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Monday, October 21, 2013

Beyond Windows 8.1

By now you've no doubt read that Windows 8.1 is a must-have upgrade for Windows 8 customers, but barely rates a second glance for entrenched Windows 7 or XP users. Sometime in the next few days -- after the servers go through their obligatory meltdown and Microsoft crows about a million or two downloads of dubious pedigree -- you'll likely install it, if you have a Windows 8 machine or VM. Just use the Windows Store app.

If you're smart, you'll immediately go in and make the changes necessary to defang the new version: use local accounts; turn off SmartSearch; turn off Automatic Update; re-build your libraries if need be; set to boot to desktop; disable the Metro hot corners on the desktop; install apps that will keep you out of Metro Hell (VLC media player, one of the PDF viewers, IrfanView); and install a third-party Start Menu replacement.

That's all pretty much standard. I'll post a wrap-up slideshow shortly, and if you have suggestions for additional primary Windows 8.1 remediation techniques, please add them to the comments below.

With the Band-Aid that is Windows 8.1 out of the way, a follow-on question immediately arises: Now what? Or as Mary Jo Foley over on ZDNet put it, What comes next after Windows 8.1?

Foley quotes unnamed sources as saying there will be an update to Windows 8.1 in about six months, to coincide with the release of the next version of Windows Phone. Paul Thurrott quotes a single source inside Microsoft and claims that "where Windows Phone 8 has 33 percent 'API unity' with Windows RT, Windows Phone 8.1 will hit 77 percent." I think it likely that the Windows 8.2 update will modify the WinRT API specifically so it more closely matches the Windows Phone RT API. If Terry Myerson's truly concerned about the future of Windows (and every indication I have to date says resoundingly that he is), I'd be willing to bet he won't change much at all about Windows 8 that affects users; my guess is that we're looking at a change in plumbing.

If we're lucky, the change in plumbing will be sufficient to allow simple Windows Phone RT apps to run on Windows RT, and thus on the Metro side of Windows 8 -- a quandary I discussed at length 18 months ago: "That may be a long-term goal. Right now, it's nothing but a cruel joke."

The incompatibility problem arose, quite simply, because of Steve Sinofsky's steadfast determination to grow Windows "down" from the desktop, to tablets and then to the phone. With his phone background, Myerson's precisely the right guy to turn it around, to build the API "up" from the phone. If Foley and Thurrot's sources are correct, that's exactly what's going to happen.

Source: http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsoft-windows/beyond-windows-81-228947?source=rss_infoworld_blogs
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Strong rally on Wall Street as investors bet on a deal in Washington

Spencer Platt / Getty Images

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday.

By Erin McClam, Staff Writer, NBC News

Let Washington worry about the details and the political intrigue. If you want to know how the debt ceiling drama is going to end, watch Wall Street — and Wall Street seems to think it’s a done deal.

The stock market staged a robust rally Wednesday, even after a credit rating agency threatened to downgrade the United States for inching too close to a default on its bond payments. The Dow Jones industrial average surged 200 points, and other stock indexes approached record highs.

Investors seemed to be betting that the Senate, where Democrats and Republicans announced a deal to reopen the federal government and extend the country’s ability to borrow money, would carry the day.

Sources told NBC News that John Boehner, the Republican speaker of the House, was prepared to rely on Democratic votes and pass a deal sent over by the other chamber.

“Investors are looking at that and saying: 'We’re not expecting these guys to collectively jump off a cliff. We think this ultimately will be resolved,'” Jack Ablin, chief investment officer of BMO Private Bank, said on CNBC.

Equally optimistic but considerably more colorful language came from the best-known investor in America, Warren Buffett — who said on “Squawk Box” that he did not expect the United States to damage its 237-year reputation for paying the bills. Doing otherwise would be a “pure act of idiocy,” he said.

“Credit-worthiness is like virginity: It can be preserved but not restored very easily, so it is crazy to play around with it,” he said.

