Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » août 29, 2012

BetaNews.Com (8 non lus)

Sony applies Xperia brand to Android Tablet S, adds Windows-like customizations

Publié: août 29, 2012, 7:04pm CEST par Tim Conneally

At IFA in Berlin, Germany on Wednesday, Sony Mobile Communications debuted its second generation Android-powered Tablet S, which Sony has now merged with its Xperia smartphone brand.

Sony's first generation of Android-based tablets offered extremely different designs from the whole crowd of first generation Android tablets, yet despite their unique appearance, they entered the market with a "thud" rather than a "boom." The wedge-shaped Tablet S was introduced at the same time as the much more interesting Tablet P, but the two devices entered the US market six months apart.

It seems as if the two devices cancelled each other out by being revealed simultaneously, then separated at launch.

Sony avoided this mistake today by introducing just one Android tablet, the second-gen Tablet S, now known as Xperia Tablet S. The device has a 9.4" (1280 x 800) display, is powered by an Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core ARM Cortex A9 processor with 1GB of RAM, and runs Android 4.0.3, the incremental release of Ice Cream Sandwich. It comes in 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB configurations and supports microSD cards for expanded storage. It has an 8 megapixel rear camera, a single megapixel forward-facing camera, and currently only offers Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless connectivity.

The body of the tablet is 8.8mm thick (compared to the iPad 3's 9.4mm) and is made of aluminum rather than the previous generation's plastic. It also features a "splashproof" design with a low-friction screen coating.

Sony's version of Android has included some nice Windows-like features not present in other builds: multi-user "owner" and "guest" modes for families with children likely to use the tablet, "Small apps," which are multitasking apps and widgets that open in dockable windows on top of other apps (Sony mentions calculator, timer, and voice recorder apps that can be used in this capacity,) and also a news, video, and social feed aggregator called Socialife.

But as BetaNews contributor Paul Weber pointed out earlier in August, the real tablet battle isn't between hardware companies and software platforms. It's between content ecosystems. As such, Sony connects the Xperia Tablet S to its content ecosystem with "original media apps" that tie into Video Unlimited, Music Unlimited, and the PlayStation Store in addition to Google Play. Since a major component to Sony's overall entertainment package is television, the Xperia Tablet S additionally includes IR blaster functionality and the exclusive Watch Now app which lets users browse a customized TV guide, touch an item they want to watch and "throw it towards the TV." The TV channel will automatically change to what the user selects via the universal remote.

In the US, the Xperia Tablet S can be pre-ordered through Sony's website, and the different models are priced at $399, $499, and $599 depending upon the internal storage configuration.
How to install Ubuntu on VMware Workstation

Publié: août 29, 2012, 5:55pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic
Gone are the days when setting up and using Linux was a cumbersome experience, and what better way to see than trying Ubuntu -- one of the most popular and easiest-to-use distributions available. Ubuntu has tempted many Windows users to make the switch to open-source, free-to use-software.

One of the easiest methods to test Ubuntu is to install it on VMware Workstation. You get all the benefits of having Ubuntu installed but none of the hassles attributed to the process, because it's all happening in a safe virtual environment.

Prerequisities for installing Ubuntu on VMware Workstation:
1. VMware Workstation that you can download from FileForum.
2. Ubuntu that you can download from Ubuntu website.
In order to start the process, VMware Workstation must be installed and the Ubuntu ISO file must be downloaded as well. It should be mentioned that this guide applies to VMware Player as well, but for the purpose of this article the latter will be used for reference.

There are two methods to set up a new virtual machine on VMware and we are going to choose the less complicated of the them -- that is "Typical (recommended)". If you want to have more control during the process you can chose "Custom (advanced)" that is explained in "How to install Windows 8 on VMware Workstation"

