How Roku can build a Chromecast killer

Roku's streaming dongle hasn't caught fire like Chromecast. Here's what Roku can learn from Google's hot new streamerGoogle has shaken up the world of streaming video with its new (and hard to get) Chromecast. The $35 unit effectively turns any "dumb" HDTV into a smart TV with Netflix and YouTube, and uses any iPhone, Android phone, or tablet as a remote.

Some pundits were quick to declare the ultra-affordable Chromecast the new top dog of the streaming media world ("Google's miracle device"), suggesting that it would leave current market leaders Apple TV and Roku as roadkill. While some of them made these declarations before actually using the product, there was no doubt from the level of general Web enthusiasm that Google was making consumers sit up and take notice. (The official CNET take: we like what the Chromecast has to offer for the price, but we feel that it needs some feature upgradesbefore it can be recommendable to a wider, non-techie audience.)

Somewhat lost in the Chromecast hullaballoo was the fact that Roku already has a Chromecast-like streaming dongle called the Roku Streaming Stick. It's basically the guts of theRoku 2 XS (the 2012 flagship Roku player, now discontinued and replaced by the Roku 3) crammed into a the form factor of -- you guessed it -- a stick.

Like the other Roku boxes, the Streaming Stick bests the Chromecast's meager built-in app selection with a panoply of channels including Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant, Pandora, Crackle, Spotify, Vudu, and HBO Go -- to name just a handful of its hundreds of mainstream and niche offerings. But Roku seems to underplay the existence of the Streaming Stick -- it's tough to even find it on the company's website. But the frenzy over the Chromecast suggests to me that this would be a perfect time for Roku to revisit the Streaming Stick.

What follows are my suggestions to make a (theoretical) Roku Streaming Stick 2.0 a better product. The result might not be a full-on Chromecast killer, but it could be something that would at least be far better than the current model -- and possibly the best Roku to date.

1. Add a real YouTube app.
This is still the Achilles' heel of all of Roku's boxes, from the $50 Roku LT to the $100 Roku 3. Yes, using the free Twonky app on an Android or iOS device allows you to get any YouTube video on your TV via the Roku (ironically, using Chromecast-style mirroring). And yes, as a Roku rep pointed out to Gigaom, many of YouTube's key third-party video providers -- Machinima, Vevo, College Humor, and others -- are already available on Roku via their own apps. But a real YouTube app on Roku boxes would remove the asterisks and workarounds, and make things easier for real-world users. (Whether Google, YouTube's owner, wants to cooperate and make its video service available on Roku -- which is now, arguably, a hardware rival -- is tougher to answer.)

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

2. Make the remote optional.
Chromecast doesn't have a dedicated remote. Instead, it uses the Netflix and YouTube apps already on your smartphone or tablet -- you just click an icon, and video from your handheld screen instead appears on your big-screen TV. Some people -- presumably, those of you who "watch TV" while simultaneously interacting with your Facebook or Twitter stream -- love this idea, and prefer your touch-screen controls to an old-fashioned clicker. While a smartphone screen is certainly a great way to search for and choose content, I still prefer the dedicated hard buttons of a real remote control.

The good news for Roku is that it already offers the best of both worlds. The company alreadyhas an Android and iOS remote app, so anyone who doesn't like the company's minimalist clicker can toss it in a drawer after initial setup. Roku could potentially work with other app providers -- Netflix, YouTube, whoever -- to add the "play to Roku" option that works identically to the existing Chromecast one.

The point is, so long as the Streaming Stick can work without the need for the hard remote, you can pull it out of the box and make it an optional add-on. Given that the current Roku remotesells separately for around $34, that would help get the Streaming Stick price closer to $50.

3. Add screen mirroring.
This one isn't a big deal for me, but I know that a lot of geeks some to love the Chromecast's screen mirroring function, which lets Macs and Windows PCs beam the contents of the laptop screen directly to the TV. (We found this beta feature to be less than 100 percent reliable when streaming video sites like Hulu on the Chromecast.)

Because it was already competing with Apple TV's nearly identical AirPlay functionality, Roku's remote apps feature a "Play on Roku" function that streams any music or photos on your phone to the TV. Roku just added video support to the iOS version, too. For now, it only works with self-shot video that's sitting on your iPhone. But if Roku has gotten that working, it makes me think that PC/Mac mirroring shouldn't be too hard to pull off, either.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

4. Add USB power.
This is the big one. The Roku Streaming Stick is designed only to work with TVs that are equipped with MHL-capable (Mobile High-Definition Link) HDMI ports. Unlike standard HDMI, MHL ports provide enough power to charge connected mobile devices -- or, in this case, to keep the Roku Streaming Stick up and running, even when the input is powered off.

