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NYPD will replace handwritten logs with an iPhone app later this month
After more than a century, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) is retiring the handwritten memo books carried by police officers and replacing them with an app, The New York Times reports. On February 17th, officers will begin recording their detailed activity logs in an iOS app on department-issued iPhones.
Facebook exec says the company should stay the course for elections
In a newly leaked memo published by the New York Times, one of Mark Zuckerberg's closest confidants at Facebook argues the company has a "moral" duty to not tip the scales against President Donald Trump in the upcoming election. The post, titled "Thoughts for 2020," was penned by Andrew "Boz" Bosworth, the head of the company's virtual and augmented reality division. In it, he says Facebook shouldn't use the tools at its disposal against the president, using a scene from the Lord of the Rings to justify his rationale.
Senators ask the FCC to limit 5G auction to protect weather forecasts
In March, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began auctioning blocks of the 24 GHz spectrum, which could be used to implement future 5G networks. Shortly afterward, the US Navy released a memo warning that 5G in the 24 GHz band could interfere with weather satellites. Now, Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) are urging the FCC not to allow wireless companies to operate 5G in that spectrum until weather forecasting operations are protected. The Senators wrote a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai yesterday, citing the Navy's memo and accusing the FCC of ignoring "the serious alarms the scientific community is raising."
Facebook's outgoing security chief sent a damning company-wide memo
Facebook's outgoing security chief, Alex Stamos, sent a damning internal memo just days after the Cambridge Analytica scandal came to light, urging the company to "intentionally not collect data where possible, and to keep it only as long as we are using it to serve people." The note, titled "A Difficult Week" and dated March 23, states, "We need to listen to people (including internally) when they tell us a feature is creepy or point out a negative impact we are having in the world.
Leaked Apple memo reveals 12 people were arrested for leaking last year
Bloomberg got its hands on a leaked Apple memo today regarding, funnily enough, leaks. The company is well-known for liking to keep things under wraps, but its leadership isn't pleased with how often Apple employees are leaking information to the press. According to the memo, Apple caught 29 individuals -- employees, contractors and supply chain partners -- who leaked information last year and 12 of them were arrested. "Leakers do not simply lose their jobs at Apple. In some cases, they face jail time and massive fines for network intrusion and theft of trade secrets both classified as federal crimes," it reads.
Google cancels all-hands meeting due to safety concerns
At the same time Google fired the author of a 10-page memo criticizing its diversity efforts due to "biological" differences, CEO Sundar Pichai scheduled a company town meeting for today to discuss the issue. Now, Recode and Business Insider report that he sent another email to employees canceling the event, citing websites that posted personal information about employees critical of the memo. Instead, the company plan is that "in the coming days we will find several forums to gather and engage with Googlers, where people can feel comfortable to speak freely."
Jack Dorsey calls Twitter the 'people's news network'
One of the reasons that Twitter has struggled with its investors is because nobody, not even its leaders, really knows what Twitter is for. In a memo sent around to employees, CEO Jack Dorsey seems to have stumbled across his vision for the embattled company. The note, which was sent to celebrate a year running the company, describes the site as "the people's news network," with a combination of "news and talk."
Microsoft kills what's left of the old Nokia
Last week, Microsoft sold off what remained of Nokia's feature phone business while Windows Phone's market share slid below a single percent. Now, the company has taken what's clearly the last step in correcting Steve Ballmer's decision to purchase the mobile world's former number one. The Verge has secured an internal memo from Microsoft's Terry Myerson saying that the company will cull 1,850 jobs, 1,350 of which are in Finland. The company has also recorded a $950 million impairment and restructuring charge on its balance sheet, of which $200 million will be severance payouts to those employees.
Tim Cook wants the US to reform its intelligence policies
Tim Cook believes that the US should launch a commission to reform the country's intelligence gathering policies. The admission came at the tail end of an internal memo that further explains Apple's stance on the San Bernadino iPhone. After thanking employees and members of the public for their support, Cook explains that it "does not feel right to be on the opposite of government." Despite this, he stands firm on refusing to create a cracked version of iOS that would be used to access Syed Rizwan Farook's iPhone data. He adds that Apple has always helped authorities to pursue terrorists and did so to the best of its ability in this case, too.
HTC CEO issues rallying call to staff, tells them to 'kill bureaucracy'
HTC's Peter Chou is having his own "burning platform" moment after sending a company-wide email, leaked to Bloomberg, entitled "We are coming back." The CEO, shocked at recent sales dips has talked of a company lacking "decision, strategic direction or [a] sense of urgency" and requested that employees should "kill bureaucracy." He praised the success of the well-lauded One X, but said that the company's own "processes, rules and norms" could be stumbling blocks, instead urging employees to "follow rules and criteria, but don't let small things kill the major goals." The missive has already been confirmed as real by an HTC spokesperson, who probably promptly burned a stack of TPS reports to demonstrate their commitment.
