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BetaNews.Com (10 non lus)

Lenovo picks AMD APUs for business class ThinkCentre M desktops

Publié: octobre 1, 2012, 8:45pm CEST par Tim Conneally

Chinese PC maker Lenovo on Monday debuted the newest model in its flagship line of desktop computers designed for medium- to large-scale businesses, the ThinkCentre M78.

Since it's built for enterprise, there isn't much in the way of new frilliness from generation to generation in this line. However, it should be noted that this time around, Lenovo has equipped these ThinkCentres with AMD's A-Series APU. The last version of the M-series was based on Intel Core i processors and AMD/ATI GPU, so if you're doing an incremental upgrade, you might be in for a different experience since it's all on a single die.

The AMD A-series APUS come in a number of configurations, up to 3.0GHz quad-core with 4MB of L2 Cache, and up to 32 GB of DDR3 RAM, with the requisite integrated Radeon GPU offering clock speeds up to 600 MHz.

The ThinkCentre M78 can be configured in a traditional tower, or small form factor design, and it comes with four USB 3.0 ports with port disablement for IT security purposes, and on-board support for up to three displays.

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M78 will be available later this month through Lenovo's retail partners and directly from the company on its website. The baseline model ThinkCentre M78 is expected to cost $449.
Adobe announces pricing, availability of Acrobat XI, Reader XI

Publié: octobre 1, 2012, 7:02pm CEST par Tim Conneally

It is just a month shy of two years since the last major version of Acrobat, Adobe Acrobat X, and Monday, Adobe announced pricing and availability of the newest version of its PDF software, Acrobat XI.

Approaching its 20th year of working with PDF files, Acrobat XI is still mainly for editing and exporting PDF files. In this version, a simple edit text and images tool lets users click and drag to edit paragraphs, text, and images, and users can also merge selected content and multiple documents into a single PDF easily.

Part of the present and future viability of the PDF as a business document hinges upon its portability to the mobile space (it is the Portable Document Format, after all) so Adobe has also announced touch-friendly tablet capabilities in Adobe Reader XI for iOS, Android and, perhaps most importantly, Windows 8, which lets users annotate and add comments, as well as fill in, sign, and save forms.

This capability is essential to complete the picture for Acrobat XI's Web contracting and forms creation capabilities, especially with the e-signature capabilities brought to Acrobat through Adobe's EchoSign acquisition last year, bolstered by the data collection and analysis of FormsCentral, which also launched last year.

For deployment in the enterprise, Acrobat XI and Reader XI can be run as centrally managed virtual applications with new support for Microsoft App-V via Citrix XenApp. It also "plays well" with Microsoft Office and SharePoint, and supports Microsoft SCCM/SCUP and Apple Remote Desktop.

Adobe on Monday said Acrobat XI is "scheduled to ship within 30 days," with availability to its software via retail, on the Adobe Webstore, through Adobe Direct Sales, or through the Adobe Creative Cloud. Adobe told us this means it will be available thirty days from today, though ordering is not yet available on their site.

Acrobat XI Standard has an MSRP of $299/$139 for the upgrade package. Acrobat XI Pro will cost $449/$199. A download of Reader XI will be free when Acrobat ships. The lowest tier of Adobe EchoSign still costs $14.95/month, and Adobe FormsCentral subscriptions start at $14.99/month.
Will Apple Maps keep you from buying iPhone 5?

Publié: octobre 1, 2012, 6:57pm CEST par Joe Wilcox

It's the question I should have asked nearly two weeks ago, instead of or perhaps in addition to "Will Apple Maps keep you from upgrading to iOS 6?" Surely the Cupertino, Calif.-based company must worry about such circumstance. On Friday, I asserted this concern as top reason CEO Tim Cook apologized for so-called "mapgate".

Apple has a real problem. The new maps app, which replaces the one Google provided for five years, misidentifies locations, gives wrong directions and lacks details. Considering just how popular mapping and local search are to smartphone users, the bad publicity is sure to keep somebody from buying iPhone 5. That Cook's remedy is telling iOS 6 customers to use another mapping program spotlights just how bad is the situation and how great the concern bad publicity will hurt device sales.