It's a nice idea -- the Roku is "always on," ready to be toggled on. (Otherwise, the Roku would have to go through its full reboot sequence whenever the TV was turned on -- no fun if you want to jump straight into a Netflix movie.) But the "feature" limits the Streaming Stick to only MHL-compatible TVs. You'll find more of them in 2013, but it's still not a widely supported feature, especially if your TV is more than a couple of years old.

Chromecast has an easy workaround: the dongle is powered by a micro-USB input, just like most cell phones. Sure, it's a bit unsightly -- no one wants more wires -- but it works like a charm. (Google throws a USB power adapter in the box, but many TVs also include a USB port with enough juice to power the Chromecast.)

If Roku were to adopt the same design change to the Streaming Stick -- just adding a USB power port -- it would effectively remove the product's biggest caveat. Instead of compatibility with just the handful of MHL TVs, it would work with nearly every HDTV on the market. That's how you get from niche to mainstream.

5. Lower the price.
Chromecast's biggest asset is its rock-bottom $35 price tag. That undercuts Roku's current low-end options, the $50 Roku LT and $60 Roku HD. (Those two units are nearly identical, with the HD offering a remote that has an "instant replay" button not found on the LT.)

In fact, the Roku LT is currently selling for $40 on Amazon -- just $5 more than the Chromecast, despite having hundreds more apps and a dedicated remote.

The current Streaming Stick is selling for $84 on Amazon at the time of this writing. Again, separating out the remote would probably knock about $30 off that price. While the added expense of the USB cable and power adapter would have to be factored in, I would hope that Roku could get closer to $50 and still make a profit. It would be tough, but not impossible.

What about Apple?
Apple doesn't currently have a dongle-based version of the Apple TV, but there's no reason that company couldn't follow this exact same gameplan. Apple TV already has YouTube; it already has remote apps; and it already has screen mirroring, with the excellent AirPlay functionality. Apple would just have to determine if it wants to go with a USB-powered dongle style design, and if the company would want to compete in a price war. Given that its $99 box has already sold more than 13 million units -- and that Apple has traditionally resisted a race to the bottom on pricing -- I wouldn't bet on this. In fact, I agree with my colleague Scott Stein, who posits that we could see the opposite -- a more robust Apple TV box that doubles as a game console. But you never know.

The ball is in Roku's court
Regardless of a curveball from Apple, Roku has a real opportunity to learn from Chromecast here. A cheaper, USB-powered Streaming Stick 2.0 would be a viable Chromecast alternative, and allow the streaming upstart to reclaim the initiative in the field that it pioneered. Best of all, the Roku engineers don't have to start from scratch -- they can just tweak the already promising Streaming Stick that's currently on the market.

Hey, it's something I'd buy for 40 or 50 bucks.

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Despite warning, fans' hopes for D23 'Star Wars' news dashed

At Disney's massive fan-fest in Anaheim, 'Star Wars' fans held out hope for big news on 'Episode VII.' But Disney's warning that none was forthcoming proved true.But short of CEO Bob Iger having a press conference to declare that the company wouldn't announce anything new about the highly-anticipated next film in the series, fans came to D23 holding out hope that Disney just might still drop a hint or two about something significant. Some, for example, had predicted that the main cast of the film would be formally revealed, while others no doubt thought that Disney might talk a little about the plot.

In the end, there was no news at all, leading some in the standing-room only audience for Disney's Saturday presentation of its forthcoming live-action film slate to jeer studio Chairman Alan Horn when he said he had nothing new to share.

The speculation, in fact, reached such a fever pitch that Lucasfilm's Pablo Hidalgo, who gave a very well received talk about the history of the "Star Wars" franchise, to tweet beforehand that not only would he not have any new news to share about "Episode VII," but that Disney would also not be unveiling anything about the film at an upcoming dental convention in San Francisco.

On the other hand, Hidalgo also tweeted that the air conditioning in the Anaheim Convention Center worked fine, a nod to the fact that the recent "Star Wars" Celebration convention in Europe had not had any A/C, while 2015's Celebration, which will be held at the convention center in Anaheim, should have satisfactory climate control.

While there was no "Star Wars" news worth reporting, Disney did throw a star-studded party to celebrate its remaining slate of live-action films coming between now and early 2015.

During the presentation before thousands of Disney fans, Horn, president of motion picture production Sean Bailey, and Marvel Studios president of production Kevin Feige introduced a long series of forthcoming films, including "Thor: The Dark World;" "Captain America: The Winter Soldier;" "Guardians of the Galaxy;" "Cinderella;" "Maleficent;" "Muppets Most Wanted;" "Avengers: The Age of Ultron;" "Bears;" "Into the Woods;" "Tomorrowland;" and "Saving Mr. Banks."

Among the stars that turned up to help promote the various films Saturday were Angelina Jolie, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Anthony Mackie, Tom Hiddleston, Ty Burrell, Chris Evans, and more.

