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BetaNews.Com (15 non lus)

Microsoft Q2 2011 by the numbers: Record $19.95B revenue, 77 cents EPS

Publié: janvier 27, 2011, 10:20pm CET par Joe Wilcox
By Joe Wilcox, Betanews

[Editor's Note: This was a live document from 4:20 p.m. EDT until 5:40 p.m.]
Microsoft weathered the brunt of slower-than-forecast PC sales to beat Wall Street consensus for fiscal 2011 second quarter. The software giant announced earnings after the bell, for the three-month period ended Dec. 31, 2010.
Microsoft revenue rose 5 percent to $19.95 billion, year over year. Operating income: $8.17 billion, down 4 percent. Net income: $6.64 billion, or 77 cents a share. Earnings per share rose by 4 percent year over year. However, Microsoft stated growth rates when counting a $1.7 billion deferral related to Windows 7's launch in the year-ago quarter. Without the deferral, revenue grew by 15 percent, operating income by 20 percent and earnings per share by 28 percent.
Two years ago this month, Microsoft stopped providing Wall Street analysts with quarterly and yearly guidance, in a move that is highly unusual for so large and so successful a public company. I've long argued that Microsoft's refusal to give guidance creates unnecessary negative perceptions about its performance. As such, Wall Street analysts had to rely solely on their wits to call the quarter. Average consensus was $19.14 billion revenue and 68 cents earnings per share. Revenue estimates ranged from $18.52 billion to $19.73 billion. So Microsoft topped the Street.
PC shipments hung like a shadow over Microsoft results. Fifteen days ago, Gartner and IDC reported weaker-than-expected demand during fourth calendar quarter, which coincides with Microsoft's second fiscal quarter. PC manufacturers shipped 93.5 million PCs globally, up 3.1 percent year over year, according to Gartner. The analyst firm had forecast 4.8 percent growth. IDC put the number at a lower 92.1 million and growth 2.7 percent. US PC sales declined 6.6 percent to 19.1 million, according to Gartner, which previously forecast 10 percent year-over-year growth. IDC put shipments at a higher 19.9 percent and the decline a lower 4.8 percent. Both firm's numbers are preliminary.
Both firms said that slow consumer demand, even with the holidays, contributed to actual shipments. But iPad had more tremendous impact. Yesterday, Canalys broke rank with other analyst firms by counting iPad as a PC. By that reckoning, Apple dramatically jumps to third spot in global PC market share, ahead of Dell and behind HP and Acer.
Q2 2011 Revenue by Division
- Windows & Windows Live: $5.056 billion, down from $7.193 billion a year earlier.
- Server & Tools: $4.39 billion, up 10 percent from $3.978 billion a year earlier.
- Business: $6.032 billion, up 24 percent from $4.864 billion a year earlier.
- Online Services Business: $691 million, up 19 percent from $579 million a year earlier.
- Entertainment & Devices: $3.698 billion, up 56 percent from $2.381 billion a year earlier.
The quarter represents the first for sales of Windows Phone 7 and Xbox Kinect. The company said that there were 2 million Windows Phone handsets sold in 2010, which really means shipped. Microsoft shipped more than 8 million Kinect game console controllers.
Microsoft's most immediate challenge remains mobile, where upstarts like Apple and Google body slammed Microsoft during 2009-10. But there is new competition from iPad, too. Apple shipped 7.331 million tablets during fourth calendar quarter for a total of 14.789 million in just nine months. Apple's tablet generated nearly $10 billion in new revenue during the first nine months of availability. Adding in iPhone and iPod touch, iOS devices accounted for about two-thirds of the quarter's revenue. Apple had sold 160 million cumulative iOS devices. The point: Apple is no longer dependent on Macs, which compete with overwhelming marketing-leading Windows PCs.