"If Apple was really truly sorry, it would restore the Google Maps app that it obliterated", It Advisor comments. That's crux of it. Cook's apology is more about protecting Apple -- brand image and iPhone 5 sales -- than doing anything for customers.

2twotees agree: "This workaround suggested by Apple doesn't do a damn thing for apps that use maps as part of their app. Shame on Apple for being so hard-headed. Get Google Maps back if you want to please your customers. Don't send us off on some goose chase workaround".

Apple should be more concerned. Fifty-three precent of respondents to the iOS 6 poll answer "yes" that Apple Maps will keep them from upgrading. Twenty-one percent will upgrade, but a nearly-equal number don't have iOS devices. When removing the latter group so that the survey only includes responses from iOS device owners, the number waiting jumps to 68 percent. Of course, BetaNews readers tend to be more in-the-know and likely don't represent all iOS device owners. Still, it's helluva big number.

To date, Apple has pretty good track record moving iOS device owners to the newest version. But the maps debacle risks rifting the platform, at least temporarily.

PuzzledObserver comments: "That is shocking! An apology?!? It's the users' fault! There are plenty of places to go, why would they decide to go where the map is wrong? Apple accepts no apology no fault. In a few weeks, any iPhone 5 customer will be compensated by a plastic case. End of story".

BetaNews commenters sure are an opinionated lot, and often discussion breaks down along party lines -- meaning which fanboy camp so-and-so belongs to. Reader jfplopes offers refreshing perspective:

No one can argue the fact that Apple did a great job introducing new types of devices to the mainstream. Just like Microsoft was a key part of pushing the PC to the mainstream, or Google in bringing real improvements to the web.

Apple has apologized for its new home-grown maps app, which gives errors and misdirections. Will iOS 6 Maps keep you from buying iPhone 5?

But now it's 2012. And this is the fact. I criticize Apple just as I would criticize any other company that simply isn't doing their job as they should. I can't accept people defending Apple and bashing other companies when Apple introduces to the market features that are in beta as if they are fully released products.

At least Apple called Siri beta when introduced in iOS 5, although most people wouldn't know given the heavy TV advertising. I would call iOS 6 maps less than beta, after using the feature. Siri still is no better than beta, as I found out reviewing iPhone 5 last week. Google Now/voice search is remarkably good at getting to information asked for, while Siri has problems understanding speech and giving up anything. "Search the web" response gets old real fast.

For many people, Apple Maps will be a step backwards. But many others may see iPhone 5's other features as leap enough forward. Is that you? Please respond to the headline question in comments below or take the poll above.
Slackware 14.0 available -- get it now!

Publié: octobre 1, 2012, 5:52pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Slackware is one of the oldest Linux distributions available, and with new versions few and far between, each new release is reason to rejoice. After almost a year and a half since the previous version, Slackware 14.0 is now available for download, or can be purchased on optical media.

Slackware 14.0 also comes with updated KDE 4.8.5 and Xfce 4.10.0 graphical desktop environments, that have been slipped into their respective component packages, saving storage space on archive sites as well as decreasing the time and bandwidth used to download updates. USB, Firewire, ACPI support, Apache 2.4.3, X11R7.7, support for Network Manager, new development tools, a plethora of web browsers including the ability to repackage Google Chrome as a native app, a repository of extra software packages and many more are included. What else is new?

Slackware 14.0 is a production release that holds stability and security in high regard, and accordingly the choice of a kernel is crucial. After testing, the Linux kernel 3.2.29 is used and in typical Slackware fashion it comes in two versions: generic and huge. According to the release notes, the former will save some memory as well as avoid a few boot time warnings, but the latter includes a significant number of built-in drivers. To accommodate a wide variety of configurations, SMP (supports multiple processors) and non-SMP (supports a single processor) kernels are included in the latest release.

Download Slackware 14 in FileForum now!
Why would Microsoft limit the Windows Phone 8 Preview Program SDK?