The live-action presentation followed Friday's presentation of Disney's forthcoming slate of animated films, which includes three new Pixar movies, "The Good Dinosaur," "Inside Out," and "Finding Dory," among others.

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Moto X or LG G2? Why specs alone aren't enough to decide

In this edition of Ask Maggie, CNET's Marguerite Reardon offers some advice on buying a new Google Android smartphone. And she suggests checking out the features and feel of the device over the specs when choosing your next high-end phoneIt seems like every week a new smartphone is introduced. Just when you think you've made up your mind, a new device hits the market.

Manufacturers are falling over themselves to outdo each other in terms of marketing their devices' technical specifications and features. But how much weight should be given to these specs anyway? And what's the best way to pick a new smartphone?

In this edition of Ask Maggie, I answer these questions and offer some advice on what to look for in a smartphone. I also take a look at four of the top Google Android smartphones in an effort to help a reader decide which one to choose.

GS4 vs. HTC One vs. Moto X vs. LG G2

Dear Maggie,

I've been waiting to see if the Moto X will knock the Samsung Galaxy S4 off its perch. I also like the looks of the HTC One. But now it looks like there are other devices to consider. So I'm wondering if there's anything else on the horizon you think would be worth waiting for? What do you think about the newly announced LG G2?

It's also a little hard to pull the trigger on a phone (the GS4) that's already four months old. But a part of me thinks that maybe it's that rare moment when a phone is the best out there and there's no likely challenger around the corner -- in which case it might make sense. I'd love to hear your thoughts on these devices.

Best,
Aaron

Dear Aaron,

The smartphone market has heated up this summer, and it's only going to get hotter in the coming months.

As you mentioned, the Samsung Galaxy S4 has been among the top picks for smartphones since it was launched in the spring, competing head-to-head with Apple's iPhone 5 and the HTC One. But now there are even more devices to consider. And even more are coming this fall.

Last week, Motorola announced the much-anticipated Moto X. This week, LG debuted its flagship device, the G2. In early September, Samsung is expected to announce its next "phablet," the Galaxy Note 3. And of course, Apple is also expected to announce the newest iPhone, that's being dubbed the iPhone 5S, in September. (Not to mention there's also the latest Nokia Windows Phone, which will soon be available to AT&T customers.)

What this means for you and other smartphone shoppers is that there will be plenty of choices within the next one to two months. So unless you are in dire need of a smartphone, I wouldn't buy anything right now. The Moto X and the LG G2 aren't even available in stores yet. So if you can, you should at least wait until they're on sale.

Why specs alone aren't enough
Now to answer your question: Do I think any of these devices rival the Samsung Galaxy S4? The short answer is "yes." I wouldn't count out any of these devices just yet. So how do you choose which of these phones is right for you?

Lots of people out there will compare devices based on specification sheets. This can be helpful, since it gives you a sense of what the device is capable of and it might ease any concerns you have about the technology quickly becoming outdated. My CNET Reviews colleague Jessica Dolcourt has already put together a post comparing the technical differences among these four devices: GS4, HTC One, LG G2, and Moto X. So be sure to check out her piece for those nitty-gritty specs.But a long laundry list of technical specifications, highlighting multicore processors, camera megapixels, battery size, and screen resolutions, only tells part of the story when picking out a phone. This is especially true right now, as so many of the devices on the market have comparable specifications.

For instance, The LG G2 and Samsung Galaxy S4 each support Android 4.2.2, a 13-megapixel camera, a 1,080-pixel HD screen, really fast quad-core processors, and an IR blaster that allows you to turn your phone into a TV remote.

Meanwhile, the HTC One and Moto X, which in some respects have slightly less impressive specs than their competitors, actually perform very similarly to them. In other words, whether a device has a 13-megapixel or a 10-megapixel camera or whether it has a quad-core processor or a dual-core processor, probably won't matter much to the average consumer when the devices are used in real life.

In fact, Iqbal Arshad, Motorola's senior vice president for product development, recently told me in an interview that he thinks consumers often don't understand what the specs mean. And he said that there's much more to building a phone than slapping a faster processor or a higher resolution screen in the device.It's hard because people are programmed by the industry to look at things like how many cores a chip has or whether the display is 1080p," he said. "That's how chip and display manufacturers differentiate their products. But we've spent thousands of engineering hours building a new kind of processing architecture that will really change how people use their phones."

Also, sometimes what you might consider higher-end specifications may degrade battery performance or some other aspect of performance. So it's difficult to make a decision based on specifications alone.

Instead, I think you should look at some of the unique features offered on each of the phones you're considering and then go to a store and see how they look and feel up close. Do these features make it easier for you to use the phone? Do they offer you a feature or function you think you'd actually use? If the answer is yes, then you should definitely consider those factors along with the speeds and feeds of the device you might buy.

