Technology

Google on Monday announced it is killing its Google Checkout service on November 20, 2013. The company is offering merchants a six-month warning to figure out where to go next. More to follow.

Today Yahoo unveiled a major update to its photo-sharing service, Flickr, including the addition of full-resolution images, an updated Android application, and 1 terabyte of free storage. The newly redesigned site is now available for everyone to use. We took a look at the changes. When you log into Flickr, one of the first things revamped is the news feed. Before the main page listed activities for a user’s photos and recent uploads from their Flickr contacts. Now, it’s become much more visual with larger images and a redesigned user interface. While touting the fact that photos will be displayed in full resolution, the overall design looks a bit incomplete in some places. Instead of its traditional color scheme of blue, pink, and white, Yahoo has opted instead to have black be the dominate color, which may help accentuate photos while acting as the backdrop, but in other areas of the site, it looks a bit dark and could be still improved. When viewing a user’s photostream, this is perhaps one of the nicely done parts of the redesign. Profiles now includes a cover photo, which is something that currently exists on services like Facebook and Google+ profiles. Based on our measurements, it appears that the optimal size for the cover photos is around 1418 pixels wide by 189 pixels high. Flickr has expanded its updated photostream design to take up the entire screen real estate so that instead of the traditional two column approach, it now is in a more artistic collage of photos. Users can click on any photo to perform a standard set of actions, including favoriting, commenting, sharing, and more. It’s noteworthy that the photostream utilizes infinite scrolling so that pagination isn’t needed, although the service has it displayed. When looking at individual photos, users will find that the photo spans the entire width of the screen — no longer is it constrained to a fraction of the page. All photos are surrounded by a black background. Below each image are the sections where you can post comments, view details about the specific photo, navigate through the user’s photostream, and view tags. Photo sets have also been enhanced so that the thumbnails have been enlarged and that they span the entire width of the screen. Clicking on any of the sets will display them in the same manner as the default photostream, in a aesthetically-appealing collage. Not every part of Flickr has been updated. When browsing through the Communities section, the interface looked the same as before, with a list of groups that you’re a part of. When exploring a specific group, the page also remains as it was before — it looks like the new update only affects user profiles. The upload feature has been upgraded with a drag and drop service. Users can find photos from their computer or cloud-based file storage service and drop it in. Either individually or in a batch, users can add add in the same content, including a description, tags, people, and more — nothing different in terms of functionality, just with aesthetics. If you’re not a fan of the new upload method, Flickr gives you the option of switching to the old uploader, although it’s not clear how long that will remain. Running a search on the new Flickr is definitely an improved visual experience. The company has set out to make sure that these images pop out at you while you’re looking for photos. Of course, Flickr wants you to store more photos on its service so it is giving everyone more storage space: 1 terabyte worth, in fact. Users don’t need to do anything right now, and those with a subscription plan won’t have to do anything to upgrade their service. Flickr says that all subscriptions remain the same with unlimited space, an ad-free experience, and statistics. According to the company’s FAQ section, those with a free account will not only have 1TB of space, but each photo uploaded will be lim

Just updated my post about native alternatives to jQuery with links to the browser compatibility for each function.

Verizon Galaxy S4 Bootloader Unlock Coming Soon is a post by Adam Mills from Gotta Be Mobile.It appears that a Verizon Samsung Galaxy S4 bootloader unlock was successful and that the developer behind the method is prepared to release it for public consumption in the near future. Several weeks ago, developer Dan Rosenberg revealed that he had discovered a bootloader unlock method for the AT&T Samsung Galaxy S4 which, uncharacteristically, was locked down by Ma Bell. On the heels of that, Rosenberg also answered some of the more popular questions in regards to the unlock method. Read: Verizon Galaxy S4 Bootloader Unlock Could Arrive Soon After Launch. The Verizon Galaxy S4 bootloader unlock method should come soon. One of the questions pertained to the Verizon Galaxy S4 bootloader which will almost assuredly be locked when it starts arriving on doorsteps in just a few days time. Rosenberg hinted that the method might work for the Verizon Galaxy S4 as well and he would be holding off on a release until after the arrival of the Verizon Galaxy S4, a move aimed that preventing Verizon from patching things up prior to the phone’s release. Now that Verizon moved its Galaxy S4 release date up to May 23rd, its arrival is imminent and Rosenberg has emerged with some positive news for those that will be getting the phone in just a few days. According to a tweet, Rosenberg has successfully “booted a custom recovery on the Verizon Samsung Galaxy S4,” thanks to someone that he refers to as a “helpful tester.” He also adds that the is looking forward to releasing the method soon though he does not specify any type of date for the bootloader unlock’s arrival. Successfully booted a custom recovery on the Verizon Samsung Galaxy S4 (thanks to a helpful tester). Look forward to a release soon. — Dan Rosenberg (@djrbliss) May 20, 2013 We imagine that it will be shortly after the device’s release but at this point, it’s impossible to say. AT&T owners should also be looking forward to the arrival of the unlock method as the device has been locked up for weeks now, since it’s arrival back in April. Verizon’s Galaxy S4 will be the last of the major Galaxy S4 releases in the United States though it won’t be the last Galaxy S4 to emerge. Samsung has not one but two other Galaxy S4′s rumored for arrival including the Galaxy S4 Active and the Galaxy S4 Mini. Whether their bootloaders will be locked is not clear at this time though it will most likely depend on which carrier they arrive on.Verizon Galaxy S4 Bootloader Unlock Coming Soon is a post by Adam Mills from Gotta Be Mobile.

Just a couple of weeks after Cody Wilson and Defense Distributed released the files for the world's first 3D-printed handgun, imitators have already replicated and improved upon it. Two gunsmiths from Wisconsin successfully fired their own Liberator nine times, without the gun showing any damage. As first reported by Forbes, two engineers, Michael Guslick and a man who refers to himself as "Joe" — he didn't want to reveal his name — printed their version of the Liberator on a relatively cheap and unsophisticated 3D printer. Unlike Wilson, who used a $8,000 Stratasys, the Wisconsin duo used a consumer-grade $1,725 Lulzbot AO-101 Read more...More about 3d Printing, Us World, Us, Guns, and Gun Control

RT @strataconf New Report: 6 Disruptive Possibilities Jeff Needham on how #bigdata will inundate vendors & customers

After a long fight with bile duct cancer, 74-year-old keyboardist Ray Manzarek of The Doors died Monday at RoMed Clinic in Germany, the rock band's Facebook and Twitter pages announced. His wife, Dorothy, and brothers were beside Manzarek (pictured left). "I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of my friend and bandmate Ray Manzarek today," guitarist Robby Krieger (pictured right) said in a statement. "I'm just glad to have been able to have played Doors songs with him for the last decade. Ray was a huge part of my life and I will always miss him." Today's a sad day for rock 'n roll souls. We lost an exceptional talent who used to make magic with the keyboard#RipRayManzarek @thedoors — Nury Robin (@NuryHill) May 20, 2013 Read more... More about Music, Entertainment, Celebrities, Us, and Deaths

Learn how to create PDF versions of your folios, including interactive states, to share across your organization for review and feedback.

THE Show Newport, May 31-June 2 2013 Show Promo Image If you live in Southern California and are interested in audio you really need to do yourself a favor and go to THE Show Newport. Why? Because it's a delight for the senses many steps beyond what most audio shows provide. Let me tell you a little about it... Tyll Hertsens May 20 2013

Dish's future networking portfolio could grow quite quickly based on a new report that the satellite TV provider is going after the bankrupt wireless venture's spectrum.