The market set aside the apparent chaos among Republicans in the House a day earlier. Conservatives wanted to curtail the health law known as Obamacare, and Boehner failed to rally his members behind any proposal.

The rally in stocks Wednesday was broad — the Standard & Poor’s 500 index, watched more closely than the Dow by market experts, climbed more than 1 percent and was close to an all-time high.

“Investors have generally been of the belief that an agreement would be reached before there was a calamity,” said Dan Greenhaus, chief global strategist for the brokerage BTIG. “If recent reporting is any indication, this subdued concern seems justified as a bill may be signed by Saturday.”

In another sign that investors were drawing optimism from Washington, the market’s so-called fear gauge, the CBOE Volatility Index, fell by 10 percent.

And bond investors — the people most directly affected by the credit of the United States — were hesitant at first, but by afternoon, when the Senate appeared closer to announcing a deal, even they appeared relieved.

Yields on short-term government debt, even Treasury bills coming due a week from now, fell sharply. Yields on bonds fall when investors are more confident that they will get their money back.

If Boehner allows the House to vote on it, and presumably pass it with broad support from Democrats, the Senate plan would avert a potential default on American debt. Economists have warned that such a default would be catastrophic.

The rally in stocks was triggered by a Twitter post by Robert Costa, Washington editor for the National Review and a CNBC contributor, who reported that Boehner would take up the Senate plan and allow it to pass with Democratic votes.

“There’s no way the Senate moves forward unless they have that guarantee from Boehner,” Costa said on CNBC.

A vote could come as early as later Wednesday, he reported.

Related:

Warren Buffett: It would be asinine if US defaults

Senate scrambles to seal risky, last-minute deal

Kelly O’Donnell of NBC News contributed to this report. Alex Crippen and Patti Dom of CNBC also contributed.

Jewel Samad / AFP - Getty Images

The impact of the first government shutdown in 17 years was felt across America as offices were shuttered and workers were sent home after lawmakers failed to come to a deal.

This story was originally published on Wed Oct 16, 2013 10:37 AM EDT

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663306/s/328805e2/sc/7/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C10A0C160C20A990A4370Estrong0Erally0Eon0Ewall0Estreet0Eas0Einvestors0Ebet0Eon0Ea0Edeal0Ein0Ewashington0Dlite/story01.htm
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How We Got Here: A Shutdown Timeline

Now that the congressional standoff over the government shutdown and the debt ceiling has finally ended, here's a look back at the key events of the crisis:

Jan. 18

At a Republican retreat in Williamsburg, Va., GOP leaders agree not to force a debt ceiling showdown and to address deficit reduction demands later in the year.

Aug. 19

Aug. 21

80 House Republicans sign a letter to Speaker John Boehner urging him to "affirmatively de-fund the implementation and enforcement of ObamaCare in any relevant appropriations bill brought to the House floor in the 113th Congress, including any continuing appropriations bill."

Sept. 20

House Republicans approve legislation that would defund the health care law while keeping the government open through Dec. 15. The White House has already said the president would veto such a measure.

Sept. 24-25

Ted Cruz stages 21-hour speech on the Senate floor to protest the Affordable Care Act.

Reporters surround Sen. Ted Cruz after he finished his marathon speech.

Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Reporters surround Sen. Ted Cruz after he finished his marathon speech.

Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Sept. 26

Boehner says President Obama needs to negotiate with Republicans on raising the debt limit. The Treasury has warned it will run out of "extraordinary measures" it has been using to keep paying the nation's bills by Oct. 17.

Sept. 27

The Democratic-controlled Senate strips language from the House bill that defunds Obamacare and sends legislation back to the House that keeps the government open through Nov. 15.

Sept. 29

The House passes another spending bill tied to the Affordable Care Act — this time voting to delay implementation of the law for one year and to repeal a medical device tax.

The House also votes to pay active-duty troops and some Defense Department civilian workers and contractors in the case of a shutdown. The Senate approves this bill and the president signs it on Sept. 30.

