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Google adds a new Settings app to Android devices

Publié: février 27, 2013, 1:36pm CET par Wayne Williams

If you have an Android phone, check your apps -- you’ll likely a have a new one lurking there. The green Google Settings app, added today, gives users quick access to various settings for services such as Google+, Apps with Google+ Sign-in, Maps & Latitude, Location, Search, and Ads. The options you see will depend on your device and what’s enabled.

The biggest, most noteworthy feature here is of course Google+ Sign-in which lets you to use your Google ID as a universal sign-in for third-party apps and services. My colleague Joe Wilcox discussed the possibilities of this following Google’s announcement of its new authentication system yesterday.

If you want to try out this new feature, the best way is to install one of the supported apps. Shazam is a good one. Once installed, you’ll be presented with a red Google+ Sign-in button, hit this and specify who you want to share your music discoveries with on Google’s social site.

Go back to the Google Settings app and tap Apps with Google+ Sign-in. This will show you Shazam, and give you the option to disconnect it, and also delete its activities on Google.

The Google+ option in the app will let you turn Notifications, Messenger and Hangouts on or off. You can choose if you want Google+ connections added to your Android ones, and let Google make suggestions based on the people you communicate with most on your phone.

You can also turn Instant Upload on or off and choose which accounts to sync.

Maps & Latitude lets you manage location reporting and sharing, and control which friends can see your current position. You can also enable location history, and turn automatic check-ins on or off.

The Ads section let you choose whether or not you want ads from Google and AdMob personalized on your device. I personally don’t but you may not be bothered.

While most of the settings on offer can be accessed through their respective apps, this new offering provides a simple way to access all of the important Google options in the one place.

Photoshop Touch now available for smartphones

Publié: février 27, 2013, 12:36pm CET par Wayne Williams

Adobe’s Photoshop Touch app for tablets is a great photo editing tool and now it’s available for handsets running iOS and Android, so you can polish up your snaps before sharing them online, or do something even more creative.

The app is packed with powerful features such as layers, selection tools, adjustments and filters, and there’s even a clever Camera Fill function which will let you use your device’s camera to fill an area on a layer. The app can handle images up to 12 megapixels in size and you get 2GB of free Adobe Creative Cloud space to store your pictures in.

The beauty of Creative Cloud is it will allow you to start working on a photo on one device, such as a tablet, switch to your phone and continue there, before firing up Photoshop on your PC or Mac and finishing things off. Of course you’ll need to own separate copies of Photoshop for the various different devices.

Speaking about the new app, Winston Hendrickson, Adobe's vice-president products, creative and media solutions said: “Mobile phones are increasingly becoming the primary tool for people to take and edit photos. Adobe is dedicated to serving our customers’ evolving creative workflow and we heard, loud and clear, that Photoshop fans wanted some core Adobe imaging magic on their smartphones.”

Photoshop Touch is available to download from the App Store or Google Play now, priced at a pretty reasonable $4.99.

Edit audio with no loss of quality using WaveShop

Publié: février 27, 2013, 12:36pm CET par Mike Williams

If you’d like to edit an audio file then there’s plenty of free tools around to help, however most of them are prone to altering your files in unexpected ways. To test this yourself, just open any file, save it with a different name, and compare that file with the original. Even though you’ve not performed any operations on the second file at all, you’ll still often find there are differences, and inevitably that’s going to mean some compromise in sound quality.

WaveShop takes an alternative approach. The program is specifically designed to be bit-perfect, only altering your audio when it’s absolutely necessary. So if you open a file and then save it immediately, there will be no changes. And if you carry out some editing task on one area of the file -- fade it out at the end, say -- everything else remains exactly as it was.

The program is open source, and comes in a variety of forms: portable, 32-bit, 64-bit and so on. For performance reasons it’s designed to process audio files entirely in memory, so where possible you should always opt for a 64-bit build.

Whatever you choose, though, the download will be relatively small (just over 1MB). Installation is quick and easy, and on launch you’ll find a very familiar interface -- there are no great surprises here and you’ll know immediately what to do.

Specifically, open an audio file (WAV, AIFF, AU, AVR, CAFF, FLAC, HTK, IFF, MAT4, MAT5, MPC, OGG, PAF, PVF, RAW, RF64, SD2, SDF, VOC, W64, WVE and 6I formats are supported), it’s presented in a standard waveform-type display, and you can zoom in, select whatever area you like, and delete or copy and paste it wherever you need.

The program has some effects you can apply, too. You’re able to amplify audio, for instance, fade it in or out, or scan your file for clipped audio.

A "Change Format" option adjusts the sample rate, sample size and number of channels.

There are Reverse and Invert tools; you get simple Peak and RMS statistics, and there are a host of ways to work with channels. You can insert, delete or swap them, for instance; extract channels to mono files; even edit surround sound audio to decide which channel is assigned to a particular speaker.

And if you’ve problems with any of this then an excellent Help file (a real Windows Help file, not a PDF or a link to some inadequate web page) does a good job of explaining what you need to know.

WaveShop doesn’t have a lot of processing options, then, but there’s a reasonable selection for version 1.0, and its non-destructive nature means there may be already good reason to use the program for simple editing tasks. So if you’d like to preserve your audio quality, as much as possible, then it’s definitely worth a try.

Photo Credit: asiana/Shutterstock

Ubuntu Touch developer preview coming to more devices soon

Publié: février 27, 2013, 9:52am CET par Wayne Williams

My colleague Mihaita Bamburic posted his first impressions on the preview version of Ubuntu Touch yesterday, and now Canonical has announced its intention to bring the early version of the mobile operating system to a further 20+ devices.

Originally only available to install on the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10, the developer preview gives installers an early start with Ubuntu Touch, but it’s currently a taster, more than an actual, fully usable operating system.

An update on the Ubuntu Wiki reveals a long list of devices that the developer preview will soon be available for, and includes the Motorola XOOM, Galaxy Nexus (codenamed toro and toroplus), Sony Xperia S and T, Samsung Galaxy S III (international, Verizon Wireless, and AT&T), Huawei Ascend G300, Samsung Galaxy S (GT-I9000), Samsung Galaxy S SCL (GT-I90003), Samsung Galaxy Note, Samsung Galaxy Note II, Samsung Galaxy S II (international), HTC One X, HTC One XL, HTC One X+ (multiple versions), Asus Transformer Infinity, LG Optimus 4x HD, Nexus S, Nexus One, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Wi-Fi, and the Asus Transformer Pad.

Unlocking and install instructions, as well as the code/image are already available for some devices in the list, including the Sony Xperia S and T, and Huawei Ascend G300.

It’s good to see the OS being made compatible with such a wide range of devices, and surprising too, as I wouldn’t have expected it to run all that well on older hardware like the Nexus One. Of course making it available for aging devices is a good thing as enthusiasts will be more willing to install the OS on an old phone in a drawer than on their current model.

Do you plan to take the developer preview for a spin, or like me are you waiting for a more fully operational version? Leave your comments below.

Accidental Empires, Part 10 -- Amateur hour (Chapter 3)

Publié: février 27, 2013, 8:49am CET par Robert X. Cringely

Tenth in a series. Robert X. Cringely's brilliant tome about the rise of the personal computing industry continues, looking at programming languages and operating systems.

Published in 1991, Accidental Empires is an excellent lens for viewing not just the past but future computing.

CHAPTER FOUR

AMATEUR HOUR

You have to wonder what it was we were doing before we had all these computers in our lives. Same stuff, pretty much. Down at the auto parts store, the counterman had to get a ladder and climb way the heck up to reach some top shelf, where he’d feel around in a little box and find out that the muffler clamps were all gone. Today he uses a computer, which tells him that there are three muffler clamps sitting in that same little box on the top shelf. But he still has to get the ladder and climb up to get them, and, worse still, sometimes the computer lies, and there are no muffler clamps at all, spoiling the digital perfection of the auto parts world as we have come to know it.

What we’re often looking for when we add the extra overhead of building a computer into our businesses and our lives is certainty. We want something to believe in, something that will take from our shoulders the burden of knowing when to reorder muffler clamps. In the twelfth century, before there even were muffler clamps, such certainty came in the form of a belief in God, made tangible through the building of cathedrals -- places where God could be accessed. For lots of us today, the belief is more in the sanctity of those digital zeros and ones, and our cathedral is the personal computer. In a way, we’re replacing God with Bill Gates.

Uh-oh.

The problem, of course, is with those zeros and ones. Yes or no, right or wrong, is what those digital bits seem to signify, looking so clean and unconnected that we forget for a moment about that time in the eighth grade when Miss Schwerko humiliated us all with a true-false test. The truth is, that for all the apparent precision of computers, and despite the fact that our mothers and Tom Peters would still like to believe that perfection is attainable in this life, computer and software companies are still remarkably imprecise places, and their products reflect it. And why shouldn’t they, since we’re still at the fumbling stage, where good and bad developments seem to happen at random.

Look at Intel, for example. Up to this point in the story, Intel comes off pretty much as high-tech heaven on earth. As the semiconductor company that most directly begat the personal computer business, Intel invented the microprocessor and memory technologies used in PCs and acted as an example of how a high-tech company should be organized and managed. But that doesn’t mean that Bob Noyce’s crew didn’t screw up occasionally.

There was a time in the early 1980s when Intel suffered terrible quality problems. It was building microprocessors and other parts by the millions and by the millions these parts tested bad. The problem was caused by dust, the major enemy of computer chip makers. When your business relies on printing metallic traces that are only a millionth of an inch wide, having a dust mote ten times that size come rolling across a silicon wafer means that some traces won’t be printed correctly and some parts won’t work at all. A few bad parts are to be expected, since there are dozens, sometimes hundreds, printed on a single wafer, which is later cut into individual components. But Intel was suddenly getting as many bad parts as good, and that was bad for business.

Semiconductor companies fight dust by building their components in expensive clean rooms, where technicians wear surgical masks, paper booties, rubber gloves, and special suits and where the air is specially filtered. Intel had plenty of clean rooms, but it still had a big dust problem, so the engineers cleverly decided that the wafers were probably dusty before they ever arrived at Intel. The wafers were made in the East by Monsanto. Suddenly it was Monsanto’s dust problem.

Monsanto engineers spent months and millions trying to eliminate every last speck of dust from their silicon wafer production facility in South Carolina. They made what they thought was terrific progress, too, though it didn’t show in Intel’s production yields, which were still terrible. The funny thing was that Monsanto’s other customers weren’t complaining. IBM, for example, wasn’t complaining, and IBM was a very picky customer, always asking for wafers that were extra big or extra small or triangular instead of round. IBM was having no dust problems.

If Monsanto was clean and Intel was clean, the only remaining possibility was that the wafers somehow got dusty on their trip between the two companies, so the Monsanto engineers hired a private investigator to tail the next shipment of wafers to Intel. Their private eye uncovered an Intel shipping clerk who was opening incoming boxes of super-clean silicon wafers and then counting out the wafers by hand into piles on a super-unclean desktop, just to make sure that Bob Noyce was getting every silicon wafer he was paying for.

The point of this story goes far beyond the undeification of Intel to a fundamental characteristic of most high-tech businesses. There is a business axiom that management gurus spout and that bigshot industrialists repeat to themselves as a mantra if they want to sleep well at night. The axiom says that when a business grows past $1 billion in annual sales, it becomes too large for any one individual to have a significant impact. Alas, this is not true when it’s a $1 billion high-tech business, where too often the critical path goes right through the head of one particular programmer or engineer or even through the head of a well-meaning clerk down in the shipping department. Remember that Intel was already a $1 billion company when it was brought to its knees by desk dust.

The reason that there are so many points at which a chip, a computer, or a program is dependent on just one person is that the companies lack depth. Like any other new industry, this is one staffed mainly by pioneers, who are, by definition, a small minority. People in critical positions in these organizations don’t usually have backup, so when they make a mistake, the whole company makes a mistake.

My estimate, in fact, is that there are only about twenty-five real people in the entire personal computer industry -- this shipping clerk at Intel and around twenty-four others. Sure, Apple Computer has 10,000 workers, or says it does, and IBM claims nearly 400,000 workers worldwide, but has to be lying. Those workers must be temps or maybe androids because I keep running into the same two dozen people at every company I visit. Maybe it’s a tax dodge. Finish this book and you’ll see; the companies keep changing, but the names are always the same.

Intel begat the microprocessor and the dynamic random access memory chip, which made possible MITS, the first of many personal computer companies with a stupid name. And MITS, in turn, made possible Microsoft, because computer hardware must exist, or at least be claimed to exist, before programmers can even envision software for it. Just as cave dwellers didn’t squat with their flint tools chipping out parking brake assemblies for 1967 Buicks, so programmers don’t write software that has no computer upon which to run. Hardware nearly always leads software, enabling new development, which is why Bill Gates’s conversion from minicomputers to microcomputers did not come (could not come) until 1974, when he was a sophomore at Harvard University and the appearance of the MITS Altair 8800 computer made personal computer software finally possible.

Like the Buddha, Gates’s enlightenment came in a flash. Walking across Harvard Yard while Paul Allen waved in his face the January 1975 issue of Popular Electronics announcing the Altair 8800 microcomputer from MITS, they both saw instantly that there would really be a personal computer industry and that the industry would need programming languages. Although there were no microcomputer software companies yet, 19-year-old Bill’s first concern was that they were already too late. “We realized that the revolution might happen without us”, Gates said. After we saw that article, there was no question of where our life would focus”.

“Our life!” What the heck does Gates mean here -- that he and Paul Allen were joined at the frontal lobe, sharing a single life, a single set of experiences? In those days, the answer was “yes”. Drawn together by the idea of starting a pioneering software company and each convinced that he couldn’t succeed alone, they committed to sharing a single life -- a life unlike that of most other PC pioneers because it was devoted as much to doing business as to doing technology.

Gates was a businessman from the start; otherwise, why would he have been worried about being passed by? There was plenty of room for high-level computer languages to be developed for the fledgling platforms, but there was only room for one first high-level language. Anyone could participate in a movement, but only those with the right timing could control it. Gates knew that the first language -- the one resold by MITS, maker of the Altair -- would become the standard for the whole industry. Those who seek to establish such de facto standards in any industry do so for business reasons.

“This is a very personal business, but success comes from appealing to groups”, Gates says. “Money is made by setting de facto standards”.

The Altair was not much of a consumer product. It came typically as an unassembled $350 kit, clearly targeting only the electronic hobbyist market. There was no software for the machine, so, while it may have existed, it sure didn’t compute. There wasn’t even a keyboard. The only way of programming the computer at first was through entering strings of hexadecimal code by flicking a row of switches on the front panel. There was no display other than some blinking lights. The Altair was limited in its appeal to those who could solder (which eliminated most good programmers) and to those who could program in machine language (which eliminated most good solderers).

BASIC was generally recognized as the easiest programming language to learn in 1975. It automatically converted simple English-like commands to machine language, effectively removing the programming limitation and at least doubling the number of prospective Altair customers.

Since they didn’t have an Altair 8800 computer (nobody did yet), Gates and Allen wrote a program that made a PDP-10 minicomputer at the Harvard Computation Center simulate the Altair’s Intel 8080 microprocessor. In six weeks, they wrote a version of the BASIC programming language that would run on the phantom Altair synthesized in the minicomputer. They hoped it would run on a real Altair equipped with at least 4096 bytes of random access memory. The first time they tried to run the language on a real microcomputer was when Paul Allen demonstrated the product to MITS founder Ed Roberts at the company’s headquarters in Albuquerque. To their surprise and relief, it worked.

MITS BASIC, as it came to be called, gave substance to the microcomputer. Big computers ran BASIC. Real programs had been written in the language and were performing business, educational, and scientific functions in the real world. While the Altair was a computer of limited power, the fact that Allen and Gates were able to make a high-level language like BASIC run on the platform meant that potential users could imagine running these same sorts of applications now on a desktop rather than on a mainframe.

MITS BASIC was dramatic in its memory efficiency and made the bold move of adding commands that allowed programmers to control the computer memory directly. MITS BASIC wasn’t perfect. The authors of the original BASIC, John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz, both of Dartmouth College, were concerned that Gates and Allen’s version deviated from the language they had designed and placed into the public domain a decade before. Kemeny and Kurtz might have been unimpressed, but the hobbyist world was euphoric.

I’ve got to point out here that for many years Kemeny was president of Dartmouth, a school that didn’t accept me when I was applying to colleges. Later, toward the end of the Age of Jimmy Carter, I found myself working for Kemeny, who was then head of the presidential commission investigating the Three Mile Island nuclear accident. One day I told him how Dartmouth had rejected me, and he said, “College admissions are never perfect, though in your case I’m sure we did the right thing”. After that I felt a certain affection for Bill Gates.

Gates dropped out of Harvard, Allen left his programming job at Honeywell, and both moved to New Mexico to be close to their customer, in the best Tom Peters style. Hobbyists don’t move across country to maintain business relationships, but businessmen do. They camped out in the Sundowner Motel on Route 66 in a neighborhood noted for all-night coffee shops, hookers, and drug dealers.

Gates and Allen did not limit their interest to MITS. They wrote versions of BASIC for other microcomputers as they came to market, leveraging their core technology. The two eventually had a falling out with Ed Roberts of MITS, who claimed that he owned MITS BASIC and its derivatives; they fought and won, something that hackers rarely bothered to do. Capitalists to the bone, they railed against software piracy before it even had a name, writing whining letters to early PC publications.

Gates and Allen started Microsoft with a stated mission of putting “a computer on every desk and in every home, running Microsoft software”. Although it seemed ludicrous at the time, they meant it.

While Allen and Gates deliberately went about creating an industry and then controlling it, they were important exceptions to the general trend of PC entrepreneurism. Most of their eventual competitors were people who managed to be in just the right place at the right time and more or less fell into business. These people were mainly enthusiasts who at first developed computer languages and operating systems for their own use. It was worth the effort if only one person -- the developer himself -- used their product. Often they couldn’t even imagine why anyone else would be interested.

Gary Kildall, for example, invented the first microcomputer operating system because he was tired of driving to work. In the early 1970s, Kildall taught computer science at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, where his specialty was compiler design. Compilers are software tools that take entire programs written in a high-level language like FORTRAN or Pascal and translate them into assembly language, which can be read directly by the computer. High-level languages are easier to learn than Assembler, so compilers allowed programs to be completed faster and with more features, although the final code was usually longer than if the program had been written directly in the internal language of the microprocessor. Compilers translate, or compile, large sections of code into Assembler at one time, as opposed to interpreters, which translate commands one at a time.

By 1974, Intel had added the 8008 and 8080 to its family of microprocessors and had hired Gary Kildall as a consultant to write software to emulate the 8080 on a DEC time-sharing system, much as Gates and Allen would shortly do at Harvard. Since there were no microcomputers yet, Intel realized that the best way for companies to develop software for microprocessor-based devices was by using such an emulator on a larger system.

Kildall’s job was to write the emulator, called Interp/80, followed by a high-level language called PL/M, which was planned as a microcomputer equivalent of the XPL language developed for mainframe computers at Stanford University. Nothing so mundane (and useful by mere mortals) as BASIC for Gary Kildall, who had a Ph.D. in compiler design.

What bothered Kildall was not the difficulty of writing the software but the tedium of driving the fifty miles from his home in Pacific Grove across the Santa Cruz mountains to use the Intel minicomputer in Silicon Valley. He could have used a remote teletype terminal at home, but the terminal was incredibly slow for inputting thousands of lines of data over a phone line; driving was faster.

Or he could develop software directly on the 8080 processor, bypassing the time-sharing system completely. Not only could he avoid the long drive, but developing directly on the microprocessor would also bypass any errors in the minicomputer 8080 emulator. The only problem was that the 8080 microcomputer Gary Kildall wanted to take home didn’t exist.

What did exist was the Intellec-8, an Intel product that could be used (sort of) to program an 8080 processor. The Intellec-8 had a microprocessor, some memory, and a port for attaching a Teletype 33 terminal. There was no software and no method for storing data and programs outside of main memory.

The primary difference between the Intellec-8 and a microcomputer was external data storage and the software to control it. IBM had invented a new device, called a floppy disk, to replace punched cards for its minicomputers. The disks themselves could be removed from the drive mechanism, were eight inches in diameter, and held the equivalent of thousands of pages of data. Priced at around $500, the floppy disk drive was perfect for Kildall’s external storage device. KildaU, who didn’t have $500, convinced Shugart Associates, a floppy disk drive maker, to give him a worn-out floppy drive used in its 10,000-hour torture test. While his friend John Torode invented a controller to link the Intellec-8 and the floppy disk drive, Kildall used the 8080 emulator on the Intel time-sharing system to develop his operating system, called CP/M, or Control Program/Monitor.

If a computer acquires a personality, it does so from its operating system. Users interact with the operating system, which interacts with the computer. The operating system controls the flow of data between a computer and its long-term storage system. It also controls access to system memory and keeps those bits of data that are thrashing around the microprocessor from thrashing into each other. Operating systems usually store data in files, which have individual names and characteristics and can be called up as a program or the user requires them.

Gary Kildall developed CP/M on a DEC PDP-10 minicomputer running the TOPS-10 operating system. Not surprisingly, most CP/M commands and file naming conventions look and operate like their TOPS-10-counterparts. It wasn’t pretty, but it did the job.

By the time he’d finished writing the operating system, Intel didn’t want CP/M and had even lost interest in Kildall’s PL/M language. The only customers for CP/M in 1975 were a maker of intelligent terminals and Lawrence Livermore Labs, which used CP/M to monitor programs on its Octopus network.

In 1976, Kildall was approached by Imsai, the second personal computer company with a stupid name. Imsai manufactured an early 8080-based microcomputer that competed with the Altair. In typical early microcomputer company fashion, Imsai had sold floppy disk drives to many of its customers, promising to send along an operating system eventually. With each of them now holding at least $1,000 worth of hardware that was only gathering dust, the customers wanted their operating system, and CP/M was the only operating system for Intel-based computers that was actually available.

By the time Imsai came along, Kildall and Torode had adapted CP/M to four different floppy disk controllers. There were probably 100 little companies talking about doing 8080-based computers, and neither man wanted to invest the endless hours of tedious coding required to adapt CP/M to each of these new platforms. So they split the parts of CP/M that interfaced with each new controller into a separate computer code module, called the Basic Input/Output System, or BIOS. With all the hardware-dependent parts of CP/M concentrated in the BIOS, it became a relatively easy job to adapt the operating system to many different Intel-based microcomputers by modifying just the BIOS.

With his CP/M and invention of the BIOS, Gary Kildall defined the microcomputer. Peek into any personal computer today, and you’ll find a general-purpose operating system adapted to specific hardware through the use of a BIOS, which is now a specialized type of memory chip.

In the six years after Imsai offered the first CP/M computer, more than 500,000 CP/M computers were sold by dozens of makers. Programmers began to write CP/M applications, relying on the operating system’s features to control the keyboard, screen, and data storage. This base of applications turned CP/M into a de facto standard among microcomputer operating systems, guaranteeing its long-term success. Kildall started a company called Intergalactic Digital Research (later, just Digital Research) to sell the software in volume to computer makers and direct to users for $70 per copy. He made millions of dollars, essentially without trying.

Before he knew it, Gary Kildall had plenty of money, fast cars, a couple of airplanes, and a business that made increasing demands on his time. His success, while not unwelcome, was unexpected, which also meant that it was unplanned for. Success brings with it a whole new set of problems, as Gary Kildall discovered. You can plan for failure, but how do you plan for success?

Every entrepreneur has an objective, which, once achieved, leads to a crisis. In Gary Kildall’s case, the objective -- just to write CP/M, not even to sell it -- was very low, so the crisis came quickly. He was a code god, a programmer who literally saw lines of code fully formed in his mind and then committed them effortlessly to the keyboard in much the same way that Mozart wrote music. He was one with the machine; what did he need with seventy employees?

“Gary didn’t give a shit about the business. He was more interested in getting laid”, said Gordon Eubanks, a former student of Kildall who led development of computer languages at Digital Research. “So much went so well for so long that he couldn’t imagine it would change. When it did -- when change was forced upon him -- Gary didn’t know how to handle it.”

“Gary and Dorothy [Kildall's wife and a Digital Research vice-president) had arrogance and cockiness but no passion for products. No one wanted to make the products great. Dan Bricklin [another PC software pionee -- read on] sent a document saying what should be fixed in CP/M, but it was ignored. Then I urged Gary to do a BASIC language to bundle with CP/M, but when we finally got him to do a language, he insisted on PL/i -- a virtually unmarketable language”.

Digital Research was slow in developing a language business to go with its operating systems. It was also slow in updating its core operating system and extending it into the new world of 16-bit microprocessors that came along after 1980. The company in those days was run like a little kingdom, ruled by Gary and Dorothy Kildall.

“In one board meeting”, recalled a former Digital Research executive, “we were talking about whether to grant stock options to a woman employee. Dorothy said, ‘No, she doesn’t deserve options -- she’s not professional enough; her kids visit her at work after 5:00 p.m.’ Two minutes later, Christy Kildall, their daughter, burst into the boardroom and dragged Gary off with her to the stable to ride horses, ending the meeting. Oh yeah, Dorothy knew about professionalism”.

Let’s say for a minute that Eubanks was correct, and Gary Kildall didn’t give a shit about the business. Who said that he had to? CP/M was his invention; Digital Research was his company. The fact that it succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations did not make those earlier expectations invalid. Gary Kildall’s ambition was limited, something that is not supposed to be a factor in American business. If you hope for a thousand and get a million, you are still expected to want more, but he didn’t.

It’s easy for authors of business books to get rankled by characters like Gary Kildall who don’t take good care of the empires they have built. But in fact, there are no absolute rules of behavior for companies like Digital Research. The business world is, like computers, created entirely by people. God didn’t come down and say there will be a corporation and it will have a board of directors. We made that up. Gary Kildall made up Digital Research.

Eubanks, who came to Digital Research after a naval career spent aboard submarines, hated Kildall’s apparent lack of discipline, not understanding that it was just a different kind of discipline. Kildall was into programming, not business.

“Programming is very much a religious experience for a lot of people”, Kildall explained. “If you talk about programming to a group of programmers who use the same language, they can become almost evangelistic about the language. They form a tight-knit community, hold to certain beliefs, and follow certain rules in their programming. It’s like a church with a programming language for a bible”.

Gary Kildall’s bible said that writing a BASIC compiler to go with CP/M might be a shrewd business move, but it would be a step backward technically. Kildall wanted to break new ground, and a BASIC had already been done by Microsoft.

“The unstated rule around Digital Reseach was that Microsoft did languages, while we did operating systems”, Eubanks explained. “It was never stated emphatically, but I always thought that Gary assumed he had an agreement with Bill Gates about this separation and that as long as we didn’t compete with Microsoft, they wouldn’t compete with us”.

Sure.

The Altair 8800 may have been the first microcomputer, but it was not a commercial success. The problem was that assembly took from forty to an infinite number of hours, depending on the hobbyist’s mechanical ability. When the kit was done, the microcomputer either worked or didn’t. If it worked, the owner had a programmable computer with a BASIC interpreter, ready to run any software he felt like writing.

The first microcomputer that was a major commercial success was the Apple II. It succeeded because it was the first microcomputer that looked like a consumer electronic product. You could buy the Apple from a dealer who would fix it if it broke and would give you at least a little help in learning to operate the beast. The Apple II had a floppy disk drive for data storage, did not require a separate Teletype or video terminal, and offered color graphics in addition to text. Most important, you could buy software written by others that would run on the Apple and with which a novice could do real work.

The Apple II still defines what a low-end computer is like. Twenty-third century archaeologists excavating some ancient ComputerLand stockroom will see no significant functional difference between an Apple II of 1978 and an IBM PS/2 of 1992. Both have processor, memory, storage, and video graphics. Sure, the PS/2 has a faster processor, more memory and storage, and higher-resolution graphics, but that only matters to us today. By the twenty-third century, both machines will seem equally primitive.

The Apple II was guided by three spirits. Steve Wozniak invented the earlier Apple I to show it off to his friends in the Homebrew Computer Club. Steve Jobs was Wozniak’s younger sidekick who came up with the idea of building computers for sale and generally nagged Woz and others until the Apple II was working to his satisfaction. Mike Markkula was the semiretired Intel veteran (and one of Noyce’s boys) who brought the money and status required for the other two to be taken at all seriously.

Wozniak made the Apple II a simple machine that used clever hardware tricks to get good performance at a smallish price (at least to produce -- the retail price of a fully outfitted Apple II was around $3,000). He found a way to allow the microprocessor and the video display to share the same memory. His floppy disk controller, developed during a two-week period in December 1977, used less than a quarter the number of integrated circuits required by other controllers at the time. The Apple’s floppy disk controller made it clearly superior to machines appearing about the same time from Commodore and Radio Shack. More so than probably any other microcomputer, the Apple II was the invention of a single person; even Apple’s original BASIC interpreter, which was always available in readonly memory, had been written by Woz.

Woz made the Apple II a color machine to prove that he could do it and so he could use the computer to play a color version of Breakout, a video game that he and Jobs had designed for Atari. Markkula, whose main contributions at Intel had been in finance, pushed development of the floppy disk drive so the computer could be used to run accounting programs and store resulting financial data for small business owners. Each man saw the Apple II as a new way of fulfilling an established need -- to replace a video game for Woz and a mainframe for Markkula. This followed the trend that new media tend to imitate old media.

Radio began as vaudeville over the air, while early television was radio with pictures. For most users (though not for Woz) the microcomputer was a small mainframe, which explained why Apple’s first application for the machine was an accounting package and the first application supplied by a third-party developer was a database -- both perfect products for a mainframe substitute. But the Apple II wasn’t a very good mainframe replacement. The fact is that new inventions often have to find uses of their own in order to find commercial success, and this was true for the Apple II, which became successful strictly as a spreadsheet machine, a function that none of its inventors visualized.

At $3,000 for a fully configured system, the Apple II did not have a big future as a home machine. Old-timers like to reminisce about the early days of Apple when the company’s computers were affordable, but the truth is that they never were.

The Apple II found its eventual home in business, answering the prayers of all those middle managers who had not been able to gain access to the company’s mainframe or who were tired of waiting the six weeks it took for the computer department to prepare a report, dragging the answers to simple business questions from corporate data. Instead, they quickly learned to use a spreadsheet program called VisiCalc, which was available at first only on the Apple II.

VisiCalc was a compelling application -- an application so important that it, alone justified the computer purchase. Such an application was the last element required to turn the microcomputer from a hobbyist’s toy into a business machine. No matter how powerful and brilliantly designed, no computer can be successful without a compelling application. To the people who bought them, mainframes were really inventory machines or accounting machines, and minicomputers were office automation machines. The Apple II was a VisiCalc machine.

VisiCalc was a whole new thing, an application that had not appeared before on some other platform. There were no minicomputer or mainframe spreadsheet programs that could be downsized to run on a microcomputer. The microcomputer and the spreadsheet came along at the same time. They were made for each other.

VisiCalc came about because its inventor, Dan Bricklin, went to business school. And Bricklin went to business school because he thought that his career as a programmer was about to end; it was becoming so easy to write programs that Bricklin was convinced there would eventually be no need for programmers at all, and he would be out of a job. So in the fall of 1977, 26 years old and worried about being washed up, he entered the Harvard Business School looking toward a new career.

At Harvard, Bricklin had an advantage over other students. He could whip up BASIC programs on the Harvard time-sharing system that would perform financial calculations. The problem with Bricklin’s programs was that they had to be written and rewritten for each new problem. He began to look for a more general way of doing these calculations in a format that would be flexible.

What Bricklin really wanted was not a microcomputer program at all but a specialized piece of hardware -- a kind of very advanced calculator with a heads-up display similar to the weapons system controls on an F-14 fighter. Like Luke Skywalker jumping into the turret of the Millennium Falcon, Bricklin saw himself blasting out financials, locking onto profit and loss numbers that would appear suspended in space before him. It was to be a business tool cum video game, a Saturday Night Special for M.B.A.s, only the hardware technology didn’t exist in those days to make it happen.

Back in the semireal world of the Harvard Business School, Bricklin’s production professor described large blackboards that were used in some companies for production planning. These blackboards, often so long that they spanned several rooms, were segmented in a matrix of rows and columns. The production planners would fill each space with chalk scribbles relating to the time, materials, manpower, and money needed to manufacture a product. Each cell on the blackboard was located in both a column and a row, so each had a two-dimensional address. Some cells were related to others, so if the number of workers listed in cell C-3 was increased, it meant that the amount of total wages in cell D-5 had to be increased proportionally, as did the total number of items produced, listed in cell F-7. Changing the value in one cell required the recalculation of values in all other linked cells, which took a lot of erasing and a lot of recalculating and left the planners constantly worried that they had overlooked recalculating a linked value, making their overall conclusions incorrect.

Given that Bricklin’s Luke Skywalker approach was out of the question, the blackboard metaphor made a good structure for Bricklin’s financial calculator, with a video screen replacing the physical blackboard. Once data and formulas were introduced by the user into each cell, changing one variable would automatically cause all the other cells to be recalculated and changed too. No linked cells could be forgotten. The video screen would show a window on a spreadsheet that was actually held in computer memory. The virtual spreadsheet inside the box could be almost any size, putting on a desk what had once taken whole rooms filled with blackboards. Once the spreadsheet was set up, answering a what-if question like “How much more money will we make if we raise the price of each widget by a dime?” would take only seconds.

His production professor loved the idea, as did Bricklin’s accounting professor. Bricklin’s finance professor, who had others to do his computing for him, said there were already financial analysis programs running on mainframes, so the world did not need Dan Bricklin’s little program. Only the world did need Dan Bricklin’s little program, which still didn’t have a name.

It’s not surprising that VisiCalc grew out of a business school experience because it was the business schools that were producing most of the future VisiCalc users. They were the thousands of M.B.A.s who were coming into the workplace trained in analytical business techniques and, even more important, in typing. They had the skills and the motivation but usually not the access to their company computer. They were the first generation of businesspeople who could do it all by themselves, given the proper tools.

Bricklin cobbled up a demonstration version of his idea over a weekend. It was written in BASIC, was slow, and had only enough rows and columns to fill a single screen, but it demonstrated many of the basic functions of the spreadsheet. For one thing, it just sat there. This is the genius of the spreadsheet; it’s event driven. Unless the user changes a cell, nothing happens. This may not seem like much, but being event driven makes a spreadsheet totally responsive to the user; it puts the user in charge in a way that most other programs did not. VisiCalc was a spreadsheet language, and what the users were doing was rudimentary programming, without the anxiety of knowing that’s what it was.

By the time Bricklin had his demonstration program running, it was early 1978 and the mass market for microcomputers, such as it was, was being vied for by the Apple II, Commodore PET, and the Radio Shack TRS-80. Since he had no experience with micros, and so no preference for any particular machine, Bricklin and Bob Frankston, his old friend from MIT and new partner, developed VisiCalc for the Apple II, strictly because that was the computer their would-be publisher loaned them in the fall of 1978. No technical merit was involved in the decision.

Dan Fylstra was the publisher. He had graduated from Harvard Business School a year or two before and was trying to make a living selling microcomputer chess programs from his home. Fylstra’s Personal Software was the archetypal microcomputer application software company. Bill Gates at Microsoft and Gary Kildall at Digital Research were specializing in operating systems and languages, products that were lumped together under the label of systems software, and were mainly sold to hardware manufacturers rather than directly to users. But Fylstra was selling applications direct to retailers and end users, often one program at a time. With no clear example to follow, he had to make most of the mistakes himself, and did.

Since there was no obvious success story to emulate, no retail software company that had already stumbled across the rules for making money, Fylstra dusted off his Harvard case study technique and looked for similar industries whose rules could be adapted to the microcomputer software biz. About the closest example he could find was book publishing, where the author accepts responsibility for designing and implementing the product, and the publisher is responsible for manufacturing, distribution, marketing, and sales. Transferred to the microcomputer arena, this meant that Software Arts, the company Bricklin and Frankston formed, would develop VisiCalc and its subsequent versions, while Personal Software, Fylstra’s company, would copy the floppy disks, print the manuals, place ads in computer publications, and distribute the product to retailers and the public. Software Arts would receive a royalty of 37.5 percent on copies of VisiCalc sold at retail and 50 percent for copies sold wholesale. “The numbers seemed fair at the time,” Fylstra said.

Bricklin was still in school, so he and Frankston divided their efforts in a way that would become a standard for microcomputer programming projects. Bricklin designed the program, while Frankston wrote the actual code. Bricklin would say, “This is the way the program is supposed to look, these are the features, and this is the way it should function”, but the actual design of the internal program was left up to Bob Frankston, who had been writing software since 1963 and was clearly up to the task. Frankston added a few features on his own, including one called “lookup”, which could extract values from a table, so he could use VisiCalc to do his taxes.

Bob Frankston is a gentle man and a brilliant programmer who lives in a world that is just slightly out of sync with the world in which you and I live. (Okay, so it’s out of sync with the world in which you live.) When I met him, Frankston was chief scientist at Lotus Development, the people who gave us the Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet. In a personal computer hardware or software company, being named chief scientist means that the boss doesn’t know what to do with you. Chief scientists don’t generally have to do anything; they’re just smart people whom the company doesn’t want to lose to a competitor. So they get a title and an office and are obliged to represent the glorious past at all company functions. At Apple Computer, they call them Apple Fellows, because you can’t have more than one chief scientist.

Bob Frankston, a modified nerd (he combined the requisite flannel shirt with a full beard), seemed not to notice that his role of chief scientist was a sham, because to him it wasn’t; it was the perfect opportunity to look inward and think deep thoughts without regard to their marketability.

“Why are you doing this as a book?” Frankston asked me over breakfast one morning in Newton, Massachusetts. By “this”, he meant the book you have in your hands right now, the major literary work of my career and, I hope, the basis of an important American fortune. “Why not do it as a hypertext file that people could just browse through on their computers?”

I will not be browsed through. The essence of writing books is the author’s right to tell the story in his own words and in the order he chooses. Hypertext, which allows an instant accounting of how many times the words Dynamic Random-Access Memory or fuck appear, completely eliminates what I perceive as my value-added, turns this exercise into something like the Yellow Pages, and totally eliminates the prospect that it will help fund my retirement.

“Oh”, said Frankston, with eyebrows raised. “Okay”.

Meanwhile, back in 1979, Bricklin and Frankston developed the first version of VisiCalc on an Apple II emulator running on a minicomputer, just as Microsoft BASIC and CP/M had been written. Money was tight, so Frankston worked at night, when computer time was cheaper and when the time-sharing system responded faster because there were fewer users.

They thought that the whole job would take a month, but it took close to a year to finish. During this time, Fylstra was showing prerelease versions of the product to the first few software retailers and to computer companies like Apple and Atari. Atari was interested but did not yet have a computer to sell. Apple’s reaction to the product was lukewarm.

VisiCalc hit the market in October 1979, selling for $100. The first 100 copies went to Marv Goldschmitt’s computer store in Bedford, Massachusetts, where Dan Bricklin appeared regularly to give demonstrations to bewildered customers. Sales were slow. Nothing like this product had existed before, so it would be a mistake to blame the early microcomputer users for not realizing they were seeing the future when they stared at their first VisiCalc screen.

Nearly every software developer in those days believed that small businesspeople would be the main users of any financial products they’d develop. Markkula’s beloved accounting system, for example, would be used by small retailers and manufacturers who could not afford access to a time-sharing system and preferred not to farm the job out to an accounting service. Bricklin’s spreadsheet would be used by these same small businesspeople to prepare budgets and forecast business trends. Automation was supposed to come to the small business community through the microcomputer just as it had come to the large and medium businesses through mainframes and minicomputers. But it didn’t work that way.

The problem with the small business market was that small businesses weren’t, for the most part, very businesslike. Most small businesspeople didn’t know what they were doing. Accounting was clearly beyond them.

At the time, sales to hobbyists and would-be computer game players were topping out, and small businesses weren’t buying. Apple and most of its competitors were in real trouble. The personal computer revolution looked as if it might last only five /ears. But then VisiCalc sales began to kick in.

Among the many customers who watched VisiCalc demos at Marv Goldschmitt’s computer store were a few businesspeople -- rare members of both the set of computer enthusiasts and the economic establishment. Many of these people had bought Apple lis, hoping to do real work until they attempted to come to terms with the computer’s forty-column display and lack of lowercase letters. In VisiCalc, they found an application that did not care about lowercase letters, and since the program used a view through the screen on a larger, virtual spreadsheet, the forty-column limit was less of one. For $100, they took a chance, carried the program home, then eventually took both the program and the computer it ran on with them to work. The true market for the Apple II turned out to be big business, and it was through the efforts of enthusiast employees, not Apple marketers, that the Apple II invaded industry.

“The beautiful thing about the spreadsheet was that customers in big business were really smart and understood the benefits right away”, said Trip Hawkins, who was in charge of small business strategy at Apple. “I visited Westinghouse in Pittsburgh. The company had decided that Apple II technology wasn’t suitable, but 1,000 Apple lis had somehow arrived in the corporate headquarters, bought with petty cash funds and popularized by the office intelligentsia”.

Hawkins was among the first to realize that the spreadsheet was a new form of computer life and that VisiCalc -- the only spreadsheet on the market and available at first only on the Apple II -- would be Apple’s tool for entering, maybe dominating, the microcomputer market for medium and large corporations. VisiCalc was a strategic asset and one that had to be tied up fast before Bricklin and Frankston moved it onto other platforms like the Radio Shack TRS-80.

“When I brought the first copies of VisiCalc into Apple, it was clear to me that this was an important application, vital to the success of the Apple II”, Hawkins said. “We didn’t want it to appear on the Radio Shack or on the IBM machine we knew was coming, so I took Dan Fylstra to lunch and talked about a buyout. The price we settled on would have been $1 million worth of Apple stock, which would have been worth much more later. But when I took the deal to Markkula for approval, he said, ‘No, it’s too expensive’”.

A million dollars was an important value point in the early microcomputer software business. Every programmer who bothered to think about money at all looked toward the time when he would sell out for a cool million. Apple could have used ownership of the program to dominate business microcomputing for years. The deal would have been good, too, for Dan Fylstra, who so recently had been selling chess programs out of his apartment. Except that Dan Fylstra didn’t own VisiCalc -- Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston did. The deal came and went without the boys in Massachusetts even being told.

Reprinted with permission

Is your hard drive in shape? BenchMe

Publié: février 27, 2013, 7:19am CET par Mike Williams

If your PC has multiple drives – or even just several USB keys -- then you’ve probably already decided exactly how each drive is going to be used. But are you sure that decision is correct? Do you know which drive is the fastest, for instance? If that might make a difference, then BenchMe is a simple and free device benchmarking tool which may be able to help.

The program comes in a very small download (703KB), which unfortunately then requires installation. We’re not quite sure why -- it looks like the kind of tool which could very easily be portable -- but at least there’s no adware or other dangers to worry about.

On launch BenchMe presents you with an extremely basic interface, which essentially consists of 5 buttons and an (initially blank) report screen. And so, while we’d normally complain about the lack of documentation -- there’s no Help file, no Readme.txt, not even any tooltips -- in this case you really don’t need any at all.

All you really have to do is click the arrow to the right of the Start button, and choose the device or drive you’d like to benchmark. And that’s it, your work is done -- you can now sit back and watch as BenchMe begins its checks.

This simplicity doesn’t mean the program is short on features, though. It’ll start by giving you the model name of your drive, for instance. And then it’ll itemize your drive’s capabilities, so if you need to know whether it supports S.M.A.R.T., Automatic Acoustic Management, Native Command Queuing, Tagged Command Queuing, TRIM and so on, you can find out at a glance.

BenchMe measures some values, too. It’ll tell you the drive’s minimum, maximum and average access time, for example. And you’ll see the number of IOPS (I/O Operations Per Second) the drive can handle, for both a queue depth of 1 and 32.

Perhaps most usefully, you’ll also get a graph which shows you the linear read speed and how it varies across the surface of the drive, with the minimum and maximum speeds highlighted.

And when it’s all done, you’re able to print the results immediately, or copy them to the clipboard (in various sizes) for further processing elsewhere.

We did have one problem with BenchMe. For some reason it was unable to detect our drive capabilities, and so they were all greyed out on the report screen.

We’re not sure whether that’s a general issue, though, or just something specific to our hardware setup. And even without that feature, BenchMe is a handy benchmarking tool, straightforward and easy to use.

Photo Credit: Sarah Cheriton-Jones/Shutterstock

Twitter 2.0 rolls out for Windows Phone

Publié: février 27, 2013, 3:50am CET par Alan Buckingham

Just yesterday Twitter announced a planned app for the Firefox OS phones when they begin shipping, but the company is bringing that same functionality to Windows Phone, so do not feel left out. Today Microsoft's Michael Stroh did the honors of making the announcement.

The update is not much different than what has been promised for the Mozilla mobile OS. Customers will receive four new navigation tabs -- Home, Connect, Discover and Me.

Home, much as you would expect, shows tweets. These can be tapped to expand, at which point it will display in-line photos, video and even web site summaries.

Connect simply keeps you up-to-date with @ mentions, as well as allowing you to see who has followed or retweeted you, while Discover allows you to observe trends, and find new content, as well as browse categories, find friends, or see suggestions for accounts you may want to follow.

Finally, Me simply provides access for users to read and respond to direct messages, but according to Stroh "you can also see your lists and favorites or view and update your profile".

However, that is not all. Twitter users can also get status updates right on the lock screen, receive better Live Tile support, compose a tweet or search from anywhere in the app, and even use speech recognition to compose messages.

All of this is available now from the Windows Phone Store. If you have Twitter installed already then you should receive the update automatically. If not, it is a small 2 MB download.

Google+ Sign-In is a Facebook killer

Publié: février 26, 2013, 11:54pm CET par Joe Wilcox

Single sign-on. Universal log-in. It is the Holy Grail of Internet services. Coming into the new century, Microsoft planned to use Passport as a universal, single sign-on authentication system aligned with Windows. Following privacy group complaints, a Federal Trade Commission investigation and subsequent settlement, Microsoft backed off the authentication strategy. A decade later, Facebook emerged as contender; many sites or services request, and some even require, signing in with Facebook credentials. Twitter is another option, and there are other choices, such as OpenID.

Now Google comes calling, today adding Google+ Sign-In as an option developers can include with their apps. I cannot overstate just how bold and disruptive the authentication system could be, or how much Google could -- scratch that, most likely will -- benefit. If widely adopted, the service could, if nothing else, give Google+ huge lift against Facebook. Welcome to the social network wars, and my money is on the the big G winning because Android, search and other assets offer so much leverage.

Simply put: Google makes authentication a development platform tied to its social network and some other assets. Same can be said about Facebook, which offers authentication and apps platform. Both companies promise developers improved customer engagement and visibility over time.

The difference: Facebook apps run within the social network's confines, although authentication reaches beyond and pulls users in. Google has Android, which is the dominant phone OS by huge margin, and extends the authentication platform to iOS, too. Combined, the two operating systems had 90.1 percent smartphone share during fourth quarter, based on actual sales, according to Gartner. Google+ Sign-In also supports web apps.

Successful platforms share six common traits:

There are good development tools and APIs for easily creating applications
There is at least one killer application people really want
There is breadth of useful applications
Third parties make lots of money
The platform is broadly available
There is a robust ecosystem

The most important is the fourth. Developers follow the money. Here Google uses one platform, social networking/authentication, to benefit another -- mobile apps. The concept: Social engagement drives apps usage and sales, whether direct, additional or ancillary.

If developers sign on, they're sure to drive more traffic to Google+, which isn't good for Facebook. Likewise, the search giant offers an alternative to Facebook log-in for apps and some related services.

What You Get

Someone at Google thought out the benefits, by making Google+ Sign-In more than just another authentication mechanism. Among them:

Support for two-step verification
One-click install of Android apps from a website
Interactive Google+ posts for sharing or buying apps
Hangouts -- and so video interaction -- become part of apps

Two-step verification. "If you sign in to Gmail, YouTube or any other Google service, you can now use your existing credentials to sign in to apps outside of Google", Seth Sternberg, Google+ director of Product Management, says about the basic concept. But there's more, two-step verification, which while a hassle sometimes is an excellent safeguard against intruders. I have the mechanism enabled and recommend everyone using a Google Account to do likewise.

One-click install. "Many developers offer web and mobile versions of their app, yet setting things up across a browser, phone and tablet is still a major hassle", Sternberg says. "When you sign in to a website with Google, you can install its mobile app on your Android device with a single click". That means no link to Google Play that takes the user away.

Interactive posts. "When you share from an app that uses Google+ Sign-In, your friends will see a new kind of 'interactive' post in their Google+ stream", Sternberg explains. "Clicking will take them inside the app, where they can buy, listen to, or review (for instance) exactly what you shared". The developer benefits -- and to the social mob -- are obvious. Engagement for both, sales for the developer.

Embedded Hangouts. Already, Hangouts is one of the best Google+ features. Third-party apps run within the Hangout, and developers can place a button on their websites to take users to them.

Potential is big, but much depends on how Google executes on the promise and who actually adopts Google+ Sign-In. The demos do impress: Photo Hunt; Scott & Doodle.

Photo Credit: Fer Gregory/Shutterstock

Ubuntu Touch -- interesting concept that needs work (preview)

Publié: février 26, 2013, 8:52pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

The concept of Canonical taking a stab at the mobile market eludes me. Unless we want to split hairs, which I know will happen, Android already is the Linux ambassador across the globe, so why would the world need Ubuntu Touch? Furthermore, any new player starts out with a clean slate, which means many consumers will be skeptical at purchasing devices running the new operating system and therefore developer interest does not surpass a low threshold.

The PC market is not what it used to be a couple of years ago when people rushed out to buy new computers, rather than tablets or smartphones first. In some ways Canonical right now is Microsoft before Windows Phone and Windows 8 -- an important player further heading into obscurity down the road unless the boat steers in the right direction. Ubuntu Touch is supposed to give the world a breath of fresh air, the X factor that would sway enough people into switching from Android, iOS, Windows Phone or a feature phone, even.

Truth be told Canonical's preview for Ubuntu Touch is one of the most basic I have ever laid my eyes upon. Nothing really works in the sense that it only paints (literally I should say) the bigger picture without allowing users to run most of the preinstalled or listed apps. Basically Canonical delivers a cool new gadget that cannot be used for anything except a paperweight.

Normally when you buy a new mobile device, the operating system comes preinstalled. Most people don't want to install Android, iOS, Windows Phone or Windows 8 on their smartphone or tablet anyway. Canonical's product, however, cannot be added to the same list, at the moment, as there are no devices running Ubuntu Touch out-of-the-box; instead one has to download the operating system manually and install it on a Google Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, Nexus 7 or Nexus 10. Needless to say any of the four must sport an unlocked bootloader and, to make it easy, a custom recovery such as ClockworkMod or TWRP.

Fast forward to the boot process, Ubuntu Touch Developer Preview starts quite fast even on my aging Galaxy Nexus and, shortly after, it displays the lockscreen, which sports the usual suspects -- date and time, status bar with notifications, Wi-Fi and volume, battery indicator and the time. On top of the aforementioned items, Ubuntu Touch also adds search on the left side of the status bar and a round disc in the middle of the lockscreen, which right now only displays "14 tweets received". I can only speculate that in the final version users will be able to rotate the disc (like on an old telephone) and it will display other statuses.

There are no buttons to speak of whatsoever. For someone first using a smartphone running Ubuntu Touch, there is going to be a learning curve involved straight from unlocking the device. It's done by swiping left from the right edge of the screen -- it's one of the reasons why Canonical must have a pretty explanatory guide on how to use the interface. So it's unlocked, now what?

Well, Ubuntu Touch now displays the main homescreen, one of the five available, called Home. No surprises there. The other available ones are, from left to right, Music, People, Apps and Videos with Home bang on in the middle. Switching between them can be done by swiping horizontally. It has to be noted that Ubuntu Touch Developer Preview comes similar to a snapshot of the operating system after it was used, so everything is in a frozen state with contacts, apps, etc.

The Homescreens

Let's take them one by one.

Music, as the name suggests, focuses on music content and, judging by the pictured items on the homescreen, acts as a store similar to iTunes, for instance. Right now it displays Featured, Recent, New Releases and Top Charting categories, all of which contain albums. Users can swipe left and right in the first one to view all the featured content, whereas in the following four Ubuntu Touch only lists four items per each category inside a grid. Needless to say tapping on any album in Music leads nowhere at the moment. There is, however, a basic animation when tapping on an item. It's just a preview, but I expected more out of it, to be honest.

People is similar to the People hub in Windows Phone and currently displays Favorites, Recently in touch, New Contacts and the A-Z category, the last of which is a list of all the contacts. The names are pretty self-explanatory. Favorites, like the Featured category in Music, shows a horizontal list of contacts which can be navigated by swiping. Tapping on a contact displays the contact's picture and, if exists, last status on Facebook, home number, email address and home address. Other fields may also be available. Not all fields are active, but I managed to power up the Phone app after tapping on a contact's phone number.

Recently in touch shows recent interactions, although it is not yet clear on which social network without tapping on the listed item, which will power up the contact's info. Also, it is unclear as to whether the Recently in touch category displays a list of the most recent interactions between the user and his contacts or the latest social network status from most recently-interacted contacts. It's a nice concept, but I am not certain if it works all that well in real-life because so many of us have hundreds of contacts across various social networks and we do chat with many people each day so I can only imagine how lengthy the Recently in touch category will become. It might be just too much swiping involved without other tabs on top.

Apps displays the Running Apps, Frequently used, Installed and Available for download categories. There are some interesting items listed, both as installed and available, including Amazon, eBay, Evernote, Pinterest, SoundCloud, Twitter, Wikipedia and YouTube. Obviously listed does not really imply available as well, so the situation might change over time before Ubuntu Touch is released.

Videos embodies the same philosophy as the other homescreens and displays Featured, Recent, New Releases and Popular Online categories. Featured displays a horizontal list with movie posters, while Recent and New Releases revert to a grid of movie posters. Users can tap on a title and either buy or rent the item from Amazon or Ubuntu One, respectively. Popular Online displays a grid of videos, likely only from YouTube.

Home is where people will revert to after navigating the operating system. The homescreen displays Frequent Apps, Favorite People, People Recently in Touch, Recent Music and Videos Popular Online. Basically Ubuntu Touch wants to provide users with the most important features that they use on the device straight from the default homescreen. If there are also plenty of cat videos in the last category Canonical will hit a home-run with Ubuntu Touch for most YouTube aficionados.

The Same Idea, Just Differently Implemented

The homescreens display a bunch of condensed information that we have grown accustomed to get from various apps individually. Truth be told, Canonical does not revolutionize operating systems, at least not right now. Ubuntu Touch merely gathers relevant pieces and joins them together in four major categories. It's a very neat way of dealing with information overload and having what matters nearby at a couple of swipes. This is just a glimpse of what's to come, indeed, but I can only wish that what's to come will be improved in a number of areas.

I like the concept of Ubuntu Touch, I really do, but I can't get past its looks. All app icons have rounded corners, which I can live with, but the edges appear to be rounded as well giving them a cartoonish feel. The colors are typical Ubuntu as well and, generally speaking, the overall design of the icons is dated or too kitsch. The background looks like it was ported straight from Ubuntu as well, which is to be expected, but it does not look all that great either and neither do the fonts. Canonical should really consider polishing up the interface.

Then there is the status bar, which is a great concept but difficult to work with nicely on the go. I use my smartphone most of the time when I'm out of the house and then I find it difficult to nail the right swipe to see the battery or volume panel (accessible via status bar). Don't get me wrong, it's nice to have different panels for each icon in the status bar but not so great in real-life. I see this as a problem even when stationary for elderly people and people with big thumbs.

Big thumbs don't help either when typing on the keyboard, which more than often does not register a press unless slightly tapping on the key. I don't have a similar issue with Android, iOS or Windows Phone and I don't like to pinpoint such problems for mobile operating systems in 2013. Hopefully Canonical will fix this issue in upcoming, and more stable, builds of Ubuntu Touch.

Switching between apps is done by swiping left from the right edge of the screen. Ubuntu Touch switches between them in a certain order and does not currently display a list of running apps without going straight to the Apps homescreen. Another downside of the Developer Preview is that Ubuntu Touch does not deal well with multiple running apps, becoming overly sluggish. Normally the lag exists but it's made worse in the aforementioned scenario.

Powering up a menu inside the app is done by swiping up from the bottom edge of the screen. Depending on the app it may display a navigation bar (like in the Browser) or a keyboard or absolutely nothing at all because Ubuntu Touch freezes. But when you want to minimize the app, by swiping right from the left edge of the screen there's another menu, which weirdly enough shows up as well. I can assume that it can be customized to include only a certain number of apps that users want quick access to, but the Developer Preview build leaves that to our imagination at the moment.

Refreshing but Needs Work

Ubuntu Touch is an interesting concept that needs work. That's the bottom line. Navigating the interface works well through swiping and after using it for a couple of days I have no problem in the lack of on-screen buttons (because this is still a Nexus device that I'm running it on). But when compared to Android, iOS or Windows Phone, Ubuntu Touch lacks polish and, obviously, apps that make smartphones and tablets the mobile devices we know and love. That said...

I was skeptical and, likely, for all the wrong reasons. The Ubuntu Touch Developer Preview is enlightening as to how Canonical envisions yet another smartphone or tablet operating system. And, to be honest, I quite like that vision as it delivers something new and exciting which, unless you view a mobile device solely and solely as a simple tool that doesn't have a soul, is what we should get more and more. Needless to say there's an overdose of early adopter syndrome happening, and I love that feeling.

EssentialPIM 5.5 adds support for Dropbox and iCloud

Publié: février 26, 2013, 7:30pm CET par Nick Peers

Astonsoft Ltd has released EssentialPIM Free 5.5 and EssentialPIM Pro 5.5, major new versions of its Windows personal information manager. Highlights in this new release include support for iCloud synchronization, native Dropbox support and improved CardDAV tools.

Also updated are EssentialPIM for iOS 2.6 and EssentialPIM for Android 1.8.2, mobile apps designed to give users access to their EssentialPIM data while on the move. While iOS users only see minor bug fixes in this update, Android users will enjoy major improvements to the Calendar and Contacts modules.

The most eye-catching new feature in EssentialPIM 5.5 is native Dropbox support -- users can now easily access their EssentialPIM data from multiple PCs by storing their database in the Dropbox cloud folder. EssentialPIM can automatically download, upload and pack the database from this location, and the effect is seamless.

Also added in version 5.5 is full support for Apple’s iCloud and the CardDAV synchronization service, the former being of most benefit to EssentialPIM for iOS users. As with other supported cloud services, including Google, CalDAV and Yahoo!, however, the feature is restricted to EssentialPIM Pro 5.5 users.

Enhancements in version 5.5 include better CalDAV support, plus improved synchronization with both Android and iOS apps. The update also promises to have fixed all known issues since the last release.

EssentialPIM for Android users also gain new features with the 1.8.2 release. These include a new Calendar module, which now syncs with EssentialPIM’s own Calendar module in Android as opposed to the native Calendar app. At the present time, Agenda and Day views are available, with more to follow.

There are also improvements to EssentialPIM’s Contacts support, with all contact fields now being synchronized with the native Contacts app along with photo synchronization support.

EssentialPIM Free 5.5 and EssentialPIM Free Portable 5.5 are both free-for-personal-use downloads for PCs running Windows XP or later. EssentialPIM Pro 5.5 is available as a free trial download, with full licenses starting from $39.95. Both EssentialPIM for iOS 2.6 and EssentialPIM for Android 1.8.2 are free downloads.

Photo credit: tele52/Shutterstock

HP unleashes 'augmented reality photos' for iOS

Publié: février 26, 2013, 6:26pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Today HP announced Live Photo for the iOS platform -- an app that claims to bring the user's photos to life using "augmented reality". The company claims the app will bring "a new consumer printing experience by embedding short video moments into printed photos".

According to Annie Weinberger, a general manager at HP-subsidiary Aurasma, "augmented reality is the new medium for bringing the physical world to digital life and HP Live Photo puts the power of this technology into the hands of everyday consumers". The free app purports to merge still images and short videos utilizing Aurasma. Once the app has been downloaded from the iTunes App Store the user can choose a video of up to 45-seconds in length and then select an automatically generated still image. From there it is a matter of choosing a template and sharing the new creation. The new photo/video can be shared via email, Facebook or by printing to any AirPrint-enabled printer.

The app is free and requires iOS 5.1 or newer, but in certain instances can work with iOS 4.2 on some devices. HP promises to bring this technology to other mobile platforms later this year.

U.S. smartphone adoption is lowest in developed world, South Korea highest

Publié: février 26, 2013, 6:14pm CET par Joe Wilcox

Today at Mobile World Congress, Nielsen offered a snapshot of the global mobile consumer based on a report released this month. Some of the findings are quite startling. For example, mobile phone usage is highest in South Korea -- get this, 99 percent among consumers older than 16. Same goes for smartphones (67 percent). By comparison, the United States has the lowest smartphone adoption among developed markets (53 percent). Now contrast that to China, where two-thirds of handset owners have smartphones, while in India 80 percent have feature phones. In Brazil, feature phones and multimedia handsets combined: 65 percent.

Mobile phone usage is high in many countries, but infrastructure is not. For example, 98 percent of Russians have mobiles, as do 84 percent in Brazil and 81 percent in India. Problem, according to Nielsen: "The network infrastructure required for smartphones and next generation mobile devices has yet to appear outside of large, urban centers". Lacking infrastructure explains some of this week's MWC announcements, such as Firefox OS phones or new Nokia Lumias with fewer smartphone features for lower selling prices going to emerging markets first.

Smartphone adoption largely, but not wholly, skews with age. According to Nielsen:

Younger users are more likely to own a smartphone and older users are more likely to own a feature phone, which makes sense since feature phones are more established in the marketplace. Though there are some exceptions -- in Italy consumers have higher smartphone ownership among users ages 35-64, whereas in India feature phones have far more penetration than smartphones across all age segments -- the broader trend suggests that smartphone adoption will likely continue to rise as younger consumers age.

In most countries, smartphone adoption is highest among 25-34 year olds:

South Korea: 86 percent
United Kingdom: 78 percent
United States: 73 percent
Italy: 72 percent

Whereas in China and Australia, adoption is greater among 16-24 year olds -- 82 percent and 77 percent, respectively -- and equal to 25-34 year-olds in South Korea.

Americans and South Koreans are most likely to have data plans -- 96 percent and 89 percent, respectively -- followed by Brits (86 percent), Australians (81 percent) and Chinese (77 percent).

No surprise, text message usage is high in most countries -- more than 90 percent in Australia, China, Russia, United Kingdom and United States. Instant messaging is big in South Korea (70 percent) and email in the United States (75 percent).

Brazilians are the most avid social networkers (75 percent), followed by Turks (69 percent), Brits and Americans (both 63 percent). However, social and other activities look differently when taking app usage into account. That's in part because of how smartphone, feature phone and multimedia phone adoption skews across geographies. Nielsen explains:

Chinese and American smartphone owners are the heaviest app users overall, with games being the most used type of app in more than half of the selected countries (China, Australia, Italy and Brazil). Social networking app usage is strongest in the U.S., with 85 percent of American smartphone owners as regular users. Smartphone owners in India and Turkey are the least likely to regularly use all categories of apps, but the most popular tend to be more entertainment driven, like social networking and games.

Data-consuming video is an increasingly popular mobile activity. Nielsen:

Smartphones are a popular device for watching video, despite the smaller screen size. In most countries, mobile web is the most popular means of accessing mobile video, while smartphone owners in the U.K. and South Korea are more likely to watch mobile video using an app. In the U.S., smartphone owners are equally likely to watch video via mobile Internet and apps (72 percent), and Indian smartphone owners are the most likely to view downloaded video clips (57 percent).

Video-watching frequency is interesting dynamic and somewhat rings where smartphone adoption and supporting infrastructure is greater. "Chinese smartphone owners are the heaviest users of mobile video, as 17 percent access more than three times a day", according to Nielsen. American smartphone users lead "all countries in daily mobile video usage (31 percent use at least once per day)".

Photo Credit: D. Hammonds/Shutterstock

Bloody well time, Microsoft releases Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7

Publié: février 26, 2013, 4:29pm CET par Nick Peers

Microsoft has released the first stable version of Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 (32-bit) and Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 (64-bit). The latest version of the browser -- which comes pre-installed in Windows 8 -- promises improved performance, better privacy and supports the latest web standards, plus adds integrated spell-checking and auto-correct tools.

Internet Explorer 10 in itself isn’t new -- it was bundled with Windows 8 on its release on October 26. However, it’s only now that Windows 7 users have been able to install a stable version of the software, although a Release Preview has been available since mid-November. Just as Internet Explorer 9 dropped support for Windows XP, so IE10 drops support for Windows Vista.

There’s one major new feature to speak of: an integrated spell-checker and AutoCorrect tool, which appears in web forms and other input boxes as the user types. Microsoft claims this feature will aid users in typing faster, more accurate, posts. The user interface remains very similar to IE9, although it has been overhauled slightly, one noticeable improvement being that tabs close more quickly in this version.Privacy has also been enhanced, with the Do Not Track (DNT) signal switched on by default in the new release (it can be switched on in IE9 via the Tools > Internet Options dialog). This instructs compliant websites to stop tracking users’ movements on their own as well as third-party websites.

The update, which will be pushed to all Windows 7 machines over the coming weeks, also promises better performance, particularly where JavaScript is concerned, with Microsoft’s own benchmarks suggesting IE10 is up to 25 per cent faster than IE9. Other performance improvements centre around hardware-accelerated support for SVG and HTML4 constructs, as well as improved drawing performance, the latter rendering images up to 30 per cent faster than IE9.

Performance should also be improved by the promise of reduced CPU usage in IE10, a side-effect of which will benefit the battery life of mobile users.

IE10 also promises better support for modern web standards, with up to 30 new standards supported in this release over IE9, primarily in the fields of CSS3 and HTML5.

Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 (32-bit) and Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 (64-bit) are both available now as a free download for PCs running Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 installed.

Photo Credit: Ljupco Smokovski/Shutterstock

Piriform pushes out minor update for CCleaner, version 4 coming soon

Publié: février 26, 2013, 2:52pm CET par Nick Peers

Piriform Software has released CCleaner 3.28 and CCleaner Portable 3.28, updated versions of its popular freeware Windows cleaning tool. Version 3.28 is a minor release, promising better performance and compatibility, plus support for cleaning up behind two new programs.

Piriform has also announced that the release of CCleaner 3.28 will be the last of the 3.x branch, with CCleaner 4.0 the next release slated. It also hints that this is the first of a number of major updates to its product line planned over the coming months.

Key changes in CCleaner 3.28 include the promise of improved compatibility with Windows 8 machines. Windows 7 users should also benefit from faster performance through enhanced memory usage, while version 3.28 also improves cleaning of the Windows log files.

The new build adds cleaning options for Gadu-Gadu, a Polish instant messaging client, as well as Foxit Phantom PDF, while existing cleaning options for Adobe Flash Player and ConvertXToDVD have also been tweaked for a more thorough cleaning experience.

Pro users will benefit from faster automatic updates, while the update is rounded off with the usual mixture of updated translations, minor interface improvements and bug fixes.

Piriform has also announced that the next release of CCleaner will be version 4.0, which will add system monitoring tools and file-finding capabilities alongside a minor interface refresh and will also debut a brand new program icon. Piriform also claims to be finalizing details of other "exciting" releases. It appears these may be brand new tools to add to its stable, which currently include Recuva 1.45 and Defraggler 2.13 as well as CCleaner for Mac.

CCleaner 3.28 and CCleaner Portable 3.28 are both available as free-for-personal-use downloads for PCs running Windows 2000 or later. Pro and Business Editions are also available.

Photo Credit: Amy Walters /Shutterstock

Apple offers refunds to parents whose children have made in-app purchases without permission

Publié: février 26, 2013, 2:34pm CET par Wayne Williams

In-app purchases are a lucrative revenue stream for both Apple and the developers who embrace it. It provides a way to try a game and then unlock the full thing, or gain access to additional features. In Temple Run 2, for example, you can use real money to buy coins and gems to use on unlocking new characters and abilities.

The problem is a lot of game makers offer this facility in their apps, and until Apple made a change to its purchasing system in iOS 4.3, it was possible for children to spend money on in-app purchases without their parents knowledge. This, inevitably, lead to a lawsuit against Apple, with the technology giant accused of failing to adequately publicize the existence of the feature in certain App Store games aimed at children.

In response to the lawsuit -- which was originally brought by a Californian man in 2011 after his daughter racked up $200 of charges without his permission -- Apple is now proposing to pay compensation to parents who have lost money in this way.

At the moment this offer only extends to US parents and guardians, and will need to be signed off by a judge on Friday before it can be actioned.

If agreed, American App Store shoppers will receive an email offering them a minimum of $5 compensation in iTunes credit or cash, provided they can show they have had a child spend at least $30 on in-app purchases without permission (and assuming the parents haven’t already complained and been refunded of course). The key catch is the child will need to have spent the money in the fifteen minute window originally allowed by Apple for additional purchases made after the password was entered. If your child knows -- and used -- your password to go on their spending spree, it’s tough luck.

It is thought Apple will need to contact around 23 million users, alerting them that they may be entitled to compensation. No word at the moment if or when this offer will be extended outside of the US.

Photo Credit: Serhiy Kobyakov /Shutterstock

Microsoft rolling out updates today for various Windows platforms and IE

Publié: février 26, 2013, 1:57pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Although it's Tuesday, it's not "Patch Tuesday", which means we shouldn't expect any updates from Microsoft, but the software giant is rolling out patches none-the-less. The updates are across a broad spectrum of platforms too -- Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Server, and even Windows RT are included in this update.

Curiously, many of the Windows updates are listed as "non-security". The company generally only pushes out-of-cycle updates when there is a major security flaw that cannot wait for the next month. In the case of today's patches, many are listed as a fix for "issues in Windows".

There are also a few security patches as well. Both Windows Server 2012 and Server 2008 are receiving security patches, while .NET Framework 4 on XP, Server 2003, Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP also have security updates coming.

There are also security-related fixes for Internet Explorer. According to Knowledge Base articles KB2792100 and KB2797052, "A security issue has been identified that could allow an unauthenticated remote attacker to compromise your system and gain control over it". These updates cover Internet Explorer versions 6 through 10.

The entire list of updates is quite long. Those with automatic updates turned on should receive the patches today without having to do anything. Otherwise you will need to install them manually via the Windows Update option in Control Panel.

