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BetaNews.Com (7 non lus)

Indian ISPs commanded to block over 100 music Websites for alleged piracy

Publié: mars 16, 2012, 10:27pm CET par Tim Conneally

Responding to a complaint from trade group IMI (The Indian Music Industry,) the High Court in Calcutta, India ruled that access to 104 alleged copyright-infringing music websites must be blocked at ISP level. India's Internet service providers will utilize DNS and IP-based blocking as well as deep packet inspection to block access to the long list of sites.

"This decision is a victory for the rule of law online and a blow to those illegal businesses that want to build revenues by violating the rights of others," Frances Moore, chief executive of worldwide recording industry rights group IFPI said on Thursday. "It highlights the importance the Indian courts place on the creative industries and their contribution to the economy. The court ruled that blocking is a proportionate and effective way to tackle website piracy. The Indian government should build on this progress by moving forward legislation to effectively tackle all forms of digital piracy to enable the country's digital music market to reach its full potential."

The Indian music industry is very closely tied to the movie industry, and IMI says nearly 68 percent of music sales are in the soundtrack category. As such, both film and music have sought legal intervention against sites such as Songs.pk since late last year.

"There is a lot to be done as there is a long battle ahead to curb piracy," IMI Chief Adviser JF Ribeiro told the Hindustan Times. "The IMI is now focusing on implementation of the order and ensuring that all unauthorised websites which offer downloading of music for free without license are banned and blocked."

Photo:Luciano Mortula/Shutterstock
It's an Apple and Microsoft tablet war now

Publié: mars 16, 2012, 7:14pm CET par Joe Wilcox

The most interesting thing about the new iPad launch in San Diego isn't Apple Store, or people waiting in line there. It's the Microsoft Store down the way. In a brilliant, if overly optimistic, marketing move, the shop opened at 7 am PDT, one hour before Apple Store. The move was perhaps symbolic given the line waiting to buy new iPad, but nevertheless foreshadows competition to come. If you've been off-planet or other-dimension and missed the news, Apple's newest tablet is on sale today in 10 countries.

Two employees set up under a small canopy outside Microsoft Store, showing off tablets running Windows 8 Consumer Preview. New iPad has big resolution on a small screen, but Windows 8 wows more. The OS is fast and fluid -- alive! It's like a living thing. Many BetaNews readers are sour on Metro, but I'm a big fan. The motif is a leap forward in user interface design, while iOS is oh-so been there, done that.

Microsoft marketing for Vista used "Wow" as expression of surprise and delight. That's exactly the reaction Windows 8 generates -- well, on a tablet at least. You gotta utter "Wow". The only wow down the way at Apple Store: The short line waiting to buy new iPad. By the unofficial count, I was No. 121 at 7:35 am PT -- few compared to the hundreds more waiting for iPad 2 a year ago or the many thousands for iPhone 4 in June 2010. Perhaps Apple launches are now passé, or smart people preorder instead. When the doors opened, the number reached 130, and Apple employees had it cleared by 8:30 am.

What surprised me: The seemingly different character of the people waiting. It was a reversion of sorts, in the scariest way. I covered the original iPhone launch, in June 2007, outside Apple Store Montgomery Mall, in Bethesda, Md. What surprised me then: Diversity of the people waiting. Few were geeks at all, and most weren't die-hard Apple fans. Buyers represented a real cross-section of America. I could say the same about the iPhone 4 and iPad 2 launches and a little less iPhone 4S. But this new iPad crowd looked like an Apple Fanclub -- diehards from the era before Apple reached mass-market popularity.

They were so stereotypical, I repeatedly looked around for film crews. This bunch could have been pulled straight from one of Samsung's TV commercials mocking people who wait hours on end to buy the newest Apple thing. Perhaps everyone else was smart enough to preorder. The people in the front of the line waited from about 11 pm PT last night -- no time for Apple hardcores, or compared to earlier iPhone launches.

