| Brave dude tries to use Windows 98 for his daily life, gets a big surprise Posted: 28 Feb 2017 02:03 PM PST  Anyone old enough to remember using Windows 98 when it was still current can attest to the fact that it was a really fantastic operating system. It made big improvements over Windows 95 in almost every area that mattered, and at the time it actually looked extremely sleek and clean. Today, of course, it's absolutely ancient, but one brave man took it upon himself to see if it's still possible to use a Windows 98 system as your primary computer today, and the results are actually quite astounding. Not wanting to cheat by installing Windows 98 on current PC hardware, the intrepid retro software adventurer Oldtech81 decided to use a machine from the same period. He settled on a Compaq Armada e500 laptop, which looks like a massive chunk of flagstone. After some issues getting the computer to actually boot up properly — no surprises there — he was able to run the outdated OS just fine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dA58zWmQfC4 Then came the big test: using the computer for day-to-day work and leisure. Against all odds, the extremely old Compaq and Windows 98 were able to offer a pretty respectable experience. Listening to music and watching movies was still as easy as it was back in 1998, and basic apps like Word and Excel still worked fine, which isn't really much of a surprise. The real challenge, of course, was attempting to browse the web, and that's where things got a bit hairy. Once KernelEx was installed for expanded compatibility, the machine was able to run Opera 11, giving it some decent web browsing chops. However, Gmail and YouTube still didn't load up correctly, which is a bit of a bummer, but using YouTube download sites like KeepVid allowed him to save the videos right to the computer and then play them locally. On top of that, many sites like Reddit and various forums were perfectly usable. Just for fun, Oldtech81 even booted up some old PC games like Duke Nukem, Grand Theft Auto, and Carmageddon, all of which looked just like we remember them. It's a really interesting look back, and a reminder of just how impressive Windows 98 was a couple of decades ago. Give it a watch if you feel like going on a nostalgia trip.
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| Two hurt in French police gun accident at Hollande event Posted: 28 Feb 2017 01:45 PM PST  A French policeman accidentally fired his weapon Tuesday, slightly injuring two people at an event where President Francois Hollande was speaking in southwestern France. Hollande was inaugurating part of a high-speed rail line in Villognon, in the Charente region, when the accident occurred. Local government chief Pierre N'Gahane said the gendarme "had been standing on an elevated point and the gun went off accidentally".
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| US white couple get prison for harassing blacks Posted: 28 Feb 2017 01:27 PM PST  A white couple have been handed heavy prison sentences in Georgia for shouting slurs and death threats at guests at a black child's birthday party. A Georgia state court sentenced the two, Joel Torres and Kayla Norton, a respective 20 years and 15 years in prison on Monday. Torres also was convicted of aggravated assault.
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| Resistance report: Democratic guests at Trump speech a rebuke to his policies Posted: 28 Feb 2017 01:09 PM PST  The president and members of Congress are picking guests who highlight their policy views for tonight's presidential address to a joint session of Congress, reports Yahoo News' Chris Wilson: "The White House announced that six guests would be joining first lady Melania Trump at the address. Half of that group have lost family members in killings by undocumented immigrants." Meanwhile, "Many Democrats have invited guests who benefited from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and the proposed DREAM Act to draw a contrast to the president's messaging and policies." And Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), invited Tom Perez, the former labor secretary, who just beat him out for the post of chair of the Democratic National Committee. Democratic women will wear white at the Trump speech tonight, to highlight their disputes with the administration on women's issues and situate themselves in the history of women's political activism.