Let's get to it then and install Ubuntu on VMware Workstation by following the next steps:
1. Open VMware Workstation and click on "New Virtual Machine".
2. Select "Typical (recommended)" and click "Next".
3. Select "Installer disc image (ISO)", click "Browse" to select the Ubuntu ISO file, click "Open" then "Next".
4. You have to type in "Full name", "User name" that must only consist of lowercase and numbers then you must enter a password. After you finished, click "Next".
5. You can type in a different name in "Virtual machine name" or leave as is and select an appropriate location to store the virtual machine by clicking on "Browse" that is next to "Location" -- you should place it in a drive/partition that has at least 5GB of free space. After you selected the location click "OK" then "Next".
6. In "Maximum disk size" per Ubuntu recommendations you should allocate at least 5GB -- double is recommended to avoid running out of free space.
7. Select "Store virtual disk as a single file" for optimum performance and click "Next".
8. Click on "Customize" and go to "Memory" to allocate more RAM -- 1GB should suffice, but more is always better if you can spare from the installed RAM.
9. Go to "Processors" and select the "Number of processors" that for a normal computer is 1 and "Number of cores per processor" that is 1 for single core, 2 for dual core, 4 for quad core and so on -- this is to insure optimum performance of the virtual machine.
10. Click "Close" then "Finish" to start the Ubuntu install process.
If there are any devices that can be attached to the virtual machine you will be notified by VMware Workstation; just click "OK" and wait for the install to finish.

You can now experience a fully working Ubuntu inside VMware Workstation.
Which Firefox is right for you -- 15, 16, 17 or 18?

Publié: août 29, 2012, 5:42pm CEST par Nick Peers

The recent release of Firefox 15 FINAL means the whole developmental cycle has moved on again with Mozilla’s web browser, and as expected versions 16 (Beta), 17 (Aurora) and 18 (Nightly/UX) have made their first appearances.

Sadly, there’s not an awful lot to get excited about in these new releases, but a handful of new features are worthy of attention. It seems to confirm what Mozilla developer Martin Best said on the release of Firefox 15, namely that Mozilla’s focus for the rest of 2012 will shift more to the Android and Firefox OS builds.

Firefox 15.0 FINAL

Without a doubt this is the recommended release for most users, as it’s the most stable build out there. Performance improvements, particularly with gamers in mind, additional developer tools and a silent update mechanism for Windows users are the highlights of this release.

Firefox 16.0b1 Beta

The most visible new feature in version 16 will be the inline-PDF browser. Instead of prompting the user to save or open PDFs in a separate application, Firefox 16 now displays them in their own tab in the main browser window. The feature was actually present in Firefox 15 Beta, but failed to make it over to the final release. Frustratingly, at time of writing, the feature isn’t enabled in 16.0b1, but the Mozilla Release Wiki lists it as “landed”, which means it should reappear soon.

Developers also get another two tools to add to the extra features added in version 15: a Developer Toolbar that provides programmers with an easier entry point to the developer tools, plus a new Graphical Command Line Interface, that promises to provide a simpler way of adding commands via the Web Console.

Some features may not yet be visible in the Beta, and may even slip before version 16 moves to a final release on October 9. These include a raft of changes designed to appeal to OS X Lion/Mountain Lion users, such as scroll bars, remapped gestures and double-tap zoom support. Also slated is opt-in activation for plugins, for security reasons.

Some features have sadly disappeared from version 16 since it moved from Aurora to Beta, including the panel-based download manager -- that has remained stubbornly in the Aurora build. There’s also no sign of the promised “speedy session restore”, which aims to quicken the process of restoring previously open tabs and windows.

Firefox 17.0a2 Aurora

Firefox’s “alpha” build installs alongside either Firefox Final or Beta, allowing you to test it without affecting day-to-day browsing. Settings are shared between both builds, however, so install and use with caution.

Version 17 actually features the new panel-based downloads manager, despite the Wiki’s insistence that this has slipped back to Nightly builds only. It first appeared in Firefox Aurora 16, and remains in place for testing with this latest build, allowing users to view downloads in a pop-up tab underneath the downloads button without opening a separate window first.

Two other changes are also mooted, but not yet visible: the first is planned improvements to the display of location bar results. Some of these restylings have reportedly landed in version 16, while others remain in development. The second involves Firefox Social Integration, the incorporation of a range of social network-friendly tools into a toolbar, sidebar or floating window. Having missed the boat in version 15 as expected, this feature has now slipped back from the beta channel to Aurora. No evidence of it yet appears in this build for external testing.