Microsoft is right to show off Windows 8 on tablets -- to anyone and everyone who will look. If the crowd I saw outside Apple Store is any indication, then anybody is a whole lot of somebodies. I tweeted this morning: "Love it! Smart competition. Microsoft Store here in San Diego opened at 7 -- one hour before Apple Store. It's Windows 8 vs iPad!" Gartner analyst Michael Gartenberg replied: "Except I can't buy Windows 8". He's right about that, but you can download the Consumer Preview to your tablet today. For free.

Still, Apple has a compelling tablet available to buy right now, while Windows 8 slates are holiday debuts at best. Current Windows 7 tablets can run its successor right now. But the compelling hardware, like the Samsung Series 7 demoed outside Microsoft Store this morning, is pricey -- around $1,300, or about $470 more than the costliest iPad (64GB WiFi/4G model). Then there's new iPad's display, which resolution and pixel density outclasses every Windows slate currently available.

Gartenberg claims the "Retina display is a major game changer. Wow". There's that "Wow" again. I agree; 2048 x 1536 resolution makes new iPad a transformative product. Apple will sell many tens of millions before the first Microsoft OEM assembles the first Windows 8 slate on the production line.

It's war, and you are the territory. Judging by the early-store opening this morning, Microsoft is ready to fight -- for mindshare now and market share later. Sigh. If only Microsoft would release its own, branded tablet.

The winner, if there is one, doesn't matter. Fierce competition means better products for you.

Photo Credit: Joe Wilcox
Sprint officially backs out of LightSquared network deal

Publié: mars 16, 2012, 4:22pm CET par Tim Conneally

Friday, U.S. national wireless network operator Sprint announced that it has terminated its spectrum hosting agreement with experimental 4G network LightSquared on the grounds that the GPS interference issues associated with the wireless network have been declared unavoidable.

Sprint issued the following statement:

"Sprint has been and continues to be supportive of LightSquared’s business plans and appreciates the company’s efforts to find a resolution to the interference issues impacting its ability to offer service on the 1.6 GHz spectrum. However, due to these unresolved issues, and subject to the provisions of the agreement, Sprint has elected to exercise its right to terminate the agreement announced last summer. We remain open to considering future spectrum hosting agreements with LightSquared, should they resolve these interference issues, as well as other interested spectrum holders.

Late last year, both companies agreed to halt deployment design and implementation of LightSquared’s network to ensure that Sprint’s Network Vision project remained on schedule. While unfortunate, termination of the agreement will have no impact on Sprint’s current customers and is not material to Sprint’s ongoing business operations. Network Vision remains on schedule and on budget, and we look forward to begin launching our 4G LTE network mid-year.

Per the terms of the agreement, Sprint has returned $65 million in prepayments LightSquared made to cover costs that were not ultimately incurred by Sprint."

LightSquared has been under relentless pressure from the GPS industry, which wants the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to revoke the conditional waiver it granted LightSquared to build its hybrid satellite/ground-based broadband network.

Yesterday more industry pressure came, but this time from the agribusiness lobby the American Soybean Association. The group filed a petition with the FCC which asked the Commission to withdraw that waiver and to modify LightSquared's current satellite license so it could not build a ground-based wireless network.

"We remain strong supporters of expanded broadband access in rural America. However, expanded broadband access cannot come at the expense of degraded access to high precision GPS for U.S. farmers," the petition said.

LightSquared issued the following statement on Friday afternoon, regarding the interest group pressures:

"LightSquared’s plans had been supported by two successive presidential administrations over a period of seven years. This proposed action to strip LightSquared of its longstanding ATC authority not only raises constitutional issues, it jettisons decades of FCC precedent and will inevitably lead to the kind of regulatory uncertainty that discourages needed investment in this nation’s wireless infrastructure. The FCC can and should continue to facilitate the build-out of the LightSquared’s 4G LTE wireless network. In a very short time, LightSquared demonstrated that it is feasible to resolve the interference issues which are the heart of the FCC’s unjustified proposal.