Publié: octobre 1, 2012, 5:29pm CEST par Robert Johnson

Microsoft's plan to only let a few key developers into the Windows Phone 8 Preview Program SDK, understandably upsets many developers. For a plaform with only about 3 percent market share, Microsoft needs all the supporters it can get, or so the presumption goes.

Why lock out most of the people needed to develop apps that take advantage of your new platform? I think there could be two possible answers: (1) a new marketplace strategy based on the quality of apps, and (2) major unannounced features.

Marketplace Strategy

So what if (that's a big if) Microsoft is trying to go for quality by opening it up to a few key developers who will build some well-designed apps. I don't think that's a bad strategy especially since Windows Phone Marketplace, App Store and Google Play are filled with some horribly designed apps. Plus, this gives Microsoft a way to change the conversation from "number of apps" to "quality of apps".

Unannounced Features

Ultimately I think this boils down to some unannounced features and here's why:

1. Related to the marketplace strategy, perhaps these new features will be included in those apps so that they stand out from the same apps on other platforms.

2. WPCentral wrote a post a couple of weeks ago about how the Windows Phone team is intricately involved in the release of the new and updated Kinect SDK. No other site I can think of commented on this, and I thought it was hugely significant.

3. Adding on to #2, if the Windows Phone team is deeply involved in the Kinect SDK, perhaps the big unannounced feature is Kinect/NUI integration. Microsoft has already demoed Xbox to Phone Kinect gaming capabilities. See this video it's not vaporware, Microsoft could be really close to finalizing it's real-time multi-player gaming platform between Windows 8 devices (PC/Phone) and Xbox. I've already seen some of this in Windows 8 with certain games announcing upcoming updates that include pause/resume across devices.

4. It was suspected from leaked early builds of Windows 8 that there would be some sort of Kinect/NUI integration as someone found DLLs in the build indicating such. Also a document leaked years ago outlining some NUI features Microsoft was planning for Windows 8. NUI is one of the most curiously missing features of Windows 8.

5. Microsoft also has a video floating around that demos TellMe doing some pretty amazing things.

6. BUILD. Microsoft implied that BUILD will have some surprises. It makes a lot of sense if NUI is an upcoming add-on (project Blue perhaps?).

7. The Surface factor. No one can get close to this thing let alone touch it. Ballmer was recently at a developer event where he showed his Surface (!!) and from the looks of it, people were not allowed to play with it. Limited use of upcoming Windows Phone 8 devices and a locked down SDK lead to more evidence that something is being intentionally hidden.

NUI You

This is not the first time I've brought up the whole NUI idea. Remember my bad guess about the secret event from this past summer? I predicted that Microsoft would unveil Kinect integration into Windows and that perhaps this would be demoed on some upcoming Windows 8 device. Obviously I was wrong, but I still think Microsoft is working on this. I've long been a fan of Microsoft's approach to Natural User Interfaces.

So far, they are way ahead of the competition. Don't forget, they've been collecting tons of data from millions of Xbox machines attached to Kinect devices. I think NUI is a major way Microsoft can set their devices apart from the rest of the crowd. Many have said that Microsoft needs to follow their Xbox strategy going forward. When Kinect was released, Xbox was not the No. 1 game console here in the United States. Now it is, and Kinect may be the reason.

Regardless of how useful you may or may not think waving a hand or talking to a device actually is, the reality is that it looks cool and gets people's attention. And this is exactly what Microsoft needs in the Windows 8 era. They need to communicate that they as a company can actually do some innovative stuff that is meaningful and useful in a way that enhance people's lives.

What do you think? Is it a marketplace strategy, unannounced features or both?

Photo Credit: AlexandreNunes/Shutterstock
CyanogenMod 10 now comes with in-house updater. Say goodbye to ROM Manager

Publié: octobre 1, 2012, 4:52pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Great news for CyanogenMod 10 nightly users as the popular Android custom distribution now comes with a new feature named CM Updater. It brings OTA updates, and is designed to make upgrading a breeze between nightly builds, replacing ROM Manager in the process.

CM Updater has been recently implemented, and is available in the latest nightly builds for CyanogenMod 10-supported devices. Just like with stock Android 4.1 Jelly Bean the OTA update feature is located in "About phone" for a more vanilla-like experience, and delivers a number of useful features.