Photo Credit: zimmytws/Shutterstock

avast! Browser Cleanup disables unwanted browser addons

Publié: février 26, 2013, 1:33pm CET par Mike Williams

If your browser has been taken over by an aggressive addon then you can try the standard routes to remove it (the "Manage Addons" dialog in IE, for instance). These can be confusing for beginners, though, and may not always work, so avast! has developed a custom Browser Cleanup tool as a simpler alternative.

The program is portable, a compact 1.75 MB download which runs on Windows XP, 7 and 8, so it’s generally convenient to use. It supports IE, Firefox and Chrome, and on launch checks each of these to evaluate your browser addons.

If any of your extensions are particularly dubious then they’ll be highlighted on a Summary screen which is displayed first. On a test PC, for instance, one addon was reported as either "having a poor reputation" with avast! users, or engaging "in aggressive tactics to manipulate your settings". If you also have something listed on this page then clicking its "More details" link explains why.

If the extensions on the Summary page are unnecessary, then you can remove them all with a click. But if you don’t agree with avast! Browser Cleanup’s report then you also have the option to remove highlighted addons individually, or maybe do nothing about them at all.

It’s quite possible you might have nothing listed on the Summary page, of course, and in that case you can just click one of the left-hand tabs to view the addons for a particular browser. As we’ve mentioned, this can be done from within the browser anyway, but the Cleanup tool does have a small advantage: by default it excludes add-ons with a "good" rating, so cutting the list down to size and helping you focus on any potential threats.

Spot a potential problem here and clicking Disable will disable that addon completely. There’s no "Remove" option, unfortunately, but presumably avast! think it’s safer to do this from your browser (and if the addon is disabled then maybe the browser’s own uninstall tool will be more reliable).

And if your browser’s home and search pages have been hijacked then there’s a "Reset browser settings" button to restore their default values.

Avast! Browser Cleanup isn’t exactly the most powerful of aware removers, then. But PC novices will appreciate its ease of use, and the program’s "user rating" for extensions could be a helpful way to highlight any addons you need to check. If your regular extension management tools don’t work then this may be worth a try.

MiniTool Partition Recovery does what it says

Publié: février 26, 2013, 9:01am CET par Mike Williams

Accidentally deleting a partition seems like a major disaster when it first happens. Not only have all of its files disappeared, but you can’t even see that drive any more.

The situation may not be as bad as it seems, though. Your data is unlikely to be erased, just yet (other programs will generally write only to their own partition). And missing partitions are relatively easy to recover, as long as you have access to something like the free (for personal use) MiniTool Partition Recovery.

The program works with regular hard drives, USB and other removable storage devices. And it covers most of the file systems you’re likely to encounter on a PC, including FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, VFAT, NTFS and NTFS5 (although not exFAT, unfortunately).

A wizard-based interface means MiniTool Partition Recovery is generally very easy to use, too. There are only a few steps: select the drive you’d like to browse; choose the area to check (the entire disk, its unallocated space, or whatever range of sectors you need); accept the default Scan mode, and you’re done. The program scans your drive, hopefully finds any missing partitions, and you can restore them in a couple of clicks.

Of course life isn’t always so straightforward, but if you do encounter any problems then MiniTool Partition Recovery has a few extra options which just might help.

If it can’t find your partition with the default settings, for instance, choosing the Full Scan Mode rather than the default Quick Scan will run a more thorough check. It’s also considerably slower, but there’s a better chance of finding your files.

Or, if the program thinks it’s found more partitions than you’ve actually lost, just double-click each one to explore its contents and you’ll quickly find your data.

There is a significant limitation here, in that you don’t get a bootable version on a disaster recovery disc. Which means that if your PC won’t boot because the system partition is damaged then you’ll have no way to restore it.

MiniTool Partition Recovery does deliver plenty of functionality for a free tool, though, and if you don’t have something similar to hand already then it might be worth installing a copy -- just in case.

Photo Credit: Zadorozhnyi Viktor/Shutterstock

Livecam Wallpaper decorates desktops with webcam images

Publié: février 26, 2013, 8:05am CET par Mike Williams

If you’re bored with the regular Windows wallpaper then there’s no shortage of software which can help. But much of it will just download fairly random images from a variety of online sources. And even if you can select a theme which appeals to you – “landscapes”, “animals” or whatever – there’s no guarantee that you’ll like everything the program selects.

Livecam Wallpaper, though, is different. As you might guess from the name, the program allows you to set images from your choice of internet webcams as wallpaper, so you can be sure the picture will be something you like. But it can then update the images as often as every 10 seconds, a very interesting way to bring your desktop to life.

We were initially a little wary of the program, as it sounds like just the kind of tool which comes bundled with ten toolbars. But no. The download is a compact 834KB, and it only includes the core program files. Even the Livecam Wallpaper licence is only 168 words long, a refreshing change these days.

The core interface is very simple, too. There are no menus, no hidden settings – everything you need is accessible from one dialog. And so you’ll start by setting the number of webcams you’d like to use (1, 4 or 9). There’s the refresh time to decide (10 seconds, then 1, 3 or 10 minutes). And after you’ve chosen whether Livecam Wallpaper should load from the desktop, that’s your basic settings completed.

All you have to do now is choose your webcams, and that’s just as easy. Choose a category, first: “HD”, “City”, “Mountains”, “Tech” and so on. Then click the default image, select your preferred camera and the desktop will be updated right away.

There are some limitations here. The webcam categories don’t all offer a lot of choice, for example -- “City” has 45, but “Forest” has only 3. And while the program includes webcams from all over the world, there’s a considerable bias towards Europe.

This kind of idea may not be too practical in some cases, either. If you display icons on your desktop, the regularly changing images may make them hard to view sometimes. And there’s the resource usage to consider. Memory requirements are impressively low at under 9MB when minimised, but if you’re updating 9 pictures regularly then that’s going to generate plenty of network and hard drive activity.

Overall, though, Livecam Wallpaper remains a very likeable program. It’s easy to use, looks great, has some spectacular webcams, and does its best not to be too demanding (you can always turn off the “Run on startup” option and run it just occasionally). So if you’re bored with normal wallpaper then this makes a great alternative.

Is Outlook.com for businesses, consumers or both?

Publié: février 26, 2013, 7:04am CET par Jason Cieslak

A week ago, Microsoft formally launched Outlook.com -- its free, web-based email service -- to the public. The service had been in preview since last July.

Microsoft has for too long had a quartet of email offerings, including Hotmail, MSN and the now retired Entourage. Not surprisingly, this portfolio has been a source of confusion and complication for businesses, consumers and Microsoft brand management. By formally launching Outlook.com, Microsoft is now in the final throes of migrating to a single offering that streamlines its marketing spend and brings clarity to customers.

Simplifying its email offerings is long overdue for Microsoft. But from a brand portfolio management standpoint, this is a head-scratcher. Outlook is a brand that has existed largely for professional use. We’ve all used Outlook at work, and from that perspective, it is known quite well. But is it the brand I’d prefer for my personal email use?

Microsoft’s decision to champion Outlook going forward begs the question: Is Outlook.com for businesses, consumers or both? By using an existing brand name so closely associated with business use, Microsoft confuses prospective users of its intent. Personal email is just that -- personal. From the start, Gmail and Yahoo have had a built-in sense of humanity and fun. Unlike Outlook, it’s clear they’re for personal use.

Given how Microsoft has struggled to embrace the mobile platform and the cloud, it’s hard to understand how management decided on Outlook, its long-time client-based email product. If Microsoft is trying to take a bite out of Gmail, using this brand is a missed opportunity. The decision also reinforces the company’s inability to divorce from legacy brands, which are more associated with the past than Microsoft's future. Don’t get me wrong -- Outlook isn’t a bad product. But the product -- the brand -- is tied to a world in which we all used PCs and Windows. And that’s not where the world is heading.

One alternative could have been to instead champion Hotmail, which, from a cloud-based perspective, is the best of the Microsoft email brands. There’s little association with the workplace, and a lot of people are still very proud of their Hotmail email addresses. Or Microsoft could have kept both Outlook and Hotmail -- one for businesses and the other for personal use. Microsoft also could have created a new brand, built from the ground up and designed to appeal to the market from the ground up. And the company deserves kudos for its experience doing this with Xbox and Bing.

I’ve talked enough about the brand, but let me address one other area that’s impacting people’s perspective -- the multimillion dollar advertising campaign supporting the launch of Outlook.com. Calling this an advertising campaign is a misnomer. It’s a political attack.

Microsoft runs ads attacking Google over Gmail privacy. Just watch one of the “Scroogled” television spots that slam Gmail. Scroogled.com says, "Outlook.com is different -- we don’t go through your email to sell ads". But most people I’ve asked all say the same thing: "Is this news? This is how Google makes money. Don’t all email providers do this?"

Microsoft is not giving consumers a compelling enough reason to switch to Outlook. To me, this does the new product an injustice. Outlook has some nice improvements. Are they game-changers? Likely not, but service still has good, useful features. But you’d never know it from the advertisements.

The irony here is that while Microsoft may not go through your email, it does monitor your search behavior on Bing. So for the company to claim moral high ground through advertising is hypocritical at best.

Outlook.com -- the product, the strategy, the campaign -- is Microsoft’s attempt to get back in the email game. Ultimately it’s just confusing and an injustice to the product the company is trying to promote. Unfortunately for Microsoft, it’s not likely to be the Hail Mary pass that’s going to propel the company back to consumer relevance -- at least not in the email space.

Photo Credit: Vlue/Shutterstock

Jason Cieslak is a managing director at Siegel+Gale, a global brand strategy and customer experience firm. He lives in Los Angeles.

Compare documents with DiffPDF

Publié: février 26, 2013, 6:05am CET par Mike Williams

If you regularly work with PDF files then you might occasionally need to compare two documents, just to see how (or if) they differ. You could try to do that manually, but it’ll be a tedious process, and probably not very accurate. Downloading a copy of DiffPDF is a much better idea.

The program is open source and portable, so it’s straightforward to get started. Just unzip the download, launch DiffPDF.exe and you’re ready to go.

And the core interface isn’t exactly tricky, either. Click “File #1″ and point the program at your first document; click “File #2″ for the second; then click Actions > Compare, and within a moment or two you’ll see both documents with any differences highlighted.

If you need to know exactly how your documents vary then clicking the Next button will take you to each page where there’s a difference, so you can manually review it. If you just want to find out whether the documents vary at all, though, click the Log tab for a brief report. Or you can alternatively use the “Save As” option to save a PDF with only the pages which vary, again with the differences highlighted.

These default settings generally work well, but there are more options available if you need them. Normally the program compares documents by word, for instance, but you can change this and compare by character, or even appearance, which will capture reformatted paragraphs, edited images and other issues.

If you know that the two files vary in some places, and only want to compare a particular page range, then you can do that, too. Just specify the pages to check -- 1-3, 5-13, say -- in the box to the right of each file name.

This could lead to another issue, of course -- what about the page numbers? Click the Margins tab and you can define page margins which DiffPDF then ignores.

Command line support helps you automate the comparison process, very handy if you’ve a lot of files to check.

And there are several other useful options, including various settings which provide a great deal of control over how any file differences are highlighted.

Put it all together and DiffPDF is an excellent tool: fast, configurable, and generally very easy to use. Try it!

Sony ships waterproof Xperia Tablet Z

Publié: février 26, 2013, 1:10am CET par Joe Wilcox

Well, somebody finally announces something that's actually shipping. One of Mobile World Congress' worst traditions is the unveiling of new products not available for months. Today, Sony stepped out from the ranks with the ultrathin, waterproof, Xperia Tablet Z, which goes on sale March 1. That's right, this week! Damn, if only my local Sony store wasn't closed for renovations (until April).

The 10.1-inch tablet stands apart from many of this week's MWC 2013 announcements. Many of the new devices are down-market, offering lower-performance for less money, targeting economy shoppers in mature or emerging locales. By contrast, Xperia Tablet Z packs premium features at premium price.

For starters, the display is high resolution -- 1920 x 1200 -- putting Sony's slate in a small minority that includes Apple iPad, ASUS Pads and Google Nexus for being true HD or better.

But the big sell is waterproofing, which I had hoped would be a big trend at this year's Mobile World Congress. Xperia Tablet Z is dust and water resistant with Ingress Protection Rating of IP55 and IP57. The one number means seal against water sprays and the other submersion up to 1 meter. Whoa, for 30 minutes.

So the next time you're reading on the John and drop your tablet in the can -- or perhaps the backyard Jacuzzi -- you've got water protection. But don't break the screen in the process!

Sony claims that at 6.9 mm, Xperia Tablet Z is thinnest on the market. For comparison, Apple iPad mini is 7.2 mm, Google Galaxy Nexus 10 is 8.9 mm and iPad 4 is 9.4 mm. Sony's slate is light too, just 495 grams, compared to 652 grams for iPad 4 and 603 grams for Nexus 10.

Other features include 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor; 2GB RAM; 16GB or 32GB of storage; 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and 2MP front shooter; and twin, front-facing speakers. While the device ships with Android 4.1, Sony says buyers will be prompted to upgrade to 4.2.

The electronics giant also pushes connectivity with this model, an attribute appealing to people living the Sony lifestyle by perhaps owning PS3, Bravia TV, wireless speakers or other devices. Consumers connect using "one-touch NFC" for moving content around various devices.

"Xperia Tablet Z sets new standards in entertainment by matching premium specifications and Sony technology with cross-device connectivity and a consistent user-experience", Kaz Tajima, Sony Mobile Communications corporate vice president, says. "Xperia Tablet Z reinforces our intention to be a leading player in the premium Android device market".

As previously mentioned, Sony's slate goes on sale March 1 for $499 (16GB) or $599 (32GB) in black. However, Sony stores -- brick and mortar and online -- will exclusively carry the 32GB Tablet Z in white, too. Pricing matches iPad but is more than Nexus 10, which is $399 and $499 in same capacities with higher-screen resolution but doesn't offer seamless integration with Sony products or cloud services.

ZTE debuts monster 5.7-inch Grand Memo

Publié: février 25, 2013, 11:54pm CET par Alan Buckingham

How big is too big for a phone? I would have said that my 4.65-inch Galaxy Nexus is large enough, but the 5.5-inch Galaxy Note II proves me wrong and must admit after picking one up I think it is usable as my everyday phone. Now ZTE trumps Samsung today at Mobile World Congress by unveiling the Grand Memo -- a "phablet" with 5.7-inch screen. Smartphones continue to meld with tablets.

The new ZTE model debuts with a nice set of specs: Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with quad-core Krait CPU, extremely generous 3200 mAh battery, 5.7-inch 720 x 1280 display, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, WiFi, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4, a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, and rather standard 1MP front-facing camera. All of this is packaged in a very thin 8.5 mm case.

He Shiyou, ZTE EVP and head of the Mobile Devices Division, says that "high-definition screen makes it perfect for media and entertainment, but its uses reach far beyond that". He adds that ZTE has "really tried to make this device fun for use at home, and practical for use in the office. By combining both of these factors, we have created a well-rounded large-screen handset that is suitable for any situation".

If there is one knock on this device -- aside from some users potentially balking at the size -- it would be Android 4.1, despite the fact version 4.2 of Jelly Bean has been on the market since October of 2012.

So what do you think of these new "phablets"? Is the screen too big, or is it just what you have been waiting for?

Could Mobile World Congress 2013 be any more boring?

Publié: février 25, 2013, 11:37pm CET par Joe Wilcox

I'm not loving this year's big phone trade show. The news coming out of Barcelona is about as doldrums as the Spanish economy. Generally, the big stuff drops Day 0 and Day 1 at Mobile World Congress. They're done, and so far the product announcements are generally less than last year. The phone launch seemingly everyone waits for, Samsung Galaxy IV, comes in March. That's big commentary on what's missing from MWC 2013.

So far, I would call most new gear as the race to the bottom -- same concepts as the last couple of years, only offering less, selling for less and marketed to less-developed smartphone or tablet markets.

That surely describes Mozilla and Nokia, with new Firefox OS handsets and Lumias; low-brow smartphones reach down-market and doing so cede the greater world to leaders Apple and Samsung. There's HP's first Android tablet, Slate 7, which is light on price ($169) and features, or ASUS Fonepad and PadFone Infinity Android tablets, which similarly seek buyers looking to spend less. Are the smartphone and tablet markets already so mature, or so commoditized, that less for less is this year's innovation?

Frankly, I expected more, and perhaps there's still hope with the event running through Thursday. But I'm not exactly hopeful given how much typically drops by end of the first day. Or maybe I missed the "next big thing".

Speaking of that phrase, which Samsung uses in mobile marketing, the company's series of Galaxy S III and Note II commercials televised during last night's Oscars -- featuring a fictitious company developing a unicorn game -- were way more interesting than anything coming out of MWC. (You simply must watch the 90-second spot featuring filmmaker Tim Burton looking to make zombie unicorn movie "Horn of Darkness" based on the game.)

Samsung's Galaxy Note 8.0 is one of the few really interesting new products unveiled at MWC 2013 -- and even that is more about the same stylus concept used on Note smartphone and larger, 10.1-inch tablet. ZTE surprised somewhat, with Grand Memo -- a Galaxy Note II competitor running the Snapdragon 800 processor.

Where's the dramatic new innovation? The next-generation OMG thing? LG outed the Optimus F5 and F7 smartphones last week. Even some of the more modest new mobiles came early -- powerhouses, too. HTC unveiled flagship phone One, just six days ago.

Honestly, some of the best mobile future-tech comes outside Mobile World Congress. Look at last week's buzz about Google Glass and the company's contest that could snag you one. On February 19, Canonical unveiled Ubuntu tablet, and released phone and slate software to developers two days later. Perhaps tomorrow's Mozilla CEO MWC 2013 keynote will wow as much as Ubuntu's efforts. Fingers crossed.

My heart just isn't thumping looking over Day 0 and Day 1 announcements. That's good for Sony, which today launched one of the few remotely interesting products -- one that stands out on the sea of sameness. The Xperia Tablet Z is uptown, with super-slim design, high-resolution 1920 x 1200 display and waterproofing. Now that is innovation, and I expected to see more waterproof mobiles at the event than actually have appeared. But at a show with so much less, why should anyone expect more?

Photo Credit: Mozilla

Box rolls out 'enterprise-level' security features

Publié: février 25, 2013, 7:46pm CET par Alan Buckingham

IT departments are picky -- I know from spending time in one during a previous life. However, Box, which still seems to be less-well known than rivals like Dropbox, is surprisingly more popular among large corporations. In fact, the cloud service boasts customers like computer giant HP. The company has also innovated a lot lately, with such offers as 50 GB of storage free to Android customers. Now Box beefs up its enterprise offering with new security measures.

Today Whitney Bouck, the general manager of Box Enterprise announces that the cloud service is "rolling out a set of new enterprise-grade security features and product integrations to help our customers protect their vital content".

These contain a number of IT-friendly services, starting with control. Admins will now be able to place restrictions on individual users to prevent them from creating and externally sharing files and folders. Conversely, permission to share outside can also be granted.

Another update involves mobile Box apps, which are available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and Windows 8 (a modern UI app). This one comes in a couple of parts -- device pinning, Samsung Knox security and new login security.

"Pinning" is simply the ability to allow a user to only use Box on certain devices, Samsung Knox is the company's new mobile security offering, which Bouck claims "will provide enhanced security at all levels of the Android platform with simple and flexible device management that helps users easily separate their work and personal lives on their mobile device". And, the login security automatically detects and prevents unexpected user logins.

Finally, Box announced integration with GoodData. This will provide admins with analytics and dashboards for content management. The company also promises that this will provide information about security risks.

Some features announced today will be made available immediately, while others will roll out in the near future.

Photo Credit: Jirsak/Shutterstock

Whoa, you really don't want Google Chromebook Pixel

Publié: février 25, 2013, 7:27pm CET par Joe Wilcox

On February 21, Google started selling its first computer, Chromebook Pixel, which I called a "status symbol" over the weekend. In typical fashion I asked "Will you buy Google Chromebook Pixel?" There surely is a market for the laptop somewhere, but not among the respondents to our poll.

Seventy-seven percent of you answer "No". That's among the highest percentage ever to one of my polls. If there's Chromebook Pixel enthusiasm, it surely isn't from BetaNews readers. Just 8 percent of respondents will buy the Chrome OS laptop "as soon as available in my country". Only 16.5 percent plan to buy Chromebook Pixel ever. So has Google got a flop? No way, Jose.

Measured Success

The computer isn't meant for the mass-market. Rather, like Nexus devices, Google establishes a reference design for OEM partners and provides developers base system to create apps for. Touch is the differentiator from other Chromebook. Additionally, the "For what's next" marketing tips off that Chromebook Pixel is foundational -- a work in progress -- as the operating system improves every other month (or less) and more web apps become available. Pixel isn't meant for most of you.

I'm in process of reviewing the computer and plan to post after all the Mobile World Congress news quiets down. I will say at this juncture that Chromebook Pixel isn't for everyone. That's a statement made about earlier models, but it applies more so to Google's laptop because the usage scenario is different.

Earlier Chromebooks, particularly those released for holiday 2012, appealed for their value. The $199 Acer and $249 Samsung models are easy purchases, and, based on Google+ and other social network posts, many people use these Chromebooks as companion PCs -- not their primary one. I'm among a smaller set of users making a Chrome OS device my full-time computer.

Chromebook Pixel is meant to be used as a primary computer. Design, processor, touchscreen and price ($1,299 or $1,449) say Pixel is the machine used everyday, all day long. To that end, the laptop must be able to replace something else. Apps must be there.

Google provides the basics for documents, email, chat and such. But what about apps for professionals, who clearly are a major target market, or power users? These people will need tools for editing and managing photos and videos or using programs like CAD. Are the apps there? That's a question the second part of my review will seek to answer.

No Thanks!

But for many of you, there is no question. "They've got to be kidding, right?" commenter Tenoq asks. "Fifteen-hundred dollars for a laptop with a crippled, web-based OS and no software? Come on, this doesn't even compete with the Macbook, let alone the Surface. Google has no support, they have no retail or service stores and have a woeful track record in after-sales. Why on Earth would someone pay so much more for this instead of buying Surface Pro, which has a proper OS capable of running any x86 software and includes MS Office?"

"I always wished someone would come out with a decently-built Chromebook, although Google seems to have gone over the top here -- $1200 is way too much for Chrome OS", scophi comments. "Had they priced it around $500-700 (and I needed a laptop) I would probably buy it".

Pko: "This machine is an idiotic concept. No storage to speak of, unless you ruin the machine with a USB stick...The Google Drive is worthless, 1TB for three years, yes, but what then? Will you pay monthly almost what it cost to have that same amount of storage forever locally, ready whenever and wherever you want?"

Google sells a high-end Chrome OS laptop for $1,299 or $1,449. Would you buy Chromebook Pixel?

"Can it run real programs, such as Photoshop?" Jamie Maclean asks. "Why not buy a cheaper laptop and just install the Chromebook web browser (for that is all it is) on it?"

To one of my Google+ posts about Chromebook Pixel, Lyndon Bredenkamp comments: "If you need to use Photoshop then it's clearly not the right computer for you. These are all the same as the original criticisms that was used against the first Chromebooks. Yet they are selling like hot cakes. Number one position on the Amazon laptop sales leader-board for over 125 days. There are many advantages to a Chromebook, but, hey, if it's can't run Photoshop it must be crap".

Scott Ball, responding to Bredenkamp: "My eyes went all Googly when I saw that leaked Pixel video from a few weeks back, but this price point is completely off-putting -- $1,300 for a machine that runs a browser is too rich for my blood. I don't need 1TB of cloud storage, so I'm out".

Bredenkamp answers: "Yes, I agree on the idea of waiting for a less expensive version. I'm an existing Chromebook user and just find it amusing when people call it crap with their main argument being 'it can't run Photoshop'. Someone should do a satisfaction survey on those who purchased Chromebook".

That's a good idea. Maybe I will do one. For now, I repost the poll because I'd like a larger sample than 566. Not that it matters much. Based on the huge number of "No" responses and reading comments on Google+, even from avid Chromebook users, I'm confident that few people will buy Pixel. If you do, hey, we can wave to one another at Starbucks and snicker at all the MacBooks.

IT spending shifts from PCs to cloud, smartphones and tablets

Publié: février 25, 2013, 5:50pm CET par Joe Wilcox

Cue the violins. IDC says that the cloud, smartphone and tablet are reshaping IT spending, using the word personal computing defenders despise: "Cannibalization". There's a reason I dismiss the post-PC moniker for cloud-connected device era.

"Cannibalization is happening across the industry" Stephen Minton, IDC vice president, says. "Smartphones have taken over from feature phones, tablet adoption is impacting PC spending, and the cloud is affecting the traditional software, services and infrastructure markets". And you people wonder why Google would make in Chromebook Pixel a high-end cloud computer. It's the future, baby.

IT spending grew 5.9 percent year over year in 2012 to $2 trillion, while ICT spending spiked 4.8 percent to $3.6 trillion. Spending shifted, however, as sales of personal computers, PC monitors and servers all declined. Smartphone spending surpassed PCs for the first time, about $300 billion and $233 billion, respectively.

"IT spending is still growing organically, but not at the same pace as prior to the financial crisis", Minton. "Businesses are adopting IT solutions such as virtualization, automation and SaaS as a means to reduce the annual increases in their overall IT spending at a time when economic uncertainty remains high".

Global economic uncertainty creates strange bedfellows, such as more businesses letting employees bring their own devices to work rather than the company pay for them. Large IT organizations, which are often the slowest to change infrastructure, consider -- and in some cases adopt -- disruptive tech like smartphones and tablets.

But there is another way to regard the trend: Large businesses choose to sit tight with the PC infrastructure in place longer, using cloud-connected devices to offer new capabilities. The approach ensures compatibility across the enterprise.

Looking ahead, Minton sees "another tough year for mature economies". If the U.S. economy stabilizes, IT spending will grow by 5.5 percent. "The U.S. should perform better, as long as politicians continue to reach 11th-hour deals to avert an economic crisis, and the PC market in the U.S. will at least stabilize after two successive years of major declines", he predicts.

Europe is another matter -- just 2 percent growth. Japan: None. "Weakness in Europe, as governments continue to impose austerity measures with a direct and indirect impact on IT spending, has also damaged the export-dependent Japanese economy," Minton says.

Global economic uncertainty led to weaker growth in three of the four BRIC countries -- Brazil, India, and China -- last year. But IDC predicts renewed vigor in 2013.

"We’re more confident about China than we were in the middle of 2012, when PC shipments were slowing and there was a sense that the economy had slowed down more quickly than the government had planned", Minton explains.

"Underlying IT demand remained strong, despite the volatile capital spending patterns that mainly affected PCs, and total IT spending in China still increased by 16 percent last year, which was only slightly down compared to 17 percent growth in 2011", he continues. "We expect more of the same in 2013, even in spite of the inevitable slowdown in some emerging technology adoption rates as those markets gradually mature".

Photo Credit: Lucia Pitter/Shutterstock

ASUS unveils Fonepad and PadFone Infinity Android tablets

Publié: février 25, 2013, 4:44pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Today the festivities at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain kicked off. Nokia announced the new Lumia 520 and Lumia 720 Windows Phone 8 devices aimed at the entry-level and mid-range smartphone market and earlier ASUS unveiled two Android tablets dubbed Fonepad and PadFone Infinity.

The Fonepad is a 7-inch tablet that features built-in 3G support for cellular voice and data. The device sports a 7-inch 10-point multitouch IPS display with a resolution of 1280 by 800 and at a first glance it's quite similar to the Nexus 7, which is also manufactured by ASUS, bar the phone functionality.

The Fonepad, however, is powered by Intel's Z2420 processor and runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Other specs include a microSD card slot, which can extend the storage capacity by 32GB on top of the 8GB or 16GB built-in storage, 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera capable of 720p video recording as well as a 3MP back-facing shooter. The tablet sports a "metallic design", which usually implies plastic, that keeps the weight down to 340 grams. ASUS did not provide exact measurements, but says that thickness comes in at 10.4mm.

As usual the Taiwanese manufacturer also bundles its own branded app suite, including Floating App, SuperNote and WebStorage Office Online. With the purchase of the Fonepad users will receive 5GB of "free lifetime" cloud storage via ASUS WebStorage.

The Fonepad will be available from March with price starting from EUR219 for the 8GB version. ASUS also offers two accessories, a VersaSleeve 7 cover that features a folding design and a Turn Case hardshell case with a soft interior designed to clean the surface of the screen and provide a built-in stand. The former runs for EUR19.99 while the latter goes for EUR39.99 (MSRP pricing).

The PadFone Infinity is touted as a Swiss Army Knife, when coupled with the PadFone Infinity Station. The former is a 5-inch smartphone, but when docked to the latter it becomes a 10.1-inch tablet. The heart of this all-in-one solution is the PadFone Infinity -- it features a 5-inch display with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 and runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

Power comes from a 1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor. In this regard the PadFone Infinity is similar to the HTC One and the LG Optimus G Pro, both of which also feature 2GB of RAM. The ASUS-made device also sports 64GB of built-in storage, a 13MP back-facing camera with a f/2 lens that can capture 100 sequential photos and shoot 1080p video. Battery life is quoted at up to 19 hours of 3G talk time, with the docking station capable of fully-recharging the smartphone up to three times.

Like with the Fonepad, ASUS also adds its own app suite which includes SuperNote 3.1, Story and ASUS Echo. Combined, the PadFone Infinity and the PadFone Infinity Station will run for EUR999 (MSRP).

Retouch Pilot Lite brings old photos back to life

Publié: février 25, 2013, 4:33pm CET par Mike Williams

Enhancing a regular digital photo isn’t too difficult, at least at a basic level. Even an editing newbie will quickly get used to tweaking brightness, contrast, color balance and so on, and these image-wide adjustments alone will often be enough to make a huge difference.

Scan some old photos, though – maybe some ancient family shots which have been in someone’s attic for 50 years -- and you’ll face a very different challenge. Issues now are likely to include spots, scratches, dust and other defects. And while you could in theory clean these up with just a basic paint tool, life will probably be very much easier if you install Retouch Pilot Lite.

The program installs easily (it’s adware-free), and on launch displays a panel with links to tutorials for various tasks. This may be useful if you’re a beginner, but otherwise isn’t necessary, so it’s generally best to click “Close” and move on to the main interface.

This is fairly basic, though more or less as you’d expect. There are menus where you can open and save files, zoom in and out, undo your various actions and so on. A toolbar on the right gives access to some basic image editing features (resize, crop, rotate, brightness and contrast adjustments, and so on). But the real value here is the Scratch Eraser, which will help you to clean up your image.

Select this tool, move your mouse cursor over the image, and it’ll change into a small circular brush. Move this so that it surrounds the spot or scratch you’d like to eliminate, then either just click, or click and drag, and the defect should disappear while everything else remains intact.

Does it work? We tried it on a few old black and white images with lots of tiny spots, and the results were generally very good. Zoom in on an area, adjust the Scratch Eraser brush to an appropriate size, and we really could eliminate a huge number of defects at very high speed.

If you try to work on photos that are more detailed, though, or have larger defects, then problems appear. Retouch Pilot Lite becomes less and less able to generate an image which matches with its immediate surroundings, and the results quickly become entirely unusable.

If you’re already an experienced graphics editor, then, familiar with a clone brush and used to repairing minor problems, Retouch Pilot Lite has little to offer.

But, if you’re not sure how you’d remove tiny spots and scratches from an image, or you’re going to have to remove a lot of them and need a quick way to do it, the program may prove useful, and it’s certainly worth a try.

Nokia brings the new Here apps -- Drive Beta, Maps and Transit -- to other Windows Phone 8 devices

Publié: février 25, 2013, 3:49pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Nokia's augmented reality, map and navigation apps for Windows Phone just went through a name change, and now bear the HERE branding. As interesting as that may sound (which it doesn't, really) there is an even bigger announcement. HERE Drive Beta, HERE Maps and HERE Transit, which were formerly exclusive to Nokia devices, are now available for "any Windows Phone 8 smartphone".

Well, not for any Windows Phone 8 smartphone -- the three apps are only available for users in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, UK and US. That said, I have installed HERE Maps outside of a supported location and it works fine, without any apparent limitation. HERE Drive Beta and HERE Transit report an unsupported location and as a result neither works for me.

HERE Maps is similar to the built-in Windows Phone 8 Maps application. It uses the Nokia maps and features online and offline services and turn-by-turn navigation, the latter in over 90 countries according to the Finnish manufacturer. Where the two offerings, from Nokia and Microsoft, mostly differ is in nearby locations (Nokia calls them "places") such as hotels, restaurants, pubs (or bars depending on which side of pond you live) and shopping centers to name a few. Where Maps would show no results, HERE Maps provides a generous POI list (Point of Interest) in the close proximity to my location.

HERE Drive Beta features turn-by-turn voice navigation, with support for offline guidance. There is also support for POIs, speed limits and other features. Nokia's maps apps (HERE Drive Beta and HERE Maps) can save maps of entire countries, regions or states (depending on the location) for offline use.

HERE Transit is designed for (let's say) eco folks who want to avoid personal (and modern) transportation (also known as cars) and choose to go down the bus, train, tram or ferry route. The app displays nearby stations and stops as well as departure times. All HERE apps are synced, allowing users to switch between them for the best results.

Moving back to the HERE branding, John Jackson, Research VP, Mobile & Connected Platforms, IDC says that: "These announcements firmly establishes HERE as a horizontal brand and thoughtfully-tiered service offering. It should benefit broad developer communities, generate significant new value for Nokia, and let Nokia retain the ability to differentiate its Lumia products with unique experiences".

With that in mind, his standing appears somewhat influenced by half of the HERE announcement. If Nokia keeps up the pace and continues to reinforce its support for the Windows Phone 8 ecosystem by offering more branded apps to non-Lumias the advantage of owning a Nokia smartphone fades, at least in terms of software.

Currently three out of four HERE branded apps are available for other Windows Phone 8 devices, including HTC's Windows Phone 8X and Windows Phone 8S and Samsung's ATIV S.

HERE Drive Beta, HERE Maps and HERE Transit are available to download from the Windows Phone store.

Photo Credits: Andy Dean Photography/Shutterstock

Samsung fortifies BYOD with Knox for Galaxy devices

Publié: février 25, 2013, 2:12pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

On Monday, South Korean electronics manufacturer Samsung unveiled a new "end-to-end secure solution" aimed at boosting the company's BYOD (Bring Your own Device) credentials among businesses. Called Knox, the product beefs up the Samsung For Enterprise (also known as SAFE) program by adding improved security and increased manageability into the mix.

This time around Samsung forgoes the acronyms. Unlikely to be just a simple coincidence, Knox bears a military connotation as it hints at the iconic Fort Knox US Army post in Kentucky. Luckily, Samsung's Knox only deals with defense. The enterprise solution packs Security Enhanced (SE) Android, which is developed by the NSA (United States National Security Agency) to improve security within green droid land, and integrity management services that are implemented in the Android framework and the hardware alike.

Knox is similar to the Balance feature found in BlackBerry 10 in the way that it can separate work and personal use of a smartphone or tablet, through a container solution at the application layer. This suggests that users will be able to better compartmentalize personal and business accounts, which should aid the BYOD trend. SE Android and the file system-level encryption enforce the separation, touted by Samsung as increased security within the workspace.

Samsung says that Knox is compatible with existing enterprise infrastructures, including directory services, MDM (Master Data Management) and VPN (Virtual Private Network), and is easily-available to use from the home-screen icon. It offers a variety of applications such as email, browser, calendars, collaboration, contacts, CRM (Custom Relations Management), and file sharing apps. Existing Android apps, without modification, can be enterprise-integrated and validated and become more secure as well, according to Samsung.

Samsung says that Knox will be available in select Galaxy devices starting in the second quarter of 2013.

Photo Credits: Slavoljub Pantelic/Shutterstock

Remove Java from your PC with JavaRA

Publié: février 25, 2013, 1:38pm CET par Mike Williams

If the latest Java security scares have persuaded you to ditch the technology forever, then removing it from your PC is normally straightforward. Java’s regular uninstaller should do the job in just a few seconds.

If this doesn’t work, though -- or you just want to remove and reinstall Java, because of problems with your system -- then it might be worth trying JavaRA, a compact tool that can help you to update or cleanly uninstall the Java Runtime Environment.

The program comes in a compact package (a 139KB zip file), with no unwanted extras. And launching it presents a simple and straightforward interface, with just four large buttons (and only two of those are particularly important).

This doesn’t mean that JavaRA is lacking in options, though. So click "Update JavaRA Runtime", say, and the program provides no less than three ways to proceed. It can open a web page to perform an online version check; use another executable to do this for you; or download and install the latest version, regardless of what you have got installed right now.

If you click "Remove Java Runtime" then that will first prompt you to run the official uninstaller, before itself trying to clear up any files, folders and Registry keys associated with Java.

And there are a few other settings which might be helpful. Click "Additional Tasks", say, and there’s an option to "Remove outdated JREF Firefox extensions".

For all this, JavaRA didn’t always quite work as we’d like.

The program needs to run as an administrator, for instance, but doesn’t prompt for that -- you’ll need to remember.

You have to click "Update JavaRA Definitions" to make sure it has the latest information about which files and folders to remove; again, this should happen automatically (by default, at least).

And the program didn’t detect the regular Java uninstaller on our test PC.

Still, JavaRA did correctly update our test Java installation, and then correctly and cleanly remove it. So while we’d always try the normal Java uninstaller first, if that’s not working for you then JavaRA provides a quick, easy and effective alternative.

AOKP Jelly Bean MR1 Build 4 is available

Publié: février 25, 2013, 12:09pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Call me crazy, but I love Mondays. Why? Because there is a new AOKP build coming just in time to kick off my week. The team behind the popular custom distribution Android Open Kang Project did not disappoint this time around either. Jelly Bean MR1 Build 4 made its way onto our modding hands with support for new devices and a much-awaited Android 4.2.2 base.

Jelly Bean MR1 Build 4 is the first release based on Android 4.2.2, the latter of which incorporates a number of new features including improved security as well as bug fixes for Bluetooth and other areas. The latest AOKP build touts minor changes, however, compared to its predecessor. The team behind the project says that the focus was on bugfixes, a "flawless AOSP merge" and the expansion of the lunch table (the lunch table is comprised of build configurations that can be compiled into per-device ROMs).

Support for new devices comes courtesy of new AOKP maintainers and includes the HTC One XL for AT&T (codename "evita"), Motorola Droid 3 XT862 (codename "solana"), Motorola Droid 4 XT894 (codename "maserati"), Motorola Droid Bionic XT875 (codename "targa"), Motorola Droid RAZR in both Verizon and international trim (codename "spyder" and "umts_spyder", respectively) and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus for Sprint (codename "toroplus").

It is recommended, as usual, to wipe data before switching from another custom distribution or AOKP distribution, the latter based on previous major Android iterations such as Ice Cream Sandwich or the first Jelly Bean version.

AOKP Jelly Bean MR1 Build 4 is available to download from AndroTransfer and Goo.im.

Up yours Apple! Samsung to launch Galaxy S IV in the US next month

Publié: février 25, 2013, 11:12am CET par Wayne Williams

Samsung might have received a $1.05 billion bloody nose in its battle against Apple last year, but the South Korean giant is coming back fighting, by launching the next version of its flagship smartphone on US soil next month. The first such launch in three years.

Confirmed today at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and in a tweet, Samsung will be unveiling the Galaxy S IV in New York as part of the Samsung Unpacked event on March 14.

According to the South Korean Edaily news website, JK Shin Samsung Electronics' mobile division chief said: "We introduced the Galaxy S III in London last year, and this time we changed the venue (to New York)... as we were bombarded with requests from U.S. mobile carriers to unveil the Galaxy S IV in the country".

The new flagship device is widely expected to offer a higher-resolution display, Exynos 5 8-core processor, and much better front and rear cameras than its predecessor. One thing we do know for certain is it will be rocking the latest version of Jelly Bean 4.2.2.

Samsung Electronics unveiled the original Galaxy S at the CTIA mobile trade show in the US in 2010, but the S II and S III were launched in Spain (2011) and the UK (2012) respectively.

Are you excited by the announcement, and do you plan to buy the new device when it becomes available?

Make sense of your drive's data with Active@ Disk Editor

Publié: février 25, 2013, 11:11am CET par Mike Williams

If you’re confident enough with hard drives to have tried editing them before at the sector level, then you’ll know that most disk editing software is, well, less than helpful. Open a drive and you’ll generally be presented with a basic hex view of your data, then left on your own to figure out what it all means. And okay, it’s true, sector editors are only for the most knowledgeable of PC users, but even experts could benefit from a little help, occasionally.

You don’t have to put up with this, though. Some editors do make a real effort to help you interpret what you’re seeing while browsing a drive. And you don’t always have to pay big money for them, either: Active@ Disk Editor can be yours for free.

On launch the program presents a clear dialog which prompts for the device, partition or logical drive you’d like to view. You can also open disk images in DIM, Microsoft’s VHD and VMWare’s VMDK formats. And whatever you select is then displayed in a familiar hex editor-type view: but that’s just the start.

There’s no need to start guessing where key drive structures are, for instance. If you want to look at the boot sector, directory entries, the MFT and various other NTFS/ FAT/ FAT32/ exFAT/ HFS/ ext2/ ext3 structures, all you have to do is choose the appropriate template from the list. Select "Master Boot Record", say, and the hex editor view will jump to that point on the disk, while the Templates window interprets the data for you (you’ll see bootstrap code, details on individual partitions, the disk serial number, and more).

And this low-level knowledge of how your disk works can be very useful. Choose the "NTFS Boot Sector" template, for example, and Active@ Disk Editor doesn’t only display a table of its core values ("Signature", "Bytes per sector", “Sectors per cluster" and so on), but also shows the same values for the boot sector copy. If you spot a problem then you can edit these directly (so you’re working with decimal values rather than in the raw hex view), and that alone could be enough to get a drive working again.

Typically you’ll have a more complex problem to solve, though, perhaps interpreting some figures of your own -- and Active@ Disk Editor can help here, too. Just browse to the sector you need, click at the relevant point, and check the Data Inspector view. This looks at the data you’ve selected, then interprets and displays it as a binary value, ANSI character, Unicode character, 16/ 32/ 64-bit value, even a time (DOS, Windows or Unix) -- just pick the one you want.

If you’re looking for particular data but aren’t sure where it is (the contents of a lost file, for instance), then a Find option will help you locate them. You can search for a specific ANSI, hex or Unicode sequence, and there are even options to use regular expressions or wildcards.

Of course you can also edit the disk, too. A Navigate option helps you locate the sector you need; you’re able to edit individual bytes, copy and paste information, clear or fill selected blocks; and if things go wrong then Undo and Revert Changes options should help you to avoid disaster.

And perhaps most remarkably, all this comes in a free package with the absolute minimum of dependencies, which means it’s able to run on anything from Windows 98 to 8.

Active@ Disk Editor still needs to be used with extreme care, of course. As with any other low-level drive editing tool, a single mistake could very easily cause a major loss of data.

But if you know what you’re doing, give it a try: we found the program to be an excellent way to inspect and edit the contents of our drives.

Photo Credit: Balandina G/Shutterstock

Nokia announces two new Lumia smartphones

Publié: février 25, 2013, 10:07am CET par Wayne Williams

Nokia has just confirmed two new Lumia smartphones at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The entry-level Nokia Lumia 520 will be priced at $185 (before taxes) off contract, while the mid-range Lumia 720 will cost $338 (also before taxes).

Nokia now has five Windows Phone 8 devices, covering all price points and making it easier for would-be customers to find a model that suits their requirements and budget.

The Lumia 520 boasts a 4-inch display, at a resolution of 800 by 480, and is powered by a 1GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor. It comes with 512MB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. A Micro SD card slot will allow owners to boost this by a further 64GB, plus users get the standard 7GB of free online SkyDrive storage. The 520 also sports a 5-megapixel rear camera capable of recording 720p HD video. The device comes in the usual range of bright colors - yellow, cyan, red, white and black.

The mid-range Lumia 720 has a 4.3-inch display at 800 by 480 with a ClearBlack filter offering better outdoors viewing. It has a dual-core 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot. The biggest difference between this model and the 520 is in the photography department. The rear 6.7-megapixel camera has a f1.9 Carl Zeiss lens designed to let in more light, while the front-facing camera has a 1.3-megapixel HD wide angle lens which will allow self-shooters to pack more friends into the shot.

Nokia is aiming the Lumia 720 at younger, trendier users and so includes a digital lens feature called Glam Me which can be used to whiten teeth, enlarge eyes, and banish skin imperfections.

The Lumia 520 will be available to purchase in the US, via T-Mobile, in the next few months. The Lumia 720 will initially be available through China Mobile in the Asia Pacific market. No word on when or if it will reach the US or Europe.

XOWA makes Wikipedia available offline

Publié: février 25, 2013, 6:29am CET par Mike Williams

When you’re permanently connected to the internet via one device or another, then checking something on Wikipeda is very easy: just browse to the site, enter the topic and you’ll be reading more within seconds.

Life isn’t so simple for everybody, though. If you don’t have a smartphone, perhaps can’t get a signal, or are in an area with unreliable broadband (or maybe none at all) then accessing the site will be much more of a challenge. Fortunately there are other options, and although it’s still only an alpha build, XOWA is already one of the best.

The Java-based program takes a little time to set up. After unzipping the download, it must download Simple Wikipedia (a subset of the full site, though with more than 90,000 pages), as well as ImageMagick and Inkscape if you want to display images. This could obviously be a problem if your internet access is slow, but XOWA does at least make the process simple: click a couple of links and the appropriate files are automatically downloaded and installed for you.

There was one small glitch here, as after installing the graphics components we just got an error message when trying to view any page. This wasn’t anything major, though, and after restarting XOWA worked just fine.

The core interface looks and feels just like the normal website. There’s the search page top right, the usual tabs, and simple navigation tools (bookmarks, your browsing history). Every page is rendered very accurately (you’ll forget you’re not in a browser), and you can even edit your local copy of the current page.

What’s more, if you really need more offline resources, then the program can link those in, too. So while editing a page in your offline Wikipedia, for instance, you could in theory look up the spelling of a word in your offline Wiktionary.

Of course none of this will help very much if you regularly use Wikipedia to provide more information on current events. The web version can be updated with the latest developments on some topic within minutes, but this offline subset will be out of date before you even download it. And so you have to think of XOWA as more like a print encyclopedia; it’s not going to cover what happened yesterday, but is still just fine for general reference purposes.

And of course there are a few issues. As you’re not working in a browser, for instance, XOWA provides a “forward” and “back” button of its own. But these are so small that it took us a while to even notice them. Hopefully clearer navigation is on the list of “things to do”.

Problems like this are to be expected for an alpha build, though, and elsewhere XOWA performs very well. If you need a portable and cross-platform mini-Wikipedia which you can use anywhere, then go grab a copy right away.

Photo Credit: Diego Cervo/Shutterstock

Firefox OS races for third place

Publié: février 25, 2013, 2:25am CET par Joe Wilcox

Mozilla means serious business about Firefox OS, if today's Mobile World Congress announcement is any indication. Timing couldn't be more serious. Gartner says there is little room for a third smartphone platform; in fourth quarter, Android and iOS dominated with 90.1 percent share, based on actual sales. The race for third place is on, with BlackBerry and Windows Phone established, but weak, contenders.

Mozilla proposed Firefox OS nearly two years ago, when BlackBerry OS still had appreciable market share and smartphone growth was strong. But as the first Firefox OS devices come to market, much is changed. Mature markets already rapidly saturate, China is the largest for smartphones, feature phone share is expected to fall below 50 percent this year and Samsung has replaced Nokia as global handset leader. The best place for a newcomer, based on who will partner and where there is room to grow: Second-world and emerging markets -- and that's where Firefox OS is headed.

Alcatel One Touch, LG and ZTE are early hardware launch partners. Eighteen carriers are committed to offering Firefox OS smartphones: América Móvil, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, Etisalat, Hutchison Three Group, KDDI, KT, MegaFon, Qtel, SingTel, Smart, Sprint, Telecom Italia Group, Telefónica, Telenor, Telstra, TMN and VimpelCom.

América Móvil will bring Firefox OS phones to Mexico; Deutsche Telekom to Poland and other parts of Europe; Telefónica to Brazil, Colombia, Spain and Venezuela; and Telenor to Eastern Europe and other countries. Full list of launch destinations: Brazil, Colombia, Hungary, Mexico, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia, Spain and Venezuela. Most of the carriers expect rollouts to begin by mid-year and none are markets where smartphones yet have much traction.

This circumstance is crucial to future growth. Smartphones, unlike feature phones, bring platform commitment as users download and purchase apps and get add-ons specific to operating systems and devices. Firefox OS devices face heaviest headwinds in countries where smartphone adoption is greatest and supporting ecosystems with it.

In total, the world belongs to Android and iOS. Anshul Gupta, Gartner principal research analyst, says that "2013 will be the year of the rise of the third ecosystem". Globally, with 3.5 percent and 3 percent sales market share, respectively, BlackBerry OS and Windows Phone are biggest contenders to be No. 3. But on the macro-level, particularly in countries where feature phones dominate, any platform conceptually can beat others -- even those successful in markets like the United States or Western Europe.

From that perspective, Mozilla CEO Gary Kovacs' boast isn't so outlandish as Android or iPhone supporters might think: "With the support of our vibrant community and dedicated partners, our goal is to level the playing field and usher in an explosion of content and services that will meet the diverse needs of the next two billion people online".

Critics might look at the situation differently -- that Mozilla can't find partners for major markets and gets the dregs. Even if true, none of the first distribution wave is a country with high smartphone adoption, which again to emphasize is pure opportunity for Mozilla and carriers.

Hardware partners are an interesting lot. None are top-tier. While ZTE and LG rank fourth and fifth for global handset sales -- with 3.4 percent and 3.2 percent market share in Q4, according to Gartner -- they declined year over year. Third place Apple has greater share than both combined. Sixth-ranked Huawei will join the three this year. Alcatel One Touch is the other Firefox OS partner.

Samsung would be the feather in Mozilla's cap -- but accounting for 42.5 percent of Android sales in Q4, the South Korean electronics giant has little incentive to add a fourth smartphone operating system. Nokia is committed to Windows Phone and Apple will never do anything but iOS. Devices from three of the top-six is a good start, considering Mozilla builds everything new and comes to market late.

The challenge now: Getting devices to market and supporting ecosystem in place. BlackBerry 10 is out, and Windows Phone sales grew 124.2 percent year over year during fourth quarter, according to Gartner, arguably from a small base. So the race for third place is on.

HP's budget Android takes on Amazon and Google tablets

Publié: février 24, 2013, 8:31pm CET par Alan Buckingham

The death knell for WebOS has sounded. HP promised a lot when purchasing the Palm mobile operating system back in 2010, only to abandon ship. The company is among Google's newest and most-important partners. Earlier this month, HP unveiled its first Chromebook, which is followed by its first Android tablet, the Slate 7.

Despite the fact that Mobile World Congress does not technically start until tomorrow, the big announcements have already been rolling out from Barcelona, Spain. HP, not to be left out, unveiled its new seven-inch Android tablet, clearly designed to go head-to-head with Amazon Kindle Fire HD and Google Nexus 7.

The new device packs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, meaning buyers get Google Now, but no Photosphere, which requires version 4.2 of the Android operating system. The Slate 7 also packs in a 3-megapixel rear camera, embedded Beats Audio, micro USB port, VGA front camera and a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 at 1.6 GHz. The Slate 7 also features HP's ePrint technology. There is nothing about storage capacity included in the announcement.

Alberto Torres, the HP senior vice president of Mobility Global Business Unit, says the Slate 7 is designed to "address the growing interest in tablets among consumers and businesses alike, the company will offer a range of form factors and leverage an array of operating systems". HP also produces Windows 8 tablets.

As for pricing and availability, the company announced that the Slate 7 will arrive in April and tempts buyers with a $169 price tag -- a full $30 below that of the Amazon and Google competitors.

For now, HP teases potential customers with a product wesite that provides additional information. By the way, the website contradicts the press release by stating "available in May 2013".

So, will this tempt you away from a different purchase?

Want a smarter spell checker? Try Ginger

Publié: février 24, 2013, 6:57pm CET par Mike Williams

Everyone makes spelling mistakes from time to time, and if it’s just the occasional typo on an internet forum then most people aren’t going to care.

If you’re prone to more regular errors, though, even when you’re working on more important documents, then this could lead to problems. And that’s where Ginger comes in.

The program is a cloud-based spell checker which works with Office 2003, 2007 and 2010, as well as Firefox and IE (other options, including an Android app, are apparently coming soon). And unlike most of the competition, Ginger doesn’t just detect errors by checking individual words. It also looks at the context of the current sentence, and adapts itself accordingly.

Suppose you type “were are you?”, for example. There’s no spelling error here, but Ginger will recognise there’s an issue with context, and know that you really meant “where are you?”.

The program can detect missing words, too, spotting a missing “the” in “the dog chased cat”.

Split words aren’t a problem, with “I went in side” becoming “I went inside”.

And in some cases you can watch this process at work, while you type. Enter the phrase “Juzt tipe sum words”, for instance, and Ginger will highlight the first two words, which it knows should be “Just type”. But if you then end the sentence with a full stop, it will also highlight “sum”, which although spelled correctly is clearly used out of context.

Whatever your errors happen to be, correcting them is very straightforward. There’s no need to work through the errors individually: just hover your mouse cursor over one of the highlighted words, and Ginger displays a pop-up alert containing what it believes to be the correct sentence. If you’re happy, clicking this will update your document immediately. And a second editing option allows you to delete some corrections, while keeping others.

Ginger also has a few issues. It really needs to cover a wider range of programs, for instance. The program is cloud based, so you need an internet connection for it to work. And it’s heavier on system resources than we expected. Apart from installing an Office addon, browser extensions and so on, it also adds a couple of background processes which grabbed around 90MB of RAM on our test system.

These aren’t critical problems, though, and on balance Ginger remains a capable and effective spell checker.

Photo Credit: Creativa/Shutterstock

Chromebook Pixel is a status symbol

Publié: février 24, 2013, 6:50pm CET par Joe Wilcox

Google's first computer isn't about sales but status. Critics who lambast Chromebook Pixel as an over-priced web browser wrapped in pretty hardware miss the point. Badly. The laptop will sell, but not in mass-volume because it's not meant to. Is Lamborghini about sales or style? I ask not seeing much commentary about how the Italian sports car is a failure because Ford sells millions more Explorers.

Chromebook Pixel is the luxury car of computers running Chrome OS and perpetually connected to the cloud. Google's beauty is a status symbol for people willing to plunk down $1,299 or $1,449 and makes, along with newer Nexus devices, a bold brand statement: Google is a premium brand and the company a real innovator. For the people who love the brand and want to identify with it, like all those fanboys adoring Apple with their cash, Chromebook Pixel is an easy sell.

Consider Apple, which engages in a tried-and-true retail practice, with pricey, attractive Macs. Many people see tech gadgets as accessories -- statements of their coolness, superiority -- as much as useful products. They're willing to pay more for good design, for style, like anyone choosing, say, sports car over minivan.

It's good business. Clothing stores take a similar approach. There are teens who must have the newest wears from Aeropostale, American Eagle, Gap or Hollister at full price; they can't wait for sales. They want to be cool. They pay for fashion.

Google joins Apple and Sony selling pricey, fashionable PCs. Chromebook Pixel is beautiful inside (that breathtaking display) and out (fine design and lightbar). The computer is a pricey fashion statement for those who can use it, and the cloud lifestyle sets them apart from others -- quite literally high above them. For people who live the Google lifestyle and want the world to know, Chromebook Pixel is their proclamation.

Status is More Than Cool

But there are other measures of status. Chromebook Pixel promises to do for the Chrome OS platform what Nexus devices did for Android smartphones and tablets: Establish a reference design for OEM partners and provide developers base system to create apps for. The laptop is the status quo for future Chrome OS applications and hardware.

Google sees touch as integral to future computers running Chrome OS, for example. No other laptop offers touchscreen with super high-resolution display. Apple really should change its MacBook Pro product page, which claims: "The highest resolution ever. And the second highest". Chromebook Pixel is second: 2560 by 1700 compared to MacBook Pro 13-inch's 2560 by 1600 (The 15-inch MBP is still higher at 2880 by 1800). Google can claim highest-resolution touchscreen.

Google's laptop is also status for the future. This is something I've come to really appreciate while reviewing the computer, and I had to change my thinking during the process by taking a different view of usage scenarios.

Chromebook Pixel is meant to be used as a primary computer. Design, processor, touchscreen and price say Pixel is the machine used everyday, all day long. To that end, Google's premium portable must be able to replace something else.

This aspect, in conjunction with pricing, is primary source of short-sighted criticism, and there is lots of it around the InterWebs, much here in BetaNews comments. The major complaint: Chromebook Pixel can't provide the same utility as, say, MacBook Pro or Windows notebook costing hundreds of dollars less. That's reasonable thinking if Google's laptop is meant to be used as primary, or only, PC, which it is.

But that rationale misses the point. You don't get it! Open your eyes and think. True innovation is delivering something that you don't know you need but once you get it realize that "Yeah, I could have used that all along". Comparisons to the existing way are meaningless in this context. You have to think differently.

For What's Next

Chromebook Pixel promises to change the computing paradigm -- all those cheap Chrome OS models are but Trojan Horses. The primary cost is hardware, up front, that is used for years, while software is minimal investment, or free. That's reverse the commodity model that exists right now, where, particularly for businesses, PC hardware investment is less (well, except for Macs), and software and cost maintaining it is so much more.

Chrome OS is a paradigm shift in key areas, both regarding the cloud: Where and how people use applications -- app services, really -- and how much less they cost. Chromebook Pixel is the status device for this future, and the critics just don't get it.

This isn't the first time, with respect to Google. I remember Android and Chrome critics in late 2008 and throughout most of 2009 poo-pooing the products. Yet look where they are now, particularly the mobile OS. The majority of smartphones and tablets shipped today have Android, according to IDC. In tablets, Google's green robot stripped iPad's early, massive market share lead in about two years. Half-decade ago, Android and Chrome were in many ways where Chrome OS is today.

Chromebook Pixel isn't just for now but what's to come. Look at Google's marketing tagline: "For what's next". That's a powerful statement about the product being just the beginning and insinuates something for anyone used to Chrome OS every-other-month updates: There will be ongoing improvements. The hardware foundation is solid, and Google can -- and will -- make Chromebook Pixel better over time.

Google's marketing tagline is also a statement of purpose that signals dramatic changes ahead. People often ask, and I have been among them, why Google pursues a two-operating system strategy. Why continue with Chrome OS at all when Android is so successful? The answer is a question: Where do you consume Google services? Most certainly they're more in the browser than apps. Chrome is the hub, the gateway, to these cloud services. Looked at that way, Pixel foreshadows a Chrome OS tablet, or laptop hybrid. Consider touch, which Chromebook Pixel shares in common with Android tablets. But the paradigm shift is much bigger than new hardware, but we work and play and the context surrounding them.

Chromebook Pixel is a status symbol -- for people wanting the coolest thing, for future Chrome OS applications and devices and "for what's next". This seemingly pricey laptop is so much more than what it appears to be, which is one major reason why this post is the prologue to my forthcoming Chromebook Pixel review -- presented in two parts.

Microsoft claims expired SSL Certificate caused Azure outage

Publié: février 23, 2013, 4:47pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Microsoft's cloud service, Windows Azure, along with Team Foundation Service, suffered a major outage yesterday that also affected non-enterprise people, as it resulted in problems with the Xbox Live as well. However, according to the Xbox Status page, the Live system, along with Xbox Music and Video, which were also affected, is back up and running.

Now, as of this morning we have some information on the root cause of the much-publicized problem. Brian Harry, Product Unit Manager for Team Foundation Server, blames the nine-hour outage on "an expired SSL certificate in Windows Azure storage". Harry goes on to explain that the company stores "source code files, Git repos, work item attachments and more" there and that "the expired certificate prevented access to any of this information, making much of the TFService functionality unavailable".

Ironically, this is not the first time the company has been plagued by this problem. Several years ago Team Foundation Services was hit by an expired certificate which it blamed on an operational oversight. Harry promises that the company will be investigating what led to this most recent oversight and went on to state "I apologize to all of our affected customers and hope you’ll give us a chance to learn and continue to deliver you a great service".

Photo Credit: Ralf Juergen Kraft/Shutterstock

Mac malware invades Microsoft, too

Publié: février 23, 2013, 3:11am CET par Joe Wilcox

How's this for a helluva endorsement for Windows security over OS X? Today, Microsoft acknowledged falling prey to "similar security intrusion" as Apple and Facebook. They got nabbed by a Java exploit affecting Apple's OS.

"We found a small number of computers, including some in our Mac business unit that, were infected by malicious software using techniques similar to those documented by other organizations", says Microsoft security chief Matt Thomlinson.

Apple made similar admission on February 19 and Facebook a week ago. Apple issued an OS X fix removing Java, while Facebook disabled the tech. Microsoft disclosed no such action for its users. Party line: No data was taken.

Facebook offers the most details on what happened: "After analyzing the compromised website where the attack originated, we found it was using a 'zero-day' (previously unseen) exploit to bypass the Java sandbox (built-in protections) to install the malware. We immediately reported the exploit to Oracle, and they confirmed our findings and provided a patch on February 1, 2013, that addresses this vulnerability".

My question: Who among the big companies discloses next? Surely these three aren't the only ones running Macs and Java.

Microsoft's full statement:

As reported by Facebook and Apple, Microsoft can confirm that we also recently experienced a similar security intrusion.

Consistent with our security response practices, we chose not to make a statement during the initial information gathering process. During our investigation, we found a small number of computers, including some in our Mac business unit, that were infected by malicious software using techniques similar to those documented by other organizations. We have no evidence of customer data being affected and our investigation is ongoing.

This type of cyberattack is no surprise to Microsoft and other companies that must grapple with determined and persistent adversaries (see our prior analysis of emerging threat trends). We continually re-evaluate our security posture and deploy additional people, processes, and technologies as necessary to help prevent future unauthorized access to our networks.

Matt Thomlinson
General Manager
Trustworthy Computing Security

Photo Credit: Jirsak/Shutterstock

Expect more-sophisticated Bank DDoS attacks this year

Publié: février 23, 2013, 1:40am CET par Joe Wilcox

What's the end of February without some scare tactics? Gartner warns that one-quarter of distributed denial of service attacks this year will be against applications. Really? That low? I'm surprised the number isn't higher. After all, as enterprises shore up the network perimeter, HTTP remains open wide enough to drive a freight train through and for that long duration.

The attacks seek to overtax CPUs, disrupt applications and, ultimately, distract IT and security personnel. While they look over there, the bad boys are work over here. Gartner sees DDoS attacks as part of a larger trend singling out financial institutions.

"A new class of damaging DDoS attacks and devious criminal social-engineering ploys were launched against U.S. banks in the second half of 2012, and this will continue in 2013 as well-organized criminal activity takes advantage of weaknesses in people, processes and systems", Avivah Litan, Gartner vice president, says. He emphasizes there is a "new level of sophistication in organized attacks against enterprises" and that "they will grow in sophistication and effectiveness" this year.

These attacks increase in intensity -- blasting some financial institutions with up to 70 Gbps of "noisy network traffic", via ye old Internet pipes. 5 Gbps are more typical.

"To combat this risk, enterprises need to revisit their network configurations, and rearchitect them to minimize the damage that can be done", Litan says. "Organizations that have a critical Web presence and cannot afford relatively lengthy disruptions in online service should employ a layered approach that combines multiple DoS defenses".

I guess unplugging the Internet isn't the answer. How will we do online banking?

Photo Credit: Seleznev Oleg/Shutterstock

Apple nearly catches up to Samsung in smart-connected device shipments

Publié: février 23, 2013, 12:05am CET par Joe Wilcox

Analysts wouldn't generate new business without something fresh to sell. So they create new categories to tabulate, or dream up strange labels to describe them. Few quarters back, IDC rolled up PCs, smartphones and tablets into the "smart-connected devices" segment. Four things counted separately became something new, which also give schmoes like me something else to write about.

Yesterday, while my heart nearly failed writing about Chromebook Pixel, IDC released numbers for the segment, claiming 28.3 percent growth for fourth quarter and 29.1 percent for all 2012. Samsung nudged ahead of Apple to top the category for the quarter, with slightly wider lead for the year. Considering that smartphones make up 60.1 percent of the segment, the top-five ranking makes sense: Lenovo, HP and Dell follow the leaders. The two bottom-feeders mostly sell PCs, which lost share year over year.

Samsung actually snatched the top spot from Apple, with share rising to 21.2 percent from 14.6 percent for the quarter and to 20.8 percent from 12.3 percent for the year. The fruit-logo company moved up to 20.3 percent share from 20.1 percent in Q4 and to 18.2 percent from 16.3 percent for all 2012. However, Apple's quarterly nudge, which seemingly is nothing, hides more dramatic changes from earlier in the year.

"The fourth quarter market share numbers showed a fairly dramatic resurgence for Apple" Bob O'Donnell, IDC program vice president, explains. "After falling well behind Samsung early in 2012, Apple came roaring back in final quarter of the year thanks to its latest hits -- the iPhone 5 and the iPad Mini -- and reduced the market share gap to less than a single percentage point. The question moving forward will be whether or not Apple can maintain its hit parade against the juggernaut of Samsung".

Both vendors largely benefited from smartphones and tablets -- the latter accounted for 10.7 percent of smart-connected device shipments last year. Smartphone shipment rose 46.1 percent and tablets 78.4 percent year over year in 2012. Meanwhile, desktop PCs fell by 4.1 percent and laptops by 3.4 percent.

"Smartphones and tablets are growing at a pace that PCs can't realistically keep up with because of device prices and to some extent disposability", Ryan Reith, IDC program manager, says. "The average selling price for a tablet declined 15 percent in 2012 to $461, and we expect that trend to continue in 2013. However, smartphone APSs are still lower at $408. We expect smartphones to continue to carry a shorter life cycle than PCs for the years to come based on price, use case, and overall device size".

In other words, phones will dominate the category for some time to come.

Photo Credit: CLIPAREA l Custom media/Shutterstock

Pale Moon 19 is first major update since version 15

Publié: février 22, 2013, 10:50pm CET par Nick Peers

Moonchild Productions has launched Pale Moon 19.0 and Pale Moon x64 19.0 for Windows. Pale Moon is a customised build of popular web browser Firefox, with the developer making no attempt to keep pace with Mozilla’s six-weekly development cycle in favour of applying security updates and concentrating on delivering improved performance.

This release marks the first major update since Pale Moon 15.0 -- based on Firefox 15 -- was released last August, but while Pale Moon 19 utilizes the brand new Gecko 19 engine found in the latest version of Firefox, don’t expect to see all the functionality in Firefox 19 making an appearance here.

With the underlying Gecko update, Pale Moon 19.0’s HTML5 implementation is more complete than the previous build. Javascript performance has also been improved thanks to the shift to the IonMonkey engine, which first appeared in Firefox 18. Also improved in Gecko 19 are the layout and rendering engines, but one side-effect is that users may have to update both add-ons and themes to retain compatibility with Pale Moon 19.

While the overall layout of the browser hasn’t changed, there are subtle changes to the main browser controls and padlock icon.

Moonchild has – in accordance with its desire to produce a faster browser than Firefox – also applied specific tweaks to the rendering engine to improve performance, which it claims is noticeable both in general user and via certain unspecified benchmarks. These changes should help prevent browser stalls or high CPU usage on certain web pages.

Pale Moon 19.0 also abandons PGO (Profile Guided Optimization) in favour of global speed optimizations, which should give better smoothness regardless of which PC is using the browser.

As this is a custom build, don’t expect all of the functionality of Firefox 19 in this release. There are fewer developer tools, for example, while Moonchild has publicly stated the social API introduced in Firefox 17 won’t be appearing in Pale Moon.

The inline PDF viewer is also apparently missing in this release, but that’s because it’s been switched off by default. Switch it on by typing about:config into the browser Address bar, then search for pdfjs -- verify that pdfjs.firstRun is set to true, then double-click pdfjs.disabled so it’s set to false. Once done, you’ll be prompted each time you click on a PDF whether or not you want to preview it in Pale Moon. To make it the default choice, open Pale Moon >Options > Applications tab and change the Portable Document Format (PDF) entry to Preview in Pale Moon. Job done.

Pale Moon 19.0 and Pale Moon x64 19.0 are both available as freeware downloads for PCs running Windows XP SP3 or later, as are portable builds Pale Moon 19.0 Portable and Pale Moon x64 19.0 Portable.

Photo Credit: Michal Ninger/Shutterstock

Better hurry! Nexus 4 is free from T-Mobile

Publié: février 22, 2013, 7:59pm CET par Alan Buckingham

The LG-made, Google-branded Nexus 4 made quite a splash when it debuted, but some of that attention was for the wrong reasons. The phone was almost impossible to grab, even at launch. Since then, supply problems have continued, extending from the T-Mobile online and brick-and-mortar stores to the Google Play Store.

If you think demand issues were bad before you may not have seen anything yet. Today T-Mobile dropped the price on the Android 4.2 handset all the way to zero.

But, you better hurry because the deal is only good through February 24th and it is available only through the T-Mobile website or by calling the mobile carrier at 1-877-387-4324.

By now you likely already know what your are getting with this handset, but I will give a brief overview in case you were not interested until the word "free" caught your attention.

The phone comes with a 4.7-inch screen, WiFi and Bluetooth, NFC, HSPA+, wireless charging, Snapdragon S4 processor, 8-megapixel camera and a bunch of other cool features.

Given the recent supply problems, I would recommend acting sooner rather than later if you really want the Nexus 4. Of course, T-Mobile looks to lock you into a two-year contract in exchange for the deal. The alternative is an unlocked version which is currently in-stock from Google Play Store for $299 for 8GB or $349 if you would prefer 16GB of storage.

NUI can save Microsoft

Publié: février 22, 2013, 7:39pm CET par Robert Johnson

I don’t know about you but as a lover of technology and the world around it, I find these times to be quite compelling. Apple, Google, Amazon and Microsoft (the big four) are setting the stage for an epic battle for tech dominance. The many articles and blog posts calling Microsoft dead in the water are way too premature. We are way too early in this new world of mobile computing to call Microsoft out of this game.