Firefox 18.0a1 Nightly

Firefox’s Nightly channel gives users access to code hot off the press, and again it installs alongside other Firefox builds. It’s incredibly unstable, updated frequently and you’re just as likely to see new features disappear as appear. At the present time, we’re not aware of any specific features unique to the Nightly build that can be tested here, although the inline PDF viewer is at least present and correct here.

So, to Summarize

Which version of Firefox should you try? The stable build remains our recommendation for the vast majority of users, although Firefox 16 Beta would certainly look tempting if its inline PDF viewer was functional. Sadly there’s little in the Aurora build for us to recommend it, while nothing at the present time suggests anyone but the most daring should venture into the murky waters of the untested Nightly build.
Windows 8 has usability issues

Publié: août 29, 2012, 5:29pm CEST par Martin Brinkmann
I have followed the development process of Microsoft's upcoming operating system closely, ever since first tidbits of information leaked on the Internet. But instead of just reading about it, I also installed all public versions of Windows 8 on one of my desktop PCs to get a first-hand experience of what the OS is all about.

Like many of my fellow BetaNews authors, I was torn apart by the operating system. Chris Williams, for instance, believes that Windows 8 is pointless for the Enterprise while Mihaita Bamburic imagines what Metro could have been. It becomes even more apparent when you read Windows 8 will be the new Vista and Windows 8 deserves a chance.

It first dawned on me that something is not right when I set up my email accounts in the Mail app. This is one of the default applications that Windows 8 ships with.

Setting up one account in the app is not an issue at all, but I could not figure out how to add a second email account. There simply are no obvious options or settings available to do so. I hovered the mouse over all buttons in the interface, right-clicked to display the bottom toolbar and realized that the interface offered no option to add a second email account.

But I knew that it had to be possible, because of screenshots that Microsoft had used that showed multiple accounts being used in the mail app.

It took a while before I realized that I had to open the Charms Menu to find application specific settings there. Those settings only appear when the application is active though, which adds to the usability issue at hand.

While in the mail app, you have to open the Charms Menu, either with Windows-C or by moving the mouse cursor to the upper- or lower-right corner of the screen. Here you need to click on Settings to display Mail app specific-settings that let you add accounts or change permissions.

That was not my only issue with the mail app. To search your emails, you also have to open the Charms bar to do so. Only this time, you need to select Search from the general menu before search becomes available. Why not make search available while you type, like when you are on the start page?

But the mail app is not the only one that relies on the Charms bar for part of its functionality. When the eBay app launches, it does not include an option to search auctions. The only way to search for items is to switch to the Charms bar and use Search here to find items on eBay.

The latest version of the eBay app now displays a search icon prominently on the frontpage that opens the Charms bar's search menu when you click on it.

What Windows 8 users need to understand is that the Search and Settings menus of the Charms bar are dynamic and app specific. The main problem here: there is no guidance or hint system that makes users aware of that. And even the system's search does not seem to be helpful in this regard. If you search for "mail account" for instance, you won't get any hits that might help you with the configuration.

To resolve this, I'd like to see Microsoft implement three new features:
1. Add some form of help to make users aware that the Charms bar may be used for search and app-specific settings. One idea here could be to display the Charms bar on first start of the application with a little tooltip attached to it to make users aware of the functionality it provides.
2. Include an option to control app settings from a central location and without the app being loaded at all. Why not add a control panel applet for all installed apps that you can use to configure the apps right from there?
3. Provide search autocomplete. I can't really see a reason against adding the search while you type feature to apps to make search more comfortable.
How is your experience with apps in Windows 8?
Troubleshoot your PC with Power Eraser 3.1 and Bootable Recovery Tool 5.1

Publié: août 29, 2012, 4:30pm CEST par Mark Wilson

With effective antivirus software installed, you can protect yourself against a range of online threats such as viruses, spyware and other malware. But there are some forms of malicious software that manage to evade detection by even the newest and completely updated protection tools. In this situation, you may feel as though there is nothing left to do but to format your hard drive and start from scratch, but Norton Power Eraser 3.1 and Norton Bootable Recovery Tool 5.1, both updated yesterday, prove otherwise.