It comes with a scheduler that can automatically check for updates, selecting which updates to install (nightly, stable or both) and in typical nightly fashion, it can also create backups. I guess I will not need CM10 Downloader to check for and download CyanogenMod 10 nightly builds any more...
Fickle Americans sure return lots of tech devices

Publié: octobre 1, 2012, 4:51pm CEST par Joe Wilcox

Smartphone is the most commonly returned consumer electronics device, according to a new NPD study. The category accounts for 10 percent of all returns or exchanges, followed by PCs. More broadly, 18 million Americans took back or sent back some CE device during the previous 12 months. We are a fickle lot, indeed.

If you ever wondered why Apple, Google and other companies post so many how-to videos, preventing returns or exchanges is one reason. While 57 percent of returnees cite defective product as reason, the real numbers can't be that high. People are dissatisfied, often because they don't understand how the device works.

"Making sure the consumer knows how to use their new device, whether it be a smartphone or a PC, and knowing how to use it before they leave the store helps increase product and retailer satisfaction", Ben Arnold, director of NPD industry analysis, says. "Earlier this year our Tech Support Services Study found a majority of consumers used tech support for troubleshooting and how-to-support, not for product repair, just more evidence that these devices are working but that consumers are having trouble operating them".

NPD cites device complexity as factor, with features like Internet connectivity, proximity sensors and touchscreens dumbfounding many purchasers. Some manufacturers do better, or worse, than others, but the analyst firm wouldn't say which ones. However: 60 percent of smartphone returns, and 52 percent of flat-screen televisions, are for the same brand. High returns create negative brand perception, a problem improved education and tech support could resolve.

Case in point: Flat-panel TVs are among the least-returned CE devices, just 4 percent. While the devices are complex, many retailers provide in-store support before purchase or installation services afterwards.

"Retailers have an opportunity with exchanges to show consumers they can provide quality and value", Arnold says. "As technology devices become more complex and connected, pre-and post-sales support becomes more important in keeping returns low and consumer satisfaction for brands and retailers high".

NPD recommends that retailers offer more in-store education, extended services plans or warranties and better post-purchase support as means of preventing returns.

Have you returned a tech product in the last six months? What?

Photo Credit: Viorel Sima/Shutterstock
HP focuses on business with ElitePad 900 Windows 8 tablet

Publié: octobre 1, 2012, 3:45pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic
After Intel and its OEM partners announced the new Windows 8 Pro-based tablets running on the new Atom Z2760 processor, codenamed Clover Trail, Hewlett-Packard introduced the ElitePad 900 which the company labels as "a True Tablet for Business" and government, with accessories that crowd the spotlight.

Hewlett-Packard on Monday did not give much away in terms of technical specifications, but a few details were provided. The ElitePad 900 is known to come with a 16:10 10.1-inch display, a 9.2mm thickness and 1.5lbs weight without any accessories. CNC-machined aluminum is used on the tablet, with Corning Gorilla Glass 2 protecting the display. The processor used is "next-generation Intel mobile" and together with "x86 compatibility" it is likely to come with the new Intel Atom Z2760 SoC, that was previously announced. There is an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash as well as a 1080p forward-facing camera, with the latter a standout feature among tablets and smartphones which still hang around the 720p mark.

Preproduction HP ElitePad models were MIL-STD-810G tested, but according to the company, production models will lack the certification.

But the more interesting part of the announcement is represented by the new "ecosystem" business-oriented accessories which have been introduced along with the Windows 8-Pro based tablet:
- ElitePad Productivity Jacket which is basically a keyboard dock and includes connectivity ports and an SD card reader among the highlights
- ElitePad Expansion Jacket adds the possibility to attach an optional ElitePad Jacket battery for extended battery life, and comes with USB, HDMI and other connectivity ports
- ElitePad Rugged Case adds extra protection, and "military-grade reliability"
- ElitePad Docking Station provides a desktop-like experience by adding a keyboard and monitor, and can also charge the tablet or allow it to be used as a secondary display
- Executive Tablet Pen which is a flamboyant name for a stylus
The go-to note-taking app is Evernote and Skitch comes pre-installed as well, both of which are cross-platform apps with easy sharing between devices. The usual plethora of Hewlett-Packard branded applications and third party apps are included on the ElitePad 900. The device carries a one-year warranty, expandable to a three-year warranty through HP Care Pack Services.

