The Switch: Q&A: will.i.am on why wearables are so ugly, and why Hollywood and Silicon Valley don’t get along

Today's technology and tech policy news  •  Fri., Jan. 9, 2015 View in your Web browser

Q&A: will.i.am on why wearables are so ugly, and why Hollywood and Silicon Valley don’t get along Musician will.i.am was on hand at International CES, the tech industry's largest convention, to talk up his new wearable device, the Puls. Puls is a standalone wearable that lets you send e-mail, text messages and social media updates as well as make phone calls -- all without having to pair it with a smartphone thanks to a partnership with AT&T. The gadget runs a custom Android-based operating system called AneedA, which is also the name of its voice assistant software. The device pulled a lot of criticism when first announced in the fall, butwill.i.am's company, i.am.plus, showed up at this week's show with a much more polished version. Right now the gadget is in a sort of beta mode, and those interested can apply to purchase it online for $399.  Read full article »

A secret message of support for Charlie Hebdo built into French Web sites

The French non-profit that operates French top-level domains, like .fr, has inserted a secret message of support for Charlie Hebdo, a newspaper attacked by terrorists, in the data used to identify the Web sites it helped register.  Read full article »

Super app review: One way to make your status update more colorful

superMake your status update more colorfulOkay, so maybe you feel a little overloaded with social apps. But even if you feel like you can’t write another update, consider Super. This one is pure light, goofy fun.  Read full article »

Trivia Crack, an app to quiz yourself and show off your smarts

triviacrackQuiz yourself and show off your smartsAre you a trivia buff? Do you live to prove your knowledge of the little things? Then it may be time for you to try Trivia Crack.Like the classic game Trivial Pursuit, the app challenges players with questions in a variety of subjects such as sports, science and history. The app lets you play with friends or strangers.  Read full article »

This is the cyberattack that keeps Edward Snowden up at night

Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who leaked data about government surveillance programs, has been far from quiet during his Russian exile.In an interview with James Bamford published Thursday by NOVA, Snowden said that when it came to cyber warfare, the United States has "more to lose than any other nation on earth." And he's not just talking about attacks on systems with obvious effects on the physical world, but the potential fallout of attacks aimed at crippling the Internet itself.  Read full article »

Everything you need to know about net neutrality for your smartphone

Now that federal regulators appear likely to propose aggressive rules to oversee Internet providers, one of the next big fights will be how to apply those potential rules — if at all — to wireless carriers such as AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon.  Read full article »

The Switchboard: A controversial cybersecurity bill, CISPA, is back Published every weekday, the Switchboard is your morning helping of hand-picked stories from the Switch team.House Dem revives major cyber bill. The Hill reports: "The measure — known as the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) — has been a top legislative priority for industry groups and intelligence officials, who argue the country cannot properly defend critical infrastructure without it."  Read full article »

Innovations: Neiman Marcus unveils its fitting room mirror for the 21st century

Neiman Marcus is reinventing the fitting room mirror.The retailer announced Thursday that it has installed a MemoryMirror from MemoMi in its Walnut Creek, Calif. store. It plans to install two in its San Francisco store later this month and then two in Dallas.  Read full article »

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