was madly in love with him. I still am madly in love with him," she said. "All I can say about that relationship is that he?s got a beautiful mind. Beautiful mind, tortured soul. I do have to figure out why I am attracted to these broken birds."

While Perry and Mayer were "off" when she gave the Vogue interview (they most recently split in March), they've been spotted out together in recent weeks. Still, Perry insists that she's coming to terms with being single.

"I have to be happy being alone, and I am happy," she said. "I believe that I will be loved again, in the right way. I know I?m worth it."

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/katy-perry-claims-russell-brand-dumped-her-text-message-6C10368482

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Listen to the Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 4PM ET!

Myriam and Brad are behind the mics once again, ready to tackle the latest topics from this past week. What's on the agenda? We'll be chatting about the HTC Butterfly s, Sony Xperia ZU, the upcoming Nokia EOS (which is quickly becoming the world's worst-kept secret) and plenty more. Also, we won't be covering this on the podcast, but you should probably check it out anyway. Join us in 45 minutes!

June 19, 2013 4:00:00 PM EDT

Filed under: Announcements, Mobile

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/19/engadget-mobile-podcast/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Cuban dissident: Repression forced family to flee

MIAMI (AP) ? One of several Cuban dissidents recently allowed to visit Europe and the U.S. after Cuba changed its travel laws said Tuesday she decided to seek refuge in Miami after facing continued repression on the island.

Rosa Maria Paya said she and her family have been the subject of threats, harassment and increased vigilance since her father's death last year and following her return to Cuba in April.

"We wanted to rest a bit from the persecution we faced in Cuba," Paya said, "and continue working on the opposition's proposals for change and transition to democracy."

Paya, 24, is the daughter of the late Oswaldo Paya, the lead organizer of the Varela Project, a signature-gathering drive regarded as the largest nonviolent campaign to change the system Fidel Castro established in 1959. The petition asked authorities for a referendum on guaranteeing rights such as freedom of speech and assembly in Cuba.

In July 2012, Paya and youth activist Harold Cepero died in a car crash in Bayamo, Cuba. The two men and another passenger were in a car driven by Spaniard Angel Carromero, who lost control and struck a tree, according to government authorities. Carromero was convicted of vehicular homicide and sent to Spain to serve a four-year sentence.

Paya's daughter, wife and others have insisted the crash was not an accident. They assert that witness accounts, text messages and statements made after the crash raise questions about the Cuban government's account. Rosa Maria Paya spoke with government officials in the U.S. and Europe to press for an international investigation.

Rosa Maria Paya was allowed to leave in April after Cuba eliminated the exit permit that had been required of islanders for five decades. She was one of several prominent Cuban dissidents to visit the U.S. and appears to be the first to have returned to Cuba and then sought status as a political refugee in the U.S.

She said that when she returned to Cuba, immigration officials at the airport told her, "Welcome."

But the threats, vigilance and oppression against her family and others involved in the movement her father started intensified, she said.

The decision of the Paya family ? six members in all ? to leave the island is likely to be seen as a black eye to the Cuban government, which has been trying to portray itself as a more open society since enacting a slate of social and economic reforms in recent years, said Jaime Suchlicki, a professor at the University of Miami.

"It makes it look like the Cuban government is oppressive, which it is," Suchlicki said. On the other hand, with one less dissident on the island, "I don't think the Cuban government is going to be too upset."

Ofelia Acevedo, Oswaldo Paya's wife and Rosa Maria's mother, said she and other family members are residing in the U.S. as political refugees, not exiles, and do not plan to ask for political asylum. Under the Cuban migratory changes enacted in January, Cubans can stay abroad for two years before forfeiting full citizenship rights.

The U.S. State Department declined to provide any specific information about the family's case.

Acevedo said her family's stay in Miami was of a "temporary nature." But she also declined to provide any specifics on when they would return.

"We will continue fighting until real change is a reality in Cuba," Acevedo said. "The amount of time it will take, we don't know. When we are going to return we don't know either."

The family vowed to continue the work of Oswaldo Paya from Miami in conjunction with activists on the island. But Suchlicki said their departure was a setback for the Christian Liberation movement Paya started.

"They're going to continue, but it's one of many groups in exile," Suchlicki said. "It's a limited impact that they will have in Miami. Internally they would have more impact."

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Follow Christine Armario on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cearmario

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cuban-dissident-repression-forced-family-flee-204647949.html

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