The smartphones
Here's a summary of what I think you should consider about each of the four devices you mentioned in your question.

Samsung Galaxy S4: This is a solid all-around good smartphone. There are tons of software bells and whistles on this device. But to be honest, none of them really sticks out as a must-have. The biggest advantage the GS4 has right now is that it's probably the best known and widely available smartphone on the market besides the iPhone.The GS4 is available from every major carrier, and now even some of the prepaid carriers are offering the device. Because it's Samsung's flagship it should be getting the latest version of Android 4.3 relatively soon, but this is likely to vary greatly based on carrier. In a nutshell, this is a good phone with top specs, good performance, but no true standout features that change anything about how I use a smartphone.

HTC One: There are three things that really make the HTC One stand out from the rest of the smartphones on the market. The first is the look and feel of the device. The all-aluminum body is slick. And even though the HTC One doesn't offer as many megapixels on its camera as the LG G2, Moto X, or Samsung Galaxy S4, it does offer some cool software features that make the device exceptional in terms of the camera. It's too hard to say right now how the camera stacks up to the Moto X and LG G2, since those phones aren't available yet. But I'd definitely want to compare them before making my decision.

I also like the HTC Sense software. Unlike the Samsung TouchWiz software, which I'm not a fan of, HTC Sense actually seems to make using the device easier. I also like the fact that the HTC One starts at 32GB of storage on the device. It doesn't have an expandable memory card slot, which is fine with me, so long as it has adequate on-device storage -- and I think 32GB is likely enough for most smartphone users.

Motorola Moto X: If you looked at the spec sheet alone, you might be inclined to discard the Moto X as not even in the same class as these other devices. But I'd argue that this would be a mistake. As my interview with Motorola's top engineer earlier this week makes clear, Motorola has spent a lot of engineering hours designing a device that not only looks good and feels good in your hand but also performs as well or possibly better than the competition without having the same high-end specs.

After months of leaked details, loads of speculation, and plenty of waiting, the Moto X was unveiled. And the new smartphone will be on all four wireless carriers later this month, for $200 with a two-year contract.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

For example, something that people don't realize is that superhigh-resolution screens and multicore processors often drain battery life more on devices. And that can be a big flaw in a smartphone. I've been using the Moto X for a week, and the company's claims of a full 24-hour battery life, at least in my experience, rings true. In fact, I've been able to go into a second day on the same battery charge with this phone, something I haven't ever been able to do with any of the Samsung Galaxy S devices I've used, including the GS4.

Aside from the longer battery life, the marquee features for the Moto X are all about being "always on." One of the biggest features are the devices' "touchless controls," which allow you to conduct Google searches, make phone calls, and access the navigation app just by talking using the magic words: "OK, Google Now..." Another touchless control feature allows you to access the camera with a couple of twists of your wrist. This wakes up the camera, even if your device is asleep and locked. I also like that you can get the time and check message status while your device is in sleep mode, which is another aspect of the "always on" capability of the device.Another thing many people will likely appreciate about the Moto X is that it's not loaded up with a lot of additional bloatware software. It's truly the closest you're likely to come to a pure Google Android phone outside the Nexus line of products. This is important because it should help make upgrading software on the device in the future much easier than it would be with the GS4 or HTC One. The only negative I see about this device is the fact that the version that will be first available on all the carrier networks has only 16GB of device storage, without any expandable memory card slot.

LG G2: In terms of specs, the LG G2 is king of the hill for the moment. It has the fastest quad-core processor, biggest battery, and largest and highest resolution HD screen of all the high-end devices announced thus far. But as I've said before, specs tell only part of the story. There are a few standout features on this device that you should consider when evaluating it in comparison with the others.

The first is a design feature. LG has put the On and Off button and volume controls on the back of the device. The company claims this is a more comfortable and natural way to access these controls than either hitting a button on the top or sides of the device. Personally, I don't think it matters much where the buttons are in terms of turning the device on and off and adjusting the volume.

But what I do like about having those buttons on the back of the device is that when the camera app is activated, it makes it a bit easier to take photos, especially selfies using the front-facing camera. Tapping a camera icon on the front screen of most smartphones is usually kind of awkward for me. I much prefer having an actual button to click. And surprisingly having that button on the back of the G2 is actually a comfortable place for it when you are taking photos.

LG G2

(Credit: LG)

The G2 also comes with a few other interesting and seemingly useful software features, too. For instance, it allows you to set up a "guest mode" for your device. This could be especially useful for parents who may not want to give their kids full access to their smartphones, but instead can customize a "kid setting" that shows only apps that the kids can access.