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| John Oliver explains why the GOP is having so much trouble repealing and replacing Obamacare Posted: 28 Feb 2017 12:48 PM PST  If there was one thing Donald Trump was going to do were he elected president, it was to repeal and replace Obamacare. This has been a goal of the GOP since the day the Affordable Care Act became law, and with a Republican majority in both the House and the Senate under Trump, many assumed it would be one of the first pieces of legislation from the Obama administration to go, replaced with something else. Unfortunately -- as John Oliver explained on Last Week Tonight -- the GOP's replacement healthcare plan needs to actually exist before the Republicans can convince anyone it's better than Obamacare. Over the course of the 20-minute segment, Oliver speeds through the entire history of Obamacare, from those who were understandably concerned about what it might mean, to the website issues it faced on day one, to the recent town halls in which congressmen and senators have been repeatedly slammed for suggesting that they might repeal the ACA without having a replacement plan ready to take effect immediately. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEGpriv2TAc Oliver, like countless other citizens of this country, admits that Obamacare is a flawed program. President Obama promised everyone that they would be able to keep their doctors, despite the fact that he must have known it was a promise he couldn't keep. Premiums on many health insurance plans have also increased since Obamacare passed, putting a strain on many Americans who were already struggling. But the current proposals from the GOP are far more worrying than any of the issues of the ACA, Oliver argues. And the thing about the replacement plan is that if it fails, there won't be anyone else to blame.
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| The Moto Z just scored a snap-on Alexa speaker, making all other phones jealous Posted: 28 Feb 2017 12:28 PM PST  Amazon's Alexa is truly taking the world by storm, but since the company's smartphone ambitions have hit a bit of a brick wall, the dream of using Alexa on the go has fallen well short of reality. That could change soon thanks to a new partnership between Amazon and Motorola. At MWC this week in Barcelona, Motorola announced that its Moto Z handset will be getting an Alexa-enabled Moto Mod speaker, and it already looks pretty awesome. The peculiar — or perhaps genius — modular accessory design of the Moto Z initially seemed like it might be no more than a gimmick, but the sheer number of high-profile partners Motorola has managed to convince to build Moto Mods is actually quite impressive. Amazon is the latest of these partners, and Motorola says its Alexa speaker add-on will be available later this year. https://twitter.com/PCMagLive/status/835884599595184129 Like the other Mods, the Alexa accessory snaps onto the back of the smartphone, and in this case it actually produces a pretty noticeable hump on the rear. The curved back seemingly allows the phone to rest partially on its side, which could be convenient if you need to look at the screen for a response, or potentially annoying if you're trying to fit it into your pocket without looking like you're carrying a brick. Motorola's Amazon ambitions don't stop with an Alexa speaker mod; Alexa functionality is coming to the company's future smartphones as well, and this time it won't be an add-on. "Later this year, we'll add Alexa integration into our phones," Motorola teased in a blog post announcing the Alexa Mod, "and you won't have to unlock the phone first."
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| Chinese tech giant eyes global market with custom chip Posted: 28 Feb 2017 12:12 PM PST  Chinese technology giant Xiaomi on Tuesday unveiled an in-house processor, setting its sights on a top-tier global market long dominated by American companies. With the launch of its Surge S1 chipset, Xiaomi joins a rarified group of smartphone manufacturers with self-designed processors -- the only others are Apple, Samsung and Chinese telecom company Huawei. "The ability to create its own chipsets is the pinnacle achievement for any smartphone company," said Lei Jun, Xiaomi's CEO and co-founder.
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| Democrats warn not to stymie probe into Trump-Russia ties Posted: 28 Feb 2017 11:53 AM PST  Top Democrats warn Republicans not to stymie investigations into contacts between President Donald Trump's campaign and Russia, as the White House sought to quell a media storm over the allegations. The warnings came after Trump's staff sought to enlist the FBI, reportedly the CIA and two Republicans who head committees leading the Russia investigations, to knock down media reports on the alleged links. The Democrats said that effort threatened to politically taint probes by both the security agencies and congressional committees into Russian interference in last year's presidential election and alleged communications between Trump team officials and Russian intelligence.
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| Trump looks to refocus his presidency in address to Congress Posted: 28 Feb 2017 11:33 AM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — With his first address to Congress, President Donald Trump has an opportunity to refocus his young administration on the economic issues that helped him get elected. His allies hope it will help him move beyond the distractions and self-inflicted wounds that he has dealt with so far.
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| And The Oscar Goes To: See The Full List of 2017 Academy Award Winners Posted: 28 Feb 2017 11:13 AM PST  Jimmy Kimmel is hosting the 89th Academy Awards.
