73,000 blogs disappear into thin air

As faithful readers of this site know, even blogs that have been dormant for a while can come back to provide you the best in technology, hardware, and industry news.  But what happens to sites that are seemingly shut down for no reason?  73,000 blogs are about to find out.

Blogetery.com was shut down on July 9, and iPBFree.com disappeared in the next week.  No reasons are forthcoming, as everybody who seems to know something claims to be legally restricted from saying anything.  However, both sites have released a few details that match up, claiming that the sites are permanently shut down and that they obeyed copyright law.

The secrecy and lack of warning for both sites has raised some serious questions, such as to what the nature of the offense could be, and whether due process was followed.  Read more »

Sneak peek at Windows 8?

Although Windows 8 has not yet been officially announced, several sites are reporting details on key features of the operating system.  The documents, released in the form of slides marked “Microsoft Confidential,” have not been authenticated by CNET, but do use internal Microsoft vocabulary.

Some key new features discussed as possibilities include:

• More secure authentication, with a focus on facial recognition
• Faster start-up times, such that laptops could resume from sleep in under a second
• 3D displays
• Wireless connectivity to TVs
• Compatibility with USB 3.0 and Bluetooth 3.0
• Automatic display readjustment to ambient light
• A possible means of returning a PC to default mode while maintaining all files and settings Read more »

Google rumored to take on Facebook with “Google Me”

As with the recent leak of supposed Microsoft Windows 8 documents, a new rumor has set the tech world aflame.  This time, the subject is Google’s supposed plan to take on Facebook with their own social network, “Google Me.”  With recent concerns over Facebook’s privacy settings, and Google’s resources, this rumor could mark a bold new era in the world of social networking.

The rumor originated from a tweet by Digg founder Kevin Rose claiming he had a “very credible source” which said Google would launch their “Facebook competitor very soon.”  Recent circumstances made the claim suspicious, including the announcement of Facebook’s Open Graph feature, which some see as capable of competing with Google.  In addition, Google Buzz, a tool designed for networking and messaging, was integrated into Gmail just months ago.  Google also owns a network called Orkut which is gaining popularity—in Brazil. Read more »