I also like the Text Link feature, which allows you to save information from a text message to your calendar or a memo. The Answer Me feature that lets you answer the phone by picking it up and holding it to your ear when it rings is also kind of nifty. And I like the KnockOn feature that lets you unlock the device by tapping the screen twice.

What should you do?
The bottom line is that each of these smartphones has something to offer. And they're all worthy of consideration. But your ultimate decision will be based on your personal taste. It's like buying a car. Some people like Hondas while others prefer Toyotas or Mazdas. For the most part, when you're looking at smartphones today, they all have the same basic performance, which makes it hard to base your decision on the nitty-gritty technical details alone.

But when you look at the special unique features and you actually hold the devices in your hand at the store and play around with the settings and features, you'll walk away with a better idea of what you like and what you don't like.

For instance, the Moto X has a sharp, 4.7 inch screen. But the body of the device is noticeably smaller than that of any of the other devices. Some people will love this, while others may not. Similarly, some people may love the back buttons on the LG G2, while others may find them awkward and irritating. And then there are those folks who simply love the look and feel of the aluminum HTC One, while others are annoyed at how easily it scratches.

The truth is that I don't think you can go terribly wrong with choosing any of these devices. Unless you're the type of person who's bored with your new device within a few months anyway, I think most people could be easily satisfied with the look, feel, and performance of any of these smartphones for the next couple of years.

But as I said earlier in this post, there are still more devices to be launched in the next couple of months. So it's probably best to hold off on making your final decision until these other devices are announced and you've had a chance to check them out for yourself in a store.

I hope this advice is helpful. And good luck!

Ask Maggie is an advice column that answers readers' wireless and broadband questions. The column now appears twice a week on CNET offering readers a double dosage of Ask Maggie's advice. If you have a question, I'd love to hear from you. Please send me an e-mail at maggie dot reardon at cbs dot com. And please put "Ask Maggie" in the subject header. You can also follow me on Facebook 

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NASA sounds the alarm on fire risks of climate change

The space agency releases an animation that dramatically shows how the risk of fire may increase in North America throughout the century.Much has been said about the danger of increasingly intense hurricanes due to climate change -- a concern that entered the public consciousness in a big way with Katrina's devastation of New Orleans and continued late last year with Hurricane Sandy's ravaging of the Eastern Seaboard.

But swirling storms of wind and water aren't the only hazard. Now NASA is raising the alarm about fire.

The space agency released an animation this week, based on satellite and climate data, that dramatically shows how the risk of fire may increase in North America throughout the century.

With warmer spring temperatures and earlier snow melt, dry conditions are increasing, which means fire seasons are starting earlier and lasting longer, and bigger fires are becoming more common.

"A 100,000-acre wildfire used to be unusual, you would see one every few years," Forest Service employee Carl Albury is quoted as saying in an article on NASA's Web site. "Those type of fires are becoming a yearly occurrence."

Click through the brief slideshow below to check out the animation and learn about NASA's fire-spotting efforts.

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Apple to unveil new iPhone September 10?

That's what sources tell All Things Digital. Also: New pictures appear of the iPhone 5S and 5C -- if, in fact, the pix are the real deal.Come September 10, the current iPhone rumor season will end and a new one will begin. That's because that's the day Apple will unveil the next incarnation of its iconic device -- that is, if All Things D's unnamed sources have it right.

ATD's Ina Fried reported the date late Saturday, adding that the unveiling of Apple's Mac OS X, aka Mavericks, isn't expected at the purported September 10 event, and that there's no indication that an Apple television or smartwatch project is "close to debuting."

In other iPhone news, SlashGear posted photos from Vietnamese site Tinh te that allegedly show case-maker dummy models of the upcoming iPhone 5S and the rumored low-cost iPhone 5C. SlashGear writes:

 As expected, the iPhone 5S appears nearly identical to the iPhone 5 save several small distinctions. The first is the previously rumored dual-LED flash on the back of the iPhone 5S. Where every iPhone that's had a back-facing flash thus far has used a single bulb, this next-generation device is aiming to up the ante with a double-dose of bright light.

iPhone obsessives will find even more "small distinctions" listed , along with more pictures. And you can check out CNET's wishlist for the next iPhone 

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Moto X or LG G2? Why specs alone aren't enough to decide

In this edition of Ask Maggie, CNET's Marguerite Reardon offers some advice on buying a new Google Android smartphone. And she suggests checking out the features and feel of the device over the specs when choosing your next high-end phone.Ladar Levison can't talk for legal reasons about the specifics of why he shut down Lavabit, his encrypted Web e-mail company, but he was hardly tight-lipped about the subject.

Lavabit went dark Thursday, after nearly 10 years in service. Lavabit is the Web mail service allegedly used by Edward Snowden to contact a Human Rights Watch representative in July. Snowden is the source of the recent unsettling revelations about National Security Agency surveillance activity.