If the FCC reverses its decision to permit LightSquared to move forward, it will be a bait and switch by the federal government of historic scale. Based on a build-out requirement imposed by the FCC, LightSquared invested more than $4 billion to prepare for the construction of its network. If the FCC now changes its mind, it will strand billions of dollars of investment capital and cast a shadow of uncertainty over the future of wireless innovation. Its proposed action violates LightSquared’s contractual and constitutional rights."

Photo: Rudall30/Shutterstock
Instant File Search Pro: You'll like the results, just not how long they take to get

Publié: mars 16, 2012, 2:35pm CET par Mike Williams

Windows Search is a powerful tool, there’s no doubt about that. Its powerful indexing engine understands all kinds of file metadata, enabling you to search for documents by a particular author, music from your favorite artist, photos taken by a specific camera model and a whole lot more.

Many people are still less than enthusiastic about the technology, though. In particular, the indexing process is often reported to consume more resources than it should, and the filters can be awkward to use. But if you’d prefer something simpler, then there are plenty of alternatives around, and the portable Instant File Search Professional, just a single 618KB executable, is certainly more convenient to use than most.

The program has no indexing component to chew up your system resources, for instance. And you don’t have to remember a lengthy list of search filters. Instant File Search Professional takes an old-style approach, where every possible search option is available on the same screen: the drive you’d to like to search; the type of file to locate (document, music, video and so on); the file size, creation or modification date, and more.

While this may look a little intimidating at first, you don’t have to use any of these options: it’s enough to type part of your file name, and press Enter. So you only need to choose something like a file size if it’s necessary. Overall, the program isn’t difficult to use.

And the Search Results pane is convenient, too. If you have too many items then you can enter a further keyword to search amongst the results. Double-clicking an item then launches it as normal, or you can right-click something to see its regular Explorer context menu.

There are also some problems here. Giving up indexing means you can only search for file names, not content or metadata, for example. And searching is much slower, as the program has to crawl the entire file system each time. Even when browsing a mere 90GB of files on our fast SSD, searches took 6-20 seconds, so if you need maximum performance then this isn’t for you.

If you don’t mind the delay (or have even faster hardware) then Instant File Search Professional is a likeable search tool, though, and its portability means you can carry the program around and use it on any convenient PC.

But if you’re looking for faster searching on file names alone, take a look at Everything. It can only search NTFS drives, and doesn’t have the same date, file size or other search filters. But it works by accessing the drive Master File Table, which (once loaded) means the program can provide results just about as fast as you can type.

Photo Credit: olly/Shutterstock
Which Firefox should you choose -- 11, 12, 13 or 14?

Publié: mars 16, 2012, 2:23pm CET par Nick Peers

As part of Mozilla’s rapid-release cycle program for its open-source, cross-platform browser, the recent release of Firefox 11 FINAL has now been followed by updates for its various developmental branches, namely Firefox 12 Beta, Firefox 13 Aurora, Firefox 14 Nightly and Firefox 14 UX.

Versions 11 and 12 feature little to excite the Firefox user base, but look further ahead and you’ll see some interesting new developments on the horizon. Read on to discover more about what’s happening with Firefox and to pick the perfect build for you.

Firefox 11.0 FINAL

As always, this is the recommended release for most Firefox users. As with version 10, there’s not a lot to get excited about with version 11, although it’s still an essential update for all.

Version 11’s most notable new features concern those wishing to switch from Google Chrome -- you can now import your Chrome bookmarks, history and cookies from the Bookmarks Library (select Import and Backup > Import Data from another Browser). Meanwhile Firefox Sync users while be pleased with the new option for synchronising add-ons in addition to all the other supported settings.

Web developers also get two new tools for use in the Page Inspector: a 3D (Tilt) option for viewing HTML pages, and a CSS Style Inspector.

Firefox 12.0b1 Beta

The Beta channel effectively puts you six weeks ahead of other users, albeit with some risk due to the fact this version of Firefox is still undergoing testing. Firefox Beta also installs over the top of the FINAL version, so should appeal to those willing to risk the odd crash or bug.