By most every estimate, mobiles are the future of computing, something iPad's negative impact on PC sales shows. Mobile applications are set to generate enormous revenues that may soon begin to cannibalize PC applications. Gartner predicts $15 billion revenue generated by mobile apps this year, up nearly three times from 2010.
Q2 2011 Income by Division
- Windows & Windows Live: $3.251 billion, down from $5.417 billion a year earlier (20 percent growth when adding deferral).
- Server & Tools: $1.776 billion, from $1.464 billion a year earlier.
- Business: $3.965 billion, up from $2.947 billion a year earlier.
- Online Services Business: Loss of $543 million, up from $463 million loss a year earlier.
- Entertainment & Devices: $679 million, up $365 million a year earlier.
Microsoft said that it has now sold over 300 million Windows 7 licenses (which doesn't mean all, or even most, have been deployed). Twenty percent of Internet-connected PCs now run the operating system, according to the company.
Microsoft reports revenue and earnings results for five divisons: Windows & Windows Live, Server & Tools, Business, Online Services and Entertainment & Devices.
Windows & Windows Live. Microsoft's flagship division received a double-whammy during fiscal Q2, the effects of a $1.7 billion deferral in the year-ago quarter and macro-effects in the PC market. "OEM revenue decreased $1.8 billion or 32 percent," according to Microsoft financial filings. "This decrease was driven by the prior year launch of Windows 7, reflecting a decrease in inventory in our distribution channels, and lower Windows attach rates in China, partially offset by PC market growth." As such, OEM revenue grew by 2 percent, year over year. OEM licenses declined by 5 percent. Microsoft projected PC shipment growth was between 2 percent to 4 percent.
Server & Tools. The division is most insulated against economic maladies, because about 50 percent of revenues come from contractual volume-licensing agreements; annuity revenue grew by 11 percent year over year. Additionally, enterprise services revenue grew by 9 percent, or $69 million. More broadly, revenue rose 10 percent year over year.
Business. The division was the quarter's big performer, with revenue up 24 percent year over year. Business non-annuity revenue grew by 40 percent, which isn't ideal. Microsoft benefits more when businesses buy annuity contracts, which revenue grew by just 9 percent. "Office 2010 consumer license sales more than 50 percent ahead of Office 2007 over same period following launch," according to Microsoft financial filings. "Business revenue increased $697 million or 18 percent, primarily reflecting licensing of the 2010 Microsoft Office system to transactional business customers, growth in multi-year volume licensing revenue, and a 7 percent increase in Microsoft Dynamics revenue. Consumer revenue increased $471 million or 49 percent due to sales of the 2010 Microsoft Office system."
Online Services Business. Search drove up online advertising revenue by 23 percent, that's $117 million to $632 million. Despite revenue gains, the division's loss increased from fiscal Q2 2010.
Entertainment & Devices. The division's revenue increased a whopping 56 percent year over year, or $1.3 billion. Microsoft shipped 8 million Kinects during first 60 days, which helped drive up Xbox 360 unit sales by 21 percent year over year -- 6.3 million units shipped in the quarter. Related: Xbox Live memberships increased 30 percent.
Windows Phone 7 is available in 30 countries from 60 carriers. Two million units have shipped.
[Editor's Note: Percentages corrected in "Revenue by Division"]
Copyright Betanews, Inc. 2010
Facebook: Reports of branded phone 'overblown'

