Qwikster Abandoned!

I woke up this morning to an interesting chunk of news on Twitter. "Qwikster" was trending again, so I took a click to see... and what do I find?

Netflix abandons Qwikster; keeping services together under one name.

A lot of the reasoning behind this is because their stocks started crashing and again they had an uproar about changing their services.  However, they didn't really lose anyone over it yet.  So, they decided to just leave things be, and also stated that there will be no more crazy price changes ahead, because they want to start respecting their customers.

So, to all, Netflix is still Netflix, and Qwikster has disappeared.

For More Information:
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/10/netflix-abandons-plan-to-rent-dvds-on-qwikster/

UPDATE!
Here's what the official e-mail says:

Dear Natalie, It is clear that for many of our members two websites would make things more difficult, so we are going to keep Netflix as one place to go for streaming and DVDs. This means no change: one website, one account, one password…in other words, no Qwikster. While the July price change was necessary, we are now done with price changes. We're constantly improving our streaming selection. We've recently added hundreds of movies from Paramount, Sony, Universal, Fox, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, MGM and Miramax. Plus, in the last couple of weeks alone, we've added over 3,500 TV episodes from ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, USA, E!, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, ABC Family, Discovery Channel, TLC, SyFy, A&E, History, and PBS. We value you as a member, and we are committed to making Netflix the best place to get your movies & TV shows. Respectfully, The Netflix Team

Steve Jobs, you will be missed

R.I.P. Steve Jobs: 1955-2011

I'm not an Apple fan by any means, but yesterday the technology community lost a great innovator to Pancreatic cancer.  Steve Jobs passed away peacefully after a long and hard battle against the cancer, shortly after he stepped down from his CEO position back in August.
Steve Jobs revolutionized Apple, along with the way we techies look at technology and innovation.  The iPod, iPhone... the entire "i" line made a completely new world of sorts and a new era for computers.  At age 56, there was still much innovation that could have come from this man.  Hopefully, one day, we won't lose amazing people to cancer.

One of my favorite quotes from him is, "Life is short. Don't waste it living someone else's." I love that.  It's so true.

Some news about his death, his obituary, etc.:::::

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/10/06/national/main20116647.shtml

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=6285&news=steve+jobs+dies+what+it+means+for+apple

http://www.apple.com/stevejobs/

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20116336-37/apple-co-founder-chairman-steve-jobs-dies/#ixzz1ZxOvJz8n

Such a great man.  You will be missed, Steve.

Changes to Netflix!

http://blog.netflix.com/2011/09/explanation-and-some-reflections.html

Oh, Netflix.  How I've come to love your streaming service.  I know I was a late adopter, and actually joined in after the split, but I know the history.  Netflix made it big based off of their DVD rental service, where there were no late fees, DVDs were shipped to your house, and you could create a queue online for it to send you each time you returned a DVD.  Then, Netflix brought in a streaming service, with a wide selection of movies to stream instantly to your computer, internet capable TV, gaming system, or even your smartphone.

But then, Netflix split the services in half, and charged the same amount... but twice.  You have to pay the $7 for streaming, and then another $7 for DVDs if you would opt to use both.

This had led to quite a bit of uproar.  People only found out about this based off of one e-mail just saying it was happening, and oh, too bad, you will now be getting charged twice.

Netflix had to respond.  They were losing customers.  So they came up with this new idea---create a second business out of it, and entitle the DVD service as Qwikster.  Which is all fine and dandy, but it means that the services are no longer combined, which is still making people angry.

However, there is definitely some benefits to this move.  Qwikster will be offering video game rentals now, which is quite a big deal.  Netflix will also be starting to offer exclusive "video channel" TV shows, the first being called "Game of Cards."

What do you think?  Are you excited for Qwikster?  Just sticking to Netflix Streaming?  Angry all together?

Fake Google certificates, along with potential other major sites, sold and hacked

Read it Here

Fake Certificates for Google, as well as potentially Mozilla, Microsoft, and other large companies, were sold and compromised, allowing for tens of thousands of Gmail accounts to get hacked and personal information stolen.  Due to a loophole in international law, these fake certificates were able to be issued to a group of hackers, and so far the total issued counts at 534.

This attack seems to be primarily affecting Iranians, with 60,000 and counting being compromised, but there is still a decent chance that many others have been hacked, perhaps globally.  Only time will tell the true velocity of this attack.

Computer Chip Skin?

Yeah, I'm one who fears the "Big Brother" syndrome, but this is kind of cool nonetheless.

Scientists have developed the "EES" or electronic epidermal system, which is a computer chip that attaches under the skin and tracks the movements of the body.  It flexes naturally with the skin and appears almost like a barcode tattoo.  It can bend, twist, expand, and contract, and none of this will affect the integrity of the chip.

Okay, so what's the use?

According to: This Website:

"Our paper demonstrates our ability to monitor ECG (as a monitor of heart disease and metabolism), EMG (as a measure of, among other things, gait during walking) and EEG (as a measure of cognitive state and awareness).
We have also shown that these same devices can stimulate muscle tissue to induce contractions. When combined with sensing/monitoring, such modes of use could be valuable in physical rehabilitation. We also have interest in sleep monitoring (for sleep apnea), and neo-natal care (monitoring premature babies, in particular)."

I encourage you to read that entire article. When used properly, this will be an extensive medical breakthrough.

Google Power, Why I hate 3D, and the new virus dillema

If you haven't already heard, Google made a $12.5 billion investment to acquire Motorola Mobility, giving the Android OS a true home of its own, instead of apartments for rent.  Google intends for this purchase to increase the availability of the Android OS, increase sales, and be able to meet the demands of customers.  For further information, go here.

Studies have shown that 3D technology is both no better for the enjoyment than 2D and puts a strain on eyes and an increased chance of headaches.  People who watched a 2D movie had the same reactions and emotions from the movie as those who watched its more expensive 3D counterpart, but more importantly is the health risks of 3D technology.  Because the eyes are not adapted to watching something that is virtual 3D, the eye has to continuously readjust to continue causing the affect, putting additional strain on the muscles in the eyes.  Also, this strain can cause headaches in many individuals, especially when watching something 3D for an extended period of time.  For further information, go here.

There's a lovely little trickster of a virus going around right now, and it is commonly known as the "Windows Update Virus."  What this does is presents itself as a legitimate Windows Update, then proceeds to install itself and restart your computer.  The moment your computer restarts, the virus finishes its installation and infect the machine.  It has yet to be shown the extent of damage it can cause, but so far ranges throughout damaging the operating system.  It may also steal information off the PC or create a bot on your network.  The removal is nearly impossible and can cause serious issues within your PC registry.  These are the directions I have found to delete the virus so far.  Tips against this virus are to only install Windows Updates if you choose them yourself, through Windows Update, and do not update anything unless you know where it is coming from.

That's all for now, just a quick roundup!

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