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| Bill Gates just solved the very first Apple vs. Microsoft fanboy debate Posted: 28 Feb 2017 10:53 AM PST 
Back before iOS and Android were even a glimmer in anyone's eye, there was another fanboy rivalry that, at times, was even more heated than the bizarre debates over smartphone allegiance we see today. It's crazy to think that any fanboy arguments could be more intense than the clashes seen all over the web between Android addicts and iPhone lovers, but it's true. Apple and Microsoft each played a key role in the proliferation of personal computers, and both brands formed very loyal fan bases that constantly bickered about which company was superior. They argued over nearly every topic you can imagine, but the very first Apple vs. Microsoft fanboy debate focused on one question in particular: When it comes to the companies' very first graphical user interfaces, who copied whom? Well, after decades of back and forth, we finally have an answer — and it comes straight from the horse's mouth. On Monday, Microsoft cofounder, renowned philanthropist and all-around awesome guy Bill Gates conducted his fifth "Ask Me Anything" session on Reddit, where he has become something of a hero. For those somehow unaware of Reddit's popular AMA series, these threads are conducted by a person or group, typically in the public eye, and they encourage users on the site to ask any questions they want. Gates's fifth AMA was wildly popular, of course, and more than 17,000 comments were ultimately posted in the thread. We could spend weeks talking about all of the great answers Gates provided, but one was of particular interest in the context of this site. Reddit user HalesOwnShrek asked this brief question: "Did you copy Steve Jobs or did he copy you?" The question was brief indeed, but it's based on decades of back and forth between Apple and Microsoft fans. Gates took the time to respond, and his response puts an end to the debate once and for all. "The main 'copying' that went on relative to Steve and me is that we both benefited from the work that Xerox Parc did in creating graphical interface - it wasn't just them but they did the best work," Gates wrote on Reddit. "Steve hired Bob Belville, I hired Charles Simonyi. We didn't violate any IP rights Xerox had but their work showed the way that led to the Mac and Windows." So there you have it, fanboys. The debate is over. When it comes to the companies' original GUIs, Microsoft didn't copy Apple and Apple didn't copy Microsoft. They both copied Xerox.
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| Apple’s iPhone 8 will do the unthinkable Posted: 28 Feb 2017 10:37 AM PST 
There are so many things that come to mind when you think of Apple as a company. It was a pioneer in the personal computing space, the iPod was a total game-changer, it reinvented smartphones in 2007 with the original iPhone, and its laptops and tablets remain market leaders to this day. A number of common threads are woven through all of those achievements, and some are more appreciated than others by Apple fans around the world. One of Apple's less appreciated characteristics is the company's "courage." The company has never been afraid to make design decisions that fly in the face of convention and ruffle feathers in the process. This manifested itself most recently in Apple's decision to nix the standard 3.5mm headphone jack on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, which caused quite a bit of commotion ahead of the most recent iPhones' debut last September. Now, however, a new reliable report suggests that Apple will walk back one of its recent courageous decisions with the iPhone 8. Early Tuesday morning, The Wall Street Journal issued a report that seemingly confirms one of the most widely reported rumors surrounding Apple's upcoming iPhone 8. According to the paper, Apple will dump LCD display panels in its new flagship iPhone and instead utilize a flexible OLED display. While the headline of the report states conclusively that the iPhone 8 will feature a "curved display," I personally don't believe the speculation flying around right now is accurate, and I wrote about why earlier this morning. Moving beyond the iPhone 8's display, there was another tidbit in the report that is, quite frankly, shocking if true. After switching from the company's proprietary 30-pin connector to the newer Lightning connector less than five years ago beginning with the iPhone 5, the Journal says Apple is planning to dump the Lightning port on its new iPhone 8 and adopt the industry standard USB Type-C port instead. Woh. The move would obviously make plenty of sense. Apple now uses USB-C ports on its newer laptops for charging and other connectivity, and a USB-C port's internal components are just as compact as the Lightning port. Apple could use USB-C in phones and tablets without having to worry about the devices being any thicker, and it would then have the same type of connector on its Mac and iOS devices. It just seems so odd considering the company's history that Apple would actually adopt an industry standard. It's almost unthinkable. But the WSJ has been a reliable source of Apple leaks in the past, and it would be fantastic to see the company finally adopt an industry standard so that accessories work across Apple devices and across other devices as well.
