Apple fixes bizarre volume bug on new Macbook Airs

30 Rock's Lutz looks a bit like I felt while wondering if my computer was broken.

NBC

At first, I thought my mind was going. My wife and I, on vacation recently, had just settled in with an episode from the final season of 30 Rock. I had purchased it from Amazon Instant Video for a couple of bucks because Netflix didn't have the final season yet, and if there is one guaranteed benefit to not being a dirty pirate, it's studio-quality audio and video, right?

Imagine my surprise, then, when the volume began subtly modulating. For 30 seconds, Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey were shouting at me; for 30 seconds, they were whispering. Well, crazy things happen; perhaps the version of the episode shipped over to Amazon had been mastered poorly by some summer intern.

My wife and I watched another episode. The volume shenanigans continued. Surely NBC couldn't cock up two entire episodes of a hit show? I began to think dark thoughts about Amazon and its video service, and I would have continued thinking those dark thoughts except that, a day or two later, I dialed up a Daily Show episode on Hulu. Yet again, the volume fluctuated.

At this point, I was getting concerned; my computer was clearly possessed by some mischievous but not wholly malevolent gremlin intent on making constant changes to my audio output levels. How else to explain the fact that the issue persisted across different TV shows and across different distribution platforms? (Though I never noticed the issue when I was playing music in iTunes or through my Rdio subscription, which only made the problem odder. It was video-specific.) The only constant seemed to be my computer, one of the recently-released 2013 MacBook Airs.

I had never seen a particular problem quite like this before, but it quickly became clear that my pricey new machine had an issue. Was it fixable through a software update? Was the hardware bad?

Last week, that question was answered as Apple released "MacBook Air (Mid 2013) Software Update 1.0." Finally skimming through the patch change log on Friday, wondering if this was something worth rebooting my computer for at the moment, I stopped short when I came to the final item on the fix list: "an issue which may cause audio volume to fluctuate during video playback."

(The upgrade also fixes a "an issue that in rare instances may cause an intermittent loss in wireless connectivity [and] an issue with Adobe Photoshop which may cause occasional screen flickering.")

As it turns out, I am not crazy, my machine isn't broken, and neither Amazon nor NBC were at fault. Rather an odd issue, but how exciting would life be if all the problems we faced were routine?

What's the oddest tech issue you've ever experienced?

Source: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/07/apple-fixes-bizarre-volume-bug-on-new-macbook-airs/

serena williams Tamar Braxton Prism Governors Ball nsa Purge Annabel Tollman

Lincoln Memorial vandalized with green paint in Washington D.C. (photos)

Green paint was splattered on the base of the statue of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, Friday, July 26, 2013. Police say the apparent vandalism was discovered early Friday morning with no words, letters or symbols visible in the paint.

??(10 total photos)

Source: http://photos.oregonlive.com/photo-essay/2013/07/lincoln_memorial_vandalized_wi.html

Iron Man 3 margaret thatcher MET GALA 2013 proflowers Susannah Collins George Jones funeral Jeff Hanneman

How to Make YouTube Look Like Unix

YouTube has decided to celebrate its upcoming Geek Week event by giving its site an, um, underhaul?and making it look like Unix.

Read more...

Source: http://gizmodo.com/how-to-make-youtube-look-like-unix-906261024

elizabeth taylor cam newton FedEx Gabriel Aubry cyber monday deals small business saturday small business saturday

FDA: Menthol cigarettes likely pose health risk

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) ? A Food and Drug Administration review concludes that menthol cigarettes likely pose a greater public health risk than regular cigarettes but does not make a recommendation on whether to limit or ban the minty smokes ? one of the few growth sectors of the shrinking cigarette business.

The federal agency released the independent review on Tuesday and is seeking input from the health community, the tobacco industry and others on possible restrictions on the mint-flavored cigarettes.

The FDA evaluation concluded that there is little evidence to suggest that menthol cigarettes are more or less toxic or contribute to more disease risk to smokers than regular cigarettes. However, there is adequate data to suggest that menthol use is likely associated with increased smoking initiation by younger people and that menthol smokers have a harder time quitting, the review said.

There's also evidence indicating that menthol's cooling properties can reduce the harshness of cigarette smoke and that menthol cigarettes are marketed as a smoother alternative, the review said.

"Menthol cigarettes raise critical public health questions," Mitch Zeller, director of the Center for Tobacco Products, said in a conference call with reporters.

Zeller said there's "no holdup" on the FDA proposing restrictions on menthol but that there are still "some important questions" that need to be answered. The agency is commissioning further research.

A 2011 FDA advisory panel report, which was mandated under the 2009 law giving the agency the authority to regulate tobacco, made many of the same findings, and said that removing menthol cigarettes from the market would benefit public health and highlighted greater use among minorities, teenagers and low-income people. Panels like the tobacco committee advise the FDA on scientific issues. The agency doesn't have to follow its recommendations, but often does.

Meanwhile, a tobacco industry report to the FDA acknowledged that all cigarettes are hazardous but said there's no scientific basis for regulating menthols differently. The industry also has raised concerns that restrictions on menthol would lead to a black market for the cigarettes.

Menthol cigarettes are one of the few growth areas in a shrinking cigarette market. The percentage of U.S. cigarette smokers using menthol brands grew from 33.9 percent in 2008 to 37.5 percent in 2011, according to a study by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, with more significant growth among younger smokers.

The FDA is "simply kicking the can down the road," Joseph Califano Jr., former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare under President Jimmy Carter, and Louis Sullivan, former Health and Human Services Secretary for President George H.W. Bush, said in a joint statement. Along with other public health advocates Tuesday, they urged the agency to ban menthol cigarettes. "The failure of this administration to act undermines the public health and is particularly harmful to vulnerable young Americans and African-Americans," they said.

