Surprise! SanDisk still makes MP3 players

Biggs is the editor of TechCrunch gadgets. Biggs wrote for the New York Times, InSync, United States at the weekend, popular mechanics, popular science, money, and a number of other outlets on technology and wristwatches. He is the former Chief Editor of Gizmodo.com and lives in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. You can Tweet it here and G + it here. ? Read More

Amazing someone still makes MP3 players for the mass market. I am pleased to introduce $ Sandisk Sansa clip Zip, tiny, portable media player which comes in 4 GB and 8 GB varieties (4 GB model is $ 50).

Zip clip comes in 7 colors, including red, blue and orange and is compatible with virtually any audio format. It also has a microSD slot, so you can extend the player up to 32 GB. It also has a little tiny LCD screen and simple interface.

Back in the old days, SanDisk was quite well known for his fully featured MP3 players, but those days are long gone. However, if you are looking for a simple player for kid or grandfather this may be the way to go: it's idiot proof, reliable and not as expensive as Zune or iPod.

Project page

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Google + rolls out verified profiles, still struggling with a Real name policy

Robin Wauters is currently staff writer for TechCrunch and lead editor of Virtualization.com. In addition to its activities, professional blogging, he is an entrepreneur, the organizer of the event, from time to time the Council consultant and an angel investor, but the most important champion of the full launch. He lives and works in Belgium, a small country in Europe. He can often be found work from their home or ... ? Read More

William Shatner, rejoice! Earlier today, Wen-AI Yu from Google + announced with a post on Google + YouTube video and accompanying social network now boasts a "validation icons for celebrities, public figures, but also people who have been added (undefined)" large "number of laps, with the promise to expand proven profile system in the near future.

This is in accordance with the previous report from CNN, mark Milian, who caught wind of Google "celebrity acquisition plan" a month ago.

Icons are mainly Grey check Twitter type, say "check name" when you hover over them (see screenshot of my profile-I seem to have been added to the Google enough to contribute to the list of community +). People who do not yet have a profile verification "hang tight", Yu said.

Things that are obvious:

Both celebrities and public figures requested by Google to verify their identity, while CNN report states that one of the options discussed in Google + commands while participation please fax a copy of the celebrity of his or her driver's license.

-Exactly how many laps on should be added should be, and why, it seems that some users loud fell though the cracks. It doesn't make any sense to me to skip verification, but no such people as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (it is the most followed person on Google, ironically) and entrepreneur celebrities as Kevin Rose and Tom Anderson.

-If there is a dedicated page on the list of all verified profiles (or at least those celebrities and public figures) so people can find more people to follow, especially when they are new to Google +

According to a Tweet from Louis gray, who had just been hired as Google + evangelist, there are no plans to create a list of "default" (aka user proposed) based on what profiles are checked by Google + and who are not. He says, "give me a few days though.

If you are interested in such a list now, my advice is to check this Web site.

In the meantime, the debate about policy, real name on Google + rages on. Join the social network require real name and gender information, and Google has suspended the accounts because he believes that users have used an alias.

In these days when Google finds that profile name does not stick to its policy, users receive a 4-day period to change it before they get downloaded from social network.

Power user this morning Robert Scoble has written an open letter to Google's Vic Gundotra and published it on their Google profile + to download – providing a few proposals for changes to the actual name of the policy that Scoble said not executed correctly or properly and causing a distraction.

(Hat tip to Michelle over at WebSonic)

The Google project, headed by Vic Gundotra and Bradley Horowitz, Google + is designed for social expansion of Google. Its main function is to make electronic exchange easy to ...

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Immodestly now allows you to check the official events, but still you cannot create a formal event itself

Alexia Tsotsis currently works at TechCrunch as a writer. She is also a blogger who attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. She majored in writing and art, moved to New York shortly after the end of the work in the entertainment industry and media. After four years of his life in New York and to attend courses in New York. ? Read More

Foursquare announced today that people can now check out the events officially, that is strange, because people have actually (unofficially) was checking in for a long time. I mean just look at NYC Mayor Bloomberg, check-in to something called Equalitocalypse. Conceptually, the "hack" is fairly easy for a politician to do is simply a masquerading as a place of the event. In fact I I checked in informal event right now.

So what gives Foursquare, we was checking in for a while? Well basically what was announced today as more immodestly partner events; Foursquare hooked up with ESPN to sports events, MovieTicket.com for movie tickets and Songkick concerts to populate its database with official events.