However, I will say this: If any of the four previously mentioned companies are in the most danger of failing at the consumer market, it’s Microsoft. The company better figure out how to get things together and quickly as time is not on the leadership's side and their competition is hitting on all cylinders.

A Good Foundation?

Whatever you think about the Windows 8 devices (including phones and Surface RT/Pro), the bottom line is that they represent a transition to the future Microsoft. They offer a peek into what will become the New Microsoft. Are there remnants of the “old way” still around? Of course. There are myriads of examples but let’s look at two:

1. The slow pace at which Windows 8 apps like Mail, Calendar, and the Xbox Music service are fixed is mind boggling. It’s unacceptable. These apps are barely usable, and the fact that they are apps implies they can be updated on a much quicker pace. I’m not talking about performance and bug fixes. I’m talking about features.

Xbox Music is probably the biggest failure of them all. Microsoft deserves a class action suit for how it bungled this mess. The company advertises features that barely work. Customers are left hanging on support sites with no answer to legitimate issues they are experiencing with this pooch screw of a music service. Spotify has its issues, but at least the service does what it is advertised to do.

2. Windows Phone early adopters are treated worse than slaves on a plantation. So Microsoft announces an upgrade for early adopters called Windows Phone 7.8 and then proceeds not to say anything else about it for months. They also announced a special program where fans of the phone can get early access to updates. Nothing else has been said about this either. Way to treat your fans/early adopters Microsoft!

Despite these issues, Windows 8 and its supporting services (SkyDrive, Bing, Skype etc.) all represent the solid foundation that Microsoft needs to leverage in order to get the attention of consumers, because let’s face it, right now, Microsoft is not really at the forefront of the consumer mindset.

To compete as a complete ecosystem and player, the company needs to have a way for customers to work/play wherever and whenever across all device types. SkyDrive, Office, and Skype allow us to work whenever and wherever on PC, tablet, phone and TV. SkyDrive, Xbox Music/Video and Xbox Live allows us to play whenever and wherever. Admittedly the “play” aspect of Microsoft's current ecosystem needs work but at least the foundation is in place.

Microsoft really is the underdog of the big four, and I love rooting for the underdog. So how can this underdog claim its rightful place among the big four and secure its position for the future of mobile computing? I have a few ideas.

NUI

Natural user interfaces is an area that Microsoft has invested heavily over the past several years. The company has teased us with all sorts of amazing videos from its research division. However, what have we seen so far? Kinect. Great start, but not enough to increase consumer adoption across its consumer product portfolio. So what can they do beyond Kinect?

1. Expand Kinect to other platforms. I use Kinect on Xbox regularly. I mostly use the voice controls, because I am always losing my piece-of-crap Xbox media remote, and it’s just a lot faster to navigate the interface this way rather than click on a remote. Providing the ability to use the proper or more natural input device based on the moment is what makes regular consumers like myself feel at ease; instead of having to adjust to the device, it adjusts to me.

Kinect is a powerful technology, and when Microsoft released it on the Xbox -- I believe strongly (and I could be wrong here) -- the controller is the one thing that catapulted the consold to the #1 spot here in the United Stated. If Microsoft can leverage this technology across other devices/platforms like Windows, Windows Phone and Surface, it will differentiate its products from others in the mobile space and get consumer attention as well.

Bill Gates has already said that Microsoft platforms will support multiple input types (read keyboard, mouse, touch, voice and camera-based gestures) but we don’t know when. Perhaps this is the killer feature of the “Blue” wave of updates.

2. Get TellMe to the masses. We’ve seen the videos of the TellMe service using natural language, a la Siri and Google Now. So we know that whenever Microsoft finally gets off its rear-end and releases something similar we can’t say it's just copying competitors. But then again, in this Apple-obsessed tech culture, we all know what will definitely happen. Releasing an upgraded TellMe service that simply returns movies, weather and traffic info is not enough.

This is no different than what’s currently on the market today. Microsoft needs to go much further and release a product that allows a user to navigate an entire computing interface. For example, a user should be able to control an entire phone by voice by saying, “Show me my text messages from Brian Rains” or “Take me to Williams Sonoma dot com and show me their latest cookware”.

Perhaps I could even tell my Windows Phone to cue up Hulu Plus at 4:15 p.m. so that when I get home, it’s already up and running on my Xbox. Maybe I’m living in a pipe dream, but this would certainly differentiate an upgraded TellMe service.

3. Bring NUI to the web. I don’t see why not. Microsoft is already heavily committed to advancing web technologies like CSS and HTML5. Microsoft has a major in by recommending new HTML specs that leverage voice and camera-based gestures. Web development in large part is not taking place on Microsoft platforms, and one way the company can win over web developers is by creating new technology that’s easy to integrate into our existing solutions and is open source. As someone who works on web-based business applications, the ability to create interfaces that allow users to use whatever input method they want would be a huge win.

In the same way that this technology reinvigorated the Xbox, I believe NUI can reinvigorate Microsoft’s other platforms as well. It seems to be the one technology that the others in the big four are working on but don’t appear to be all that serious about right now.

Google’s approach seems to be about besting Apple. While Siri is an interesting product, it’s hard to tell where Apple wants to take it. It seems way too gimmicky right now while Google Now actually feels useful. But none of these approaches are as pervasive as what is needed to really take computing to the next level.

How important is NUI to Microsoft’s future? I think it is one of the most important technologies the company could ever invest in. But what do you think? Is NUI Microsoft’s Trojan Horse or is it something else?

Photo Credit: Slavoljub Pantelic/Shutterstock

Best Windows 8 apps this week

Publié: février 22, 2013, 5:49pm CET par Martin Brinkmann

Seventeenth in a series. The Windows 8 app store is picking up pace again. New apps this week almost doubled in comparison to last week. A total of 1,049 new apps found their way into Windows Store -- of which 826 were listed as free to install and use and 224 as paid apps. It will be interesting to see if this is the beginning of an uptick in terms of new apps in the store or if things will dry off again in the coming weeks.

Microsoft did update a couple of first-party applications this week. Just in is the Skype update, which enables Windows 8 users to transfer files using the client, a feature that has been an integral part of the desktop app for a very long time.

The official eBay application received an update as well adding much awaited features such as saving sellers, asking seller questions or providing access to a user's message history.

This week I'm going to introduce a new feature in this series, the app of the week. It is the application that impressed me the most in a given week.

App Stars

Windows Store is not that comfortable to navigate, and there are a number of reasons for that. There is for instance no option to combine sort options, like sorting apps by recency and ratings, or filtering out paid apps in the new releases listings of each category.

AppStars has been designed to provide Windows 8 users with a selection of handpicked apps from the store. The app displays various charts, hot 25, trending or superstars, that users can browse. The idea here is to limit the listings to only display quality apps to the user.

The trending category is especially nice as there is no comparable option in Windows Store.

Microsoft Download Center Checker

The application displays the last downloads that have been added to Microsoft's Download Center. You can access a listing of all downloads, or downloads that have been filed into categories such as Office, Developer Tools or Cloud Tools.

Each download is listed with its name, date and time it was added to the download center, and a short description. A click on a download opens its download page right in the application, with an option to load it in the default system browser.

You can also search Microsoft's Download Center, but search results appear to be limited to the files that the developers of the application have added to the apps' database.

Party Anthems

Full-screen, high definition music videos is what this application is offering to you. When you start the app you are presented with a list of songs that you can start listening to and viewing.

Each song is listed with its name, artist and a thumbnail to give you a first impression of it. A click loads the song and from that moment on everything else is on autopilot. The application loads the next song automatically, and you can use controls displayed by the application to control playback or go full screen.

If you like club music, then this application may be worth a look.

Sky Map Free

A port of the popular windows Phone application of the same name. The application is available as a free and paid application. The free version supports zooming and touch support, while the paid version, available for $1.99, many additional features such as customization, wikipedia integration or improved sky map graphics.

You can use the built-in search to find constellations you are interested in.

VBA8

A Gameboy Advance emulator for Windows 8 and Windows RT. You can use it to play Gameboy ADvance games using virtual touch controls, the keyboard, or a connected Xbox 360 controller.

The emulator ships with one demo rom that you can use to test its functionality. To play games you need gba rom files which are for instance available when you search for homebrew gba roms.

Sample Browser

This application makes available more than 4500 code samples from the MSDN Samples Gallery. You can search, download and favorite samples using the application, or request samples if you cannot find a sample for a particular issue.

Options are provided to either browse all samples regardless of application or programming language, or to use one of the categories - Visual Studio 2012, WPF or SQL Azure for example -- to browse only code samples that have been listed in that particular category.

">Movie Premier

Movie Premier has been designed to provide you with the means to manage your virtual movie collection across all Windows 8 devices. The application scans the videos folder automatically when run and adds the movies it finds to the list of available movies on the device.

You can then sync the collection across devices, play movies right from the app interface, or create playlists of movies that you want to watch. The app lacks a couple of features that desktop programs offer, like selecting different locations for video files or adding movies manually to the database. All in all though it is an interesting application if the bulk of your movie collection is stored in the video folder.

iApps

The iApps application displays iPhone and iPad app listings in Windows. It lists iPhone apps for the US by default which you can change with a right-click. Here you can switch to iPad instead and select another country as well.

The application displays top free, paid and grossing apps in the selected store, and the same for categories such as business, books or finance.

Each app is listed on its own profile page in the application that includes a description, ratings, and basic information about it. Links point to the applications page on the iTunes website from where they can be bought and downloaded.

App of the week

Dragon's Blade

Turn-based strategy games are one of my passions and I seem to have played them all. From Shining Force on the Sega Genesis over Final Fantasy Tactics on the Playstation to Heroes of Might and Magic, Fallout and the excellent Masters of Magic. Dragon's Blade ins inspired by classic turn based fantasy games.

You command a party of four characters that you create in the beginning. A total of nine different classes are available, from melee classes like knights or berserkers to masters of the arcane.

Your journey begins in your home town. Here you are introduced to key game concepts like moving around and interacting with objects and people, but also to the turn based combat system.

Each turn you select one of four available actions for each party member. You can use weapons to attack, defend the round, take potions or cast spells, and combat ends when either the enemy or the party is defeated. Since the party is pretty weak in the beginning, it may make sense to stay close to the town until you level up at least once as it will become increasingly difficult to defeat enemies as you will eventually run out of mana and health.

The game offers everything you'd expect from a classic turn based strategy game. Different classes that level up, heaps of items you can find and equip your characters with, an interesting magic system and a large world to explore.

You can run legacy apps on jailbroken Windows RT and will be able to use a third-party app store (soon)

Publié: février 22, 2013, 3:21pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Starting out as a rookie among veterans, in a matter of months Windows RT has transformed into an exciting and intriguing alternative to established tablet operating systems. The trigger for the frankly unexpected makeover is the jailbreak which allows enthusiasts to run unsigned apps on their Windows RT-based devices -- there's even an automated tool which makes modding a breeze. If you think that is not good enough and you still need or want your old apps, a developer has released a tool that allows legacy programs to run on Windows RT.

The tool, however, does not support every Windows-compatible legacy app known to mankind. It comes with some limitations as resource-hogging, complex, .NET-based, modern, 16-bit and 64-bit apps, among others, cannot run. The reasoning, judging by the developer's input on the matter, is to deliver a solid user experience across the board without major compromises when running legacy programs.

In its current state, the tool features an installer with a GUI (Graphical User Interface) launcher, "speed" and, considering the manpower behind the project, a decent number of emulated Windows API (Application Programming Interface) functions. The developer plans to expand the number of emulated Windows API functions even further in a future release; at the moment it can be considered work in progress.

As you might imagine, the tool has to be installed on the jailbroken Windows RT and cannot be run on the untouched version of Microsoft's tablet operating system. Users then have to open the "Launch x86 program" entry from the start menu, browse and select the executable of the legacy program, and just press the OK button to power it up.

The developer says that WinRAR, 3D Pinball "Space Cadet" (without sound), Heroes of Might and Magic 3 (with a 32-bit patch, but no music), the 7Zip benchmark and "lots of tiny simple progs" work using the tool. That said, launching one legacy app from another is as yet unsupported. The developer also plans to add support for all version of Age of Empires, Command and Conquer, Jagged Alliance 2 and uTorrent 2.x and warns that some programs might require specific registry entries in order to open.

Another benefit of jailbreaking Windows RT is the ability to use a third-party app store, similar in concept to Cydia on iPads, iPhones and iPod Touch devices. One was released in January, but the developer retired it because the source code contained "too many kludge fixes on kludge fixes". But that will change "soon".

The same developer released a suite of suite of apps meant to enable running unsigned ARM-compatible apps and legacy programs on Windows RT, that would lay the groundwork towards the release of RTD Store V2. The latter is a "work in progress version" of the former third-party app store, but much simpler and more stable, according to the developer.

HFS simplifies the process of sharing files across your network or the web

Publié: février 22, 2013, 1:55pm CET par Mike Williams

When you need to share files with others, setting up a web server probably won’t be the first idea that comes to mind. It just seems like too bulky a solution, too complex, and so you’d probably opt for something more conventional: setting up a network, using a file sharing service, whatever it might be.

With the right software, though, setting up a web server can be much more straightforward than you think. And the open source HFS (Http File Server) is a particularly good example of this, because even if you’re a networking novice, it could have you sharing your files locally within minutes.

This all starts with an ultra-compact download (559KB), all the more surprising because it’s not even zipped. The entire program is contained in a single executable which you just download and run.

The interface is relatively straightforward, too. If you’ve set up a server before then you’ll probably guess that the "Virtual File System" pane is where you’ll share your files. But even if you’re a beginner, hovering your mouse cursor over the pane will explain all with a tooltip asking you to "drag your files here".

And all you then have to do is drag and drop the files you’d like to share onto the Virtual File System pane, click the "Server is currently OFF" button to turn it on, and give the IP address HFS displays to someone else on your local network. When they put that into a browser they’ll find a simple page with your files displayed, ready for immediate downloading.

If you want to share your files across the internet then there is more work to do, but HFS can at least help you get started. Click Menu > Self Test and the program analyses your system and network setup, before explaining what else (if anything) you need to do to make this happen. If you’re new to this kind of networking complexity then there may still be some research to do (on our system we were told simply to ensure out router was "configured to forward port 7000 to your computer", for instance), but it’s still much more straightforward then many similar tools.

And when you’re ready to consider what else you might need from a file sharing tool, there are plenty of options on offer. So you can password-protect particular files and folders, for instance. You might allow users to upload, as well as download files. There are various speed limits and controls to help ensure the program doesn’t tie up all your bandwidth. And there’s dynamic DNS support, a configurable HTML template, a custom scripting language, and lots of configuration settings to help get everything working properly.

HFS still has some limitations. While in theory you could use it as a web server to host your own website, for example, that probably wouldn’t be a great idea. It’s short on features (there’s no PHP support, for instance), doesn’t run as a service, and tends to do most things in its own, very non-standard way: even if you did get something to work here, it may not be easily transferrable to another host.

If you’re just interested in an alternative way to make files available on your network, though, it’s a very different story. HFS is lightweight, quick and easy to configure, and ideal as a simple way to share some files or folders with others.

Photo credit: mojito.mak[dog]gmail[dot]com/Shutterstock

LG, wake up! The Optimus G arrives too late in Europe

Publié: février 22, 2013, 1:49pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

There's a great saying that applies to new products -- get it while it's hot. Or shall I say, give it while it's hot. LG, sadly, is not familiar with either expression as the South Korean manufacturer has only now finally released the Optimus G on European soil. That's a whopping six months (well, nearly) after the smartphone's unveiling in late August, last year.

LG is its own worst enemy right now. The main problem with the late Optimus G release, apart from the obvious waning of initial interest, is the smartphone's bigger brother -- the Optimus G Pro -- and the plethora of new devices that were released after the Optimus G, with better specs and time advantage on their side. And we haven't yet reached MWC (Mobile World Congress) frenzy yet, where manufacturers are known to release or announce even more products.

The Limited European Endeavor

I got a kick from reading LG's announcement. The South Korean manufacturer releases the Optimus G in Europe, starting this month, but only mentions four major markets -- Sweden, France, Germany and Italy. Heck, that's not even a small part of the European Union let alone the whole continent. Will it be available in Spain, or Switzerland, or Belgium? LG doesn't say, which is not reassuring.

Trying to make up for the late release, LG says that the Optimus G launches with "enhanced" features, and I quote: "The European Optimus G will feature Google’s latest Android Operating System, Jelly Bean 4.1.2", alongside QSlide, Safety Care and Privacy Keeper among others. Say what? Android 4.1.2 is the latest version available?

LG must be joking as quite a lot of people have been using Android 4.2 for months now on their Nexus devices, one of which -- the Nexus 4 -- is even manufactured by LG itself. Talk about not knowing its own products.

Great, but Last Year

To be honest, the Optimus G sounded great at the time -- a super fast quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, a large IPS display, 32GB of internal storage and 4G LTE really grabbed my attention, six months ago. But all that, and more, can be had nowadays in a newer device that will not be surpassed by a bigger brother in a few months and still has that novelty ring to it.

Imagine going to a retailer or carrier to choose a new phone sometime this month. Which one would you choose, honestly? A six month-old smartphone or a brand new one like, let's say, the Sony Xperia Z? Or, if you wait a little longer, you can get a great looking HTC One.

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is last year's news and so are most of the specs. Qualcomm released two high-end processors, the Snapdragon 600 and the Snapdragon 800, that outshine the older Snapdragon S4 Pro. We're starting to see even more 1080p displays, with HTC packing a 1920 by 1080 resolution in a 4.7-inch panel -- same screen size as the Optimus G -- and promises of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean upgrades from Sony for the Xperia Z and Xperia ZL. Generally speaking we're seeing the future of smartphones, not the past.

I'm a European and I wouldn't touch the Optimus G, not even with a ten foot pole right now. LG, you can keep it.

Back up all types of USB drive with USB Image Tool

Publié: février 22, 2013, 12:48pm CET par Mike Williams

Alexander Beug has released USB Image Tool 1.60, the latest version of his compact, portable and free backup tool for USB devices.

And a very welcome addition this time is support for non-removable USB devices. So on launch, the program won’t only list any mobile USB devices you might have connected (keys, cameras, MP3 players and so on), but it’ll also display regular USB drives, memory card readers and so on, and allow you to back them up.

Another new feature is the Reset button. USB Image Tool has always been able to, say, restore an 8GB image to a 16GB drive, but you would then effectively "lose" the extra space. In version 1.60, though, clicking Reset will overwrite the boot sector, causing Windows to reformat the drive with its original capacity.

USB Image Tool 1.60 is also now simpler to use, as there’s no need to manually run it as an administrator: the program now prompts for the appropriate rights on launch.

A new option to define the program’s buffer size may help improve performance, which could be important if you’ll now be using USB Image Tool to back up large USB drives.

There are a few extra options in the command line version of the program, and a couple of bugs fixed (see the official change log for more).

And, remarkably, all of this still comes in an ultra-lightweight portable package (even unzipped, it still required only 422KB of drive space on our test PC), with no adware or similar annoyances.

Put it all together and USB Image Tool 1.60 is an excellent tool, especially now it’s able to back up just about any USB storage device. Of course the GUI doesn’t support extras like scheduling, but if you’re happy to create your own scripts then it’s not difficult to set that up: just launch usbitcmd.exe from the command line to get a feel for your available options.

Photo credit: chien321/Shutterstock

Overhauling a home network, Part 2 -- back to FreeNAS afterall

Publié: février 22, 2013, 12:46pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Let us get a bit geeky. This was not my original intention, but it is how things turned out in the end. First, I believe I misspoke twice in part one of this series -- one time was unintentional, the other was apparently my wishful thinking. The first was when I called my recent used server purchase a Dell Optiplex. It is actually a Dell Poweredge. The second involved my new operating system and I'll get to that in a second.

To begin with, the server was running Windows Server 2003 and the small business I purchased it from had failed to wipe the data, but did leave it password protected -- something a tool like Ophcrack may have been able to breach, though I had no desire to try. The server also contained a CD-ROM drive which I needed to replace with a DVD drive in order to install Windows Server 2012 Essentials. Fortunately I had one laying around -- yes, I know that is not normal. You should see our storage room. There are boxes of computer parts and a stack of old towers filling a corner. At least this time the "it will be useful someday" statement worked out for me.

However, the 32-bit server architecture did not support 2012, meaning I moved on to Home Server -- that required 512 MB of RAM, and the server, woefully older than I had thought, only had 256 -- an easy upgrade, but expenses and wife-acceptance-factor for this project were mounting up.

In short, I went back to my old standby -- FreeNAS, which my last server ran. The operating system has improved quite a bit over the time since I last installed it. I knew there had been upgrades, but my system was set and working fine -- don't fix what is not broken. In fact, it has moved all the way to version 8.3.

I will not waste a lot of time here. FreeNAS has more than enough information to help you out and, surprisingly, Engadget did a very lengthy and helpful guide last year. Use those and you should have no problems.

I will point out a couple of things to pay attention to. First, make sure you change your password, which by default, is set to "password". You will also be spending a bit of time setting up your drives. If you can, choose ZFS over UFS because of storage restrictions. Remember that the drive on which FreeNAS is installed cannot be used for storage, so do not waste a multi-terabyte drive on a very small operating system.

There are also some plugins that may interest you. Those can be found on the FreeNAS website. In fact, you can even hook up a network printer to the box, but it gets a bit complicated. Once volumes are configured and working then you are ready to start backing up and sharing files.

Backup and Sharing

There are a few ways to do this. When I last set up the OS I simply used SyncBack SE on each networked computer in order to backup a copy of all files automatically. There were likely other options, but it worked for me so I did not mess with it.

Rsync is built right into FreeNAS, but it requires a client app installed on each computer on your home network. As my colleague Joe Wilcox pointed out in the newsroom the other day, and I am paraphrasing here -- the simplest solution is usually the best.

That meant SynBack SE because it recognizes mapped drives. That is big because it means that it can be installed on one PC (the desktop in this case) and used to back up and sync all computers in the home.

What's Next?

In the process of doing all of this I stumbled across an MSDN post from Microsoft's Emmanuel Bergerat which detailed the over-the-top home server he had recently built. My new setup suddenly looked completely inadequate. Still, despite his statement that one of his requirements was "cheap", it is all relative. Maybe someday I will do something like that.

For now my future plans for this box are simply to purchase a four-bay external drive enclosure so that I can begin expanding the space one drive at a time. I also may add a KVM switch between the server and desktop, but that is really not a necessity given that FreeNAS can be shutdown or restarted right from the dashboard on any computer. Heck, there is even a couple of Android apps to control it.

The Microsoft solutions may be nice and have more features, but the bottom line here is that I simply want my files safely backed up and, for that, FreeNAS and SyncBack SE (both free) will meet my needs perfectly and even provide a few little extras to boot.

Photo Credits: Norebbo/Shutterstock

Edit and convert videos to any format with Video to Video

Publié: février 22, 2013, 11:55am CET par Mike Williams

If you’re looking for a free video converter then there are now plenty of great free programs around, which is plainly very good news for the end user.

Software developers, though, are having to cram in ever more features to help their converter stand out from the crowd and Video to Video is a particularly strong example.

The program supports over 200 input formats, for instance, while exporting over 700. And so it can handle several file types which aren’t so well covered elsewhere (DV, VC3, MXF, NUT).

Video to Video also provides output profiles for a host of different devices: Apple, Android, Mobile, Sony, Blackberry and more. We’re not just talking about one or two generic examples, either. Click the Android tab, say, and you’re presented with more than 240 profiles for mobile devices from all the major manufacturers (and quite a few of the minor ones, too).

You could then accept the default profile settings, click Convert and wait for your new videos to appear. But if you like more control, then you’ll love the options available here. You can set your video and audio codecs, bit rates, resolution, aspect ratio, frame rate and more. There’s subtitle support. You can crop, pad, rotate or flip the video. There are options to tweak brightness, contrast, colors, hue and saturation. And an "Other Filters" list contains tools to sharpen your video, remove noise, stabilize a clip, remove a logo, and more.

A "Tools" menu provides some useful processing options, allowing you to trim videos, join them, rip and burn video DVDs, and more.

There are some unexpected bonus features, too. So the program can actually create animated GIFs from a video, for instance. And an "Images to Video" tool proves a surprisingly powerful way to create video slide shows, with support for a soundtrack, text captions, a vast number of custom transitions, and more.

And all this comes in a straightforward portable package with no codecs to install, no adware, not even a "Donate" button (unless you head to the website).

There are some downsides, too. Once you get past the basics, for instance, the interface isn’t always as intuitive as it could be. And we did run into one technical issue when creating a video slide show; the conversion process failed for no apparent reason when exporting to AVI, but worked just fine if we chose MP4 instead.

For the most part, though, the program performed very well, importing all the files we threw at it, and quickly converting them to our chosen formats. And so if you’re in the market for a video converter with some real power, then should probably download a copy of Video to Video right away.

Photo Credit: Spectral-Design/Shutterstock

BBC updates its iPlayer app -- background streaming via AirPlay now enabled

Publié: février 22, 2013, 11:54am CET par Wayne Williams

The BBC’s iPlayer app is available for both iOS and Android, but owners of Apple devices definitely get the better deal with additional features, such as the ability to download shows to their iPhones or iPads for offline viewing.

The latest update from the BBC widens the gap between the app siblings further by introducing improved AirPlay support. Owners of iOS devices who also have Apple TV will now be able to beam a show from the app to the big screen, and then background iPlayer, and use their phone or tablet for something else while the show continues to play.

In addition, the new version of the app fixes various minor problems and glitches, improves playback quality, and ensures downloads are more reliable.

You can grab the latest version of iPlayer from the App Store now.

Google rolls out Chrome 25, lets you talk to websites

Publié: février 22, 2013, 8:50am CET par Mike Williams

Google has announced the release of Chrome 25 to the Stable Channel for Windows, Linux and Mac, and as revealed in the beta, this release features a major change in the way extensions are handled.

In particular, the previous support for the automatic and silent installation of extensions will now be disabled by default, as apparently Google has noticed that this feature "has been widely abused by third parties to silently install extensions into Chrome without proper acknowledgment from users". We could argue Google really should have predicted that in the first place, but at least it's seen the light now.

This change will have an immediate impact, as any extensions previously installed in this way will be disabled by default, while a one-time dialog will ask users to re-enable them.

And the other result is that, in future, every Chrome extension will require specific consent from the user before it can be installed.

Elsewhere, Chrome 25 adds support for speech recognition via the Web Speech API, which means you could be talking to websites very soon. Once you’ve installed the new build then you can get a feel for how this could work at Google’s speech demo page.

The official Chrome blog post on this release reports that it also includes "better support for HTML5 time/date inputs" and "better WebGL error handling".

And there are also the usual collection of bug and security fixes, although one of the solutions was a little drastic: the Webkit MathML implementation apparently includes a "high severity security issue", and so it’s been disabled in this release.

The extra security alone makes it well worth upgrading to Chrome 25, then, but if you need to know more than the fine detail on this release is available at the SVN Revision Log.

Google announces support packages for Cloud Platform

Publié: février 22, 2013, 1:13am CET par Alan Buckingham

Did you know that Google has real people working there? If you have ever tried to contact the company then you may have concluded otherwise. In fact, it may be more difficult than finding a phone number for Amazon -- a task that has resulted in websites dedicated to the adventure. Apparently the search giant would like to change that reputation and today it took the first step.

Google has announced a new support package for customers of its Cloud Platform services. This is an enterprise service that the company would like to use to compete against Amazon S3 and Windows Azure. In fact the service is doing very well, with some high-profile customers such as Best Buy. But a bit more was needed to boost things over the hump -- namely human interaction.

Today Google announced new customer service options, available in tiers based on what your business requires and, of course what it is willing to pay.

Brett McCully, of the Google Cloud Platform team, announced the service, calling it "a comprehensive collection of support packages for services on Google Cloud Platform, so you can decide what level best fits your needs".

There will be four levels of service -- Bronze, Silver Gold and Platinum. These range in price from free to the sky-is-the-limit (meaning Platinum requires you to contact a service rep to inquire) -- however gold starts at $400 per month, just so you have an idea.

Service levels range from "access to online documentation, community forums, and billing support" for the Bronze to "The most comprehensive and personalized support. In addition to Gold, you’ll get direct access to a Technical Account Manager team" for the Platinum subscription.

The service is now open for sign-ups if you care to take the plunge and see what Google truly offers in the way of customer care. And, if you do, then be sure to let us know how it works out for you.

Photo Credit: Dudarev Mikhail/Shutterstock

Will you buy Google Chromebook Pixel?

Publié: février 22, 2013, 1:09am CET par Joe Wilcox

That sound you just heard was Google slapping Apple across the face. Today the search and information giant unveiled and starting selling high-end portable Chromebook Pixel. By just about every measure, Google guns for Apple in its dominant market -- premium PCs, or those selling for $1,000 or more. When rumors circulated about the computer, I opined: "Chromebook Pixel looks like MacBook Pro to me". The impression is stronger now that the real deal is here -- from form factor to price, either $1,299 or $1,449.

Should Apple sweat about Chromebook Pixel? I would. Following a years-long retail trend, Apple share of PCs selling for $1,000 or more was over 90 percent in 2012, according to NPD. Stephen Baker, NPD's vice president of industry analysis, asks if Google is "more trying to compete with Apple and high-end windows machines for premium consumer and maybe corporate?" I answer: Yes. What I want to know: Will you buy Chromebook Pixel? But more importantly: Would you buy Chromebook Pixel instead of 13-inch MacBook Pro?

For Whom?

For many of you the answer is an automatic "No", because $1,000 is already too much. "I would never pay that much for any computer", my colleague Alan Buckingham says. "Five-hundred dollars is the limit". He paid $400 for his current laptop one-and-a-half years ago.

Then there are concerns Google's "For Everyone" marketing campaign, which emphasized value, creates expectations Chromebooks shouldn't cost much.

"It just seems like a big jump on price and specs and customer focus to me", Baker says. During the holidays, Google aggressively promoted the $249 Samsung Series 3 Chromebook, which sells for more than $1,000 less than Pixel. Baker "would have rather seen a more mundane $699-$799 type product that directly brought the value of the Chrome OS to compete with a large iPad or a Win 8 touch machine".

David Rodríguez Andino agrees with Baker: "Google is crazy pricing this at $1,300. A high-end Chrome OS device should be priced around $700 IMO".

Commenting to one of my Google+ posts, Ian Betteridge turns "For Everyone" on its head: "The thing was that up until now, Chromebook wasn't 'for everyone'. For people like me, who value high-end, well designed hardware with great screens, there was no Chromebook that fitted the bill. Now there is. 'Everyone' doesn't just mean 'only people who want cheap plastic machines'". He has a Chromebook Pixel already and so speaks with more authority than I.

I agree with Betteridge. Much as I like current Chromebooks, using Microsoft Surface Pro for nearly a month has me pining for high-resolution display and better performance. The new model promises both and for less than 13-inch MacBook Pro, which I would consider having ended the Apple boycott.

Value has different measures. Armando Ferreira asks the same question I do: "Google, are you poking at Apple because your commercial and price tag sure seem like it?" Value compared to something else, in this case MacBook Pro, is one measure.

Specifications

Here's how the two laptops compare:

Chromebook Pixel: 12.85-inch touchscreen, 2560 x 1700 resolution, 239 pixels per inch; 1.8GHz Core i5 processor; Intel HD graphics 4000; 4GB DDR3 RAM; 32GB or 64GB of storage; HD WebCam; backlit keyboard; dual-band WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n 2x2; 4G LTE (on one model); Bluetooth 3.0; mini-display port; two USB ports; Chrome OS. Measures: 297.7 x 224.6 x 16.2 mm. Weighs: 1.52 kg (3.35 pounds). Cost: $1,299 (32GB WiFi); $1,449 (64GB WiFi/4G LTE). 1TB Google Drive storage is included free, for three years.

MacBook Pro: 13.3-inch LED display, 2560 x 1600 native resolution, 227 ppi; 2.5GHz or 2.6GHz Core i5 processor; Intel HD graphics 4000; 8GB DDR3L RAM; 128GB or 256GB storage; HD Webcam; backlit keyboard; 802.11n wireless; Bluetooth 4; two USB 3 and Thunderbolt ports; HDMI port; OS X. Measures: 314 x 219 x 19 mm. Weighs: 1.62 kg (3.57 pounds) Cost: $1,499 (2.5GHz, 128GB); $1,699 (2.6GHz, 256GB).

Usage scenarios are different, which applies to Windows touchscreen computers, too. Chrome OS largely runs apps in the browser, while MacBook Pro supports local apps. Chromebook's big draw is touchscreen, lower price and TB of free cloud storage. Is that compelling enough for you?

"Pixel is not going to fly of[f] the shelves like a new Mac Book Pro, but it has a niche", Simon Bengtsson asserts. "There is definitely people caring about simplicity, design and an amazing user experience. Previous Chromebooks has compromised on the last two".

Pixel Perfect?

At 4:13 p.m. EST, David Hoff "just finished ordering my new Chromebook Pixel".

Jeff Jarvis got one, too, and chimes in with Betteridge:

I was wishing for a beefier Chromebook. Having proven itself at the low end of the market, I've been saying that I wished Google would come up with one at the high end. Now it has: The Chromebook Pixel. I just bought one, sight unseen. It has more memory, a faster processor, a touchscreen (which I'm looking forward to), and LTE built into the most expensive machine. At $1,500 it's comparable to a Macbook, though I don't need to buy any software for it.

Jarvis, who has been using the $249 Samsung Chromebook, makes a good point about additional costs: Software.

Google sells a high-end Chrome OS laptop for $1,299 or $1,449. Would you buy Chromebook Pixel?

Peter Sitterly sees value beyond the machine that more than pays for it: "This is definitely priced higher than I thought it would be, but the fact that it comes with 1TB of Google Drive storage for 3 years changes the game a bit. For those who may already be paying $49.99 per month for 1TB of cloud storage, this is a no-brainer. This device would essentially save such folks from $1,799.64 worth of monthly fees over that 3-year span".

Hasan Ahmad: "Chromebook pixel is the kind of product that Google releases to see how far their rabid fanboys will go to worship them". I see something more Apple-worship-like here, because of design and features.

Off topic perhaps, but there's something strange about the social buzz excitement that grates Ferreira, and I have to agree:

You guys know I like Google but help me understand this for a second. Microsoft releases the Surface Pro (64GB) $899.00, it can run legacy apps also all of your Android apps (Bluestack) and also the ability to run another OS like Ubuntu. Yet it's 'too expensive'. Google releases the Chromebook which in theory is just a Web Browser, can't run legacy apps, maybe will one day run Ubuntu (Waiting on devs) only has 32GB of storage for $1,299.00 and people expect to jump on this like peanut butter on jelly?

Right. Why does Microsoft get grilled for Surface Pro passing ($899 or $999), while Google gets a pass?

So roundabout, I return to the two questions: Will you buy Chromebook Pixel and would you buy instead of 13-inch MacBook Pro? Please take the poll above and respond in comments below.

Windows File Protection sniffs out system problems

Publié: février 21, 2013, 10:05pm CET par Mike Williams

If Windows is proving particularly unreliable on your PC then that could mean a key operating system component has been deleted, or replaced. Fortunately, Windows File Protection (WFP) monitors your key system files, and if any are removed then it can automatically restore the original. And you can also use the System File Checker (sfc.exe /scannow) to manually check for and resolve any problems.

But while this usually works well, it can also lead to problems, particularly if you want to replace a file which the system is protecting. But which files are covered by WFP, exactly? Windows won’t tell you – and that’s why you might need System File Lister.

The program is a tiny 40KB download, just unzip it, launch SystemFileLister.exe, and it’ll begin to list the protected files for you. There will probably be a lot -- the program found almost 15,000 on our test PC -- so be patient, this could take a while.

When it’s done, though, you can scroll the list, or sort it by file path if you’re interested in a particular folder.

A Search box allows you to search for file names containing any given text.

And you can also browse to any individual file on your system to check whether it’s on the Windows File Protection list.

All this is presented in an interface which is, well, basic. You can’t resize the window, copy file paths to the clipboard, export the file list in any way, or open a particular file path in Explorer, for instance -- there are no convenient extras here.

System File Lister does provide an occasionally useful function which you can’t easily achieve in any other way, though, and so if you’re interested in this topic then it’s probably worth adding a copy to your portable troubleshooting toolkit.

Photo Credit: cbeniel/Shutterstock

LG expands Optimus smartphone lineup with the new F5 and F7

Publié: février 21, 2013, 9:57pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

On Thursday, South Korean mobile device manufacturer LG unveiled the new Optimus F series, comprised of two smartphones, the Optimus F5 and the Optimus F7, that will debut at MWC (Mobile World Congress) in Barcelona, next week.

The Optimus F series slots under the Optimus G lineup, the latter of which includes the Optimus G and Optimus G Pro Android flagship smartphones, sporting smaller displays and less powerful processors. Both the Optimus F7 and the Optimus F5 ship with Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box and 4G LTE cellular connectivity. But what separates the two?

The Optimus F7 comes with a 4.7-inch True HD IPS display with resolution of 1280 by 720 and a 312 pixels-per-inch density. The smartphone is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor (likely a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4), 2GB of RAM and a 2540 mAh battery.

The Optimus F7 features 8GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot, the latter of which can accommodate up to 32GB of extra storage. Other specs include 8MP back-facing camera with autofocus and a 1.3MP front-facing shooter. The handset comes in at 131.7 x 86.2 x 9.6 mm.

The Optimus F5 features a smaller display, a 4.3-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 960 by 540 and a 256 ppi density. Power comes from a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and a 2,150mAh battery.

The smartphone also sports 8GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot, similar to the Optimus F7. Other specs include a 5MP back-facing camera with autofocus and a 1.3MP front-facing shotter. The Optimus F5 measures 126.0 x 64.5 x 9.3 mm.

On the new Optimus F5 and Optimus F7, Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company says: "With adoption of LTE expected to explode in 2013, we are sending a clear message to consumers with the Optimus F Series that LTE isn’t just for heavy content users and techies anymore. It’s for everyone".

On both devices LG adds its traditional "UX features", which include QSlide, allowing the user to view two apps at the same time, and Live Zooming, that can be used to zoom into a certain area while watching a video. Other software features are QuickMemo, QTranslator, Video Wiz and Safety Care, among others.

The Optimus F5 will be available in Europe in the second quarter of 2013. The Optimus F7 will follow in "selected markets". Obviously, LG will provide more details as to the availability and price of the two smartphones "at a later date".

Chromebook Pixel is Microsoft's worst nightmare come true -- and Apple's, too

Publié: février 21, 2013, 8:30pm CET par Joe Wilcox

The rumors were true! Google developed a touchscreen Chromebook for release this year. Like today! No one should misunderstand what the computer means competitively. Already, four Microsoft Windows partners produce Chromebooks -- Acer, HP, Lenovo and Samsung. Chromebook Pixel promises to do for the Chrome OS platform what Nexus devices did for Android smartphones and tablets: Establish a reference design for hardware partners and provide developers base system to develop apps for the platform. But it's also a competitive move against PCs running OS X or Windows and Google pushing Chrome OS into the premium notebook market.

Today Google unveiled Chromebook Pixel, following weeks of rumors. The company also extended a vision for Chrome OS. Bottom line: Commitment to the operating system is strong. The search and information giant briefed journalists in different cities. I had to turn down an invite to the San Francisco briefing because of family matters. Do I feel left out! But, hey.

The computer is available now for order from Google Play -- and you'll pay, too. This isn't the value-system touted in "For Everyone" marketing. Chromebook Pixel is for anyone willing to spend $1,299 or $1,499. Orders made right now ship in three to five days for the lower-cost model, 6 to 7 weeks for the other.

Specs: 12.85-inch touchscreen, 2560 x 1700 resolution, 239 pixels per inch, 3:2 aspect ratio; 400-nit brightness; 1.8GHz Core i5 processor; Intel HD graphics 4000; 4GB DDR3 RAM; 32GB or 64GB of storage; HD WebCam; backlit keyboard; dual-band WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n 2x2; 4G LTE (on one model); Bluetooth 3.0; mini-display port; two USB ports; Chrome OS Measures: 297.7 x 224.6 x 16.2 mm. Weighs: 1.52 kg (3.35 pounds. Cost: $1,299 (32GB WiFi); $1,499 (64GB WiFi/4G LTE). 1TB Google Drive storage is included free, for three years.

Crazy Concept

Let's step back and look at the larger context. The concept is crazy. Who launches a new PC operating system and succeeds (look for the answer in the next subhead)? Suddenly Chrome OS poses a credible threat to Windows and OS X. The four OEM partners is a sign, as is the success of Google's "For Everyone" holiday campaign for Chromebooks.

There’s a concept called "six degrees of separation", which Hungarian writer Frigyes Karinthy proposed in the 1929 short story "Chains". No two people are separated by more than five intermediaries, which works out to six degrees of separation. If I ask any four people in my social circles if they have Chromebook, at least one answers yes.

Google is on the fast-track. In less time than Microsoft developed and released Windows 8, Google released the first Chromebook prototypes (December 2010), the first commercial models went on sale (June 2011), second-generation Chromebooks launched (May 2012), new-gen ARM model debuted (October 2012) and two of the three largest PC OEMs started selling Chromebooks (January-February 2013). Meanwhile, since October, two major Chrome OS updates released -- yeah, months, not the years from Apple or Microsoft.

Google's big play is value. OEMs pay nothing to license Chrome OS and consumers pay much less for the computers. I could buy four Samsung Series 3 ARM-based Chromebooks for the price of one MacBook Air and get system of similar size, weight and ergonomics. See yesterday's post "Why I love Chromebook", as reference.

Browser OS

Chrome OS success so far is a water-shed development that Microsoft feared long ago. In May 2011 post "Chrome OS: The ghost of Netscape rises go haunt Microsoft", I explained how Google's operating system fulfills ambitions of the original, commercial developer. During the late 199os, Microsoft integrated Internet Explorer into Windows partly to prevent Netscape from creating, in the browser, a rival platform for applications development. Google has created the rival platform Netscape product managers envisioned 17 years ago. The browser is the operating system -- or the front end running on top of Linux.

In June 2007, I wrote "Why Google Succeeds" -- in parts one and two -- for Microsoft Watch; the content remains hugely relevant six years later. "Unchecked, Google is on course to be the next hugely successful computing platform", I wrote.

Netscape wasn't really Microsoft's competitive problem in the late 1990s but the web itself. Already, by the mid Noughties many developers had made the web priority over Windows. Where do you think cloud computing comes from? "Developer interest in the Web platform -- and the promise of information access anytime, anywhere and on anything -- shifts standards away from Microsoft's dominant platforms", I explained six years ago. Google rode the web platform's coattails, pushing adopted or open standards along the way.

Smartphone and tablet platforms shift applications development, but ultimately the web remains, if for nothing else than the browser engine being used in many applications.

Chrome OS success to date is contrary-thinking. The old axiom is this: no one launches a new PC operating system and succeeds, because:

There aren't enough applications
Switching costs are too high, particularly for businesses
The new thing doesn't fit in with what people already have

The first of these is typically the most difficult. Operating systems like BeOS failed if for no other reason than apps and the typical chicken-egg scenario. Which comes first? Platforms need applications to succeed, but developers have little incentive to create them if there is little adoption. If there are no apps, people don't adopt the platform.

Google has apps. Lots of them, because of the browser. Chrome OS benefits from more than two decades of browser development. Additionally, Google had the foresight to launch the Chrome Web Store nearly three years ago. In May 2010, I gave five reasons for the move. The first: "Google is launching a new operating system".

Chrome web apps run in the browser or Google OS. So anyone using Chrome can carry them to Chrome OS. Google also provides a tightly-integrated suite of cloud services, such as Apps and Gmail, that cover categories businesses already use. Switching is as easy as logging into a Google account on a new PC. Chrome OS fits because the browser is the most familiar motif people use every day.

Contextual Computing

Some people may wonder why Google invests so much in a laptop, when smartphones and tablets are the future of computing. There is no post-PC era. That's marketing propaganda from the mouth of Apple cofounder Steve Jobs. The PC's role changes, but not disappear. The personal computer goes from being the device hub to one of many connected to the cloud. What matters more is context, how your digital lifestyle moves from device to device adapting differently to your needs in various situations.

The cloud is all about context. Content follows users everywhere, independent of device. Your music is available anytime, anywhere, on anything. On the airplane, there is no HDTV, but you want to watch a movie. So you start on a tablet and finish on the big screen at home. The content remains the same, but devices and locations change, as does the context.

Google product and services are highly contextual. Context is in the corporate DNA. Overture, which Yahoo acquired in 2003, invented the business model Google perfected, selling keywords and ads around search. Hell, it's called contextual advertising -- for a reason.

The search and information giant started making key contextual cloud investments in the late Noughties, with 2008 releases Android (September/October) and Chrome (December) being among the most important platforms. Then there is Chrome OS.

In 2011 and 2012, Google starred to bring together a larger package of contextually-oriented offerings alongside Google+ and Search, plus your World. These services are all about context, providing what you want where you need it. Google offers many services, but search, alongside these nine -- Apps; Drive, Gmail; Google Now; Google+; Maps; Search, plus your World; Talk; YouTube -- forms the current contextual platform that culminates in one service.

Three platforms (Android, Chrome and Chrome OS) are the contextual gateways to Google products and services and those from its development and advertising partners. Chrome on OS X and Windows is where Google citizens live because they have to. Chrome OS is their country, where they have full and easy access to all contextual services.

Touch Me

As part of its contextual push, Google advances concepts around natural user interfaces -- that make you more part of the UI. Touch is among the most important, and there are good reasons why Apple and Microsoft support touch in their operating systems.

Bill Buxton, Microsoft's principal researcher, is an expert in user experiences. He says that a good natural user interface must address four human skill sets:

Motor sensory skills
Cognitive skills
Social skill
Emotional skills

Stated differently, good natural user interfaces answer the question: "How do people function?"

Human beings are tool users who experience and manipulate the world through five senses. While the eyes are the gateway, they are passive instruments. Hands and fingers are more important because they are active -- they’re how people tactilely manipulate the world around them. People examine objects they desire as much with their hands as their eyes. Watch how people interact with items for sale -- first people look, and then they touch.

The keyboard is a particularly unnatural construct, in which organization is based on the number of times letters are likely to be used. The mouse is more natural than the keyboard, because of the hand and finger-clicking movement. But the mouse is still a makeshift extension of the human being.

The finger and touch are more natural, because they extend you. Same goes for voice, when used to command, which many NUIs allow. Good user interfaces build on the familiar -- and there is nothing more familiar than me, myself and I. See, say, hear and touch.

The point: Computing devices that capture the senses are seemingly living things with some human-like qualities. Chromebook is dead without touch.

Snapchat for Android adds video, makes sexting easier

Publié: février 21, 2013, 4:53pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Snapchat is popular app among young people. As the name suggests, it is a mobile chat app that also allows for communication using a device's front-facing camera, as well as the sharing of photographs and drawings. The big draw here is setting an expiration -- up to ten seconds -- on the images, or video, sent. SnapChat's short-sends gives it a bad reputation -- as a "sexting" app. That will not change with today's announcement.

The company is "thrilled to announce the arrival of video to our Android community". The update is included in version 2.0 of the app, which just hit the Google Play Store.

While video is the big addition in this update, there's more. SnapChat has also "revamped our notification system to give you more informative, exciting, and customizable notifications from your friends". In addition, a claim of more reliable behavior was made, due to bug fixes that are also included in 2.0.

Before you get too excited, the announcement comes with a caveat -- "Some users will still experience difficulties". Hopefully those difficulties will not include images and video not expiring, which could result in evidence a few customers may live to regret. However, the company also promises that "We have a ton of great updates on the way".

Qualcomm details the Snapdragon 200 and 400 processors for entry level and mid-range devices

Publié: février 21, 2013, 2:36pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

After unveiling the Snapdragon 600 and Snapdragon 800 at CES 2013, American mobile giant Qualcomm has on Wednesday taken the wraps off two new processors. The Snapdragon 200 and Snapdragon 400 join the company's latest lineup for smartphones and tablets, targeting the low-end and mid-range mobile market.

The Snapdragon 400 is the mid-range mobile processor and, to some extent, resembles the now-traditional Snapdragon S4 found in a number of currently-available smartphones such as the HTC Windows Phone 8X, Nokia Lumia 920 or Samsung Galaxy S III (US variants). The Snapdragon 400 features dual-core Krait CPUs with speeds of up to 1.7GHz per core or quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 CPUs with speeds of up to 1.4GHz per core.

The GPU of choice is the Adreno 305, which comes under the Adreno 320 found in the Snapdragon 600 and Snapdragon S4 Pro. There is support for "key modem technologies", including HSPA+, TDSCDMA and W+G CDMA as well as multi-SIM capabilities. The Snapdragon 400 features LPDDR2 or LPDDR3 RAM and support for up to 13.5MP cameras as well as Miracast for wireless content streaming.

The least impressive of the two, for power-hungry users that is, is the Snapdragon 200. Qualcomm's processor features quad-core ARM Cortex-A5 CPUs with speeds of up to 1.4GHz per core, an Adreno 203 GPU, LPDDR2 RAM, GPS, multi-SIM capability and support for up to 8MP cameras, HD video playback and CDMA or UMTS modems. Nothing shouts high-tech there, but seeing as the Snapdragon 200 aims to conquer the entry-level smartphone market that's to be expected.

Qualcomm did not provide any details as to when we can expect to see the new Snapdragon processors inside new smartphones and tablets.

How much would you pay to watch YouTube in Windows 8? $999.99?

Publié: février 21, 2013, 2:16pm CET par Wayne Williams

A couple of days ago I described the Windows Store as being like a Bangkok night market, filled with nothing but knockoffs. You can’t get an official app for Facebook, Twitter, or Gmail on there, but you can get lots of third-party alternatives, many of which are of dubious quality.

One of the biggest names missing from the Windows Store is YouTube. Google says it has no plans to create an app for Windows 8, but fortunately an enterprising publisher called T.O.K. has got you covered with his exciting sounding “Youtube Player Deluxe”, which really must be deluxe given its $999.99 asking price.

So what do you get for your thousand dollars? Well I haven’t actually purchased it myself, but according to the description, the app will let you "watch a stream, share videos and access your personal content from Youtube. Everything included in the great user interface of Windows 8".

The full list of features reads:

Share videos with your friends, family ...
Search on Youtube or watch videos from the "standardfeeds"
Clear, simple and beautiful design (blue theme)
Connect with your Youtube Account to get access to your personal content
Comments, related videos, author-pages...
Livetile
No advertising

The absence of adverts will be very pleasing to prospective cash-rich purchasers I’m sure.

The website of the publisher gives no clue as to the sky-high price, (although it does say the app is currently broken and an update is planned), so it’s possible it’s just a mistake. It’ll be interesting to know if the developer manages to sell any apps at that price. After all, eight people purchased the "I am Rich" iOS app (described by its developers as "a work of art with no hidden function at all") for $999.99 back in 2008, before Apple had a chance to remove it from the store.

Photo Credit: ARENA Creative/Shutterstock

Find new ways to open file types with OpenWith Enhanced

Publié: février 21, 2013, 12:51pm CET par Mike Williams

If you’re wondering how to open a particular file on your PC, then right-clicking it and selecting Open With may provide some options -- but only if you’ve already installed an application which can handle that particular file type.

OpenWith Enhanced takes this idea a step further, replacing the standard Windows with an extended version which not only displays your installed programs, but also lists other popular options, both commercial and free, and links directly to their download page.

The program installs quickly and easily, with no adware to worry about. When we immediately tried right-clicking an image and selecting Open With…, though, the standard Windows dialog was displayed: it turned out we needed to restart before OpenWith Enhanced would work.

With that done, though, everything ran very smoothly. We right-clicked an image, selected Open With > Choose default program, and our installed graphics software was listed. And a couple of seconds later, additional recommendations appeared (highlighted in red to show they’re not installed yet) for Picasa, IrfanView and XnView for Windows. Hover a mouse cursor over any of these and you’ll usually a few sentences describing the program, as well as its popularity with other OpenWith Enhanced users. And if you decide you’d like to try the program, double-clicking it opens a browser window at the download page.

There are plenty of programs supported here, at least for some file types. Try OpenWith Enhanced on a PDF file, say, and you’ll be told about Foxit Reader, SumatraPDF, Nitro PDF Reader and Foxit Reader, as well as commercial options like Nitro PDF Professional and Adobe Acrobat.

And there are a few interesting bonus extras, including options to disable particular file associations, remove a file type, or manage its "Open With" menu.

The program does also have some limitations. You may choose "Open With" on a video because you’d like to edit it, for instance, but what you’ll see is a list of media players. And while this isn’t always the case, there is more focus here on finding applications to view a file type, than process it in more advanced ways.

Of course this can still be very useful, though, whether you’re presented with an unusual file type, or would just like another way to view something more standard. And as it’s also free, lightweight and generally easy to use, OpenWith Enhanced will probably be a welcome addition to most people’s PCs.

ZTE will launch Nvidia Tegra 4-based smartphones, but not soon

Publié: février 21, 2013, 12:44pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Qualcomm's new Snapdragon processor lineup has cast a shadow over Nvidia's Tegra 4 ever since its CES 2013 unveiling in Las Vegas. Especially thanks to new smartphone releases such as LG's Optimus G Pro and HTC's One flagship, which both feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon 600 processor. So where does Nvidia fit in the new mobile scene?

Accustomed to having its Tegra products used in flagship Android devices generally unveiled with much fanfare, Nvidia's latest partnership with Chinese telecommunications company ZTE seems bland by comparison, and almost flew under the radar. On Thursday, ZTE announced that it will release "the first super phones powered by the Nvidia Tegra 4 mobile processor", without going into too much detail as to what prospective customers can expect.

The first smartphones to hit the market using the Tegra 4 processor will be released in China before the second half of 2013. He Shiyou, ZTE EVP and Head of the Terminal Division says: "This is a clear demonstration of ZTE’s ability to quickly develop, and bring to market, market-leading devices running the industry’s latest technologies". However "quickly" is not that quick -- it will take up to five months to release a Tegra 4-based device on the market.

Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon 600 at the same trade show as Nvidia and already there are two smartphones coming based on that processor. The LG-made Optimus G Pro launches this week in South Korea and the HTC-made One hits the market starting in March. Before the second half of 2013 sounds later than March.

ZTE also revealed that not all of its Tegra-4 based smartphones will feature the optional Icera i500 chipset, which delivers 4G LTE voice and data. The Chinese company announced that only one such device is in store, suggesting that the majority of Tegra 4-based smartphones will be part of a 3G-only affair.

View, fix, or delete broken shortcuts with ShortcutsMan

Publié: février 21, 2013, 12:03pm CET par Mike Williams

There are many ways to break a shortcut. Moving an important file might do it; manually deleting a program is another possibility; and of course too many uninstallers will leave application shortcuts behind. And because there’s no visible sign that a shortcut is broken it’ll just stay there, cluttering your system, until eventually you click it and discover the problem.

If you’re tired of junk shortcuts, though, ShortcutsMan offers an easier way to control them. It’s a lightweight and portable application which quickly provides a very detailed report on your system shortcuts, highlights any that are broken, and allows you to fix or resolve these with a click.

As usual with NirSoft tools, ShortcutsMan is amazingly small (the 32-bit download is a mere 39KB). There are no annoying extras or dependencies, either, so the program will even work on ancient Windows 9x systems.

This doesn’t mean the program is lacking in power, though. Launch ShortcutsMan, it’ll scan your Start Menu, desktop and a few other areas, and immediately you’ll see a very detailed report on every shortcut it’s found: their name, command line arguments, window style (normal, minimized, maximized), hotkey, location, date, any custom icon file, and more.

And this kind of information can be interesting in itself. Seeing which applications take command line arguments might be useful, for instance, as you can then explore their documentation, find out what other switches are available. Being reminded of system hotkeys (like Ctrl+Alt+N) is also helpful. And ShortcutsMan can even save these details as a report if you’d like to preserve them for posterity.

The big plus point here is that ShortcutsMan will also detect and highlight any broken shortcuts, though. And you can scroll through the list to view these, or click the "Broken Shortcut" column header to group them all together.

Choose particular shortcuts of interest (or click Edit > Select Broken Shortcuts to select them all) and you’re then able to delete them all.

And alternatively, the program provides a Resolve option which tries to find the missing object and update its shortcut accordingly. Which sounds good, but proved oddly inconsistent in our tests. We moved one file, for instance, breaking two identical shortcuts, selected them and clicked File > Resolve. The first one was fixed correctly, but the second one was unchanged.

ShortcutsMan has one or two problems, then, but don’t let that put you off. We’re not sure why the Resolve function had some issues, so perhaps it’ll work for you, but even if it doesn’t there’s more than enough functionality here to justify the tiny download. And so if you’d like to know more about your shortcuts, this is an excellent way to get started.

Photo Credit: iQoncept/Shutterstock

Please don't file for divorce -- I didn't mean to nuke my wife's data

Publié: février 21, 2013, 6:52am CET par Alan Buckingham

I do not generally use our desktop computer. I prefer my laptop, but my wife likes that desktop and uses it daily. She also keeps her precious files on it, and I have the folder set to backup to Crashplan automatically, as well as to sync with the home server. However, she also uses a small four gigabyte USB drive for files -- I assumed ones that she just wishes to move around with her. I was wrong.

I am not making excuses for myself. Even if I had known the files were backed up I would not have deleted them -- I had no reason to wipe her drive. The truth is that it was in the wrong place at the wrong time and was a victim of my own oversight.

Here is the story -- and take heed because it can happen to all of us at anytime. After complaints from wife and kids that the computer had become slow over time, I decided it was an opportunity to start over fresh. I copied the User folder to an external drive, knowing it was also in the cloud for good measure. I then inserted a CD containing the ISO of a small program known as "Derrick's Boot and Nuke" or DBAN to most. It is frequently used by businesses to wipe data before getting rid of a drive. Without thinking I booted to DBAN, set each drive to "wipe" and let it run. I failed to notice that the little Kingston USB was one of those drives.

DBAN works very well. It eradicates all traces of data, rendering the drive so unrecoverable that you need to reformat to just get back a file system and use it again.

The files contained on that little piece of portable hardware, as it turns out, did not exist in my wife's backed up documents folder -- or anywhere else. Meaning that they now existed nowhere at all. And that I could be facing that same fate.

I have said many times that one copy of a file is the same as zero, because zero is what you could have at any second. Drives die and, in this case, accidents happen. I backup everything to home server and cloud -- three copies for good measure. I will be adding the thumb drive to that routine providing I survive to do so.

Photo Credit: argus/Shutterstock

PlayStation 4 comes to stores this year

Publié: février 21, 2013, 3:33am CET par Joe Wilcox

This evening, Sony captured geekdom for two hours, during a live event announcing PlayStation 4. If you're not prostrate on the floor crying like a baby, desperate to get the console now, you must have missed the stream -- or perhaps you're holding out for E3 in a few months and the promise of Xbox 720.

PS4 will go on sale this year -- that's right, holiday 2013. So Microsoft better get its shtick together and have Xbox in stores, too. Consumers will make some hard choices this year about gaming platforms. Whichever, or both, console gaming is going to be a whole lot more exciting come Black Friday.

Sony didn't exactly break out the specs, but expect PC in a console, so to speak -- x86 processor, PC graphics chip and 8GB of GDDR5 RAM. (Excuse me while I wipe the drool, and from so little information.) The platform splits up tasks such that downloads are handled separately from gameplay. Benefit: Begin playing while a game downloads, something movie watchers get from many streaming services. Now Games, too.

Recognizing how much tablets, and even smartphones, are used as second screens on the couch, Sony plans to support them -- and also PlayStation Vita -- for gameplay.

PS4 comes with the new Dual Shock 4 controller, which features a touchpad and share button, which got big attention tonight. Sony is suddenly serious about social gaming and wants everyone to know it. Gamers will be able to share screenshots and video clips, which includes making personal game trailers and sharing with friends. Facebook and USTREAM are among the supported social services.

Friends also can join live-streamed games and even take control of them. That's a great cloud benefit and good for driving game sales. What better recommendation than playing with someone you know before buying.

Rumors dogged Microsoft early this month about locked-down games. Don't expect much better from Sony, which owning a movie studio has a long tradition of tight rights management. I see the streaming in this vein, presuming based on what little Sony shared today that the approach will make sharing (other than authorized Sony streaming) or reselling games nearly impossible. The concept of tying digital content to a single account isn't new, but this feels pretty locked down to me, while granted, providing clear user benefits.

Like PS3 at launch, the new console is not backward-compatible with existing games. As a user, I take that as a "screw you approach" -- Sony wanting to sell more stuff and help early-supporting game developers to do likewise. Game streaming is given as reason, and Sony suggests PS1, PS2 and PS3 streaming might come in the future. Oh yeah? For the games I already own?

PlayStation 3 launched in 2006, about a year after Xbox 360. Microsoft has had more success by the numbers, lifted in part by services, such as Xbox Live. That has long baffled me, seeing as Sony is a media company, too, with rich entertainment assets. Then again, Sony divisions are known for not always working well together. PlayStation 4, while primarily a game console, will be much more an entertainment platform than its predecessor. Microsoft will similarly reposition Xbox, as I explained last week.

Sigil 0.7.0 by any other name is still an EPUB 2 editor

Publié: février 21, 2013, 12:14am CET par Nick Peers

Open-source, cross-platform EPUB creator Sigil 0.7.0 has been released, sporting a number of major new features. These include finished versions of the Live Preview, Clips and spellcheck features.

The new version also sports a new HTML rendering engine, Qt 5, but remains an EPUB 2 editor, despite the inclusion of EPUB 3 features such as audio and video support. Support for EPUB 3 (as well as backwards compatibility with EPUB 2) is noted as in development for a future release.

Sigil 0.7.0 debuts the finished version of Live Preview, a dockable window that displays the results of editing in real time – it also continues to show the content from the last HTML tab opened by the user, allowing changes to auxiliary files such as CSS to be viewed as they’re updated. The Live Preview window can even be dragged on to a second monitor.

The spellcheck function is another feature-complete highlight in the new release. Clicking the spellcheck button now opens a dedicated dialog box containing a list of all misspelled words along with an option to display all words – clicking a word reveals its first occurrence in the document; double-click to move to the next. A tooltip provides a count of the unique number of words in the document, while support for multiple dictionaries is also added.

There are two notable improvements to Sigil’s support for multiple clipboard entries: the addition of a new, optional Clip Bar providing toolbar buttons for selecting the first 20 Clips in a user’s collection, plus a dockable window that lists all available Clips for quick and easy selection. Users can also define keyboard shortcuts and create buttons for quickly inserting special characters.

Another major new addition is the ability to quick edit an ebook’s Table of Contents without having to generate a new TOC. A number of new reports – including an all-encompassing All Files report – have also been added, while users can now play audio and video clips in Sigil, with the related functions for image handling updated to work with other media clips too.

Other minor changes include Sigil’s ability to now save invalidly constructed XML files, options for searching with wrap on or off, and separate stylesheets for the Index and TOC HTML files. Users can now also bookmark their location to return to later.

There’s one major behind-the-scenes change, with Sigil now using Qt 5 for its HTML rendering option. Two visible improvements brought about by this change are support for audio and video preview, plus the correct display of embedded fonts.

The update is rounded off with a promise of better performance and stability. Sigil 0.7.0 comes with visible performance improvements in a number of areas, including opening and changing tabs, merging of files and bulk renaming. It also promises to have fixed all bugs from previous releases, and no longer closes when attempting to open invalid EPUB files. The save routine implements more integrity checks, while splits and merges can be done without the risk of data loss.

Sigil 0.7.0 is a free, open-source download for Windows, Mac and Linux. Windows users can also download Sigil Portable 0.7.0 for running directly from a USB flash drive.

Photo Credit: SueC/Shutterstock

Today Google made me want Glass

Publié: février 21, 2013, 12:00am CET par Alan Buckingham

We all have heard about Google Glass -- for sometime now. There's talk it's coming (but not when) and that there are unique capabilities (but most details are under wraps). Google Glass is a bit of an enigma, and I have remained largely uninterested in the project. That changed this morning.

Google makes me want a product I had no idea I was even interested in -- I am pretty sure that's the intention. In fact, Google had me drooling in only two minutes and sixteen seconds -- talk about a good sales pitch. And the video did not even require many words to accomplish its task.

The video Google posted this morning depicts the world as seen through Glass, and it is a glorious place. Simple commands beginning with "Glass" result in photos, videos and information appearing right before your eyes.

As an example, my son and I love to mountain bike. We race down single-track trails at top speed looking for the toughest obstacles, the biggest logs to hop and the best jumps. We always talk about getting a GoPro camera to capture these memories -- or at least as evidence to next of kin about what transpired in our final moments.

That is, of course, a simple use for a product that will likely cost much more than a handlebar and helmet camera. But Glass will also provide much wider functionality. It will not be a product for a few extreme sports nuts, but sell to a wider audience. And, if Google supports this as the company does Android, then Glass will evolve even more than what you can get a glimpse of in this video.

The day is certainly drawing near -- Google is taking beta testers, though it will cost you to become one. Of course, Glass could be the new Nexus Q, but I have hopes for more. Sign me up....please!

Updated evasi0n jailbreak tool available for iOS 6.1.2

Publié: février 20, 2013, 10:03pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Yesterday Apple rolled out iOS 6.1.2 for compatible iPads, iPhones and iPod touch devices, touting the fix of an Exchange calendar bug that might boost network activity and decrease battery life. And, as customary with a new iteration of iOS 6, there's also a new version of the popular evasi0n jailbreak tool. Evad3rs, the team responsible for the first iOS 6 jailbreak tool, released evasi0n 1.4 shortly after iOS 6.1.2 rolled out.

The latest version, according to the "evasi0n 6.0-6.1 Unthether" package in Cydia, touts the same bug fixes as two weeks ago when I reported on the first evasi0n update. It appears that the fruit company did not put the lid on modding attempts just yet. First-time jailbreakers running iOS 6.1.2 simply have to connect their iPads, iPhones or iPod touch devices to a compatible PC running Windows, MacOS X or Linux and run evasi0n to unleash the modding gates on their smartphone or tablet.

Since evasi0n disables OTA (Over The Air) updates, those that have already used evasi0n are advised to factory restore their fruit logo-branded devices and manually update to iOS 6.1.2 using iTunes. Afterwards, the jailbreak tool can be used in similar fashion as before.

Evasi0n 1.4 is available to download from evad3rs' website.

Photo Credit: Lim Yong Hian/Shutterstock

iPhone 5 outsells Galaxy S III? In your DREAMS

Publié: février 20, 2013, 9:50pm CET par Joe Wilcox

Bloggers the globe over report today -- and you can hear the snickering -- that Apple's flagship handset outsold Samsung's during fourth quarter. That's because Strategy Analytics director Neil Mawston told them so and they didn't really look carefully at the data: "Apple’s iPhone 5 overtook Samsung’s Galaxy S3 to become the world’s best-selling smartphone model for the first time ever in the fourth quarter of 2012".

Tsk. Tsk. Strategy Analytics mixes "bestselling" with "shipments". They are not the same thing. Shipments refer to units going into the channel (carriers and dealers), while sales refer to product purchased by users (businesses and consumers). Only Gartner measures actual phone sales, so why does Mawston use bestselling in one sentence referring to shipments in another?

Heavy iPhone 5 shipments during the launch quarter makes loads of sense. Apple needs to stock the channel in anticipation of new sales. Samsung shipped fewer S3s, given earlier channel build up for the holidays and anticipating Apple competition.

Third quarter tells part of the story, when Galaxy S III shipments exceeded iPhone 4S. Apple shipments declined ahead of the new release -- clearing old stock for the new. Consider this: When Samsung needed to stock the channel for S3's global rollout, shipments tripled in just one quarter.

"Apple’s iPhone 5 smartphone model shipped an estimated 27.4 million units worldwide during the fourth quarter of 2012", Mawston says. Emphasis: shipped. "The iPhone 5 captured an impressive 13 percent share of all smartphones shipped globally and it has become the world’s best-selling smartphone model for the first time ever".

Two things: The aforementioned mixing of "shipped" and "best-selling smartphone" and use of "first time ever" as exclamation, which the Apple Fanclub burst-blogged today. This isn't the first time for iPhone to be tops, just the new model and during the global launch quarter.

"In addition to the iPhone 5, Apple shipped an estimated 17.4 million iPhone 4S units for 8 percent smartphone share globally in Q4 2012. Apple’s iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S are currently the world’s two most popular smartphone models", Mawston says.

No. 1 and No. 2 is impressive, I agree, except Apple also had to restock iPhone 4S, in anticipation of increased demand, because of price cut to $99 from $199 for the 16GB model.

"Apple’s iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S together accounted for 1 in 5 of all smartphones shipped worldwide in Q4 2012", Mawston says. "We estimate Samsung’s Galaxy S3 was the world’s third best-selling smartphone model and it shipped 15.4 million units globally, capturing 7 percent share in the fourth quarter of 2012". He rightly observes: "Global demand for the Galaxy S3 appears to have peaked".

Right. Peaked. Which is another reason for Samsung to cut back shipments rather than overstock the channel.

During third quarter, with iPhone 4S falling off with rumors roaring about its successor, Samsung shipped 18 million S3s, claiming the top spot. Apple shipped just 22.2 million smartphones -- 16.2 million of the 4S and 6 million of the 5 (seeding the channel for limited September launch). Repeating Q4 numbers: Samsung reduced shipments, for the aforementioned reasons to 15.4 million, while Apple increased them to a staggering 44.8 million iPhones 4S and 5 combined. Right, nearly three times more than S3.

I would reasonably assume, based on Apple's stated inventory numbers during last month's earnings call, that both iPhones together outsold Galaxy S3 during Q4. To say either one did is a stretch without data showing how much inventory Samsung carried forward from Q3 or how much stock remained at the end of the year.

The numbers misrepresent sales for another reason. Apple sells three base iPhone models -- 4, 4S and 5. Just in the United States, Samsung offers more than a half-dozen smartphones, including Galaxy Note II. Globally, Samsung sold, not shipped, 64.5 million smartphones during fourth quarter, according to Gartner. By comparison, Apple: 43.5 million.

I don't believe Mawston tries to mislead anyone. Bad choice of words is the problem. Greater fault lies with bloggers and others regurgitating the data without examining the contents.

