AVG launches LiveKive cloud sync and backup tool

A while back, we told you about AVG's new LiveKive service, a new cloud synchronization and backup tool which appears to have been named after a vat in which mash is made during the brewing process. But enough about AVG's odd choice of monikers -- LiveKive has launched and is now ready to accept your files into the AVG cloud.

LiveKive takes aim at services like Dropbox and SugarSync, though at the moment it's lagging behind in terms of features. As it stands, LiveKive is only compatible with Windows and OS X. There are no mobile clients yet, though with AVG's strong presence on Android we wouldn't be surprised to see an app arrive in the near future.

The company is offering a heck of a deal right now, however. If you sign up for a paid account during the launch phase, you can score unlimited storage for $80 for a whole year. You can't even score 50GB per year at that price from Dropbox, so if cost and space are more important to you than cross-platform availability, LiveKive might be worth checking out.

If you're not interested in ponying up any cash at the moment, you can still get a 5GB account free of charge. Just head on over, and create a LiveKive account.

AVG launches LiveKive cloud sync and backup tool originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 10:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scientific study shows internet use changes human memory

The internet has fundamentally affected the way people access and store information, and many people (myself included) have wondered if it's also changing the way our minds work. According to the New York Times, a recently published scientific paper shows that we are indeed changing the way we store information in our brains thanks to the internet.

The paper's title, "Google Effects on Memory: Cognitive Consequences of Having Information at Our Fingertips" sounds faintly ominous, and the study results do show that people are less likely to retain information if they believe they'll simply be able to Google it later. According to the study's abstract, "When people expect to have future access to information, they have lower rates of recall of the information itself and enhanced recall instead for where to access it."

The implication here seems to be that instead of dumbing us all down and turning our memories into sieves, we're becoming less reliant on our own memories and more capable of turning to external sources for finding information. Before the internet, finding an esoteric bit of data usually meant a trip to a library or other physical storehouse and a laborious search, which made retaining that data in one's own memory more important; now, that same data is accessible within seconds if you've got a decent 3G connection. In a sense, we've offloaded a portion of our own memory into the "cloud."

The Star Trek geek in me has to point out that these handheld boxes we use to access a huge storehouse of information, supplementing our comparatively limited "wetware" memories, is similar in many ways to the Bynars from the first season of The Next Generation. Those fictional aliens were reliant on their equivalent of the internet to a vulnerable extent, however; without their central computer, they'd be unable to survive. We haven't reached that point quite yet, but as Google and related online services supplement human memory more and more, trivia demigods like Ken Jennings may become increasingly rare in future generations.

Scientific study shows internet use changes human memory originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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President Obama Meets with Powells and Leading CEOs on Making Investments to Ensure a Competitive US Workforce

Release Time: 

For Immediate Release

 

Several CEOs Announce New Investments

Today, the President will host an education roundtable with business leaders, Secretary Duncan, Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes, America’s Promise Alliance Chair Alma Powell and Founding Chair General Colin Powell to discuss building upon strong industry-led partnerships that are working to transform the American education system. Other corporate partners in attendance include representatives from the Business Roundtable, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Business Coalition for Student Achievement, the Business-Higher Education Forum, and the United Way.

“A world-class education is the single most important factor in determining not just whether our kids can compete for the best jobs but whether America can outcompete countries around the world. America's business leaders understand that when it comes to education, we need to up our game. That's why were working together to put an outstanding education within reach for every child,” said President Barack Obama.

The President’s meeting with these leading CEOs builds on his continued leadership to work with the business community on the pressing needs of American education. Through efforts such as Change the Equation, with its focus on corporate investment in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, Skills for America’s Future with its support of business partnerships with community colleges, and the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, the private sector is responding not just with financial support, but with commitments that take advantage of their areas of expertise and the skills of their employees. 

New Commitments Being Announced Today:

Community Engagement and Investment to Transform the Nation’s Lowest-Performing Schools: America’s Promise Alliance Grad Nation Community Impact Fund will raise $50 million to support the goal of ending the dropout crisis and prepare young people for college and career. The first planning grants from this social venture fund will be awarded in the fall to communities that demonstrate a commitment to local action aligned with the goals of the Grad Nation Campaign, including student supports for our most vulnerable young people.  Applicants will be communities with a low-performing school and a willingness and capacity to build a multi-sector, collaborative approach that includes partnerships with the business community and local school system, and the capacity to raise matching funds to promote local investment to sustain this work.

Expanding Opportunities for Students to Prepare for Livable Wage Jobs: Bank of America will announce a $50 million pledge to education over the next 3 years, launching this goal through $4.5 million in grants. The investment will support programs that bridge the achievement gap to post-secondary education completion and connect the underserved and unemployed, as well as returning veterans, and individuals with disabilities, to workforce success in high-growth sectors, in particular through community colleges.  Recognizing the need for knowledgeable and skilled workers to compete in the global economy, Bank of America is investing in education as part of its comprehensive lending, investing and volunteer activities aimed at strengthening the economic and social health of communities.

Research and Development for Next Generation Learning Models and Resources for Students and Teachers: Building on its history of commitment to education and recent $25 million STEM Scholarship grant program in Washington State, Microsoft Education is announcing a new $15M investment in research and development for immersive learning technologies including game based instruction and the creation of a lifelong learning digital archive. Through the creation of these innovative solutions, the disengaged can become passionate problem solvers and the struggling student can be offered other pathways to success.  Rooted in this investment is the understanding that technical innovation alone will not help. Therefore, over the next 3 years, Microsoft is committing to train over 150 thousand educators and leaders and provide access to professional learning communities and training to every teacher in the United States through the new Partners in Learning Network.