You may have noticed popup windows that you do not seem to be able to eliminate, but there could be countless other symptoms indicating that something is wrong with your computer. But before you reach for the installation disc for Windows, grab yourself a copy of the latest version of Norton Power Eraser, which can be used to scour your hard drive for instances of malware that may not otherwise be detected.

Once the scan is complete, you’ll be invited to remove anything that is thought to be suspicious. The tool’s approach is rather aggressive and you may well find that there are a few false positives flagged up, but these can be reversed if problems arise. Should you find that Norton Power Eraser has not be successful in cleaning up your computer, all is still not yet lost as you can try your luck with the newly updated Norton Bootable Recovery Tool.

This is a free tool for anyone who has another registered Norton product, and it is designed to help in situations when a malware infection means that the usual scanners do not run correctly. The tool can be run from CD, DVD or USB drive and is ideal if you are not able to boot into Windows. You’ll be guided through every stage of the process of booting your computer in a safe state before scanning and cleaning up any infections that exist.

You can find out more and download the software by paying a visit to the Norton Power Eraser 3.1 and Norton Bootable Recovery Tool 5.1 review pages.

Photo Credit: zimmytws/Shutterstock
Instant WordPress: Test blogs on PCs before deploying them

Publié: août 29, 2012, 4:09pm CEST par Mike Williams

Setting up a local installation of WordPress on your own PC can be a convenient way to test themes and plugins, but it’s not the simplest of tasks. Along with WordPress itself you’ll need to install and configure PHP, a server, database and more.

Sounds too much like hard work? Then you might prefer Instant WordPress, which provides everything you need and requires no complex configuration at all.

The package comes in the form of a single 54.2MB Windows executable, which on launch will unpack its contents to the folder of your choice. Right now these include WordPress 3.3.2, Apache 2.2.15 (Win32), PHP 5.3.2 and MySQL 5.1.46-community-nt, but don’t worry, you don’t have to set any of them up, and they won’t install components anywhere else on your PC.

Once that’s out of the way, launching InstantWP.exe will display the Instant WordPress console. And clicking “WordPress Frontpage” should open your default browser to reveal the bundled WordPress site, which even includes some dummy posts and comments for a more realistic look.

If you’d like to experiment with the regular WordPress settings then just click “WordPress Admin”, log in (user name is “admin”, password is “password”) and go to work.

And the console also provides easy access to your MySQL settings, as well as the Plugins and Themes folder, while the Documentation button leads to some basic online help.

It’s a good idea to think carefully about what you’re going to do with Instant WordPress. While in theory you could use this setup to create a complete website on your own PC, for instance, getting it online could then be quite complicated. Which is probably why even the creators say the program “should only be used for testing and development”.

If you simply want to experiment with a few themes and plugins, though, or maybe just learn a few CMS basics from the comfort of your own PC, then Instant WordPress is a great way to do it: free, convenient and very easy to use.

Photo Credit: Annkozar/Shutterstock
CyanogenMod and SimplyTapp join forces to offer mobile payments

Publié: août 29, 2012, 3:40pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

CyanogenMod 9.1 and NFC payments -- curious already? The CyanogenMod team has announced a joint partnership with SimplyTapp to offer Near Field Communication payments for the Android modding community along with their latest custom ROM, CyanogenMod 9.1. The NFC app is named Tapp!, and it is offered as a separate download to the popular CM ROM.

SimplyTapp is founded by Doug and Ted, two "CM enthusiasts" that have contributed towards extending the NFC capabilities as well as to the development of CyanogenMod. So how does it work?

You have to install CyanogenMod 9.1 on your Android smartphone and install the Tap! app. From there on you have to purchase an NFC card, and that can run you up to $5. Various store cards are available as well as Tapp Anywhere Card (fixed balance gift card) and CyanogenMod Tapp Card (that is reloadable).

CyanogenMod 9 also supports the app, but the team behind the project promotes it through their latest iteration, CyanogenMod 9.1 with CyanogenMod 10, based off Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, support to be available as well at a later time.