Levison replaced the Lavabit login screen with a message that reads in part, "As things currently stand, I cannot share my experiences over the last six weeks, even though I have twice made the appropriate requests." He would not share further details.Levison, a San Francisco native and anenthusiastic beach-and-sand volleyball playerwho moved to Texas to go to college, currently resides in Dallas. He founded Lavabit in 2004 following his graduation from Southern Methodist University a few years earlier.

In an phone interview with CNET and Jesse Binnall, Levison's Virginia-based attorney, about the decision to shutter Lavabit, Levison spoke about the connection between Lavabit and the Patriot Act, how he thinks the laws regarding privacy ought to change, and how the American government is failing to uphold the U.S. Constitution.

What's the key issue here? Why did you shut down Lavabit?
Levison: For me it wasn't about protecting a single user, but protecting the privacy of all my users, coupled with the fact that I wasn't able to discuss it publicly.

I believe that people have the right to know what their government is doing. I had an issue with me doing what they wanted me to do without them disclosing it.

We've had a couple of dozen court orders served to us over the past 10 years, but they've never crossed the line...

Until now?
Levison: I can neither confirm nor deny "until now." Are you familiar with the case of Aaron Swartz, familiar with the accusations of prosecutorial misconduct? There may be parallels between that case and this.

What's worse is that I can't tell you what that abuse was.

"I'd rather shut down my service and my primary source of income than be complicit in crimes against the American people."
--Ladar Levison, founder of Lavabit

If you could write the legislation covering privacy and electronic communication, what would it say?
Levison: One of the things that would be nice to come out of this would be that the court shouldn't be able to make binding decisions that are secret. If there's going to be legislation from the bench, so to speak, it needs to be open to review from the American public.

Just the idea of secret laws, so to speak, bothers me tremendously. That should almost be a constitutional change.

We've shown that some of our most important freedoms can't be trusted to Congress, they need to be placed in the Constitution. Going beyond that, as an Internet service provider, there needs to be a more clear definition of our protections.

Right now, as a third-party litigation, we effectively have no rights. There's no legal framework that we can fight with or against anything that is unjust. They're abusing their secrecy to hide their surveillance methods.

I think that there's a lot more that will come out, and that needs to come out. I obviously can't tell you what was happening and what I know, and I was uncomfortable with it. I'd rather shut down my service and my primary source of income than be complicit in crimes against the American people.

In the current situation, are there any bright red lines that you wouldn't cross?
Levison: It's unfortunate that even our own lawmakers don't have a good understanding of what's going on.

Philosophically, I put myself in a position that I was comfortable turning over the information that I had. I built Lavabit in a reaction to the original Patriot Act. I didn't want to be in a position to turn [user data] over without judicial review.

A Facebook photo of Ladar Levison, founder of Lavabit, posing in 2011 with the National Basketball Association's Larry O'Brien Championship trophy.

(Credit: Ladar Levison)

Where the government would hypothetically cross the line is to violate the privacy of all of my users. This is not about protecting a single person or persons, it's about protecting all my users. What level of access to this nation does the government have?

How did the Patriot Act influence your e-mail service?
It played a big role in how I designed the custom platform. All I needed when somebody registers was a name and a password. I didn't need a real name, address, social security number, credit card number... Why should I collect that info if I didn't need it? [That philosophy] also governed what kind of information I logged.

Speaking philosophically, I think people who hold other people's private information and money have an obligation to be more open to the public. That principle of openness has become a key issue. It's definitely become an issue as it relates to some of the recent coverage in the media.

The current administration is not being transparent and open about what it is they're doing, even to members of Congress.

How have Lavabit's users reacted?
Levison: It's overwhelmingly positive. Some of them are understandably frustrated that I had to shut down without notice. I lost my one and only e-mail account over the past 10 years, as well. I feel my decision was the lesser of two evils.

What happens to your customer's e-mails and data?
Levison: I'm looking into setting up a site where users can download their data and set up a forwarding [e-mail] address, but that may take a week or two to set up. That's all I can do until I feel confident that I can resume the service without having to compromise its integrity.

"There's stuff that I can't share with my own lawyer. This is going to be a long fight."
--Ladar Levison, founder of Lavabit

I will make it clear that I don't plan to use any encryption for that site. [People] should only use it if they feel comfortable with the information being intercepted. And yes, I do plan to have that disclaimer on the site.

Unfortunately, what's become clear is that there's no protections in our current body of law to keep the government from compelling us to provide the information necessary to decrypt those communications in secret.

I'm still looking at seeing if that's even logistically feasible -- there's half a billion messages [sent in the 10 years Lavabit operated]. By shutting down the service, I will be losing the infrastructure that I used to support all those people.

There's stuff that I can't share with my own lawyer. This is going to be a long fight.