Photo Credit: Joe Wilcox

Microsoft boasts big Yammer sales growth

Publié: février 20, 2013, 8:18pm CET par Alan Buckingham

In June of 2012 Microsoft purchased Yammer, a social networking site geared towards enterprise. The service allows employees to collaborate across buildings and geographic locations. Now the company has released its 2012 numbers in an effort to show that the investment paid off.

The fourth quarter ended on January 31, and Microsoft reports that sales have "nearly tripled year-over-year". The service has more than seven million users. The numbers bragging continues with the addition of 290 new companies coming on-board with the service, including big names like TGI Fridays, Woolworth and Trek Bicycles. In fact, the announcement says Yammer now has "85 percent of the Fortune 500".

"Yammer experienced banner growth in 2012 and grew particularly fast in the fourth quarter. Our momentum is definitely accelerating following the Microsoft acquisition," states David Sacks, a Yammer co-founder and now a corporate vice president at Microsoft Office Division.

According to Adam Pisoni, another Yammer co-founder, there is more growth on the way -- "the development teams are coming together quickly, and we are leveraging existing technologies such as SkyDrive Pro and Office Web Apps to swiftly deliver greater value for customers".

This is all good news for Microsoft after some questioned the investment of 1.2 billion dollars, or at least questioned the timing of it. Now we just have to wait and see if the ceiling for this endeavor can go a bit higher in 2013. Investors will certainly be waiting to know that as well.

Photo Credit: Oleksiy Mark/Shutterstock

CyanogenMod 10.1 now features HDR mode

Publié: février 20, 2013, 7:19pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

The team behind CyanogenMod 10.1 announced a new camera feature for "(almost) everyone" running the popular custom Android distribution on their smartphone or tablet -- support for HDR mode.

The CyanogenMod 10.1 implementation for HDR mode "captures multiple pictures, and then renders them together to form one HDR image", similar to the functionality currently available on the LG-made Google Nexus 4. The software snaps three photos, at minimal, neutral and maximum exposure, and displays a single image at the end of the process, through "some fancy algorithms".

The developers behind CyanogenMod 10.1 warn that results using HDR mode may vary depending on the physical camera module and may deliver "some oddities" due to the software rendering. As a result it is recommended to hold the device steady, by using a tripod or stand, for the best possible results.

Likewise, snapping pics of moving targets will not be of the highest possible quality, more so on devices with slow camera shutters. Same goes for long capture times, which also result in photos of inadequate quality. That said, this should not effect Android smartphones and tablets with zero shutter lag cameras and "decent sensor and optics".

Even though the software snaps three pictures the user will only see the final result, with the in-between shots being deleted. On older devices, such as Samsung Galaxy S, using HDR mode will result in an out-of memory type of error, which the team behind CyanogenMod 10.1 says will be fixed in an upcoming release.

CyanogenMod 10.1 nightly builds are available to download from CyanogenMod Downloads page.

Photo Credit: Imageman/Shutterstock

Why I love Chromebook

Publié: février 20, 2013, 7:07pm CET par Joe Wilcox

Third in a series. For Valentine's Day, Wayne Williams and I explained why we love Kindle and Surface Pro, respectively. We've decided to extend the concept into an ongoing series, which I continue about Chromebook and in many more ways Chrome OS.

My Chromebook journey began in December 2010 when Google dispatched 60,000 Cr-48 test units. I used the computer as my primary PC for a week, but no more, being a concept. But, then, my 11.6-inch MacBook Air failed in March 2011, and I reverted back to the Cr-48 during the emergency. In June 2011, Samsung released the Series 5 Chromebook, which I used as my only PC for two solid months. But performance couldn't meet my needs -- that is until the successor, the 550, launched in May 2011. I abandoned MacBook Air and didn't look back. Performance and features met my needs. I traded performance for better ergonomics when switching to the ARM-based Series 3 Chromebook in October.

Life Changing

Five months ago, I explained how "Chromebook changed my life". For example, I went from relying on software running locally to that consumed in a browser connected to some service's data center. I've used desktop software my entire computing life. Letting go concepts that cloud services couldn't be enough proved challenging at first. My preconceptions limited how rapidly I received cloud benefits. But I found most of the web apps I needed, even for tasks like photo-editing, which surprised me.

Often these apps performed better than those run locally, which is contrary thinking -- or to me. But it makes sense really. Distant datacenter does the heavy-lifting rather than the local computer, which is a major reason Chromebooks are so underpowered compared to Windows PCs or Macs. Consider the specs of the ARM Chromebook to the MacBook Air I sold last year.

Series 3 Chromebook: 1.7GHz Samsung Exynos 5250 dual-core processor (ARM); 11.6-inch matte display, 1366 x 768 resolution, 200-nit brightness; 2GB RAM; 16GB SSD; SD-card slot; Webcam; USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports (one each); WiFi A/N; Bluetooth 3.0 compatible; HDMI port; Chrome OS.

MacBook Air: 1.8GHz Intel Core i7 processor; 11.6-inch glossy display (1366 x 768 resolution); 256GB flash memory; Intel HD graphics; 4GB SDRAM; webcam; two USB ports; Thuderbolt port; WiFi N; Bluetooth 4.0; iLife '11; and OS X.

Performance is not comparable, although size and ergonomics are. I initially moved from the Mac to the 550 Chromebook and found them to feel similarly speedy and responsive -- that with 1.3GHz Intel Celeron 867 dual-core processor and 4GB of RAM. I recently switched back to the 550, because the Series 3 isn't speedy enough for my needs.

My Chromebook Life

Chromebook is really about Chrome OS. The major benefits are about software and supporting services. For me what matters:

1. Sync changes everything. In March 2008 I asserted: "Synchronization is today's killer application." I warned: "Should Google get synchronization right before Microsoft, it would be game over. Google would be able to extend the relevancy of the Web platform back to the desktop on its terms -- think invading army -- and across many devices or services". Google sync is that good now, and automatic, Chrome to Chrome OS and also from Android. Chrome OS syncs tabs, web apps and other stuff from Google's cloud. That's it. Because of Chrome sync, the experience follows me to other computers or should I switch Chomebooks.

2. Setup is so-o-o easy. Log into Google account. That's it. When switching Chromebooks, settings immediately sync and migrate. Apps and desktop used on one follow to another -- or from Mac or Windows PC if using Chrome. Setup is that simple and maintenance about equally.

3. Computer gets better with age. Google dispatches new Chrome OS versions, with new features, about every two months and most content automatically saves to the cloud. My Chromebook is better today than it was last week. I can't complain about that. By comparison, Apple or Microsoft make me wait years to get new features.

4. Lifestyle is amazing. Since Larry Page took Google's CEO reigns 22 months ago, the company has dramatically increased cross-integration of products and services around the browser as hub, and that means Chrome OS, too. Right now I live a fulfilling digital lifestyle because content, services and social click so well. Integration is tight and satisfying.

5. Value is huge. Consider the Series 3 Chromebook, which sells for $249. Size and ergonomics are similar to $999 MacBook Air. I can outfit the whole family (four of us, including mom) for the cost of the Apple laptop. Google and its partners provide a good-enough experience that satisfies for the money spent. MacBook Air offers more options, for sure, but for four times the price.

Easy is the best way to describe any Chromebook, from setup to ongoing management to daily use. If you can navigate a browser, you can use Chrome OS and content and settings follow you from device to device. The computer is by no means perfect, just more than good enough for my particular computing needs, which is why I love Chromebook.

I can only hope that rumors about Google-designed Pixel Chromebook are true. There's love, and then there's true love.

Photo Credit: Joe Wilcox

Win a chance to buy a pair of Google Glass specs

Publié: février 20, 2013, 2:57pm CET par Wayne Williams

Select developers already have access to Google’s futuristic glasses, but now the search giant has launched a competition giving ordinary American citizens the chance to buy a pair before they’re launched, and become a "Glass Explorer" (as Google terms those "bold, creative individuals who want to help shape the technology").

To be in with a shot you need to tell Google, via Google+ or Twitter, what you would do with the glasses if you had a pair. The more creative your answer, the more likely the chance of you actually being selected. "Wear them on the subway and get mugged" probably won’t win.

Your answer has to be less than 50 words and tagged with #ifihadglass but you’re allowed to include up to five photos or a 15 second video clip, and can submit up to three entries. You will need to follow Google on Google+ (+ProjectGlass) or Twitter (@projectglass) so that you can be contacted if you’re judged worthy enough. Entries must be received by February 27.

Google will select the best 8,000 applications and invite those people to become Glass Explorers. The chosen will then have the opportunity to purchase a Glass device at a cost of $1,500 (plus taxes) and pick-up their purchases from New York, Los Angeles, or San Francisco. If you don’t live near any of those cities you’ll need to pay for your own travel, so being on the cutting edge could get pretty expensive.

If you've not been put off yet, go here to get all of the details on what is involved.

Instantly block inappropriate websites with DNS Angel

Publié: février 20, 2013, 1:45pm CET par Mike Williams

Parental controls software is normally bulky, complex, and the kind of application which can take some considerable time to configure. There may be lots of files to install, resident components which must always be running in the background, user profiles to create, content filters to customize, and the list goes on.

If your child protection needs are simple, though, you may not have to worry about any of this, as DNS Angel can provide a reasonable amount of protection with a single click.

The program is a tiny download (506KB), free, portable and extremely easy to use. Just launch DNS Angel and it will present you with buttons for the more family-friendly DNS servers it supports (Norton, OpenDNS and MetaCert). Click one of these -- we’d start with MetaCert if you’re unsure -- and immediately the server will block any attempt to reach an inappropriate website (porn, phishing sites, known malware sources and more) and any browser or other internet tool which you might have installed.

This worked well for us. MetaCert, for instance, has rated hundreds of millions of web pages for family safety. The web moves quickly and it may still be possible to access some dubious sites, but everything we tried was blocked, while regular sites remained unaffected.

But if you do have any problems then clicking "Restore DNS" will restore your original DNS settings, while choosing "Default DNS" tells Windows to obtain your settings automatically (they might be assigned by your router, say).

There are also some problems here. You don’t get an option to configure the type of protection you get, for instance. The same sites will be blocked, whether your child is 6 or 16.

And, of course, if a user of the PC has any technical knowledge then the DNS change is very easy to do. If you leave your copy of DNS Angel lying around, say, they could reverse its effects with a click. Or they could do this anyway via the standard Windows network settings.

Still, if you just want to protect a single, very young child, DNS Angel and the whole DNS-based approach to site blocking could work well. Although you may also want to take additional measures, such as having them log in via a limited user account, to further control exactly what they can and can’t do.

Photo Credit: wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock

Meet SwiftKey 4 -- a top keyboard for Android

Publié: février 20, 2013, 1:25pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

I have to be completely honest -- I am not a fan of the default Android keyboard. For people like me who write in languages other than English on a day-to-day basis, it misses the mark entirely, and does not adapt to my writing style either. Ever since I bought my Galaxy Nexus only one Android keyboard has lived up to my expectations -- SwiftKey. And now there's a new version, and it's even better than ever.

On Wednesday, after a couple beta versions, SwiftKey 4 made its way onto Google's Play Store in both smartphone and tablet form. The popular third-party keyboard introduces a plethora of new features, including support for swipe input through Flow and revamped predictions.

SwiftKey 4 also adds "Flow Through Space", a feature that allows users to "gesture multiple words without lifting a finger", improved learning of language and typing style by adapting to the Facebook, Gmail, Twitter, RSS feed and SMS writing style. With Flow enabled, however, SwiftKey 4 does not allow the user to swipe backwards to delete the word or swipe down to hide the keyboard.

When it comes to predictions, the keyboard touts an enhanced language engine as well as predictions in a higher number of text fields. There is also support for 60 languages, with new entries such as Albanian, Bosnian, Japanese, Sundanese, Thai and Vietnamese, as well as easier corrections.

SwiftKey 4 now touts the ability to tap anywhere on a word in order to choose a suitable alternative. A new theme, dubbed Berry, is available for a total of nine options. In landscape mode SwiftKey 4 can now be used in split layout mode.

SwiftKey 4 is available to download from Google Play for smartphones and tablets.

iTunes update adds new Composer view, boosts sync performance

Publié: février 20, 2013, 12:06pm CET par Nick Peers

Apple has released iTunes 11.0.2 for Mac and Windows. The new build, also available for Windows 64-bit machines as iTunes 11.0.2 64-bit, adds a Composer viewing option to the Music section, plus promises greater responsiveness when syncing large playlists.

The update, which also includes performance and stability improvements, plus one notable bug fix, comes hot on the heels of a Java update released by Apple to prevent hackers accessing the computers of its employees.

The new Composers view for music doesn’t appear by default in iTunes 11.0.2; instead users need to first open the Preferences menu and tick the new "Show Composers" option on the General tab. Once done, Composers appears as another viewing option alongside existing entries such as Songs, Albums and Artists.

Unfortunately the new view does reveal the inconsistent way composers’ names are recorded in iTunes, which leads to multiple entries for co-authors, and no option to consolidate the view to show all music by a composer, whether co-authored or composed individually.

Apple also promises that the update improves iTunes’ responsiveness when syncing playlists containing a large number of songs. The only documented fix applied is one that resolves issues whereby some users’ libraries weren’t showing their purchases from the iTunes store.

The 11.0.2 update is rounded off by a number of non-specified improvements to iTunes’ performance and stability.

The update follows on from the 11.0.1 release two months ago, which restored the option for displaying all duplicate library options as well as resolving issues with a disappearing AirPlay button and iCloud items not appearing in the user’s library.

Users will be prompted to install both iTunes on launching iTunes or checking Software Update in OS X (where the Java update will also be offered). Alternatively, iTunes 11.0.2 for Windows and Mac and iTunes 11.0.2 for Windows 64-bit are both available as freeware downloads.

Photo Credit: Poprotskiy Alexey/Shutterstock

BBC Sport launches a dedicated Android app

Publié: février 20, 2013, 10:30am CET par Wayne Williams

When the BBC launched a dedicated sports app for iOS devices a month ago, it said it was working on an Android version and expected to release it in a matter of weeks. Well the good news for sport-loving Android owners is that day has finally arrived.

The new BBC Sport app is compatible with devices running Android 2.2 (Froyo) and above, and has been optimized for screens up to 7-inches so should display perfectly on devices such as Google’s Nexus 7.

Like the iOS version, the app displays top stories from the BBC Sport website, and offers live and on demand video and audio, as well as live text commentaries of major sporting events. There are pages for football (soccer for American readers), formula 1, cricket, rugby union, rugby league, tennis, and golf.

The football coverage is naturally the most detailed, with live scores, match statistics, text commentaries, a season’s worth of fixtures, tables, and pages for teams and leagues.

According to Keith Mitchell, Technical Lead for BBC Sport’s mobile services, planned future improvements to the app include "customizable quick links for the main navigation, team customization and home screen widgets".

The app is available from Google Play now and will also be made available through the Amazon App Store -- good news for Kindle Fire HD owners.

Protect your Windows 8 PC with Panda Cloud Antivirus

Publié: février 20, 2013, 10:29am CET par Nick Peers

Spanish security company Panda Security Ltd has released Panda Cloud Antivirus Free 2.1.1, a minor update to its free cloud-based security tool for Windows. Version 2.1.1 is the first release to secure a Windows 8 compatible logo after passing the eligibility requirements laid down by Microsoft.

Panda Cloud Antivirus, also available with built-in firewall in Pro form, is primarily a maintenance release, building on the major improvements found in version 2.1, which included real-time protection for Windows 8 Store apps and anti-exploit technology.

Panda Cloud Antivirus 2.1.1 includes five specific fixes for problems. The first resolves an issue with file-blocking while waiting for scan results to be returned from the cloud. Another bug squashed was one that prevented the GUI console from opening in certain circumstances.

A number of linguistic errors have also been fixed, while the promotional banner should now be removed in all situations after users upgrade to Panda Cloud Antivirus Pro in the program. The final resolution ensures the correct remote IP address is shown in the Pro version’s firewall popups.

The update follows on from the release of Panda Cloud Antivirus 2.1, which added anti-exploit technology to both free and Pro versions, providing users with protection against malware that exploits so-called zero-day vulnerabilities in unpatched software such as Java, Adobe and Microsoft Office. Like traditional signature-based malware, suspicious files are sent to the cloud for analysis, but in this case their behavior is tracked to determine whether or not they pose a potential risk.

Version 2.1 also added real-time protection for Windows 8 Store apps, plus came with performance improvements, a tweaked user interface and a number of unspecified bug fixes.

Panda Cloud Antivirus Free 2.1.1 is available now as a freeware download for PCs running Windows XP or later. Users can upgrade to the Pro version for $29.95 per year, which adds a built-in firewall, extra protection when using public Wi-Fi networks and automatic USB vaccination.

Winners of the UK's 4G auction announced

Publié: février 20, 2013, 9:58am CET par Wayne Williams

UK Telecoms regulator Ofcom has announced the winners of the auctions for 4G spectrum on the 800MHz and 2.6GHz bands, and it’s a list with no surprises. After more than 50 rounds of bidding the winners are EE, Hutchison 3G UK, Niche Spectrum Ventures (a subsidiary of BT), Telefónica, and Vodafone.

The Office for Budget Responsibility had expected the auction to raise £3.5bn but in the end it actually raised considerably less -- £2.34bn. A fraction of the £22bn the 3G spectrum auction brought in for the Treasury in 2000.

The two bands, which cover 250MHz of spectrum in total, or the equivalent of two-thirds of the radio frequencies currently used by wireless devices, will give 4G networks widespread coverage and enough capacity to deal with the demand in cities.

The lower-frequency 800 MHz band, which is ideal for widespread mobile coverage, comes from the so called digital dividend that was made available when analogue terrestrial TV was finally switched off on 24 October 2012. The higher-frequency 2.6 GHz band delivers the capacity needed for faster speeds.

Telefónica has a contractual obligation attached to one of the 800 MHz lots, and as a result must deliver a mobile broadband service for indoor reception to at least 98 percent of the UK population by the end of 2017.

Making the announcement, Ed Richards, Ofcom Chief Executive, said:

This is a positive outcome for competition in the UK, which will lead to faster and more widespread mobile broadband, and substantial benefits for consumers and businesses across the country. We are confident that the UK will be among the most competitive markets in the world for 4G services.

4G coverage will extend far beyond that of existing 3G services, covering 98 percent of the UK population indoors -- and even more when outdoors -- which is good news for parts of the country currently underserved by mobile broadband.

We also want consumers to be well informed about 4G, so we will be conducting research at the end of this year to show who is deploying services, in which areas and at what speeds. This will help consumers and businesses to choose their most suitable provider.

EE, formerly Everything Everywhere, which was created by the merger of the T-Mobile and Orange businesses in 2010, already offers a 4G service (the UK’s first) on another band. At the end of January it announced it would be expanding its coverage to reach around 45 percent of the UK population.

Photo credit: Digital Storm/Shutterstock

Twenty-percent of dollars spent on consumer technology goes to Apple

Publié: février 20, 2013, 7:08am CET par Joe Wilcox

No wonder Google wants to open retail stores and sell more gadgets. Apple's reach is enormous, which is as important for the brand as making mullah -- and there is a whole lot of that. According to NPD, the fruit-logo company accounted for 19.9 percent of all US retail consumer technology sales last year, up from 17.3 percent in 2011.

Samsung ranked second, accounting for 9.3 percent of sales, up 2 points year over year. HP (8.2 percent), Sony (4.4 percent) and Dell (3 percent) rounded out the top five.

Total retail consumer technology sales fell 2 percent year over year to $143 billion. The top-five brands accounted for 45 percent of sales, up three points from 2011. Apple and Samsung sales together increased by $6.5 billion, while the rest of the market declined by $9.5 billion.

Top retailers: Best Buy, Walmart, Apple, Amazon, and Staples.

Apple got big lifts from smartphones and tablets, huge growth categories -- up 25 percent and 42 percent, respectively, year over year. iPad and iPhone accounted for 76 percent of all Apple revenue during calendar fourth quarter. The company is tapped into the two most consumer tech categories.

"Tablets and smartphones have been able to stimulate demand for additional devices, but unfortunately it hasn’t been enough, yet, to sustain positive growth trends", Stephen Baker, NPD's vice president of industry analysis, says.

Sales of the other three top categories -- desktop PCs, notebooks and flat-panel TVs -- fell 11 percent, 9 percent and 7 percent, respectively. The five categories accounted for 53 percent of consumer technology sales in 2012, up from 49 percent a year earlier.

"Most market segments have high penetration rates and the demand for additional devices is slowing, or declining", Baker says. Tablets contributed to PC sales, which is an ongoing trend.

Photo Credit: Redstarstudio/Shutterstock

If Apple can't protect itself from malware, how can you trust it to protect you?

Publié: février 20, 2013, 4:20am CET par Alan Buckingham

Apple may be perceived as a bastion of security and users generally feel safe from the plagues that us Windows users suffer, but market share plays a large part in that perception. The bigger target gets more attention. Well, the party may be over, folks, because the fruit-logo company has a problem, and it is one that is incredibly familiar to Windows users -- Java. The Oracle software platform may be one of the most exploited ones on computers.

Today Reuters reports that Apple, a company largely known for never admitting error -- think "You're holding it wrong" -- released a statement describing "the widest known attacks targeting Apple computers used by corporations". The same exploit had been used to attack social networking giant Facebook.

When Apple workers visited a specific website used by software developers, malicious software infected their computers. But not just Apple employees. Mac users in other locations also were vulnerable.

The problem is this: Malware writers used Java in the past to attack Macs. Remember last year's Flashback Trojan, which pulled together Macs into a massive botnet? The newest version of OS X, Mountain Lion, doesn't include Java by default for a reason. The upgrade goes so far as to remove the Java installed by previous version Lion. So why are computers Apple manages running unpatched Java -- or at all?

If Apple can't protect itself, how can it protect you? Does the arrogant attitude that Macs are invulnerable to viruses (they are not) run so deep inside Apple? As someone responsible for managing IT infrastructure, I ask these questions from experience. Apple should be the model of Mac security. Clearly it is not.

I question whether Apple should provide Java at all. Java as common means of attack is too common a story.

Still, to its credit, Apple responded rather quickly, issuing an update which it claims will deliver better security. The update "uninstalls the Apple-provided Java applet plug-in from all web browsers. To use applets on a webpage, click on the region labeled 'Missing plug-in' to go download the latest version of the Java applet plug-in from Oracle".

There really is no telling, at this point, the extent of the damage beyond Apple. Surely we'll know more in the days ahead. Meantime, if you own a Mac, now is a good time to patch up, purge Java and install antimalware.

Photo Credit: Jirsak/Shutterstock

Accidental Empires, Part 9 -- Why They Don't Call It Computer Valley (Chapter 3)

Publié: février 20, 2013, 1:03am CET par Robert X. Cringely

Ninth in a series. Robert X. Cringely's brilliant look at the rise of the personal computing industry continues, explaining why PCs aren't mini-mainframes and share little direct lineage with them.

Published in 1991, Accidental Empires is an excellent lens for viewing not just the past but future computing.

ACCIDENTAL EMPIRES — CHAPTER THREE

WHY THEY DON’T CALL IT COMPUTER VALLEY

Reminders of just how long I’ve been around this youth-driven business keep hitting me in the face. Not long ago I was poking around a store called the Weird Stuff Warehouse, a sort of Silicon Valley thrift shop where you can buy used computers and other neat junk. It’s right across the street from Fry’s Electronics, the legendary computer store that fulfills every need of its techie customers by offering rows of junk food, soft drinks, girlie magazines, and Maalox, in addition to an enormous selection of new computers and software. You can’t miss Fry’s; the building is painted to look like a block-long computer chip. The front doors are labeled Enter and Escape, just like keys on a computer keyboard.

Weird Stuff, on the other side of the street, isn’t painted to look like anything in particular. It’s just a big storefront filled with tables and bins holding the technological history of Silicon Valley. Men poke through the ever-changing inventory of junk while women wait near the door, rolling their eyes and telling each other stories about what stupid chunk of hardware was dragged home the week before.

Next to me, a gray-haired member of the short-sleeved sport shirt and Hush Puppies school of 1960s computer engineering was struggling to drag an old printer out from under a table so he could show his 8-year-old grandson the connector he’d designed a lifetime ago. Imagine having as your contribution to history the fact that pin 11 is connected to a red wire, pin 18 to a blue wire, and pin 24 to a black wire.

On my own search for connectedness with the universe, I came across a shelf of Apple III computers for sale for $100 each. Back in 1979, when the Apple III was still six months away from being introduced as a $3,000 office computer, I remember sitting in a movie theater in Palo Alto with one of the Apple III designers, pumping him for information about it.

There were only 90,000 Apple III computers ever made, which sounds like a lot but isn’t. The Apple III had many problems, including the fact that the automated machinery that inserted dozens of computer chips on the main circuit board didn’t push them into their sockets firmly enough. Apple’s answer was to tell 90,000 customers to pick up their Apple III carefully, hold it twelve to eighteen inches above a level surface, and then drop it, hoping that the resulting crash would reseat all the chips.

Back at the movies, long before the Apple Ill’s problems, or even its potential, were known publicly, I was just trying to get my friend to give me a basic description of the computer and its software. The film was Barbarella, and all I can remember now about the movie or what was said about the computer is this image of Jane Fonda floating across the screen in simulated weightlessness, wearing a costume with a clear plastic midriff. But then the rest of the world doesn’t remember the Apple III at all.

It’s this relentless throwing away of old technology, like the nearly forgotten Apple III, that characterizes the personal computer business and differentiates it from the business of building big computers, called mainframes, and minicomputers. Mainframe technology lasts typically twenty years; PC technology dies and is reborn every eighteen months.

There were computers in the world long before we called any of them “personal”. In fact, the computers that touched our lives before the mid-1970s were as impersonal as hell. They sat in big air-conditioned rooms at insurance companies, phone companies, and the IRS, and their main function was to screw up our lives by getting us confused with some other guy named Cringely, who was a deadbeat, had a criminal record, and didn’t much like to pay parking tickets. Computers were instruments of government and big business, and except for the punched cards that came in the mail with the gas bill, which we were supposed to return obediently with the money but without any folds, spindling, or mutilation, they had no physical presence in our lives.

How did we get from big computers that lived in the basement of office buildings to the little computers that live on our desks today? We didn’t. Personal computers have almost nothing to do with big computers. They never have.

A personal computer is an electronic gizmo that is built in a factory and then sold by a dealer to an individual or a business. If everything goes as planned, the customer will be happy with the purchase, and the company that makes the personal computer, say Apple or Compaq, won’t hear from that customer again until he or she buys another computer. Contrast that with the mainframe computer business, where big computers are built in a factory, sold directly to a business or government, installed by the computer maker, serviced by the computer maker (for a monthly fee), financed by the computer maker, and often running software written by the computer maker (and licensed, not sold, for another monthly fee). The big computer company makes as much money from servicing, financing, and programming the computer as it does from selling it. It not only wants to continue to know the customer, it wants to be in the customer’s dreams.

The only common element in these two scenarios is the factory. Everything else is different. The model for selling personal computers is based on the idea that there are millions of little customers out there; the model for selling big computers has always been based on the idea that there are only a few large customers.

When IBM engineers designed the System 650 mainframe in the early 1950s, their expectation was to build fifty in all, and the cost structure that was built in from the start allowed the company to make a profit on only fifty machines. Of course, when computers became an important part of corporate life, IBM found itself selling far more than fifty -- 1,500, in fact -- with distinct advantages of scale that brought gross profit margins up to the 60 to 70 percent range, a range that computer companies eventually came to expect. So why bother with personal computers?

Big computers and little computers are completely different beasts created by radically different groups of people. It’s logical, I know, to assume that the personal computer came from shrinking a mainframe, but that’s not the way it happened. The PC business actually grew up from the semiconductor industry. Instead of being a little mainframe, the PC is, in fact, more like an incredibly big chip. Remember, they don’t call it Computer Valley. They call it Silicon Valley, and it’s a place that was invented one afternoon in 1957 when Bob Noyce and seven other engineers quit en masse from Shockley Semiconductor.

William Shockley was a local boy and amateur magician who had gone on to invent the transistor at Bell Labs in the late 1940s and by the mid-1950s was on his own building transistors in what had been apricot drying sheds in Mountain View, California.

Shockley was a good scientist but a bad manager. He posted a list of salaries on the bulletin board, pissing off those who were being paid less for the same work. When the work wasn’t going well, he blamed sabotage and demanded lie detector tests. That did it. Just weeks after they’d toasted Shockley’s winning the Nobel Prize in physics by drinking champagne over breakfast at Dinah’s Shack, a red clapboard restaurant on El Camino Real, the “Traitorous Eight”, as Dr. S. came to call them, hit the road.

For Shockley, it was pretty much downhill from there; today he’s remembered more for his theories of racial superiority and for starting a sperm bank for geniuses in the 1970s than for the breakthrough semiconductor research he conducted in the 1940s and 1950s. (Of course, with several fluid ounces of Shockley semen still sitting on ice, we may not have heard the last of the doctor yet.)

Noyce and the others started Fairchild Semiconductor, the archetype for every Silicon Valley start-up that has followed. They got the money to start Fairchild from a young investment banker named Arthur Rock, who found venture capital for the firm. This is the pattern that has been followed ever since as groups of technical types split from their old companies, pick up venture capital to support their new idea, and move on to the next start-up. More than fifty new semiconductor companies eventually split off in this way from Fairchild alone.

At the heart of every start-up is an argument. A splinter group inside a successful company wants to abandon the current product line and bet the company on some radical new technology. The boss, usually the guy who invented the current technology, thinks this idea is crazy and says so, wishing the splinter group well on their new adventure. If he’s smart, the old boss even helps his employees to leave by making a minority investment in their new company, just in case they are among the 5 percent of start-ups that are successful.

The appeal of the start-up has always been that it’s a small operation, usually led by the smartest guy in the room but with the assistance of all players. The goals of the company are those of its people, who are all very technically oriented. The character of the company matches that of its founders, who were inevitably engineers—regular guys. Noyce was just a preacher’s kid from Iowa, and his social sensibilities reflected that background.

There was no social hierarchy at Fairchild -- no reserved parking spaces or executive dining rooms -- and that remained true even later when the company employed thousands of workers and Noyce was long gone. There was no dress code. There were hardly any doors; Noyce had an office cubicle, built from shoulder-high partitions, just like everybody else. Thirty years later, he still had only a cubicle, along with limitless wealth.

They use cubicles, too, at Hewlett-Packard, which at one point in the late 1970s had more than 50,000 employees, but only three private offices. One office belonged to Bill Hewlett, one to David Packard, and the third to a guy named Paul Ely, who annoyed so many coworkers with his bellowing on the telephone that the company finally extended his cubicle walls clear to the ceiling. It looked like a freestanding elevator shaft in the middle of a vast open office.

The Valley is filled with stories of Bob Noyce as an Everyman with deep pockets. There was the time he stood in a long line at his branch bank and then asked the teller for a cashier’s check for $1.3 million from his personal savings, confiding gleefully that he was going to buy a Learjet that afternoon. Then, after his divorce and remarriage, Noyce tried to join the snobbish Los Altos Country Club, only to be rejected because the club did not approve of his new wife, so he wrote another check and simply duplicated the country club facilities on his own property, within sight of the Los Altos clubhouse. “To hell with them,” he said.

As a leader, Noyce was half high school science teacher and half athletic team captain. Young engineers were encouraged to speak their minds, and they were given authority to buy whatever they needed to pursue their research. No idea was too crazy to be at least considered, because Noyce realized that great discoveries lay in crazy ideas and that rejecting out of hand the ideas of young engineers would just hasten that inevitable day when they would take off for their own start-up.

While Noyce’s ideas about technical management sound all too enlightened to be part of anything called big business, they worked well at Fairchild and then at Noyce’s next creation, Intel. Intel was started, in fact, because Noyce couldn’t get Fairchild’s eastern owners to accept the idea that stock options should be a part of compensation for all employees, not just for management. He wanted to tie everyone, from janitors to bosses, into the overall success of the company, and spreading the wealth around seemed the way to go.

This management style still sets the standard for every computer, software, and semiconductor company in the Valley today, where office doors are a rarity and secretaries hold shares in their company’s stock. Some companies follow the model well, and some do it poorly, but every CEO still wants to think that the place is being run the way Bob Noyce would have run it.

The semiconductor business is different from the business of building big computers. It costs a lot to develop a new semiconductor part but not very much to manufacture it once the design is proved. This makes semiconductors a volume business, where the most profitable product lines are those manufactured in the greatest volume rather than those that can be sold in smaller quantities with higher profit margins. Volume is everything.

To build volume, Noyce cut all Fairchild components to a uniform price of one dollar, which was in some cases not much more than the cost of manufacturing them. Some of Noyce’s partners thought he was crazy, but volume grew quickly, followed by profits, as Fairchild expanded production again and again to meet demand, continually cutting its cost of goods at the same time. The concept of continually dropping electronic component prices was born at Fairchild. The cost per transistor dropped by a factor of 10,000 over the next thirty years.

To avoid building a factory that was 10,000 times as big, Noyce came up with a way to give customers more for their money while keeping the product price point at about the same level as before. While the cost of semiconductors was ever falling, the cost of electronic subassemblies continued to increase with the inevitably rising price of labor. Noyce figured that even this trend could be defeated if several components could be built together on a single piece of silicon, eliminating much of the labor from electronic assembly. It was 1959, and Noyce called his idea an integrated circuit. “I was lazy,” he said. “It just didn’t make sense to have people soldering together these individual components when they could be built as a single part.”

Jack Kilby at Texas Instruments had already built several discrete components on the same slice of germanium, including the first germanium resistors and capacitors, but Kilby’s parts were connected together on the chip by tiny gold wires that had to be installed by hand. TI’s integrated circuit could not be manufactured in volume.

The twist that Noyce added was to deposit a layer of insulating silicon oxide on the top surface of the chip—this was called the “planar process” that had been invented earlier at Fairchild —and then use a photographic process to print thin metal lines on top of the oxide, connecting the components together on the chip. These metal traces carried current in the same way that Jack Kilby’s gold wires did, but they could be printed on in a single step rather than being installed one at a time by hand.

Using their new photolithography method, Noyce and his boys put first two or three components on a single chip, then ten, then a hundred, then thousands. Today the same area of silicon that once held a single transistor can be populated with more than a million components, all too small to be seen.

Tracking the trend toward ever more complex circuits, Gordon Moore, who cofounded Intel with Noyce, came up with Moore’s Law: the number of transistors that can be built on the same size piece of silicon will double every eighteen months. Moore’s Law still holds true. Intel’s memory chips from 1968 held 1,024 bits of data; the most common memory chips today hold a thousand times as much -- 1,024,000 bits -- and cost about the same.

The integrated circuit -- the IC -- also led to a trend in the other direction -- toward higher price points, made possible by ever more complex semiconductors that came to do the work of many discrete components. In 1971, Ted Hoff at Intel took this trend to its ultimate conclusion, inventing the microprocessor, a single chip that contained most of the logic elements used to make a computer. Here, for the first time, was a programmable device to which a clever engineer could add a few memory chips and a support chip or two and turn it into a real computer you could hold in your hands. There was no software for this new computer, of course -- nothing that could actually be done with it -- but the computer could be held in your hands or even sold over the counter, and that fact alone was enough to force a paradigm shift on Silicon Valley.

It was with the invention of the microprocessor that the rest of the world finally disappointed Silicon Valley. Until that point, the kids at Fairchild, Intel, and the hundred other chipmakers that now occupied the southern end of the San Francisco peninsula had been farmers, growing chips that were like wheat from which the military electronics contractors and the computer companies could bake their rolls, bagels, and loaves of bread -- their computers and weapon control systems. But with their invention of the microprocessor, the Valley’s growers were suddenly harvesting something that looked almost edible by itself. It was as though they had been supplying for years these expensive bakeries, only to undercut them all by inventing the Twinkie.

But the computer makers didn’t want Intel’s Twinkies. Microprocessors were the most expensive semiconductor devices ever made, but they were still too cheap to be used by the IBMs, the Digital Equipment Corporations, and the Control Data Corporations. These companies had made fortunes by convincing their customers that computers were complex, incredibly expensive devices built out of discrete components; building computers around microprocessors would destroy this carefully crafted concept. Microprocessor-based computers would be too cheap to build and would have to sell for too little money. Worse, their lower part counts would increase reliability, hurting the service income that was an important part of every computer company’s bottom line in those days.

And the big computer companies just didn’t have the vision needed to invent the personal computer. Here’s a scene that happened in the early 1960s at IBM headquarters in Armonk, New York. IBM chairman Tom Watson, Jr., and president Al Williams were being briefed on the concept of computing with video display terminals and time-sharing, rather than with batches of punch cards. They didn’t understand the idea. These were intelligent men, but they had a firmly fixed concept of what computing was supposed to be, and it didn’t include video display terminals. The briefing started over a second time, and finally a light bulb went off in Al Williams’s head. “So what you are talking about is data processing but not in the same room!” he exclaimed.

IBM played for a short time with a concept it called teleprocessing, which put a simple computer terminal on an executive’s desk, connected by telephone line to a mainframe computer to look into the bowels of the company and know instantly how many widgets were being produced in the Muncie plant. That was the idea, but what IBM discovered from this mid-1960s exercise was that American business executives didn’t know how to type and didn’t want to learn. They had secretaries to type for them. No data were gathered on what middle managers would do with such a terminal because it wasn’t aimed at them. Nobody even guessed that there would be millions of M.B.A.s hitting the streets over the following twenty years, armed with the ability to type and with the quantitative skills to use such a computing tool and to do some real damage with it. But that was yet to come, so exit teleprocessing, because IBM marketers chose to believe that this test indicated that American business executives would never be interested.

In order to invent a particular type of computer, you have to want first to use it, and the leaders of America’s computer companies did not want a computer on their desks. Watson and Williams sold computers but they didn’t use them. Williams’s specialty was finance; it was through his efforts that IBM had turned computer leasing into a goldmine. Watson was the son of God -- Tom Watson Sr. -- and had been bred to lead the blue-suited men of IBM, not to design or use computers. Watson and Williams didn’t have computer terminals at their desks. They didn’t even work for a company that believed in terminals. Their concept was of data processing, which at IBM meant piles of paper cards punched with hundreds of rectangular, not round, holes. Round holes belonged to Univac.

The computer companies for the most part rejected the microprocessor, calling it too simple to perform their complex mainframe voodoo. It was an error on their part, and not lost on the next group of semiconductor engineers who were getting ready to explode from their current companies into a whole new generation of start-ups. This time they built more than just chips and ICs; they built entire computers, still following the rules for success in the semiconductor business: continual product development; a new family of products every year or two; ever increasing functionality; ever decreasing price for the same level of function; standardization; and volume, volume, volume.

It takes society thirty years, more or less, to absorb a new information technology into daily life. It took about that long to turn movable type into books in the fifteenth century. Telephones were invented in the 1870s but did not change our lives until the 1900s. Motion pictures were born in the 1890s but became an important industry in the 1920s. Television, invented in the mid-1920s, took until the mid-1950s to bind us to our sofas.

We can date the birth of the personal computer somewhere between the invention of the microprocessor in 1971 and the introduction of the Altair hobbyist computer in 1975. Either date puts us today about halfway down the road to personal computers’ being a part of most people’s everyday lives, which should be consoling to those who can’t understand what all the hullabaloo is about PCs. Don’t worry; you’ll understand it in a few years, by which time they’ll no longer be called PCs.

By the time that understanding is reached, and personal computers have wormed into all our lives to an extent far greater than they are today, the whole concept of personal computing will probably have changed. That’s the way it is with information technologies. It takes us quite a while to decide what to do with them.

Radio was invented with the original idea that it would replace telephones and give us wireless communication. That implies two-way communication, yet how many of us own radio transmitters? In fact, the popularization of radio came as a broadcast medium, with powerful transmitters sending the same message -- entertainment -- to thousands or millions of inexpensive radio receivers. Television was the same way, envisioned at first as a two-way visual communication medium. Early phonographs could record as well as play and were supposed to make recordings that would be sent through the mail, replacing written letters. The magnetic tape cassette was invented by Phillips for dictation machines, but we use it to hear music on Sony Walkmans. Telephones went the other direction, since Alexander Graham Bell first envisioned his invention being used to pipe music to remote groups of people.

The point is that all these technologies found their greatest success being used in ways other than were originally expected. That’s what will happen with personal computers too. Fifteen years from now, we won’t be able to function without some sort of machine with a microprocessor and memory inside. Though we probably won’t call it a personal computer, that’s what it will be.

It takes new ideas a long time to catch on -- time that is mainly devoted to evolving the idea into something useful. This fact alone dumps most of the responsibility for early technical innovation in the laps of amateurs, who can afford to take the time. Only those who aren’t trying to make money can afford to advance a technology that doesn’t pay.

This explains why the personal computer was invented by hobbyists and supported by semiconductor companies, eager to find markets for their microprocessors, by disaffected mainframe programmers, who longed to leave their corporate/mainframe world and get closer to the machine they loved, and by a new class of counterculture entrepreneurs, who were looking for a way to enter the business world after years of fighting against it.

The microcomputer pioneers were driven primarily to create machines and programs for their own use or so they could demonstrate them to their friends. Since there wasn’t a personal computer business as such, they had little expectation that their programming and design efforts would lead to making a lot of money. With a single strategic exception -- Bill Gates of Microsoft -- the idea of making money became popular only later.

These folks were pursuing adventure, not business. They were the computer equivalents of the barnstorming pilots who flew around America during the 1920s, putting on air shows and selling rides. Like the barnstormers had, the microcomputer pioneers finally discovered a way to live as they liked. Both the barnstormers and microcomputer enthusiasts were competitive and were always looking for something against which they could match themselves. They wanted independence and total control, and through the mastery of their respective machines, they found it.

Barnstorming was made possible by a supply of cheap surplus aircraft after World War I. Microcomputers were made possible by the invention of solid state memory and the microprocessor. Both barnstorming and microcomputing would not have happened without previous art. The barnstormers needed a war to train them and to leave behind a supply of aircraft, while microcomputers would not have appeared without mainframe computers to create a class of computer professionals and programming languages.

Like early pilots and motorists, the first personal computer drivers actually enjoyed the hazards of their primitive computing environments. Just getting from one place to another in an early automobile was a challenge, and so was getting a program to run on the first microcomputers. Breakdowns were frequent, even welcome, since they gave the enthusiast something to brag about to friends. The idea of doing real work with a microcomputer wasn’t even considered.

Planes that were easy to fly, cars that were easy to drive, computers that were easy to program and use weren’t nearly as interesting as those that were cantankerous. The test of the pioneer was how well he did despite his technology. In the computing arena, this meant that the best people were those who could most completely adapt to the idiosyncrasies of their computers. This explains the rise of arcane computer jargon and the disdain with which “real programmers” still often view computers and software that are easy to use. They interpret “ease of use” as “lack of challenge”. The truth is that easy-to-use computers and programs take much more skill to produce than did the hairy-chested, primitive products of the mid-1970s.

Since there really wasn’t much that could be done with microcomputers back then, the great challenge was found in overcoming the adversity involved in doing anything. Those who were able to get their computers and programs running at all went on to become the first developers of applications.

With few exceptions, early microcomputer software came from the need of some user to have software that did not yet exist. He needed it, so he invented it. And son of a gun, bragging about the program at his local computing club often dragged from the membership others who needed that software, too, wanted to buy it, and an industry was born.

Reprinted with permission

Nvidia unveils the Tegra 4i, with integrated 4G LTE processor

Publié: février 19, 2013, 9:37pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

On Tuesday, Santa Clara, Calif.-based technology company Nvidia took the wraps off a new mobile processor part of its Tegra lineup, named Tegra 4i. The latest product comes with "fully integrated 4G LTE" connectivity, a first for Nvidia, and it is designed to fend off attack from similar solutions, like Qualcomm's newest Snapdragon lineup.

The new Tegra 4i sports 60 custom GPU cores and a 2.3GHz quad-core CPU that is based on the "newest and most efficient" ARM R4 Cortex-A9 architecture. The traditional Tegra battery-saver core is also present. The Tegra 4i, however, comes in slightly under the Tegra 4 processor unveiled at CES 2013 in Las Vegas, the latter of which features 12 more GPU cores and is based on the faster ARM Cortex-A15 architecture.

The 2.3GHz is a joint effort between Nvidia and ARM, with the former touting it as the "most efficient, highest performance CPU core on the market". Tom Cronk, executive vice president and general manager, processor division, ARM says: "ARM and Nvidia worked closely to further optimize the Cortex-A9 processor to drive performance and efficiency in areas such as streaming and responsiveness. This is an example of the collaboration and innovation that enables ARM technology-based solutions to be market drivers through multiple generations of SoC solutions".

The Tegra 4i delivers five times the number of GPU cores compared to the older Tegra 3 and the i500 "software-defined" radio modem which sports 4G LTE functionality. In the camera department the processor features Nvidia's Chimera Computational Photography Architecture which was introduced alongside the Tegra 4.

On Tegra 4i's integrated LTE chip, Stuart Robinson, director, Handset Component Technologies Program at Strategy Analytics says: "[...] appears to outperform the leading integrated LTE chip significantly, and also benefits from an integrated 'soft-modem' that can be re-programmed over-the-air to support new frequencies and air interfaces -- something other modem vendors can only dream of".

Basically what we're looking at is a slightly underpowered variant of the Tegra 4 that features a more battery-friendly CPU and a less powerful GPU. Nvidia will showcase the Tegra 4i at MWC (Mobile World Congress) in Barcelona.

Get ready to move from Hotmail to Outlook

Publié: février 19, 2013, 9:06pm CET par Alan Buckingham

If you use Hotmail then you may already know that you are moving to Outlook.com. You may not want to, but you are -- unless you plan to scrap the whole thing and head over to Gmail, Yahoo mail or another service. Microsoft officially launched Outlook overnight, but the service beta debuted six months ago; we reviewed here already.

So, to help users along in this moving process, the company posted a question and answer page appropriately titled "My Hotmail account was upgraded to Outlook.com".

The page is pretty simple -- only nine questions and a video. However, there is quite a bit of information included and numerous links to additional details, like settings, POP3, Contacts, existing mail and more.

Microsoft attempts to address some of the fear and questions that customers will almost certainly have. Things like "Do I have to get a new email address?" and "Why can't I switch back to Hotmail?" All valid questions that longtime Hotmail users will face in the coming months.

Give the company some credit for attempting to help its customers here, but killing off services, while a natural process in this industry, is never easy. It almost always results in some unhappy people and, frequently they are the more vocal ones. For instance my recent posts about the death of my beloved Live Mesh -- yes I am still bitter. But, I have learned to move on, which is what Hotmail customers will need to do as well.

Photo Credit: 3Dstock/Shutterstock

Ubuntu tablet challenges Android, BlackBerry, iOS and Windows

Publié: février 19, 2013, 8:06pm CET par Joe Wilcox

Developers looking for Ubuntu on smartphones will get a second treat on February 21. Today, Canonical revealed a build for tablets. Supported testing devices for both platforms: Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10. Ubuntu replaces Android, not runs alongside or dual-boots with it.

"Ubuntu tablet" supports multi-touch slates running dual-core ARM A9 processor with 1GB of RAM and 8GB storage. However, Canonical's ambitions are greater for commercially-shipping products: dual-core A15 processor and 2GB RAM for 7-to-10 inch tablets and quad-core A15 or x86 processor and 4GB of RAM for 10-to-12 inch slates. The specs reveal plans to compete with touch ultrabooks or tablet hybrids like Microsoft Surface Pro. The operating system supports up to 20-inch tablets. However, lower-end tablets will be a priority.

Like Apple, Google or Microsoft, Canonical talks a four-screen strategy. In October 2011, CEO Mark Shuttleworth promised Ubuntu would appear on smartphones, tablets and TVs, in addition to PCs. The company formally announced the smartphone OS in January.

The difference: Canonical claims a unified user experience across devices. None of the aforementioned competitors deliver that today, although Google is closest. "The tablet is the next step in our mission to create one unified experience for all personal computing", Shuttleworth boasts.

Related: Canonical touts a write-once, run-on-any-device benefit for developers. Again, Google is closest to offering something similar. Information about the Touch Developer Preview for phones and tablets already is available, as well as a preview SDK. To reiterate: Software releases Thursday.

"We have both rich native applications and web applications that run side-by-side as equal citizens on the tablet", Shuttleworth says.

While the first commercial smartphones and tablets are expected this year, Canonical doesn't plan to unify all form factors into a single platform until 14.04 LTS releases early next year. Ubuntu will be the same across devices, but not the user interface. For example, on smartphones the UI is primed for one-handed operations and two on tablets. Says Shuttleworth about phones: "All the goodness of Ubuntu perfectly shaped to your hand".

Like Android, Ubuntu tablet supports multiple users, and like Chrome OS a guest mode. Favorite apps launch from a left-pull toolbar, and a swipe opens the full apps page. "Swipe through the right edge and you reveal phone apps running on your tablet", or The Sidestage, Shuttleworth says. Split-screen presents phone and tablet apps running side-by-side.

The Sidestage and right-top pull-down menu also let users socially interact or access additional services while maintaining the larger content menu for, say, watching a movie.

Ubuntu tablet supports modular designs. A phone docked to a slate displays content in The Sidestage, while the tablet becomes a PC with mouse and keyboard.

Canonical expects OEMs to ship devices running Ubuntu tablet, although partners announcements, along with chipsets, are forthcoming. Support for Nexus devices is meant for developers, but judging from the reaction I see on social networks, gadget geeks will grab and mod, too.

"I want an Ubuntu tablet now!" Christopher Bowley posts to Google+. "Don't even need a desktop/laptop anymore. Assuming it's as powerful as the desktop os, which seems like the case. As long as it has external USB support. My external drive, phone, and Tascam pocket studio (which connects as an external drive) is all I need to connect. Seems doable".

Brett Daugherty: "Liking the +Ubuntu tablet. Gonna flash my phone to the mobile OS Thursday to give that a shot, wouldn't mind being able to flash my tablet to that too to get the full experience".

Will you, too?

StackMob launches new Enterprise Marketplace

Publié: février 19, 2013, 7:00pm CET par Wayne Williams

According to Gartner, by 2017 around 25 percent of enterprises will have their own app stores for managing home grown and corporate-sanctioned apps on PCs and mobile devices. Bring Your Own Application (BYOA) is becoming almost as important as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) in some corporate workplaces.

StackMob, a cloud-based mobile platform provider, has today launched a new Enterprise Marketplace for third-party services, aimed at offering a simple and effective way for larger organizations to build and deploy their own full-featured mobile applications.

The new one-stop shop offers enterprise-class modules, APIs, and professional services from prominent charter collaborators in the enterprise space, including ADP, AT&T, Box, Braintree, GoodData, Mashery, New Relic and Rackspace and Salesforce. Firms in need of mobile app development services will now be able to easily integrate their choice of third-party apps into StackMob’s BaaS (Backend as a Service) mobile development platform.

"Enterprises are approaching StackMob looking for ways to unlock innovation inside their company," Ty Amell, CEO of StackMob said, announcing the new initiative. "StackMob provides consistency and structure that supports a scalable mobile strategy."

AT&T will be among the first to offer its APIs to developers within the StackMob Enterprise Marketplace. "We’ve opened up our APIs to the developer community," Carolyn Billings, Associate Vice President of Product Marketing Management at AT&T explains, "and now we’re looking forward to working with StackMob and their customers to enable richer mobile experiences for enterprise users".

Photo Credit: Maksim Kabakou/Shutterstock

Meet the HTC One

Publié: février 19, 2013, 6:04pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

On Tuesday, after numerous leaks and rumors, Taiwanese mobile device manufacturer HTC unveiled a new flagship Android smartphone tastefully named One. With One the company has jumped off the ever increasing display size bandwagon and decided to stick to a more tried and true 4.7-inch panel, while packing a high-end quad-core processor.

The international One comes in silver and black and, depending on the market, other colors such as red might be available as well. The front of the handset is dominated by rounded corners and symmetrical speakers while the back features the now traditional tapered edges that HTC previously introduced with smartphones such as the Windows Phone 8X or DROID DNA. It's simply striking to look at.

The One's 4.7-inch display offers a resolution of 1920 by 1080 and a whopping 468ppi (pixels per inch) density. HTC does not specify which type of panel is used, however judging by past releases it's fair to assume that we're looking at an LCD3 IPS display.

Power comes from a 1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, similar to the LG Optimus G Pro, 2GB of DDR2 RAM and a 2,300mAh non-removable battery. The One comes with two storage options, in 32GB and 64GB trim and features the typical connectivity options including Wi-Fi 802.11 a/ac/b/g/n; NFC (Near Field Communication); Bluetooth 4.0; DLNA; microUSB 2.0 and the usual array of sensors (gyro; accelerometer; proximity and ambient light sensors).

The handset is among the first to feature support for the Wi-Fi 802.11 ac standard. Depending on the market the One also comes with HSPA+ or 4G LTE cellular connectivity.

Interestingly enough HTC steers clear from revealing the megapixel count on the back-facing camera, which bears the UltraPixel moniker, only revealing that it features a BSI sensor with F2.0 aperture and 28mm lens, optical imagine stabilization, five levels of flash as well as the in-house ImageChip 2 technology. The front-facing camera is a 2.1MP unit with support for HDR mode in both pictures and videos. Both shooters are capable of 1080p video recording.

HTC also bundles a number of branded features such as Zoe, which can shoot up to 20 photos and a 3-second video when pressing the shutter button, BoomSound, which is designed to improve the music and video experience and BlinkFeed, which provides social networking and media updates, among others. The operating system of choice is "the latest Android Jelly Bean" (meaning Android 4.2), backed by the Sense user interface.

The One comes in at 137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3 mm and 143 grams. The dimensions are on par with currently available smartphones, although both the thickness and weight are a bit on the larger side.

The One will be globally available at more than 185 carriers in more than 80 regions and countries starting in March. HTC says that in the US AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Cincinnati Bell and Best Buy will offer the handset, while north of the border in Canada, Bell, Rogers Communications, Telus and Virgin Mobile Canada will carry the One.

In Europe, Middle East and Africa, One will be available at various carriers and retailers including Orange, Vodafone, T-Mobile, EE (Everything Everywhere), Carphone Warehouse UK, Cosmote, O2 and others.

The handset will also hit the Chinese market through China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom, Latin America as well as the Asia-Pacific area.

The Windows Store is like a Bangkok night market -- full of cheap knockoffs

Publié: février 19, 2013, 5:08pm CET par Wayne Williams

When Windows 8 launched on October 26 2012, the Windows Store had an estimated 9,000 apps available to purchase or download. Today, according to the excellent MetroStore Scanner, that figure has risen to 43,083 worldwide, of which 28,904 are available in the US store, and 26,385 in the UK one.

The biggest problem with the Windows Store is not the overall number of apps -- in four months it’s seen reasonable growth although the number of new weekly additions has slowed -- the issue is more with quality. While there’s no shortage of third-party apps, many of which are very good, you can’t help but notice how many big names are absent.

There’s no sign of official apps for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps, Pandora, Spotify, Instagram, Firefox, Groupon, BBC News, or iPlayer… the list goes on and on. The absences aren’t immediately apparent because the third-party developers are doing a good job of making their products look official by using the relevant logos and designs, but dig deeper and you’ll see the Windows Store is packed with cheap fakes.

There are several excuses why genuine versions of important apps aren’t available in the store. For starters not all of them need to be. You can access the services on the web, and -- for Windows RT/Windows 8 Pro tablets and Windows Phone devices -- in mobile-friendly format. Although that argument could be used for iPad and Android platforms, and they both have apps for all the major services.

Email and social accounts can be accessed through the built-in Windows 8 People app of course, but it’s far from ideal and lacks the features you’d get in an app dedicated to a particular service.

"It’s still early days for the new OS" is another reasonable argument for the lack of official apps, and it’s true, although after four months, that excuse is beginning to wear paper thin. After all this is Microsoft Windows we’re talking about here. It’s hardly a small, unknown platform and we’ve all known about the Windows Store since September 2011. The biggest problem is a lot of companies, like the BBC, Google and Facebook aren’t dragging their heels when it comes to developing apps for Windows 8 and RT (or Windows Phone 8 for that matter) they simply have "no plans" to do so. Instead they are focusing on iOS and Android. Proven ecosystems.

It’s often the case that developers will produce an app for iOS first and then follow it up with one for Android (Google’s mobile platform is harder to develop for because of OS fragmentation and the sheer variety of screen shapes and sizes to cater for). Occasionally bigger developers will release apps for both platforms simultaneously, and sometimes for Android first. Windows is a third platform, and one which a lot of developers simply see no pressing need to even acknowledge at the moment. Or indeed ever.

While a Firefox app is in development, the majority of the absent apps I listed previously just aren’t likely to appear, unless Surface and the other Windows RT and Windows 8 Pro powered tablets really take off.

And let’s not forget to mention that some of the official apps which have appeared on Windows 8 -- Dropbox in particular -- are so poor you kind of wish they hadn’t been developed in the first place anyway.

So what’s the solution to the apps problem? It’s simple. Windows 8 needs to perform. Microsoft needs to sell a lot of copies (not just licences), shift a lot of tablets, and prove that the people using its products are also using apps, not just bypassing the Start screen on their way to the desktop. The company has to show the demand is there, it has to convince developers that they need to develop for the OS. It has make Windows 8 a viable app platform.

At the moment I can’t see that happening. Surface Pro is reportedly selling well, but it needs to maintain and grow that momentum, because it’s tablet and phone sales -- and only tablet and phone sales -- which will drive app downloads and ultimately the demand.

If you’re a Windows 8 user what do you think about the lack of official apps? Does it concern you, or have you found enough decent third-party replacements? Leave your comments below.

Photo Credit: Gwoeii/Shutterstock

HTC DROID DNA, One S and XL receive S-Off treatment

Publié: février 19, 2013, 2:53pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Great news for Android enthusiasts rocking an HTC One S, One XL or DROID DNA! A team of developers has revealed an S-Off hack that fully unleashes the modding potential of the three smartphones by allowing users to flash a custom recovery or distribution straight from hboot.

In order to achieve S-Off nirvana, One S, One XL and DROID DNA users must enable root and have superCID, the latter of which allows for the installation of custom distributions independent of the country identifier (CID). Afterwards, the process is fairly simple to carry out with users only needing to download a patcher file and input a number of commands inside a terminal.

Users have to extract the patcher in the working directory, find the model ID in adb mode, download the zip file that matches the One S, One XL or DROID DNA model ID, reboot the bootloader in adb mode, reboot the RUU in fastboot mode, flash the corresponding zip file in fastboot mode, boot in fastboot mode, insert three commands via adb mode and finally reboot the bootloader, again in adb mode.

Afterwards "Facepalm" S-Off is enabled on the One S, One XL and DROID DNA. The method has been confirmed to work by a number of users, on all three HTC-made devices.

The Weather Channel will now tell your Android when rain will start and stop

Publié: février 19, 2013, 2:46pm CET par Alan Buckingham

There are no shortage of weather apps for Android devices, but many of us are already familiar with the Weather Channel, making it a fairly easy choice -- I switched to that app a couple of years ago after leaving Weather Bug. Now the TV network has issued a major overhaul of its mobile app for Android.

The first thing you will notice in the update, which began rolling out late yesterday, is a completely revamped user interface. The Now screen, which opens by default, still shows the temperature and current conditions, but comes with an ad background -- which is a bit annoying. Still the additional information is useful. For instance, my Now screen is currently telling me: "Rain likely Tuesday at 11:15 am EST".

The menu has moved from the bottom of the screen to the top and now has fewer options. Social, for instance, has gone, replaced by four simple choices -- Map, Now, Videos, and Forecast. Above these are icons for Search, Share and Settings.

Share is a new and much welcome addition because it has been an inclusion in the aforementioned Weather Bug for some time and allows users to share their local conditions, forecast or maps via a number of options, including Facebook, Twitter, cloud services, and a lot more.

In addition, the forecasts now offer more detail, the app has been optimized for tablets, there is a refresh button, and users can set up favorite locations to take full advantage of weather widgets and notifications.

All of the updates, with the exception of the ad background on the Now screen, are very welcome in my opinion. New users get walked through a series of tutorial-type screens when the app first launches and you will also need to reset your home location, but after completing these minor tasks I think most will find the updates very rewarding.

Photo credit: Ralf Juergen Kraft/Shutterstock

Use AllOff to automatically shut down an idle PC

Publié: février 19, 2013, 2:30pm CET par Mike Williams

In theory Windows should be able to shut down a PC when it’s been idle for a while, and even if that doesn’t work for you, there are plenty of tools around which promise to do something similar. In practice, though, the difficulty of detecting idle time accurately means that these tools aren’t always reliable, which is why many people take the safer approach of leaving their system running all the time.

AllOff is a little different, though. This free (for personal use) tool doesn’t just shut down your PC after some fixed period of time, or when your keyboard or mouse haven’t been used for a while. It also monitors CPU usage, even download speeds, and provides a host of configuration options to ensure everything works just as you require.

After a slightly more complex installation than usual (you have to register the program with your email address), AllOff presents its default console. It’s not exactly going to win any interface design awards, but this does provide all the key details you need. So you’ll see that by default your system will close if there’s no activity for 10 minutes; an "idle" counter will show you how close you are to that figure; and a couple of figures for your CPU usage and download rate highlight any current background activity.

Click Config, though, and you’ll find the program’s settings, which is where life gets much more interesting.

By default AllOff will calculate your average CPU usage over 5 seconds, for instance, which makes it less likely that the idle count will be reset by a brief spike in activity. But you can adjust that averaging time to anything from 1 to 30 seconds, as well as setting a minimum CPU usage figure which you’d consider as idle, to make the program even more accurate.

You can set the minimum download rate, which again aims to prevent the idle count being reset unnecessarily (when some update checker briefly connects to its website, for instance).

AllOff will also leap into action if your mouse and keyboard have been inactive for your preferred period of time.

And there’s plenty more. You could enable only some of these idle detection methods, say, perhaps ignoring the CPU check and using only download rate, keyboard and mouse monitoring. You’re able to have the program control a remote PC. There are multiple logging and console display options (minimize to the system tray, set the AllOff window to be "always on top"). And of course you can choose your preferred action when the program does finally activate (Hibernate, Log off, Power off, Reboot, Shutdown, Standby).

Even at this final point, though, AllOff still gives you choices. So you can have your system power down in a couple of seconds. But if you’d prefer to be cautious then you can have the program display a warning alert for up to 10 minutes, giving you time to cancel the shutdown, while clearing the "Force" checkbox means open applications won’t be forced to close.

You don’t have to get into any of this complexity at first, of course -- in our experience the default settings worked very well. But, if you do have any problems, AllOff’s extensive configuration options should help you fine tune its performance, and it certainly earns a thumbs up from us.

Photo Credit: Sashkin/Shutterstock

Sony Xperia Z receives root and joins the modding ranks

Publié: février 19, 2013, 1:42pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

With Sony's efforts to support the Android modding and developer community, it really should come as no surprise that the recently-unveiled Xperia Z smartphone is now bestowed with root. The noteworthy achievement is facilitated by the CF-Auto-Root solution available for the LG-made Google Nexus 4, a device which shares most of the underpinnings of the Xperia Z.

The two devices share the same 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset and because of it the developer has only slightly modified the Nexus 4 ramdisk from CF-Auto-Root to unleash elevated privileges on the Xperia Z. The app chosen to manage rooting requests is the traditional SuperSU.

The Xperia Z must sport an unlocked bootloder in order to enable root, as well as firmware version 10.1.A.1.350. The fastboot tool is also needed as to upload files onto the device. Users have to reboot into bootloader mode, flash a modded kernel, reboot, disconnect the USB cable and perform a hard shut down, before reconnecting the Xperia Z in fastboot mode, flashing the stock kernel and rebooting the device.

In order to fully take advantage of apps that require root it is also recommended to install a BusyBox from Google Play. BusyBox by Stephen (Stericson) comes highly recommended by members of the modding community. The app installs a number of files (the recommended path to install them is /system/xbin/) which can be used by apps that require elevated privileges to run certain commands.

The root method has been tested on an Xperia Z model C6603, but according to the developer it should work on the C6602 variant as well.

Why I love Surface Pro

Publié: février 15, 2013, 12:14am CET par Joe Wilcox

I have loved many computers and gadgets over the years. They typically share two things in common: Initial "Wow" reaction and improved experience the longer used. Microsoft Surface Pro gets the first, but more time is needed on the second. February 14 marks my fourteenth day using the tablet.

Too often tech vendors put too much emphasis on features while missing something more fundamental: Joy. How do you feel using the product. Does it make your life better? Are you happier for using the thing? Design -- how a product looks and the interaction with it -- is paramount. Apple products, for example, are pretty for a reason. On this Valentine's Day, after two weeks with Surface Pro, love is appropriate topic. Because the tablet makes me feel good.

Tech stuff that initially wowed me, and I came to really love, is a short list. In order of use:

Mosaic, the browser that begat Netscape. Web surfing thrilled, on IBM OS/2 Warp in late 1994. The experience still tickles the heart nearly two decades later.
DSL, replacing my ISDN connection in May 1999. Suddenly, the Internet was fun. I've changed providers since -- moving across country -- and dabbled in cable but use DSL today.
Apple Powerbook G3 "Wall Street", purchased refurbished in February 1999. I had used Windows laptops, but nothing wowed like this. I watched my first DVD, rented from Netflix, on the sleek, curvy portable.
iPad nano, white, in October 2005. I loved the stick-of-gum size music player, but not forever. The device easily scratched.
Nokia N96 and N97, which I lump together, in December 2008 and June 2009, respectively. They're the best phones I ever used and packed marvelous cameras. If Nokia hadn't lost its way, I would likely love one of its newer handsets today.
Sony VAIO VGN-Z590, the small-screen wonder (13.3 inches) with high-resolution display (1600 x 1200), ahead of most everything else in April 2009. I loved that laptop so much I upgraded to two later Z series.
MacBook Air 11.6-inch, October 2010. The other laptop I always dreamed of. Beautiful, svelte, thin and enjoyable.

Over the years, there are many tech products I liked, and that list is long. Love is something else, and not always lasting. Those listed above stunned by their physical design and user experience. Surface Pro joins them in the initial "Wow" reaction, as somewhat expressed by my initial 3,800-word first-impressions review. Perhaps after another 14 days use, I can say whether love is lasting.

So where does the love come from:

1. Surface Pro is handsome and feels rugged to hold. Metal separates grown-up products from infants. Microsoft chose wisely to forgo plastic. The device is well-made -- quality feeling right down to the look and feel of power chord and brick. The slanted-sides create illusion Surface is thinner than it is, while pulling the ports out of the way.

2. The convertible design is clever and useful. I love the kickstand and optional keyboard covers, which is practical and personal. Practicality should be obvious. Different colored covers let you add flare and personality. Microsoft should offer custom designs.

3. The screen simply stuns. I love, love, love the display, which is the gateway to the device. (So why don't more hardware vendors make the screen a priority?) Text is super sharp and scales quickly while still looking great. Microsoft chose fonts wisely, too. Then there is touch, which I find to be more accurate on the device than any other I have used. The 10.6-inch diagonal size is just right for a tablet doing laptop duty.

4. Modern UI is as good as it looks. When I tested a Samsung Slate last year, Windows 8's new interface did little for me. But something's different now, perhaps because of Surface Pro's screen. Modern UI really does feel modern. Microsoft's built-in apps are simply gorgeous and functional. They beg to be touched, gawked. Overall, I find the interface to be surprisingly intuitive. All this beauty makes me feel good.

5. Surface Pro is fast. I've seen no ARM-based system that can compete. Microsoft made wise choices about the processor, SSD and other components. Battery life could be longer (I typically see 4-5 hours) but is comparable to thin laptops.

Surface Pro specs: 10.6-inch ClearType HD Display with 1920 by 1080 resolution; 1.7GHz Intel Core i5 processor and HD 4000 graphics; 4GB RAM; 64GB or 128GB storage; 720p front- and rear-facing cameras (meaning they're for video more than photos); accelerometer; ambient-light sensor; compass; gyroscope; Wi-Fi A/N; Bluetooth 4; USB 3; Windows Pro 8. Dimensions and weight: 10.81 x 6.81 x 0.53 inches and just under 2 pounds. Price: $899 (64GB); $999 (128GB).

How will I feel in two more weeks? Will it be a whirlwind relationship or something longer?

Microsoft reminds us Windows 7 RTM support soon ends

Publié: février 14, 2013, 9:28pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Microsoft has killed off a bunch of products lately, moving forward to new and "improved" platforms, even making changes to company logos. The concept isn't foreign in the tech industry -- everything changes, almost daily. Yesterday Live Mesh died, soon Messenger will follow it to the grave. Today Microsoft reminds us that Windows 7 RTM's days are numbered.

It is not that we didn't know this day was coming -- the company gives plenty of notice about these things. The irony here is that many businesses are just now moving to the platform from XP. Hopefully most had the foresight to move all the way to Windows 7 Service Pack 1, or later. That version of the operating system will enjoy much more life before being shut off. Microsoft's Stephen Rose points out "mainstream support continuing until January 13, 2015, and extended support continuing until January 14, 2020".

However, as for the RTM, or non-SP 1 version, the date is fast approaching -- April 9, 2013. That is just under two months to get your things in order.

This is not to say your computer will suddenly fail to boot that day. It simply means that Microsoft will no longer issue updates and that you could soon become vulnerable to attacks and malware. If you care to risk it then you can continue running the OS for as long as you wish. Heck, you can still install and run Windows 95 if you would like -- I have an install disc I will sell you cheap.

Photo Credit: Adriano Castelli/Shutterstock.com

SugarSync is now sweeter

Publié: février 14, 2013, 6:33pm CET par Nick Peers

Cloud backup provider SugarSync, Inc has announced the release of SugarSync 2.0.1 FINAL for Windows and Mac users. The desktop tool, which provides backup, sync and sharing services through SugarSync’s cloud servers, has been radically revamped for this new release, which first debuted in beta back in November.

The latest release includes a number of major new features and improvements, including SugarSync Drive, more flexible sharing of files and cloud search tools. The new build is joined by SugarSync 4.0.0 for Android, with an iOS update promised soon.

SugarSync 2.0 FINAL starts by revamping the navigation tools for easier access. The new build now splits its functionality across four tabs: Cloud, Sharing, Activity and Search. The Cloud tab provides easy access to the folders being synced between all computers and the cloud, but can be filtered to show only folders synced with specific devices if required.