Having said all that, there’s nothing remotely interesting lined up for Firefox 12. The most notable change, other than a refresh of the media controls used to control HTML5 video playback, is that Windows users will no longer see the User Account Control security dialog pop up when updating in future as Mozilla moves across to a silent update mechanism.

Firefox 13.0a2 Aurora

Things get a lot more interesting when you examine what’s new in Firefox 13. Note, however, that Aurora is an early “alpha” build of Firefox, with minimum testing and many bugs still to be found and fixed. It’s installed as a separate program alongside Firefox FINAL or Beta, but shares settings with the more stable version, so shouldn’t be run simultaneously, and back up before you begin.

The Mozilla Wiki Release/Tracking page reveals some major changes to the program’s user interface are mooted, but these are still listed as being in “development”, and have been since being linked to Aurora since version 12. Some, however, are present in Firefox 13.0a2 and can be previewed now, including the New Tab page, which apes the preview thumbnails found in Chrome and Opera, and an option to reset your Firefox user profile (type about:support to access this feature).

Other features not yet visible include a new Home tab. This will be small pinned tab on the left of the Tab bar that’s stored locally and which allows the user to create their own customised home page. It’s a modular component with its development split into various phases, and its functionality will expand over time, with the aim of giving users easy access to bookmarks, settings, downloads, history and the Apps Marketplace. Also yet to be implemented is the ability to integrate web apps directly into the desktop.

Three further features have officially “landed” in Aurora, and should now make the transition to the final build: inline URL auto-complete, automatic session restore with tabs on demand (a new default setting -- users can set these options manually from within the General tab of Firefox’s Options dialog), and incremental garbage collection, an under-the-hood tweak to Firefox’s memory management settings.

Firefox 14.0a1 Nightly

Firefox’s Nightly channel gives users access to code hot off the press, but while you’re looking at the latest bleeding-edge version of Firefox, you’re also venturing into uncharted waters because much of this new code has had no testing at all. Nightly builds update regularly, so once installed you’ll find your build updating on a much more frequent basis than other unstable releases.

A number of features are currently being implemented for this release, many of which we suspect will slip. These include support for the new Windows 8 Metro interface, plus various performance tweaks, including the promise of startup improvements for Windows users.

At time of writing, however, the panel-based download manager that’s referred to in the Wiki Release/Tracking pages as being implemented in Firefox 14 is still missing -- see below for an explanation.

Firefox 14.0a1 UX

This parallel nightly build of Firefox Nightly (also available in 64-bit form for Windows and Linux) is where the major changes to the Firefox interface are worked on in isolation to the rest of the code. Some of the changes have made their way into the main testing builds -- these include the New Tab button. However, in what appears to be a major development, the panels-based downloads manager that was present in UX 13 has been dropped from UX 14, and not made the transition to Nightly as originally expected.

According to Bug 726444, the feature has been “backed out” ahead of more testing. We hope it reappears soon, but for now UX users will find little to differentiate this build from the Nightly one. In the meantime, you can preview the planned Download Manager redesign via this YouTube video.

In Summary

Which version of Firefox should you try? Stick to the most stable version you feel comfortable with, although the temptation to sneek a peek ahead is actually quite compelling with these latest developmental builds.

Of the upcoming releases, Firefox 13 Aurora, due in around 12 weeks time, is definitely the most exciting, with a number of noticeable changes due to be implemented. The temporary loss of the revamped panel-based Downloads Manager could be a major setback, however -- we hope the bugs are ironed out soon and the feature makes a welcome reappearance. If you’re on the Nightly or UX channel, keep an eye out for its return.

If you do plan to take a look into the future of Firefox, back up if you plan before installing Beta or Aurora builds of Firefox. And If you do decide to give the Nightly or UX builds a try, consider using a non-critical machine or virtual setup (try VirtualBox) instead of your main computer, just in case…
Which apps are ready for the new iPad?