Publié: janvier 27, 2011, 8:37pm CET par Ed Oswald

By Ed Oswald, Betanews

Facebook has denied reports that it had partnered with Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer HTC to release its own phones, calling the reports "overblown" in comments to Reuters. Reports of a possible partnership first surfaced in London-based business website City A.M. on Wednesday. The site claimed that the phones would be launched at an event at the Mobile World Congress, to be held February 14-17 in Barcelona.
While not saying that HTC was not developing some type of Facebook-enhanced phone, it would not be branded as such, the site's business development chief Dan Rose said. "This is really just another example of a manufacturer who has taken our public APIs and integrated them into their device in an interesting way," he said. Regardless, mobile is an ever bigger portion of the social networking site's business, a quarter-billion users visit its mobile site every month.
Copyright Betanews, Inc. 2010
Google begins censoring torrent queries in searches

Publié: janvier 27, 2011, 7:57pm CET par Ed Oswald

By Ed Oswald, Betanews

Google took steps Thursday to honor a previous commitment to root out piracy in its searches, beginning to censor torrent searches from its Autocomplete and Instant functionality. The Mountain View, Calif. company's efforts don't seem perfect: several torrent searches still seemed to be available.
Among the terms apparently filtered out include popular clients BitTorrent and Rapidshare according to reports. On some built-in search functions in browsers such as Internet Explorer and Safari, the terms appear to have disappeared. Betanews was still able to search for specific torrents such as "windows xp torrent," however, and Google was still returning torrent links through Instant at least for our testers.
Standard searching appears not to be affected, thus these changes could be quite superficial without any real change to Google's search algorithms itself.
Regardless, the move will prove to be controversial. A BitTorrent spokesperson told TorrentFreak that its company name was unique, and "we're pretty confident that anyone typing the first six or seven letters deserves the same easy access to results as with any other company search," it said.
The company added that torrent search results do return "a variety" of legitimate results, and that it believes Google does not realize that our technology is used for many purposes that provide significant value to the technology industry, companies, artists and consumers at large."
Copyright Betanews, Inc. 2010
UK police arrest five in connection with WikiLeaks attacks

Publié: janvier 27, 2011, 7:15pm CET par Ed Oswald

By Ed Oswald, Betanews

London police have detained five individuals ages 15 to 26 in connection with an investigation into Anoymous, a "hacktivist" group responsible for attacks on companies that suspended accounts associated with leak site WikiLeaks. The investigation is a global effort, and includes law enforcement agencies in both the US and Europe.
The Metropolitan Police Service did not indentify the accused, nor did they directly link them to the group. In the US, efforts have been stepped up to identify anyone who may have been involved in the efforts here, although so far no arrests have been made. The UK five are charged with offenses under the Computer Misuse Act, passed by Parliament in 1990.
That act made it illegal to use a computer to access or modify unauthorized content, or access such content for the purpose of committing a criminal act. UK citizens convicted under that code could face jail terms of six months to five years depending on the crime, and fines of up to 5,000 British pounds ($7,900 USD).
Anonymous lacks any true hierarchical structure, and has called its organization a "leaderless movement." Thus, it may be difficult for law enforcement to ever fully investigate the scope of these attacks.
"All five have been taken to local police stations where they remain in custody," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement. Representatives for PayPal, Visa, and MasterCard -- all victims of Anonymous' attacks -- either declined or were unavailable to comment.
Copyright Betanews, Inc. 2010
Tip: Watch internet TV through Windows Media Center

Publié: janvier 27, 2011, 7:04pm CET

By Nick Peers

Let's be honest: watching TV on your computer can be a painful experience. If you have a TV tuner you still need access to an aerial point, and if you opt to watch over the Internet you can find yourself having to move between multiple websites when looking for something to watch.
The solution is obvious: watch internet television through Windows Media Center -- after all, it's perfect for live TV, so why not catch-up TV too? Some services -- like Sky Player in the UK -- are even available through WMC, but what if yours isn't covered?
Fret not: instead, take a look at TunerFree MCE. This free add-on allows you to access, catch up and stream content through the more friendly Windows Media Center interface -- perfect if you've hooked up your computer to your TV for the evening and don't want to be faffing about with web browsers and the like.
TunerFree MCE is British in origin, which means UK users get to choose between the four main providers (BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five) from one easy to access interface. US users get to browse hulu.com for their content, while Australian, Irish and New Zealand residents can also get in on the act by installing the relevant plugin to add support for ABC, RTE and TVNZ, respectively.
It's all so simple to use, but there is one downside: you have to be resident in the TV channel's country in order to gain access to the content. You could try hiding your true origins using a VPN -- the TunerFree MCE site has a guide -- but many broadcasters are wising up to this, so don't expect success even if you're able to fake your actual location.
The latest version (4.4.1) works with touchscreens for even faster navigation. It also allows you -- assuming you're connected to your aerial -- to set series record, so you don't find yourself relying on series catchup to stay up to date with your favourite programmes going forward. You can now also install plug-ins through TunerFree MCE itself: just Preferences > Plug-ins, tick the plug-ins you want, and click Save followed by Update Now -- job done.
The only downside is that it's no longer compatible with Windows Vista, but don't fret: the older, and still perfectly functional, version 3.8.2 is still available for download, ensuring Vista users aren't shut out in the cold.
Copyright Betanews, Inc. 2010
Skype 5.0 for Mac released with UI tweaks