What made Lavabit successful?
Levison: Lavabit at the time of the shutdown had 410,000 users, with 40,000 weekly log-ins, 200,000 e-mails sent a day -- 1.4 million e-mails a week.

We were in a very narrow category of what I like to call medium-sized providers. Once you get over the 50,000 to 100,000 user threshold, e-mail becomes a very difficult problem of scale. It's why you see so many e-mail providers come and go.

"Philosophically, I put myself in a position that I was comfortable turning over the information that I had. I built Lavabit in a reaction to the original Patriot Act. I didn't want to be in a position to turn [user data] over without judicial review."
--Ladar Levison, founder of Lavabit

We managed to break through that barrier by building a custom platform to handle it. It's similar in architecture to some of the big guys [Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft, which combined provide Web mail to more than 1 billion people].

How did Lavabit get started?
Levison: I've been a geek my entire life. I was with a group of college friends of mine, that was how an e-mail service by geeks, for geeks, came about. [It was called] Nerdshack, with an emphasis on security and privacy. It had POP and IMAP access. For a long time we were the only free POP service.

How do you identify yourself politically?
Levison: I'm a conservative Republican. I believe in small government and keeping our government out of our business. But I'm from California, and if there's one thing we love in California, it's being able to speak our mind. I love God and guns, too. Texans are big on freedom. I'm probably a blend of [California and Texas] at this point.

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Posted in Info, News

For Disney fans, D23 is true nirvana

Disney has fans ranging from little kids to senior citizens, and thousands of them turned out for the third D23 Expo, in Anaheim, CalifArtist Tennessee Loveless created this Mickey Mouse out of nails. This art piece and many others, along with countless other Disney-related art and design, is on display at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, Calif. this weekend.

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

ANAHEIM, Calif.--Disney hasn't become the world's most powerful media company by ignoring its fans.

On Friday, the giant media company opened the doors to its third D23 Expo, a three-day festival of all things Disney. Ranging from a three-plus-hour presentation of everything animated that will be coming from Disney in the next few years -- including three new Pixar films -- to a costume contest, an exhibition of classic artifacts from the Disney archives, and artists' re-imaginings of scenes from the first Mickey Mouse cartoon, "Steamboat Willie," D23 has something for everyone.During the animation presentation, Walt Disney Animation's chief creative officer -- and Pixar head -- John Lasseter and a number of others from Disney unveiled the latest details from films such as "Frozen," "Zootopia," "Big Hero 6," and more. There was even a brand-new Mickey Mouse cartoon. On Saturday, Disney will host a similar presentation covering its live-action film slated. So please stay tuned for more CNET coverage from D23, which runs through the weekend.

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Posted in Info, News, PICTURES

Detail and info About karish 3

Rakesh Roshan’s upcoming movie ‘Krrish 3’ has gone viral on internet with more than 6 million views in just 4 days. Such an overwhelming response from viewers is phenomenal. With that high viewership, ‘Krrish 3’ has become top 3 most viewed Bollywood trailers of all time.

‘Krrish 3’ is the third movie in the series of ‘Krrish movies’. The first one was ‘Koi Mil Gaya’ and second one was ‘Krrish’. It is a science fiction movie but also includes a lot of drama as well for a wide range of audience.  The movie stars Hrithik Raushan, Priyanka Chopra, Vivek Oberoi and Kangana Ranaut in the lead roles.

After 48 hours of release of the trailer, number of views was more than 4 million. Hrithik tweeted, “4 million views in 48 hrs. Is this really happening! WOW! What a way 2 empower us even more 2strive 4 even better wid all d resources v have!”

Vivek also tweeted, “Wow!!! Overwhelmed by all the Krrish3 love! My timeline’s going crazaaay lol! Thank u all so much…krrish3trailer was only the beginning! Wait n watch.”

Hrithik will bring triple treat for his audience as he will be seen in a triple role in the film. First as Rohit, who is Krrish’s father, second as Krishna, who is alter ego of Krrish and third as Krrish, who is the superhero. Hrithik Roshan confirmed his triple roles and said, “Krrish 3 involves me in three various roles definitely making it a challenging film.”

Priyanka Chopra also commented on the movie. She said, “‘Krrish 3’ has an audience for everyone, whether children, grandparents or families. ‘Krrish 3’ is now bigger and better.”

At the launch of the trailer of his movie, Rakesh Roshan said, “The first look decides the fate of the film. Many special effects have been used in the film. Given our budget, I feel we have done our best.”

He further wrote in his director’s note, “Western civilization has always had a very strong comic book culture. And it has been around so long that it has almost attained the status of mythology. It is no surprise then that every summer Hollywood sees a spate of superhero movies. In India, there isn’t source material like that to fall back on. So a superhero had to be created.