Sept. 30

Obama makes a statement to the media, saying a government shutdown is "entirely preventable if the House chooses to do what the Senate has already done, and that's the simple act of funding our government without making extraneous and controversial demands in the process."

Senate strips language from the House bill that delays the health law and repeals the medical device tax.

The House puts forth legislation that delays the health law's individual mandate for a year and requires members of Congress and their staffs to buy plans on the exchange without subsidies from the government. The Senate rejects that plan as well.

Oct. 1

Shutdown begins. The House stands by its language from the previous day and requests negotiations with the Senate, which the Senate rejects.

Oct. 2

The House begins passing piecemeal funding bills for programs and entities affected by the shutdown, including the national parks and the National Institutes of Health. The Senate refuses any bill that doesn't reopen the entire government.

Oct. 4

After an unnamed administration official is quoted saying it doesn't matter how long the shutdown lasts because "we are winning," Boehner tells reporters: "This isn't some damn game!"

Oct. 5

The House passes legislation to provide back pay to furloughed federal workers once the shutdown ends.

Obama tells The Associated Press that Boehner is the only obstacle to ending the shutdown.

Oct. 6

Boehner says House Republicans won't end the shutdown or raise the debt ceiling without negotiations.

Oct. 10

Boehner proposes a six-week extension of the debt limit if Obama negotiates over spending cuts.

The Senate passes House legislation to provide death benefits to the families of deceased military personnel during the shutdown.

Oct. 12

Boehner informs House Republicans that talks with the White House are stalled.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his GOP counterpart, Sen. Mitch McConnell, begin meetings to negotiate funding the government and raising the debt ceiling.

Oct. 13

Oct. 14

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada listens to a reporter's question about a meeting with Senate Republicans.

Charles Dharapak/AP

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada listens to a reporter's question about a meeting with Senate Republicans.

Charles Dharapak/AP

Reid and McConnell say they're working toward a deal that would extend the debt limit through Feb. 7 and keep the government open through Jan. 15.

Oct. 15

House Republican leaders cancel a vote on Boehner's proposal to fund the government through Dec. 15, raise the debt ceiling through Feb. 7 and end federal health insurance subsidies for Congress and staff.

The rating agency Fitch warns that the United States' AAA credit rating is being reviewed for a possible downgrade.

Oct. 16

Oct. 17

President Obama signs the bill and the government reopens. Thousands of federal employees head back to work.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/10/16/235442199/how-we-got-here-a-shutdown-timeline?ft=1&f=1014
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Booker wins NJ Senate seat, says he's 'a scrapper'

Newark Mayor Cory Booker talks to supporters during an election night victory party after winning a special election for the U.S. Senate, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013, in Newark, N.J. Booker and Republican Steve Lonegan faced off to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Sen. Frank Lautenberg. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Newark Mayor Cory Booker, top left, hugs his mother Carolyn Booker after giving his victory speech during an election night party, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013, in Newark, N.J. Booker and Republican Steve Lonegan faced off during a special election to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Sen. Frank Lautenberg. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Republican senate candidate Steve Lonegan and wife Lorraine Rossi Lonegan, wave during his concession speech in Bridgewater, N.J., Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013, after Democrat Cory Booker was declared winner. Lonegan and Booker were vying to fill the Senate seat left vacant after the death of Frank Lautenberg. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — U.S. senator-elect Cory Booker said Thursday he's ready to go to Washington and is not afraid if he "breaks dishes" trying to serve his constituents in New Jersey.

Booker, 44, the Democratic mayor of Newark, made the rounds on the morning talk shows a day after defeating Republican Steve Lonegan. His win came after an aggressive two-month race to finish the term of Sen. Frank Lautenberg, who died in office in June at age 89.

Booker said he wants to channel Americans' frustration with Congress into energy for change.

"I think everybody feels there's fatigue and frustration with how things are, which creates a great climate for change," Booker said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." ''Often before you have great victory, you have to have great frustration."