Daily iPad App: MyScript Memo takes your handwriting and turns it into text
Handwriting is one of those things that seems like it should be easy on the iPad, but, in reality, it is fairly difficult. Unlike Apple's legendarily quirky handwriting recognition on the Newton or the Windows tablets of more recent vintage, the iPad is designed primarily for finger-based input, not for longhand wirting with a stylus. Though it's not optimized for use with a capacitive pen, several companies including Vision Objects are enthusiastic about the iPad as a writing device and have developed apps that'll let you scrawl to your heart's content. MyScript Memo uses a proprietary algorithm that'll take your handwriting on the iPad or iPhone and convert it to text. You can use any stylus or even your finger to write some words and then convert to text when you are ready to share it with a friend via email, SMS, Facebook or Twitter. You can also copy the converted text or save it to Evernote for future reference. The algorithm used to detect the handwriting performed beyond my expectation. Even with my chicken scratch, Memo was able to convert 90 percent of what I had written. One of the most useful features was a movable palm guard that lets you cover the area where your hand sits on the screen. It works really well to block that part of the screen and prevent accidental input from your palm. You can adjust this area to make it bigger or smaller as needed. The app also includes an eraser so you can remove words and a lasso tool to remove blocks of text at a time. MyScript Memo is a universal app and is available for free from the iOS App Store. The free version will let you convert handwriting to text using MyScript's server; an in-app purchase of $2.99 will let you convert directly on your device.
ASUS MeMO 370T 7-inch tablet clears the FCC, leaves no trace of Ice Cream or Jelly behind
The 7-inch ASUS Eee Pad MeMO ME370T we saw in early prototype form during CES just passed through the FCC. It's still only showing WiFi radios with no trace of a cellular connection, although if it's going to be the $249 standard bearer NVIDIA and ASUS were so excited about, that's to be expected. A juicier rumor that has surfaced in the intervening period however, suggests this device will actually be released as a Google Nexus 7-inch tablet (or just sold from a Google store), and could even feature the next version of Android, codenamed Jelly Bean. It could also sell for as low as $149, although the cheaper reworked version might swap out the Tegra processor for one from Qualcomm. We didn't spot anything in the filings to back that up, but you can paw through the PDFs yourself at the link below, or just get an idea of what it looks like in non-line drawn form with our gallery of pics from CES 2012.
Sotheby's selling original Steve Jobs note to Atari
Sotheby's is selling another a piece of Apple history that'll appeal to collectors. The auction house is offering a memo Steve Jobs sent to Atari in 1974. The memo contains changes Atari could make to its World Cup Soccer arcade game that'll add variety to the game. The memo has pencil-drawn circuit diagrams and paddle information for the engineers. It's written on Atari letterhead and signed by Jobs under All-One Farm Design, a company name inspired by an Oregon apple orchard/hippy commune frequented by Jobs. The auction begins at US$15,000, but it could fetch a lot more than that. Last year, Sotheby's sold the original Apple contract signed by Steve Jobs for $1.6 million. [Via TechCrunch]
Target pulls Kindle from virtual shelves, physical ones may follow
Since 2010, Target has happily hawked Amazon's e-reading wares. The retailer even carved out a branded corner of its online shop just for the Kindle. Now though, that store within a store is empty and conspicuously missing from Target's virtual shelves is Amazon's entire Kindle line. Sure, a few accessories remain, but the readers themselves are gone. What's more, according to an internal memo obtained by The Verge, the products will be cease to be restocked at the company's brick and mortar locations starting May 13th. The communique states that, after evaluation, Target "has made the decision to no longer carry Amazon hardware." The reasoning behind the banishment isn't clear, but the potential causes are practically endless. Amazon's vast online repository of goods, including some grocery items, makes it a direct competitor of the big box outlet. Target continues to carry the Nook and Kobo e-readers, but those company's don't challenge the retailer. It's also possible that, with mini Apple Stores opening up on its premises, Cupertino put some pressure on Target to clear out its competitors. It could also be as simple as collapsed contract negotiations, with Target failing to get as big a cut of sales as it wanted or, and this is a bit of a stretch, the Minneapolis company could be preparing to launch its own e-reading hardware. Neither Amazon nor Target has responded to our requests for comment at this time. Update: Target has affirmed the move to Reuters, with the following statement: "Target is phasing out Amazon- and Kindle-branded products in the spring of 2012."
Is Samsung's white Galaxy Note coming to Canada on Telus tomorrow, Bell on April 10?
It's been nearly two months since Samsung's LTE Galaxy Note made its debut in the land of maple syrup Canada, and now Telus and Bell might finally begin stocking the white variant of the Gingerbread-loaded phablet. According to (supposed) internal memos leaked from both companies to Mobile Syrup, it appears as though Bell's planning to release the 5.3-inch device on April 10th, while Telus may let it loose as soon as tomorrow. Notably, the site also mentions that you'll be looking at an unchanged entry-fee of $200 with a three-year contract or $730 if you'd prefer the phone sans strings. It likely won't be long until this unicorn's northerly arrival gets confirmed for sure, but for now, drag your cursor over to the source links below for a shot of the Bell document and further insight.