When ‘Koi Mil Gaya’ released in 2003, and the novel concept of Jadoo and his powers was so widely accepted, I knew that the stage was set for the birth of a very special hero. ‘Krrish’ was created as a result. No stone was left unturned in making sure that we gave our audiences a fantastic and state-of-the-art superhero. It worked. And ‘Krrish’ became a household name.

Now we had our own little mythology. Jadoo, Rohit, Krishna, Krrish. Set in a world of science fiction but very easy to relate to and connect with. In the last film, we created the character. Now it only made sense to move ahead with him. The challenge was to make it even bigger and better, yet with the strong emotional core which defines the cinema that I create. I took it on, and here we are, ready with ‘Krrish 3’.

We have enjoyed the process of bringing ‘Krrish’ back to you.

We hope that you enjoy his return too.”

Krrish 3 Cast & Crew:

• Banner

• Filmkraft Productions

• Status

• Under Production

• Release Date

• 3 Nov 2013

• Genre

• Action, Romance, Adventure, Sci-Fi

• Producer

• Rakesh Roshan

• Star Cast

• Hrithik Roshan
• Priyanka Chopra
• Vivek Oberoi
• Arif Zakaria
• Kangna Ranaut
• Shaurya Chauhan
• Rakhi Sawant

• Story / Writers

• Rakesh Roshan

• Background Music

• Salim Merchant
• Sulaiman Merchant

• Choreographers

• Chinni Prakash
• Raju Khan
• Remo DSouza

• Executive Producer

• Shammi Saini

• Censor Details:

• Censor Dates

• Not Available.

• Censor Certificate No

• Not Available.

• Runtime

• Not Available.

• Certification

• NA

• Reels

• Not Available.

• Length in metres

• 0.0

• Asst. Director

• Jaideep Sen
• Raksha Mistry

Music Director

• Rajesh Roshan

Color

C

Language

Hindi

Director

• Rakesh Roshan

Lyricist

• Sameer

Editor

• Chandan Arora

Cinematography

• S. Tirru

Production Designers

• Sabu Cyril

Action

• Tony Ching Siu Tung
• Sham Kaushal

Screenplay

• Honey Irani
• Robin Bhatt
• Akarsh Khurana
• Irfan Kamal
• Rakesh Roshan

Dialogue

• Sanjay Masoom

Publicity Designers

• Rahul
• Himanshu Nanda

• Marketing Head

• Djitisha Butala

• Visual Effects

• Shooting Location(City & Country)

• India

• Sound

• Baylon Fonseca

• Music Company

• T-Series

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Posted in Info, Movies, News

The Person Most Shocked By Beyoncé’s Short Hair: Her Stylist!

The Person Most Shocked By Beyoncé’s Short Hair: Her Stylist!When Beyoncé posted the cut seen ’round the world on Instagram last night, there was one person more shocked than most: Her stylist Kim Kimble.

Kimble, the star of We TV’s L.A. Hair and Beyoncé’s longtime stylist, had drawn up a whole hair concept for a video they were shooting together this weekend — and now she has to go back to the drawing board.

“I had a whole plan laid out … I wanted to do a retro ‘50s type of hair. I feel like there’s going to be a meeting soon!” she tells PEOPLE, laughing. “It won’t be the long, wavy, typical hair, but I’m really excited to do something different. No matter what, she knows I’ll give her what she wants!”

Kimble says her reaction upon seeing the new do on Instagram Wednesday night was more than surprised — it was emotional. “I got a little teary eyed!” she confesses. “I’ve been working for her so long, she has this beautiful long hair and it’s hard to grow hair out. I feel like it’s my hair, I work so much with her. I feel a little emotional but excited for her too. Maybe I’ll cut my hair off now. Short hair, don’t care!”

RELATED PHOTOS: See more stunning star hair makeovers here!

And despite many commenters speculating Beyoncé just removed her weave or extensions, Kimble says, “She had great, thick long hair, which she cut off because she’s ready to make a statement. It’s a great [one] to make: I’m beautiful, sexy, bold and I can do it all. She’s the perfect model for that: A working woman, mom, superstar, businesswoman. She’s powerful in herself. “

So what does Kimble have in mind for this particular superstar at Saturday’s video shoot? She’s still working on the concept, but she’s excited to experiment with the star’s new “easy, effortless style” — whether she plays up her natural curls or goes for something more sleek — and she plans to experiment with grooming creams, waxes and her own shine serum.

But regardless of what anyone else thinks of the style (and we’re loving it!) “It had to be her decision,” Kimble says. “This was a big step, and it’s perfect timing.” For lots more of Kimble’s high-profile hair clients, watch L.A. Hair on We TV Thursdays at 9:00 EST and check out her website, then tell us: Would you ever go super short? What statement do you think B is trying to make?

–Alex Apatoff

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Posted in BEAUTYI tips, Info, News