The mayor of New Jersey's largest city takes to Washington a national profile — boosted by a strong social media presence, frequent television appearances and his status as a surrogate for Barack Obama during the president's 2012 re-election campaign — just as the federal government begins functioning again after a 16-day shutdown.

He hasn't even started his job as senator, but he is already being asked if he wants to run for president.

"I would rule it out," he said on WNYW's "Good Day New York." ''I'm going into the Senate. If I break dishes on the way to try to serve the people of New Jersey, so be it."

Booker called himself a "scrapper" and said he was able to change Newark despite people claiming its problems were intractable, which is what he said people are now saying about Congress.

"I find it eerily familiar with what people are saying to me now, because it was said 15 years ago in Newark," he said. "The problems are too big."

Booker had 55 percent of the vote to Lonegan's 44 percent. He brushed off criticism that the race was closer than many anticipated. Lonegan was backed by the tea party in a Democratic-leaning state.

"We did not worry. We put our plan in place and we worked our plan," Booker said. "I feel very lifted by the people of the state of New Jersey."

Booker said he will likely be sworn in "the next week, two weeks max." The timing, he said, depends on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Vice President Joe Biden, who will likely swear Booker in.

Booker will be the first black senator from New Jersey and will arrive in Washington with an unusual political resume.

He was raised in suburban Harington Park as the son of two of the first black IBM executives, graduated from Stanford and law school at Yale with a stint in between as a Rhodes Scholar before moving to one of Newark's toughest neighborhoods with the intent of doing good.

He's been an unconventional politician, a vegetarian with a Twitter following of 1.4 million — or five times the population of the city he governs. With state funding dwindling, he has used private fundraising, including a $100 million pledge from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, to run programs in Newark, a strategy that has brought him both fame and criticism.

Former state Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa had been appointed by Christie to temporarily replace Lautenberg. The governor scheduled the special election for just 20 days before Christie himself is on the ballot seeking re-election. Democrats said Christie was afraid of appearing on the same ballot as the popular Booker, but courts upheld the election schedule.

Before Lautenberg died, Booker passed up a chance to run against Christie this year, saying he was eyeing Lautenberg's seat in 2014, in part so he could complete a full term as mayor — something he won't do now.

___

Delli Santi reported from Trenton, N.J. Associated Press reporters Geoff Mulvihill in Trenton and Bruce Shipkowski in Bridgewater, N.J., contributed to this report.

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-10-17-US-NJ-Senate/id-c412a70d5ece4a198b9b3e7f567984d4
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Sunday, October 20, 2013

For Obama, a frustrating health care rollout

WASHINGTON (AP) — Last week, President Barack Obama gathered some of his top advisers in the Oval Office to discuss the problem-plagued rollout of his health care legislation. He told his team the administration had to own up to the fact that there were no excuses for not having the health care website ready to operate on Day One.

The admonition from a frustrated president came amid the embarrassing start to sign-ups for the health care insurance exchanges. The president is expected to address the cascade of computer problems Monday during an event at the White House.

Administration officials say more than 476,000 health insurance applications have been filed through federal and state exchanges. The figures mark the most detailed measure yet of the problem-plagued rollout of the insurance market place.

However, the officials continue to refuse to say how many people have actually enrolled in the insurance markets. And without enrollment figures, it's unclear whether the program is on track to reach the 7 million people projected by the Congressional Budget Office to gain coverage during the six-month sign-up period.

The first three weeks of sign-ups have been marred by a cascade of computer problems, which the administration says it is working around the clock to correct. The rough rollout has been a black eye for Obama, who invested significant time and political capital in getting the law passed during his first term.

The officials said technology experts from inside and outside the government are being brought in to work on the glitches, though they did not say how many workers were being added.

Officials did say staffing has been increased at call centers by about 50 percent. As problems persist on the federally run website, the administration is encouraging more people to sign up for insurance over the phone.

The officials would not discuss the health insurance rollout by name and were granted anonymity.