These events partner will offer users more functionality-registration as an opportunity to detail individual movies in the cinema, and even the inclusion of real-time data, such as sports.  Foursquare, said that she plans on offers hundreds of thousands of "official" events for more than 50 000 jobs in the next few months.

Although right now the event is limited to the three partners, I hear that in the long term, this would apply to any owner site. Immodestly PR representative Erin Gleason said to me: "we think about the sites and users create events, but we want to make sure that we do it right so that this functionality is not currently available."

At the same time, you can keep the ghettos, returning to the event by searching for your event in a nearby field and add it as a place where it inevitably does not show.

Foursquare is a location based social network that includes gameplay elements. Users share their location with friends check in via the Smartphone app "or text message.

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Google launches music blog to remind people that the beta version of Google music still exists

MG Siegler wrote to TechCrunch since 2009. It covers web, mobile, social, big companies, small companies, in fact all. And Apple. A lot. Prior to TechCrunch he covered various technology beats for VentureBeat. Originally from Ohio, mg attended the University of Michigan. He had previously lived in Los Angeles, where he worked in Hollywood and in San Diego where ... ? Read More

Music beta, remember? It is an online music locker service that Google unveiled at i/o in May. However, the keyword in the title is still very much "Beta" is in no way ready for prime time. OK, maybe it's a little unfair, running is simply cannot provide much. New feature today hopes to keep people interested while they work to make it better.

Magnifier is the site of a new music discovery, Google has launched today as a compliment to the beta version of the music. But let's be clear, this is a blog (it even runs on Google's Blogger platform). Every day, the blog will be updated with "song of the day" that can be added to your music a beta account with one click.

This is great, you can't knock free music. But the Magnifier is still one of the core incompetencies music Beta: there is no way to purchase music. To get the music in the beta version of the music, you should upload their own MP3s. Magnifier Now offers the second way, but again, this is only a few songs that Google has acquired the right to give away for free. Presumably they continue negotiations with labels and rights owners to be able to include music store or streaming music service, but this is clearly not ready to go yet.

And until it is ready to go, music beta will not be close to resembling "iTunes killer" or even Amazon MP3 competitor. Both of these services offer easy ways to browse and purchase new music. In the meantime, other services like Pandora, MOG and the advent of radio, Spotify just beginning in the United States-at the other end with music streaming.

Google says that the Magnifier is a way to "reignite your passion for music, but it seems more about reminding people that there is a beta of music. These transactions may not be soon enough for the service.

Google provides search and advertising services, which together aim to organize and money in the world of information. In addition to its dominant search engine, it offers many ...

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Counter-strike: global assault, coming in 2012 franchises to revive an aging but still Awesome

Matt is currently working as a writer for the CrunchGear. Matt Burns family man first and trying to be a freelance writer second. Born and raised in the heart of the automotive world, only cars Eclipse his love for gadgets. He previously wrote for Engadget and EngadgetHD before moving into the House by CrunchGear. He learned ... ? Read More

And for today's news from the left pane, the valve is working on new game counter-strike. So Reverend shooter may soon get updated information. Details does not flow at the moment, but it seems and feels as though this incarnation is going to be in a niche game, to the competitive gaming community. Nevertheless, this new game counter-strike! Get excited!

Counter-strike was released as the half-life mod 12 long years ago. She has since gone on to be their own game and the most popular title on Valve's steam game distribution service. This is and always has been, in short, popular. A whole generation of gamers increased by CS before blew Internet games, counter-strike was LAN party game. (and Starcraft) I had to retake course MSCE because my time was spent tearing up Dust2, instead of studying. It was the FPS, which is defined on the basis of the team of shooters. It was Modern Warfare to modern warfare. The game never really disappeared. He took the valve, making the Team Fortress 2 free games for the game to lose its first place. But it's time to upgrade.

Pro gamers are the ones who spun up mill rumours after tweeting that they actually played the game in valve's headquarters. The game was reported to be released in Q1 2012 and, as mentioned earlier, this is not clear if the CS: global offensive is an updated version of CS: source, or if it is a completely new game. As has been said to be built around the new source engine means that graphics should be from 2012 (or at least 2011). You want to include in the new release is said to have dedicated servers, classic cards and conventional weapons. There will also be new types of weapons, gernades and regimes. Matches apparently 5v5 for eSport scene.

Valve is to issue a statement concerning the upcoming titles something today.