Leaked doc indicates T-Mobile could raise 5GB and 10GB data prices on April 4th
An alleged Magenta-branded memo's managed to find its way out of store lockup and land at the TmoNews offices, revealing some not-so-good news for potential future customers. Per the leaked document, T-Mobile's about to hike the price on its 5GB and 10GB Promotional Bundles data plans, starting as soon as April 4th. The changes would slap an extra $5 monthly fee on each Classic plan, boosting the 5GB to $35 / $40 and the 10GB to $65 / $70, however it'd only apply to customers signing up after the aforementioned April date. Perhaps, it's all part of T-Mo's "restructuring" plan...
ASUS MeMic hits the FCC, reminds us of its existence
Remember the ASUS MeMic? It's okay if you don't -- after all, it's been nearly a year since we first saw the thing. But the transparent-screened handset that takes calls for the Eee Pad MeMO appears to have reared its little head over on the FCC's site. No word on whether this is the same MeMic we saw so many moons ago or an updated version, though the above image does look a fair amount like the rear of the device we saw back in February. There's also no word on what such a governmental visit could mean so far as a stateside release date, though the device did reportedly show up at CES last week.
ASUS Eee Pad MeMO ME171, ME370T and high-end Transformer Prime TF700T revealed
Flustered with the original Transformer Prime you just purchased? We'd advise you to have a seat. ASUS just took the wraps off an all new Transformer Prime (the TF700T) here at CES, which is presumably designed to rival Acer's newly-announced Iconia Tab A700. Notably, this guy won't be an outright replacement for the existing TF201 model; it's simply an upmarket alternative for those tired of the same specs over and over again. Speaking of, let's dive under the hood of this one, shall we? It's a 10.1-incher with NVIDIA's Tegra 3 within (1.3GHz quad-core Cortex A9), a Super IPS+ / Gorilla Glass 10.1-inch display with a downright silly 1,920 x 1,200 resolution (watch out, Lenovo!) and 32GB or 64GB of internal storage space. There's also an 8 megapixel rear camera / 2 megapixel front-facing cam, support for 1080p playback, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, a micro-HDMI port, microSD card reader, a 25WHr Lithium-Polymer battery and a chassis that weighs just over a pound. It'll ship with Android 4.0.1 onboard (yeah, that's Ice Cream Sandwich), and will be compatible with the exact same keyboard dock as the existing Prime. Needless to say, ASUS is aiming for the stars with a build sheet like this, and the $599 to $699 retail price points enable you to know it. It'll land next quarter here in North America, and no, there's no GPS functionality listed on the spec sheet after the break; though we've been informed that this new Prime will come with a new back panel design (pictured after the break) that should enhance WiFi, BT and GPS performance. Moving onto more diminutive offerings, the Eee Pad MeMO (ME171) that we saw months ago is getting a formal reveal here in Las Vegas, boasting a 7-inch WXGA (1,280 x 800) IPS capacitive touchpanel, a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm 8260 processor, a gigabyte of memory, 16GB / 32GB of storage, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, a 1.2 megapixel front / 5 megapixel rear camera (with 1080p recording), an A-GPS sensor, gyroscope, proximity sensor and a micro-USB port. There's a 4,400mAh Li-polymer battery reportedly good for some 8.5 hours of video playback, and it'll be Android 4.0.1 running the show. The unit checks in with dimensions of 7.8- x 4.6- x 0.50-inches (and a weight of 14.2 ounces), and while mum's the word on price (sadly), it'll supposedly ship in Q2 to North American adobes.
HTC Fireball getting ready to scorch Verizon's 4G lineup?
Hey, we've always said that Verizon LTE is blazing fast, so it seems appropriate to name products in its lineup accordingly. A leaked screenshot of Big Red's internal system, brought to us by Droid Life, indicates that this very well may be the case, as a new device called the HTC Fireball (ADR6410L) just popped up. Aside from its inclusion of the next-gen data speeds, nothing else is known about the gadget; heck, we don't even know for sure if it's going to have the same name (we're half-expecting it to be renamed as something Beats-related). Regardless of its name, if the screenshot above is accurate, we may soon have another quietly brilliant device hanging out next to the Rezound.
Introducing Memo Touch, a tablet designed for elders with short-term memory loss
Here's a product you don't see every day: a tablet designed specifically for senior citizens -- albeit with rather limited functionality. The Memo Touch is designed as a reminder tool for those who struggle with short-term memory loss, and can be used to deliver gentle cues when its time to take a medication, go to the doctor and the like. It's collaborative, too, as family members may add calendar events, phone numbers and to-do items, or even share photos and personalized messages, all from the product's companion website. Based on the Archos 101, the Memo Touch sells for $299 and requires a six-month ($174) or 12-month ($300) subscription. For those who don't take to the new-fangled gadget, the tablet carries a three month return policy, where purchasers may opt to receive a refund or have the tablet restored to its Android roots. Hey, it's one more way of keeping that rascally parent under your thumb, anyway. Overbearing children will find a full press release after the break. Now, where'd we put that damn tablet?