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| Scandal-hit UK tycoon pays £363m to settle BHS deficit Posted: 28 Feb 2017 10:03 AM PST  British billionaire Philip Green paid £363 million ($452.5 million, 426 million euros) towards settling a deficit in the pension scheme of collapsed retailer BHS on Tuesday following a high-profile dispute. After 15 year at its helm, Green sold BHS for £1 in 2015 to Dominic Chappell, a former bankrupt businessman with no retail experience. Green said the cash settlement was a "significantly better outcome" than the schemes entering the Pension Protection Fund (PPF), despite being well below the collapsed retailer's pension fund deficit.
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| Colon cancer rates rise among Gen X, millennials: study Posted: 28 Feb 2017 09:43 AM PST  Rates of colon and rectal cancer are rising sharply among young and middle-aged adults in the United States but doctors have yet to pinpoint why, researchers said Tuesday. The report in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that Generation X and millennials face anywhere from twice to four times the risk of colon and rectal cancer as their baby boomer counterparts. Experts say colon and rectal cancer can be inherited and can also be influenced by the high-fat, low fiber diets that are common in the Western world.
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| Trump immigration ban fight could be on two fronts Posted: 28 Feb 2017 09:28 AM PST  A federal appeals court decision to move forward with the case about the Trump administration's immigration ban could bring more uncertainty about who is being barred from the country, and who is not.
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| Ex-President Bush says hopeful despite 'pretty ugly' climate in Washington Posted: 28 Feb 2017 09:08 AM PST ![Ex-President Bush says hopeful despite 'pretty ugly' climate in Washington]( "Ex-President Bush says hopeful despite 'pretty ugly' climate in Washington") (Reuters) - Former U.S. president George W. Bush has described the political climate in Washington as "pretty ugly" under Donald Trump's presidency but expressed optimism the United States would pull through despite the divisive political discourse. "I don't like the racism and I don't like the name-calling and I don't like the people feeling alienated," Bush, 70, said in an interview with People magazine that will hit newsstands on Friday. "Nobody likes that." Promoting his first art book "Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief's Tribute to America's Warriors", Bush said, however, that he felt no anxiety about the direction the country was headed in.
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| AT&T New Unlimited Plan Comes With A Catch Posted: 28 Feb 2017 08:50 AM PST  AT&T announced a new two-tiered unlimited plan on Monday: Unlimited Plus which comes with a $25 credit for one of the company's entertainment offerings and Unlimited Choice, which caps data speeds and video quality.