Publié: janvier 27, 2011, 6:49pm CET

By Nick Peers

Skype has announced a final release for version 5 of its Mac client, bringing it in line with Windows. Skype for Mac 5.0 was originally released as a public beta last November, and immediately brought an outcry from enraged Mac users unhappy with the redesigned interface, which had been tweaked to bring it into line with the Windows version.
As a result, Skype has made a number of tweaks to this final version that aim to address the criticisms. It also brought back full-screen video chat and made it easier to view and hide the chat options when in a conversation. However, the final release also means that group video chat -- which was previously free in the beta version -- is now a premium feature, with a day pass costing $4.99, and a monthly subscription costing $8.99. A 7-day trial is included within the latest release.
Most of the criticisms leveled at Skype for Mac 5 have been over its user interface, which many felt was too large and intrusive for a chat application. Consequently, Skype for Mac's window has been trimmed so that it can be shrunk much smaller, making it possible to keep it to one side of the desktop in a manner similar to the previous version. The contact list has also been compacted to allow 30 percent more contacts to be seen at once, while the contacts monitor has now been made more accessible through the window menu.
The application's user interface has been trimmed elsewhere, too, to make it look and feel less intrusive, with white space cut from the sidebar and instant messages.
Skype for Mac 5 is available now, and requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 (Leopard) or later. Skype is also available for Windows and Linux.
Copyright Betanews, Inc. 2010
Confessions of a former Nokia enthusiast

Publié: janvier 27, 2011, 6:02pm CET par Joe Wilcox

By Joe Wilcox, Betanews

I love Nokia. It's a global brand with huge, but rapidly declining, global presence. Nokia brought advanced capabilities, like quality photography, video recording and video calling, to its handsets long before competitors. For years, Nokia defined mobile innovation at both ends of the market -- providing quality, affordable handsets to the masses and cutting-edge feature phones to enthusiasts. That was then. I love Nokia, but Nokia doesn't love me.
Nokia is rapidly bleeding market share, and its once hallowed brand is being hollowed by Apple and competitors like HTC and Samsung that ship Android smartphones. By Nokia's own estimates, its share of the global smartphone market fell to 31 percent during fourth quarter 2010. Nokia's decline is much less about Androids and iPhone and more about the Finnish handset maker falling behind in software and services, and in process losing developer and even customer confidence.
I've used a variety of Nokia phones over the years and delighted in them all, including the E71, N95 (two different versions), N96, N97 and N900. The phones were rugged, call quality was outstanding and hardware was exceptional -- like the use of Carl Zeiss lenses for the cameras. Older Nokia handsets, like the N95, still have pretty good resale value today just for the parts.
Services, Software and Sync
I'd use Nokia's flagship N8 smartphone if Symbian OS and supporting Ovi services were good enough. They aren't, particularly when compared to Apple's iOS or Android. For example, Nokia let Symbian OS badly fragment, which makes application development more difficult. Meanwhile, Nokia sends mixed messages about what mobile operating system is the future. Is it Symbian or MeeGo? What developer wants to invest resources in an operating system that might disappear? Earlier today, Nokia announced fourth-quarterly results, with CEO Stephen Elop hinting there might be a dual-OS strategy. But could that be triple, if rumors about Nokia offering Windows Phone 7 prove true? Elop recently left Microsoft for Nokia.
Synchronization is one of the most important areas of Nokia bungling. I first started writing about the importance of sync nine years ago, while working for CNET News.com. In March 2008, while editor of Microsoft Watch, I described sync as the killer application for the connected age. Apple gets sync mostly right (not completely because a computer is still required for some capabilities), and Google does better on Android.
Synchronization is more than just about contacts, calendars, e-mail or to-do lists. There is application sync/updating, which Google does exceptionally well with Android Marketplace. Ovi Store is disappointing by almost every measure. Given Nokia's global presence and longstanding and successful relationship with developers, Ovi Store should be chock full of interesting applications that are easily downloaded and updated. But fragmented Nokia operating systems limit what apps are available for what device, and the number of interesting apps isn't growing.
By volume, Symbian should appeal more to developers than iPhone. During Q4 2010, Nokia shipped 28.3 million smartphones, or about 8 million more than Apple. Shipments rose 36 percent year over year and 7 percent sequentially. More broadly, Nokia shipped 123.7 million mobile devices, down 3 percent year over year and up 12 percent sequentially. Looked at another way, in one quarter Nokia shipped about 10 percent of the year's projected 1.3 billion units for all manufacturers globally.
Market share vs Mind Share
But the rumors and excitement once given to the next "N-Series" Nokia phone now goes to Androids and iPhone. On much smaller install base and quarterly shipments, Apple has had far bigger success with its applications store, racking up the 10 billionth download over the weekend. Long-time enthusiasts like me have abandoned a beloved brand. Then there are the Nokia has-been blogs and news stories, which numbers will be higher today based on the company's quarterly numbers and board of directors reshuffling. It doesn't help that Nokia has almost no visibility in the United States, and that some new phones planned for the market recently were delayed if not dropped altogether.
Nokia is still huge. Its install base dwarfs Androids and iPhone. Its market share is enormous -- 70 percent or more in some markets -- and its manufacturing and distribution operations are massive (sorry, Apple). Not that most people in North America would know. Nokia's failure to have even meaningful presence here borders on corporate misconduct. How the hell can the world's largest handset manufacturer be nearly invisible in the world's largest economy -- the United States -- and not much more visible in neighboring Canada?
I took the photo above using the Nokia N97. That's right, it's not from a camera but from a smartphone. The image is symbolic. Nokia is moving at a snail's pace, while competitors Apple and Google run like rabbits. Nokia announced the N8 more than six months before its release, with massive marketing along the way. By the time the phone released, Apple had already leapt ahead (in most respects) with iPhone 4 and Nokia had exhausted interest in the N8 for overhyping something not available to buy. The announcement should have come sooner to launch and most of the marketing support after.
Today, many bloggers and journalists will fulfill their quarterly ritual of writing Nokia's epitaph. They'll get another chance when IDC and Gartner announce their handset numbers. I haven't given up on Nokia as a company, but, for now, I've given up using its handsets. Nokia has a huge perception problem right now that makes its situation appear direr than it really is. But Nokia's biggest problem is losing enthusiasts like me. I love you, Nokia. This post is my giving you a little tough love.
Copyright Betanews, Inc. 2010
Opera releases 11.01 final version

