Coming soon to Firefox: More ads!

Using future versions of Firefox as a secure... Safe browser is over
Computerworld
Mozilla today announced an expansion and rebranding of its in-browser advertisements, now dubbed "Suggested Tiles," that will by default show in the new tab page of all Firefox users.

Those who don't want to see the ads can select an option to make then go away.

The change to in-Firefox ads will hit the beta of the browser "soon," said Darren Herman, Mozilla's vice president of content service, in a Thursday blog post. Suggested Tiles will reach the stable branch of Firefox this summer.

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Microsoft Study Finds Technology Hurting Attention Spans

Conducting both surveys and EEG scans, Microsoft has published a study suggesting that the average attention span has fallen precipitously since the start of the century. While people could focus on a task for 12 seconds back in 2000, that figure dropped to 8 seconds in 2013 (about one second less than a goldfish). Reportedly, a lot of that reduction stems from a combination of smartphones and an avalanche of content. The study found also a sunny side: while presence of technology is hurting attention spans overall, it also appears to improve person's abilities to both multitask and concentrate in short bursts.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Gordon Moore is still amazed at how Moore's Law shaped the tech industry

ComputerworldThe man credited with creating Moore's Law can finally talk about it.

"For the first twenty years I couldn't utter the term 'Moore's Law'," said Gordon Moore, the chairman emeritus of Intel on Monday night. "It was embarrassing. I finally got accustomed to it enough that I can say it with a straight face."

Intel honored Moore at an event in San Francisco on Monday night for his famous axiom, which has helped guide the evolution of technology for 50 straight years. Even Moore himself appeared amazed at the implications.

Gordon Moore Tom Friedman Mark Hachman

Intel's Gordon Moore was interviewed by The New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman at an event in San Francisco on Monday night.

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Bill Gates Owes His Career To Steven Spielberg's Dad; You May, Too

Slashdot
On the 51st birthday of the BASIC programing language, GE Reports decided it was finally time to give-credit-where-credit-was-long-overdue, reporting thatArnold Spielberg, the 98-year-old father of Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, helped revolutionize computing when he designed the GE-225 mainframe computer. The machine allowed a team of Dartmouth University students and researchers to develop BASIC, which quickly spread and ushered in the era of personal computers. BASIC helped kickstart many computing careers, include those of Bill Gates and Paul Allen, as well as Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs.