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For most Internet users, passwords are just a part of life. We enter them to access our desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, email programs, and cloud storage accounts. But managing all of those passwords can be a major hassle. That's why many ... firms are devising systems that allow us to ditch the traditional password. Recently, Canadian firm Bionym showed off the Nymi , which uses an individual's unique heart rate to skip the typical login process. Now, one of Google's most prominent security executives says traditional "passwords are dead." Google Exec: "Game is Over" for ... (view more)

A US federal court has ruled that Google can face charges that it unlawfully collected data through WiFi networks. Google had unsuccessfully argued that what it did was no different than picking up a radio broadcast. The ruling sets a precedent for ... the way WiFi networks are treated under the law. Experts believe it may also make it easier for the authorities to take court action against hackers who intentionally set out to steal data. The case centers on Google's Street View program, which involved taking photos for the company's Google Maps service. Google Mistakenly Collected Personal Data ... (view more)

Google is reportedly negotiating with the National Football League (NFL) in an effort to take over rights to the NFL's Sunday Ticket package. If the two sides reach a deal it could be a major boost for online broadcasting. The package, currently ... offered by satellite firm DirecTV, allows viewers to watch all Sunday NFL games that aren't available on local television in their area. This includes people who are fans of a team from somewhere else in the country and people who simply want to have access to as many games as possible. Google and the NFL have both confirmed the meetings have taken ... (view more)

Several high-profile online services, including Netflix, have been temporarily unavailable due to a problem at Amazon. It's another demonstration of the risks involved in having so many sites dependent on a single service provider. The problem took ... place on Sunday, August 25, and affected movie site Netflix and photo service site Instagram. Other affected sites included video sharing site Vine and vacation rental service Airbnb. These sites were either intermittently unresponsive or completely inaccessible. (Source: techspot.com ) The problem: Amazon's cloud services system was experiencing ... (view more)

Rename Master 3.8 This freeware utility is designed to help you rename many different files with just a few keyboard clicks. It's a handy utility for updating file names for your website, file archive, music / video / image collection, etc! Features ... include auto-preview and intelligent number sorting. http://www.joejoesoft.com Google SketchUp 13.0.4812 Are you an amateur or professional architect, designer, or engineer? Then you need to check out Google SketchUp, which includes a wide range of tools for creating three-dimensional sketch-ups of a home, office, or construction environment. http ... (view more)

A Google court filing says users of its Gmail service and their contacts have no right to expect privacy. It's a controversial position that will undoubtedly catch the attention of privacy-minded consumers and Google's main rival, Microsoft. The ... filing is a response to a class action lawsuit brought by action group Consumer Watchdog, which has complained about the way Google automatically scans emails and uses the contents to decide which advertisements to show a Gmail user when he or she logs in to the site. The case focuses on Gmail users and the terms and conditions they agree to before ... (view more)

Google has announced it will begin highlighting the search results that best answer a user's query. It represents a whole new approach for the ubiquitous search firm. In recent years, Google has focused on trying to answer a user's query quickly ... rather than providing them with the website that best answers their question. (That was partly a response to Microsoft's launching of Bing, which that firm promoted as a "decision engine" rather than a search tool.) The best example of Google's focus on speed over quality: Google Knowledge Graph, the box that appears on the right of the results page ... (view more)

Google has unveiled a new tool that allows Android users to find and track a lost smartphone or tablet device. The utility can also be used to wipe a smartphone's hard drive if recovery is deemed unsafe or unlikely. Google is calling the service ... 'Android Device Manager'. The firm says the service should be available to most Android users by the end of August 2013. It's been a long time coming. Apple released a similar tool -- called 'Find My iPhone' -- several years ago. That service lets iPhone users narrow down their smartphone's location to a specific geographical area (such as an ... (view more)

According to security firm Symantec, the Google Play store is home to many potentially dangerous applications. The firm says it found approximately 1,200 suspicious apps on the store over a seven-month period. Google Play is Google's digital ... distribution center, and it's where most Android users turn for downloads (in effect, it's Google's version of Apple's App Store). More than 700,000 apps can be found on the Google Play store, which has played a central role in Android's rapid growth in the mobile market. Between February and April 2013 sales of Android devices accounted for more than ... (view more)

Google has unveiled the next version of its popular, budget-priced Nexus 7 tablet computer. The newest Nexus 7 features a 1080p high-definition display, a quad-core processor, and a slightly higher price point. The original Nexus 7 was launched in ... mid-2012. Featuring a 7-inch display (hence the name), Google's Android mobile operating system (OS), and a $199 price tag, it was an instant success. The only thing sticking around from the previous model is the 7-inch screen. Faster Processor, Better Display, Bigger Price Everything else has changed: the price has ballooned to $229 (that's for ... (view more)