Posts by Nicolas Charbonnier

Protestors beg Google not to build censored Project Dragonfly search engine

Many search results are already blocked on Google products in Germany, in Turkey, in Saudi Arabia, many other places, in the USA Google is taking down millions of search results by complying with that supposed copyright law that they have over there. And every day Google is pretty much filtering out billions of pages and it varies in every country, that's pretty much how a search engine is working. And Google gives back door access to users Gmail and other private data to law enforcement in the USA every single day. In China supposedly they want to block search results on the tiananmen stuff, who cares really.

These protesters are probably paid off by Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu.

Don't like spying? Then block Google in the USA and Europe, haven't you seen Snowden's revelations, the CIA and NSA are listening to everything you search and do online.

UK.gov snaps on rubber gloves, prepares for mandatory porn checks

Corbyn to the rescue

Simply set all internet access under "SafeSearch" parental control mode by default on every UK ISP. Google can help you filter all the porn out if you don't know how to detect it. Then any owner of an Internet access in the UK (thus an adult) can simply log in to the ISP control panel and Turn off "SafeSearch" mode, simply unlock the whole internet on that internet access point. Done. Parents can even easily Turn it on or off only on specific devices in the home, or turn it on and off easily by a one-click feature they must authenticate through. And any VPN type or other encrypted/unverified Internet activity in the home can be automatically alerted to parents email account if they want to have such tool to automatically monitor if their childrens might be doing some kind of naugty use of the internet. Enforce same system on all public Wi-Fi, at schools and etc. You still don't have to give your ID to obscure websites ever, it'd be the ISP simply showing you a Safe internet by default until you login to unlock it.

As for banning Ticket bots, I say rather ban all secondary ticket resale markets (like stubhub and viagogo) and force all venues to sell tickets exclusively through their own websites or through their approved ticket sales websites but that all ticket resale must only be allowed on a Government-approved ticket resale network that always only resells the tickets at face value and require that every person to enter the venue must scan credit card, show ID and only allow entrance to original ticket purchaser. I even think that to prevent/forbid empty seats as a isgrace to the fans who couldn't buy a ticket, every venue must count and estimate empty seats and participate in a system to let standby fans in fill those empty seats, this could cost the same price as a full priced ticket, the point being if you buy a ticket, it should not give you the right to have an empty seat if the person who bought the ticket for any reason does not show up.

Archos Android update said to brick G9 slates

ICS firmware exists for Archos G9 since February 2012

I think you need to update this story, the tablets are NOT being bricked, they are easily recoverable (simply hold volume + and - at the same time. It's because there are different versions of Archos G9, some came with 1Ghz, some with 1.2Ghz, the newest with 1.5Ghz, some with 512MB RAM and some with 1GB RAM. This problem seems to be for the oldest 1Ghz 512MB RAM people updating directly to this firmware without first updating to the basic 4.0.3 firmware first (or Special Developer Edition firmware first). I can't confirm this as Idon't have my 1Ghz G9 to test on here. I think you should let Archos respond officially to this before spreading around also information about this.

This is about Archos being able to upgrade Generation 9 together with Generation 10, as both are based on the same core Texas Instruments OMAP4 platform. But, even though as OMAP4 is overall compatible, the older OMAP4430 are not fully exactly the same as OMAP4460 and the newest Generation 10 OMAP4470. I think Archos may have missed a little bug in the update for the older OMAP4430 devices. To be confirmed.

Motorola Motoluxe Android smartphone

ARM Cortex-A5 is ARMv7

This is the new MSM7227 ARM Cortex-A5 processor. Not the old MSM7227 ARM11 type.

Google Chrome OS: Too secure to need security?

Trend Micro sells anti-virus software

Euhm, hello? Of course Trend Micro representatives are going to say Chrome OS isn't secure enough, it's Trend Micro's own future that is at stake. Chrome OS completely disrupts the anti-virus and PC security software industry.

99% of Android phones leak secret account credentials

Rewrite your article

This only works if you are using open unencrypted wifi and that the attacker spoofs your wifi sitting just outside your door. We all know the dangers of using unencrypted wifi without https apps, it's the same on your Laptop, which is why last year Google turned all its web apps to https by default. 99% of Android users DO NOT currently use their phones on unecrypted open wifi so this attack is pretty much useless regardless of your Android version, Apple's gps tracker is much worse.