The Sharing tab reveals another improved feature, whereby users can now more easily share files and folders with others, either through private or public links. The Activity tab provides a summary of the service’s recent actions, while the Search tab provides access to a brand new feature that allows users to search across the cloud for files and folders.

SugarSync 2.0 also promises simplified setup and better folder management, allowing users to add folders to those being synced through drag and drop. Another new feature is the SugarSync Drive, which allows users to access all synchronized folders through a virtual drive – the drive is smart enough to know if folders need to be accessed locally or through the cloud.

Another improvement in this new release is how the app handles photos, with users now given an option to toggle “Gallery View” to view the photos as large thumbnails, plus view photos as a slideshow for showing off to others.

Other recently implemented changes since the first beta release include the ability to manage deleted files, allowing users to selectively permanently erase files in the SugarSync Recycle Bin. Also added was an option to not automatically mount the SugarSync Drive at startup, along with major performance and stability improvements to the SugarSync Drive itself, including new icon overlays to clearly indicate which files are stored on the computer versus those in the cloud.

The new build also debuts a design that is applied consistently across the desktop app, web and new mobiles apps, including the recently released SugarSync 4.0.0 for Android. Other new features in the Android build include a slide-out navigation menu, support for uploading or syncing folders from your device’s SD card and the ability to save files directly from other apps into SugarSync.

This updated design will also appear in the next release of SugarSync for iOS, which SugarSync expects to submit to the Apple store in “a few weeks”.

SugarSync 2.0.1 FINAL is available now as a freeware download for Windows and Mac users. SugarSync 4.0 for Android and SugarSync 3.0 for iOS are also available for free. SugarSync offers a free 5GB storage plan, as well as paid-for plans, with prices starting from $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year for 30GB.

Photo Credit: Picsfive /Shutterstock

Why I love Kindle

Publié: février 14, 2013, 6:16pm CET par Wayne Williams

I had a nice surprise Valentine’s Day gift delivered to my door this morning -- a box of ten copies of my new novel (I Know What You Did Last Supper) courtesy of my publisher and fresh off the press. It seemed weird holding the book. Not just because it’s my first novel (co-authored with a friend), but because I haven’t held an actual book for maybe two years now.

When the Kindle first came out, I resisted it. I’ve loved books since I was child, and couldn’t ever imagine switching to an ebook reader. But then I was given the device as a Christmas present in 2009 and despite all my reservations fell in love with it almost immediately.

Despite my passion for technology I was concerned that I wouldn’t enjoy reading a book on the Kindle as much as reading a real, proper, made-of-paper novel, but it turns out the exact opposite is true. You forget, once you’ve gotten used to how the E Ink display flickers when you "turn" pages, that you’re reading on an alien, electronic device, because your mind concentrates on the words, not the way they’re being delivered. On the message, not the medium.

And there are so many benefits to reading on the Kindle. It’s lightweight yet can store a ridiculous number of books. Big, fat novels which I previously kept putting off reading in favor of smaller, less chunky alternatives, seem less daunting on the Kindle. They don’t take any less time to read, but the length of the book isn’t such a factor when deciding which one to tackle next.

Ebooks are often cheaper too. My novel, which is available in printed form for £7.19 in the UK (as an example), costs just £4.49 in Kindle format ($7.24 in the US). And when you buy a digital book it’s in your hands, on your device, ready to read immediately.

Kindle apps, for devices like my PC, iPad and Android smartphone, also allow me to switch devices but carry on reading where I left off (thanks to Amazon’s Whispersync technology), which is fantastic. Although I still prefer reading on a glare-free E Ink screen where possible.

Another benefit I personally found with my Kindle, which is a second generation model with a keyboard, was that I am able to stick early drafts of my novel on there and read it like a regular book, but also add notes. Previously I’d have had to have printed it out. Numerous times.

Since making the switch to Kindle I’ve persuaded five once die-hard traditional book readers to give it a try, and they’re all now smitten with the device too. And, perhaps most interestingly, all of them say they’re reading more now than ever, which is great news for authors like myself.

Although there are lots of other ebook readers around -- the Nook and the Kobo for instance -- I love my Kindle and see no reason to switch, although I will be trading up to a Kindle Paperwhite very soon, and passing on my beloved old device to another skeptical friend.

So that’s why I love the Kindle. Are you an ebook devotee like me? If not, what’s holding you back and do you think you’ll ever make the switch?

Google should NEVER let Verizon sell another Nexus device

Publié: février 14, 2013, 5:55pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Let me preface this by telling you that I have never had an actual problem with Verizon service -- sort of, but I will elaborate in a bit. The network is fast, works everywhere I go and the customer service is stellar. However, and you knew there had to be a but, Google would be wise to, under no circumstances, let Big Red get its hands on another Nexus device. The wireless company can simply not handle the responsibility.

I know this because I have a Galaxy Nexus from Verizon and it is an endless source of frustration and regret. Trouble started from day one and continues to day....well, today.

Early Days

The device shipped running Android 4.0, otherwise known as Ice Cream Sandwich, and was somewhat broken out of the box. Connection problems were endless and battery life dreadful, thanks to the handset continuously trying to connect to a network that it could not access. I was on the verge of rooting and installing a ROM to fix the issues when Verizon, low and behold, finally rolled out Android 4.1.1 and resolved the problems -- the ones the carrier claimed it did not have when I called complaining. The update that was already months behind schedule.

Those happy days were short-lived -- Google continues to update Android and Nexus HSPA+ devices while Verizon lets languish LTE Galaxy Nexus. In fact the company will not even talk about update plans.

Today

The Verizon version of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is now a full four updates behind. As of this writing I still run version 4.1.1, while Google has rolled out 4.1.2, 4.2, 4.2.1 and, just this week, 4.2.2.

These updates are intended for all Nexus devices. This is the flagship Google Android product, and the company uses it as such, making it the first device to receive every new update. Little did Google know that the wireless company would drag its heels and refuse to do what customers like me expected.

What Now?

At least if I had purchased something like the Motorola Razr I would expect this -- I still wouldn't be happy, but I would be resigned to my fate since Verizon has a history of this behavior. But...I bought a Nexus for a reason and I expect that deal to be fulfilled by the company that sold it to me.

In fact, I have little doubt that Google expected the same as me. Verizon delays embarrass Google -- to have a Nexus device in the market that does not live up to what is promised from these phones and tablets. I seriously urge the Mountain View, Cal-based search giant to never let Verizon again tarnish its reputation.

For now, I feel as though I must follow the urging of my colleague Mihaita Bamburic and finally give in and root my device. It is likely the only way I will ever see an update at this point. I also need to take a serious look at the Nexus 4 and T-Mobile. Happy Valentines Day, Verizon, but we soon will be breaking up.

Photo Credit: Joe Wilcox

Tech toys I love more than my wife (but don't tell her)

Publié: février 14, 2013, 5:42pm CET par Joe Wilcox

Valentine's Day is all about romance, but whom -- or what -- do you really love? The stereotypical geek fawns over his or her gadgets and spends hours on PC (smartphone or tablet) instead of being with family or friends. Surely that describes you, and me, for that matter.

On this day of Cupid's arrows, I confess where they struck gadgets and other goodies and bound us in everlasting love. Take my wife, please, but leave my tech toys. She'll understand -- ah, right?

I present the list in no order of importance, because I love them all. These are products that bring joy, or at least satisfaction, and are used often -- some many times per day. I encourage you to share your own list in comments. Oh, and for anyone wondering, Chromebook isn't among my first loves.

Nexus 7. The little tablet is my go-to-device. I spent my Christmas money on the 32GB model with HSPA+ radio, which updated to Android 4.2.2 yesterday. Size and performance are perfect for me so much that I may soon sell my Nexus 10. The larger tablet never clicked. I type faster on the smaller slate than any other device, which surely says something about opposable thumbs. Data costs just $10 a month on my AT&T shared plan.

Google's tablet is so loved, so often used, I bought the official ASUS dock, which arrived this week. Now Nexus 7 is close by while I work. We're in love.

Fuji FinePix X100. I love this digital camera -- the only one I have next to my phone (Google Nexus 4). The X100 is compact, packs a full APS-C sensor, shoots silently and produces phenomenal photos. I backed away from using the DigiCam because of Chromebook, which isn't good enough for serious photo management. Now that I'm testing Microsoft Surface Pro, X100 and I have renewed our vows. I'm in love again.

Another geek stereotype is they own cats. No story about tech toy love would be complete without a kitty photo. I shot the one above of our puss Neko using X100 last night.

Google Now/voice search. Life changing is how I describe them. Google Now proactively tells me what I need to know and voice search finds what I ask. Both are amazing. Presentation matters here. The card motif works well and consolidates the basic info that is most relevant. Apple's Siri simply can't compete. Google Now/voice search is Android's killer app. I can never go back.

Grado RS1i. These pricey ($700) open-ear headphones are amazing -- a constant source of joy when used -- and that is often. I've used noise-cancelling models that shut out the world, but none produce sound like this. I can hear the faintest symbol, and the soundstage is simply amazing. There's something to be said for using wood in the enclosure or for the impedance (32 ohms) or frequency response (12-30 kHz). I love my Grados.

Nexus Q. The entertainment sphere isn't sold in stores, which is too bad. Google distributed the device during its developer conference last year only to sideline the product later. I love mine and am hooked on using phone as remote and captivated by the stunning sound and HD video. I watched "Skyfall" last night on Nexus Q. Sure, the device has some quirky habits, but they make it all the more interesting.

Surface Pro. Microsoft's tablet is newfound love that I can't promise will last, in part because of bickering. The slate doesn't easily share the Touch Cover keys, which I keep missing when typing -- not sure why. Otherwise, Surface Pro is joy to use, and touch is liberating. The screen is bright and crisp, and Modern UI's visuals are stunning. But I wonder if she is the pretty airhead and whether this relationship is long-term sustainable. I sure hope so.

Netflix. The service is my longest-lasting for anything techie, and we nearly broke up more than a few times. I signed up for Netflix 14 years ago this month, long before most anyone had heard about the service. I watched my first DVD on a Powerbook G3, back when only Apple offered the players on laptops. Now I'm a streaming-only customer. Last week, because of original series "House of Cards", I fell in love with Netflix again.

Photo Credit: Joe Wilcox

Spot the difference -- identify changes in seemingly identical images using DiffImg

Publié: février 14, 2013, 2:12pm CET par Mike Williams

If you regularly edit images it's likely you'll occasionally find yourself with multiple copies of the same picture, and wonder how (or even if) they might be different. And that can be a surprisingly difficult question to answer.

Checking the file size might be a good place to start, of course (if they’re the same format, anyway). And visually comparing the pictures could help. But if you need to know for sure then you may want to try DiffImg, a simple tool which can highlight the pixel differences between any two images of the same size.

Launch the program and it’ll ask you to select the pictures you’d like to compare. DiffImg can open a good range of formats (BMP, GIF, ICO, JPG, MNG, PBM, PGM, PNG, PPM, TGA, TIFF, XBM, and XPM files), and in theory at least you can add support for others via Qt plugins (see "Infos" in the settings dialog).

Once you’ve specified your images, DiffImg will spend a few seconds analyzing them, before displaying a pixel mask which highlights any differences. Interpreting this can be tricky as there are several viewing options, but if you select "Difference Image" and "Display Difference Image" on the toolbar (the 6th and 8th icon -- they have tooltips if you’re unsure) then it should be fairly easy to understand what’s happening.

If DiffImg simply displays a blank grey pane then that means it’s found no differences, so there’s nothing to display -- your two images are the same.

When an image has been edited in some specific areas then you’ll see those modified pixels only. If you’ve used a "remove red-eye" option, say, you’ll see a group of pixels around the eye area. (If you’re not sure where those pixels are, toggle between "Display Modified Image" and "Display Difference Image" to see their position on the full picture).

But if you’ve also saved the second image using lossy compression, like JPEG, then this will affect a much wider area, and you’ll see red pixels representing an error, yellow when the error is greater than average.

Some of this can appear quite complex. There are lots of statistics describing any image differences, for instance. You can apparently set an "acceptable" level of difference which won’t be highlighted, and even choose a new method for calculating any differences (options are by channel, by channel mean, or by image lightness). And understanding the impact of all of this isn’t helped by the lack of any Help file.

You don’t have to get into that level of detail, though. And once you’ve figured out the basics then DiffImg works well, making it easy to compare images and spot any differences between them.

Photo Credit: chaoss/Shutterstock

Cloud aggregator KiteDesk exits beta, adds iOS app

Publié: février 14, 2013, 1:32pm CET par Wayne Williams

The vast majority of us use multiple cloud services for email, social media, and file storage, which means having to regularly switch between different websites or apps to access our data. KiteDesk aims to solve that problem by aggregating information from all of the popular cloud services into a single application.

Aimed at busy consumers and professionals, the service presents email messages, social media posts, contacts, calendar events, and files from the likes of Google, Yahoo, Twitter, Facebook and Dropbox, in a single stream and lets you search for, share, and comment on content.

As well as displaying all of the aggregated data in a scrollable list, KiteDesk lets you create on-the-fly contextual cross-service streams by source, user, tags, or search words. So you can view everything emailed, posted, or shared by a particular friend or work colleague, for example.

KiteDesk also provides users with a unified inbox (containing messages from your email and social media accounts), contacts database, events list and a file cabinet for content stored in different cloud lockers.

The service originally launched in October 2012, and as well as losing its beta tag today has rolled out a new iOS app with an Android version planned for the future.

Speaking about the launch, Jack Kennedy, co-founder and CEO at KiteDesk commented: "We are excited to announce availability of both our web and native iOS applications which work in concert to act as your Personal Cloud information manager on any device. With the addition of Yahoo and Facebook integration and more services like LinkedIn underway, we believe that KiteDesk will offer a tremendous value proposition to our users who are looking for a more integrated cloud experience".

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Nitro’s PDF tools gain extra features and improved stability

Publié: février 14, 2013, 1:27pm CET par Nick Peers

Nitro PDF Pty Ltd has launched two major updates for its flagship PDF reader and authoring products. Nitro Reader 3.5 is its powerful freeware PDF reader app, also boasting PDF creation and limited editing and form-filling tools. Nitro Pro 8.5 is Nitro’s flagship PDF authoring product.

The headline new feature in this update is Nitro Pro 8.5’s ability to convert PDF files to Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 (PPTX) format as well as Word and Excel. Also added to both Nitro Pro 8.5 and Nitro Reader 3.5 are support for XML Forms Architecture (XFA) documents and the promise of vastly improved printing of images and text in PDF documents.

Nitro Pro 8.5, the paid-for version of Nitro, adds one major new feature to its arsenal: the ability to convert PDF files into Microsoft PowerPoint documents. At the present time, documents must be converted into PPTX format, which requires PowerPoint 2007 or later, but Nitro promises the conversion is highly accurate, preserving the original text, images and layout. This new feature adds to the program’s existing capabilities converting PDFs to both Word and Excel, the latter option having been tweaked extensively in the Nitro Pro 8.1.1.3 update released in December.

Other changes in these latest builds apply equally to Nitro Reader 3.5 as well as Nitro Pro 8.5. First, there’s added support for XML Forms Architecture, allowing users to not just view, but also fill out and save dynamic XFA forms.

The update also promises to simplify the use of portable document and collection portfolios through the use of the Attachments pane for easy access to key documents.

The update also resolves a couple of notable issues with both apps. The first sees several significant updates being applied to Nitro’s Web Browser plugin, with the promise of better stability and improved document rendering of PDF files through supported web browsers. The second resolution promises to deliver better performance and PDF rendering across many areas of Nitro Reader 3.5 and Nitro Pro 8.5.

These latest improvements build on others introduced since Nitro Pro 8 and Nitro Reader 3 were released last September, including the ability to use pre-defined scanner configurations when using the Create PDF from scanner option (Nitro Pro only), and Remember Last Location and Google Search improvements (both apps).

Nitro Reader 3.5 32-bit and Nitro Reader 3.5 64-bit are both freeware downloads for PCs running Windows XP or later. Nitro Pro 8.5 32-bit and Nitro Pro 8.5 64-bit are available as free trial downloads, while the full version can be purchased for just $95.99 from the Downloadcrew Software Store, a saving of 20 percent on the MSRP.

Photo Credit: cybrain/Shutterstock

InfoRapid KnowledgeBase Builder lets you create interactive mind maps

Publié: février 14, 2013, 1:17pm CET par Mike Williams

When you’re having problems understanding an idea, or conveying it to someone else, then building a mind map can often help. Just the process of defining the core concepts and showing how they’re related will often make things very much clearer.

If you’re familiar with the basics then creating a map doesn’t require very much, of course -- a pen and paper will probably do. But if you’re a beginner to this kind of outlining approach then a little software-based assistance should help to make things clearer, and while it has some problems, InfoRapid KnowledgeBase Builder is an interesting place to get started.

The program is a relatively small download (under 5MB), for instance. It’s free for personal use. And there’s no adware, no installation hassles, in fact no installation at all: just unzip the download somewhere and you’re ready to begin.

KnowledgeBase Builder launches with a sample mind map covering the process of troubleshooting a web server. And at first this just looks like a more attractive flowchart, with questions like "Is it out of memory?" and "Is it a software failure?", and yes/ no arrows leading from these to some other step. But actually this is just the start.

The example map looks basic, yes, but this is only because the initial view is hiding its complexity from you. If you click one of the questions on the map -- "Is it out of memory?", say -- then the program will zoom in on that point, display an extra question, and other issues which you might want to consider ("Is the CPU overloaded?"). Clicking new questions will do the same thing, and the whole map quickly becomes an interactive tool, leading you through the process to help figure out whatever you might need to do.

Not every mind map requires this dynamic approach, of course, but if you’d prefer a more static view then that’s possible, too. Just keep clicking "More Details" at the top of the map pane and KnowledgeBase Builder will expand the map, showing more and more information, until it’s all visible (subject to your screen size, anyway).

If the example map doesn’t interest you, however it’s displayed, then KnowledgeBase Builder has something else you can try. Click File > New, then Tools > Generate Site Map, point the program at www.google.com, and in a few seconds you’ll have a map showing the initial pages on the Google site. This can be excellent way to visualise site structure, especially as it’s so dynamic: you can click on a page, move to it, see all the pages available from that link, and more.

And, of course, once you understand how this all works then you can begin to enter the objects and relationships necessary to build maps of your own. Although this may take quite some time; there are lots of options here, and vanishingly little help.

One major issue with all of this is there’s no way to export your maps in a standard format that others can view them immediately (you can save the details in a CSV file, but that probably won’t help you very much).

Still, you can show people a map on your own system. And as the KnowledgeBase Builder is just a single executable, you could always zip up your own database with a copy of the program if you need others to see it. Plus the maps look so good that even just printed copies may be useful. So, while there limitations here, if you’ve any interest in this kind of tool then InfoRapid KnowledgeBase Builder definitely deserves a closer look.

Photo Credit: Creativa/Shutterstock

Get your phones ready -- The Brit Awards to be Shazam-enabled

Publié: février 14, 2013, 9:42am CET par Wayne Williams

British broadcaster ITV has agreed to a deal with Shazam -- the popular music identification service -- allowing viewers of this year’s The Brits music awards to access exclusive content during the live broadcast -- a UK first.

By using Shazam to tag the show between 8pm and 10:15pm on February 20, viewers will get access to exclusive behind-the-scenes content from performers and guest presenters.

Making the announcement, David Jones, EVP Marketing for Shazam said: "We are excited that our first live Shazam-enabled program in the UK is one of the biggest nights of the year for the music industry, the BRIT Awards. People who know and love us for music will now get to experience all the great features we now bring to television".

The Shazam app, which is typically used to identify recorded music by sampling a few seconds of content and looking it up in its ten million strong song database, is available for a range of platforms including iOS devices, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone.

There is little room for a third smartphone platform

Publié: février 14, 2013, 2:25am CET par Joe Wilcox

"We're No. 3!" will be BlackBerry's and Microsoft's rallying cry this year. Android and iOS so dominate the smartphone market, the best -- and quite honestly dismal -- hope is third; distant at that. Combined, based on actual phone sales, Android and iOS had 90.1 percent share during fourth quarter, up from 74.9 percent a year earlier, according to Gartner. BlackBerry and Windows Phone are neck-and-neck, with lowly 3.5 percent and 3 percent standings, respectively.

Upstarts want third place, too. Anshul Gupta, Gartner principal research analyst, explains: "2013 will be the year of the rise of the third ecosystem as the battle between the new BlackBerry10 and Widows Phone intensifies. As carriers and vendors feel the pressure of the strong Android’s growth, alternative operating systems such as Tizen, Firefox, Ubuntu and Jolla will try and carve out an opportunity by positioning themselves as profitable alternatives".

Looked at differently, BlackBerry and Windows Phone combined-share was less in fourth quarter (6.5 percent) than a year earlier (10.6 percent). That said, while starting from a small base, Microsoft's platform shows promise, with sales up 124.2 percent year over year.

Individual vendor performance tells the story differently. Apple and Samsung combined smartphone sales share rose to 52 percent from 46.4 percent during the quarter.

It's a free-for-all. "There is no manufacturer that can firmly lay claim to the No. 3 spot in global smartphone sales", Gupta says. "The success of Apple and Samsung is based on the strength of their brands as much as their actual products. Their direct competitors, including those with comparable products, struggle to achieve the same brand appreciation among consumers, who, in a tough economic environment, go for cheaper products over brand".

Samsung and Apple smartphone unit sales rose by 85.3 percent and 22.6 percent, respectively. The fruit-logo company accounts for all iOS, "with Samsung commanding over 42.5 percent of the Android market globally", Gupta says, "and the next vendor at just 6 percent share. The Android brand is being overshadowed by Samsung's brand with the Galaxy name nearly a synonym for Android phones in consumers' mind share".

Samsung's success is mixed for Android as a platform. The South Korean company, and not Google, largely controls customers' experience via TouchWiz UI and other features. That can further fragment Android. On the other hand, consumers generally identify with uber-brands, like Samsung or Galaxy S III rather than Android 4.2.

Samsung's Android lift takes a bite out of Apple. For the second straight quarter, iOS lost smartphone sales share, year over year. Apple's mobile operating system dropped to 20.9 percent from 23.6 percent during Q4. Meanwhile, Android leaped again, from 51.3 percent to 69.7 percent share. But unit sales jumped more than share suggests: 144.7 million from 77.1 million.

Unlike most other analyst firms, Gartner measures actual sales to end users, not shipments into the channel. So there is no room for Apple apologists to argue about some disparity between the phone maker's stated sales and those from others. Like competitors, Apple calls shipments sales. The company reported 47.8 million in Q4. Gartner says actual sales were 43.6 million, or 4.2 million less than the number the company gave last month. So while iPhone 5 still had a big launch quarter, sales missed analyst consensus (50 million) by wider margin.

In the broader phone market, Apple share rose to 9.2 percent from 7.4 percent for the quarter and to 7.5 percent from 5 percent for all 2012. The company maintained its third-place ranking for Q4 and the year. Market-leader Samsung grew share to 22.7 percent from 19.6 percent for fourth quarter and to 22 percent from 17.7 percent for all 2012.

More broadly, worldwide mobile phone sales dipped about two percent for the quarter and year, to 1.75 billion and 472.1 million, respectively. Smartphone sales surged 38.3 percent in Q4, to 207.7 million. Meanwhile, feature phone sales fell 19 percent to 264.4 million. At this pace, smartphone sales should surpass feature phones within a couple quarters. Respective share in Q4: 44 percent and 56 percent.

Photo Credit: David Andrew Larsen/Shutterstock

Give 'Happy Birthday' credits, using Skype 6.2

Publié: février 13, 2013, 11:48pm CET par Mike Williams

Skype has announced the release of Skype 6.2 for Mac and Windows.

It’s essentially a maintenance release, although Windows users will notice a new-look top toolbar. Four icons immediately above the Contacts list and Recent Conversations tab provide quick access to Home, Calling Phones, Creating Groups and Adding Contacts.

The other addition this time around (for all platforms) is what the company calls “eGifting”. Which sounds like it’s going to be some major new technology, but actually just means that, when you get a birthday notification, you’ll now also see a prompt suggesting that you send them a Skype gift of credit.

Elsewhere, you’re now able to send one-way SMS without the hassle of adding and verifying your mobile number, which works for us.

Some worthwhile bug fixes mean that Skype will no longer hang when signing out with a Facebook account, and there should no longer be any mismatch between the credit amounts displayed in Skype and the account window.

But a notable remaining “known issue” means that the program may crash when logging in if “Call Recorder” is installed. A fix is reportedly on the way, but in the meantime, if you’re affected, all you can do is uninstall “Call Recorder”.

Those are the highlights, but Skype 6.2 for Mac and Windows do have a few other bug fixes and issues, too – if you want to know more, then the official Skype blog post on the release has the full list.

Photo Credit: Sarah Newton/Shutterstock

Internet Explorer is the last browser standing

Publié: février 13, 2013, 11:10pm CET par Joe Wilcox

Opera's decision to change rendering engines means three of the top five browsers will use Webkit. Internet Explorer stands alone, and that is the wrong place to be. In September 2009 post "Microsoft should dig deep into Webkit to keep Google from Framing IE", I suggested radical change, which unsurprisingly was ignored. Since, Chrome usage share grew from 2.9 percent in August 2009 to 17.84 percent in January 2013, according to Net Applications. Meanwhile, IE share fell from 66.97 percent to 55.14 percent.

But the real battleground, and where upstarts gobble up territory, is mobile -- yeah smartphones and tablets. While the category accounted for just 11.8 percent browser usage share in January, the majority is Webkit -- 61.02 percent just for Safari. Internet Explorer: 1.34 percent, or less than Chrome (2.02 percent). Android browser is 21.46 percent. As I expressed three-and-a-half years ago: "Microsoft should answer WebKit for WebKit, by releasing a new browser based on a new rendering engine; put on the IE brand and ship it for desktop and mobile". There's still time, but fast running out.

Invasion

Microsoft is losing the new browser war and needs to act rashly and, to be bluntly honest, should have taken my advice in 2009. Starting now is big disadvantage, but what else is there to do? The problem isn't rocket science, but somehow is lost on the brainiacs in Redmond, Wash. There is:

Surge in competing browsers
Monetization of browsers around search
Growing demand for browsers on mobile devices
WebKit emerging as dominant rendering engine for mobile apps
Increasing developer distraction from other Web browsers or technologies
Rising interest in Chrome OS as platform competing with (and replacing) Windows

Microsoft now fights the new browser war on multiple fronts:

Desktop, where territory recedes
Mobile, where rampaging hordes run wild
Operating systems, where Android, Chrome OS and iOS invade outlying areas

Internet Explorer must reach where it doesn't today -- Android, Android hybrids from Amazon and Chinese phone manufacturers and iOS. Webkit stands in the way, particularly iOS, where Apple demands it. Microsoft develops numerous attractive and effective Android and iOS apps, with Bing being a star. IE needs to be there, too.

Insurgency

But mobile is but one insurgency on the browser battlefront.

In May 2011 post "Chrome OS: The ghost of Netscape rises to haunt Microsoft", I warned what could happen to Windows. Many BetaNews readers rejected the idea, but look where we are now with Chromebook. It was the geek gift this holiday. Microsoft OEM partners Acer, HP, Lenovo and Samsung now all ship Chromebooks. There are rampant rumors of a Google-branded laptop running Chrome OS and increasing speculation the operating system will soon merge with Android. Such union would be fast-track to rapid adoption across multiple devices. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer should pee at the thought. Several times a day!

The situation is more than a browser-based OS shipping on low-cost laptops. As I explained nearly three years ago:

During the PC era, Microsoft maintained Windows' dominance through a number of means, including distribution, standards and contractual commitments. The company also used integration -- the very thing that set off the U.S. antitrust case -- as means of preserving Windows utility/relevance and to beat back competitors. Microsoft would take a technology a competitor spent millions to develop and integrate it into Windows, essentially giving it away for free. Google is doing something similar to Microsoft, by offering products/services for nominal fees or no cost that Microsoft charges heaps of money for. Enter Chrome or Chrome OS as platform for web apps connected to Google cloud product/services like Apps, Calendar and Gmail.

Chrome OS is free to license, and since I posted Google has copied Microsoft's past strategy leveraging dominant platforms. Over the past two years, Google has tightly tied most of its products and services together around search. Chrome and Chrome OS bring everything together in a tidy package that also supports third-party web apps. Seriously, if Ballmer isn't peeing his pants, he should be replaced by someone who is scared, ah, witless.

Mozilla has Firefox OS in the works but doesn't command Google's reach or resources. But even the operating system's development shows competitive opportunity and Microsoft's vulnerability.

Defense

Microsoft must recognize the seriousness of these competitive threats, particularly as it makes cloud services higher priorities. Can you say Office 365? Microsoft either takes control or is controlled by Apple and Google together setting standards for platforms in categories where Windows isn't dominant or recedes.

During Microsoft's glory years, cofounder Bill Gates made dictating and dominating computer standards a top priority, one CEO Steve Ballmer left behind. During the 1990s browser war, Microsoft integrated Internet Explorer into Windows -- not far removed from how Google leverages search today. But the software giant did much more, such as either developing or coming to effectively control emerging Web standards during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Microsoft isn't really driving Web standards today. A commercially developed WebKit browser, supporting HTML 5 and other standards, would strengthen Microsoft's position of influence against Apple, Google, Mozilla and other developers supporting open-source browsing engines. Done right, WebKit-based IE could even steal marketshare from other open-source browsers. Actually, there is no other choice.

The first step is the hardest: Conceding defeat. Ballmer and team must admit they blew mobile browsing and that support for standards like HTML5, which is core to Windows 8, aren't enough. Google is aggressive, like Microsoft in the 1990s, and leverages monopoly position. The search giant is poised to snatch Webkit leadership from Apple and, presumably, drive standards. From that perspective, WebKit IE is table stakes.

Three-and-a-half years ago, I warned: "Left unchecked, Google will take Internet Explorer and Frame it. Perhaps Apple and Mozilla will break the glass. Microsoft is posed to become the Netscape of the 2010s, otherwise. Microsoft must act to preserve and even reclaim territory taken during the browser wars. There's still time, but not for long".

Microsoft is running out of options fast. If your next browser is Chrome, why not Chrome OS the next operating system in three years when Windows 9 ships? The transition is easy. Remember a decade ago when analysts and Microsoft dismissed Google because search isn't sticky -- just type a new web address? Or how ridiculous a Google browser or operating system seemed just five years ago? How the industry reacted? Think about it?

Use DashClock widget to empower the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean lockscreen

Publié: février 13, 2013, 9:16pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

One of the least impressive features added by Google in Android 4.2 is the ability to use lockscreen widgets. By default the second Jelly Bean iteration comes with a limited number of options, none of which is capable of delivering enough glanceable information without swiping left and right to find emails or calendar entries. With DashClock Widget the true potential of lockscreen widgets is unleashed by displaying relevant "status items" right after unlocking the device, all in one go.

DashClock Widget can be used as a Digital clock widget replacement, further building on the stock functionality by introducing support for next scheduled alarm, upcoming calendar appointments, missed calls and unread texts, unread Gmail inbox or Priority inbox count as well as local weather data. Straight off the bat it puts the stock lockscreen widgets to shame by combining sufficient relevant information, all in one place.

In order to take advantage of DashClock Widget users have to unlock the device and navigate to the furthest lockscreen page on the right, tap the "+" sign and select the item named "DashClock" from the provided list. Afterwards a new window will appear, allowing users to enrich the default functionality by adding extensions. The available extensions are the above-mentioned supporting features. Extensions can be removed by swiping items to the left or to the right.

At this point the only extensions that are user-customizable include Weather and Gmail unread count. For the former, users can choose between Imperial and Metric weather units (Fahrenheit and Celsius, respectively). There is one caveat though -- users cannot choose a different weather provider, which may be an inconvenience for users outside of supported locations. The latter, Gmail unread count, can be used to display unread counts for either inbox and supports multiple Gmail accounts as well.

Another caveat comes from the calendar functionality, which is limited to appointments. Users like me that sync multiple calendars for upcomings birthdays or events will find the lack of support for basic calendar entries rather disappointing.

Users can also customize the appearance by choosing between multiple clock and date styles with bold numbers and letters or smaller characters, among others. The design can be altered by selecting "Appearance" in the dropdown menu on the top-left side of DashClock Widget's interface. Compared to the CyanogenMod 10.1 "Chronus" lockscreen widget DashClock Widget ups the ante by providing the above mentioned Gmail, call and text functionality.

DashClock Widget is available to download from Google's Play Store. The app is only compatible with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

Modern Firefox for Windows 8 hits Nightly builds

Publié: février 13, 2013, 9:07pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Mozilla announced back in October that it would release a ~~Metro~~ Modern UI version of Firefox. At the time, the company released a "preview" version that was code named "Elm" which was an offshoot of the Nightly builds that the company produces for those users who wish to live on the bleeding edge of technology.

The day has finally arrived where that test build has graduated to an actual Nightly build. Yesterday evening Mozilla's Asa Dotzler announced that "preliminary Metro Firefox development work arrived at mozilla-central, the source code repository that feeds the Firefox Nightly channel".

The first Metro version did indeed roll out last night for those who subscribe to the Nightly channel, which generally provides a stable version of the browser, but is certainly a more dicey build than those provided from the Stable, Beta and Aurora channels. "There's plenty of work still to do, but it's stable enough that we're ready for more and more regular testing" Dotzler states.

You can grab the new Firefox in either an Express or Standard download. There are versions for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android. The build is labeled as "21.0a1" and it will run along side your current version of Firefox, so no need to worry that it will overwrite your nice, stable browser.

While there is a Metro version of the new web browser, it is difficult to get. You will need to set Firefox as your default browser and set "http" to open within the Mozilla browser. Even then you may have trouble accessing the new interface, as I did. It clearly is not yet ready for prime time. Firefox Metro lags behind Chrome Metro in its development, but is also in "day one".

GIMP 2.8.4 Portable debuts for Windows and OS X

Publié: février 13, 2013, 8:28pm CET par Nick Peers

Popular open-source, cross-platform image editor GIMP 2.8.4 Portable has been released for Windows PCs alongside the Mac binary of GIMP 2.8.4 FINAL. The updates appear less than a week after the Windows and Linux binary builds were released.

The update was a minor one, but many of the changes applied to the Mac build, including the moving of the program’s gimpdir to the ~Library\Application Support folder.

Those upgrading from GIMP 2.8.2 to 2.8.4 will need to open the Terminal application (it’s under Applications\Utilities) and type the following command before launching GIMP 2.8.4 for the first time:

mv ~/Library/GIMP ~/Library/Application\ Support

Once done, you should be able to use GIMP with all existing preferences intact.

The portable build of GIMP allows Windows users to run the application without having to install it. It’s accessible as a standalone portable build, or can be installed through the PortableApps.com Launcher, a useful tool for organizing and accessing portable apps from a custom Start menu that appears above the Taskbar Notification area.

Those coming to GIMP for the first time may be put off a little by the app’s use of multiple floating windows and toolbars. The good news is that since version 2.8, released last May, a single-window mode is available that groups everything together in a single window for ease of use and access. The option can be found under the Windows menu.

The GIMP community has also revealed a preliminary list of ideas it hopes to work on at Google’s Summer of Code 2013 program should it participate, all of which will appear in a future release, potentially GIMP 2.10. They include improved selection tools, a collection of sophisticated image slicing tools for web designers, a full-featured OpenEXR plug-in and, most critically, the porting of more plug-ins to GEGL (Generic Graphics Library), which supports higher bit depth images and non-destructive editing.

GIMP 2.8.4 FINAL is a free, open-source download for Windows, Mac and Linux. GIMP 2.8.4 Portable is a free download for Windows only.

Apple lowers laptop prices, beefs up specs

Publié: février 13, 2013, 6:55pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Today, Apple announced a number of changes in the pricing and hardware department for the company's MacBook laptop lineup. The Mountain View, Calif.-based corporation lowered the price for the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display and for the top-of-the line 13-inch MacBook Air and beefed up the specs for the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display.

If you were holding off on buying an Apple MacBook now is a good time to reconsider. The fruit-logo company slashed $200 from the price of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, which now starts at $1,499 and $1,699 for the base and top model, respectively. Apple applied a similar treatment to the 13-inch MacBook Air in 256GB trim, which now goes for $1,399, $100 less than before.

The base 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display features a 13.3-inch LED-backlight IPS display with a resolution of 2560 by 1600 and 227 ppi (pixel per inch) density; 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost for up to 3.1GHz clockspeed backed by an Intel HD Graphics 4000 video card; 8GB DDR3L internal memory clocked at 1600MHz; 128GB of flash storage and a built-in 74Wh battery with a quoted battery life of 7 hours. There is also a 720p FaceTime front-facing video camera; two Thunderbolt ports; two USB3.0 ports; HDMI port as well as Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity.

The top 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display adds a 2.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost for up to 3.2GHz clockspeed and 256GB of flash storage. Both models come in at 31.4 x 21.9 x 1.9 cm and 1.62kg.

The top 13-inch MacBook Air features a 13.3-inch LED backlit display with a resolution of 1440 by 900; 1.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost for up to 2.8GHz clockspeed backed by an Intel HD Graphics 4000 video card; 4GB DDR3L internal memory clocked at 1600MHz; 256GB of flash storage and built-in 50Wh battery with a quoted battery life of 7 hours. There is also a 720p FaceTime front-facing video camera; Thunderbolt port; two USB3.0 ports as well as Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity. It comes in at 30 x 19.2 x 1.7 cm and 1.08kg.

The 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display now features higher-clocked processors, 100MHz faster than before. The base model sports a 2.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, while its more powerful brother now comes with a 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor as well as 16GB of internal memory. Pricing remains the same at $2,199 and $2,799 for the 256GB and 512GB variants, respectively.

The base 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display features a 15.4-inch LED-backlit IPS display with resolution of 2880 by 1800 and 220 ppi; 2.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor with Turbo Boost for up to 3.4GHz speeds backed by the Intel HD Graphics 4000 and nVidia GeForce GT650M in 1GB trim graphics cards; 8GB DDR3L internal memory clocked at 1600MHz; 256GB of flash storage and a built-in 95Wh battery with a quoted battery life of 7-hours. There is also a 720p FaceTime front-facing video camera; two Thunderbolt ports; two USB3.0 ports; an HDMI port as well as Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity.

The top 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display adds a 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor with Turbo Boost for up to 3.7GHz clockspeed, 16GB DDR3L internal memory clocked at 1600MHz as well as 512GB of flash storage. Both models come in at 35.89 x 24.71 x 1.8 cm and 2.02kg.

Jawbone warns MyTalk hacked

Publié: février 13, 2013, 5:28pm CET par Joe Wilcox

There are days that cloud computing really sucks. The problem is trust. You trust Sites X, Y and Z to protect your data and log-in credentials, then they don't. Last week, Twitter rudely informed me that my password had to be reset, which is passive way of admitting that mine was one of the 250,000 pilfered accounts. This morning Jawbone greeted with email about an "isolated attack" that snagged my MyTalk information.

Funny thing, I don't even use MyTalk. I opened an account years ago while testing a Jawbone Bluetooth earpiece. Supposedly there was a firmware update and MyTalk registration the only way to get it. Fooled! No update. Now the dormant account is hacked. Interestingly, I see no official statement on Jawbone's website, but the email absolutely looks authentic.

I use unique passwords everywhere, and Jawbone had no credit card info on file. But these hacks, in context of recent targeted attacks (from China), are reason enough to make sure your credentials taken one place don't unlock accounts everywhere else. Be smart!

Full text of the email:

Hello Joe Wilcox,

We are writing to inform you of an important security matter. We recently learned that login information for your Jawbone MyTALK account was compromised by an isolated attack on our system.

In the course of this attack, limited user information related to your MyTALK account—specifically your name, email address, and an encrypted version of your password (not the actual letters and numbers in your password)—was compromised. We took immediate action to protect your login information. Based on our investigation to date, we do not believe there has been any unauthorized use of login information or unauthorized access to information in your account.

To help protect your account, we have disabled your old MyTALK password and you can no longer use it. Please reset your MyTALK password by following the instructions below. To help ensure that your information remains safe, we recommend that you do not choose the same password that you use to log in anywhere else, and change your password on other sites where your old MyTALK password is used.
Steps to reset your password:

1.Copy and paste this URL into your web browser: https://jawbone.com/user/reset
2.Type in your email address and click the Reset Password button
3.You will receive an email with instructions to complete the password reset

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. The security of your personal information is a top priority for us. We take security very seriously and will continue to take steps to keep your account information safe. '
If you need help resetting your password, please contact Customer Support by emailing support@jawbone.com.
Sincerely,

Jawbone

Photo Credit: Bartlomiej K. Kwieciszewski/Shutterstock

Microsoft promises more Surface Pros in stores this week

Publié: février 13, 2013, 4:29pm CET par Alan Buckingham

It's a wild week for Microsoft's Surface Pro team. There was the big release, with lines forming at Microsoft stores, reviews being posted all over the web and then news the tablet sold out at all locations. Not too much can be read into the latter at this point -- we do not know how much stock was actually available.

More are coming. In an overnight announcement, the Surface team lets everyone know that Microsoft is "shipping additional units of the 64GB SKU to Best Buy, Staples and Microsoft Store now. We are shipping 128GB SKU later this week to retailers, with some units available by the end of the week. Our priority (and that of our retail partners) is to fulfill orders from customers who made a reservation first. Canada is following a similar timeline but may take an extra few days to start arriving".

Again, we do not know any real numbers here -- how many have been sold, how many are now being shipped? Microsoft and analysts will sooner or later let us know if this "success" is artificial or real.

For now, Microsoft wants us to know that "demand is high and we’re working as quickly as we can to get Surface Pro in market. If your local retailer does not have stock immediately, they should have it soon".

Did you get one? Are you anxiously waiting for stock to return or awaiting your reservation unit to be shipped? Or could you not care less?

Trikanoid gets mouse support

Publié: février 13, 2013, 4:04pm CET par Mike Williams

It’s not even a month since we wrote about Trikanoid, a fun remake of 80's arcade classic Arkanoid. But developers Triumph Remakers have been busy, and version 1.2 for Windows has just been released (the Mac build is coming soon), with some very welcome additions.

Top of the “new features” list must be mouse support. Previously the program only supported keyboard control, which wasn’t the most natural way to move your pad around, but being able to control it with your mouse, instead, is a real improvement.

Trikanoid 1.2 also now allows you to move your pad at the normal, constant rate, or an accelerated ball speed-dependent rate (so when the ball shoots off your pad at an angle and a very high speed, your pad will also move more quickly). This may help you catch balls you’d otherwise miss, but of course you’ll also need great judgment to position your pad accurately when it’s moving so fast, so we’re not yet sure how useful it will be. Try it and see.

Elsewhere, if you were at all confused by any aspect of the game in the previous edition, you might appreciate the new on-screen instructions.

And some well-judged compression in the installer means that the download size has been reduced by around 70%.

While the new mouse support is certainly welcome, we have noticed a minor problem or two.

We’re not entirely sure about the first, but mouse movement doesn’t seem to be quite as smooth as it should be, almost as though there’s a jump when the pad first starts moving. But we’ll need to spend more time playing the game to be sure (that’s our excuse, anyway).

The second issue, though, is that the program actually captures the mouse, so if you Alt+Tab away from Trikanoid to some other application then it’ll no longer work (the mouse cursor remains visible, but you can’t move it). This isn’t a major problem – if you want to do something else, just close Trikanoid rather than Alt+Tabbing – but it’s still a little annoying.

We’d hazard a guess that the issue will be fixed very soon, though. And even with this, Trikanoid is still a fun arcade remake, with great sound and graphics, and the new mouse control makes it more playable than ever.

Photo Credit: ARENA Creative/Shutterstock

Opera announces 300 million users, move to Webkit

Publié: février 13, 2013, 3:48pm CET par Alan Buckingham

As far as web browsers go, Opera never seems to get enough love. But it has a dedicated following of avid users who seem suddenly to appear whenever you say something bad about the software. Now that following has grown, and Opera plans to reward them with a new engine.

Today CEO Lars Boilesen proclaims a milestone: "On the final stretch up to 300 million users, we have experienced the fastest acceleration in user growth we have ever seen". While that is certainly a big step for the company, and worthy of a pat on the back, Opera browser still remains far behind its competitors.

But the news is much bigger: Transition to the Webkit engine, which already powers Apple's Safari and Google's Chrome browsers, among others. That means that all of those people who seem to be buying a Chromebook are running Webkit, and that is the allure for Opera.

In fact, Hakon Wium Lie, CTO of Opera, states that "It makes more sense to have our experts working with the open-source communities to further improve WebKit and Chromium, rather than developing our own rendering engine further. Opera will contribute to the WebKit and Chromium projects, and we have already submitted our first set of patches: to improve multi-column layout". In other words, Opera wants in on what it senses may be a revolution.

The company also promises that everyone will get their first look at its new browser for Android at the upcoming Mobile World Congress, which kicks off February 25th in Barcelona, Spain.

The move to Webkit will be gradual, but is likely the best chance Opera has to move forward with the latest technology and continue to grow its user-base.

LG unveils a second and different Optimus G Pro

Publié: février 13, 2013, 3:37pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

If you're confused, you are not alone. On Wednesday, LG unveiled a new smartphone dubbed Optimus G Pro, three weeks after Japanese carrier NTT DOCOMO announced a new LG-made smartphone dubbed Optimus G Pro. The twist -- they are not one and the same.

The confusion stems from the fact that the first Optimus G Pro features a 5-inch display while the second model comes with a 5.5-inch display, basically placing the two in different market segments. In terms of panel dimensions, the former is quite similar to the newest batches of Android flagships such as the Sony Xperia Z while with the latter LG takes the fight to Samsung's Galaxy Note II. LG should really make up its mind and pick different names for its handsets.

The two devices don't even share the same design language. The first one announced comes with a thicker side-bezel, elongated speaker grill and an LED flash under the camera lens, among other things. The model unveiled today reminisces the LG-made Google Nexus 4 in the speaker grill department and the back cover, has a thinner side-bezel and features the LED flash on the right-side of the camera.

LG clearly aims to reinvent the wheel on the curved glass terminology by stating that it features a "2.5D" effect, which is both misleading and wrongfully used as the term generally applies to virtual geometric models not physical ones. That said, LG did reveal some down-to-Earth information concerning the hardware specifications.

The 5.5-inch display on the newly-announced Optimus G Pro comes with a resolution of 1920 by 1080. The handset is powered by a quad-core processor, likely of Qualcomm origin. LG did not disclose any information related to the software, which is likely Android 4.1 Jelly Bean judging by the first Optimus G Pro's green droid distribution. Since MWC 2013 (Mobile World Congress) is just around the corner, we can expect more information during the popular event.

Kiwi System Info reveals much, but not enough, about your PC

Publié: février 13, 2013, 3:21pm CET par Mike Williams

If you regularly troubleshoot other people’s PCs then you’ll know that the process usually starts by collecting system information. Which graphics card does it have, for instance? How many network interfaces, which USB controller, what user accounts are there? And whatever it might be.

You may be able to collect some of this data by browsing the target PC, but life will probably be a lot easier if you have a system information program to collect and present everything in a single place. And few tools provide quite as much data as the free Kiwi System Info.

The program certainly doesn’t look like it’s going to tell you very much. It’s a tiny 195KB download, for instance, and unzips to a single executable. This looks like the kind of tool that will tell you your Windows version, total RAM, free hard drive space, and that’s about it.

But the reality is quite different. Kiwi System Info organizes its data into 7 key areas: “Hardware Info”, “Data Storage”, “Memory”, “System Info”, “Network”, “User & Security” and “Developer”, and each of these in turn has multiple categories to choose from. So “Hardware Info” includes “BIOS”, “Printer” and “Processor”, for instance; “Data Storage” has “DiskDrive”, “DiskPartition” and “LogicalDisk”; and “System Information” gives us “Account”, “Process”, “Service” and so on. Just select a category and you’ll see a report covering that particular area.

While this sounds great, there is a catch here. Kiwi System Info works by using Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) to discover and display the information available on the current PC. This is very easy to do, which is why the program can be so small, but the problem is that most WMI data is highly technical, poorly presented, or both. Which doesn’t make for great reports.

When you’re browsing categories, for instance, options like CIMLogicalDeviceCIMDataFile, HeatPipe and PerfRawData_W3SVC_WebService probably aren’t going to mean much to the average user (or even many experts).

And worse still, when you do select a more basic category you’ll often find that its data isn’t presented particularly helpfully. When we clicked “DiskDrive” on our test system, for instance, it listed our drives with their physical IDs rather than drive letters (so \\.\PHYSICALDRIVE1 rather than D:), reported our drive D: capacity as “1000202273280″, and didn’t list the drive space used at all.

This isn’t necessarily a fatal problem, though. Look past the occasionally dubious presentation and there’s still lots of useful information here. So if you choose “Service”, say, you’ll see all your installed services, their full names, descriptions, short names, the service executable file, its current process ID, whether it can be paused, whether it can interact with the desktop, and more (all of which can be exported as a TXT file with a click). If you’re an experienced PC user, and willing to spend time discovering which areas of the program are helpful, and which really aren’t, then Kiwi System Info could prove very helpful.

For simpler and more general troubleshooting, though, you’ll need a regular system information tool, as well -- Piriform’s Speccy, for instance, delivers a great amount of detail but in a much more readable way.

Photo Credit: Liv friis-larsen/Shutterstock

Microsoft pushes Office 365 with 'Quick Start' video series

Publié: février 12, 2013, 11:42pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Microsoft has made no real secret that it prefers you to buy an annual license for software, as opposed to purchasing a non-expiring version. Office 2013/365 is the first real example of that, but will surely not be the last. Since the products' release, the company has pushed out PDF guides to help guide you along.

Now the push continues with a video version of those "Quick Start" guides. Earlier today the Office team announced the release of five videos in a new series that will give users a head-start on the new app suite.

"If you have just six minutes to spare, you can get acquainted with the new Office by watching the five videos below", according to Microsoft.

The five videos cover very brief information on what is included in Office 365 Home Premium, how to get started, using Office everywhere, how to set up Office 365 on five computers and adding family members to your subscription.

To help lure you in, the company makes it as painless as possible with PDF and video guides to get you started, varied pricing that can be either monthly or annually -- warning: monthly costs more in the long run, and the ability to use one license on multiple home computers. Oh, and the company is also offering an additional 20 GB of SkyDrive storage and 60 minutes of Skype credit.

Is there really any question left about which direction customers are being steered? Still, regardless of that, it probably is the best deal for most households. To check out the videos, one only needs to visit the Office blog for links to each and every one of the the five.

Dropbox for Teams targets the enterprise

Publié: février 12, 2013, 10:39pm CET par Alan Buckingham

I love my Dropbox account. Or, I should say that I love the idea of my Dropbox account. I will be the first to admit that I honestly do not use it very much. I work from home and rarely have reason to share files. My wife, however, uses that account on an almost daily basis. She shares school files with her students via Dropbox. In other words, it is a business tool -- even for someone who simply teaches Spanish to grade school kids one day per week. Now, the company has made it an even more useful business tool with a host of new features announced today.

In prefacing the announcement, Dropbox representative Emil Ibrishimov takes a second to brag about the fact that "people at over two million businesses and 95 percent of Fortune 500 companies are using Dropbox -- from law firms working with their clients to international businesses staying in sync across the world".

Ibrishimov goes on to explain that the company has been "working with our customers to design features that give them the insight and tools their businesses need, while keeping the simplicity that makes Dropbox so easy to use".

The new features are for the "Dropbox for Teams" service and offer better control for administrators. These include the ability to view recent activity, third-party apps that have been added, activity between all team members, sharing controls and more. Admins can even download reports that display all of that data, meaning those folks in the cubicles need to be even more careful about what they are sharing.

Dropbox for Teams is available on a scaled platform depending on the size of your business. Accounts start at $795 per year for five users and additional users will cost $125. Storage is also scaled based on this. The new features announced today are available immediately and all of this is controlled through a brand new Admin Console.

Photo Credit: T. L. Furrer/Shutterstock

Enterprise app stores seek to cure BYOD woes

Publié: février 12, 2013, 9:55pm CET par Joe Wilcox

The so-called "bring your own device to work" movement is great for employees looking to use their own (and newest) stuff and for business managers looking to cut hardware costs but a nightmare for IT admins. So they're fighting back, just too bad at the typically glacially slow pace of big enterprises.

Gartner predicts that by 2017 one-quarter of enterprises will have their own mobile app stores offering sanctioned wares for employees.

"Apps downloaded from public app stores for mobile devices disrupt IT security, application and procurement strategies", Ian Finley, Gartner research vice president, says. "Bring your own application (BYOA) has become as important as bring your own device (BYOD) in the development of a comprehensive mobile strategy, and the trend toward BYOA has begun to affect desktop and Web applications as well".

BYOA and BYOD extenuate problems going back to early PCs and extending through several waves, such as Palm Pilots, BlackBerries, iPhones and iPads, among others. Each of these is development platform, rich with apps, as well as device. Around them, employees commingle professional and personal activities and data, too often poorly managed and posing unforeseen security risks.

"Enterprise app stores promise at least a partial solution but only if IT security, application, procurement and sourcing professionals can work together to successfully apply the app store concept to their enterprises", Finley says. "When successful, they can increase the value delivered by the application portfolio and reduce the associated risks, license fees and administration expenses".

Enterprises have to do something, seeing as how many encourage BYOD. According to "Good Technology’s 2nd Annual State of BYOD Report", 76 percent of enterprises with more than 2,000 employees have programs in place, and the total is expected to reach 88 percent this year. However, the largest and smallest businesses are slowest adopters. Among organizations with 10,000 employees, only 46 percent have BYOD programs in place, up from 35 percent in 2011. One-quarter of businesses with less than 2,000 employees follow suit.

There is a startling shift in costs -- to employee up rather than organization down. Good finds that in half the companies with BYOD programs, employees pay for devices and supporting services, such as cellular data for cell phones, tablets and some laptops.

But that's for the hardware. Many IT operations must contend with BOYA, as natural consequence and nuisance. Hence, the rise of enterprise app stores.

In the short term, mobile device management (don't you just love these analyst conventions) will lead the way. "Today, most MDM providers have a simple way of extending apps to mobile devices, usually through a basic agent on the device, but many are launching more-sophisticated app stores that can host enterprise and third-party apps to be accessed by smartphones, tablets and PCs", Phillip Redman, Gartner research vice president, says. "The development of mobile apps and the support of MDM will drive most enterprise app store implementations during the next 12 to 18 months".

Long-term, Gartner sees enterprise app stores as a means of encouraging developers to submit competing apps. Employees get more choice, IT takes more control and businesses benefit from sanctioned choices rather than the Wild West they contend with today.

Photo Credit: andrea michele piacquadio/Shutterstock

Bluestacks brings 750,000 Android apps to Surface Pro

Publié: février 12, 2013, 7:52pm CET par Alan Buckingham

There has been a lot of news recently about Surface Pro. The new tablet made quite a splash over the weekend, but the jury still is out about the real success of the launch. However, Bluestacks is interested enough to bring its wares to the new platform and carry 750,000 Android apps along.

That may sound like a nice gesture towards Microsoft, but it also represents somewhat of a dig at the company. In fact, the website launched by Bluestacks is titled Get your Apps Back. The site even has a headline -- Missing your apps on Windows 8? While a dig at the lack of apps proliferating the new Windows Store, it is also a nice little bonus for Surface Pro early-adopters and other Windows 8 users.

For those of us who run Windows 8 in our computing environment, but prefer our mobile devices to be of an Android-persuasion, this is a big win. After all, we have invested money in our mobile apps and we want to be able to use those apps everywhere, including on our PC's and Surface tablets.

While this is touted as being "optimized for Surface" the new Bluestacks will run just fine on any Windows 8 device and add a lot of new options for any user, including thousands of free games. At first glance, a niche item, it really is more like a second app store for customers and is a win-win proposal for everyone.

Accidental Empires, Part 7 -- Our Nerds (Chapter 1d)

Publié: février 12, 2013, 7:04pm CET par Robert X. Cringely

Seventh in a series. Editor: Classic 1991 tome Accidental Empires continues, looking at a uniquely American cultural phenomenon.

The founders of the microcomputer industry were groups of boys who banded together to give themselves power. For the most part, they came from middle-class and upper-middle-class homes in upscale West Coast communities. They weren’t rebels; they resented their parents and society very little. Their only alienation was the usual hassle of the adolescent -- a feeling of being prodded into adulthood on somebody else’s terms. So they split off and started their own culture, based on the completely artificial but totally understandable rules of computer architecture. They defined, built, and controlled (and still control) an entire universe in a box -- an electronic universe of ideas rather than people -- where they made all the rules, and could at last be comfortable. They didn’t resent the older people around them -- you and me, the would-be customers -- but came to pity us because we couldn’t understand the new order inside the box -- the microcomputer.

And turning this culture into a business? That was just a happy accident that allowed these boys to put off forever the horror age -- that dividing line to adulthood that they would otherwise have been forced to cross after college.

The 1980s were not kind to America. Sitting at the end of the longest period of economic expansion in history, what have we gained? Budget deficits are bigger. Trade deficits are bigger. What property we haven’t sold we’ve mortgaged. Our basic industries are being moved overseas at an alarming rate. We pretended for a time that junk bond traders and corporate disassemblers create wealth, but they don’t. America is turning into a service economy and telling itself that’s good. But it isn’t.

America was built on the concept of the frontier. We carved a nation out of the wilderness, using as tools enthusiasm, adolescent energy, and an unwillingness to recognize limitations. But we are running out of recognized frontiers. We are getting older and stodgier and losing our historic advantage in the process. In contrast, the PC business is its own frontier, created inside the box by inward-looking nerds who could find no acceptable challenge in the adult world. Like any other true pioneers, they don’t care about what is possible or not possible; they are dissatisfied with the present and excited about the future. They are anti-establishment and rightly see this as a prerequisite for success.

Time after time, Japanese companies have aimed at dominating the PC industry in the same way that similar programs have led to Japanese success in automobiles, steel, and consumer electronics. After all, what is a personal computer but a more expensive television, calculator, or VCR? With the recent exception of laptop computers, though, Japan’s luck has been poor in the PC business. Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore have fared similarly and are still mainly sources of cheap commodity components that go into American-designed and -built PCs.

As for the Europeans, they are obsessed with style, thinking that the external design of a computer is as important as its raw performance. They are wrong: horsepower sells. The results are high-tech toys that look pretty, cost a lot, and have such low performance that they suggest Europe hasn’t quite figured out what PCs are even used for.

It’s not that the Japanese and others can’t build personal computers as well as we can; manufacturing is what they do best. What puts foreigners at such a disadvantage is that they usually don’t know what to build because the market is changing so quickly; a new generation of machines and software appears every eighteen months.

The Japanese have grown rich in other industries by moving into established markets with products that are a little better and a little cheaper, but in the PC business the continual question that needs asking is, “Better than what?" Last year’s model? This year’s? Next year’s? By the time the Asian manufacturers think they have a sense of what to aim for, the state of the art has usually changed.

In the PC business, constant change is the only norm, and adolescent energy is the source of that change.

The Japanese can’t take over because they are too grownup. They are too businesslike, too deliberate, too slow. They keep trying, with little success, to find some level at which it all makes sense. But that level does not exist in this business, which has grown primarily without adult supervision.

Smokestacks, skyscrapers, half-acre mahogany desks, corporate jets, gray hair, the building of things in enormous factories by crowds of faceless, time card-punching workers: these are traditional images of corporate success, even at old-line computer companies like IBM.

Volleyball, junk food, hundred-hour weeks, cubicles instead of offices, T-shirts, factories that either have no workers or run, unseen, in Asia: these are images of corporate success in the personal computer industry today.

The differences in corporate culture are so profound that IBM has as much in common with Tehran or with one of the newly discovered moons of Neptune as it does with a typical personal computer software company. On August 25, 1989, for example, all 280 employees of Adobe Systems Inc., a personal computer software company, armed themselves with waste baskets and garden hoses for a company-wide water fight to celebrate the shipping of a new product. Water fights don’t happen at General Motors, Citicorp, or IBM, but then those companies don’t have Adobe’s gross profit margins of 43 percent either.

We got from boardrooms to water balloons led not by a Tom Watson, a Bill Hewlett, or even a Ross Perot but by a motley group of hobbyist/opportunists who saw a niche that needed to be filled. Mainly academics and nerds, they had no idea how businesses were supposed to be run, no sense of what was impossible, so they faked it, making their own ways of doing business -- ways that are institutionalized today but not generally documented or formally taught. It’s the triumph of the nerds.

Here’s the important part: they are our nerds. And having, by their conspicuous success, helped create this mess we’re in, they had better have a lot to teach us about how to recreate the business spirit we seem to have lost.

Reprinted with permission

Photo Credit: NinaMalyna/Shutterstock

Do you run third-party antimalware on Windows 8?

Publié: février 12, 2013, 6:13pm CET par Joe Wilcox

Call me stupid. Someone typically does in comments. But let me give you reason: I don't run third-party malware detector in Windows 8. Should I? I asked my colleagues what they use, and the general consensus is nothing -- just rely on Microsoft Defender. Are we all nuts, or is there no cause for using something else?

Today is my 12th day using Surface Pro as primary PC and first serious commitment to Windows 8, which I really like on this machine. I didn't rush to install antimalware, like earlier versions. Somehow, I feel safe using Windows 8 Pro. My question: Do you?

There are several reasons for this sense of security, with Internet Explorer 10 being high among them. After years of ActiveX hell, IE on Modern UI is generally locked down from plugins. From a security perspective, Microsoft chose wisely, even though third-party browsers are largely shut out.

I love Chrome, but with exception of all the sync benefits (and they are many), I don't miss the browser as much as expected. IE10 is fast, fluid and fun -- at least on Modern UI. There's something to be said for browser developers conforming to web standards (or at least pretending to). I'd like to see Microsoft rally for a plug-in-free world. That's a dream.

I don't feel as safe about any browser on the Desktop. We'll see how I warm up, or not, over time. Chrome isn't gone from my life, being primary browser on phone and tablet, and I'll eventually want some sync benefits on Windows 8. But I must emphasize, with surprise: IE10 feels pretty good, which says as much about browsers reaching a necessary utility standard.

The cloud is another reason for my sense of Windows 8 safety. All my email comes through trusted services that scan for malware. Images and attachments don't load by default. Then there is the browser, which I consider to be better protection than apps like Outlook. Call me stupid, if you must. But I feel pretty confident about cloud and browser.

Related: Good computing habits. I don't go to bad Internet neighborhoods, rarely click on email attachments (sorry, Ma, but I trashed those cute kitty pics unopened) and carefully check sites in search before clicking links. The latter is important, as SEO poisoning is a real risk to anyone.

That brings me to fourth reason: Defender and SmartScreen, which are built-in to Windows 8. The one provides traditional protection, while the other is more proactive, such as (by default setting) blocking untrusted apps without administrator password. I don't doubt third-party antimalware can do better, but they're not necessary if what Microsoft provides, including hardened kernel, is good enough.

But good enough is the question. Is it? I never ran antimalware on OS X, nor do I on Nexus devices -- and I don't feel anywhere as safe with Android, outside of Chrome. Anything can be cracked, hacked or phished with enough effort, no matter how many layers of protection. There's a question of how safe do you need to be. I could just as easily be mugged as my PC infected. I don't carry a gun or wear a bullet-proof vest. Perhaps if I were a high-value target, something would be needed.

Do you use third-party antimalware software on your primary PC?

Perhaps my point is this: I've finally reached confidence level about Windows' safety. Microsoft has hardened the frame, put in airbags, requires seatbelts and added other safety measures. No protection can stop me, or you, from driving recklessly or getting creamed by some idiot plowing through a red light. Generally, I feel safe enough. But do you? Please take the poll above and answer in comments below.

Photo Credit: tanewpix/Shutterstock

eMusic cuts out subscriptions, opens store to everyone

Publié: février 12, 2013, 5:01pm CET par Alan Buckingham

eMusic, the audio download and streaming service founded in 1998, gets less attention than it deserves. But that may now be about to change with the announcement of a major move last night. The site, which is home to countless independent artists, has tried to become more mainstream, but has suffered due to its subscription model which places an enormous constraint on sales.

In the past, customers would need to purchase a subscription in order to simply access the store and buy a song -- a major deterrent for many would-be buyers. But now the company has lifted the restriction and opened up the store for everyone.

According to eMusic President & CEO Adam Klein, "beginning today, anyone can visit eMusic.com and purchase as many songs or albums as they want at retail price. The move makes eMusic more accessible to everyone, which is appealing to consumers and business partners alike".

Subscriptions haven't gone. Those who wish to remain members can continue to use the service in the same way it has operated in the past. However, eMusic is now more open for users who do not want to pay a monthly fee, but simply purchase a song or album here and there. This brings the company in line with rivals like Amazon MP3 and Google Music.

Kline goes on to state that "a number of major players have already taken interest in eMusic's new business model, which is making the brand more flexible and easier to partner with than ever before. We are in talks with potential partners in the OEM market, and also with wireless and cable operators, as well as big box retailers".

This is certainly good news for all music lovers, especially those who enjoy finding new and intriguing artists that may not be discovered otherwise or get the exposure they truly deserve. The subscription service will remain tiered, beginning at $11.99 per month.

Vertu launches its first Android smartphone. Anyone got a spare $21,700?

Publié: février 12, 2013, 3:48pm CET par Wayne Williams

Luxury British smartphone manufacturer Vertu used to be owned by Nokia and made its name producing incredibly expensive Symbian handsets. But times move on, and the company is now focusing on producing incredibly expensive Android handsets.

The first new product of this endeavor is the Vertu Ti. The 3.7-inch device sports a brushed titanium frame (making it up to five times stronger, and at 180g (6oz) quite a bit heavier than most other phones), with real leather trim and a sapphire-screen.

It boasts a 1.7GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, 64GB of internal storage, 8-megapixel rear-facing and 1.3-megapixel front-facing cameras, and is powered by Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Yes, that’s right -- for the money you don’t even get Jelly Bean. It’s not 4G enabled either.

The device comes in four designs -- Titanium Black Leather (£6,700/$10,450), Titanium Pure Black (£7,900/$12,322), Titanium Black Alligator (£8,900/$13,882) and the top of the line Titanium Black PVD Titanium Red Gold Mixed Metals (£13,900/$21,678).

Vertu had reportedly originally considered making a Windows phone, but decided there wasn’t enough demand.

The handsets are only available in around 500 retail outlets, including 70 of the firm’s own boutiques. Most of Vertu’s sales come from Asia, followed by Europe, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Create your own QR codes using Firefox

Publié: février 12, 2013, 3:47pm CET par Mike Williams

QR codes can be a very convenient way to convey URLs, images, text or other information to anyone who scans them with a compatible smartphone, or other mobile device.

And it’s just as easy to create QR codes for yourself. You don’t need to buy some complex package, in fact you don’t have to spend any cash at all: QrCodeR is an excellent Firefox extension which will create all the codes you need for free. (Although the author will happily accept -- and probably deserves -- donations, if you’re feeling generous.)

After the usual installation process, you should notice a new icon in the address bar. Clicking this tells QrCodeR to create a QR code for the current page URL.

And the extension also adds an "Encode to QrCodeR" option to the right-click menus for selected texts, images or URLs within the current page. (Or, if the object is an image and a link, then you’ll get separate "Encode image" and "Encode URL" options.)

Select any one of these as appropriate and within a moment or two a matching QR code appears in the middle of the screen. Hover a mouse cursor over it and any associated link is displayed, handy as confirmation that you’ve not accidentally selected the wrong page object.

And while you could capture the screen and reuse the code as you like, that’s not necessary: simply click the code and you’re able to save it as a PNG file.

This is all very straightforward, then -- no hassles, no fuss, no complications, and you’ll immediately understand what you have to do. Of course QrCodeR still isn’t for everyone, but if you do need to create simple QR codes then it’s an excellent choice, reliable and easy to use.

Photo Credit: Maxx-Studio /Shutterstock

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Microsoft’s 'getting started' guide for Surface tells you everything you need to know

Publié: février 12, 2013, 2:32pm CET par Wayne Williams

If, like my colleague Joe Wilcox, you’ve already been lucky enough to get your hands on Microsoft’s new Surface PC, or you’re thinking of buying it in either the Windows 8 Pro or RT editions (and a stunning 45 percent of you say you'll be purchasing the former), you’ll want to download the new getting started guide immediately.

The official PDF manual from Microsoft Press is 68 pages long (1.35MB) and starts by introducing the device and explaining the differences between Surface RT and Pro, and also lists the accessories available to buy, before guiding readers through the setup process.

It covers everything from configuring Windows and adding accounts, to explaining how to use the interface, customizing the UI, and connecting devices and a second screen.

It’s a clear and concise guide, that really anyone with an interest in Surface needs to read (and which I would definitely have appreciated during my week long play with Surface RT).

You can download the getting started guide from here.

AOKP Jelly Bean MR1 Build 3 is available

Publié: février 12, 2013, 1:39pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Little more than three weeks since the last build, Android Open Kang Project, the team behind the popular AOKP green droid custom distribution, has unveiled Jelly Bean MR1 Build 3. The newest stable build sports the latest bug fixes and improvements added before Google released Android 4.2.2.

The team behind the project warns that issues related to Bluetooth should not be reported, as "it can’t/won’t be fixed before the 4.2.2 merge". The timing is rather interesting seeing as Google reportedly took charge and finally improved Bluetooth connections in the latest update, which arrives less than a day after the release of Jelly Bean MR1 Build 3. The new build introduces support for a couple of new devices, including the Acer Iconia Tab A510 (codename "a510"), the T-Mobile variant of the Samsung Galaxy S II (codename "hercules") and the LTE variant of the Samsung Galaxy Note II (codename "t0lte").

The latest build also introduces support for the international Samsung Galaxy S II in Exynos and OMAP trim (codename "I9100" and "I9100G", respectively), but the builds were removed with "a fixed version" announced for today. At the time of writing this article, neither of the two builds are available.

In terms of new features, AOKP Jelly Bean MR1 Build 3 brings support for different UI modes (users can choose between phone, phablet and tablet), transparency control "for all things", dual panel for any DPI, Car Home, timeout and instant lock for Slide to unlock, quick unlock, the ability to hide the navigation bar, recent panel in Gingerbread style, custom icon tint, menu UI overflow and LastApp toggle.