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Windows phone VP razvenčivaûtsâ mango September 1 release, we are still not convinced

Jordan Crook studied English literature at the University of New York before entering the tech space. Prior to joining TechCrunch Crook dabbled in mobile marketing and mobile apps, as well as doing reviews for MobileBurn and MobileMarketer. Kruk, fascinated with the production of alternative sources of energy and greentech. It is currently a writer for CrunchGear. ? Read More

If you keep up with mango Windows phone (which you absolutely must be, because it looks pretty awesome), remember that we reported on the possible release of September 1 for the update. Reliable, yet untitled, Pocket-Lint sources confirmed rumours. Well that's that. We were absolutely right. We're just not sure what part we were right about yet — that his ear, or that we will see mango 1 September.

Vice President of Microsoft's Windows phone Joe Belfiore sent out a Tweet debunking 1 September claims. "# mango 1 September? Just a rumor, "he tweeted. We want to believe you, Joe. Indeed, we do. But the Pocket-Lint, usually pretty solid with the rumors and the timing couldn't be more perfect with the IFA on the following day. IFA is the largest show gadget in Europe, and the Windows phone also happens to be incredibly popular in Europe. Connecting the dots?

Companies often uncomfortable to walk the line between teasing secrets and keeping them closely guarded. They want us to know that something is absolutely amazing is going to go, but they do not want us to know where, when, or what the situation. In this case, it would be very shocking, if Microsoft does not use the IFA show his latest and greatest OS. But it is very understandable that Belfiore wants to get the cat back in the bag, at least for the moment.

Microsoft, founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, is a veteran software company, best known for its Microsoft Windows operating system and Microsoft Office ...

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Study: some ISPs still hijacking search results (Sue)

Devin Coldewey is a Seattle-based writer and photographer. He wrote for the TechCrunch network since 2007. Some posts, it would like you to read: the perils of externalization of knowledge | Generation I | Surveillant society | Select two | Frame war | User manifesto | Our great sin his personal site — coldewey. cc. ? Read More

Try this: open a new tab and type "Kindle" in the address bar. Most likely he will guide you to the Google search results page. I.e. If your Internet service provider to intercept such rogue queries and do what they will with them. A pair of computer scientists at UC Berkeley found that at least a dozen ISPS still do this, the result is that, for example, when someone types "Kindle" in the address bar, it is not the preferred search engine, but directly to Amazon's Kindle page.

Harmless, in some sense, but actually deeply invasive when considering the conditions. These providers use third party contractors who monetize such an erroneous or random requests. A wide range of search items, something like "Kindle", "Apple" and "bloomingdales ' are being listened to, enter and steal, and the intention of the user. As if that wasn't enough, one of the companies suspected of being behind the Paxfire, applied for a patent on the ISP-level track users for advertising purposes.

In truth, do a little Gore from the molehill, but for good reason. There are shenanigans as it is pulled by ISPS, network operators, content providers, carriers, and all the other every day. While the large-scale stuff as Proxying Google and skimming the results tend to get noticed, there are tons of grey area practices are most likely referred to obliquely EULAs and such. Things like packet inspection for the purpose of "quality", in reality mining with little oversight. But even if the actual extent of the problem is not national, it is important to keep your eyes open for these things.

Researchers, Christian Kreibich and Nicholas Weaver, traffic analysis by ISPS and discovered that 165 terms event and as a result of the intervention, usually directed users to the site through the affiliate program. It is possible (although unlikely) that third parties, do it yourself, as the Charter describes the VentureBeat; (from experience) they claim that the service hired to do one thing (have a standard page broken URL, for example) may be ambitious and decided to make a little money on the side.

Google previously noticed this and gave rise to the ISP to stop manipulating the results, but while it's easy enough to say when touching your requests, it is not so easy to say, if they have been sniffed. External providers can part of a job analysis package of companies such as Paxfire, routing search queries through them to write and building the database.

The smell of blood in the water, the New York law firms Reese Richman and filed a lawsuit against Milberg Paxfire and the RPM, the Virginia-based ISP accused of shady study described. As with many Internet Center lawsuits, this one will likely be several jurisdictions to effectively analyze — although both the Paxfire is also based in Virginia, the State provides a natural starting point for the proceedings.

I have the same mind with TechDirt, Mike Masnick: surprised that companies think they can do this stuff and get away with it. The level of control for services as ISPs only increases, and methods, as has already been deemed illegal and unethical. They think nobody would notice?

Here is a list of ISPS, found the study:

Cavalier-Cincinnati Bell-convincing – border – Hughes-IBBS – analysis of broadband-Megapath-Paetec – RCN – wide open West-XO Communications

If you think you may be affected by this practice, try to run the Web application Netalyzr (Berkeley) and see if anything suspicious pops up.

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