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Before there was Google+ there was Google Buzz. And before Buzz, there was Orkut — Google’s first attempt at a social networking site. Orkut never really took off in the US, but it was big in Brazil…Â So good news for Brazil: Your country is in the international spotlight thanks to the World Cup. Bad news: Orkut is getting cut from the roster.
Users will have until Septmber 30th, 2014 to export their data. Google has already stopped accepting new user signups.
Here’s a roundup of tech news from around the web.
- After 10 years Google is shutting down Okut, its first social network, in September
Google says it wants to focus on its other social platforms including Blogger, YouTube, and Google+. Â [Orkut Blog] - Now that Aereo has shut up shop, RCA reminds you that you can use a regular broadcast antenna to get free TV
Of course you’ll have to position the antenna yourself and come up with your own solutions for DVR functionality and/or streaming content to your phone or tablet. [BusinessWire] - 7 inch Advantech tablet with Intel CPU hits the FCC
This tablet seems to be aimed at the medical industry, and it’s a bit smaller than the company’s existing 10 inch solution. [FCC] - Amazon Fire TV can burn through your bandwidth data cap even when you’re not watching
Amazon’s TV box has a nifty feature where it caches programs you’re likely to want to watch depending on the time of day so it can start playing internet video nearly instantly. Unfortunately it’s a huge bandwidth hog, which could be a problem if your ISP imposes data caps. [Tyler Hayes] - Get the Android L look without installing the developer preview with these CyanogenMod themes
Android L won’t officially launch until this fall, but you can try an unstable developer preview today. Or you can just make your phone look a bit more like it’s running Android L by installing a theme. Here’s another one. [xda-developers and +Kiriakos Kanatsaris] - Reading Rainbow Kickstarter campaign surpasses 91,000 backers, gets more indivudal backers than any other campaign
Levar Burton’s campaign to revive the popular children’s program has already more than quadrupled its fundraising goal. Now it’s hit another milestone: more people have backed this Kickstarter campaign than any other to date. [@Kickstarter] - Report: Next-gen Windows (maybe called Windows 9) featured desktop enhancements aimed at Windows 7 holdouts
It could have desktop-friendly features including a mini-start menu and maybe even the ability to turn off the Metro/Modern style start screen altogether. [ZDNet]
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Now Orkut axed. I intentionally avoid using ANY Google service because I fear investing my valuable time in something – only to have Google cancel it.
Free Windows 9 for both Windows 7 and 8 users? That source article says:
“my sources say, at this point, that Windows Threshold is looking like it
could be free to all Windows 8.1 Update, and maybe even Windows 7
Service Pack 1, users.”
Windows 7 holdout here.
Get on it and good luck.