Publié: mars 16, 2012, 4:08am CET par Joe Wilcox

If you preordered Apple's tablet or will stand in line to buy on March 16, one question surely must come to mind: Which apps will look good on the high-resolution display? According to Apple there are 32, but we know that's a fib. There's at least one more, and its omission stinks of a little dirty competition -- Apple against one of its developer partners.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based company opened a new section on the iTunes Store: "Great Apps for the New iPad". Caveat: Apple doesn't explicitly say all the apps support the Retina display, just insinuates. Missing: Kindle 3.0 for iOS, which Amazon announced today. This competitor to Apple's iBooks app/iBookstore is ready for the new iPad's 2048 x 1536 resolution. Apple just isn't ready to let you know about it. Now why is that?

Perhaps it's just an oversight. While I wrote this post, two more apps showed up on the list. Good thing I checked before reporting 30. Newest apps are listed as updated or new on March 16.

Among the 32 apps in the section, only seven are free to download -- and among these only two are totally free. I applaud the approach of updating paid apps or those requiring subscriptions first.

Two years ago, soon after Apple announced but hadn't shipped iPad, I recommended against offering free content. Reasoning: To establish iPad as a more premium brand and also to give publishers one place they could actually charge for content (versus the free web). Instead, there is free content but also a healthy dose of stuff paid for upfront, added to via in-app purchases or available on subscription basis. The balance between free and paid is actually quite good.

The new iPad's Retina display offers a premium over every other tablet available, and it's sensible that developers charging for apps should cash in this benefit. Of course, free stuff will be updated in time. If you already paid for the app, it's a free update anyway.

Among the apps Apple highlights:

Barefoot World Atlas, which released today; $7.99.

Sky Gamblers: Air Supremacy, which also released today; $4.99.

Flight Control Rocket, which also released today; 99 cents.

The Daily, updated today; free to download, subscription required.

Infinity Blade II, updated today; $6.99.

Tweetbot, updated March 13; $2.99.

SketchBook Pro, updated March 14; $4.99.

The Early Edition II, updated today; $4.99.

Mass Effect -- Infiltrator, updated today; $6.99.

Solar Walk -- 3D System Model, updated March 16; $2.99.

Surely the list will grow overnight and over the coming days. Who knows, maybe even Kindle for iOS will appear there.
Tame the Windows 8 Start Screen [video]

Publié: mars 16, 2012, 2:19am CET par Travis Boyko

The Start Menu is a powerful tool. Users click the Start button in the bottom left corner of the Windows desktop, pull out the Programs menu and begin tweaking and modifying. Users can right click to add new folders or shortcuts and move shortcuts from one subfolder to another. Deleting folders and shortcuts is just as simple and straightforward. If you've been stumbling around Windows 8 wondering why you can't find the Start button, there's a reason: It's gone.

In Windows 8, all that easy tweaking is, well, not so easy. Users are not able to directly change, add, or delete subfolders and shortcuts in the Start Screen All Programs view. Don’t worry. I've got you covered. Before you know it, that wildcat Start Screen will be a tamed house feline.

I provide pretty much all the instruction you'll need in the video above. After watching it, you'll want to remember these four tips below, which are important when you dig into the file structure:

1. Do not delete the Windows Store or desktop shortcuts. This will make accessing the Windows Store impossible or will delete the Desktop Live Tile from the Start Screen. You are able to move them from one folder to another, just do not delete them.

2. Turn off UAC (in Control Panel) if it blocks you from editing the folder and file structure. Or just go to Start Screen, Type UAC, It should show up in Settings on the far right side.

3. c:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Startmenu\Programs. This structure of the Start Menu is used for all users. Any tweaks or changes you make here will affect all accounts on the PC, and they will be visible via the Start Screen, All Programs.

4. c:\users\(username)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\windows\startmenu\programs. This structure of the Start Menu is a single user. Any changes you make here will only show up for that user alone and not systemwide.

Travis Boyko has worked with computers since he was 3 years old. While other children played with toys, he learned DOS commands. He has used every Windows version, as well as Linux, OS/2, OS X, Unix and Windows Server. His software collection goes back to the 1980s and includes original boxes of Windows 1.0, Microsoft Flight Simulator 1.0, Lotus 1-2-3 and Windows 7 Signature Edition 32-bit and 64-bit full versions.