The pricing has not yet been disclosed, but as most Windows tablets we've seen this quarter, pricing will be officially announced in the coming weeks when Windows 8 launches. The HP ElitePad 900 is expected to be released in the United States in January 2013.
PortableApps.com Platform 11 improves app store

Publié: octobre 1, 2012, 3:35pm CEST par Nick Peers

Rare Ideas LLC has released PortableApps.com Platform 11.01, a major new release of its portable application management software. PortableApps.com Platform provides a centralised interface for accessing and managing portable applications installed on a USB drive or external hard drive for ease of use.

Version 11.01 adds improved platform accessibility and keyboard navigation of the main program interface. It also provides an enhanced app store, support for incremental platform updates and improved display options.

Version 11.01’s headline new feature are its platform accessibility and keyboard navigation tools. In addition to an alternative screen reader, users can now navigate the platform app’s Start menu using the arrow and [Tab] keys, while a quick trip to the Advanced tab of the platform’s Options screen allows users to also configure the app store and updater with a keyboard-friendly selection method.

The latest build also provides a choice of four app store views, allowing users to choose to browse the store by category, title, recently updated or brand new apps. It also introduces support for incremental platform updates, which Rare Ideas promises will lead to new features being made available more quickly.

PortableApps.com Platform 11.01 also adds a number of useful organization options to the Advanced tab of the Options screen: users can show installed apps in the app directory, make favourite apps more visible, improve categories and even generate a report file of all installed apps for troubleshooting purposes.

Version 11.01, which also includes a number of minor bug fixes for problems detected during the initial release of 11.0 at the end of last week, also updates translations for several languages, including French, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Polish and Slovenian.

At the same time as launching version 11, Rare Ideas has also outlined a roadmap for the next major build, which should be available shortly via the program’s beta channel. Planned improvements include built-in support for file associations, improved Windows 7/8 integration and customisable themes, plus easier and quicker access to the user’s most used apps. Advanced users will be able to road-test these features ahead of their official release by selection Options > Advanced tab and ticking “Update to Beta platform releases”.

The PortableApps.com Platform 11.01 is a freeware download for PCs running Windows XP or later. Users can also purchase a range of flash drives with the software pre-installed, with prices starting from $29.95 for an 8GB drive.
AOKP Jelly Bean Build 4 now available

Publié: octobre 1, 2012, 3:07pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

A week after the Android Open Kang Project team announced the implementation of a new release schedule, they delivered on their promise by releasing AOKP Jelly Bean Build 4, providing along with it a number of interesting statistics.

Since June, the Android distribution reached a little over 180,000 official installations worldwide, and that is impressive for what is basically a small team of developers. The number of custom Android distributions based on AOKP code reached almost 430,000. The focus is still on AOKP Jelly Bean Build 4 that is based on Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean build number JRO03R, so what does it bring to the table?

The list of supported devices grew even further, with the Samsung Galaxy S III for US Cellular (codename d2usc), HTC One XL/One X for AT&T (codename evita) and ASUS EeePad Transformer (codename tf101).

The new build also brings along a new list of features, which includes: custom NavBar Ring on tablets, dual panel view on any device (force), dismiss/snooze the alarm by flipping or shaking the device, screenshots from NavBar, USB Mass Storage emulation for a limited number of devices (i9x -- aka Samsung Galaxy smartphones). Auto-brightness and fast charge should function better with the latest build, as well as the NavBar custom icon.

Samsung Captivate (codename captivatemtd), Galaxy S (codename galaxysmtd) and Vibrant (codename vibrantmtd) should pay attention before installing the build, as it will wipe all three smartphones. You've been warned!

AOKP Jelly Bean Build 4 becomes even more attractive than the previous builds, with features like shake/flip to dismiss/snooze the alarm. Surely on a Monday that feature will be appreciated.