SimplyTapp separates the credentials of the card from the device, tying it to the card holder, according to the announcement. Modifications to the NFC stack basically require the use of CyangenMod in order to control point-of-sale payment functionality.

In case you want to give it a go, you should know that all you need is a CyanogenMod supported device with NFC capabilities.

Tapp! complements the list of NFC payment applications available for Android, but as it stands at the moment doesn't target all Android device owners, instead just on those that run CyanogenMod. That may look unconventional, but having CyanogenMod as a partner can benefit developers, who can take advantage of the name the popular Android development has made for itself in the modding community. Custom ROMs have exclusive features and to have a NFC payment app designed specifically for one doesn't strike as something unusual.

Photo Credit: Alexander Sokolov/Shutterstock
Do you know your web browser's version?

Publié: août 29, 2012, 3:01pm CEST par Martin Brinkmann

Microsoft's Internet Explorer was the uncrowned king back in 2008 with Mozilla's Firefox snagging away half a percent or so from IE's market share each month. Mozilla in that year released Firefox 3.0, a controversial version of the browser that divided the browser's user base into the Firefox 2.x and 3.x camp. Microsoft released Internet Explorer 8, a version of the browser that still fell short in many areas even though it was seen by many as a huge improvement over the company's previously released Internet browsers.

And in that year came the first public release of Google Chrome for Windows, and with it fundamental changes to the web browser landscape. Chrome's impact in the browser's first year of existence was limited, and while Google managed to increase the market share over the important 1 percent mark in 2008, it took the company another year to surpass Opera and Safari to take the coveted number three spot for the first time near the end of 2009.

Rapid-release Process

This was the time when Google started to release new versions of the browser more frequently, something that was unheard of before with Microsoft, Mozilla or Opera taking their time to release new major versions of their browsers. Mozilla, for instance, released 19 updates to Firefox 3.0.x, of which some were even issued after the major Firefox 3.5 and 3.6 versions landed in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

The version jumps were so rapid that Google Chrome passed Microsoft's Internet Explorer with the release of version 9 in February 2011, and less than 4 months later the Opera 10 browser by releasing Chrome 11 in April 2011. Fast forward a year and four months and we are at Google Chrome 21, the current stable version of the browser.

Mozilla in that time switched to a rapid-release process of its own after the final release of Firefox 4 in March 2011. The developers of the browser, unlike Google, continued to support previous versions of Firefox for some time after a new major version release. This pleased a group of Firefox users who did not want to switch to newer versions, but had the ill-effect of furthering fragmentation of the browser's user base.

The rapid release-process had another effect on the majority of Internet users. The version of the browser became less important, especially in the case of Chrome, with its near silent update system. Even more troubling was that even experienced Internet users and reporters seem nowadays to have lost interest in keeping up with browser updates and the changes they bring with them.

Who Cares Which?

This becomes apparent when you try to find information about a particular Chrome version and its changes. While you will eventually find the Google Chrome Releases Blog, you will notice that many tech sites remain silent about browser updates or only mention the update in a short post -- unless a version includes a major new feature that is worth looking more closely at. If you are a BetaNews regular you know that this is exactly how Chrome releases are handled here on the site.

A core reason for the disinterest can be found in the fact that versions are not important anymore for the majority of Internet users. The name of the browser is now more important than the version when it comes to compatibility with websites and features that it supports.

The only situation where versions become important again is if a new version breaks or changes a feature in the browser. This is not really happening for Chrome users that much, but Firefox users had to cope with major changes to the browser's interface or extension compatibility in the past after updates.

Version Fatigue

Version fatigue may have something to do with it as well. With that many major version releases in a year, it is difficult to keep up with and distinguish between versions. Can you list the major changes from Firefox 12 to 13, or Chrome 17 to 18? I know I can't, and it is likely that the majority of users out there can't as well. I can still name the major changes from Firefox 3.x to 4.x or from Firefox 2.x to 3.x though.

A simple question to end: Without looking, do you know your browser's name and version? And if you do, can you name at least one feature change that was introduced in the last major update?

What's your take on browser versions in general? Has your perception changed in past years?