Sunday, January 13, 2013

Tax pain ahead for Greeks as parliament approves increase

Greece's parliament approved a tax increase Saturday that should add to the government's revenue, but is likely to anger citizens opposed to the country's austerity measures.

The new tax bill, passed in the early hours, is needed to help the debt-stricken country meet its commitments to international creditors, state-run ANA news agency reported Saturday.

The legislation makes it compulsory for all taxpayers to lodge an income tax declaration while raising property and corporate taxes, the news agency said.

The new tax bill is one of "fiscal necessity" and will ensure that shortfalls are met in a socially fair way, Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras told lawmakers ahead of the vote, ANA reported.

Restaurant let's you buy just a glass of the really good stuff

Ever wished you could taste the 1989 Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou, St. Julien Bordeaux?

How about just one glass?

Peter Mastrogiovanni, the sommelier at Abe and Arthurs in downtown New York City will actually pour you one if you show up on one of his chosen ‘large-bottle’ nights, which are usually Thursdays through Saturdays.

Here’s how it works:

US government advises computer users to disable Java software

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is advising people to temporarily disable the Java software on their computers to avoid potential hacking attacks.

The recommendation came in an advisory issued late Thursday, following up on concerns raised by computer security experts.

Experts believe hackers have found a flaw in Java's coding that creates an opening for criminal activity and other high-tech mischief.

Blackberry 10 is actually pretty awesome


In June 2011, I spent some time with an early version of BlackBerry 10 and commented that things “can only get better.”

I said that because. at the time, things weren’t good. At all.

BlackBerry 10 was a mess and the developer unit I tried it on was so glitchy I felt guilty writing a hands-on piece at all. Yesterday, off-site at CES, I got a full run down of a near-final version of BlackBerry 10 by the folks at Research in Motion. I can’t believe the difference six months can make. BlackBerry 10 is not only fully functional now, but it’s exciting.

RIM’s been talking about things like “flow” and universal inboxes for months, and now that I’ve seen all of BB 10′s parts working together, I have to believe that RIM has a fighting chance. I wouldn’t have said it until today, but BlackBerry 10 could bring the comeback RIM so desperately needs.

Anti-virus software guru John McAfee settles in Oregon

Anti-virus software founder John McAfee is calling Oregon home now, happy to talk about living with as many as eight women, why money is a curse and his legacy.

McAfee expects to focus on a variety of media projects he says will help tell his life story, the Oregonian reported.

The 67-year-old British native is settling in Portland after he returned to the U.S. in December from Guatemala after fleeing Belize, where police want to question him in connection with the death of a U.S. expatriate who lived near McAfee on an island off Belize's coast. McAfee denies killing the neighbor.