Publié: janvier 27, 2011, 5:54pm CET par Tim Conneally

By Tim Conneally, Betanews

After pushing out two release candidates in as many days, Opera Software on Thursday released the final version (build 1190) of its Opera 11.01 Web browser.
This latest version adds some tweaks to mouse gestures, and some stability improvements. The only real new feature of this particular version is the inclusion of the DOM object window.DOMStringList, but it is still an extremely important download for security purposes.
Late last week, French security company VUPEN issued a critical vulnerability alert for Opera 11 and 10.63 in Windows 7 and Windows XP SP3.
VUPEN said the issue was "caused by an integer truncation error within the Opera Internet Browser module 'opera.dll' when handling a HTML 'select' element containing an overly large number of children, which could allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by convincing a user to visit a specially crafted webpage."
This update fixes that security issue and five others related to clickjacking, data retention, and remote code injection. Opera Software advises users to update ASAP to remedy these issues.
Download Opera 11.01 for Windows in FileForum now!
Copyright Betanews, Inc. 2010
Sony announces PlayStation gaming suite for Android

Publié: janvier 27, 2011, 7:57am CET par Tim Conneally

By Tim Conneally, Betanews

At a press conference in Japan on Thursday, Sony Computer Entertainment announced it will be launching PlayStation Suite, which will make PlayStation content available on Android handsets and tablets.
"The world of portable [gaming] has undergone a huge change since the release of the PSP," said Kazuo Hirai, President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment. "When we released PSP, cell phone providers were unable to deliver PlayStation-quality content. After six years, these multi-function handheld devices are ready for the PlayStation-like experience."
According to Sony, the PlayStation Suite is "hardware neutral" and will work across many Android devices.
Sony showed off some of the titles that will be available "within the next calendar year," including Syphon Filter, Cool Boarders 2, MediEvil, Rally Cars, and Wild Arms. But it is not simply a PSX emulator, Sony said it is a new development framework that allows for the development of all new content.
Along with the suite, Sony is preparing to launch its own PlayStation Store for Android devices similar to the ones available on the PS3 and PSP, where games, videos, and interactive content are available for download.
This announcement finally gives the Android platform exclusive gaming support that neither iOS nor Windows Phone 7 can offer. Though gaming on Android has improved considerably since the operating system launched in 2008, the platform has had to fend off a reputation for not being a quality outlet for games.
Copyright Betanews, Inc. 2010
Did you miss out on the Chrome OS notebook? Psst, you can still get one