As usual it is recommended to wipe data before switching from another custom distribution or from Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, as well as Android 4.1 Jelly Bean in AOKP trim.

DisplayFusion 5.0 lets you easily manage a multi-monitor setup

Publié: février 12, 2013, 1:32pm CET par Nick Peers

Binary Fortress Software has released DisplayFusion 5.0, a brand new version of its multi-monitor management tool for Windows. DisplayFusion 5.0, which comes in Free and Pro editions, gives users more control over multi-monitor management.

Version 5.0 is a major update, adding more online wallpaper sources and a background gradient option for desktop wallpaper, while Pro users also gain a number of Windows 8 enhancements, plus options for flipping and rotating desktop wallpaper.

Both Free and Pro versions gain access to two new online wallpaper sources: 500px and Binary Fortress’s own WallpaperFusion. Users can now also select a linear gradient for use as the desktop wallpaper background color via the "Background Gradient" option.

Users can now also quickly locate the current wallpaper image by double-clicking the image preview in the Desktop Wallpaper window. The Desktop Wallpaper tool now speeds up searches for desktop wallpaper by reusing the Image Chooser window for each monitor.

New features exclusive to the Pro version include support for four third-party Start menu replacements for Windows 8 users on the DisplayFusion replacement Taskbar, namely Classic Shell, Start8, StartIsBack and Start Menu X. The taskbar is also now capable of showing full jump lists for both pinned and running applications.

Also added to DisplayFusion Pro’s Desktop Wallpaper selection tool are options for both flipping and rotating desktop wallpaper -- both settings can be found on the Adjustments tab.

Windows 8 users will also benefit from a number of Pro-only enhancements, specifically a boot to desktop option to bypass the Windows 8 Start screen, plus options to reduce the Start Screen to a user-custom size, move the Power User menu to the current mouse cursor position and an option for adjusting the border size for application windows. This latter option is also available to Free edition users.

The new build also includes the requisite number of bug fixes, performance and stability improvements -- specific examples include fixes for issues involving Monitor Profile detection and loading, and a resolution for erratic window sizing of the Wallpaper and Settings windows when DPI scaling has been enabled.

DisplayFusion 5.0 is available now as a free download for PCs running Windows XP or later. XP users will need to have installed the .NET Framework 2.0 tool. The program installs as a fully functional 30-day trial of DisplayFusion Pro before reverting to the cut-down freeware version. The Pro version, which is currently on sale for $17.50, adds support for multi-monitor Taskbars, TitleBar Buttons and customizable hot keys to simplify the task of using two or more monitors with a single PC. Users can cancel the trial version and revert to the free version at any time by right-clicking the program’s Notification Area icon and choosing Enter A License Key, then clicking the Change to Free Version button.

Photo Credit: corepics/Shutterstock

Easily manage a multi-monitor setup with DisplayFusion

Publié: février 12, 2013, 1:32pm CET par Nick Peers

Also added to DisplayFusion Pro’s Desktop Wallpaper selection tool are options for both flipping and rotating desktop wallpaper -- both settings can be found on the Adjustments tab.

Photo Credit: corepics/Shutterstock

NetTraffic lets you monitor your network activity in real time

Publié: février 12, 2013, 1:22pm CET par Mike Williams

Launch your PC and very soon there will be a host of processes making use of your internet connection. Your antivirus program might download new definitions; other programs will check for updates; your email client may scan for new messages, and of course there’s also your browser, download manager and anything else you’ve directly launched for some specific task.

If you have unlimited internet access and a speedy broadband connection, none of this will matter very much. But if you have limited bandwidth, a slow connection, or you’d just like to track your system’s network use, then installing NetTraffic could be a great way to monitor exactly what’s happening.

The program is free, a compact download (414KB) which installs quickly, with no adware worries. On launch it displays a simple icon in your system tray which flashes to indicate network traffic. And if you need to know more, then hovering a mouse cursor over the icon displays a tooltip showing the current upload and download speeds.

Right-clicking the system tray icon and selecting "Show" then displays a tiny scrolling graph, allowing you to watch how bandwidth use changes over time. This stays on top of other windows for convenience, and is resizable if you’d like to see more detail.

If even this isn’t enough, though, right-click the graph, select "Statistics", and you’re presented with tables showing your network traffic (total and average) for the past hour, day, month and year. The program will even try to predict how much bandwidth you’ll use in future. (This didn’t look too accurate in our initial tests, but perhaps the figures will improve as NetTraffic has more time to sample your usage.)

It’s even possible to zoom in on a particular period of time in your network history, and display charts of network use. So if there was an unusual spike in network traffic last December, say, you can drill down to try and find out when it happened.

And while by default these figures track all your network traffic, you can of course ask the program to monitor specific network interfaces only. Just right-click the system tray icon, select "Settings", clear the "Use all interfaces" box and choose your preferred network cards.

If there’s a minor issue here it’s that the program uses a little more system resources than we’d like, maybe 20-40MB of RAM on our test PC.

That’s not enough to make the faintest difference to most users, though, and so if you need to track your network bandwidth then you should give NetTraffic a try: it’s easy to use, provides plenty of information, and offers useful configuration options and settings to ensure it’s working just as you’d like.

Photo Credit: nmedia/Shutterstock

Android 4.2.2 rolling out for Nexus devices

Publié: février 12, 2013, 1:00pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Google Nexus owners, unlock your devices and start checking for updates because Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean is now rolling out. The latest software version is reportedly hitting Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 devices, with no word at the moment relating to the Nexus 4.

The Android 4.2.2 update bumps up the build number to version JDQ39 and mostly appears to contain minor fixes. No official changelog has been provided by Google at this moment, but users are reporting improvements for Bluetooth streaming which now presents "less hicups [...] but still not perfect" with apparent disconnects when switching from Wi-Fi to cellular data.

The update comes in at little over 46MB and considering the fairly significant size may feature plenty more under-the-hood changes. Android 4.2.2 is currently rolling out in waves and will likely hit the Nexus 4 in the following days if previous deployments are of any indication. For Galaxy Nexus owners there is an OTA Android 4.2.2 update file that can be manually downloaded and installed afterwards using ADB Sideload in the recovery.

Tesco launches free Netflix rival

Publié: février 12, 2013, 10:12am CET par Wayne Williams

UK supermarket chain Tesco is set to launch a free online video streaming service called Clubcard TV.

Currently being internally beta tested by employees and set to launch officially this spring, it will (as the name suggests) be available to all shoppers with a Tesco loyalty card. And the really good news is it will be entirely free. According to Tesco, the new service is a "thank you to our customers -- there are no charges, contracts or subscriptions". Rumors that

Powered by Blinkbox, the movie and TV streaming service that Tesco bought 80 percent majority stake in 2011, it will let customers watch both movies and on-demand TV. At the moment it’s web-only, but hopefully Tesco will be adding a mobile app at some point in the future.

Tesco, which has had its reputation severely damaged as a result of the recent horsemeat scandal, will probably want to avoid offering movies featuring livestock for a while. Virgin Media’s already had to make a (tongue-in-cheek) apology on the topic.

Making the case for the smart watch

Publié: février 12, 2013, 8:26am CET par Alan Buckingham

With all apologies to my colleague Joe Wilcox, who bashed the Apple rumor of an "iWatch", I must respectfully disagree. I get his point, don't get me wrong. Most people of the "modern" generation do not even wear watches. In fact, they may not even own them. The cell phone has become the time piece of choice in today's world. I also understand that a watch is not the ideal place to check your email. The screen is simply too small.

However, there are uses for these devices for some of us. Not all of us, but some. I am a runner. Have been since middle school -- more years ago than I care to mention. Those of us who ran cross country and track, and later moved to road races, care about time and smartphones don't cover it. Sure there are apps for that -- Map My Run, Run Keeper, Nike...they all do the job. My colleague Wayne Williams loves Zombies, Run! But, who wants to strap a 4.5-inch screen to their arm and go for a run?

I am not saying the rumored Apple "iWatch" is a good idea. What I am saying is that smart watches in general have a future, although it is certainly a niche one. Sure, if Apple releases a watch then the sheep will form lines around its store waiting to hand over their money, but it will be mostly be for a status symbol.

However, real smart watches, like the recently released Pebble, have a function for some of us. That particular item contains both GPS and Run Keeper, an app that can track your run, preventing the necessity of the old practice of driving a course before running it. Yes, some of us do that -- we are obsessed with distance and time, pace must be calculated. there are watches for that already, but what is wrong with a bit more functionality?

No, I don't need Dick Tracy-type software for a watch. I honestly do not need to know who is calling via my watch, although glancing at wrist, as opposed to fishing Galaxy Nexus from its home in my right front pocket would be handy. My Timex Ironman has worked just fine. But, devices like the Pebble could save me time and gas. I personally think this revolution can work, but it will be a small one. It is a niche product, but one that certainly has a home.

The future of Xbox isn't gaming

Publié: février 12, 2013, 6:34am CET par Joe Wilcox

Yusuf Mehdi is one of my favorite Microsoft executives. When he played a pivotal role within MSN leadership (before the division became the Online Services Business), a perennial, 7-year money loser turned a profit and continued doing so -- for eight consecutive quarters -- until the autumn 2005 reorganization that led to Windows Live rebranding. OSB hasn't made a dime since. Mehdi kicked around in different roles, talent greatly wasted, before moving to the Entertainment & Devices division in November 2011. I posted: "Yusuf Mehdi is the best thing to happen to Xbox in years".

However, out of respect for decorum, I should say next best thing. In September 2012, Microsoft named former CBS executive Nancy Tellem as E&D president. She is Mehdi's boss after all, and both spoke yesterday about Xbox's future. She comes from an entertainment background and he is corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business, which should tip-off future direction.

"Yes, we started with video games, but we have been on a journey to make Xbox the center of every household’s entertainment", Mehdi asserts -- and that's a bold statement. Expressed differently: Entertainment console. Sony, which affiliate is a movie studio, has had only marginal success transforming rival PlayStation 3 into an entertainment platform. Meanwhile, Xbox 360 is about a decade in market and largely seen as a gaming console with entertainment benefits. How does A get to Z, or X, if you prefer?

Mehdi claims the transition is underway. Cumulative Xbox 360 and Kinect sales are 76 million and 24 million, respectively. Microsoft sold 5.2 million consoles just during the holiday quarter. Last month, the company put Xbox Live subscribers at 40 million through end of the year. Fresh number today: 46 million. Xbox Live subscribers spent about 3 hours each day on the console during 2012.

Ponder this number: 18 billion hours of entertainment consumed on Xbox last year. Not that Mehdi defines what the big "E" means. Entertainment app usage grew 57 percent from 2011.

"We believe that Xbox is being used by more people in the household, during more hours in the day and for more forms of entertainment", Mehdi claims. "People are using Xbox in the morning to work out with the Kinect Nike+ Fitness program, kids are watching cartoons, families are enjoying movies and of course people are playing blockbuster games like Halo 4".

NU Ads, NUI Direction

If you listen to Tellem, Xbox Live is becoming an entertainment network, with interactive TV content coming in the future. Dare I suggest original programming? Tellem is responsible for Xbox Entertainment Studios, based in Los Angeles, which produced an interactive red carpet experience for the Grammys and another for the upcoming Academy Awards. Kinect Sesame Street TV is project, too.

Anyone using console and cloud service surely can see where Microsoft is headed. From games to Hulu, Netflix, U-verse and Xbox Music -- or Kinect -- the 360 strives far from its video games roots. The question: How much more can the Redmond, Wash.-based company take Xbox?

Much depends on the efforts of execs like Mehdi and Tellem to make the content deals, or to extend the broader entertainment platform separate from and alongside Xbox 360's successor, which is expected for holiday 2013.

"When I worked in traditional TV, we would find ourselves saying things like 'Wouldn’t it be cool if we could add an interactive aspect directly into the show and engage directly with the viewers?'" Tellem says. "With Xbox, that is possible today".

Kinect's role cannot be understated. This year, Microsoft plans to release 40 voice-controlled, customized television apps. Prime objective: Interactivity, using the new user interface, or NUI.

Earlier I assigned TV network ambitions to executives' goals, in part because of advertising. Mehdi spent much of his remaining OSB years working on content and advertising, skills he brings to E&D. Once again, Kinect is pivotal. In autumn, Microsoft rolled out what it calls "NUads" in Canada, United Kingdom and United States, with Subway and Toyota among the advertisers. Consumers engage with the ads -- speaking or waving, for example. Mehdi claims that 37 percent of consumers responded to interactive-polling, which beats passive commercials TV watchers can skip using DVRs. (Photo top shows a poll.)

To date, Microsoft can't chock up great online services ad successes -- nothing like Google. Can NUads be different or can Xbox truly become an entertainment console? Perhaps, if the Mehdi magic making MSN profitable comes to Xbox.

Bill Gates finds his audience: Reddit

Publié: février 12, 2013, 3:32am CET par Joe Wilcox

If you're geek, and even if not, Bill Gates' Reddit chat is worth reading, if you missed the live event at 1:45 pm EST today. Microsoft's cofounder held the "Ask Me Anything" in part to promote the annual letter for the foundation he runs with wife Melinda.

I've seen Gates give speeches in numerous venues, many not suited to him. The worst must be about a decade of Consumer Electronics Show keynotes. Gates and CES mixed like positively-charged particles. I never saw one presentation there that really zinged. These weren't his people, no matter how much geekier the attendees after Comdex died.

But today, Gates found his audience and comfort zone, banging on keyboard unseen, firing off fast answers with charisma, wit and believability. Reddit seemed so right to start and proved to be in practice. On the same day that the Pope announced he would step down on February 28, another global shaker rocked the purest, most-modern incarnation of the computer bulletin boards of Gates' youth.

Select highlights

I've grabbed some questions (from Reddit users) and Gates' answers. The real charm (and annoyance) of Reddit are the comments. What I present below lacks the extended context and storytelling you can get by going directly to the AMA.

Q. "What is the greatest achievement of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in your opinion and how do you choose which causes to support?"

Gates answers: "So far our biggest impact has been getting vaccines for things like diarrhea and pneumonia out which has saved millions of lives. Polio will be a great achievement along with key partners when that gets done".

Q. "Which world-wide health cause are we perfectly capable of easily solving and on the cusp of achieving but just need to put it over the top with a little more attention or resources to actually solve?"

Gates answers: "Polio is the first thing to get done since we are close. Within 6 years we will have the last case. After that we will go after malaria and measles. Malaria kills over 500,000 kids every year mostly in Africa and did not get enough attention until the last decade. We also need vaccines to prevent HIV and TB which are making progress".

Q. "What is something that needs to be changed in the world, but money won't help?"

Gates answers: "It would be nice if all governments were as rational as the Nordic governments - reaching compromise and providing services broadly. The Economist had a nice special section on this last week. Africa governments have often been weak but you can't write a check to change that. Fortunately the average quality is going up. Mo Ibrahim tracks this in a great way. ([moibrahimfoundation.org])"

Q. "What's your worst fear for the future of the world? (edit: I terms of policy/politics/etc -- e.g. SOPA/ITU)"

Gates answers: "Hopefully we won't have terrorists using nuclear weapons or biological weapons. We should make sure that stays hard. I am disappointed more isn't being done to reduce carbon emissions. Governments need to spend more on basic energy R&D to make sure we get cheap non-CO2 emitting sources as soon as possible. Overall I am pretty optimistic. Things are a lot better than they were 200 years ago".

Q. "Windows 7 or Windows 8? Be honest, Bill".

Gates answers: "Higher is better".

Q. "What emerging technology today do you think will cause another big stir for the average consumer in the same way that the home computer did years ago?"

Gates answers: "Robots, pervasive screens, speech interaction will all change the way we look at 'computers'. Once seeing, hearing, and reading (including handwriting) work very well you will interact in new ways".

Q. "Since becoming wealthy, what's the cheapest thing that gives you the most pleasure?"

Gates answers: "Kids. Cheap cheeseburgers. Open Course Ware courses".

Q. "What type of computer are you using right now?"

Gates answers: "I just got my Surface Pro a week ago and it is very nice. I am using a Perceptive Pixel display right now - huge Windows 8 touch whiteboard. These will come down in price over time and be pervasive... ([i.imgur.com])"

Google Play now sells Orb wireless charger, but WHY?

Publié: février 11, 2013, 10:03pm CET par Joe Wilcox

If you really want to part with $59.99 (plus shipping and tax), the long-anticipated Orb is for sale. Timing coincides with fairly consistent Nexus 4 availability (about time for that) from Google Play. Forgive my total lack of enthusiasm. Gimme a Nexus 10 dock or something else useful rather than just geek.

My wife and I both now own Nexus 4, but neither of us pines for Orb. One of the phone's features (I wouldn't say benefits) is wireless charging. You slap the handset down on the half-sphere, which juices the battery in Stargate Universe-like fashion. I've got a chord for that, free with the phone, that charges faster than the four fraking hours Google claims for Orb. That said, there is something Star Trek-cool about using the phone round and about, while charging, without actually being plugged in.

But real retailers know the big money is in add-ons, and little extras like Orb are sure to sell. But there are peripherals that are cool or geeky and ones you really need. Take the aforementioned Nexus 10 dock, which Google teased in a holiday video. I could use one of those.

I ordered the official Nexus 7 dock from Adorama Camera for 40 bucks on January 29 (N10 is still MIA). UPS tracking shows delivery on February 12. Now that is an add-on I can use, and judging from the chatter across forums and social networks, that sentiment is shared by many. But, whoa, not from Google Play.

I'm spending the month using Microsoft's Surface Pro, which I like way more than expected. But apps just aren't all there. The group chat service BetaNews uses is MIA in Windows Store and the browser version, like some other products, disconnects when switching IE10 tabs. There's an Android app, and Nexus 7 is fast-typing for me. Also, I can bang out email replies or social network posts on the little tablet faster than any other device, including a laptop.

Gotta ask: If a Nexus 4 owner, are you buying Orb? Please explain why or why not.

PhotoSketcher 2.4.0 supports Windows 8

Publié: février 11, 2013, 8:51pm CET par Nick Peers

Lyon programmer David Thoiron has released FotoSketcher 2.40, a major update to his freeware Windows app for quickly converting photos into works of art with just a few clicks. Version 2.40 debuts an improved user interface, new scripting engine for creating multiple effects and official support for Windows 8.

FotoSketcher 2.40, also available as a portable build, allows users to import JPEG, PNG and BMP files and – using a simple Drawing Parameters dialog – convert them into different artistic styles, from pencil sketches to full-blown watercolor and oil paintings.

Version 2.40 debuts a revamped user interface, which includes reorganized menus, new menu icons and no third-party code. It also comes with a brand new script engine – invoked via the [F5] key – that can be used to automatically apply multiple effects to a single image without having to learn any lines of code. The user simply sets up an effect, adds it to the scripting list, then moves on to the next effect or tweak.

FotoSketcher 2.40’s image merge function has also been made more powerful, with the addition of support for multiplication of both source and target images. DPI support has also been extended to the JPEG file format.

Users can now save pictures during processing, while the app promises better directory management through keeping track of directories chosen for opening, saving and selecting manual brushes. FotoSketcher 2.40 should also now automatically save the last texture, text and frame parameters used, although Windows 7 and 8 users may have to run FotoSketcher with administrator privileges for this function to work.

The update is rounded off with official support for Windows 8, new translated terms for the script functions and various unspecified minor tweaks and bug fixes. FotoSketcher 2.40 and FotoSketcher 2.40 Portable are both available as freeware downloads for PCs running Windows XP or later.

Photo Credit: Picsfive/Shutterstock

Accidental Empires, Part 6 -- The Airport Kid (Chapter 1c)

Publié: février 11, 2013, 8:41pm CET par Robert X. Cringely

Sixth in a series. Serialization of Robert X. Cringely's classic Accidental Empires makes an unexpected analogy.

The Airport Kid was what they called a boy who ran errands and did odd jobs around a landing field in exchange for airplane rides and the distant prospect of learning to fly. From Lindbergh’s day on, every landing strip anywhere in America had such a kid, sometimes several, who’d caught on to the wonder of flight and wasn’t about to let go.

Technologies usually fade in popularity as they are replaced by new ways of doing things, so the lure of flight must have been awesome, because the airport kids stuck around America for generations. They finally disappeared in the 1970s, killed not by a transcendant technology but by the dismal economics of flight.

The numbers said that unless all of us were airport kids, there would not be economies of scale to make flying cheap enough for any of us. The kids would never own their means of flight. Rather than live and work in the sky, they could only hope for an occasional visit. It was the final understanding of this truth that killed their dream.

When I came to California in 1977, I literally bumped into the Silicon Valley equivalent of the airport kids. They were teenagers, mad for digital electronics and the idea of building their own computers. We met diving through dumpsters behind electronics factories in Palo Alto and Mountain View, looking for usable components in the trash.

But where the airport kids had drawn pictures of airplanes in their school notebooks and dreamed of learning to fly, these new kids in California actually built their simple computers and taught themselves to program. In many ways, their task was easier, since they lived in the shadow of Hewlett-Packard and the semiconductor companies that were rapidly filling what had come to be called Silicon Valley. Their parents often worked in the electronics industry and recognized its value. And unlike flying, the world of microcomputing did not require a license.

Today there are 45 million personal computers in America. Those dumpster kids are grown and occupy important positions in computer and software companies worth billions of dollars. Unlike the long-gone airport kids, these computer kids came to control the means of producing their dreams. They found a way to turn us all into computer kids by lowering the cost and increasing the value of entry to the point where microcomputers today affect all of our lives. And in doing so, they created an industry unlike any other.

This book is about that industry. It is not a history of the personal computer but rather all the parts of a history needed to understand how the industry functions, to put it in some context from which knowledge can be drawn. My job is to explain how this little part of the world really works. Historians have a harder job because they can be faulted for what is left out; explainers like me can get away with printing only the juicy parts.

Juice is my business. I write a weekly gossip column in InfoWorld, a personal computer newspaper. Think for a moment about what a bizarre concept that is—an industrial gossip column. Rumors and gossip become institutionalized in cultures that are in constant flux. Politics, financial markets, the entertainment industry, and the personal computer business live by rumors. But for gossip to play a role in a culture, it must both serve a useful function and have an audience that sees value in participation -- in originating or spreading the rumor. Readers must feel they have a personal connection -- whether it is to a stock price, Madonna’s marital situation, or the impending introduction of a new personal computer.

And who am I to sit in judgment this way on an entire industry?

I’m a failure, of course.

It takes a failure -- someone who is not quite clever enough to succeed or to be considered a threat -- to gain access to the heart of any competitive, ego-driven industry. This is a business that won’t brook rivals but absolutely demands an audience. I am that audience. I can program (poorly) in four computer languages, though all the computer world seems to care about anymore is a language called C. I have made hardware devices that almost worked. I qualify as the ideal informed audience for all those fragile geniuses who want their greatness to be understood and acknowledged.

About thirty times a week, the second phone on my desk rings. At the other end of that line, or at the sending station of an electronic mail message, or sometimes even on the stamp-licking end of a letter sent through the U.S. mail is a type of person literally unknown outside America. He -- for the callers are nearly always male -- is an engineer or programmer from a personal computer manufacturer or a software publisher. His purpose in calling is to share with me and with my 500,000 weekly readers the confidential product plans, successes, and failures of his company. Specifications, diagrams, parts lists, performance benchmarks -- even computer programs -- arrive regularly, invariably at the risk of somebody’s job. One day it’s a disgruntled Apple Computer old-timer, calling to bitch about the current management and by-the-way reveal the company’s product plans for the next year. The next day it’s a programmer from IBM’s lab in Austin, Texas, calling to complain about an internal rivalry with another IBM lab in England and in the process telling all sorts of confidential information.

What’s at work here is the principle that companies lie, bosses lie, but engineers are generally incapable of lying. If they lied, how could the many complex parts of a computer or a software application be expected to actually work together?

"Yeah, I know I said wire Y-21 would be 12 volts DC, but, heck, I lied".

Nope, it wouldn’t work.

Most engineers won’t even tolerate it when others in their companies lie, which is why I get so many calls from embarrassed or enraged techies undertaking what they view as damage control but their companies probably see as sabotage.

The smartest companies, of course, hide their engineers, never bringing them out in public, because engineers are not to be trusted:

Me: "Great computer! But is there any part of it you’d do differently if you could do it over again?"

Engineer: "Yup, the power supply. Put your hand on it right here. Feel how hot that is? Damn thing’s so overloaded I’m surprised they haven’t been bursting into flames all over the country. I’ve got a fire extinguisher under the table just in case. Oh, I told the company about it, too, but would they listen?"

I love engineers.

This sort of thing doesn’t happen in most other U.S. industries, and it never happens in Asia. Chemists don’t call up the offices of Plastics Design Forum to boast about their new, top-secret thermoplastic alloy. The Detroit Free Press doesn’t hear from engineers at Chrysler, telling about the bore and stroke of a new engine or in what car models that engine is likely to appear, and when. But that’s exactly what happens in the personal computer industry.

Most callers fall into one of three groups. Some are proud of their work but are afraid that the software program or computer system they have designed will be mismarketed or never marketed at all. Others are ashamed of a bad product they have been associated with and want to warn potential purchasers. And a final group talks out of pure defiance of authority.

All three groups share a common feeling of efficacy: They believe that something can be accomplished by sharing privileged information with the world of microcomputing through me. What they invariably want to accomplish is a change in their company’s course, pushing forward the product that might have been ignored, pulling back the one that was released too soon, or just showing management that it can be defied. In a smokestack industry, this would be like a couple of junior engineers at Ford taking it on themselves to go public with their conviction that next year’s Mustang really ought to have fuel injection.

That’s not the way change is accomplished at Ford, of course, where the business of business is taken very seriously, change takes place very slowly, and words like ought don’t have a place outside the executive suite, and maybe not even there. Nor is change accomplished this way in the mainframe computer business, which moves at a pace that is glacial, even in comparison to Ford. But in the personal computer industry, where few executives have traditional business backgrounds or training and a totally new generation of products is introduced every eighteen months, workers can become more committed to their creation than to the organization for which they work.

Outwardly, this lack of organizational loyalty looks bad, but it turns out to be very good. Bad products die early in the marketplace or never appear. Good products are recognized earlier. Change accelerates. And organizations are forced to be more honest. Most especially, everyone involved shares the same understanding of why they are working: to create the product.

Reprinted with permission

Photo Credit: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive

Lamest Apple rumor yet: iWatch

Publié: février 11, 2013, 7:30pm CET par Joe Wilcox

Either Apple has gotten so good at keeping secrets that no one knows what's next, or there ain't nothing new to gossip about. That is my reaction to the Wall Street Journal weekend story claiming the company is working on a wrist-watch. Move over Casio! Stop saving for Rolex! Because the fruit-logo company's next, big thing -- the new category to rival iPhone and iPad -- is the timepiece? Surely CEO Tim Cook and Company realize that many people get the time from computer or smartphone.

Some advice to Apple: Talk to "been there, done that" Microsoft, which made valiant effort with Smart Watch, only to fail. There was some real innovation behind the concept, using FM radio to transmit news, traffic and other data to the timepiece. But smartphones, more today than they did then, provide the same information. Will it really sell on the wrist?

My local Sony store sells an Android timepiece for about $130, and there are others offering GPS or more -- and you can even buy wrist-straps for wearing iPod nano. But an Apple watch? To what? To talk in Dick Tracy-like fashion to Siri, which often doesn't have right answers anyway? Or to be misdirected by Apple Maps? I can see some advantage to turn-by-turn directions while biking. But do watch out for that canal, landfill or (gulp) cliff. (By the way, Fossil made a Dick Tracy-modeled Smart Watch that was ultra-retro cool.)

What about the name? Is it going to be iWatch, which brings up weird connotations like I watch you. "Mom, what's that weirdo doing peering at us and talking to his wrist. Gives me the creeps".

In January I asked: "Will 2013 be another year of Apple iteration masquerading as innovation?" iWatch is neither innovation or iteration but irritation, bumping into people looking down at the wrist, babbling instant messages and Facebook updates instead of, ah, watching where they're going. Call the EMTs! Another one got hit! He's under the bus!

Perhaps the timepiece isn't so important as the rumor -- that it's not something more interesting. At a time of sinking shares, Apple could use a good rumor to kick the stock up. Microsoft's Smart Watch was a bright idea that the consumer market took dim liking to. Perhaps Apple can do better. I ask: Why bother?

Security firm Bit9 gets 'bit' after failing to install its own software

Publié: février 11, 2013, 7:14pm CET par Alan Buckingham

The anti-virus and security business is a tough one, fraught with competition and cutting-edge technology designed to not only stop current threats, but predict future ones via heuristics. It is also a place where minor errors can become high-profile issues. Like last year when Sophos detected its own files as a virus and began systematically deleting them, rendering its software useless to customers.

The latest blow below the waist for a security firm involves Bit9. In what can only be termed as "embarrassing", the company failed to install its very own security software on computers within its corporate network. The vulnerable systems were soon compromised.

The incident was explained by Bit9's Patrick Morley in a statement that read, in part, "Due to an operational oversight within Bit9, we failed to install our own product on a handful of computers within our network. As a result, a malicious third party was able to illegally gain temporary access to one of our digital code-signing certificates that they then used to illegitimately sign malware. There is no indication that this was the result of an issue with our product. Our investigation also shows that our product was not compromised".

In the company's defense, it did send out a warning to its customers before publishing this information, in case the attack had actually breached its security software. Then, after discovering the problem, it made the embarrassing information public as a warning to users -- almost like a PR-stunt of what can happen if you do not use its products, although I will give the firm the benefit of the doubt here, and this is why...

The company also had a security certificate compromised, allowing attackers to digitally sign malware. That is where things get really bad, really fast. Fortunately Bit9 claims that it has found only three customers who fell victim to the "verified" malware and Morely goes on to explain that "we have been working closely with all of our customers to ensure they are no longer vulnerable to malware associated with the affected certificate".

If the company is accurate in its reporting of only three customers being affected then it is very lucky to have dodged a bullet this time around. Bit9, along with Sophos, should stand as examples to other security firms of what can easily go wrong. Perhaps though, this field will never be exactly right -- it is an imperfect science and human error is always in play.

Photo credit: dohtoor/Shutterstock

Amazon teams up with CBS and Stephen King for new TV series

Publié: février 11, 2013, 6:13pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Amazon works hard to position Prime streaming against Netflix and the new Redbox Instant. Uh-oh, the retail giant muscles Hulu, too. Amazon has struck a deal with TV network CBS for exclusive rights to the upcoming Stephen King TV show, based on his novel "Under the Dome".

The show, produced by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television, will debut this summer -- June 24th to be precise. Amazon Prime will be "establishing an in-season, online subscription-video-on-demand (SVOD) window for the show on Amazon’s Prime Instant Video service. Prime Instant Video will be the exclusive online subscription home for "Under the Dome", according to the company.

Amazon Prime video service is not only available via your computer, but also on Kindle Fire HD, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Roku, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and the Wii U, among other devices.

Episodes will be available to Prime customers free-of-charge four days after each airs on network TV. Those who are not Prime customers can still get in on the action by purchasing individual episodes, although the price was not mentioned in Amazon's announcement.

If you are not an avid King reader the company offers a brief synopsis of what to expect -- "Under the Dome tells the story of a small New England town that is suddenly and inexplicably sealed off from the rest of the world by an enormous transparent dome". Amazon also boasts its Prime library now sports more than 36,000 choices.

Photo Credit: Mikael Damkier/Shutterstock

iPod's end draws near

Publié: février 11, 2013, 5:52pm CET par Joe Wilcox

Debate is fierce about whether smartphones and tablets cannibalize PC sales. Surely, we can all agree that these device subsume dedicated MP3 players. Top-selling iPod is product in declining demand, while today NPD puts hard numbers behind changing music-listening habits. Which reminds me, I promised to set up my wife's Rdio account over the weekend. We got a family plan a few days back. She'll stream on Google Nexus 4 or 10 and download some tracks for offline ear-banging.

She's not alone. Fifty-six of U.S. smartphone users listen to music on the device -- 40 percent for tablets, according to NPD. I'm in the latter category on Nexus 7. Consumption is up, with 54 percent of smartphone music listeners doing more than a year ago and 39 percent tuning in at least once a day.

Again, on smartphones, Internet Radio is most popular among music listeners (65 percent) -- about the same as tablets. Sixty-percent of smartphone listeners, and 49 percent of tablets owners, use their own music (presumably ripped from CDs rather than ripped off from file-sharing sites). Subscription services like Spotify: 30 percent on smartphones.

"With both local music storage and the ability to connect to any number of online music services, tablets and smartphones are actually contributing to a net increase in their owner’s use of internet radio and personal music collections", Ben Arnold, NPD's director of industry analysis, says.

When Apple cofounder Steve Jobs introduced iPhone in January 2007, he pitched a combo device, with music playback being one benefit. As iPhone, and now iPad, sales rise, iPod falls. During fiscal first quarter 2007, iPod accounted for 48 percent of Apple revenue. Six years later: 5 percent compared to 71 percent for iPhone and iPad combined. That said, sequential sales grew in the triple digits in fiscal Q1 2013. iPod is by no means dead, but NPD's data shows just how dramatically music habits are changing.

Change doesn't stop there. "We are seeing sales growth in products that compliment playback on mobile devices, particularly those that feature wireless local streaming", Arnold says. It's the big trend. Wireless headphone sales grew 34 percent year over year in 2012, while wireless speaker sales tripled. Bluetooth models accounted for 28 percent of soundbar sales -- jump from 6 percent a year earlier.

"Products that enhance listening like streaming speakers and soundbars with Bluetooth and even premium headphones have experienced tremendous growth over the past year is evidence that consumers aren’t only satisfied with music on-the-go, they increasingly want to use these devices for a better in-home music experience", Arnold says.

I don't use a soundbar, but likely will buy wireless speakers this year to put in different rooms in our apartment. And you?

First Surface Pro commercial is uninspiring

Publié: février 11, 2013, 4:36pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Weather may have ruined the Surface Pro launch event, but the "laptop in tablet form" started selling on February 9, in Canada and United States, nonetheless. And just like with its Windows RT-powered sibling, Microsoft aired a video ad that is meant to increase awareness and promote Surface Pro as a business-oriented device. But does it?

Interestingly titled "The Vibe", the Surface Pro video commercial bears a strong resemblance to the Surface RT one that debuted in mid-October. It's a very dynamic advert with business people dancing, smiling, signing, throwing things around, acting cool and generally doing things that business people don't normally ever do while at the office. It even starts with the same guy that opened up the Surface RT ad. The Vibe is a nice concept, but a poor choice for Surface Pro.

The first issue with The Vibe: Microsoft pointlessly tries to pit the Surface Pro target audience as a cool crowd, capable of breaking away from the corporate norm, stripped of any preconceptions and let loose. That has absolutely nothing in common with the day-to-day life of business users, nor does it help promote the tablet among the intended audience.

The Vibe does not highlight any of the Surface Pro strong-suits and only shows that the device features a detachable stylus and USB port that can be used to tick something and plug in a microphone, respectively. It's a missed opportunity for Microsoft, considering that Surface Pro can do plenty more.

The Redmond, Wash.-based corporation could have emphasized the benefits of having a stylus by drawing a small sketch, plugging an external hard drive into the USB port, connecting a mini DisplayPort-compatible external display, running some resource-intensive software on Surface Pro and many more, but instead did none of that.

The Surface brand does not need to break ground anymore through an impressively-hip ad or make tablet buyers look cool because it did that before with the Surface RT. With the Surface Pro commercial I expected Microsoft to rest on its laurels and tell viewers what makes it a good choice for them by connecting with them at a more mature level. After watching The Vibe I wonder: How can anyone know that Surface Pro is not just another tablet?

Get your questions ready -- President Obama returns for a new Google+ Hangout

Publié: février 11, 2013, 1:58pm CET par Wayne Williams

Towards the end of January, United States Vice President Joe Biden participated in a "Fireside Hangout" on Google+ to talk about reducing gun violence. A week later it was the turn of Domestic Policy Director Cecilia Munoz who used Google’s social network to discuss immigration reform.

And next up it will be US President Obama himself taking part in the 21st century equivalent of FDR’s famous radio addresses.

Days after delivering the State of the Union to Congress, and just as he did in 2012, the President will be answering a selection of top-voted questions in a live-streamed interview.

Selected participants will ask their own questions, but if you have something to say you can head to the White House YouTube channel and submit a video or text question there.

You can submit or vote on topics you’d like to hear the President address until 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, February 13. The hangout itself will be on Thursday at 4:50 p.m. ET.

So do you plan on getting involved and what questions would you like the President to answer?

Photo Credit: Pete Souza/The White House

You can still get 50GB of free cloud storage with Box

Publié: février 11, 2013, 1:38pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

With cloud services like MediaFire and Mega offering generous free storage straight off the bat, the spotlight slowly fades away from other players and their abysmal free space offers. Box, however, has decided if you can't beat them, join them and is currently providing the same mind-boggling 50GB of free cloud storage, courtesy of Dell.

The offer has been available for a couple of days and comes with no expiration date on the storage limit. Even though it's associated with Dell there is no limitation requiring you to sign up using a Dell device, such as computer or tablet. Any user can take advantage of the 50GB of free cloud storage just by providing the first name, last name, email address, password and phone number.

For those who embrace a mobile lifestyle, Box is a better match than MediaFire and Mega as it offers apps for Android, iOS, Windows 8/RT and Windows Phone. The service is also available on the newly-launched BlackBerry 10, courtesy of BlackBerry which develops the app.

Photo Credit: Sergej Khakimullin/Shutterstock

Take total control of your HOSTS file with HostsMan

Publié: février 11, 2013, 12:39pm CET par Mike Williams

The Windows HOSTS file is based on a simple idea -- it just redirects specific domain names to your preferred IP address -- but this has some very useful applications. If you want to block access to a particular website, for instance, just add its domain name to HOSTS, point it to an IP address representing your local system (127.0.0.1, usually), and you won’t be able to reach the site in any browser.

But that’s just the start. You could also use HOSTS to block advertising servers, and known malicious sites. And sometimes malware will tweak your HOSTS file to gain control over your internet access. If you want to review all this then you could just open HOSTS in Notepad, but HostsMan could be a much better option -- it’s a compact, portable and free HOSTS file manager with a stack of features.

Launch HostsMan as an administrator and you might start by viewing your own HOSTS file. Click Editor, the file will appear, and you can browse it to see what entries (if any) it contains.

There are plenty of editing options here. Right-click and you’ll find options to create, edit, disable or delete entries, copy them to and from the clipboard, and add comments. An Edit > Find option contains a powerful search feature, with regular expression support, to help you locate particular entries. And useful management features include options to delete the empty lines in a file, the comments, and more.

And better still, if you’re worried about malware then you can ask the program to look for possible hijacked HOSTS entries, or just display any which have been created or modified recently.

HostsMan has another very useful security function elsewhere, though in its Hosts Updater. This provides built-in access to seven popular HOSTS files which can help to block ad servers, known malicious sites, and so on. You can add more sources if necessary, then import these to update your own HOSTS file.

It’s worth keeping in mind that an incorrectly updated HOSTS file can cause problems, perhaps blocking access to sites you’d like to reach (especially relevant as this is a beta version, and bugs are to be expected). Fortunately HostsMan also includes a backup tool where you can save your current HOSTS file, and restore it later if necessary. Click Tools > Backup Manager, then Create Backup to save your current HOSTS. Or, if you want to return to the default Windows HOSTS setup with no redirections at all, click "* Original Hosts *" > Restore Backup.

And just in case this isn’t enough, HostsMan also contains several time-saving shortcuts. If a HOSTS file change doesn’t work right away, for instance, it could be because Windows has cached the previous IP address; click Tools > Flush DNS Cache to try again. Or, if you want to update or access the file yourself, there’s no need to manually browse to it: just click Tools > Open Hosts Folder, and there are menu entries to open it in Explorer, a command window or PowerShell.

There are plenty of powerful functions here, and as HostsMan 4 is also in beta right now it’s probably not a good choice for networking beginners.

If you’re already used to exploring your HOSTS file, though, the program should prove an excellent assistant which will make the management process very much easier.

Photo Credit Konstantinos Kokkinis/Shutterstock

Dedicated YouTube channel coming to British TV

Publié: février 11, 2013, 10:59am CET par Wayne Williams

Freesat, the BBC and ITV-backed satellite TV operator, has unveiled plans to launch a dedicated YouTube channel from next month. This will be the first time Google’s service has been made available through a free-to-air provider in the UK.

Available by the end of March, the YouTube channel will be the very latest iteration built on HTML 5 and, according to Freesat, offer a "TV-optimized, visually stunning and fully interactive viewing experience". Viewers will be able access videos to watch through the main programming guide.

Peter Sherman, Product Marketing Manager for YouTube said, "We’re happy to be working with Freesat so that Freesat users can now access YouTube from the platform. Our creator community is developing quality content that will delight and inspire viewers and we’re pleased to be able to bring it to people in new ways".

Freesat customers require a set-top box to access the service but do not have to pay a subscription fee. The service launched in 2008 and has just sold its 3 millionth product.

Photo Credit M.Stasy/Shutterstock

Create animated GIFs from YouTube videos with Any GIF Animator

Publié: février 11, 2013, 9:30am CET par Mike Williams

From a Captain Picard facepalm to a dancing Homer Simpson, there’s an animated GIF for every occasion. Which is one reason why they’re still regularly used in emails, forum posts, on web pages and so on. (Although another is probably compatibility: unlike more modern technologies, such as HTML5 or CSS3, animated GIFs work just about everywhere.)

If you’re tired of reposting one of the standard animations, though, why not create a new GIF of your own? It’s surprisingly easy. Any GIF Animator imports just about any video or YouTube clip, and once you’ve zoomed in on the section you’d like to use, can have a quality animated GIF ready and online in just a few seconds.

After a quick installation (no adware, but the program does ask to install Media Player Codec Pack Lite) you’re able to import your first video. The program can open a wide range of formats (3GP, ASF, AVI, DAT, FLV, MKV, MOV, MP4, MPEG, RAM/RM/ RMVB, TS, VOB, WEBM, WMV), and it’ll also download YouTube clips if you just provide the appropriate URL.

An embedded media player then allows you to browse through your video clip, find and mark the section you’d like to convert. Oddly, you can’t step through the movie in frames -- the smallest increment is a tenth of a second -- so you’re not able to be as precise as we’d like. But otherwise this is a fairly simple operation, and you’ll quickly have your core clip ready.

If you’d like fine control over your animation then the good news is that Any GIF Animator provides lots of configuration options. So you can set the GIF’s size and frame rate; crop the image; tweak saturation, brightness and contrast; add a text caption, choose the best dithering method, set the animation type (looping, direction) and more.

But if you’re not sure whether you need any of this, or are just in a hurry, then you can just accept the default settings -- they work well, most of the time.

And when you’re happy with the clip, all you have to do is click "Convert to GIF" and Any GIF Animator will process your chosen video, create an animated GIF version, and upload it to the AnyGif server, where you’ll be given the URLs you need to share the clip with others.

One very obvious issue here is that the program doesn’t offer you a choice about uploading animations -- it just does it. And your GIF will then immediately be visible to anyone who visits the site, so bear that in mind before you create anything of a, well, personal nature. (We’d also urge caution if you’re looking for something family-friendly; the program itself is fine, but view what others are creating on the website and you’ll find plenty of porn.)

Perhaps most annoyingly, Any GIF Animator doesn’t even provide an option to save a local copy of your animation. If you want to do this then you’ll need to either allow it to be uploaded, then save it from your browser, or make a copy of the temporary file the program creates -- see C:\Users\[UserName]\AppData\Roaming\Any GIF Animator, for instance, or search your system for out.gif.

There’s a lot to like about Any GIF Animator, then, and you can use it right now to produce quality animations. The program also has some significant annoyances, though, and it really needs a local save option to be added very soon.

Photo Credit: Alex Kosev/Shutterstock

Microsoft announces Surface Pro availability while apologizing that you can't get it

Publié: février 10, 2013, 3:02pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Last weekend was a big one for the sports world -- the Super Bowl is a day when even non-NFL fans suddenly watch football. This weekend turned out to be an exciting one for the tech world with Microsoft's launch of the Surface Pro tablet, which resulted in lines and a sellout.

In an ironic blog post yesterday Microsoft's Panos Panay, Surface chief, both announced the availability while simultaneously apologizing that customers could not actually buy one. A post titled "Surface Pro: Available Now" begins with "We’re working with our retail partners who are currently out of stock of the 128GB Surface Pro to replenish supplies as quickly as possible. Our priority is to ensure that every customer gets their new Surface Pro as soon as possible". If you are confused then apparently you are not the only one.

Panay went on to sing the praises of the new tablet and ironically ended by letting everyone know to "get yourself a Limited Edition Touch Cover before they’re all gone". I am not exactly sure what he expects customers to use it on, since the tablet it is made for is out of stock.

As of this morning the 64 GB version is still in stock, at least on Microsoft's online store. The big brother remains unavailable. But hey, at least you can get your Touch Cover now!

Surface sells out!

Publié: février 10, 2013, 6:03am CET par Joe Wilcox

So much for the naysayers panning Microsoft's flagship tablet, or (wrongly) calling it woefully overpriced (but inferior) iPad. The first Surface Pro shipment sold out -- well, just about -- and only within a few hours, too. I called a half-dozen West Coast Microsoft Stores Saturday evening. None have either model. The online shop is sold out of the 128GB slate, but you can still get the 64 gigger. Stock checks at Best Buy and Staples also reveal sell-outs.

"They cleaned us out!" one California MS Store employee tells me Saturday night. Another says his shop stocked out in a couple of hours. No one would say how much inventory was available, but one person says, "Plenty!" Clearly not plenty enough. The question now: How long will those who want Surface Pro wait? One staffer says he expects more tablets Tuesday. No one else has timeframe.

Early February 9, I wondered what to expect after going to the San Diego store, which opened at 10 am local time to a line of about 50. When I snapped the photo above, only about 30 people waited -- and what a stereotypical geek group, too. Many looked like they had just time-traveled from 1978 and coding alongside Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates. After months of catcalls deriding Windows 8 or Surface RT, these buyers paid their revenge -- four businesses down from Apple Store. As did others across Canada and the United States.

Perhaps BetaNews poll "Will you buy Microsoft Surface Pro?" captures a trend. Among the more than 2,000 respondents (so far), only 16 percent definitively say they won't purchase the tablet. A stunning 45 percent say "as soon as available", which is now -- that is if anyone can reasonably call two countries "available".

Microsoft manufactures two Surfaces, its first commercially available personal computers. One, running Windows RT and using ARM architecture, competes with iPad. The other is x86-based Windows 8 Pro and competes with MacBook Air. For the big lowdown, see my first-impressions review and followup asking "Should you buy Surface Pro?"

Surface is unlike any other slate currently available: tablet, laptop and sketchboard (there's stylus and touch). Whether sales are sustainable or even meaningful is anyone's guess, until (hopefully not if) Microsoft releases sales numbers.

For now I request feedback. If you bought Surface Pro, do tell us all which model and share your reaction. Trust me, lots of people want to know.

Photo Credit: Joe Wilcox

Get your files in order with Just Manager

Publié: février 10, 2013, 2:12am CET par Mike Williams

There are many reasons to be annoyed by Windows, but perhaps one of the most common is its feeble file manager. Explorer is desperately short on features and functionality, and there’s no sign of this changing any time soon: if anything, it looks like Microsoft is trying to head for a simpler world where most people never bother with file management at all.

Fortunately you don’t have to put up with the standard Windows offerings, though, as there are a host of third-party file managers to explore. And the latest, Just Manager, is particularly promising: it’s still in alpha, but if you’re interested in Explorer alternatives then it’s definitely worth a few minutes of your time.

The program’s portable build is extremely compact, for instance, at barely more than 500KB. And its installation is extremely simple: a single executable, one DLL, a few settings and language files, and that’s it. Just Manager isn’t going to clutter your system.

Launch the program and there are no obvious compromises in the interface, though, which looks just as you’d expect for this kind of tool: multi-pane, with a tabbed interface, already network-enabled (your existing mapped drives should already be available, and you can easily add more), with full drag and drop support, and so on.

And despite its alpha status and small size, Just Manager still has room for some useful extras. Like a small command line at the bottom of the program window, for instance. Navigate to a folder, enter a particular command there -- “attrib *.exe” or whatever it might be -- and a console window will open to show you the results.

But that’s just the start. There’s also a batch file renaming tool. A capable search dialog. An option to change the file stamps and attributes for your chosen files (and we mean all the attributes: Compressed, Offline, System, Sparse file, Reparse point and more). A folder comparison tool. You even get an FTP client (basic, but it works).

And this can all be configured via a surprisingly capable Settings box, where for example you can already customise the entire menu system. So you can browse to a particular item and remove or rename it, replace its icon, even give it an entirely different action of your own (so clicking “Search”, for example, could launch any other search tool you might want to use).

This is still an alpha, of course, and so you’ll spot deficiencies and problems from time to time. Icons can’t display the contents of files, for instance (image file icons won’t show picture thumbnails). You can’t drag and drop files onto a tab that isn’t currently selected. And we found the program crashed a few times for no apparent reason.

Still, even now Just Manager is a likeable tool with a lot of features, and already far more powerful than Explorer in many areas. Development seems to be proceeding well, too, and we’ll be interested to see where the project goes next.

Photo Credit: S.john/Shutterstock

Spanning takes the crown for Google Apps backup services [review]

Publié: février 9, 2013, 10:57pm CET par Derrick Wlodarz

The competition in the Google Apps backup market is steadily ramping up, with more than a few contenders jumping in lately to have a piece of this newfound need. Just two months ago, I wrote about my (mostly) positive thoughts regarding Apps backup provider Backupify. But in order to do the competition justice, I decided to give the other popular alternative Spanning a run for the money.

Your choices don't stop at Spanning and Backupify, in case you're wondering. Google stepped into the backup arena with its first party Vault solution earlier last year, which takes the crown for being the most integrated option (for apparent reasons.) Some of the junior vendors in this space also include CloudAlly and SysCloudSoft. These two latter providers try to edge out Spanning and Backupify with better pricing, but they are not yet as established so it is tough to judge them on cost comparison alone.

For Google Apps administrators looking for a quality cloud backup solution, both Spanning and Backupify fit the bill at face value. Each provides varying degrees of data backup for the Apps platform, and both are quite cost-effective. But as I outlined in my writeup on Backupify back in December 2012, it does have a few shortcomings. Namely in offering no price discounts for the educational/nonprofit sectors and also in having some questionable inabilities like no true Google Sites restoration, as well as forced "all or nothing" restores as opposed to per-item selections.

Spanning is Well-organized and Visually Appealing

I know backup platforms aren't here to win fashion awards, but visual organization and a clean UI go a long way in creating a fully functional service. Case in point: Backupify doesn't have the worst UI in the cloud arena, but it surely wouldn't win any trophies from me. It took me a good 15-20 mins to get acquainted enough with Backupify to truly understand how to navigate the entire interface, and how it grouped backups, settings, etc.

Spanning spared me the lesson in software navigation. In short order, I quickly understood that moving around the backup service entailed two simple concepts. The first entails understanding what level of your domain you are browsing (the uppermost "domain" portion of your account, or a particular user account) and then the subsequent settings and available restoration options for that level. The contrasting color scheme goes a long way in creating simplistic experience that doesn't dumb down the interface, but saves me from having to go into the FAQ section to get my bearings straight.

Even non-technical admins can make their way around Spanning. The interface as a whole is a pleasure to navigate and you're never left wondering about where to go next.

Spanning takes a more Google Apps-esque viewpoint on assigning backup rights to accounts in your domain. Whereas Backupify opts to have mere on and off approach to which accounts are backed up, Spanning uses the licenses method that Google Apps admins should already be used to (since Google Apps forces you to purchase seats by licenses.) I wouldn't say I necessarily favor one approach over the other, but you can quickly reassign licenses and see how many are left at a glance.

Another area where I like Spanning in the visual department is its Status History page that shows you a simple dot matrix chart that corresponds to how backups went for each user over the past 30 days. Its clever, simple, yet intuitive and reduces the need for admins to waste time digging into status reports unnecessarily. In many ways, this page takes numerous cues from Google's own Status Dashboard, but I don't mind. The basis behind the idea works well.

Checking on your backup stats couldn't be simpler. Green is good, anything else deserves a second look. Clean, yet effective.

There are other small areas that aren't very crucial on the outset but become more useful in more nuanced scenarios. For example, there's no way in Backupify to view how much space each user is taking up in terms of backup needs. In Spanning, this is easily done on a single page that displays the largest users on top, using simple bars or varying sizes to denote storage space used. Other minor nuances persist throughout the service like bright, big buttons for changing options and visual cues that hit you over the head when something is wrong.

Backup and Restore Capabilities are Top-notch

I have to bite my tongue a bit, because I gave Backupify some high accolades for impressive capabilities. That was until I laid my hands on what Spanning offered Google Apps administrators. The level of features baked into the service are quite stellar, especially when you look at the bevy of options provided when it comes to restoration abilities.

For starters, Spanning introduces some welcome settings that allow you to adjust things like backup exclusions per account. By default the service has options configured that prevent shared documents and calendars from being backed up to a third party's (the sharing recipient) account. But as an admin, you may opt to change these settings for select users. In similar fashion, particularly email under certain labels can be excluded from backups if it serves little value to the user or organization.

The crown jewel of Spanning's prowess is clearly demonstrated on its Restore page that allows each user's data to be plucked back from oblivion. And here is where the differences between Spanning and Backupify are even greater, because Spanning allows for point-in-time restoration on top of multi-item restoration. Want to go back and merely bring back a copy of a Google Doc from two weeks ago, as well as a Google Presentation two days prior to that? With Spanning this is easy as ever, since the interface allows for complex searches that are visually succinct and easy to follow.

Spanning lets you see your inbox the way it stood at any point in time. Talk about detailed restoration.

Another important difference is that Spanning allows you to restore entire folder structure for your Google Drive account. In Backupify, to my best knowledge from past tests, folder structure was not kept intact and large, complex accounts became a miserable mess if a full restoration was needed due to data disaster. Spanning not only brings these files back but recreates where they sat, saving you endless hours in cleaning up your cloud storage drive.

The level of control provided on restores really does matter. Think about it: do most users truly make messes of their entire inbox or Google Drive account at a time? Not likely. Most of the time, in my own consulting experience, end users lose single files or emails and want the ability to bring those selective items back from the dead. Spanning simplifies this process to the lowest common denominator, and I can't commend it enough for this capability.

An item that may or may not matter to some organizations could also be the fact that Spanning can handle full restores on Google Sites within a domain. While Backupify does handle backup of Sites, it can only offer exports on them - not true restores. Many organizations I consult are choosing Google Sites as an alternative to Sharepoint these days, so this could be another tipping point in your own comparison search.

A colorful interface that has a dead simple menu structure. "It just works".

In keeping with their dedication to granular file control, Spanning goes a step further and allows for multi-selected file export. Want to download three files from someone's Google Drive that may be needed? You can do it with just a few clicks. The online interface for Spanning represents a simplistic version of Windows Explorer so even the most beginner of Google Apps admins will not feel overwhelmed with performing such tasks. Backupify has export capability on the various Apps, but they are primarily full service exports. The "all or nothing" mentality as I mentioned previously which is nice, but not great.

Spanning doesn't come without its flaws, however. While it allows you as admin to select whether end users can or can't change their backup settings, it doesn't let you, for example, pick and choose which options users can adjust. It would have been nice to see Spanning allow admins to let users adjust which mail labels they can/can't backup, but force full backups on each Drive account if necessary.

Also, while you can see how much storage space each user occupyies on the service at a glance, you can't tell what services account for the used space. Spanning could have taken a few functional cues from FlashPanel on that point, since the service excels in providing very good insight as to how much data is residing in both Drive and Email at any given time.

Minor grievances aside, Spanning provides an all around experience that is exemplary of what my wish list from a cloud backup provider looks like. Some companies excel in function, some in form - but Spanning seems to have hit it home in both areas, and to that, a much needed kudos.

Competitive Pricing and Proven Security Credentials

Lots of companies are very particular on the security credentials of auxiliary services my company recommends in the course of Google Apps and Office 365 consulting. And while I was pretty impressed with Backupify's claims about security, Spanning puts their money where their mouth is in the form of having achieved full SSAE 16 audit status.

This accreditation not only certified the level of security and standards in place for their technology backbone, but everything else encompassing employee protocol, customer communication, and much more. If everything else puts Spanning and other backup providers neck and neck, then this should be something to bring it over the top.

Before you wish to purchase, they provide the obligatory 14 day free trial. Getting signed up is a piece of cake. And on the pricing front, Spanning has another clear win. Their service costs a flat $40/year at face value ($35/year if you can find a discount code) and the most important factor here is that there is no storage cap. Backupify's lowest end tier places a 35GB cap on storage space per user, which could easily become a problem for execs who have 20GB in their email inboxes and another 20GB+ of Drive files to manage. Sure, you could go up to Backupify's $4/month plan but Spanning still has them beat in cost for the same feature set level.

I also knocked Backupify on their lack of discounts for the educational and nonprofit sectors. Spanning has, in contrast, been offering lofty 25-percent discounts for these two important markets, and this will definitely play a big part in many organizations' decisions. Google's own Vault may be the one platform that undercuts Spanning on cost, as they offer free Vault service to all students at any K-12 domain that purchases Vault for its entire staff base (at a cheap $10/user per year.) But for the feature set and multi-faceted capabilities of Spanning, Vault is tough to recommend above that of the former.

Whichever direction you decide to head with your organization, remember that the cloud still needs to be backed up like any other on-premise system. While it's very true that Google Apps and Office 365 both have the technical underpinnings to prevent systematic failure or data loss, they do nothing to prevent user-induced data loss. This is where you need to have some kind of solution in place, ready to help restore files in times of need.

The cloud is great as a whole, but data backup is something we just can't seem to shake. At least Spanning makes it foolproof easy.

Photo Credit: T. L. Furrer/Shutterstock

Derrick Wlodarz is an IT professional who owns Park Ridge, IL (USA) based computer repair company FireLogic. He has over 7+ years of experience in the private and public technology sectors, holds numerous credentials from CompTIA and Microsoft, and is one of a handful of Google Apps Certified Trainers & Deployment Specialists in the States. He is an active member of CompTIA's Subject Matter Expert Technical Advisory Council that shapes the future of CompTIA examinations across the globe. You can reach out to him at info@firelogic.net.

Listen up! Spotify is now on Windows Phone 8

Publié: février 9, 2013, 3:55am CET par Alan Buckingham

The timing could not be better. Yesterday my wife received her shiny new Nokia Lumia 822 and today she can now use it to play music from the streaming service Spotify. Oh, she probably will not because, not her thing, but she could, and that is the important thing because the option was not available to her, or any other Windows Phone 8 customers, yesterday.

Today Microsoft's Michael Stroh proudly announces that Spotify has now found a home in the Windows Phone Store. The app is still in beta, which means users may experience a bit of a hiccup here and there, but customers can "instantly increases the size of your music library by millions of tracks, making it easy to discover new songs and artists. You can create your own playlists, or browse and indulge in the ones your friends put together". It also features the ability to download playlists to your handset for listening at times when you are not within range of a connection. Tracks added from the phone app also show on your computer.

The app is free. The service, however, will only be free during your 30-day trial. After that, you will need to cough up $9.99 per month to continue using it. If not, then your feature set will be limited, as it is for other mobile platforms.

Spotify, however, is on par with rival services price-wise -- in fact, the same exact price that Microsoft charged for its own Zune service, which is now Xbox Music. Others, like rdio, also charge that $9.99 fee -- it seems to be the sweet spot. However, given its popularity, many customers may already pay for a premium Spotify account on their PC, making this a good deal for when moving from the desktop to the mobile environment.

Photo Credit: Regissercom/Shutterstock

Should you buy Microsoft Surface Pro?

Publié: février 9, 2013, 1:48am CET par Joe Wilcox

Microsoft's flagship tablet running Window 8 Pro goes on sale in Canada and the United States on February 9. The device is the most-important released to date running the operating system, for what it seeks to accomplish and means for Microsoft. Critics call Windows RT a failure (I disagree). Distribution is the problem, if any, and that's easily remedied.

Still, RT badmouthing puts Pro perceptions in a bad spot. Microsoft's public relations team responded by getting devices out to reviewers and setting an embargo of 9 pm EST February 5. So four days before launch, a bunch of reviews exploded across the InterWebs around the same time. Younger reviewers from trendier tech tabloids tend to talk up Surface Pro while older fogies and those from more consumer pubs are more hesitant. I'm among the few old farts who get Surface and what Microsoft strives to achieve here. Then, again, I've covered the company for a long time.

Some Basics

I've used Surface Pro for about a week now as my primary PC and generally like the device. Hardware is top-notch and the design makes me feel good. I enjoy working on Surface and being seen with the slate at the local Internet café. Modern UI is a visual delight, generating happy-producing endorphins. But Surface Pro is quirky, too, much more than RT because of Windows 8 Pro and the amount of time users will spend moving from Desktop to Modern UI and back again. I discuss these attributes and others in my first-impressions review.

By the way, don't discount joy as a reason for buying a product. Apple doesn't and makes beaucoup bucks selling pretty devices. Microsoft finally gives you opportunity to feel good about using Windows.

Surface Pro specs. 10.6-inch ClearType HD Display with 1920 by 1080 resolution; 1.7GHz Intel Core i5 processor and HD 4000 graphics; 4GB RAM; 64GB or 128GB storage; 720p front- and rear-facing cameras (meaning they're for video more than photos); accelerometer; ambient-light sensor; compass; gyroscope; Wi-Fi A/N; Bluetooth 4; USB 3; Windows Pro 8. Dimensions and weight: 10.81 x 6.81 x 0.53 inches and just under 2 pounds. Price: $899 (64GB); $999 (128GB).

I recommend the 128GB model, which comes with about 90GB free space compared to 23GB for the other. Some advice to Microsoft: Copy Google and give Surface Pro buyers free cloud storage. Chromebook buyers get 100GB for 2 years, free. Surface Pro users deserve that much SkyDrive. It's a low-cost add with high value, particularly for anyone buying the 64GB model.

Three for One

Surface Pro is unlike any Windows machine you've seen before. Its a tablet, touchscreen laptop and sketchboard, all wrapped up as one. I didn't discuss these distinct and overlapping functions in my review, saving them for here.

How well they work, or don't, is crucial to evaluating the device. Core features and pricing put Suface Pro in competition with Windows ultrabooks or MacBook Air. Surface Pro sells for $899 or $999, without Touch or Type Cover, in line with $999 MacBook Air. Android and iOS tablets, as well as Surface RT, cater to a different audience, starting around $500.

Do not look at Surface Pro like iPad. Apple's slate does not and cannot compete with Microsoft's. MacBook Air can. Anything you read on the web about Pro being an over-priced iPad is misinformation.

The point: If you are shopping for a tablet that is affordable and generally good for running apps and consuming web content and playing casual games, Surface Pro isn't for you. I recommend iPad 4 or Google Nexus 10 first, for their high-resolution screens and better choice of apps. Or Windows RT, which is great value with one of two style keyboard covers. However, if you're shopping for a new notebook, a tablet that does more or the best Windows 8 experience, Surface Pro should be on your shopping list.

Feel the Difference

As a tablet, Surface Pro is an odd duck. Microsoft chose 10.6 inches for screen size. Typically slates this class are 9.7 inches (Apple and Sony) or 10.1 inches (Samsung). The size is well chosen. Displays 11.6 inches are more typical for Windows slates, and they're awkward to handle for an length of time. The dimensions have no balance in the hands. By comparison, Surface Pro is comfortable enough to hold for extended periods, although it's longer and narrower in portrait mode than I prefer.

Something else: The display technology isn't the same as other touch devices in this size or price class. Surface Pro has a digitized screen that supports touch and stylus, and with remarkable accuracy for both. You must understand: Surface Pro is not a version 1 product. Microsoft has built devices like this in-house for more than 12 years. Cofounder Bill Gates introduced the Tablet PC concept in 2001, and the first third-party commercial devices debuted a year later. Along the way, Microsoft built reference designs for its developers and OEM partners, so there is maturity here that you feel in the precession of touch or stylus.

Tablet PC bombed rather than be the bomb for lots of reasons -- disappointing device designs and over-dependence on the pen among them. Apple pushed past both with iPad, creating a handsome device and immersive software/services consumption experience. They say the pen is mightier than the sword, but not more than touch. The finger extends you.

The point: Surface Pro supports pen and touch, and ships with a stylus. This makes the device as much drawing board as tablet or touchscreen laptop.

Now comes the controversial topic: Use as a laptop. Surface Pro packs a built-in kickstand that combined with Touch or Type Cover easily converts the tablet into a notebook with touchscreen. Unlike Surface RT, which includes one of the keyboard covers for the price of some models, Pro doesn't; buyers pay separately, which adds $129.99 to the base price.

Several other reviewers complain kickstand and keyboard aren't good enough, because they're awkward to near impossible to use in the lap. That's short-sighted perspective. At night, I sometimes sit the slate on my lap and work. While the default on-screen keyboard is too large for my tastes, typing more than satisfies. The high-resolution, precision-touch display changes everything. I can type just about as well on-screen as off, Microsoft's keyboard is so responsive. No Android tablet or iPad that I've used compares.

The point: Surface Po is a true laptop, in the sense it lays in your lap and provides great typing experience. Don't forget other touch capabilities and the stylus. Reviewers hung up on kickstand and keyboard cover lap limitations miss the potential. Open your minds, people!

Key Questions

Surface Pro's biggest shortcomings and also benefits are all about Windows 8. The first Q any prospective buyer should ask: Do I want Windows 8? If the answer is "No", this device isn't for you. There are other touchscreen tablets, such as the Samsung Series 7 slate (which costs hundreds more than Surface Pro), that run Windows 7.

Next question: Do I need to run software you own? For many businesses the answer will be "Yes". Users can install legacy hardware on Surface Pro, but they can't on RT. This about change in system architecture -- x86 versus ARM. If the answer is "No", and might be for consumers or small businesses, compare both Surfaces side by side and consider RT instead for the savings. Screen resolution and storage capacity are lesser, but quality construction, overall design, kickstand and support for keyboard covers are the same. Stylus is out, but free copy of Office (Home and Student) is in.

Another: Is Windows 8, meaning non-Pro, good enough? The answer is likely not for most companies but yes for some consumers or small businesses. There are other, OEM tablets running Intel processors that therefore offer the benefit of installing software you already own. For example, Dell sells the Latitude 10 tablet, running Windows 8, starting at $499. Screen resolution (1366 x 768), processor (1.8GHz Intel Atom) and storage (32GB) are all less. But the tablet is $400 cheaper and Windows 8 Pro is just an extra $24.50. Point: There are options, not that I would recommend them if you can afford Surface Pro.

Overall, my Surface Pro gripes are about Windows. Stability and performance are excellent, but there are some usability gotchas going from Desktop to Modern UI and some real limitations to the newer motif. But software Microsoft can make better over time, if hardware's enough -- and it is.

Only you can answer the question the headline poses. I'll close with this: I think most new computers buyers, and even many looking at tablets, should strongly consider Surface Pro.

Microsoft cancels Surface Pro launch

Publié: février 8, 2013, 9:17pm CET par Joe Wilcox

I should say the big launch event planned for New York City. Can you say bad weather? In October Hurricane Sandy sandbagged (absolutely no pun intended) Google's Nexus device unveiling, also in the Big Apple. The search giant announced products anyway. Likewise, Surface Pro sales will go on, in stores around Canada and the United States and online.

"Surface Pro launch activities in NYC have been cancelled due to weather; our best wishes for everyone impacted by the blizzard," a Microsoft spokesperson tells BetaNews. Surely there's a metaphor here somewhere. What Microsoft's top brass must want -- desperately hope for on knees with hands clasped high -- is a blizzard of Surface Pro sales. A storm of people rushing into stores or pounding keys online to buy one of the two models, 64GB ($899) and 128GB ($999). If we were all characters in a novel, the blizzard would foreshadow future events -- or so Microsofties can only hope.

In the Shakespearean tragedy version, however, the blizzard symbolizes the gods' wrath. CEO Steve Ballmer's flaw is ego, and he fires Windows 8 head honcho Steven Sinofsky only to have Surface go all to hell in the end sans his leadership. Ballmer is lost in a whiteout -- having gone to the City for the launch event -- and isn't seen again until 2087, when construction unearths his remains.

In the real world, the product has a leader, Panos Panay, corporate vice president, who says that the "launch of Surface Pro marks a pivotal moment". That's an understatement, because Microsoft has so much hinging on the touchscreen tablet's success. I agree with company executives whining about the lineup of Windows 8 PCs for the holidays. Few really excited (honestly, none for me).

Surface Pro is a new beast -- a little of this and a little of that, tablet, laptop and sketchpad. The tablet could be the defining Windows 8 device, although I struggle to comprehend why cold, wet or snowy February is the right month to launch in this hemisphere.

Surface Pro shouldn't be confused with sibling RT, which price starts at $499. "Surface family, customers will be able to choose a combination of devices that best suit their needs: Surface Pro, which provides the power and performance of a laptop in a tablet package, or Surface RT, which offers the convenience of a tablet with some laptop capabilities so you can get things done", Panay says.

The tablet coming February 9 competes with Windows ultrabooks and MacBook Air, and runs Windows 8 Pro on an Intel Core i5 processor. The other uses ARM architecture, starts at much lower price ($499) and competes with tablets like iPad and Nexus 10.

Americans and Canadians can buy Surface Pro from one of Microsoft's nearly 70 permanent and pop-up company stores or Best Buy. Also: Future Shop north of the border and Staples south of it. Just in time to swoon sweethearts, Surface RT sales expand to Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland on Valentine's Day.

Three limited-edition Touch Covers go on sale as well, in cyan, magenta and red, for $129.99 each. A Surface wedge mouse sells for $69.95. Additionally, Microsoft adds a new Windows RT SKU, 64GB for $599 without keyboard cover.

If you haven't read my Surface Pro first-impressions review, please do -- and watch for a follow-up story today about who should (or shouldn't) buy the tablet.

As for that pesky blizzard, I've seen several weathermen compare this one to the colossus of February 1978. I remember that one well. The university closed for the first time in seven years, for weather. Guys jumped out from my dorm's second-story windows into snow banks. Buddy and I hitched rides on slow driving cars, hanging off back bumpers and sliding our shoes on the snowy road. I got a reprieve on two exams because of that storm.