Supporting a Statewide Focus on Education System Redesign: In the past four years, the Nike School Innovation Fund (NSIF) has provided $7 million in innovation grants and thousands of volunteer hours by senior Nike leaders and other employees to support students, teachers and principals in three Oregon public school districts. The Fund is announcing a new commitment as a primary partner of Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber and his initiative to help make the state’s entire education system more nimble, innovative and supportive of the key grades of 9 to 12. With this news, Nike’s commitment to strengthening education in Oregon totals $10 million. The NSIF will now provide a year of funding, expertise and policy guidance that is expected to serve as a model for the Governor’s larger statewide education transformation plan.

Participants in Today’s Meeting Include:
• Marguerite Kondracke, President & CEO, America’s Promise
• Alma Powell, Chairwoman, America’s Promise
• General Colin Powell, Founding Chairman, America’s Promise
• Craig Barrett, Former President & CEO, Intel
• Glenn Britt, CEO, Time Warner Cable
• Steve Case, Former Chairman & CEO, America Online
• Brian Gallagher, President & CEO, United Way Worldwide
• William Green, President & CEO, Accenture
• Fred Humphries, Senior Vice President, Microsoft
• Rhonda Mimms, Foundation President, ING
• Kathleen Murphy, President, Fidelity Personal Investments
• Ed Rust, CEO, State Farm
• Randall Stephenson, Chairman & CEO, AT&T

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Oscar Grant's Best Friend, Johntue Caldwell, Found Dead

Filed under: News

From Colorlines:

The tight circle of family and friends still reeling from the loss of Oscar Grant has been dealt another tragic loss. On Friday evening Johntue Caldwell, Oscar Grant's best friend and the godfather of his daughter, was found dead inside his car in Hayward, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Caldwell, who was 25, was found inside a Cadillac parked at a Union 76 gas station, the paper reported. According to the police, the shooter walked up to Caldwell and shot through the windshield. Police are still searching for a motive for the shooting, and believe that Caldwell was not the victim of a random incident.

Read more here.

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The Debt Ceiling Standoff

Ezra Klein helpfully explains what each side is thinking: The Obama administration, which many people considered cool toward a deficit deal, has been willing to concede much more than anyone expected ? including raising the Medicare eligibility age and cutting...

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Statement by the President on the Election of Janice Hahn to Congress

Release Time: 

For Immediate Release

I want to extend my congratulations to Congresswoman-elect Janice Hahn for her victory in California’s 36th Congressional District. Janice and I both believe that in order to win the future, we need to create jobs and grow our economy and pursue a balanced approach to deficit reduction.  In Congress, Janice will continue to fight for the people of the South Bay and add another chapter to her family’s long history of dedicated service to the people of California.  I look forward to working with her.

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Unseen side of 80s music stars on show in Laura Levine exhibition

Previously unpublished images of stars including Madonna, Michael Stipe and Chrissie Hynde go up in Manhattan gallery

? See a gallery of pictures from the exhibition

A revealing archive of unseen photographs of music stars taken more than 20 years ago is to go on display in a New York gallery on Thursday. The images, which were all taken by Laura Levine while working for a succession of music magazines in Manhattan, show performers such as Chrissie Hynde and Michael Stipe in an unpretentious setting or a pose that often challenges their public image.

"It was definitely my intention to get away from the studio look," Levine told the Observer this weekend. "I started out as more of a photojournalist anyway and I wanted to get past all the artifice. I wanted to show a side to the public that was really something that they weren't aware of. To show them something you don't normally see."

The photographic show, titled Musicians, is being mounted by the Steven Kasher Gallery and came about almost by accident after Kasher worked with Levine on another show chronicling the same era. Levene's show is being billed as an insider's look at the artists at the forefront of rock, punk, indie rock, post-punk hip-hop, new wave and no wave ? and it is already causing a stir in the Big Apple.

"We were setting up a punk and post-punk poster show and talking to Laura then," said Christiona Owen of the gallery. "Steven has known Laura for many years and enjoyed her photography and so we invited her to do a second show with us. We didn't realise how many vintage prints she had for show that hadn't been seen in public before."

The show will be the first solo gallery exhibition for Levine and will feature more than 35 vintage and modern prints, including the photographer's vintage gelatin silver prints, many of which are one of a kind.

"There's been a strong interest in seeing the photos so we think the show is going to be very popular," said Owen.

Levine has not taken photographs since 1994 and has worked instead in painting, video and animation, but in the 1980s she showed frequently in downtown galleries after working as chief photographer and photo editor of underground newspaper New York Rocker. She also published in the Village Voice, Sounds and Rolling Stone.

"My photo sessions would be very relaxed," said Levine. "Most of the subjects I didn't know beforehand, although some became friends. The REM photo I took in Athens, Georgia, at a point where they were very good friends. It was one of many times I photographed them. By the time I did that picture in the diner I knew them really well. I flew down to see them and we spent two whole days just going around Athens and we stopped there for lunch. Then I thought this would be a great picture, so I got behind the counter and told them all to look up."

Among the other images in the show is a striking early photograph of Madonna. "I took it before she was famous in 1982, I think she had her first single coming out, and she was really game," said Levine. "I knew nothing about her at the time. She came over to my apartment in Chinatown and climbed up all the steps to the top. I think some of the other pictures from that shoot are well known, but not the one in show. She was a pleasure to work with and had a real sense of self even then. I set that picture up by asking her to scream."

The show also includes an evocative picture of Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads and hip-hop artist and DJ Grandmaster Flash. Marking the birth of hip-hop as a popular genre, it was taken in New York in 1981 in front of a wall of graffiti. "I love that shot. It was for the cover of Andy Warhol's magazine Interview. They look great with those boomboxes," said Levene.

"I think the most important thing with anyone you photograph is to establish a real sense of trust."

• Photography
• New York
• United States

Vanessa Thorpe

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