Although the Nook Tablet has been rootable out of the box, the process was notoriously user unfriendly.
This week, the devs over at XDA have found a much easier way to root the tablet, (which still has a locked bootloader) using a microSD card. Writing some files to the microSD and booting will bring you to ClockworkMod recovery, effectively opening up the device.
AC has the instructions: “All you have to do to get the custom recovery files to boot is copy the files provided to a card, insert it into the tablet and reboot. (You don’t even have to format the card, unlike some Nook Color methods.) Once inside ClockworkMod Recovery, you can flash custom software or use another hack to get ADB file pushing from your computer. Flash the root ZIP file and you’re done.”
For now the root method works on Nook Tablets with firmware 1.4.1 or older.
Get the files and more detailed instructions here (via XDA user “Indirect”): http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=21895025&postcount=14
Result for: Computer
Last year stories started circulating about a Microsoft plan to integrate pay TV into Xbox Live. Reports claimed they were close to finalizing deals with companies including Time Warner, the BBC, and HBO.
However, it now appears they weren’t as close as originally reported and their plans have been put on hold indefinitely. It seems TV executives weren’t impressed enough to offer terms acceptable to Microsoft, and the deal fizzled.
Citing an unnamed media executive personally involved in the negotiations, Reuters says Microsoft got so far as demonstrating their TV platform in action, but ultimately decided the price of programming was too high. Their source reportedly said, “They built Microsoft TV, they demoed it for us, they asked for rate cards but then said ‘ooh ah, that’s expensive.”
Combining this new information with previous reports about Microsoft TV, it appears their plan was to provide both Netflix-style video on demand, but with more current content, and a traditional (but web-based) pay TV service. In addition, they seemed to be considering producing exclusive content of their own.
Of course this is nothing new or shocking. Like so many other industries built around legacy technology, they have fought nearly every attempt to develop new business models.
Network executives have licensed TV series to Netflix with key episodes missing, demanded Hulu block viewers who chose to watch their free shows (and commercials) on TVs instead of computer monitors. On the other side of the equation, cable providers are punished if they help paying customers extend TV service beyond the living room.
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IBM’s supercomputer will now help save lives.
After beating up on lowly humans on ‘Jeopardy,’ IBM’s supercomputer Watson will now help Wellpoint Inc., the health insurer with 34 million members, to diagnose medical problems and authorize the correct treatments.
By integrating Watson’s database into its own existing patient information, Wellpoint says they should be able to find the best treatment and remedies in the quickest time.
Says IBM: “This very much fits into the sweet spot of what we envisioned for the applications of Watson.” Wellpoint agrees: “It’s really a game-changer in health care.”
More specifically, the databases being integrated are Wellpoint’s patient charts/electronic record, the insurance company’s history of medicines and treatments, and Watson’s vast database of textbooks and medical journals.
IBM says it will only take seconds for Watson to sift through all the data and provide several diagnoses or treatments.
