Verizon To purchase EdgeCast Content Delivery Network

Verizon Digital Media is adding a significant content delivery network to its rich media capabilities. Verizon is acquiring EdgeCast, one of several top three content delivery networks, so as to add to its portfolio of cloud and web services. The telecom company announced Monday that EdgeCast will move into Verizon’s Digital Media Services unit when the deal is done sometime in 2014. Terms weren’t disclosed. EdgeCast provides content delivery expertise and a network of Internet content servers to Verizon Digital Media, that’s fascinated about improving and lengthening video delivery. EdgeCast operates thousands of content servers in 30 Internet hubs world wide. Akamai, LimeLight, and Level 3 all offer competing CDN services. EdgeCast has 6,000 content delivery accounts and serves multiple leading brands for global media delivery, including LinkedIn, JetBlue, EMI Music Publishing, and Kellogg’s. EdgeCast ranked #1 because the fastest growing Internet company in 2012 at the DeloitteTechnology Fast 500 list. Content delivery networks, including Akamai, place content servers at widely distributed locations, then distribute... Read More »

Google Powers Forest Protection Effort

Using Google’s map technology and cloud platform, Global Forest Watch can track tree use, abuse, and regrowth. Combining satellite technology, public data, and crowdsourcing, the arena Resources Institute, Google and greater than 40 partner organizations have launched Global Forest Watch, a web-based community-oriented map designed to trace changes in forests world wide in near real-time. Global Forest Watch provides data layers that describe forest change, forest cover (tree density), forest use, conservation data, and reports about forest-related issues from users. It provides insight into the health of the world’s forests, which remain vital economic, social, and environmental assets for each nation. The website exists because forest health have been declining. Greater than 500 million acres of forest were lost between 2000 and 2012, in accordance with data from the University of Maryland and Google, and only 197 million acres of forest were regrown, replanted, or revived in this period. This isn’t a sustainable trend. “That is the equivalent of losing 50 soccer fields’ worth of... Read More »

Microsoft’s Device Strategy: The rest Flaw

Microsoft’s Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 represent big improvements over the originals, but they still make sense just for certain users. Of the complete critiques which have been directed at Microsoft’s device strategy, Apple CEO Tim Cook’s is among the most apt: The outside campaign is “confused.” “Confused” fits better than “doomed,” “failing,” or any of the alternative terms that seemed appropriate a number of months ago, when the skin line was defined entirely by unenthusiastic reviews, unsold inventory, rapid price reductions, and a $900 million writedown. The harshest criticisms aren’t any longer appropriate since the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 are big improvements. The previous beats its predecessor in every regard, while the latter addresses the unique Pro’s biggest weaknesses, inclusive of battery life. Windows 8.1 also is a way more cohesive experience — even the fashionable UI, whose once-anemic core apps at the moment are full-featured enough for comfortable day-to-day use. The devices also include pretty nice perks: a year of free... Read More »

Google Play Services Upgraded To Version 4.1

[ Developer] New Android versions are always a cause for celebration as Google works some interesting new features into its mobile OS. Similarly, updates to Google Play Service must be met with an analogous sort of enthusiasm as Android app developers get more features to mess around with. Google announced this week that Google Play Services 4.1 is now rolling out to users. It includes a necessary update to Android games while also adding in support for some oft-requested features. First up, Google Play Games now supports turn-based multiplayer. While real-time multiplayer is usually better fitted to shooters and racing games, turn-based multiplayer is a must for RPGs and other games that require asynchronous multiplayer. With this latest update, Google Play Games will support turn-based multiplayer for as much as eight players. Additionally, each player’s turn data can be automatically uploaded to Google Play servers and distributed a number of the other players automatically. If you are making non-game apps for Android, you’ll be pleased... Read More »

Flash Played Extended Support Upgrades To Version 13 In May

[ Developer] If that you have to be secure on the net, it’s best that you simply keep your entire extensions upgraded. Flash Player is not any exception as its does occasionally fall to zero day attacks and other exploits. While continuously upgrading to the newest version is the perfect plan of action, that’s not exactly feasible in an enterprise environment. That’s where Flash Player extend support is available in. Adobe announced on Wednesday that Flash Player extended support shall be upgrading from version 11.7 to version 13 on May 13. On that day, enterprise and IT customers who use extended support releases will find version 13 on Adobe’s distribution channel. So, what’s the advantage of using the extended support release? Rather than having to evolve to new features with every generation, extended support versions of Flash Player don’t include any new features of bug fixes. These releases focus exclusively on security fixes so enterprise customers can ensure each of the computers on their network... Read More »