A menthol ban or other restriction on the flavored cigarettes would fall heavily on Lorillard Inc., whose Newport brand is the top-selling menthol cigarette in the U.S., with nearly 38 percent of the market. Lorillard, based in Greensboro, N.C., is the country's third-largest tobacco company.

CEO Murray Kessler said in a statement that Lorillard looks forward to participating in the regulatory process and reiterated its long-held belief that menthol cigarettes shouldn't be treated differently.

The move comes ahead of a Wednesday deadline for the U.S. to respond to the World Trade Organization's findings last year that the FDA's ban on manufacturing, importing, marketing and distributing candy-, fruit- and clove-flavored tobacco breaks trade rules because it exempts menthol cigarettes, most of which are made in the U.S.. The investigation was launched following a request from Indonesia, which claims more than 6 million of its people depend on the production of clove cigarettes ? a staple of the country's smoking culture.

___

Michael Felberbaum can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/MLFelberbaum.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fda-menthol-cigarettes-likely-pose-health-risk-143536188.html

tupac shakur sledge hammer tax day freebies madison bumgarner wnba draft tax day april 17

GOP says our congresswoman is in trouble ? in Illinois

?

The National Republican Congressional Committee churns out daily news releases denouncing?likely-to-be-targeted Democratic members of Congress, relentlessly negative and written in boilerplate language that does not vary from target to target.

In denouncing first-term Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., however, the NRCC accidentally shed light on its longtime clumsiness toward the politics of this Washington.

U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Washington.? The National Republican Congressional Committee says voters of Illinois will punish her in 2014.

It said she was out of touch with the people of Illinois. The subject was the 38th and 39th vote that the Republican-run House has taken to repeal or eviscerate the Affordable Care Act, aka. Obamacare.?According to the Republicans? House campaign arm:

?Inexplicably, Suzan DelBene voted to delay the mandate for employers, but not for middle-class families:?She should be ashamed of herself. In 2014, Illinois voters will know that Suzan DelBene would rather help big business than help them.?

?This vote is a perfect example of Suzan DelBene?s misplaced priorities,?said NRCC Communications Director Andrew Bozek.

The boilerplate release did not strike fear in the heart of DelBene and her staff.

?I suppose the NRCC makes a reasonable point,? said aide Viet Shelton.??DelBene does indeed prioritize Washington voters over Illinois voters.?She hopes the people of Illinois are not terribly offended by this.?

DelBene and fellow freshman Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., are apparently the designated targets of the National Republican Congressional Committee, joined occasionally by Rep. Denny Heck.?The NRCC should perhaps hope that its banal, leaden prose causes reporters to delete without looking for future gaffes.

Source: http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2013/07/18/illinois-voters-will-punish-delbene-republicans/

Academy Awards 2013 Django Unchained jennifer hudson jennifer garner jennifer garner daytona 500 national margarita day

Scientists outline long-term sea-level rise in response to warming of planet

[unable to retrieve full-text content]A new study estimates that global sea levels will rise about 2.3 meters, or more than seven feet, over the next several thousand years for every degree (Celsius) the planet warms. This is one of the first analyses to combine four major contributors to potential sea level rise into a collective estimate, and compare it with evidence of past sea-level responses to global temperature changes.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/oR33faH5dKA/130715164853.htm

Andrea Rebello wfaa prince david beckham Bill Hader tim mcgraw WWE Extreme Rules 2013

Enterhost Launches New Cloud-Focused Brand, Product Line ...

Enterhost has launched a new cloud-based product line that is designed for businesses

Web hosting and cloud hosting provider Enterhost announced on Wednesday it has launched a new cloud-based product line that is designed for businesses, including phone (Lync 2013 Enterprise Voice) and email systems (Exchange 2013), server and application hosting, backup, disaster recovery, and virtualization.

The repositioning also includes a new, jargon-free, easy to understand brand and website, which is being unveiled online this week.

The move comes a few months after?Enterhost named Courtney Crummel Summers its new marketing director.

Founded in 2000, Enterhost provides a range of web hosting solutions including Windows applications for office phone and business email, as well as cloud storage, backup, disaster recovery, virtualization and colocation.

The company?s clientele, comprised of small- to medium-sized businesses and enterprises, were asking for more functional products that would improve collaboration, protect assets and streamline costs.

?Our clients want to be able to work from anywhere without diminished team productivity. They want to backup and know their data is complete, secure, and there when they need it. They don?t want to buy more hardware than is necessary,? said Kevin Valadez, co-president of Enterhost. ?Our expertise in cloud technology provides a platform for hosting phone and email systems, servers and applications in the cloud, as well as offering scalable backup, disaster recovery and virtualization solutions. Together, these products enable our customers to create as virtual an office as they desire.?

According to the company, customers are surprised to learn that most applications and servers that were previously required to run in the office can now operate remotely in the cloud.

Valadez says that Enterhost reworked its products to ?propel customer teams forward, unshackle them from their desks, strengthen local and virtual communication, and protect [their] clients? bottom lines?.

The company also made sure to eliminate any language or knowledge barriers that may impede customers from making the right decision for their company.

Finally, Enterhost created a company mascot to support companies that require expert IT solutions but lack a resident technical expert.

In July 2011, Enterhost replaced its cooling system in its Fort Worth, Texas data center in an effort to reduce the environmental impact of its 20,000 square foot facility.

Are you in the midst of rebranding your hosting business? Do you think Enterhost will see new business as a result of this new product launch and rebrand?

Source: http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/enterhost-launches-new-cloud-focused-brand-product-line-website

ncaa final four Evil Dead halle berry kurt cobain Kamala Harris URI Facebook Home