Archos users celebrate Android app access

You need to do your homework

Google does not charge for Google Marketplace and the Google Apps for Android. Google just does NOT allow devices that compete directly with the iPod Touch and iPad to have Google Marketplace and Google Apps for Android. Archos is the ONLY COMPANY IN THE WORLD making Android based Tablets and Touch devices competing with iPod Touch. For no apparent reason does Google block manufacturers from making those types of devices. Apple has sold about 50 million iPod Touch and iPad devices thus it makes ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE for Google not to allow Android based devices to compete with those. Possible top-secret Google reasoning could be following:

1. Google has secret partnerships with multi-billion dollar companies HTC, Samsung, Motorola and does not want to allow for Android based disruption to come in from under them and offer $100-200 Android devices that consumers will choose instead of ones from HTC, Samsung and Motorola.

2. Google thinks it absolutely needs all hardware features such as compass, GPS/AGPS, back cameras and 3G for augmented reality and location based advertising. Even though Google has not proven yet that it can monetize location based advertising, they just put Marissa Mayer in charge of that project. I think it makes little sense as Google has proven they can monetize advertisement on the web no matter in which direction people are looking at.

3. Somehow Google argues that they cannot guarantee user experience accross different screen sizes, resolutions and hardware features. For one, they do support wide range of size and resolutions already as official Android 2.2 spec (since Android 1.6 actually), and for second, it's not like it would be really hard for them to filter out (hide) the 1% of apps from Marketplace of certain devices like Archos which may not come with all of the augmented reality hardware.

4. Fact is thus, no company in the world making less than 5 billion dollars in yearly revenues is allowed to licence access to Google Marketplace and the Google Apps.

@Neil Mitchell, you are very badly informed. Archos 5 Internet Tablet released October 2009 has Google Marketplace since November 2009 and updated to Android 1.6 since February 2010 and has had dozens of firmware updates, MANY MORE firmware updates always adding new features than Apple, Motorola, HTC, Samsung and Dell combined.

Korean cops raid Google

Korean wants to steal Google secrets

Clearly they used this bogus pretext as an excuse to break in and try to steal whatever trade secrets Google had on its Korean headquarters. The info which they then use for their own competitors.

In general, governments aren't too keen with the giant US corporation be it Google, Facebook or other know too many personal details about all their citizen.

'Gossips' say Apple will acquire ARM

ARM will take over the world.

Apple is just being really scared, cause competing Android phones, tablets and laptops are coming to the market, made by a hundred different companies, all selling much cheaper and making better than apple.

So apple's last desperate move would be to block competition by buying more IP and suing competition with more patents.

Already today Android phones are selling faster than the iphone. Tomorrow, Android phones combined will sell 10x faster than the iphone.

Tablet maker threatens, then robs Apple

Video of this device

I filmed it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6qtx9Bsjno

They are just showing that you can install any X86 OS, including Windows XP/Vista/7, Linux Ubuntu/Chrome and even Hackintosh OSX sine it runs on Intel.

Archos 5 Internet Tablet Android-based PMP

all negative comments from the same troll

I'm using the Archos 5 Internet Tablet with Android using the iGo stowaway bluetooth foldable keyboard to write this comment, it works absolutely awesomely and replaces my laptop when output on my 42" HDTV using the HDMI output.

Media playback and Internet Browsing is close to perfect even now with just Android 1.5 firmware, which was only supposed to work for A couple HTC phones. With the updates with Android 1.6 and 2.0, Archos will get all the wvga apps, Google Marketplace and all that so it will rteach closer to perfection.

US plan would reclaim TV airwaves for iPhone

Give us the spectrum back

ISP and telco monopolies are racketeering the public for trillions of dollars ever year. For them, buying tv spectrum for 62 billion is peanuts for them to just continue to milk the citizen.

Make the spectrum unlicenced but regulated, and let Google and others like FON provide us with unlimited free wireless broadband everywhere.

See my thread at http://boards.fon.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6351

Archos ships 'future of netbooks'

The US price is $499

You can see the official suggested retail price at https://store.archos.com/A9.php

European price is more like 449€ (consider that we have to pay around 20% VAT taxes on everything in Europe)

Michael Dell: Netbooks go sour after 36 hours

Put larger screen in Netbooks

95% of consumers don't care about "performance". They just want a stable and smooth browser and basic apps.

Intel and Microsoft are blocking the use of 15" screens for netbook hardware.