Photo Credit: Joe Wilcox

Accidental Empires Part 4 -- The Demo-God (Chapter 1a)

Publié: février 8, 2013, 7:26pm CET par Robert X. Cringely

Fourth in a series. Editor, with one, two, three introductions behind, Robert X. Cringely's serialized version of 1991 classic Accidental Empires begins.

Years ago, when you were a kid and I was a kid, something changed in America. One moment we were players of baseball, voters, readers of books, makers of dinner, arguers. And a second later, and for every other second since then, we were all just shoppers.

Shopping is what we do; it’s entertainment. Consumers are what we are; we go shopping for fun. Nearly all of our energy goes into buying --- thinking about what we would like to buy or earning money to pay for what we have already bought.

We invented credit cards, suburban shopping malls, and day care just to make our consumerism more efficient. We sent our wives, husbands, children, and grandparents out to work, just to pay for all the stuff we wanted -- needed -- to buy. We invented a thousand colors of eye shadow and more than 400 different models of automobiles, and forced every garage band in America to make a recording of "Louie Louie", just so we’d have enough goods to choose between to fill what free time remained. And when, as Americans are wont to do, we surprised ourselves by coming up with a few extra dollars and a few extra hours to spare, we invented entirely new classes of consumer products to satisfy our addiction. Why else would anyone spend $19.95 to buy an Abdomenizer exercise machine?

I blame it all on the personal computer.

Think about it for a moment. Personal computers came along in the late 1970s and by the mid-1980s had invaded every office and infected many homes. In addition to being the ultimate item of conspicuous consumption for those of us who don’t collect fine art, PCs killed the office typewriter, made most secretaries obsolete, and made it possible for a 27-year-old M.B.A. with a PC, a spreadsheet program and three pieces of questionable data to talk his bosses into looting the company pension plan and doing a leveraged buy-out.

Without personal computers, there would have been -- could have been -- no Michael Milkens or Ivan Boeskys. Without personal computers, there would have been no supply-side economics. But, with the development of personal computers, for the first time in history, a single person could gather together and get a shaky handle on enough data to cure a disease or destroy a career. Personal computers made it possible for businesses to move further and faster than they ever had before, creating untold wealth that we had to spend on something, so we all became shoppers.

Personal computers both created the longest continuous peacetime economic expansion in U.S. history and ended it.

Along the way, personal computers themselves turned into a very big business. In 1990, $70 billion worth of personal computer hardware and software were sold worldwide. After automobiles, energy production, and illegal drugs, personal computers are the largest manufacturing industry in the world and one of the great success stories for American business.

And I’m here to tell you three things:

1. It all happened more or less by accident.

2. The people who made it happen were amateurs.

3. And for the most part they still are.

Reprinted with permission

Photo Credit: Robert Hope

Amazon picks up the slack -- attacks Apple in new TV commerical

Publié: février 8, 2013, 6:57pm CET par Alan Buckingham

The past few months have been a bit rough for Apple. Samsung attacked the company in a series of amusing ads that portrayed a line of people waiting to buy iPhone as losers. While the ads never specifically mentioned Apple, the implications were certainly clear enough. Combine those attacks with declining stock prices and other nagging battles, such as those in court, and you have a recipe for tough times.

While Samsung largely lets its rival be in the latest ads, Amazon picks up the slack -- and, unlike Samsung, is quite clear. The 30-second second clip compares the new Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch against Apple iPad with Retina Display and lets the viewer know that, while both devices show "stunning HD", there is a major difference. Then it proceeds to place the devices side-by-side and let you know that, while you may not be able to tell the difference in the screens, "your wallet definitely can".

The last part of the ad continues to display the devices in split-screen, but with the prices -- $499 versus $299. Amazon clearly hopes this is the lasting image for viewers as the commercial ends.

The question: Is it enough to sway the Apple lover? The two devices are clearly comparable, but the operating systems are vastly different, as are the prices. Likely this may help those on the fence make up their minds, but the battle will rage on and come down to the platform each individual is more comfortable with using. What do you think?

Best Windows 8 apps this week

Publié: février 8, 2013, 6:32pm CET par Martin Brinkmann

Fifteenth in a series. Several important applications received updates in the past seven days. Adobe updated its Reader application for Windows 8 and even changed the name of the application to Adobe Reader Touch. Microosft, too, released updates for several of its applications, including the Bing, which now includes video search results.

In another interesting turn of events, WinZip decided to remove the price tag from the company's Windows 8 app of the same name. The application, previously available for $7.99 is now available free.

The total application count in the US Windows 8 Store is 28,055 divided into 21,745 free apps and 6,310 paid applications. That's an increase of 537 free apps and 236 paid apps this week.

The increase is consistent and has not changed at all in recent weeks. Each week, about 800 to 1,000 new apps are listed in Windows Store.

XKCD Essentials

XKCD webcomics are part of today's geek culture on the Internet. They get released regularly on schedule and are free to look at on the creator's website.

The application for Windows 8 provides you with access to all comics released -- and future ones -- that you can browse in full screen on a computer running Microsoft's operating system.

Probably the main advantage here is that you can browse comics faster than on the site. What's not so good is that the original sizes are displayed in the app so that you end up with lots of blank background texture when you use the app to read the comics.

You can switch between comics either with the left and right cursor keys, touch gestures or by clicking on the comic stream at the bottom of the interface.

Radio Paradise

The Internet radio application offers an interesting selection of hand picked music mixes and background images that change every couple of seconds.

The application adds community interaction and lyrics to the music. You can open up the music info box to display user comments, leave a comment or rating of your own, and display the song lyrics. Here you also find links to buy the CD or MP3.

The quality of the music stream is set to high by default, which you can change to medium or low if you need the bandwidth for other activities. Note that the music continues to play in the background.

5-O Radio

Provides you with access to police scanners and radio stations at the same time. You can browse scanners by location, all 50 US states are available here as well as scanners from countries such as Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Canada or Australia, by popularity or recency.

Depending on your selection, you may be taken to a list of places and cities in that state or country, browse a top list of scanners, or listen to countrywide stations.

The selection of radio stations is excellent as well. You can select a music genre you are interested in, Electronic, Country, Pop or Sports for example, and then the listing of radio stations filled in that category.

Metrogram Live

Another Instagram app for Windows 8 displays a selection of popular photos taken by members of the community on start. You do need to sign in to an Instagram account before you can use the remaining functionality the app makes available.

This includes searching for photos shared on the site, commenting or liking photos, browsing your user feed or pinning favorite photos to the start screen. You can furthermore view public profiles of any user, follow or unfollow users, or browse recent photos of a selected user.

Valentine Cards

Valentine's Day is coming up and if you need a last minute card you may be interested in the Valentine's Card application for Windows 8. You can load a photo into the application or create one using a connected webcam or camera.

Once done you can add hearts, candy, stamps or other clipart that is usually associated with love or Valentine's Day to the card.

A right-click opens a toolbar menu that you can use to add text and additional clipart to the photo, crop, rename or flip it, and save it to the local system or share it directly using the sharing options of the operating system.

MediaMonkey

MediaMonkey is one of the best music management programs for the Windows operating system. The Windows 8 application is a standalone app that you can use to play music on the operating system.

You can sync the library with systems that run the desktop client. Wi-Fi syncing is available as an in-app purchase.

The app plays common music file types like mp3, m4a, ogg, flac or wma among others, comes with an equalizer and options to navigate the music collection by artist, album, genre or playlist.

Di.fm (no link yet)

This is the official Digitally Import app for Windows 8. If you like electronic music, Di.fm is the app to get your fix. You can browse the available radio stations on the front page and tune into one right away with a single click.

The application looks fantastic and is without doubt one of the best looking apps for Windows 8 right now. You can favorite stations to access them faster and keep on listening to music after you switch to another application or the desktop.

CloudMagic

CloudMagic makes available a single search box to search across multiple web accounts and services. If you connect the accounts, you can search Twitter, Gmail, Google Docs, Office 365, Exchange, Facebook, Dropbox or Evernote at the same time from a single search form the app makes available.

You do not necessarily have to use the application for this as you can also use browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox or Safari for similar functionality.

Skulls of the Shogun ($9.99, trial available)

While I do not cover games usually here each week I would like to make an exception for this game as it not only has received an incredible amount of positive ratings since its release a couple of days ago (more than 263 and counting) but is also one of the first high quality games released for Windows 8.

The ratings are even more impressive if you consider that the game is not free but costs $9.99.

It is a turn based strategy game that gives you control of samurai units to defeat enemy units you encounter in story driven levels. The game features a single player campaign and asynchronous multiplayer to play against human players that play the game on their Xbox 360 or Windows Phone.

It's free! WinZip for Windows 8

Publié: février 8, 2013, 6:15pm CET par Mike Williams

WinZip Computing has announced that its WinZip for Windows 8 app is now available for free.

This represents a fairly swift change of direction, as it’s not even three months since the app first appeared in the Windows Store with a price tag of $7.99.

Still, given the number of other quality free archiving tools around, the move probably isn’t a great surprise.

Is the app now worth considering? It depends what you want to do. One potential problem here is that the app only handles ZIP and ZIPX files, which is fine when you only need to create and manage your own archives, but could be an issue if you regularly download or are sent other formats.

Otherwise, though, the interface looks good and works well, allowing you to browse files and folders with a clean and touch-friendly tile-based interface.

It runs on Windows RT, as well as Windows 8.

And the app also provides access to the ZipSend service for sending archives to others, while allowing you to securely share your files via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Dropbox, Google Drive, SkyDrive and more.

You could of course achieve much of this by combining a few other appropriate apps, but WinZip for Windows 8 does still provide some very useful functionality, and if you’re yet to explore the world of modern UI archive management then it’s not a bad place to start. Especially now the price tag has been removed.

Photo Credit: Arkady/Shutterstock

Microsoft touts SkyDrive numbers, announces new features

Publié: février 8, 2013, 5:39pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Microsoft announced the new Office 2013 / Office 365 release on January 29th and the new suite, no matter which version of it you choose, comes with tight integration with the company's cloud storage service, SkyDrive. You do not have to use it -- you can still store your files locally, but it makes for easier work when a document can easily be accessed from everywhere and shared with co-workers.

However, apparently a lot of people are taking advantage of the feature, because today Microsoft's Sarah Filman, lead program manager for SkyDrive, announces that the service now stores a lot of files -- "Recently we reached a big milestone; our customers are now storing over a billion Office documents on SkyDrive".

While the number sounds impressive, it was not the thrust of Filman's announcement. She wants to alert everyone that SkyDrive adds some new features to make sharing and collaborating on those documents a bit easier.

The cloud service has added the ability to edit and share documents without being required to sign in. "One piece of feedback we’ve consistently heard, especially from students, is that our current SkyDrive edit links can be frustrating for recipients when they find that they need to sign in or sign up for a Microsoft account just to make a quick edit to the document".

The new feature will certainly make plenty of users happy and, no doubt, come in handy. As for the "billion" part of the announcement I am less impressed. As I said prior, it sounds good, but many of us create multiple documents per day and many of us have been storing those documents in SkyDrive since the service was introduced -- long before the latest Office came along.

Photo Credit: NinaMalyna/Shutterstock

LastPass improves security and launches new Windows 8 app

Publié: février 8, 2013, 3:27pm CET par Nick Peers

Browser password manager LastPass 2.0.20 has been released for all major web browsers. The new release, also available for 64-bit versions of Windows is accompanied by the LastPass for Windows 8 app, which gives users access to their LastPass account directly from the Modern UI interface in Windows 8.

Version 2.0.20 now automatically calculates the user’s security score and displays it next to the Security Challenge link in the user’s vault. It also extends support -- albeit in beta -- to the Maxthon web browser.

The new build also adds a new preference that permits users to clear login credentials filled in automatically by LastPass on logging out of the service. Also added is faster login through performing hashes through binary components of the app, while password iterations are now recommended to be at 5000 for greater security.

Also improved is accessibility to the Generate Secure Password tool from the LastPass toolbar, while the LastPass Sentry online test now offers an option for checking usernames to see if they’ve been used as part of browser hacks. There’s also a fix for NTLM authentication in Internet Explorer.

A number of new Enterprise features have been added, including the extension of SAML Support to include Box.com, Zendesk and SalesForce among others. Enterprise users can now see security scores for all users in the organization to see which ones aren’t following the best practices.

The new Windows 8 app works in much the same way as the standalone LastPass Tab Browser app for iPhone and iPad, providing users with full access to their vault, plus bundling a built-in browser for quickly accessing websites on the go. Users can also opt to copy passwords to the clipboard for manually logging into other web browsers.

LastPass 2.0.20 is a free download for all major browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Opera. Also available are standalone tools, LastPass for Windows 8, LastPass for Android and LastPass Tab Browser for iPhone and iPad. Users can upgrade for additional tools, including the ability to access their LastPass vaults from mobile devices.

Photo credit: Gunnar Pippel/Shutterstock

Sony details the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean upgrade for Xperia smartphones

Publié: février 8, 2013, 12:46pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Sony's Android 4.1 Jelly Bean upgrade for 2012 Xperia smartphones is a long time coming. The Japanese manufacturer announced its plans in mid-October last year, and followed it up with a brief update two months later. Finally, as planned, deployment is set to kick off "this week".

The first smartphones to receive the coveted upgrade to the original Jelly Bean iteration are the Xperia T and Xperia, with Xperia TX owners having to wait until next month for the same software treatment. In an attempt to appease impatient users and to drum up some interest, Sony has decided to spill the beans on what Android 4.1 Jelly Bean entails for Xperia users by providing a list of significant changes included in the upgrade.

One of the most important improvements, carried over from the stock version of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, is Google Now. The personal assistant delivers contextual cards based on search queries, location or upcoming events and provides Gmail integration as well for flight and hotel confirmations, event and restaurant bookings and packages, among others.

Sony has revamped the camera interface, which now touts "a more intuitive viewfinder" with auto-scene setting and the option to switch between the two on-board cameras with a single press of a button. Users can search within the application tray to find specific apps, use up to seven homescreens, or take advantage of resizable widgets and expandable notifications. The Japanese manufacturer also includes updated versions of Album and Movies, as well as WALKMAN.

Get Aero back in Windows 8

Publié: février 8, 2013, 11:08am CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Windows 8 fans didn't take Microsoft's decision to dump the familiar Aero Glass interface lightly. Even though the software corporation has very good reasons for doing so, there are users who are willing to put up with the apparent disadvantages and want to bring the transparency back.

Microsoft is known for its stance on the matter and it is unlikely that the software giant will be persuaded to bring Aero Glass back in Windows 8 and, therefore, eat its own words about the advantages of the new interface. For this reason, and likely others as well, a developer decided to take matters into his own hands and release a hack that brings back Aero Glass into the Windows 8 Desktop Window Manager.

The developer, who goes by the userhandle bigmuscle, explains how the simply titled Aero Glass for Win8 works. He says:

"I have developed DLL library in C++ which is injected into dwm.exe process (no system files replacement is required). Then, the functions used for window border drawing are hooked with my own implementation. This ensures that anytime DWM wants to draw the window border, the code is redirected into my library where I can change the parameters of vertex buffer, blend state and other stuff. Then I redirect back to the original drawing function. Transparent window border is drawn!"

The implementation used by Aero Glass for Win8 comes with some caveats, as bigmuscle explains:

"Currently, I implemented only blur effect using Direct2D. My plan is to return glow effect to the window caption, better shadow around the windows, and, if anyone is interested, try to reimplement Flip3D functionality."

That said, the hack works and does indeed bring the transparency effects back into Windows 8. Users must extract the provided 7z file into a "DWM" folder within the root of the drive where the operating system is installed, for instance "C:\DWM", open the "DWMLoader.exe" file and validate any UAC or security software prompts.

A command prompt window will then open, informing the user that Aero Glass is now enabled. In order to go back to the default Windows 8 interface, the user only has to close the command prompt window. Keep in mind that the hack is currently labeled as a preview build and it may "feature" the occasional bug associated with the early stages of development.

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Microsoft’s attacks on Google are sad and embarrassing

Publié: février 8, 2013, 10:29am CET par Wayne Williams

After I left school I went into sales. And one of the first things I was taught was this: never disparage the competition. Never say bad things about them -- even if what you’re saying is true, or you believe it to be at least -- because it makes the firm you’re representing seem petty and small.

Clearly this is a lesson Microsoft needs to learn. The firm’s marketing department, in particular whoever came up with the Scroogled campaign, is doing its best to turn the Redmond, Wash.-based technology giant into a petty, whining child, complaining about a rival rather than championing its own products. Instead of shouting triumphantly, "Use Outlook.com because it’s great and has all these benefits", Microsoft is reduced to grumbling, "Don’t use Gmail because it reads your emails". It’s not an aggressive information campaign as some people have described it. It’s a sad and frankly pathetic strategy.

I like Microsoft as a company, I like (many of) its products and to see it engaging in these sort of low-level scrappy tactics makes me a little sad. Microsoft is better than that. Or it should be.

The original Scroogled campaign attacked Google Shopping. Microsoft called out its rival for using a "pay-to-rank" practice that presented users with search results that were neither honest nor fair. The latest Scroogled crusade says people shouldn’t use Gmail because Google goes through users' personal emails to sell them ads. When I read that I cringed. It was an old, old issue dredged up in an act that surely resulted in the barrel scraper responsible for it getting a handful of splinters in the process. Sarah Perez at TechCrunch summed it up best for me when she reported the campaign with this opening line: "Hey Microsoft, 2004 called. It wants its privacy outrage debate back".

Microsoft’s The Browser You Loved To Hate campaign for Internet Explorer is the opposite of the Scroogled one. It’s clever, funny, pokes fun at the veteran browser and sells the product in the process. It makes you respect Microsoft for acknowledging how people feel about IE, and uses goodwill and positivity to attempt to change public opinion.

Scroogled is mean-spirited and in the case of the Gmail attack, comes across as desperate.

What future delights does the Scroogled campaign hold for us I wonder? "Don’t use Android because its ideas and technology are stolen from the iPhone!", "Don’t use Street View because it’s encouraging Google to look through your living room curtains and leach private data from your Wi-Fi"… Perhaps Microsoft will launch an ad campaign aimed at warning Safari users that Google might have tracked them without their permission and promising Bing won’t do the same thing (oh wait, Microsoft already did that last one).

Of course Google does bad things from time to time, but Microsoft -- hardly the most trustworthy of moral crusaders anyway -- isn’t the firm to call them out for it. Leave that to the privacy advocates.

Instead of attacking Google, Microsoft should finally try to learn from it. Google built (or acquired and polished) products that consumers wanted to use. People switched from AltaVista and other search engines to Google because its site produced the best results. Those same people switched from Hotmail to Gmail because Google had the better email service (and didn’t bombard users with flashing adverts and spam). Consumers use YouTube because it’s fantastic, and Google Maps, Chrome, Reader, Calendar etc. for the same reasons.

Sure, Google produces a fair amount of duds, but when it scores a success it’s usually because the product it’s offering is superior to what’s out there and people flock to it.

I won’t switch to Bing, or Outlook.com full time because they aren’t as good as what I’m getting from Google (I briefly moved to DuckDuckGo for search, but got drawn back to Google as we all are eventually). Scaremongering and the unholy trinity of fear, uncertainty and doubt are unlikely to ever make me switch my search engine or email provider.

But the promise of a genuinely superior product might.

Photo Credit: eurobanks/Shutterstock

Need a truly useful dictionary? Try TheSage

Publié: février 8, 2013, 7:26am CET par Mike Williams

When you need to use a dictionary then the quickest solution is usually to head off online. There are plenty of excellent free services available, and if you’re just looking for a quick definition then they’ll probably do a very good job.

If you need more, though – more frequent lookups, better searching features, more options and control -- then there’s still a case for installing a dictionary application. And TheSage is the perfect example.

The program is extremely comprehensive, for instance, with 210,000+ definitions (and a thesaurus detailing 1,400,000 relationships between them). It’s free, and unrestricted. And installation is straightforward (there’s even a portable option, if you need it).

It won’t exactly take long to get started with TheSage, either. Enter a word in the box, click “LookUp” and you’ll get a definition right away. This will include a guide to how the word is pronounced (click this and you’ll hear it spoken out loud), and many of the definitions will also have examples showing you how they’re used.

Knowing how to spell the word you’re after is often a problem with dictionaries, of course, but TheSage provides multiple tools to help.

You can just give it a try with your best guess, and the program will intelligently suggest matches (type “dicshunary”, for instance, and it knows that “dictionary” is probably what you meant).

You can opt to “search as you type”, which is rather like flicking through the pages of a paper dictionary. So as you type each letter, TheSage will display what it thinks is the most likely match, and once you spot what you need then double-clicking it will bring up the definition.

And you can even use a variety of wildcard searches, very helpful if you’re confident of the spelling in all but one or two places.

Elsewhere, there’s another handy extra in the Anagram feature. Enter an appropriate word, click Anagram, and you’ll see a list of all the full and partial anagrams it can make.

And while all this happens locally, no need to be online, the program also recognizes that sometimes the web is the best place to go. So if you enter a word or phrase, and click “Go online”, within a few seconds the program’s internal browser will display tabs with results from Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Google’s Define service, and a regular Google search.

If there’s a problem here it’s that TheSage tries perhaps too hard to hide most of its functionality. Launch the program and you’ll see only a few basic search options, for instance. To find the Web search you’ll have to spot a tiny arrow in the extreme left of the program window, click it, select “Other Searches”, and click the Internet icon. Which isn’t exactly obvious.

Take the time to explore everything it has to offer, though, and you’ll find TheSage is an excellent tool, one of the most capable dictionaries around (free or otherwise). And if online equivalents aren’t quite providing the power you need then you really should give the program a try.

Photo Credit: NinaMalyna/Shutterstock

iPhone cracks against the Great Wall of China

Publié: février 8, 2013, 4:31am CET par Joe Wilcox

The Chinese smartphone market is dominated by five top manufacturers, none of them Apple, Canalys reveals. As I've warned a couple times recently, despite CEO Tim Cook's prognostications about China's importance or his company boasting 2 million first-weekend iPhone 5 sales, competitors rapidly close out the market for costly fruit-logos.

China is the biggest market for mobiles, largely dominated by smartphones -- 73 percent of the total in fourth quarter, up from 40 percent a year earlier. Shipments soared 113 percent to 64.7 million units, or 30 percent of all smartphones globally. Samsung captured the top spot, followed by Lenovo, Yulong, Huawei and ZTE.

Losing China

"China is a massive growth prospect, but Apple is not making the market share impact there that it is in other markets", Nicole Peng, Canalys China research director, says. "The lack of a device on the China Mobile network is a big drawback, combined with high price points. Addressing these issues with the combination of a TD-SCDMA device and a cheaper model would open the flood-gates".

China accounted for 13 percent of all Apple revenues during calendar fourth quarter. Referring to sales following iPhone 5's release, "we saw our highest growth in China and it was into the triple digits, which was higher than the market there", Cook says (during last month's earnings call). More broadly: "It’s clear that China it’s already our second largest region as you can see from the data that we have given you and it’s clear, there is a lot of potential there".

Yes, but iPhone is the big revenue generator, and the handset faces increased -- and fast-growing -- competition mainly from Chinese phone manufacturers, many of which ship Android devices.

Lenovo was the quarter's big gainer. Shipments grew 216 percent year over year, but mostly to the one country. "China made up 98 percent of Lenovo’s shipments with a handful of emerging markets making up the rest", Jessica Kwee, Canalys analyst, says. "Its struggle to gain a foothold in markets outside of China means that it may be forced down the acquisition route -- as it was with its PC business -- hence the speculation about BlackBerry".

Holding the World

Globally, Asian manufacturers, mainly from China, dominated the top-5 during Q4. But there, Apple made strong showing, lifted mainly by more mature markets like the United States where smartphone saturation slows sales compared to many other geographies. Samsung led, followed by the fruit-logo company, Huawei, ZTE and Lenovo. Samsung's lead is solid but tenuous, with 29 percent share to Apple's 22.1 percent. But the Others category, which includes white-box makers shipping Androids to China and other emerging markets, was larger, with 34.5 percent share.

Smartphones accounted for 49.4 percent of all handset shipments -- 216.5 million and 438.1 million, respectively.

Android shipped on 34 percent of all handsets during fourth quarter, according to Canalys, compared to 11 percent for iOS. The number is greater for smartphones (69.2 percent). However, the green robot lost share sequentially, from 74 percent, largely due to iPhone 5's strong first-full quarter of sales. Share of Apple's mobile operating system rose to 22.1 percent from 15 percent quarter on quarter.

"When we look at the whole of 2012, Nokia remained the number three smartphone vendor, shipping 35 million units, but Apple in second place shipped 101 million more handsets", Pete Cunningham, Canalys principal analyst, says. "First-placed Samsung shipped 74 million more than Apple -- the gaps are colossal. But there is still a big opportunity as smartphone penetration increases around the world".

He emphasizes: "Vendors left in the wake of the top vendors must at the very least improve their portfolios, time-to-market and marketing, as well as communicate their differentiators. Microsoft, BlackBerry and other new OS entrants, such as Mozilla, must make the OS switch as simple as possible and drive and localize their respective app and content ecosystems".

Photo Credit: Alex Wolf/Shutterstock

Don't expect too much from Rootkit Remover

Publié: février 8, 2013, 1:46am CET par Mike Williams

Bitdefender Labs has released Bitdefender Rootkit Remover, a free stand-alone tool for dealing with known rootkits.

The company report that Rootkit Remover can remove infections from a wide range of threats, including Mebroot, all TDL families (TDL/SST/Pihar), Mayachok, Mybios, Plite, XPaj, Whistler, Alipop, Cpd, Fengd, Fips, Guntior, MBR Locker, Mebratix, Niwa, Ponreb, Ramnit, Stoned, Yoddos, Yurn, Zegost and Necurs, amongst others.

The program’s emphasis is very much on simplicity. There’s no installation required, no need to worry about compatibility with other security products, and no lengthy running times, either. Just click “Start Scan” and Rootkit Remover checks for specific signs of infection by known rootkits. If anything is found, it’ll be removed; and if your system is clean, the scan could be over in less than a second.

You shouldn’t expect too much from Rootkit Remover, then. It doesn’t perform any kind of general analysis to help you detect and remove brand new threats, and of course it can’t stop you from being infected in the first place (so is no substitute for a regular antivirus engine). This is really just about providing a single dedicated tool to quickly remove malware which Bitdefender knows about already.

Still, this isn’t in itself a bad thing. If you think you might be infected by a rootkit and your current antivirus engine hasn’t raised an alert, then there’s no doubt that this new tool provides a very quick and easy way to get a second opinion, and perhaps solve the problem entirely. Especially as the official Bitdefender Labs blog post on the release suggests it’s going to be regularly updated, with support for tackling “new rootkit families… added as they become known”.

But if you’d like to try it yourself, there are now two downloads available: Bitdefender Rootkit Remover x86, and Bitdefender Rootkit Remover x64.

Photo Credits: maraga/Shutterstock

Accidental Empires Part 3 -- 1991 edition preface

Publié: février 7, 2013, 11:49pm CET par Robert X. Cringely

Third in a series. Editor: In parts 1 and 2 of this serialization, Robert X. Cringely presents an updated intro to his landmark rise-of-Silicon Valley book Accidental Empires. Here he presents the original preface from the first edition.

The woman of my dreams once landed a job as the girls’ English teacher at the Hebrew Institute of Santa Clara. Despite the fact that it was a very small operation, her students (about eight of them) decided to produce a school newspaper, which they generally filled with gossipy stories about each other. The premiere issue was printed on good stock with lots of extra copies for grandparents and for interested bystanders like me.

The girls read the stories about each other, then read the stories about each other to each other, pretending that they’d never heard the stories before, much less written them. My cats do something like that, too, I’ve noticed, when they hide a rubber band under the edge of the rug and then allow themselves to discover it a moment later. The newspaper was a tremendous success until mid-morning, when the principal, Rabbi Porter, finally got around to reading his copy. "Where", he asked, "are the morals? None of these stories have morals!"

I’ve just gone through this book you are about to read, and danged if I can’t find a moral in there either. Just more proof, I guess, of my own lack of morality.

There are lots of people who aren’t going to like this book, whether they are into morals or not. I figure there are three distinct groups of people who’ll hate this thing.

Hate group number one consists of most of the people who are mentioned in the book.

Hate group number two consists of all the people who aren’t mentioned in the book and are pissed at not being able to join hate group number one.

Hate group number three doesn’t give a damn about the other two hate groups and will just hate the book because somewhere I write that object-oriented programming was invented in Norway in 1967, when they know it was invented in Bergen, Norway, on a rainy afternoon in late 1966. I never have been able to please these folks, who are mainly programmers and engineers, but I take some consolation in knowing that there are only a couple hundred thousand of them.

My guess is that most people won’t hate this book, but if they do, I can take it. That’s my job.

Even a flawed book like this one takes the cooperation of a lot of really flawed people. More than 200 of these people are personal computer industry veterans who talked to me on, off, or near the record, sometimes risking their jobs to do so. I am especially grateful to the brave souls who allowed me to use their names.

The delightfully flawed reporters of InfoWorld, who do most of my work for me, continued to pull that duty for this book, too, especially Laurie Flynn, Ed Foster, Stuart Johnston, Alice LaPlante, and Ed Scannell.

A stream of InfoWorld editors and publishers came and went during the time it took me to research and write the book. That they allowed me to do it in the first place is a miracle I attribute to Jonathan Sacks.

Ella Wolfe, who used to work for Stalin and knows a lost cause when she sees one, faithfully kept my mailbox overflowing with helpful clippings from the New York Times.

Paulina Borsook read the early drafts, offering constructive criticism and even more constructive assurance that, yes, there was a book in there someplace. Maybe.

William Patrick of Addison-Wesley believed in the book even when he didn’t believe in the words I happened to be writing. If the book has value, it is probably due to his patience and guidance.

For inspiration and understanding, I was never let down by Pammy, the woman of my dreams.

Finally, any errors in the text are mine. I’m sure you’ll find them.

Reprinted with permission

More Americans take Facebook vacations

Publié: février 7, 2013, 11:26pm CET par Joe Wilcox

That's not on the social network but away from it. Bad for Facebook: The youngest, and presumably most active users, are the most likely to step away this year for prolonged breaks, according to Pew Internet.

"Sixty-one percent of current Facebook users say that at one time or another in the past they have voluntarily taken a break from using Facebook for a period of several weeks or more", according to report "Coming and Going on Facebook", which published this week.

This year, Americans 18-29 are least likely to spend more time on the service (1 percent) and most likely to take a break (38 percent). By comparison, among those over 50, only 17 percent plan breaks, while 4 percent plan do use the social network more. For each group 61 percent and 78 percent, respectively, expect activity to be unchanged.

Among the 61 percent of Facebook vacationers, reasons vary:

Conflicting activities -- 21 percent
Lack of interest -- 10 percent
Content not compelling -- 10 percent
Too much drama, gossip -- 9 percent
Spending too much time -- 8 percent

Some of the verbatim thoughts from those who took Facebook breaks include the following:

"I was tired of stupid comments".

"[I had] crazy friends. I did not want to be contacted".

"I took a break when it got boring".

"It was not getting me anywhere".

"Too much drama".

“You get burned out on it after a while".

"I gave it up for Lent."

"I was fasting".

"People were [posting] what they had for dinner".

"I didn’t like being monitored".

"I got harassed by someone from my past who looked me up".

"I don’t like their privacy policy".

While 67 percent of American adults use Facebook, 20 percent of respondents left the service altogether. Some others who stay use it less: "Some 42 percent of Facebook users ages 18-29 and 34 percent of those ages 30-49 say that the time they spend on Facebook on a typical day has decreased over the last year".

To emphasize, younger adults are a core demographic for the service and coveted by advertisers. This is not a group Facebook should want to lose, whether they cut back or take a vacation from the service.

Photo Credit: Robert Scoble

Microsoft sends Live Mesh execution-date reminders

Publié: février 7, 2013, 9:46pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Perhaps it is just me, but Microsoft's decision to take Live Mesh off of life-support has hit especially hard. We knew this was coming of course, but still, I like having my files synced between multiple computers and, while I love SkyDrive, I do not need the cloud as an intermediary within my own home -- that is ridiculous overkill and would cost me money as well.

Today the company dispatched email reminders that began "Dear Mesh customer, Recently we released the latest version of SkyDrive, which you can use to..." Yes, thanks a lot. I know what I can use it for, but syncing between computers in my home is not something I should be compelled to use it for.

At any rate, regardless of my rant or your complaints, the outcome is clear and Live Mesh is dead on February 13th -- a bit less than one week from now. (How ironic if Microsoft then used Valentine's Day as marketing ploy to fall in love with SkyDrive.) Your emails and my humble post here are not going to change the direction of one of the biggest companies in the world.

However, there are alternatives. First, if you have less than 7GB of files to sync then you can certainly use SkyDrive -- it really does work well. However, if you have more than that, and do not need the cloud as a middle-man, take a look at the free alternatives. SyncBack SE works great, and I recently learned that, ironically enough, SyncToy is still available.

There are also countless other alternatives. In other words, let us not allow Microsoft to dictate the direction of our computing lives.

Photo Credit: Dmitry Vinogradov/Shutterstock

Believe it, smartphones and tablets make people use PCs less

Publié: février 7, 2013, 6:59pm CET par Joe Wilcox

What a difference three years make. In April 2010 I asked "Will iPad cannibalize Mac sales?" and a month later PC sales. Fast-forward 12 months, NPD answered a definitive "No". I disagreed: "Call me cynical and skeptical, but I'm convinced that changing behavior will cause many smartphone buyers, and many more tablet adopters, to delay PC upgrades".

Today, NPD sees things a little differently, based on fresh survey data that puts context behind two years of declining PC sales -- that despite Windows 8's release little more than three months ago. The firm finds that 37 percent of US consumers now access content on smartphones or tablets they used to on PCs. Changing behavior like this affects computer sales, as consumers shift behavior and delay PC upgrades or don't buy ever.

NPD finds general Internet access and Facebook to be the primary activities replaced by cloud-connected devices. Twenty-seven percent of tablet owners use their PCs less for the Web, and 20 percent for Facebook. The number is 27 percent for both activities among smartphone users.

Not surprisingly, Internet and Facebook usage are higher on PCs (75 percent and 63 percent, respectively) than smartphones (61 percent and 55 percent, respectively) and tablets (53 percent and 39 percent, respectively).

Yesterday, IDC forecast dramatic increases in US consumers printing -- or at least wanting to -- from smartphones and tablets, which says much about changing computing habits, and how connected devices displace or replace traditional PC behavior.

"Total U.S. mobile pages are expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 12 percent during the 2012-16 forecast period", and "non-mobile pages will decline 5 percent", Angèle Boyd, IDC Group vice president, says. Looked at differently, the number of smartphone and tablet users who don't or don't want to print will decline from 50 percent to 25 percent from last year to 2015. Mmmm, that reads to me like 50 percent do print, or at least want to, from these devices.

Not Content, But Context

However, NPD's pro-PC stance is strong as ever. "Despite these shifts in behavior, computers will remain the fundamental content creation device in consumer’s tool box for many years to come", John Buffone, NPD's director of devices research, says. He draws a line many other analysts do between consumption (smartphones and tablets) and creation (PCs). I disagree.

These devices aren't about creation or consumption but context. NPD's metrics, like most analyst firms, are wrong. There is no post-PC era, but one of contextual cloud computing. Context defines content or creation, which will change as smartphone and tablet capabilities expand.

The cloud is all about context. Content follows users everywhere, independent of device. Your music is available anytime, anywhere, on anything. You watch a movie in one context, sitting in a man chair at the mall on a smartphone and resume on the big-screen TV at home. You shoot a photo on the phone, edit and post or Instagram. That is content creation, by the way, as is posting anything to Facebook.

Regarding content creation, often the definitions are all wrong. People create content every day on smartphones and tablets, just the context is different. For that matter, so is the content, with Facebook being easiest example. Profile posts, photos and pretty much anything else is content.

During Comic-Con last year, I replaced digital camera and camcorder with Galaxy Nexus smartphone. I shot and edited photos and videos on the phone and then posted them to Google+ and YouTube. How is that not content creation? I produce content on mobile devices every day. Don't you? At least weekly?

Does the smartphone or tablet replace PC for content creation, or even consumption? Not today for most people, but the devices displace PC activities and do things personal computers don't. So where five years ago most people primarily used PCs for content creation and consumption, now they do so with something else. How often must I state the obvious?

Photo Credit: Poprotskiy Alexey/Shutterstock

LibreOffice 4.0 arrives -- get it NOW!

Publié: février 7, 2013, 4:25pm CET par Nick Peers

The Document Foundation released LibreOffice 4.0 FINAL. The open-source, cross-platform productitivty suite, which is based on OpenOffice, has evolved to the point where the developers are happy to assign a major new version number.

Version 4.0 includes a number of relatively minor new features, but the big changes will come under the hood, marking the first radical development in the program’s API since the app it was built on -- OpenOffice -- was first released. Other changes include support for Firefox Personas, integration with CMS and online storage providers, plus support for importing both Microsoft Publisher and the latest VISIO documents.

While the new API won’t in itself manifest itself visibly to end users, the hope is that it will facilitate more radical changes to LibreOffice going forward. It also marks the beginning of LibreOffice’s evolution into a separate animal.

Besides a new API, LibreOffice 4.0 debuts a new graphics stack based on XML UI definitions, which, according to The Document Foundation, will lead to “new UI widgets, cleaner looks and new opportunities to handle new tools and improve our interface”.

The new build also promises to integrate with a wide range of Content Management Systems and online document storage providers via the CIMS standard.

Another major behind-the-scenes change is LibreOffice’s licensing, which now adopts a dual licensed approach, ostensibly to make future versions of LibreOffice’s tablet build -- due later this year or early next on iOS, Android and Windows Phone 8 -- more compatible with mobile store restrictions.

Visible Changes

Despite the lack of major changes, there are a large number of minor additions and improvements to LibreOffice 4.0. Users of Writer, the suite’s word processor, will find the tool now supports first page header and footers as well as left and right ones -- users can now untick a box marked “Same content on first page” in the Page Style dialog to set this up. Note, only OpenOffice’s native ODF format currently supports this.

Writer also introduces a new LibreLogo toolbar, which will allow programmers to produce a Logo-like, Python based programming environment for creating vector graphics using LibreOffice.

Other tweaks in Writer include support for attaching comments to document text ranges as well as allowing extra word boundary characters for the purposes of generating word counts. Writer can also now import ink annotations from DOCX and RTF documents generated on Tablet PCs running Microsoft Word. Users will also find clicking on fields selects them rather than placing the cursor before them.

Calc users should see improved performance – particularly when opening larger files. This is due in part to an option that allows files to show the values of formulae in ODS and XLSX files as they were when the file was saved, rather than being recalculated in OpenOffice.

Other improvements include the automatic rotation of chart axis labels if they overlap each other, doubling of the supported size limit of uncompressed ODF files to 4GB and improvements to the XML Source dialog when importing arbitrary XML content.

Also promised is better quality rendering and print/PDF export of charts, support for new conditional formats (including date formats) and better conditional format dialogs, new icon sets and the ability to export a single chart as a JPG or PNG image. Finally, the Pivot table now supports multiple selections in the page field.

Notable tweaks to Impress, the suite’s presentation tool, include a new Impress remote control app for Android phones (currently restricted to Linux builds of LibreOffice), much accelerated multimedia previews and Presenter Console RTL support.

The Draw vector graphics tool now uses supersampling to improve the quality of page previews, and adds several Linecap improvements, shear transforms for GraphicObjects and the addition of the Circles and Ovals toolbar already found in Impress.

Linux Base users can now access their Thunderbird address book from within the database app thanks to a new mork driver implementation on non-Windows platforms, while the AutoFilter portion of Forms no longer treats values as patterns.

New import files include support for Microsoft Publisher publications, plus extended support for Visio files up to Visio 2013. GUI enhancements include a new templates manager and support for using Firefox Personas (access this feature via the Tools > Options… > Personalization > Select Persona dialog).

Despite, or perhaps because of, all these major changes, LibreOffice has been reduced by around 20MB in size. LibreOffice 4.0 FINAL is available now as a free, open-source download for Windows, Mac and Linux.

Photo Credits: Yuri Arcurs/Shutterstock

What happens when Lego meets Android?

Publié: février 7, 2013, 2:24pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Nothing says geek quite like Lego. Come on -- you know you secretly still love those tiny multi-colored bricks from your youth. Except now they are not just bricks, and the simple projects of our youth have become the incredibly complex projects of our children's youth...that we still love to "help out" with.

Lego Cuusoo is a "Labs" type of project where customers can suggest future kits and if the item gets at least 10,000 supporters then Lego pledges to consider producing it. And now the company is faced with an Android project that easily passed that requirement yesterday evening.

"Bugdroid" was created by GLHTurbo using "205 pieces of (mostly) Lime Green bricks. Using the approximate price per brick of $0.15 puts this kit around $30". He also claims the design is "not 100 percent finalized".

This is not just a statue either -- the little figure can move. It has 360 degrees of head rotation and both arms have the same range of motion. The antennae can also move across a variety of positions.

The project hit 1,714 supporters within the first 24 hours and surpassed the required 10,000 supporters yesterday. The support button is now grayed out as the projects on Lego Cuusoo close when the goal is reached. We can only wait and see if the company responds with a pre-made kit for the child in all of us.

Photo credit: GLHTurbo

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Microsoft launches 'Don’t Get Scroogled by Gmail' campaign to stop Google 'going through personal emails'

Publié: février 7, 2013, 2:08pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Microsoft's efforts to downplay Google's Gmail over its own Outlook.com service are well known amongst the tech crowd. In late-November the Redmond, Wash.-based corporation claimed that a third of new Outlook.com signups were people switching from Google's email service, and after the web giant dropped support for EAS, Microsoft quickly advised Gmail users to make the same switch. Now Microsoft is at it again, launching a new crusade titled "Don't Get Scroogled by Gmail".

The purpose of the campaign, according to the software firm, is to "educate consumers that Google goes through their personal emails to sell ads". Don't Get Scroogled by Gmail is aimed at American Gmail users and is supported by a GfK Roper study commissioned by Microsoft that found "70 percent of consumers don’t know that major email providers routinely engage in the practice of reading through their personal email to sell ads", with a vast majority of people, 88 percent, disapproving of this practise once the information was brought to their attention.

Well fine, but as you and I may ask: Why just target Gmail? Surely Microsoft could have taken various other email services to task as well. Fact is this has nothing in common with a "for the greater good" plan, but rather is a targeted plot to save Gmail users from the "evil" Google, by getting them to switch to Outlook.com.

Microsoft's senior director of Online Services says that: "Emails are personal — and people feel that reading through their emails to sell ads is out of bounds. We honor the privacy of our Outlook.com users, and we are concerned that Google violates that privacy every time an Outlook.com user exchanges messages with someone on Gmail. This campaign is as much about protecting Outlook.com users from Gmail as it is about making sure Gmail users know what Google’s doing."

Microsoft has a solution to this problem, as you might imagine, and has launched a petition on Scroogled.com to help "consumers have their voices heard" and "tell Google to stop going through their emails to sell ads". Microsoft also states that Gmail users should "prioritize their privacy by switching to Outlook.com".

But what the Redmond, Wash.-based corporation seems to fail to realize is that being a Gmail user is both a choice and a necessity.

In my case I use various other Google services connected to my Gmail account and I'm quite sure millions of other people are in a similar position. If I were to, hypothetically, switch to Outlook.com I'd still have to use my Gmail account to log into Google+ and check for notification emails, for instance. At the same time using Gmail with all the targeted ads is a personal choice, one that I favor over Outlook.com when it comes to features and adjacent functionality.

I can also chat with my Google+ friends straight from Gmail, whereas I'd be stuck with Facebook Messenger on Outlook.com. By implication I'd be an even more active Facebook user and we all know how much Zuckerberg's social network values our privacy. To me that's a huge no-go.

Scarab Darkroom lets you view and edit RAW images

Publié: février 7, 2013, 1:40pm CET par Mike Williams

Take a photo with most digital cameras and by default you’ll get a JPG file, which is great for compatibility purposes, but does involve some compromises in image quality. And that’s because your picture will go through various processes before the final JPG is produced -- sharpening, adjusting colors and contrast, compressing the results -- and each step results in the loss of some information.

Take pictures using a camera’s RAW format, though (if it has one), will give you access to the full and unprocessed image data. And you can then apply any tweaks you like on a case by case basis, for the best possible results. You’ll probably need a specialist tool to access the RAW images, but that may not be a problem: Scarab Darkroom, for instance, is a very capable RAW converter with support for cameras by Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Samsung, and Sony, and you can download it and it entirely for free.

After a quick and easy installation, the program presents a straightforward interface. A right-hand tabbed sidebar displays the drives and folders on your PC; you’ll navigate through these to a folder containing your RAW images; and their thumbnails will then appear at the bottom of the program window, making it easy to spot and view whatever picture you need.

There are a few small buttons above the thumbnails with various viewing-related options: rotate, crop, zoom and so on. And you can also drag the image with the mouse, and zoom in and out with the mouse wheel, so even if you’re viewing a very high resolution photo, it’s quick and easy to find and examine a particular detail.

Life gets more interesting when you click the Adjustments tab, though, where Scarab Darkroom provides tweaks for Exposure (Brightness, Contrast, Recovery, Blacks, Fill Light), Colors (Temperature, Tint, Hue, Saturation, Vibrance), Tone Curve (Highlights, Midtones, Shadows) and Sharpness. Drag a particular slider and the picture will update accordingly, giving you immediate feedback. And it’s easy to copy your settings to the clipboard, and restore them later, so once you’ve found a configuration which delivers good results then you can quickly apply it to all your other shots.

There’s also a Metadata tab, although this is relatively basic by comparison. It displays a few of the key image details -- exposure, aperture, focal length, ISO speed, flash used, date taken, camera, owner -- and allows you to set the image rating, but that’s about it.

And when you’re happy, and it’s finally time to abandon RAW for an image format you can actually use elsewhere, then the program can save your pictures as JPG or TIF files.

There are a few small gaps in functionality here, mostly because this is the free version of the program. The developer is currently working on a commercial build, and so extras like noise filtering are going to be reserved for that edition.

It seems unreasonable to complain, though, because otherwise Scarab Darkroom is an excellent tool. There’s no adware, no marketing annoyances; it’s fast, easy to use, supports a lot of RAW formats and is still being regularly updated to add more. Go grab a copy immediately.

Photo Credit: diez artwork / Shutterstock

GIMP 2.8.4 adds improvements and polish to the popular image editor

Publié: février 7, 2013, 1:34pm CET par Nick Peers

Popular open-source image editor GIMP 2.8.4 FINAL has been released for Linux and Windows, with a Mac binary build due for release imminently. Version 2.8.4 is a minor stability release, but does contain a number of interesting improvements, including more responsive drawing -- particularly with the brush outline tool -- plus better names for the default filters when saving or exporting.

GIMP 2.8.4 will also be the second OS X release that runs natively on the Mac -- 2.8.0 and earlier required X11, and many improvements in this release are aimed specifically at that platform.

Aside from the improved responsiveness and filter tweaks, other user interface changes include GIMP now remembering the maximized state of windows across sessions, allowing the text tool to start on a non-layered image and various other fixes for text style attribute handling.

Plug-in improvements include better default values being set in the Drop Shadow script and a major round of bug fixes for the BMP plug-in.

Platform-specific improvements concentrate on the OS X platform -- the gimpdir has been moved to the user’s Library\Application Support folder, while the system screenshot tool is now used when creating a new image from a screenshot. Plug-in windows should now automatically appear on top, and users can now select their chosen language via GIMP’s Preferences dialog.

One addition to the Windows installer is the addition of a Brazilian-Portuguese translation.

The stability update builds on the major 2.8.0 release from last year, which saw GIMP radically overhaul its user interface with such elements as a new ‘single-window’ mode, multi-column Dock windows, a brand new Cage Transform tool and the ability to organise layers into groups.

GIMP 2.8.4 FINAL is available now as a free, open-source download for Windows, Linux and -- coming soon -- Mac OS X.

Employees frequently steal (and use) confidential data when switching jobs

Publié: février 7, 2013, 1:12pm CET par Wayne Williams

According to Symantec, businesses are increasingly at risk of insider IP theft, with staff moving, sharing and exposing sensitive data on a daily basis and, worse still, taking confidential information with them when they change employers.

A new survey conducted by The Ponemon Institute, and based on responses from 3,317 individuals in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, China and Korea, shows that half of employees admit to taking corporate data when they leave a job, with 40 percent saying they intend to use the data in their new position.

In a lot of cases, their actions aren’t intended as malicious, Symantec says. They often just don’t know it’s wrong to take data like this, and frequently fail to understand who owns the IP in the first place (many employees wrongly attribute ownership to the person who created it).

The survey also found that 56 percent of employees don’t think it’s a crime to use trade secrets taken from a previous employer and 62 percent think "it’s acceptable to transfer corporate data to their personal computers, tablets, smartphones and cloud file-sharing apps". Once the data is there, it’s rarely deleted.

It’s a big problem, because as Symantec explains, it "means valuable intelligence is falling into the hands of competitors. Ultimately, this puts everyone at risk -- the employee who takes the IP, the organization that invested in it and the new employer who unwittingly receives it. Everyone can be held accountable, and no one wins".

Based on the survey results Symantec recommends organizations take action in three ways -- educate their employees about IP theft, enforce non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), and monitor inappropriate access and use of IP (something which is often easier said than done).

Symantec’s complete report, What’s Yours Is Mine: How Employees are Putting Your Intellectual Property at Risk, is available for download.

Photo Credit: BruceParrott /Shutterstock

Updated evasi0n iOS 6.x jailbreak now available

Publié: février 7, 2013, 12:14pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Three days ago evad3rs released the first public iOS 6 jailbreak tool, opening up iPads, iPhones and iPod Touch devices to the world of underground modding. But as is the case with the majority of infant jailbreak-related releases it also brought along a series of bugs, which the team behind the project now claims to have fixed in the latest update.

On Twitter, planetbeing, one of the three members behind evad3rs, announced the release of evasi0n 1.1. The second iteration of the popular jailbreaking tool brings along "the latest fixes", which are supposed to sort the Weather app and "long boot" time issues. The latter problem is also referred to by the team as the "reboots getting stuck" bug.

planetbeing also says that users may have to clear the browser cache in order to "see" the evasi0n 1.1 tool on the website. For those who already run jailbroken devices, installing the latest release is not necessary as the same result can be achieved by using Cydia to update the existent packages.

First time users may want to download the evasi0n 1.1 jailbreak tool once it can be "seen" on evad3r's website. Since only the links for the original release are currently available, for impatient users installing the first release then updating via Cydia might be a quicker "fix" for their incurable modding needs. Keep in mind that it's advised to perform a backup before jailbreaking the device.

Photo Credit: Sura Nualpradid /Shutterstock

Accidental Empires Part 2 -- 1996 edition preface

Publié: février 7, 2013, 7:51am CET par Robert X. Cringely

Second in a series. Editor: Robert X. Cringely is serializing his classic Accidental Empires , yesterday with a modern intro and today with the two past ones. The second edition of the book coincided with release of documentary "Triumph of the Nerds". The intros provide insight into a past we take for granted that was future in the making then. Consider that in 1996, Microsoft had a hit with Windows 95 and Apple was near bankruptcy.

The first edition of Accidental Empires missed something pretty important -- the Internet. Of course there wasn’t much of a commercial Internet in 1990. So I addressed it somewhat with the 1996 revised edition, the preface of which is below. Later today we’ll go on to the original preface from 1990.

1996

In his novel Brighton Rock, Graham Greene’s protagonist, a cocky 14-year-old gang leader named Pinky, has his first sexual experience. Nervously undressing, Pinky is relieved when the girl doesn’t laugh at the sight of his adolescent body. I know exactly how Pinky felt.

When I finished writing this book five years ago, I had no idea how it would be received. Nothing quite like it had been written before. Books about the personal computer industry at that time either were mired in technobabble or described a gee-whiz culture in which there were no bad guys. In this book, there are bad guys. The book contains the total wisdom of my fifteen-plus years in the personal computer business. But what if I had no wisdom? What if I was wrong?

With this new edition, I can happily report that the verdict is in: for the most part, I was right. Hundreds of thousands of readers, many of whom work in the personal computer industry, have generally validated the material presented here. With the exception of an occasional typographical error and my stupid prediction that Bill Gates would not marry, what you are about to read is generally accepted as right on the money.

Not that everyone is happy with me. Certainly Bill Gates doesn’t like to be characterized as a megalomaniac, and Steve Jobs doesn’t like to be described as a sociopath, but that’s what they are. Trust me.

This new edition is prompted by a three-hour television miniseries based on the book and scheduled to play during 1996 in most of the English-speaking world. The production, which took a year to make, includes more than 120 hours of interviews with the really important people in this story -- even the megalomaniacs and sociopaths. These interviews, too, confirmed many of the ideas I originally presented in the book, as well as providing material for the new chapters at the end.

What follows are the fifteen original chapters from the 1992 edition and a pair of new ones updating the story through early 1996.

So let the computer chips fall where they may.

Reprinted with permission

Record Skype voice or video calls, for free

Publié: février 7, 2013, 6:18am CET par Nick Peers

Ever wanted, or needed, to record a voice or video conversation in Skype? There are plenty of tools out there that will do that for you, but there’s usually a catch. They either cost money or, if they are free, there’s often a limit to what you can record.

Thankfully, there’s a free app just launched for Windows users that allows you to easily record voice and video calls from Skype completely for free, with no limits or catches. It’s ridiculously simple to use, and it’s called, rather aptly, Free Video Call Recorder for Skype 1.0.2.115.

Free Video Call Recorder for Skype, which comes from the DVDVideoSoft stable, takes call recording to new levels of simplicity. All you have to do is choose what you want to record: both sides of a video conversation, your opposite number’s video feed only or just your audio chat. Pick a suitable folder and you’re good to go: just hit the record button to start, then hit pause should you want to miss out a bit, or stop to finish the recording.

Video recordings also stop automatically when you hang up, and won’t start until the video connection has been made; audio recordings are started and stopped manually. Audio conversations are stored in MP3 format, and video chats in MP4 format, but there’s no record of them in Free Video Call Recorder for Skype; instead you need to open up the folder they’re stored in and double-click them to review.

The app is clearly a no-frills one, but it’s effective and does the job admirably. We’d like to see the user being able to choose a different video format in case MP4 doesn’t cut it, but other than that there’s little to complain about here. You should probably let your chat partner know you’re planning to record your conversation with them, though -- the app doesn’t integrate in any way with Skype, and is to all intents and purposes invisible to it, so there’s no warning relayed on your behalf.

Free Video Call Recorder for Skype 1.0.2.115 is a freeware download for PCs running Windows Vista or later (sadly, it’s not XP compatible).

Google takes the busywork out of managing mobile ad campaigns

Publié: février 7, 2013, 1:24am CET par Larry Kim

Google today announced big changes to their AdWords money making machine in a bid to dramatically increase mobile advertising adoption and the Cost-Per-Click (CPC) of mobile search ads -- by making their advanced mobile search advertising features work by default, rather than requiring tons of extra effort on the part of the advertiser to make them work, and also by changing the way mobile CPCs are set.

The changes announced today, known as “Enhanced Campaigns”, will become available to customers by the end of February and will be applied automatically to all advertisers by mid-year. In this article, I’ll explain how the coming changes will impact Google’s bottom line.

Google’s Mobile Search Problem

Over the last 5 years, growth in query volume from mobile phones has grown at a much faster pace than Google searches from desktop computers. The total number of daily searches on Google from mobile devices is expected to surpass daily desktop search volume by next year.

However in recent quarters, Google has had a problem with mobile CPCs -- a mobile search monetizes at roughly half the rate as a desktop search, and as a result, some have even questioned the future of Google’s advertising business model.

Why Advertisers Currently Suck at Mobile Search

In a nutshell, in order for an advertiser to leverage Google’s most sophisticated mobile advertising features and strategies that are required to be successful, Google requires that advertisers do a lot of extra work, which is so complicated that it’s pretty much impossible to do. Currently, advertisers are expected to create multiple different ad campaigns -- one for every city and every possible device combination, which quickly becomes pretty difficult as there are now millions of possible combinations.

Meaning, Google subjects advertisers to something of a mobile torture test just to set up mobile ad campaigns, and as a result, the overwhelming majority of advertisers decide that it’s just not worth the hassle. At WordStream, I work with AdWords advertisers in the small-and-medium business segment; I estimate that less than 1 in 25 bother doing the work of mobile-enabling their PPC campaigns!

New AdWords Enhanced Campaigns: How They Work

Google is rethinking how we deal with the multi-device world we live in, and is upgrading the decade-old PPC campaign structure so that advertisers can leverage key mobile advertising features by default, without having to create separate campaigns for every location and device combination.

For example, within your ad campaigns, you can just specify if you’d like to bid more or less for mobile clicks, rather than having to create a separate campaign. And similarly, ads are getting a lot smarter. Within a single campaign, you can have different ads for desktop and mobile and Google will make note of what device is executing the search and will correctly pick the right ad to run with. Ads and settings will be adjusted for you automatically.

So overall, the idea of Enhanced Campaigns is to take the mobile advertising features that were previously available, but almost never used because they were too hard to implement, and offer them in a much more scalable way for all Google advertisers. This allows advertisers to just focus on advertising their products rather than worrying about what device a Google search originated from.

Mobile CPCs Are Going Up

Come June, after the planned auto-upgrade to the new Enhanced Campaigns rolls out, the gap between mobile and desktop CPCs will be filled. This is due to increased advertiser competition from increased advertiser adoption of mobile search since:

All existing ad campaigns, including those that previously excluded mobile search will be now opted into mobile by default
New ad campaigns will be able to take advantage of advanced mobile advertising features with far less effort.

Additionally, Google will be auto-setting the inaugural mobile bid adjustment factor for all enhanced campaigns. While I don’t know exactly how that’s being calculated, I’d imagine that the default values aren’t going to be set to a value that reduces mobile CPCs on average.

In fact, last month Google CEO Larry Page was asked on an earnings call if he thought that mobile CPCs would be going up any time soon, to which he responded: “I am very, very optimistic about it...we are working to simplify our ad system for advertisers...we don’t have anything to announce today but I am very excited about our efforts there. I think that we will make rapid progress in that area”.

We now know why Larry Page was so optimistic about mobile CPCs.

Simplified Mobile Search ROI Tracking

Google is also making it easier for advertisers to better understand the ROI of paid search advertising by making the following changes:

The End of Mobile Call Reporting Fees: Previously Google had offered mobile call reporting features to allow an advertiser to see what phone numbers called, when, and how long the calls lasted. This was helpful but a bit bizarre in that Google actually charged advertisers a dollar extra per call to use it, which, sadly, acted as a disincentive to adopt mobile search features! Going forward, Google is dumping the extra fee.
New Mobile Advertising Conversion Type: The ROI of mobile search is systematically under-reported because conversion tracking is based on a user finding a thank-you page after having placed an order online or completing another goal. In mobile search, the call to action is often to make a phone call, so traditional conversion tracking doesn’t work. So Google is introducing a new mobile advertising conversion type, based on call duration and specified by the advertiser.

What does it mean for Advertisers and Google Investors?

I think the changes make a lot of sense. Right now there are a bunch of advertisers that opt out of mobile search because they think (incorrectly) that the ROI isn’t there. In particular, small businesses aren’t too keen on exponentially increasing the number of ad campaigns in their account because that creates work for them! It’s also a bit more challenging to track the ROI of mobile search.

I believe that the ROI of mobile search is very compelling due to factors like precise location, immediacy, commercial intent, and 1-click-to-call.

It’s always been a matter of just getting the advertiser to adopt the somewhat complicated best practices in terms of campaign setup and reporting to realize these benefits. By simplifying this process, I’m confident that we’ll see an uptake in mobile advertising adoption and ROI. I think the new enhanced campaigns will be particularly helpful for SMBs that are not yet taking advantage of mobile search.

Additionally, Google has set the default auto-upgrade settings and changed the way mobile bids are set, in a way that will create significant upwards pressure on mobile CPC’s.

For a more detailed look at Enhanced Campaigns and the mobile bid adjustment factor, see my longer article at the WordStream blog.

Larry Kim is the Founder/CTO of WordStream.

Photo Credit: Adam Radosavljevic/Shutterstock

Chromebook Pixel looks like MacBook Pro to me

Publié: février 6, 2013, 11:54pm CET par Joe Wilcox

Today's buzz among Chromebook aficionados and wannabes is a leaked video for a model supposedly being developed by Google with high resolution, touchscreen display -- that's 2560 x 1700, baby. The vid went up on YouTube, then mysteriously came down, but went back up virally, adding to the intrigue that maybe, just maybe, the touchy-feely Chromebook is real. In your dreams.

Who doesn't love a good mystery, particularly gadget freaks desperate for something more and bloggers clawing over one another for greater pageviews. Conspiracy is an Internet meme that never grows old. But there's something oh-so wrong with the Chromebook Pixel shown in the video. Doesn't the computer look a whole lot like Apple MacBook Pro? Similarities are striking, which makes me wonder whether Google imitates art or this video isn't for a real product. Perhaps it's just pitch for one.

Magical Mystery Tour

For sure, a Google-designed Chromebook would be timely. Just two days ago I griped about OEMs releasing new models based on existing Windows machines stripped to the bones. Manufacturers need a good swift kick in the ass, and Google should start by doing what it did with smartphones and tablets: Co-develop reference designs that run stock software -- hence the Nexus line of smartphones.

So, yeah, Google leadership is needed so the Chromebook wave rises rather than falls off once the geek market loses the "next big thing" glow.

But pardon my skepticism Chromebook Pixel is for real, given the paucity of rumors that turn into reality and the marked MacBook Pro resemblance. Look at the video! It's stylized like a MacBook Pro commercial minus Jeff Goldblum narration. Isn't that reason enough to wonder about this thing?

Russell Holly shares my skepticism:

Chrome OS has had the nuts and bolts for touch support since the CR-48, and when you consider the resolution in the Samsung Nexus 10 it seems plausible that Google would look in this direction for Chrome OS at some point.

This video, though? This video has all markers for an intentional viral prank. For starters, it's a crappy render of a crappy laptop. Next, it's using the wrong Google logo at the end. Finally, the video was pulled from YouTube, and then pops back up on DailyMotion courtesy of an Android blog.

Another tell is "Chrome" without the logo 43 seconds into the video. Still, if you closely examine describable keys, they are right for Chromebook.

She Loves You

Developer François Beaufort, who ignited fierce fires of hope across Google+ today, calls Pixel a "concept" being "actually tested at Google right now". But concept doesn't mean real product, certainly not looking this much like an Apple laptop -- or are Google lawyers that audacious? Besides, companies test all kinds of prototypes and produce marketing mockups during the development process.

The collective Chromebook community is near fatal heart attack over this thing. I have visions of screaming teenage girls, some with arm outstretched, waiting for the Beatles. "Wow, I think I just found my next laptop", Andrew Brown chimes.

Jeff Jarvis: "I want one. Now that Google has done a good job testing the low-cost end of the market with its Chromebooks, now it needs to test the sleek end".

"Shut up and take my money!" Lee Grupsmith exclaims.

Mac Morrison: "Chromebook Pixel marks the end of apple lust".

Oh, you screaming school girls! Aren't we all?

Microsoft shouldn't block Xbox 720 from playing used games

Publié: février 6, 2013, 8:14pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Earlier today a story popped up on the popular gaming website Edge Magazine that cites "sources with first-hand experience of Microsoft’s next generation console". That, of course, immediately raises red flags, but it has not stopped many news sites and blogs from running with the information contained in the "leak". There is a lot of information in the post, but one particular piece caught big attention and is viral.

That is a claim that "Microsoft’s next console will require an Internet connection in order to function, ruling out a second-hand game market for the platform". If true, that would be a disaster for customers and cause the company a public relations nightmare on a massive scale.

Currently customers, when tiring of a game, have the option to sell or trade it for store credit at multiple game stores around the country and the internet. This is not a black market either, but a legitimate source of revenue for retail outlets like Amazon, Game Stop, Best Buy and more. Not only would such restriction hurt customers but businesses as well.

Trading in albums, CDs, DVDs and games that are no longer wanted is a time-honored tradition. It is a win-win for two people -- the one tired of the content and the one hungry to get it and looking for a deal. The practice is a source of entertainment for students who in many cases cannot afford the much higher price of buying new.

Of course we have absolutely no way of knowing if any of this is true. For now it remains in the wait-and-see category. However, if Microsoft chooses to implement the plan then here are two things I expect.

1. The company feels pressured by gaming studios that, like the MPAA and RIAA, live in fear of losing revenue to piracy or, in this case, two people being able to play one copy of a game. This is a bit ridiculous given that piracy will continue to take place and my friends can still stop by to play Call of Duty.

2. Microsoft will face a full-fledged revolt. And that uprising will not come from just its customers but also from retailers that profit from this market.

Let me stress one more time that we really do not know if this development will come to pass, but if it turns out to be true then it would likely be a nightmare for Microsoft, retailers and customers alike. Only time will tell.

BetaNews rarely jumps on rumor stories, but understands such restriction would affect many of our readers, who by voicing their opinions now could change Microsoft's plans (if there are any).

Photo Credit: Joe Wilcox

Big Data can kill American gun crime

Publié: février 6, 2013, 8:00pm CET par Derrick Wlodarz

While Betanews isn't usually a place for political discourse, I'm going against the grain on this one. It's because I strongly believe the real answer to solving our serious gun crime problem in America rests in something most readers on this site tend to embrace: technology. More specifically, what we refer to as Big Data. I fully believe we have a data problem, not a gun problem. While the debate at large focuses on reaching the same end goal, the fingers point at the wrong solution.

Big Data, in my opinion, does have a spot in this debate. While Robert Cringely one month ago wrote why he believed just the opposite, I think we have more than enough examples of where Big Data has been helping more than hurting. If you listened solely to the press conferences politicians hold in Washington, you'd almost come to the conclusion that all the guns used in recent crimes pulled their own triggers. There seems to be a steady forgetfulness that nearly every recent mass tragedy was actually perpetrated by individuals with some form of mental illness. But this doesn't stir the headlines the same way gun debates do, so the topic gets swept to the wayside.

We've got a serious problem in America, and I don't think it lies in magazine round capacities or (mislabeled) assault weapons. It's that we have no reasonable technological backbone in the form of data collection and sharing that can track individuals at risk for committing these types of violent crimes. New York City successfully leveraged Big Data (CompStat) to fight its own crime problem; we've tracked sex offenders with ease down to the city block for many years already; and the USA has managed a national detailed terror "No Fly List" for nearly a decade now.

So why can't we effectively track mass data on potentially violent threats afflicted with mental illness? It's a very good question, and one that will only be logically tackled once we get over the largely theatrical gun control debate.

The Dead End that is New Proposed Gun Control

It's a shame that so much congressional energy is being spent on clarifying what visual aspects of guns constitute assault weapons that politicos like Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) want to ban. The biggest sham about the new proposed assault weapons ban, for example, is the established fact that most violent crime isn't even committed with so-called "assault weapons". Handguns are the most prevalent choice for mass shootings.

If you're hesitant to believe the true numbers, have a look at some of the most violent recent school shooting suspects in the United States:

Adam Lamza (Sandy Hook shootings): Semi-Automatic Rifle used, yes.
One L. Goh (Oikos University shootings): Semi-Automatic Rifle used, no.
Seung-Hui Cho (Virginia Tech shootings): Semi-Automatic Rifle used, no.
Steven Kazmierczak (Northern Illinois shootings): Semi-Automatic Rifle used, no.
Charles Carl Roberts IV (Amish School shootings): Semi-Automatic Rifle used, no.
Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold (Columbine shootings): Semi-Automatic Rifle used, yes.

Of just the above sampling of 6 recent violent US school shootings, only two instances involved semi-automatic rifles (the center of the current assault weapons ban controversy.) Of the rest, all involved some form of handguns, supporting the established statistics on US gun crimes at large.

A standard S&W MP15 sporting rifle, commonly referred to as an AR-15. Contrary to reports, "AR" merely stands for "Armalite" -- the company which originated this style of weapon. And doubly, it can only fire at semi-automatic levels, unlike a true "assault rifle" that can handle fully-automatic. Gun paranoia fuels this kind of media misinformation.

While there is no strong correlation between assault weapons and recent mass school shootings, mental illness definitely has a staggering presence among the involved suspects. Using the same sampling of perpetrators, have a look at just how many had some form of mental illness that has been publicly reported:

Adam Lamza (Sandy Hook shootings): Reported to have a personality disorder in combination with Asperger syndrome.
One L. Goh (Oikos University shootings): Afflicted with paranoid schizophrenia and to-date determined mentally unfit to stand trial for crimes committed.
Seung-Hui Cho (Virginia Tech shootings): Declared mentally ill by Virginia in 2005, two years before the infamous shootings.
Steven Kazmierczak (Northern Illinois shootings): Long history of mental illness; multiple suicide attempts; strong interest in Columbine shootings; sympathetic towards Palestinian terror group Hamas.
Charles Carl Roberts IV (Amish School shootings): Suspected sexual attraction to children due to falsities told before shootings and sexual lubricant found at crime scene where young girls were murdered.
Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold (Columbine shootings): Described in multiple reports as "psycopathic" and "depressive" among other social and mental related issues that affected the duo.

In some form or fashion, all of these individuals above had one thing in common: mental instability. That's right, every single one of them. In fact, a majority of them had traceable histories of instability that was brought to light only after it was too late. I'd argue it's not a gun problem at all that we're fighting, but a lack of coherent direction on information sharing and mental health access. Both sides on the issue are at fault to some degree.

New gun legislation is likewise doomed for failure in solving the core issue of gun access because even the US Department of Justice concedes that among state prisoners in jail for gun crimes, 80 percent obtained their weapon in part by "street buys" or "illegal sources". So this begs the question: if criminals aren't following the law to begin with, what makes us believe these new regulations are going to keep weapons out of their hands? If I'm connecting the dots right here, these stricter gun laws will merely give the bad guys another leg up over law-abiding citizens.