Despite the widespread problems, the White House has yet to fully explain what went wrong with the online system consumers were supposed to use to sign up for coverage.

Administration officials initially blamed a high volume of interest from ordinary Americans for the frozen screens that many people encountered. Since then, they have also acknowledged problems with software and some elements of the system's design.

Interest in the insurance markets appears to continue to be high. Officials said about 19 million people have visited HealthCare.gov as of Friday night.

Of the 476,000 applications that have been started, just over half have been from the 36 states where the federal government is taking the lead in running the markets. The rest of the applications have come from the 14 states running their own markets, along with Washington, D.C.

Americans seeking health coverage through the Affordable Care Act must fill out applications before selecting a specific plan. The forms require personal information, including income figures that are used to calculate any subsidies the applicant may qualify for. More than one person can be included on an application.

The White House says it plans to release the first enrollment totals from both the federal and state-run markets in mid-November.

Obama will directly address the technical problems with the health care websites Monday morning during an event in the Rose Garden, according to the White House. Officials said the president finds the glitches unacceptable and will outline for the public steps the administration is taking to address the troubles.

Obama will be joined during the event by people who have already enrolled in insurance programs through the new exchanges. The administration has not said how many people have enrolled during the first three weeks of sign-ups.

An internal memo obtained by The Associated Press showed that the administration projected nearly a half million people would enroll for the insurance markets during the first month.

Officials say they expect enrollments to be heavier toward the end of the six-month sign up window.

Problems with the rollout were largely overshadowed by Republican efforts to force changes to the health care law in exchange for funding the government. That effort failed and the government reopened last week with "Obamacare" intact.

Some Republicans are now calling for the resignation of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The White House says it has complete confidence in her. House Republicans have scheduled a hearing next week to look into the rollout problems.

White House allies say they're confident the problems are being addressed.

"There's no question the marketplace website needs some improvement," said Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., one of the architects of the law. "The administration needs to fix the computer bugs and I'm confident that they're working around the clock to fix the problems."

___

Associated Press writer Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar contributed to this report.

___

Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-frustrating-health-care-rollout-083602176--politics.html
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Johnny Depp Makes Surprise Appearance at BFI London Film Fest Awards Ceremony

Johnny Depp was a surprise guest Saturday night, appearing on stage to much applause to hand Christopher Lee his award. "It's my great honor to be here," he said, calling Lee "a great man, a very great man indeed."

Lee has been "a wonderful inspiration" for him and many other actors and filmmakers, Depp said.

"It was certainly a childhood dream come true" to work with and learn from Lee, Depp added. He went on to laud Lee as "a true gentleman," "a national treasure" and "a true artist."

STORY: Pawel Pawlikowski's 'Ida' Wins BFI London Film Festival Top Prize

"I love you," Depp said in finishing.

After a long standing ovation, Lee said on stage: "Johnny, I don't know what to say. I didn't know you were going to be here. It is a very emotional moment for me as you can probably hear."

Someone had told Lee that Depp was making a film "somewhere else in Europe" right now, the veteran actor explained.

Lee said Depp "means an enormous amount to me." And he lauded Depp for being one of the few younger actors "who is a true star." He also called him an actor's and director's dream to work with.

Describing his emotions at big celebrations like this, Lee said: "Tearful, no. Fearful, on occasion."

And he quoted someone who had once told him people should try everything -- except for incest and folk dancing.

"I can prove I am not guilty of either one," Lee quipped, highlighting that he has been married for 52 years. He added: "Folk dancing, I don't think that's for me."

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thr/international/~3/V-m7xsnaPlI/story01.htm
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The Stealthy Barracuda UAV Is Germany's Future Flying Force

After the end of hostilities in WWII, France and Germany have become surprisingly close. The two nations are stalwart proponents of expanded European Union integration and are regularly referred to as the EU's "twin engine." But on the issue of unmanned aerial platform, the two simply cannot agree. So while France and its cohorts are developing the nEUROn, Germany is building the stealth Barracuda.