ARM and VIA are coming soon with real competition, and put Chrome OS on it, soon enough with real competition in this industry, you will get 15" ARM or VIA laptops that can run full Chrome browsers for below $200.

Chrome OS: Windows killer?

The corporate world will adopt Chrome OS

Ryanair and Easyjet are full of Corporate World types, who just enjoy that they can save money on flight tickets. Sales of Business class tickets on any airline company are tanking. Saving money and getting smaller, better, cheaper laptops is absolutely a universal thing, not only for the mass market, also for corporate types.

You will get £100 Google OS Laptops, running 15-20 hours on a 3-cell battery, fully sunlight readable with the Pixel Qi screen, highly optimized with built-in HSDPA always-on connectivity, connected standby features (rings or blinks an alert light from full standby on incoming emails or calendar alerts), all Google OS laptops will be based on ARM Processors.

Basically Chrome OS = Android 2.0 optimized for Laptops. It will absolutely take over the world, as the absolute best OS for ARM Laptops, instantly putting Microsoft, Apple and Intel out of business.

Buzz Aldrin weighs into NASA

Humans to Mars now

We don't need to wait till 2025, the technologies are available now.

Let's scrap Shuttle and ISS, let's cancel the return to Moon mission.

Let's go to Mars as soon as possible in an International effort. 16 Astronauts can be sent to Mars in 4 years, let's use Russian heavy-lift rocket technology Energia last used in 1988.

Everything about the Mars Direct plan is here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Direct

It'll cost 30 Billion dollars, half paid by all Governments of the world, other half could be sponsored by corporations displaying their logos in the several years of live HDTV coverage from the Humans to Mars mission.

We need to go to Mars to find out why we are here, to find out more about how we exist and that knowledge will improve our technologies on Earth that we need to save the planet such as conservation, greener energies, physics, science in General. Apollo brought us everything we have, the Humans to Mars mission will bring us all the technologies of tomorrow.

Obama could announce a bold Humans to Mars mission with target to land on Mars by 2014 or sooner.

Copyfraud: Poisoning the public domain

Google can stop copyfraud

Obviously, since Google scanned the public domain books, obviously, Google knows what is public domain and what is under copyright. So once they start charging for copyright books (per download or by subscriptions as the authors prefer) and financing public domain books through advertising, you can be sure that Google aren't going to allow for any copyfraud. Google just hasn't started yet.

And the solution to that Government beeing too lazy thing, Obama should give Google founder a call and suggest to nationalize Google and make it part of the United Nation, give the PHD software engineers at Google full support, full funding to solve all the problems of the world.

Archos claims crown for 'world's slimmest' netbook

Price has been announced

Suggested retail price will be 379 euros/dollars for the 3-cell battery model and 399 euros/dollars for the 6-cell battery version.

Archos dates, prices netbook

UK price is not the same as USA and the rest of EU

The price is £349 in the UK

$399 in the USA

€349 in the rest of Europe

That positions the Archos 10 at cheaper than the Asus and Samsung netbook MSRP prices with the same hardware configurations.

Space robot research station to land in Oxfordshire

Europe needs to fund Human mission to Mars

For the same 10€ billion, Europe could ask US, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia to pay each the same amount and that would pay for a Human mission to Mars within five years.

Fact is Humans on Mars would search through the Martian ground about 300 times faster then a Rover or any other type of robot. So sure sending a Robot costs 100 times less then sending 4 crews of 4-6 Humans, but sending all those Humans up there, you can get 1000s of times more research done.

Finding traces of previous life on Mars would be the biggest scientific discovery of the human kind. And going there would engage enough scientists which will by doing it invent new technologies which will be useful on earth to fix our environment and sustainability problem.

Main BBC channels to be broadcast live via web

BBC licence username/password

Quite simply, people who pay a licence should get a username and password which gives them full access.

The frigging BBC should sell on-demand access passes for people worldwide as well, not only limit it to full licence payers. For example if I want to unlock 1 hour of live BBC streaming or on-demand streaming or downloading of BBC content, as a Dane, then let me frigging pay the frigging BBC for that access.

Acer punts £199... er... £220... er... Linux laptop

They should make a £100 laptop

The OLPC is £100 today. Why doesn't Acer or someone else take the open-source OLPC design, based on 1GB flash memory, an AMD Geode processor with DCON, autonomous WiFi Mesh, environmentally friendly battery and components, anti-theft bios and a Pixel Qi dual-mode screen.