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| Thousands of French people want Barack Obama to be their next president Posted: 28 Feb 2017 08:31 AM PST  More than 40,000 people have signed a spoof petition calling for Barack Obama to be the next president of France. SEE ALSO: Obama and Richard Branson fought over kitesurfing and we're never getting him back As France prepares for its general election in May, an unofficial campaign has been launched to "bring France out of its apathy" and elect Barack Obama as France's new president. "We would like to make a big splash in electing a foreign president as head of our beautiful country," reads the campaign's manifesto."Barack Obama completed his second presidential term as POTUS on the 21 January, why not hire him as president of France?" the manifesto says. The campaign is hoping for 1 million pledges to vote for the former POTUS in order to convince Obama to stand in the next election. Oui on peut ... (?) #obama2017 #streetsofparis pic.twitter.com/v6ptl9DSJB — Romuald COUSTRE (@rcoustre) February 21, 2017 The reasons listed on the campaign site explain why Obama is perfect for the role. According to the manifesto, he has the best CV in the world for the job."Because it's still possible to vote for a president and not against a candidate. Because at a time when France is getting ready for a massive vote in favour of the far right, we can still give a lesson in democracy to the planet in electing a foreign French president," the manifesto continues. The group behind the campaign describe themselves as "four thirty-something Parisians" but they have not identified themselves. They explained their objectives to Mashable FR. "We've had enough of voting against candidates rather than voting for a president," they explained. "We found ourselves dreaming about what could happen if the world of politics could offer us a figure we admire and who makes us feel calm when we look to the future," they continued. They say they decided to put those thoughts into action by launching the campaign, which has since garnered the support of thousands of people. "We just wanted to make voters think, to piss off our politicians and to make everyone dream," they continued. Another Obama presidency, anyone?! BONUS: The Obamas got real emotional at the president's farewell address
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| China reacts with anger, threats after South Korean missile defense decision Posted: 28 Feb 2017 08:09 AM PST ![China reacts with anger, threats after South Korean missile defense decision]( "China reacts with anger, threats after South Korean missile defense decision") Chinese state media have reacted with anger and boycott threats after the board of an affiliate of South Korea's Lotte Group approved a land swap with the government that allows authorities to deploy a U.S. missile defense system. The government decided last year to deploy the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, in response to the North Korean missile threat, on land that is part of a golf course owned by Lotte in the Seongju region, southeast of Seoul. The board of unlisted Lotte International Co Ltd approved the deal with the government on Monday.
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| The Latest: Ross sworn in as Commerce secretary Posted: 28 Feb 2017 07:48 AM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local):
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| Israel evicts settlers in West Bank Posted: 28 Feb 2017 07:27 AM PST ![Israel evicts settlers in West Bank]( "Israel evicts settlers in West Bank") Israeli forces began evacuating nine homes in the West Bank settlement of Ofra, following a Supreme Court decision that ruled they were built on private Palestinian land. Dozens of settlers and their supporters were protesting on the rooftops as military and police forces handed the evacuation orders to settler leaders and asked them to cooperate peacefully and avoid confrontation. >>> Read more about the settler evacuation at the AP. See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Tumblr
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| Plane crashes into southern California neighborhood Posted: 28 Feb 2017 07:10 AM PST  At least 3 people are dead and two others are injured after a small plane crashed into homes, sparking a massive fire.
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| Trump looks for reset with speech to Congress Posted: 28 Feb 2017 06:51 AM PST ![Trump looks for reset with speech to Congress]( "Trump looks for reset with speech to Congress") Donald Trump gets a chance to put the rocky start to his presidency behind him on Tuesday night with a speech to the U.S. Congress where he will lay out his plans for the year including a healthcare overhaul and military buildup. The 9 p.m. (0200 GMT Wednesday) speech in the chamber of the House of Representatives will be Trump's biggest chance yet to command a large prime-time audience and describe his agenda after a first month in office characterized by missteps, internal dramas and squabbles with the news media. The address, which Trump has been writing with aide Stephen Miller and others, will include some gestures toward unifying a polarized country as he tries to bind the wounds from a bitterly fought election.
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| Feds rescind opposition to key part of Texas voter ID law Posted: 28 Feb 2017 06:33 AM PST ![Feds rescind opposition to key part of Texas voter ID law]( "Feds rescind opposition to key part of Texas voter ID law") AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department said Monday it is abandoning its longstanding opposition to a key aspect of Texas' toughest-in-the-nation voter ID law, costing voting rights groups their most important ally and possibly encouraging other conservative states to toughen their own election rules with President Donald Trump in charge.
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| Trump to sign measure to bolster U.S.'s historically black colleges Posted: 28 Feb 2017 06:14 AM PST ![Trump to sign measure to bolster U.S.'s historically black colleges]( "Trump to sign measure to bolster U.S.'s historically black colleges") U.S. President Donald Trump will sign a measure on Tuesday aimed at boosting government support for the nation's historically black colleges, a senior White House official said. Trump, a Republican, has pledged to improve the lives of black Americans, who voted overwhelmingly in favor of his Democratic opponent in the 2016 presidential election. Trump's order will move the federal government's program for promoting historically black colleges and universities, known as HBCUs, back under direct oversight of the White House.
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