Publié: janvier 27, 2011, 3:40am CET par Joe Wilcox

By Joe Wilcox, Betanews

A fair number of Betanews readers have asked how they could get Google's unbranded Cr-48 notebook running Chrome OS. On Dec. 7, 2010, the information giant announced a pilot distributing 60,000 notebooks -- a grand test for those folks ambitious enough to live on the web for as long as six months. I assumed that Google had given out all the laptops. Either it didn't or there's a new batch to be had.
In a blog posted late this afternoon Eastern Time, Heaven Kim, Google product marketing manager, writes: "If you already live on the web and are itching to get your hands on a Chrome notebook, we've teamed up with a few Web Store apps for a chance to test-pilot the Cr-48. Check out blog posts from MOG, Box, LucidChart, and Zoho for more details. Then go ahead and rock out with 10 million songs, manage your files in the cloud, perfect your diagram drawing skills or move your office onto the web. While you're at it, you might also discover a new favorite app among the more than 2,000 apps in the Chrome Web Store."
Google is promoting Web Store partners through a simple but compelling offer: Try the service, then sign up to get a Cr-48 notebook. Do you want one? Are you bummed for missing out in December? Google is giving you a second chance.
By the way, there's other Google OS news shakin' up the InterWebs today. Google has released a preview of Honeycomb (aka Android 3.0). I'll be royally ticked if my Nexus S with single-core processor can't satisfactorily run Honeycomb. Google, you've been warned.
I've written extensively about the Cr-48. Among them, an overview and seven-day segment living in the cloud:
1. "Who really needs a Chrome OS laptop?"
2. "A week with Google's Chrome OS laptop, Day 1: Getting acquainted"
3. "A week with Google's Chrome OS laptop, Day 2: Becoming a cloud citizen"
4. "A week with Google's Chrome OS laptop, Day 3: Living with Flash"
5. "A week with Google's Chrome OS laptop, Day 4: Who is the cloud for?"
6. "A week with Google's Chrome OS laptop, Day 5: My life in the cloud"
7. "A week with Google's Chrome OS laptop, Day 6: Adopting a new lifestyle"
8. "A week with Google's Chrome OS laptop, Day 7: Settling in for the long haul"
Copyright Betanews, Inc. 2010
LogMeIn Ignition: Control your PC from iPhone or iPad