The OLPC XO laptop

Mplayer for multimedia

Just type in some stuff in the terminal and it will install Mplayer. That one plays AVi, mpg, mp3 and even plays full screen flash videos smoothly.

Point it is illegal for OLPC to ship the laptop with Mplayer pre-installed. So only codecs preinstalled are Ogg Theora and Ogg Vorbis. And all educationnal video and audio materials will be available to the children in those formats.

If you want to use copyrighted codecs such as Mpeg4 or Mp3, you need to install third party apps manually.

As for demanding it ship with Firefox is a wrong idea. Firefox is very bloated, requires a lot of CPU and Ram to run. So instead they slimmed down firefox to make it work smoothly on this hardware. They can improve it to make it perform more like Opera. But truth is Opera is the best right now. But Opera is a proprietary software even though it is free, so the OLPC cannot ship Opera pre-installed on the laptops. But you can install it as a third party app by just typing a little thing in the terminal.

Sure I guess they could provide a GUI for installing third party apps somehow, to make the installing of stuff like Opera, Flash and Mplayer easier for the children if they want to use those instead.

Truth is also Adobe needs to provide a better optimized Flash player for the XO for flash streaming such as from Youtube would become smoother. Truth is no one can optimize Flash for it other then Adobe themselves cause Flash is a proprietary technology. So someone should get Adobe to move their butt and provide OLPC with a better optimized Flash software.

As for battery life, you need to make a test in black and white sunlight readable mode. The laptop is meant to work 10-20 hours in that mode, and that is the main advantage of this laptop compared to power hungry alternatives.

Kindle ain't no e-book reader

Android on an eink ebook? Are you smoking?

You really need to learn about E-Ink. That screen has got nothing to do with LCD and touch-screen LCD interfaces. You cannot load the same kind of OS on an E-Ink ebook device.

You think E-Ink is ugly? I think you need to see it for yourself, cause it's not ugly. Maybe black and white screen looks ugly on FCC pictures, but check it out for real, E-Ink is one of the most amazingly beautifull technologies out there. Certainly the most readable screen technology available today.

Archos 605 Wi-Fi personal media player

I am not a representative

But I am webmaster of http://archosfans.com and http://forum.archosfans.com

So I know what I'm talking about.

I guess Ogg can technically be added, though it might not be easy to add, but probably that the firmware engineers have a ton of other priorities.

Nice review but I'd like to suggest being more precise

Sure enough, Archos can legitimally be claimed to be trying to hide some costs by providing some things as plugins and accessories, but an other way to look at it would also be that Archos is providing the choice for people to personalise their product. Some people probably will be perfectly satisfied with the basic 200 euro 4GB version that plays DivX, WMV, Mp3, accesses the Content Portal and acts as media extender with Upnp/Samba over WiFi. Those plugins and accessories might reasonably be exclusively usefull for power users. Also you should point out that 13 pounds provides both h264 and aac codecs, or both mpeg2/vob and ac3 codecs. Those codecs have to be licenced, so if Archos included them in the basic package, they'd have to pay the licence even though less than half of the users ever will use those codecs.

FM is available through a 29 euro FM remote control, which doubles as a remote control, again no need for Archos to include it since not every user would like to pay for the FM radio remote control.

And about paying for browsers, if you have a browser in your mobile phone or PDA you most probably paid for it. And it can be said that people who buy the Microsoft XP/Vista OS are paying for Internet Explorer when it is bundled, and Mac users when they buy a Mac are paying for the development of Safari. The simple thing is Opera and Adobe charge a licence fee, though we don't know how much Archos is over-charging that licence fee, but most definately there is a licence fee. And since a large part of users might not even care to use the browser and WiFi, this way the basic unit cost can be cut by making it optional.

Nokia N800 and N770 aren't phones eigther. They do multimedia and storage pretty badly at Nokia while they have more of the PDA like features. So if you'd like to do more of the multimedia and internet multimedia stuff then Archos is for you, if you want PDA open-source apps with bad multimedia support then Nokia N-series is for you. Cowon Q5 is running Windows CE and is basically heavy, expensive and thus I don't think of the same class. As for iPod Touch provides less features and less storage at the same price levels though is more compact and may have a more attractive but not necessarilly more useful user interface.