Publié: janvier 27, 2011, 1:19am CET

By Mark Wilson

The value of a remote access tool is difficult to appreciate until you try one for the first time. Using the right software, it is possible to sit at home and work with your computer in the office as if you sat in front of it. This can be achieved with desktop software such as LogMeIn, but there is also a version available for iOS in the form of LogMeIn Ignition. It may sound adventurous to consider accessing your desktop PC or Mac from your iPhone or iPad, but that is precisely what the app enables you to do.
All you need to do to get started is to install the desktop software on your computer and the app on your iOS device. You can then create a LogMeIn account which you can then use to control which computers are able to gain remote access. For the purposes of security, no computer will be granted access without the correct password, and IP address filtering can be used to increase protection further. An on-screen message is displayed on your Mac or PC whenever a remote session is started so you can terminate any unauthorised sessions that may be started.
To help speed up the display of your desktop on your mobile device, desktop wallpaper is automatically disabled during a remote session and it is possible to configure the level of compression that is used, and you can also specify the speed of your network to not only determine image quality but also minimise the impact remote sessions may have on other network traffic.
The controls for LogMeIn Ignition can take a little time getting used to, but there are two different modes to choose from. When using your iPhone or iPad to remotely connect to your computer, you obviously do not have a mouse to work with and this presents something of a problem. The app provides two different ways to overcome the problem. The first is to keep the mouse cursor as a fixed point at the centre of the screen of your iOS device -- you can drag your way around the screen so that buttons and menus you need to click on are positioned beneath the cursor. While this may sound a little awkward, it is actually surprisingly effective.
The second option works in a slightly similar fashion until the mouse cursor reaches the extremities of the screen. At this point, it is possible to move the cursor as you would if you were controlling it with a mouse. Both methods of interacting with the mouse work well, even on the iPhone's relatively small screen. A simple button tap at the bottom of the screen enables you to switch between using the left and right mouse button.
When it comes to typing, a keyboard can be summoned up from the bottom of the screen, and the typing experience is the same as in any other iOS app. In addition to the standard set of keys, extra buttons are available to gain access to special features such as the Windows key and function keys. Special keys are also available to quickly perform common keyboard shortcuts such as Alt and Tab. Familiar gestures are used to interact with your desktop in other ways -- pinching can be used to zoom in and out of your desktop for instance, while two fingers can be used to mimic scrolling with a scroll wheel.
The app can even be used in conjunction with multi-monitor setups and to avoid the need to leave your computer switched on around the clock to allow for remote sessions, Wake On LAN can be used to power up a computer from sleep mode.
LogMeIn Ignition is a superbly executed remote access app. While using your iOS device to control and use your desktop computer is never going to be the same as actually sitting at your desk, this is about as close as you can get using a small touch screen and no keyboard or mouse. The fact that the app can be used with the free version of the desktop software is a major advantage.
Verdict: A great solution for iPhone and iPad owners who need to be able to access their Mac or PC on the move.
We Like: Great control system, fast performance, range of security options, easy to set up.
We Don't Like: Price is a little high for an iOS app.
Copyright Betanews, Inc. 2010
Google releases Honeycomb platform preview: Android's biggest redesign yet

Publié: janvier 27, 2011, 12:51am CET par Tim Conneally

By Tim Conneally, Betanews

Today, Google rolled out the first platform preview of the Android 3.0 software development kit, giving the public its first look at Android for tablets and its "holographic" user interface.
This is easily the most dramatic design shift Android has yet experienced, but all of the operating system's key features have been retained.
For example, there are still five homescreens for the user to put widgets and application shortcuts upon, and there is still the launcher "drawer" of applications, but the "system bar" found across the top of the screen in previous versions of Android has moved to the bottom.
By doing this, Google was able to replace the physical navigation buttons required in Android (back, menu, home) with soft keys in the system bar. Notifications, which play an increased role in Android 3.0, have been moved down here as well. The SDK gives app developers the ability to include large and small icons, a title, and a priority flag in addition to the already available notification properties.
Whenever an application is running, it has its own "Action Bar" across the top, which mimics Windows' traditional "File, Edit..." menu layout. This is completely new to Android. The system's soft keyboard and clipboard copy/paste functionality have both been redesigned for larger screens as well.
The system's core applications have been redesigned too, and the browser has taken on much more of a "Chromey" feel with tabs instead of windows, Chrome's incognito browsing mode, and the ability to sync bookmarks with Chrome. The camera, gallery, contacts, and email applications, likewise, have all been redesigned to take better advantage of a tablet's increased screen real estate.
In terms of hardware support, Honeycomb can run on either multi-core and single core processors. And hardware acceleration for Canvas, Paint, Xfermode, ColorFilter, Shader, and Camera are supported. Android 3.0 includes a built-in Media/Photo Transfer Protocol that lets users sync media files with a USB-connected camera or desktop computer without needing to mount a USB mass-storage device, and support for full QWERTY keyboards over either USB or Bluetooth has been added.
This platform preview includes a Honeycomb system image for emulators, and the Android 3.0 library with preliminary APIs. The final version of the Android 3.0 SDK with all the finalized APIs is expected to be released in the coming weeks.
Copyright Betanews, Inc. 2010
OpenOffice.org 3.3 is ready -- download it now

Publié: janvier 27, 2011, 12:37am CET

By Mike Williams

It's taken quite some time, and no less than 10 Release Candidate builds, but all the preparations are about to pay off -- the final release of OpenOffice.org 3.3 officially released today, and it's packed with handy new features that, taken together, make the suite significantly more comfortable to use.
All the major apps now come with a new Find toolbar, for example, allowing you to quickly search a document's text. Charts may be enhanced with drawing objects. In a click or two you can insert anything from lines, rectangles or text for simple captions, say, up to cubes, symbols, blocks, even flowcharts. The Calc spreadsheet now supports 1,048,576 rows, up from 65,536.
Adding new Impress slides of the layout you require becomes much easier in 3.3: a new toolbar option allows you to choose the layout you need, or duplicate the existing slide, in a couple of clicks.
Document-level additions include the option to define any number of custom document properties as name, value pairs. While you can now have two levels of password-protection; one that prevents unauthorised users from viewing the file, another that will stop them from making changes. And the revamped Print interface now includes an integrated preview of your document, and allows you to make all the changes you need from this one dialog.
OpenOffice.org 3.3 is a worthwhile upgrade, then, with useful incremental improvements across the suite. You can read more about the new additions on the official site, and the program is available for download now.
Copyright Betanews, Inc. 2010
Network Edition brings CCleaner capabilities to IT organizations

Publié: janvier 27, 2011, 12:27am CET

By Nick Peers

Piriform Software has released a brand new version of its popular cleaning tool for Windows. CCleaner Network Edition is aimed at corporations wishing to use CCleaner's capabilities across an entire network. It's designed to be managed from a single central location, allowing IT managers to set up one cleaning profile that's implemented consistently across all workstations running CCleaner. Prices start from $250 for 10 computers, although Piriform is currently offering a 20 percent discount during the program's launch period.
Hot on the heels of the Network Edition's release, Piriform has also updated the standalone edition of CCleaner, which is free for personal and non-commercial use. CCleaner 3.03 adds support for three minor browsers -- including Chrome Plus -- alongside its existing support for Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari and Opera.
CCleaner 3.03 also adds support for cleaning out saved browser passwords, as well as capabilities for cleaning multiple profiles in Chrome and the Recent Search History in Safari. It also improves support for cleaning saved forms in Chromium-based browsers and the AutoComplete Form history in IE9. Cached cleaning in Firefox and Opera has also been improved.
The program also adds support to a number of programs, including Adobe Reader 9 and X, and a bug whereby autocorrect settings were removed when cleaning Office XP and 2003 has also been fixed. There are more rules for cleaning out the Windows Most Recently Used (MRU) files list, along with a number of minor UI improvements and fixes.
CCleaner 3.03 and CCleaner Network Edition require Windows 2000 or later; the Network Edition also supports Windows Server 2003 and 2008.
Copyright Betanews, Inc. 2010
Tip: How to change your Mac start-up screen

Publié: janvier 27, 2011, 12:21am CET

By Nick Peers

Apple is as much about its looks as its substance, which begs the question: why that drab, grey start-up screen with the darker grey Apple logo superimposed over it? Hardly inspiring stuff when you boot your Mac first thing in the morning.
Thankfully, there's a free tool out there that can help you transform this dull and uninspiring backdrop into something more colorful and personal. BootXChanger runs on Intel Macs sporting Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) or later, and is simplicity itself to use.
Once downloaded, double-click the disk image file to open it, drag the BootXChanger folder into Applications and launch the program. You'll notice the disk image also contains a folder full of sample images, so open this and drag one of the icons onto the BootXChanger window -- you'll see it replaces the current icon, and immediately looks a little brighter. Click "Apply," enter your password and then reboot to see the new effect.
That's all well and good, but why not go a little further? You can drag just about any image on to the window, so if you'd prefer a family snap or a more colourful backdrop, try that instead. The only possible problem will occur if you choose an image that's larger than the desktop -- it'll either be resized or ignored, so save yourself time and manually shrink it in your image editor to fit the screen.
Also beware using images containing transparency, as the transparent pixels will be automatically replaced with the current background color. This will affect the image itself, so work on a copy. And what of that drab background color? No problem -- just click the appropriate button to jolly it up, or choose a shade more in keeping with your chosen image.
BootXChanger is a fabulous little hassle-free tool for those wanting to inject a little bit of colour into their start-up sequence -- go on, give it a go (you can always restore the default, drab logo with a single click if it doesn't meet your needs).
Copyright Betanews, Inc. 2010