If there's one thing I would recommend in light of all the above data, it's that broadening our concealed carry laws could likely have the biggest impact on keeping death tolls down when shock killers decide to strike. The evidence already points to lower murder rates among states that have concealed carry in contrast to those that do not. And there's even movement to get teachers prepared to fight back, like these Utah educational workers who are training to carry concealed weapons in school, something already legal in the state.

Renowned security expert Larry Correia said it best on a recent blog post surrounding the gun control debate: "Gun Free Zones are hunting preserves for innocent people. Period".

The Data is out There, We just refuse to make sense of It

If there was a posterboy for the mess that is our state of mental health information sharing in America, it would be Seung-Hui Cho. This was the 23 year-old troubled college student who took 32 lives plus his own on the campus of Virginia Tech in 2007. The signs that were present, and data that was already available, was insurmountable. For example, Lucinda Roy was the co-director of Virginia Tech's creative writing program, and experienced Cho's conditions first hand. "[He was] the loneliest person I have ever met in my life", she told ABC News.

Roy attempted to get Cho help through official channels, but met resistance from higher-ups who noted "legal hurdles" in getting Cho the help he needed. The University even made public mental health records they held on Cho, noting several instances of discussions between Cho and school health specialists where he described ongoing symptoms for depression and anxiety. Three therapists had the chance to talk with Cho before his murder spree, to no true avail. They are not to blame necessarily -- the broken system is.

The more you look into the past lives of these school shooting perpetrators, the more commonalities you find with similar signs and data. While every single shooter doesn't leave behind such a vivid trail of mental illness evidence, most instances do have enough concrete data to say that "something" could have been done. The problem at hand is that we have no discernible way of making sense of all this data. How do we store it all? Where do we organize it? Who's to manage it?

These are the kinds of questions we should ask now, and work towards to a solution once and for all. The terror tragedies of 9/11 forced Washington to get serious about a No Fly List, and the results have been impressive overall. Many recorded (and some likely unrecorded) instances of potential terrorism were stopped dead in their tracks due to this cohesive national database.

The New York Police Department also showed how the right technology can empower change. Specifically, reducing crime and predicting future problems, edging on the lines of what the movie "Minority Report" made famous in its screenplay. GIS and database technology helped form the basis for CompStat, a comprehensive system that has been so powerful, it is now in use in numerous US cities such as Austin, San Francisco, Baltimore, and other large urban centers. In fact, CompStat has been so effective that by 2001, one third of the country's 515 biggest police departments had adopted some iteration of the CompStat methodology in place.

Big Data isn't perfect, however, especially when government is involved. Take for example the FBI's spotty recent history in getting its multi-million dollar pet project running, Sentinel. That Big Data project went completely overbudget, overran on its entire projected launch date and was eventually taken back in-house for final development. The in-sourcing effort by the FBI further bloated costs and finally produced a usable data warehousing platform by 2012 -- over a full decade after the information mess that allowed 9/11 to take place.

Information Sharing is Key to Preventing the Next Sandy Hook

I'm not an expert in the topic of federal information systems, or even smaller state level database platforms. I don't have the single answer to what our next steps should look like. But I do know, as a rational American, that connecting the dots surrounding the real issue with mental health information sharing isn't that difficult. The patterns exposed among a majority of these school shooting suspects should provide some immediacy to the question of how we plan on getting already collected information shared, and how to best leverage it to help prevent the next disasters.

Sadly, until we get real about tackling our information sharing problem, the Adam Lamzas and Seung-Hui Chos will continue slipping through the cracks. The unfortunate part is that the breadcrumbs are already out there. Without a technologically powered way to sift it, sort it and make use of it at the proper levels, we can't do much about it. And so the political theater will continue in Washington, while the underlying cause of mass shootings gets swept aside because gun control debates steal more headlines then mental health discussions ever could.

Want to get involved in making real change? Contact your congressional leaders and tell them to address the mental health information problem. Even banning every future assault weapon sale won't in the least prevent the next Sandy Hook or Columbine.

Photo Credit: mashe/Shutterstock

BusyFlow releases Android and iOS cloud collaboration apps

Publié: février 6, 2013, 5:22pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Thanks to the internet, the cloud, smartphones and services like Skype, a business no longer needs employees in-house or even in similar locations. BetaNews itself employs writers located in various places around the world who can easily communicate and share with one another.

Now team collaboration company BusyFlow, already a web app, has launched its services for both Android and iOS, further pushing the boundaries for cloud sharing and communications.

BusyFlow incorporates a number of services into one app -- Dropbox, Google Calendar, Google Drive and Docs, Pivotal Tracker, Google Tasks, Github, Basecamp and Trello. The idea is to create an account and log in and then create a "Hive" that co-workers can also log into. From there you begin sharing new activities, comments and changes. You can add any of the previously mentioned services to the mix -- you will, of course, need an account with each one of them.

The free apps were just released and only at version 1.0. In my brief test I had no problem creating an account, accessing Dropbox and creating a share with my wife. Plus you can use the web app to access your workspace as well, once it is created. The service is still in beta and all features are available for free. However, upon launch, a free plan will only be available for up to three users and two paid tiers will be implemented.

Photo Credits: James Thew/Shutterstock

Accidental Empires Part 1 -- an accidental story in the making

Publié: février 6, 2013, 5:13pm CET par Robert X. Cringely

First in a series. February, 2013 -- We stand today near the beginning of the post-PC era. Tablets and smart phones are replacing desktops and notebooks. Clouds are replacing clusters. We’re more dependent than ever on big computer rooms only this time we not only don’t own them, we don’t even know where they are. Three years from now we’ll barely recognize the computing landscape that was built on personal computers. So if we’re going to keep an accurate chronicle of that era, we’d better get to work right now, before we forget how it really happened.

Oddly enough, I predicted all of this almost 25 years ago as you’ll see if you choose to share this journey and read on. But it almost didn’t happen. In fact I wish it had never happened at all…

The story of Accidental Empires began in the spring of 1989. I was in New York covering a computer trade show called PC Expo (now long gone) for InfoWorld, my employer at the time. I was at the Marriott Marquis hotel, the phone rang and it was my wife telling me that she had just been fired from her Silicon Valley marketing job. She had never been fired before and was devastated. I, on the other hand, had been fired from every job I ever held so professional oblivion seemed a part of the package. But she was crushed. Crushed and in denial. They’d given her two months to find another job inside the company.

"They don’t mean it", I said. "That’s two month severance. There is no job. Look outside the company".

But she wouldn’t listen to me. There had to be a mistake. For two months she interviewed for every open position but there were no offers. Of course there weren’t. Two months to the day later she was home for good. And a week after that learned she had breast cancer.

Facing a year or more of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation that would keep my wife from working for at least that long, I had to find a way to make up the income (she made twice what I did at the time). What’s a hack writer to do?

Write a book, of course.

If my wife hadn’t been fired and hadn’t become ill, Accidental Empires would never have happened. As it was, I was the right guy in the right place at the right time and so what I was able to create in the months that followed was something quite new -- an insider view of the personal computer industry written by a guy who was fired from every job he ever held, a guy with no expectation of longevity, no inner censor, nothing to lose and no reason not to tell the truth.

And so it was a sensation, especially in places like Japan where you just don’t write that Bill Gates needed to take more showers (he was pretty ripe most of the time).

Microsoft tried to keep the book from being published at all. They got a copy of the galleys (from the Wall Street Journal, I was told) and threatened the publisher, Addison-Wesley, with being cut off from publishing books about upcoming Microsoft products. This was a huge threat at the time and it was to Addison-Wesley’s credit that they stood by the book.

Bullies tend to be cowards at heart so I told the publisher that Microsoft wouldn’t follow-through and they didn’t. This presaged Redmond’s "we only threatened and never really intended to do it" antitrust defense.

The book was eventually published in 18 languages. "For Pammy, who knows we need the money" read the dedication that for some reason nobody ever questioned. The German edition, which was particularly bad, having been split between two different translators with a decided shift in tone in the middle, read "Für Pammy, weiß, wer ich für Geld zu schreiben".

"For Pammy, who knows I write for money".

Doesn’t have the same ring, does it?

The book only happened because my boss at InfoWorld, the amazing Jonathan Sacks (who later ran AOL), fought for me. It happened because InfoWorld publisher Eric Hippeau signed the contract almost on his way out to door to becoming publisher at arch-rival PC Magazine.

Maybe the book was Hippeau’s joke on his old employer, but it made my career and I haven’t had a vacation since as a result. That’s almost 24 years with no more than three days off, which probably in itself explains much of my behavior.

Accidental Empires is very important to me and I don’t serialize it here lightly. My point is to update it and I trust that my readers of many years will help me do that.

Join me for the next two months as we relive the early history of the personal computer industry. If you remember the events described here, share your memories. If I made a mistake, correct me. If there’s something I missed (Commodore, Atari, etc.) then throw it in and explain its importance. I’ll be be with you every step, commenting and responding in turn, and together we’ll improve the book, making it into something even more special.

And what became of Pammy? She’s gone.

Change is the only constant in this -- or any other -- story.

Reprinted with permission

Photo Credit: urfin/Shutterstock

Jelly Bean and Ice Cream Sandwich chomp Gingerbread

Publié: février 6, 2013, 4:53pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

In with the new and out with the old. Well, almost. Jelly Bean and Ice Cream Sandwich are slowly taking Gingerbread's crown, running on 42.6 percent of all Android devices. The two-year old operating system only has a slight edge, of 3 percentage points, against the two newest sweets in the family, based on the number of devices accessing Google Play during the 14 days ending February 4.

Almost three months after Google released Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, the latest treat in the candy jar reached a 1.4 percent distribution level. Compared to the previous data set released by Google in early-January, the number is merely 0.2 percentage points higher, which translates into a 16.66 percent increase.

The near-stagnant distribution can be attributed to stock issues and limited worldwide availability of Nexus devices that constantly plagued Google's Play Store and retailers, respectively. Another factor to consider is the lack of software upgrades to the second Jelly Bean iteration for popular smartphones.

By contrast, the first Jelly Bean iteration reached a 12.2 percent distribution level, a number 3.2 percentage points higher compared to the previous data set. The 35.55-percent increase likely comes from newer devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy Note II and HTC DROID DNA among others, as well as software upgrades.

Ice Cream Sandwich, versions 4.0.3 to 4.0.4, runs on 29 percent of all green droid devices. The latest distribution level places Android 4.0 0.1 percentage points lower compared to one month ago. The decline appears influenced by the number of smartphones and tablets upgraded to the first Jelly Bean iteration, such as the Motorola Droid Razr HD for instance, as well as sales of popular new devices that now mostly skip the Ice Cream Sandwich sweet altogether.

The tablet-only Honeycomb also saw a decrease in distribution level from 1.5 percent (in January) to 1.3 percent in a single month. Versions 3.1 and 3.2 run on 0.3 percent and 1.0 percent, respectively of all Android devices. Overall Honeycomb is down by 13.33 percent compared to the previous data set.

The king of the sweets, Gingerbread, runs on 45.6 percent of all green droids with versions 2.3 to 2.3.2 and 2.3.3 to 2.3.7 touting a 0.2 percent and 45.4 percent distribution level, respectively. In the course of a month Gingerbread lost 2.0 percentage points, which represents a 4.2 percent decrease over the previous data set.

Android 2.2 to Android 1.6 now claim a 10.5 percent cut of the pie, with Froyo being the most popular thanks to a 8.1 percent distribution level. It too has lost in the battle with its newer siblings, even if by a mere 0.9 percentage points. By contrast the oldest registered sweet, Donut, only runs on 0.2 percent of Android devices.

The latest historical data set provided by Google shows that Jelly Bean and Ice Cream Sandwich will further rain on Gingerbread's parade. The two display a consistent growth combined, which coupled with the latter's downfall, will turn them into the new Android distribution leaders in the upcoming months. Jelly Bean and Ice Cream Sandwich have grown by 2.3 percentage points, gaining more than Gingerbread lost.

If the current trend will repeat itself by next month, Gingerbread will lose its crown to Jelly Bean and Ice Cream Sandwich comes early-March.

Photo Credit: Bobby Scrivener/Shutterstock

BlackBerry's plans to take over your smartphone foiled by a misfiring app

Publié: février 6, 2013, 2:38pm CET par Wayne Williams

You’ve read all the press about the new BlackBerry 10 smartphones, and you’re intrigued enough to want to know more. Well, a clever new marketing campaign lets you transform your existing iOS or Android device into a BlackBerry Z10 using augmented reality. Well sort of.

Unlike the Playboy interactive cover which uses Layar, you’ll need to have the free Blippar app installed on your phone. Once done, scan the special BB Take Over Me webpage (or just scan the image here, if you prefer) and your phone will be instantly transformed into an interactive Z10. Or at least that’s the theory.

Both myself and my colleague Mihaita Bamburic found it just froze on the “Touch to start” screen. If that’s a genuine representation of the Z10, BlackBerry has a real problem on its hands. Still a bit of perseverance (and a couple of crashes later) and I finally got it working.

Once your smartphone has been "taken over" you’ll see lots of apps streaming out of the silhouetted phone on the web page. Afterwards you'll be taken to a demo of the Z10 running in your browser and can try out some of the device’s features for yourself.

It’s obviously just a bit of fun, but it’s a clever idea (when it works), and one I’m sure we’ll see a lot more of in the future.

BurnAware 6.0 released -- offers an updated authoring engine, disc error checker and more

Publié: février 6, 2013, 2:30pm CET par Nick Peers

Windows disc-burning tool BurnAware 6.0 Free has been released. This major update, also available with additional features as BurnAware 6.0 Premium (rebadged from Home Edition) and BurnAware 6.0 Professional, comes with an updated burning engine and a number of new features, including a new tool for checking discs for read errors.

BurnAware 6.0 also ships with a number of improvements, including the grouping of all burning elements at the bottom of the main form, and a number of notable bug fixes.

BurnAware 6.0 adds a new View menu to its roster, allowing users to view the basic options in normal or large size. The new menu is joined by a brand new Verify Disc tool that scans discs for read errors.

Also added is an option to burn an 800MB CD from the Disc Type drop-down list, plus users can now select the cache size (press [F10] and then set the size via the Recorder tab). BurnAware 6.0 also adds support for importing multi-extent and UDF embedded files, and there’s a new log window accessible from the Copy Disc and Copy to Image tools.

The program’s burning engine has been updated, and the user manual has been rewritten from scratch to reflect all the changes in this new build. BurnAware 6.0 is also now capable of locking the burning drive for exclusive access when burning using the SCSI Pass Through Interface (SPTI). Version 6.0 also promises better optimized data transfer and buffering during the burning process.

The update is rounded off with five notable bug fixes: problems causing potential read errors in produced disc images, write errors at the end of the burning process on DVD-R/-RW discs and with ejecting discs at the end of the burning process have all been resolved, along with fixes for BD-R disc burning errors on certain Pioneer drives and the "A general error occurred" error that occasionally appeared while Blu-Ray disc images were being prepared.

BurnAware 6.0 Free is available as a free-for-personal-use download for PCs running Windows XP or later. Users wanting direct disc-to-disc copying capabilities and the ability to extract audio tracks and recover files from discs should download the 10-day trial of BurnAware 6.0 Premium, while a 10-day trial of BurnAware 6.0 Professional adds an option for burning a single ISO to multiple drives simultaneously to its commercial-use license. The two packages cost $29.95 and $39.95 respectively.

Photo Credit: AISPIX by Image Source/Shutterstock

Vodafone UK slaps a price-tag on Windows Phone 8 devices

Publié: février 6, 2013, 2:24pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Two days ago Vodafone UK teased subscribers and potential customers by announcing that, starting February 6, Windows Phone 8 smartphones would be available for purchase. There was no mention of price at the time, but today the missing piece of the puzzle is finally revealed.

The most expensive Windows Phone 8 device to be had with no upfront costs is the Nokia Lumia 920. For the Finnish manufacturer's flagship Vodafone UK customers have to shell out GBP42 per month during a two-year agreement, and in return they receive 2GB of cellular data as well as unlimited calls and texts.

For the same money as a Lumia 920, Vodafone UK customers can choose the newly-unveiled BlackBerry Z10. Other smartphones such as the Apple iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S III are more expensive. Both cost GBP19 on GBP42 and GBP 47 monthly plans, respectively, during a two-year agreement.

Slightly above the GBP30 mark lie the HTC-made Windows Phone 8X and the Lumia 820. Both devices are available, with no upfront costs, for GBP33 per month, again for a two-year contract. The service plan offers 1GB of cellular data as well as unlimited calls and texts.

The mid-range to low-end Windows Phone 8S and Lumia 620 are available, with no upfront cost, for GBP21 per month with a two-year contract. The service plan comes with just 250MB of cellular data as well as 300 minutes and unlimited texts.

BlackBerry Z10 is available in Canada

Publié: février 6, 2013, 1:20pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Great news for Canadian BlackBerry fans! The newly unveiled BlackBerry Z10 smartphone is now available for purchase at major carriers across the North American country.

In its home land the BlackBerry Z10 is priced rather boldly against popular smartphones from Apple and Samsung. On a three-year agreement at Bell, the device goes for CAD139.95, while the Samsung-made Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S III run for CAD149.95 and CAD49.95, respectively. By comparison the Apple-made iPhone 5 is available from CAD179.95 for the 16GB variant, with the price increasing by CAD100 and CAD200 for the 32GB and 64GB variants, respectively.

At Rogers, the BlackBerry Z10 goes for CAD139.99 on a three-year contract, while the Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S III are available at CAD149.99 and CAD49.99, respectively. By contrast the Nokia Lumia 920, powered by Windows Phone 8, can be had for CAD49.99 and the LG Optimus G only costs CAD24.99, again on a three-year contract. The BlackBerry Z10 is the most expensive device in Rogers' lineup, after the Galaxy Note II.

Telus drops the ".99" foreplay and demands CAD149 for the BlackBerry Z10. The Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S III are available at CAD149 and CAD49, respectively. Except for the former Samsung-made smartphone, the BlackBerry Z10 is the most expensive device in the Canadian carrier's lineup, "besting" the HTC One X+ and LG Optimus G, among others.

Can the BlackBerry Z10 really compete with popular Android devices or the iPhone 5 for market share, considering the price demanded by Canadian carriers?

Calligra rolls out a new version of its popular productivity suite

Publié: février 6, 2013, 1:01pm CET par Mike Williams

The Calligra team has announced the release of version 2.6 of the Calligra Suite, Calligra Active and the Calligra Office Engine, a versatile Linux-based productivity suite.

The big news in this suite is the addition of Calligra Author, a specialized tool which aims to help authors through the process of creating eBooks, including the ability to add interactive content (animations, embedded web content, scripting, and more).

Application enhancements see spreadsheet application Sheets finally gaining a Solver, while Stage now allows you to create and work with animations in your presentation slides, and Krita adds support for the OpenColorIO color management system.

Document compatibility improvements mean that Calligra 2.6 is now better at handling Microsoft Office documents. The suite can also now load and save 3D shapes and annotations, and is able to export documents to EPUB2, while MOBI exporting is apparently scheduled for inclusion in 2.6.1.

And of course there’s the usual stack of smaller tweaks, including an improved layout for Words, more reliable CSV import and export in Kexi, various Krita speedups, more chart customizations (you can now set the fonts for titles, labels and so on), as well as a lengthy list of bug fixes.

As previously, the Calligra team only provide the source code, so obtaining the package may require a little work. The official release announcement provides more details.

Of course there are also builds of Calligra available for OS X and Windows, but they’re best treated with caution. Even the developers describe them as "preliminary" and "highly experimental", and our initial tests of the current Windows build suggest that nothing much has changed -- it’s packed with problems. So while the Linux suite works well, the Windows version is only really worth a look if you’ve a particular interest in Calligra or want to see how it’s developing on other platforms; it’s not yet something we’d want to use on a regular basis.

Layar brings Playboy to life on your smartphone

Publié: février 6, 2013, 12:49pm CET par Wayne Williams

The publisher of the Dutch edition of Playboy has started adding Layar augmented reality codes to the cover and certain pages inside of the magazine, providing a little interactive treat for iOS and Android smartphone owners.

When scanned with the Layar app, the cover of the current Playboy Netherlands comes to life, showing semi-nude, partially animated clips of the three potential Playmate of the Year cover models, Beau, Nadine and Lotte.

Inside the magazine, last year’s Playmate winner -- Zimra -- introduces readers to the interactive magazine in a video, and a secret page allows them to ogle 2012’s worthy winner via the wonders of AR.

Other content on offer includes videos of gadgets, cars and tech, a flashback to the girls of 1984, music playlist links, movies, TV and videogame trailers, competitions and more.

"We saw some other magazines who were experimenting with Layar," Patrick Goldsteen, editor in chief of Playboy NL explains. "This gave us some insights into what we could do with it and we saw some great opportunities to extend the experience of the magazine reader. As Playboy we have a great amount of content but are limited to the 114 pages of the magazine. With Layar we virtually have an unlimited amount of possibilities to publish extra content".

If you install the Layar app on your smartphone, you can experience the delights of Beau, Nadine and Lotte by scanning the cover for yourself. It’s NSFW though, so be warned.

Four things that Microsoft needs to fix in Windows Phone 8

Publié: février 6, 2013, 12:09pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Coming from Android or iOS, Windows Phone 8 is an eye-opening smartphone operating system. It sets the bar pretty high when it comes to looks and performance -- the design is simply beautiful and refreshing, and the software responsive and fluid -- but it never really manages to outshine its main rivals. After living with the HTC Windows Phone 8X for a while, I can't help but notice glaring oversights in an otherwise solid proposition. The package is not complete.

You see, being pretty and going fast does not cut it among the fierce world of Android and iOS. Microsoft needs to take a good look around and take charge by solving the shortcomings of Windows Phone 8. Fact is, it's easy to pick faults with the immature app selection, like many journalists do, but that's more of a chicken and egg problem. What the software giant has to do is build on the current platform by offering better basic functionality, functionality that's necessary for a greater user experience.

1. Unified Notification Center

In Windows Phone 8, Microsoft's idea of notifications comes through live tiles. Live tiles are designed to offer notifications on a per-app basis, ranging from missed calls to unread email counters or weather data.

The implementation, however, is not perfect and could be unified in a single notification center, similar to on Android or iOS. The user would then be able to check out what's new in terms of notifications in a single place, instead of having to go through all the pinned tiles on the homescreen.

This would also make it far less confusing to follow through on notifications, and easier to dismiss irrelevant or non-important ones without having to open the app to see what's new. There are already rumors pointing to a unified notification center coming, so hopefully Microsoft has realized that live tiles alone simply do not cut it.

2. Revamped Personal Assistant

Android has Google Now, iOS has Siri, and Windows Phone 8 has... a fairly basic voice "assistant" that sounds like the female version of Stephen Hawking. By default it lists five commands, like "Call Chris mobile" and "Note Windows Phone 8 needs a personal assistant". I'm joking about the latter, but you get the picture.

The implementation is fairly basic, and could use some sprucing up. First of all, Microsoft has to find a better female or male voice that doesn't come from the annals of voice recognition history. Users should be able to have access to sports results, weather info and other mundane features in a more neatly organized interface without leaving the app, instead of summoning Bing every time.

It would be rather neat if the voice assistant could be used to display notifications through a voice command or answer questions, again without firing up Bing. Apps can take advantage of the voice recognition features too, but the only app that does it for me is Battery Sense. Microsoft develops the Facebook app, so why isn't there a corresponding voice command to post a message?

3. Improved Internet Explorer

Even though my heart lies with Chrome and Firefox on the desktop side, Windows Phone 8 comes with Internet Explorer as the default and I was rather surprised to see just how well it performs. It honestly bests Chrome on Android when it comes to responsiveness and speed. But it's not perfect.

First of all the tab management feature is bad. The user has to open the contextual menu, go to "tabs" and manage the opened pages from there. It's simply not ideal for easy access. For instance Chrome has a better implementation through swiping between opened tabs. I am not suggesting that Microsoft should copy Google, but a gesture seems much more appropriate for smartphones than a menu.

The software giant could also add a password manager and bookmarks and password synchronization with the desktop variant of Internet Explorer 10. It's the mobile era after all, not the 2000's.

4. Unified Search

Windows Phone 8 devices, such as my HTC Windows Phone 8X, come with a physical search button, which is rather unusual for modern smartphones but also quite useful. After pressing it, users can look up various things through Bing but, sadly, it's constricted to online use which means that searching for local items is a no-go.

It's misleading. Instead of showing up local apps, contacts, music, texts or videos, users have to open individual applications to look up various information. Windows Phone 8 would be much better served by offering a unified search app which also displays local results, all while keeping the existing functionality for in-app searches.

The Chicken and Egg Problem of Google+ and Instagram

As you might imagine, not every Windows Phone 8 owner is solely a Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter user and many, like myself, would prefer to also have Google+ integration within the Me tile and People app. It's a normal request with more than 135 million active Google+ users within the stream alone, but one that cannot be solved by Microsoft alone without Google stepping in.

Then there's Instagram, which is also part of the chicken and egg problem that continues to plague Windows Phone 8. The Facebook-owned social and photo-sharing network may not be as popular as Google+, but it still has more than 90 million active monthly ~~hipsters~~ users who also shouldn't be neglected.

Microsoft likely cannot take charge and embrace the development of a Google+ app, but seeing as the software giant developed the Facebook app why couldn't it do the same for Instagram? Having Instagram on Windows Phone 8 would surely help its adoption level among socially active folks.

Record everything on screen and create quality presentations with ActivePresenter Free

Publié: février 6, 2013, 11:49am CET par Mike Williams

When you’re creating a presentation, a demonstration, a software tutorial, or just trying to show someone else what’s happening on your desktop, then you could just take and save screen grabs at the appropriate moments. But while that sounds simple enough, it’s not exactly convenient. You’ll have plenty of work to do later in converting your grabs into something meaningful. And even then, the finished results may not be that professional.

Fortunately ActivePresenter Free offers a more capable alternative. It’s a powerful screen recorder which can track everything you’re doing, and automatically add some useful annotations. You can then quickly customize the results with an excellent editor, before saving your project as images (JPEG, PNG) or video (WMV, AVI, MPEG4, WebM).

Create a new project and the program allows you to record a fixed area, an application window or the entire screen. It’s smart enough to grab images only when you take some action, like clicking a button or typing. But ActivePresenter can also record onscreen activity as a video, if you like, with an audio narration as well.

And that would be useful enough, but it’s actually just the start. Because if, say, you click on the View menu within a program, ActivePresenter doesn’t just show an image with the cursor in the appropriate position. It can also highlight it, and even add a callout to make things clear to the reader, like "Select [View] menu item". So you may need to do very little post-processing to your images, because ActivePresenter has sorted out the basics already.

If you need to do more, though, that’s not a problem. The program includes a capable editor which allows you to further customize each slide with new shapes, captions, highlights, images, cursor paths, zoom and pan effects, even audio or video clips.

And if you don’t like some aspect of how the program works, just check the Preferences dialog -- it’s quite astonishingly customizable. So if you’re creating a cursor path, for instance, you’re able to set the default cursor highlight shape, color, size and opacity, the type of movement path, the cursor shape, even the noise it makes to indicate a left, right or double-click.

This is the free version of ActivePresenter, of course, and so we were expecting it to be hobbled by ridiculous restrictions -- you can only record 3 slides, they all have a massive watermark, and so on. But, surprisingly, there’s nothing like that here. The commercial versions (priced from $349.95) do have many more features, including the ability to add interaction to your projects (questions, quizzes, scripting and more), or export to PDF, Word, PowerPoint and so on. But the free edition has no length restrictions, watermarks, nag screens or anything similarly annoying, and if you need to export your on-screen activities to video then it should serve you very well.

Photo Credit: Alexey Kashin/Shutterstock

Instagrammers, you can now use only the browser (almost)

Publié: février 6, 2013, 11:41am CET par Mihaita Bamburic

It was bound to happen at one point or another. Following the rolling out of web profiles in early November, Instagram now allows users to skip smartphones and go straight to the browser for all their filtered picture feed needs.

This latest development is part of a plan to bring Instagram to a larger variety of devices, including PCs and tablets, a move that will undoubtedly help support the social network's growth and popularity among a bigger crowd. Instagrammers only have to visit the popular social network's website, press the log in button and enter their account information to start using Instagram inside a browser, without any encumbrance.

On the web, the service looks similar to the smartphone app. The only visual difference, when the window is not narrowly shrunk, is the user's name and profile appear on the left side of the picture instead of in the usual spot above it.

The realtime feed allows Instagrammers to browse through photos uploaded by users they follow, and like pictures through the familiar double tap or by pressing the heart-shaped like button. Commenting on photos is also available and, when resizing the browser window, Instagram shrinks around it to a point when it looks exactly as it does inside the mobile app.

What Instagram on the web does not allow, at the moment at least, is the ability to upload or filter pictures. Kevin Systrom, the social network's co-founder, suggests that the reason lies within Instagram's nature of "producing photos on the go, in the real world, in realtime". Still there are certainly many users who may want to use the feature, especially when time is of the essence while on the go.

Replace Notepad with the powerful and smarter EverEdit

Publié: février 6, 2013, 11:30am CET par Mike Williams

Windows Notepad may be easy to use, but it’s also horribly basic, and so it’s no surprise that an entire industry has grown up in providing more powerful alternatives. Some, like Notepad++, have become famous in themselves, but there are also plenty of powerful but lesser-known tools around, and EverEdit is one of the most interesting.

The program gets off to a good start with its ultra-compact 1.25MB download, for instance. There’s no installation, no adware, not as much as a "Donate" button -- just unzip the file somewhere and you’re ready to go immediately.

EverEdit’s versatility is apparent very quickly, too. Click File > New, for instance, and you’ll find the program has built-in template support (there are C, HTML and PHP templates included, and it’s easy to add your own). And while full Unicode support means EverEdit can open text files in any encoding, the program also has an option to open binary files in its own simple hex editor.

The interface is surprisingly configurable for a program of this size, too. As well as having a central tabbed area where you can work on your documents, EverEdit can display a Directory View to browse your system; an Outline window for easier navigation of lengthy documents; a list of open files, and a command window.

There’s even a Snippets window for speedy entry of commonly used text. Choose the HTML category, say, then double-click "Object (Flash Movie)" and EverEdit will insert an ‘<object type=”application/x-shockwave-flash”…’ tag at your current cursor position.

Other elements of the interface proved smarter than we’d expected. The status bar, for example, doesn’t just display details about the document and your current cursor position; it’s also clickable, so you can select your current tab size (or coding, or insert mode or whatever) and change it to something else.

There are a stack of other extras, too, from the small (a Print Preview option, and the ability to set the program window transparency, or set it "always on top"), to the surprisingly large, like macro and plugin support.

And of course you also get lots of core editing and developer-oriented features, like drag and drop support when moving text around, case conversion options, line manipulations (sorting, remove duplicates, more), auto-complete, code folding and more.

The program isn’t perfect, of course. For all its functionality, there are some features which seem relatively basic when compared to the best of the competition (syntax highlighting), while one or two others are missing entirely (there’s no option to maintain multiple clipboards, for instance).

More seriously, the features you do get aren’t always organized in an intuitive way. And there doesn’t seem to be any English language documentation, either, so figuring out how some of the more advanced features might work could prove quite a challenge.

This isn’t a fatal problem, though. You won’t need any help to use the core EverEdit features, and there are more than enough of those to justify downloading the program. And if you’re willing to invest some time in exploring its features then there’s plenty more to discover.

Liberty Global acquires Virgin Media for $23.3 billion

Publié: février 6, 2013, 9:47am CET par Wayne Williams

International television and telecommunications company Liberty Global has announced the acquisition of the Virgin Media for $23.3 billion in cash and stock, creating the UK’s second largest pay-TV business after BskyB.

Virgin Media will retain its name and logo, for the time being at least, and the company’s 4.9 million subscribers are unlikely to notice any major changes.

"Adding Virgin Media to our large and growing European operations is a natural extension of the value creation strategy we've been successfully using for over seven years," Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries said. "Virgin Media will add significant scale and a first-class management team in Europe's largest and most dynamic media and communications market. After the deal, roughly 80 percent of Liberty Global's revenue will come from just five attractive and strong countries -- the UK, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands".

Virgin Media CEO Neil Berkett commented: "Over the past six years, Virgin Media has transformed the digital experience of millions of customers, catalyzed a deep-rooted change in the UK’s digital landscape and delivered impressive growth and returns for our shareholders. I’m confident that this deal will help us to build on this legacy. Virgin Media and Liberty Global have a shared ambition, focus on operational excellence and commitment to driving shareholder value. The combined company will be able to grow faster and deliver enhanced returns by capitalizing on the exciting opportunities that the digital revolution presents, both in the UK and across Europe".

The combined reach of Liberty Global and Virgin Media will cover 47 million homes, and serve 25 million customers across 14 countries.

Microsoft announces five new retail locations

Publié: février 6, 2013, 3:50am CET par Alan Buckingham

The family grows quickly. Microsoft has been beefing up its retail offerings for the past year, trying to get into as many markets as possible in an effort to sell products and compete with the retail juggernaut that is Apple. In fact, the company chose to keep nearly all its popup stores opened from the past holiday season. Now the company has announced five new brick and mortar locations.

Taking into account those popup stores, the company currently operates about 65 retail outlets, but the number is about to expand with today's announcement. New stores will be coming soon to the following list of locations.

Natick Mall, Natick, Massachusetts
Ala Moana Center, Honolulu, Hawaii
Pioneer Place, Portland, Oregon
The Somerset Collection, Troy, Michigan
Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg, Illinois

Microsoft's Jonathan Adashek states that "Our customers continue to tell us that they value our stores for connecting them to the best of Microsoft". He doesn't now, however, give any details on when these stores will open, but Microsoft generally posts such information to its Facebook page. For now, that page only states "Get ready to celebrate our new stores opening across the nation".

The company also tends to make each grand opening a spectacle with big name artists playing a concert, local athletes on hand to challenge customers to Xbox Kinect games and even some product giveaways.

Photo Credit: Joe Wilcox

Redbox Instant coming exclusively to Xbox

Publié: février 6, 2013, 3:29am CET par Alan Buckingham

Redbox Instant by Verizon has been in private beta for sometime now. In fact, a while back BetaNews brought you an exclusive first look at how the service will work. It is expected to be released sometime in early 2013 and today we learned some of the details thanks to Xbox Live's Larry Hryb, better known as Major Nelson.

Hryb announced that Redbox Instant will be coming to the gaming console "in the very near future". He went on to explain that "if you are currently a Redbox Instant beta participant, you’ll receive an email with a unique code to access the app on Xbox 360 in the coming days".

Moreover, Microsoft has landed an exclusive deal to carry the new streaming service. The exclusivity concerns gaming and entertainment consoles, which likely means the service may still land on set-top boxes like Google TV and Roku. The deal also includes the ability for Xbox customers to rent or buy movies from Redbox without paying for the $9 per month subscription -- a pay-per-view type of deal.

There is still no word on the official release date, but when I spoke with a Redbox rep last month I was told "early spring". Having used the service for more than a month now I can confirm that it seems a solid competitor for Netflix, but it will certainly need to add more content.

Surface Pro first-impressions review

Publié: février 6, 2013, 3:00am CET par Joe Wilcox

Surface Pro is magnificent. A classic. It's the Windows experience you longed for but were denied. The tablet is a reference design for what -- and what not -- Microsoft OEM partners should achieve. The device is the past and future, pure personal computer and post-PC. Simply put: Surface Pro is jack of all trades, both master of many, and (gulp) none. Capabilities astound, yet quirks abound. But even they are endearing, giving Windows 8 Pro personality and dimension.

For the past five days, I've had the privilege of using Surface Pro, which goes on sale February 9, as my primary PC. That's not enough time to fairly evaluate the tablet, which is why I write a first-impressions review. I'll add much more as my month with the device progresses. For now, I will share my early reactions, while offering context about Microsoft's objectives for the product and how well it achieves them. Unquestionably, Surface Pro isn't for everyone. But it could be for you.

Before We Start

I should begin by giving some personal context. For June 2012, I planned to spend the month using an Android tablet -- ASUS Pad 300 -- as my primary PC. Then, unexpectedly, as May closed, Google and Samsung announced the Series 5 550 Chromebook. I spent the next month on that computer and never looked back.

For February, I prepped for the Android experiment again, this time with Google Nexus 10. But, again, a surprise switch; I got Surface Pro for review on January 31. So the grand tablet as primary PC is on again with different device and one likely to darkly color any future Android adventure.

I come to Surface Pro from a perspective probably unique to most other reviewers -- Chrome OS and working solely in a browser for the past seven months. I'm also new to Windows 8, which will get separate review in a few weeks. My experience with the operating system was brief -- the Consumer Preview on an 11.6-inch Samsung slate for a few weeks in April 2012.

So I bring fresh eyes to hardware and software but with muscle-memory experience using Windows the way we all remember it. Hopefully my unusual starting place brings fresh perspective. I believe so, but you tell me after reading the review.

Which? Pro or RT?

Surface is not one but two tablets, selling at juxtaposed prices, aimed at different market segments and using distinct system architectures. Anyone considering Surface should ask which is better choice, hence why my review starts with question: Which one? Surface Pro stands out from RT in three distinctive ways: Speed, screen and software. I'll explain how in this section and the next.

Surface RT competes with iPad and costlier Androids and like them uses ARM architecture. The operating system, Windows RT, looks like 8 Pro but appearances deceive. Both present two motifs -- the more traditional Desktop and newer Modern UI. But only on Surface Pro can users expect to install and use legacy applications coded for x86 chips. If you have need to run any Windows software, Pro is the only choice. RT users can expect to get apps from the built-in Windows Store -- some of which run in Desktop mode, Office 2013 being one of them.

Pricing matters. The two tablets look similar at first glance, but Surface RT is considerably slimmer and lighter -- about the same as iPad or Nexus 10. Price starts at $499 versus $899 for Surface Pro. Microsoft prices the thinner tablet against iPad and the other meets MacBook Air and Windows ultrabooks. Contrary to FUD spewed by the Apple Fanclub of analysts, bloggers, journalists and other writers, Surface Pro is not overpriced and doesn't compete with iPad. Stated correctly: iPad can't compete with Surface Pro. Performance and broader capabilities simply aren't comparable, which is one among many reasons why the new 128GB iPad, which went on sale today for as much as $929, is overpriced compared to Microsoft's flagship tablet.

Surface RT specs. 10.6-inch ClearType HD Display with 1366 by 768 resolution; Nvidia T30 processor; 2GB RAM; 32GB or 64GB storage; 720p front- and rear-facing cameras; accelerometer; ambient-light sensor; barometer; magnetometer; Wi-Fi A/N; Bluetooth 4; Windows RT. Dimensions and weight: 10.81 x 6.77 x 0.37 inches and just under 1.5 pounds. Price: $499 (32GB); $599 (32GB with keyboard cover); $599 (64GB); $699 (64GB with keyboard cover).

Keyboards. Microsoft offers two different keyboard covers, Touch and Type, which retail separately for $129.99. Type keys are more traditional and physically prominent. Touch Keyboard is more recessed and my preference.

Value proposition. RT comes with Office 2013 Home and Student, while Pro, which uses digitized display, has a stylus. From that vantage point, Surface RT is hybrid device -- touch and keyboard, tablet and notebook alternative -- while the costlier model is more tribrid, by adding the stylus.

For anyone looking for value, the lighter model makes sense. Everyone else, particularly those wanting benefits of touch, keyboard and existing software, should chose Pro.

For those buyers wanting better battery life, Microsoft claims 9 hours (or more) for RT and 4 to 5 hours for Pro.

In retrospect, Microsoft chose wrongly by releasing Surface RT first, October 26 concurrently with Windows 8. Particularly looking at the tepid computer lineup from partners, Surface Pro would have really stood out and sold better than RT -- or so I believe. Also, the market better accepts perceived price cut than increase. Surface RT released now would look like a bargain compared to the costlier tablet.

Scratching the Surface

Hours after unboxing Surface Pro, I handed it to my wife. She spoke the words I had thought in first reaction: "Heavy" and "fast". They stuck with me for the past five days, as I adapted to the tablet's heft and its speed spoiled me. The slate weighs 907 gram -- that's the aforementioned 2 pounds, Americans and Brits. Nexus 10 is 603 grams (1.33 pounds). But the VaporMg chasis gives extra sense of heft and also ruggedness. The case is considerably thicker than most other tablets, but tapered such it seems to disappear. The design approach reminds of some Lenovo ThinkPads.

In the hand. The tablet's weight and heft will trouble some users. My concerns dispatched within a few hours. But the real test is to come. Prolonged use over several weeks will reveal much.

Heft is well-packaged. Surface Pro is a luxury car, a classic sportster with defined lines and metal exterior. By comparison, my ARM Chromebook looks and feels like a fiber-glass Ford. Better: Yugo to Aston Martin. There's something Euro-car about the smoky exterior and boxy, slanted sides. Surface Pro's handsome, rugged design is a Siren's call to the hands. To touch, to feel, to caress.

Fast setup. The tablet sets up in seconds if you're a fast typist. Process is little more than powering up, connecting to WiFi, entering in Microsoft Account ID and choosing default or advanced setup (former for me). The process is similar to other portables running Windows 8 Pro. But from there, Microsoft's tablet pulls ahead.

Stunning screen. The display is beautiful -- exceptional for the size class, and that conceding iPad 4 and Nexus 10 have higher resolution; but they aren't digitized. Microsoft maximizes the enjoyment by providing beautifully designed stock Start screen apps. I haven't seen them look better on any other Windows slates (Hey, I hang out at Microsoft Store doing some Windows shopping).

The screen is 400 nit, but feels brighter. That's comparable to MacBook Air (hint, hint again about the competing product).

Performance. Then there is the speed. The beast roars and runs fast. Windows Experience rating is 5.6, held back by the graphics processor. The sold-state drive is 8.1 and 1.7GHz Intel Core i5 processor is 6.9 -- on a scale of 9.9. But overall responsiveness feels like a 10. For sense of speed in the real world, which is the best benchmark: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 installed in less than 60 seconds (before the required reboot).

Real storage space. My Surface is the 128GB model, and I received it with about 90GB free space. I recommend using it for apps and storing data in the cloud. Microsoft SkyDrive is easily accessible from the Start screen. The 64GB model only has 23GB of free space, which won't be enough for data and the demanding apps I expect most users will install. Pay the extra $100.

Big benefits. There's something to be said for maturity. Youngsters tend to believe they know better, that they're more modern. But Android and iOS, even Chrome OS, are new kids in town. By comparison, you can feel the maturity in Windows 8, on Surface Pro with Intel Core. Performance is smooth, software responsive and feeling of solidness everywhere. Software, hardware and services integration is tight -- the best I've seen on anything. Yes, more than Mac laptops or tablets.

Simple example of maturity related to usability: The Start screen presents different options for my Epson Artisan 730 WiFi printer -- including driver update. Windows 8 Pro found the networked peripheral and provides what I need to use it, unprompted.

Surface Pro is the computer you waited for and proves that Microsoft should have designed and sold its own PCs long ago, and leaves me feeling something strongly: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is indebted to former Windows & Windows Live president Steven Sinofsky and should be careful about who's fired next.

You Need to Read This

Surface Pro is the most important platform product to come out of Microsoft since Windows NT 4. The operating system was foundational for what followed, Windows 2000 and XP, particularly. NT 4 represented in-house developers' thinking about what a modern OS should be and the capabilities that should extend to developers. The same could be said of Windows 8 and RT, but more. Microsoft seeks tighter integration between software, hardware and services. Surface Pro culminates all three, providing existing customers a lifeline to the past while extending forward to new digital lifestyle -- anytime, anywhere computing.

Like Windows NT 4, Surface Pro is a transitional product. Microsoft's platform goals are more about Modern UI and doing away with the Desktop motif. But the company has a longstanding tradition, unlike Apple, of ensuring backward compatibility for older apps -- and to a fault. This approach has often held back future Windows development. Surface Pro runs older apps via the Desktop, while offering the familiar keyboard experience many longstanding PC users demand. But tablet size, touchscreen, Modern UI, cloud service integration and other attributes push forward. Windows 8 Pro and this tablet together seek to be the best of the past, present and future. It is a haughty ambition.

Windows 8 and RT fulfill design ambitions Microsoft tried to bring to market in the 1990s. Modern UI derives heritage from the Active Desktop, which the software giant released before its time. Internet pipes reaching businesses, or even consumers, weren't fat enough in the late 1990s, and there wasn't enough quality content. But Microsoft had the right idea. Live titles transform the desktop into a living, breathing thing. It responds to you, anticipates you. I simply cannot express the sheer value, when set alongside aspects of the overall user interface.

The best user interfaces make products more human, more approachable and responsive. The human body doesn't have one UI, but many working together, giving dimension to living -- sight, sound and touch, primarily. The best products are similar. Visuals are important because they appeal to sight, and the eyes are the main tool by which we take in the world around us. Modern UI is beautiful, as are many of the active -- seemingly living -- cues it provides. There, Live titles add richness and movement to Surface Pro running Windows 8 Pro.

But humans are primarily tool users. We look and then touch. Keyboard and mouse are unnatural constructions, even though they are so familiar to a generation of PC users. But touch is more natural and extension of you. There's more intimacy involved with touching something on the screen than interacting with it via keyboard and mouse.

Surface Pro's screen is the most accurate I've ever used. Even touching text in this document hits the right spot every time. Cutting and pasting is easiest on any touch device tested. The little circle that marks the finger's touch looks good and works even better. Dragging it with my finger highlights text. Accurately.

But where touch brings Surface Pro alive is the Start screen chock full of tiles with content in motion. The user experience is far superior to Android or iOS. The desktop looks so alive, so quickly responds to touch, I could swear that it breathes.

Beneath the Surface

More than Surface RT, Pro users will spend time in Desktop mode. Apps and usability across motifs matter much, but more function of software than hardware.

Windows 8 reviews. My colleague Mihaita Bamburic posted a lengthy Windows 8 review in October, while developer Robert Johnson delivered a compelling series:

I highly recommend these four for getting a good sense of what to expect from Windows 8 Pro. My perspective here is more about usability on Microsoft's tablet and how it matches up to the design goals laid out in the previous section.

Apps availability. Microsoft is with Windows 8 where Apple was with OS X in 2001 -- presenting developers and users with dual-motif. But integration between Desktop and Modern UI is much tighter and moving between them smoother than was the Mac environments.

Apple struggled to get developers to create apps -- thanks largely to Windows XP, which released the same year. Microsoft sees similar developer distraction from Android and iOS. If it's any measure, major apps took nearly four years migrating to OS X. Windows has an advantage -- a built-in app store that promises developers payments rather than piracy.

Tragically, the app selection isn't sufficient and won't be for some time. That makes the software you have now all the more important and another reason why Surface Pro is better choice than RT. My colleague Martin Brinkman writes regular column "Best Windows 8 apps this week". On Friday, he reported 27,282 apps available from Windows Store -- the majority of which won't matter much to hardcore Pro users. They'll want productivity apps and real PC games.

I hope that with Surface Pro's actual release more apps will go native. But it's hard to imagine developer enthusiasm when Microsoft misses with Office 2013, which can be accessed from Modern UI Start screen but runs in Desktop mode. The company sets a terrible example for developers and does deep disservice to customers. Office, as the primary productivity program I expect Pro's target market will use, should be fully usable from the new motif. The few native Windows apps Microsoft provides are simply exquisite and demonstrate what Office could have been as Modern UI flagship application.

Some of the Desktop apps turn the stomach. Chrome is butt ugly. I blame Google developers for making no real effort to support Surface Pro, and I understand there is some bad blood because of third-party browser restriction on Windows RT. Surface Pro's magnificent display makes Chrome look all the worse, while Internet Explorer is a gem. Fonts are major reason.

Generally, Google is a lost cause on Surface Pro. The search giant develops beautiful apps for competing iOS but largely ignores newest Windows. How strange is that? I resort to accessing Gmail and Google+ in Internet Explorer 10 on Modern UI. The services stun, they look so good on Surface Pro's screen.

Desktop Mode. Functionally, the two motifs demonstrate fine workmanship -- they so seamlessly mesh. Usability is another matter. Moving from one motif to another is jarring, in part because the one is so exquisite and expansive. Where Modern UI feels alive, Desktop is dead -- dull, uninviting. It's a graveyard, by comparison. I don't want to work there.

While the more familiar motif, Desktop doesn't respond to the user the way Start screen does. Touch is often rejected, rather than welcomed. The touch accuracy I praised earlier is for Modern UI. In the other motif I sometimes struggle to get even the close button to respond. From that perspective, Surface Pro disappoints, particularly since the whole point is backward compatibility to existing apps. Which run where? In the graveyard.

While Microsoft reaches for the future, Desktop can't escape Windows' past. On February 1, I received the Nexus 4 ordered from Google Play for my wife. On Groundhog Day, I prepared her Galaxy Nexus for sale and used it as opportunity to look at Surface Pro media transfer capabilities. Windows 8 Pro easily detected the handset and offered several tools via Desktop mode. I dragged the DCIM folder with photos to the desktop. While looking over pics, I wanted to post one to Google+. The file manager presents "Share" as one default option in the menu bar. Excellent! But the Share feature is for enabling access to other users, not posting to social networks or emailing, which is what I intended. Surely some commenters will bark: "What did you expect? This is how Windows works". Yes, but sharing now means something quite different to many people.

There are reasons then why in the previous section I refer to Surface Pro as a transitional product and allude to Windows NT 4. Microsoft's tablet offers many compelling features and represents a vision for the future, which likely is Windows 9 running on the device. For the present, users must contend with two motifs and sometimes conflicting (and confusing) ways of working. That said, the shortcoming -- quirks, if you will -- give the product personality and dimension. iPad and iOS are flat, manicured landscapes by comparison. Surface Pro and Windows Pro are together the jungle -- rich and lush throughout but not free of barren areas.

The point: I much prefer working on Surface Pro, and even the Desktop graveyard has its charms. But do bring along a keyboard.

How I Surface

Microsoft's tablet challenges me, because I come from a different place than the target customer. As mentioned about 2,500 words ago, I moved from Chromebook, working in a browser for about seven months. Google's motif is fairly contained, with most mouse movement restricted to tabs across the top of the screen. Surface Pro demands more work with fingers going every which way, such as pulling down a thumbnails of open web pages rather than simple tabs.

Modern UI. To my surprise, I find all the movement kind of refreshing, even fun, like using more of my senses -- and fingers as tools -- to get work done. Additionally, I find Modern UI absolute joy to use -- on this machine. Yes, the motif demands more work, such as seemingly endless scrolling left or right. But the design appeals and draws me in. It's immersive and as previously expressed alive.

There is something about Modern UI that is different on this computer. I've spent some time at my local Microsoft Store using Windows 8 or RT on various PCs or tablets. My reaction, like when using the Samsung slate last year, was ho-hum. But Modern UI enthralls here, and I largely credit Surface Pro's bright, crisp display and smooth, speedy performance.

Touch and type. I interact with Surface Pro using fingers on screen or keyboard in both motifs. The tablet has a kickstand that tilts the display back at a satisfying angle. I attach the Touch Keyboard, which gives audible electronically-generated sound when tapped. I adapted to the keyboard in less than an hour of typing this review, which I started writing on WordPress in IE10 almost immediately.

During the workday, Surface Pro rarely leaves the desk, although over the month will go on jaunts to the coffee shop to see what shakes up. At night, I sometimes sit the slate on my lap and work. While the default on-screen keyboard is too large for my tastes, typing more than satisfies. Here we go with another benefit of the screen. I can type just about as well on-screen as off, Microsoft's keyboard is so responsive. No Android tablet or iPad that I've used compares.

I simply can't express the importance of this benefit, which works in concert with another: Surface Pro's screen is viewable from pretty much an angle -- clear and crisp, with no distortion. As a hybrid device meant as tablet and laptop, the latter concerns. Kickstand and Touch Keyboard aren't lap friendly. But Surface laid in the lap is highly functional with touch keys and brilliant display. I can work this way, and so can you. It's superior to iPad or, say, Nexus 10 similarly used.

I interchangeably use trackpad and touchscreen. Microsoft makes a Surface mouse, but I don't need it, and neither should you if you really give touch a chance.

Battery life. I can't get give comprehensive report on battery life. Several discharges in different usage situations will be necessary. That said, while writing this review, I unplugged the power cord at 9 am PST today. Ninety minutes later, set to "balanced mode", Windows 8 Pro reported 55 percent charge left, or 3 hours 5 minutes. At 12:30, 36 percent and 90 minutes remaining. At 1:30, a message flashed across the screen warning just 10 percent charge remained. Fifteen minutes later, with 8-percent warning, and Windows claiming 23 minutes usage time left, I plugged in. Likely then, charge would have gone 5 hours. That's on par with marketed battery life.

Challenges. Being fresh to Windows 8, I don't know fully where usability ends and my ignorance begins. For example, the group chat service we use at work doesn't have a Windows 8 app. So I use IE10. Problem: I get no notifications, and the service disconnects when I work in other tabs. Same can be said for Gmail or Google+. Now matters would be much better if I lived a Microsoft lifestyle connected to more of the company's services and other devices. Start screen would display much of what I need.

Users spending more time in the Desktop graveyard can expect typical third-party apps and services support. As for Metro UI, Surface Pro isn't the problem but application maturity, which will come over time.

Wrapping up, potential users will want to weigh applications against everything else, what's needed or wanted. Surface Pro demands changes to longstanding habits and will jar some users traversing the two motifs. Adapt if you can and be rewarded but expect some usability penalty along the way.

Surface Pro is Jack of all trades, attempting to be many things and doing some better than others. Imperfections glare because the broader experience is so clean -- and fun. There are shortcomings, but returning to the auto analogy they are easily overlooked. Idiosyncratic is the word sometimes used to describe the best, classic cars, which are appreciated more for their beauty and handling.

Surface Pro's shortcomings, like those of classic cars, add character. In a sea of sameness, where so many PCs or tablets are hard to tell apart, Microsoft's slate stands out. If only other device manufacturers made as much effort as Microsoft to truly innovate. By that measure, Surface Pro achieves greatness, faults and all.

Photo Credits: Joe Wilcox

Grab your wallet, iPad 128GB is for sale

Publié: février 5, 2013, 5:07pm CET par Alan Buckingham

We recently learned that Apple would release a 128GB tablet. Well, that day has finally arrived -- two versions of the new, mega storage, iPad are up for sale now in the Apple store online and, likely, in the company's retail locations as well.

There are two flavors of this apple available -- a WiFi-only that retails for $799 and a version with WiFi plus cellular connectivity. The latter will lighten your wallet by $929. The cellular version can work with either Sprint, AT&T or Verizon. You will need to choose your network during the purchase process. You can also choose a financing plan of six, 12 or 18 months. Given the price, you may need one of those plans. All models are available to ship in "1-3 business days".

I am not sure why a person would need 128GB of storage on an iPad, but if you plan to store a lot of media on the device and don't mind spending $1,000 (after tax) then this is the ideal model for you. It is also likely in response to the upcoming release of the Microsoft Surface Pro, which is also available in a 128GB model and will be on sale next week. The good news is, that this new iPad will almost certainly have more storage available than that upcoming Microsoft tablet.

Unofficial Mega client is now available for Android devices

Publié: février 5, 2013, 2:15pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

With the ever-increasing popularity of mobile devices, Kim Dotcom's Mega storage locker appears out of place without an official smartphone or tablet app, especially when Box, Dropbox and Google Drive, to name but a few alternatives, embrace the on-the-go user. Thankfully Alexander Hansen, an Android developer, has come to the rescue with his unofficial Mega Manager Alpha.

As the use of "Alpha" in the name implies, Mega Manager Alpha is not a stable release at the moment but rather a "work in progress". The developer also warns that users might experience "some crashes". That said, the app only comes with a limited feature-set, which includes the ability to browse and download Mega content, and does not support uploading files to the cloud storage service.

The app downloads uploaded content to the SD card, in the "Download" folder under MegaManager. Users can long press on files and folders to select multiple items for download. However, Mega Manager Alpha can only be used to sign into a Mega account and cannot create one, forcing users to register via the browser.

The developer promises that the app will be improved in subsequent releases, with future upgrades set to include stability enhancements, the ability to open files, perform file operations and upload content, automatic camera picture upload, folder synchronization, transfer history as well as the necessary account creation, among other features.

Mega Manager Alpha is available to download from Google Play.

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Backupify’s new developer platform aims to accelerate SaaS adoption

Publié: février 5, 2013, 2:02pm CET par Wayne Williams

Data security and privacy worries are among the most often cited barriers preventing businesses from moving to the cloud. Backupify hopes to address that concern by rolling out a core set of APIs that will allow Software as a Service ISVs (Independent Software Vendors) to integrate the firm’s data protection functionality into their applications.

The aim of the Backupify Developer Platform is to make it easier for SaaS companies to offer the ability to store a secure second copy of their customer’s data off-site through Backupify, thereby assuaging their client’s security concerns. Something Backupify says "will help accelerate market acceptance of SaaS applications by allowing ISVs to continue to focus on what they do best while relying on Backupify to protect their customers’ data".

The Backupify functionality can be offered as an integrated component of the ISV's SaaS solutions, or as an optional upgrade.

Speaking about the new developer platform, Rob May, CEO of Backupify, said: "Our experience in backup and recovery solutions for Google Apps and Salesforce customers has taught us that there is tremendous demand in the market for independent data protection for all SaaS applications. Customers and ISVs have approached us over the years to support their SaaS applications, which led us to create the developer platform. We’re excited to work with leading ISVs on the initial integrations".

The Backupify API and initial ISV partner integrations will be available in Q2 2013, with confirmed beta phase partners including Apptivo, Freshdesk, Mavenlink, Nimble and Pipeline Deals. ISVs interested in joining the Backupify Developer Platform can find out more here.

Photo Credit: Lightspring/Shutterstock

Windows Azure now features VM Depot integration

Publié: février 5, 2013, 1:54pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Microsoft Open Technologies unveiled the VM Depot public preview early last month, and the software giant has just announced that its community-driven open-source virtual machine image catalog is now integrated into the company's cloud platform, Windows Azure.

The new feature is available through the Windows Azure management portal and is designed to ease the handling of virtual machine images from VM Depot. The cloud platform's users can take advantage of open-source stacks, "based on supported Linux distributions, made available by members of the community and directly provision the files as personal images straight from the Windows Azure portal".

To take advantage of the new functionality, users will have to choose the "BROWSE VMDEPOT" option within the "Virtual Machines" tab and select the needed files from the list of available images. Windows Azure users can also use distribution filters.

BlackBerry bribes -- ah, rewards -- app developers with a limited edition red Z10

Publié: février 5, 2013, 1:47pm CET par Wayne Williams

It’s certainly one way to make sure your app store attracts a decent number of apps -- offer developers something that money can’t buy (except possibly later on through eBay). BlackBerry -- formerly RIM -- has produced a limited edition red BlackBerry Z10 for those developers who created "quality" third party apps for the new BB10 platform prior to launch.

There will be just 12,000 units of the new device made, and BlackBerry estimates those developers who qualify for one (and who must also have a BlackBerry Dev Alpha A or B testing device), will receive their handsets in 6-8 weeks. The company will email successful developers and explain how to trade a Dev Alpha unit for the new device.

Each hot-rod red Z10 will have the words "BlackBerry Developer" engraved on it, and come with a unique serial number.

Announcing the move at the BlackBerry Jam developer conference in Amsterdam today, BlackBerry's VP of developer relations Alec Saunders said that early developers will be "the only ones that will have these devices because they're the ones that earned them".

He did however, say the phone will also be made available to new developers, provided they get their apps accepted by 28 February, so there's still a chance you can get your hands on one if you act quickly.

Huawei 4Afrika brings Windows Phone 8 to the growing African market

Publié: février 5, 2013, 12:55pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

On Tuesday, Huawei unveiled a new smartphone running Windows Phone 8 aimed at the "rapidly-growing" African market. Dubbed 4Afrika, the device is based on the Ascend W1 unveiled at CES 2013 in Las Vegas, and is marketed as an "affordable option" for developers, first-time smartphone buyers, small businesses and students.

The 4Afrika is part of larger initiative which, by 2016, plans to deliver tens of millions of modern mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) into "the hands of African youth". The initiative also intends to bring one million small and medium local enterprises online, and help 200,000 locals succeed in entrepreneurship and employability.

In case the Huawei Ascend W1 doesn't ring a bell, prospective buyers can expect a similar device to the HTC Windows Phone 8S in terms of specifications. By implication, the 4Afrika is not a speed demon nor a flagship smartphone, but it's pretty decent hardware-wise.

Specs include a 4-inch display with a resolution of 800 by 480, a dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, and 4GB of internal storage. The 4Afrika also features front and back-facing cameras and comes in at 10mm thick.

The 4Afrika is the first step in driving the African smartphone adoption, which according to Microsoft, represents 10 percent of the entire phone market. The smartphone will be available in Angola, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa in late-February. The 4Afrika comes with a market-specific app store and ships with custom apps made by local developers.

Show your love for Bing by breaking up with Google

Publié: février 4, 2013, 7:50pm CET par Joe Wilcox

For Valentine's Day, Microsoft shoots Cupid's arrow elsewhere. Rather than promote the relationship you have, the company cajoles you to seek new love. The marketing campaign deliciously delights. C`mon, who promotes breakups for V Day?

"This year Bing is challenging people to reconsider their search habit and break up with Google", Microsoft suggests in a statement. "You wouldn’t keep dating someone who isn’t trustworthy, so why use a search engine known for serving its interests over your own? In fact, a whopping 85 percent of people report that trustworthiness is the most important trait in a mate, beating out good in bed, sense of humor and wealth".

Trust is important, but I'm not married to Google. Given how much easier searching for amateur porn is on Bing than Google, surely good in bed might matter more to many would-be switchers.

The promotion is an extension of the misguided "Bing It On" campaign launched in September. Microsoft lets people compare Bing and Google searches, while making some misstatements about its rival's search practices -- carried forward in the new lovelorn campaign.

For example, "Not all is fair in love and search", Microsoft claims. "Whether you’re searching for a cuddly teddy bear or a diamond bracelet for your sweetheart, Google Shopping displays ads only from merchants that pay for ranking. Bing offers honest results so you get the best deals from across the Web". But Bing Shopping isn't clean of paid posts, either, just not as dirty.

Counter-marketing can be effective, but Bing is more likely to make a love triangle than woo away Google searchers. Google US search share was 66.7 percent in December, according to comScore, -- 16.3 percent for Bing, or 28.5 percent when combined with Yahoo, which results Microsoft serve.

This Valentine's Day Microsoft can more likely expect lovers using Bing and Google.

Can you say ménage à trois?

Photo Credit: JoeyBear/Shutterstock

Do you want Aero in Windows 8? Fight for it

Publié: février 4, 2013, 7:04pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Microsoft introduced its "Aero Glass" interface back with Windows Vista and continued the feature in Windows 7. However, after supporting the motif in early builds of the latest operating system, the company elected to pull the plug. Former Windows exectutive Steven Sinofsky explained the reasons behind the decision in an 11,000 word blog post back in May of 2012.

Sinofsky laid out a number of valid reasons for the decision, including battery life, speed and the new feature set included with Windows 8. However, those are not enough for some customers and that group has found a voice.

Now, if you still happen to be a bit angry over the decision, you have a chance to let Microsoft know about it. A petition has appeared on the web site change.org that implores Microsoft to bring back the interface.

The petition is new, and support so far light, but growing -- 38 signatures at the time of this writing. However, judging by the comments, Aero had some staunch and vocal supporters.

G D of France, for instance, posts that "It [Aero] is one of the things that made me love Windows 7. I will not upgrade to Windows 8 for as long as it does not have Aero Glass, the Start Button and the Start Menu". Hassan Timite states emphatically that "Because AERO was much prettier than this abomination called Metro".

Microsoft is probably unlikely to bring back the feature and, honestly, after using Windows 8 for about a year, I can not say that I personally miss it. However, like Windows Media Center, there is always a core group of users for a product who can be very vocal when threatened with the prospect of losing said feature. I know -- that is Media Center for me. And heck, the company may be prompted to make Aero an option for those who want it.

Photo Credit: tankist276/Shutterstock

Uh-oh, $50 smartphones mean big trouble for Apple

Publié: février 4, 2013, 6:35pm CET par Joe Wilcox

That sound you hear: Emerging markets sucking the margins out of iPhone. Gartner predicts that Chinese brand and white-box handset manufacturers will dramatically change the smartphone market's course this year. Android is likely to be the big beneficiary, while iPhone has the most to lose. Economies of scale will bite Apple, which benefits from one of the tightest supply chains anywhere. Chipset integration, for example, will allow handset makers to ship cheaper devices that are good enough, even if less than market leaders.

"The combination of competitive pricing pressure, open-channel market growth and feature elimination/integration will very soon result in the $50 smartphone", Mark Hung, Gartner research director, says. "Semiconductor vendors that serve the mobile handset market must have a product strategy to address the low-cost smartphone platform, with $50 as a target in 2013". That's right, 50 bucks, not the $650 Apple charges carriers.

Already, shifting market dynamics forebode big trouble for the fruit-logo company. While iPhone is top-seller in the United States, Androids easily own the world, buoyed much by Samsung's sales success. The electronics giant has much greater success selling to emerging markets than Apple, picking up many locales once dominated by Nokia. But what's bad for the American company could be for its South Korean competitor.

"Global, brand-name smartphone vendors must re-examine their product lineups to determine how their low-end offerings are differentiated from the competitive products offered by low-cost vendors", Hung warns. "Otherwise, brand-name smartphone vendors may want to cede this market to the white-box vendors and focus on high-end devices".

Myopic Analysis

The problem is something many American analysts, bloggers and journalists don't see. Their vision is myopic, looking at how handsets are sold here. iPhone 4 is free to a consumer buying locked device with two-year contractual commitment, which obviously is much less than $50. But in many other markets, China and India among them, consumers are accustomed to contract-free purchases -- well, except for iPhone. Carriers still pay Apple that six-fifty or more (less for the oldest iPhone available).

As less-capable smartphone prices go down, features go up and availability expands, buyers in emerging markets will buy what they can afford rather than what they might want. Stated differently: These devices will rapidly expand the low end of the market, where there is greatest growth potential, closing out iPhone, and, should Apple lower prices in response, sap margins.

Gartner hasn't yet released fourth-quarter smartphone figures, which tend to be the most accurate. While other analyst firms measure shipments into the channel, Gartner counts actual sales to end users. Past data reveals increasing demand for white-box smartphones.

Still, based on shipment data now available, emerging markets already favor lower-cost Androids to pricier Apples. For example, in the world's largest smartphone market, China, Android share reached 86 percent during Q4, compared to 12 percent for iOS, according to Strategy Analytics.

Emerging Trouble

"Smartphone shipments surged +64-percent annually in China during the fourth quarter of 2012", Neil Mawston, Strategy Analytics research director, says. "Android and Android forks together accounted for a record volume of all smartphones shipped in China last year".

Apple CEO Tim Cook calls China his company's most important market, accounting for 13 percent of revenues during the quarter, generated mostly by mobile devices.

Globally, Android surged to 70.1 percent smartphone share from 51.3 percent, according to Strategy Analytics. iOS share actually retracted, to 22 percent share from 23.6 percent -- that during iPhone 5's launch quarter. For all 2012, Android climbed to 68.4 percent from 48.7 percent, while Apple nudged up to 19.4 percent from 19 percent.

If Gartner's prediction proves true, Apple's global share -- and likely margins with it -- is likely to retract further. Samsung, which already sells lower-cost smartphones is better-positioned to adapt, also faces trouble, and the company acknowledges risk ahead. In its earnings release late last month, Samsung warns that 2012's smartphone growth would be "pacified" this year. "Demand for smartphones in developed countries is expected to decelerate, while their emerging counterparts will see their markets escalate with the introduction of more affordable smartphones and a bigger appetite for tablet PCs throughout the year".

You won't hear such warning from Apple.

The evasi0n iOS 6.x jailbreak now available

Publié: février 4, 2013, 6:06pm CET par Wayne Williams

The lack of an untethered jailbreak for iOS 6.x has been frustrating for many iPhone/iPod touch/and iPad users desperate to liberate their devices, install all their beloved jailbreak apps, and apply their favorite tweaks. A friend of mine is keen to buy an iPhone 5, but hasn’t purely because he’s been waiting to make sure of an iOS 6 jailbreak.

Well the good news for him, and other users keen to remove the limitations on their Apple devices, is the evad3rs team has rolled out its highly anticipated evasi0n hack for all Apple hardware running iOS6-iOS6.1.

There are downloads for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux and jailbreaking your device takes five minutes and is very straightforward. Before applying the hack make sure you’ve backed up your device using iTunes or iCloud (triple check everything is backed up before proceeding) and disable the lock passcode feature if on. It’s worth doing a fresh install, updating your device to iOS6.1 via iTunes if you haven’t already done so.

The evad3rs team warns against using your computer while the jailbreak is going on (especially don't start iTunes or Xcode).

If the process halts midway through you can restart the program or reboot your device.

The important Cydia packages have been updated, so once your device is jailbroken you’ll be able to get the apps you want.

Enterprises embrace Apple like Microsoft

Publié: février 4, 2013, 5:18pm CET par Joe Wilcox

During the mainframe era, you could hear phrase: "No one is fired for buying IBM". In the 1990s and 2000s, the same could be said about Microsoft. As the so-called Post-PC era pushes forward, soon same can be said about Apple, if some IT organizations don't already. Gartner predicts that by 2014, enterprises will accept the fruit-logo as much as Windows, which is something scary for the company owning that market segment.

Consumerization of IT -- or bring your own device to work -- forced Apple on unwilling IT organizations. Now, after tasting the fruit, they like it. More of them than ever are willing to deploy Macs, which encroach on territory Microsoft seeks to claim for Windows 8.

"Although Apple's mobile iPhone and iPads are already as accepted by enterprise IT as is Microsoft, Apple's Mac systems for laptops/notebooks and desktops remain not commonly accepted by IT", David Mitchell Smith, Gartner Fellow, says. "Going forward, Apple will continue to benefit from consumerization and will continue to evolve Macs to take on more iOS characteristics, which will contribute to acceptance of Macs in the enterprise. As such, enterprise acceptance of Apple will continue to be driven by consumer demand".

According to "Good Technology’s 2nd Annual State of BYOD Report", 76 percent of enterprises with more than 2,000 employees have programs in place, and the total is expected to reach 88 percent this year. However, the largest and smallest businesses are slowest adopters. Among organizations with 10,000 employees, only 46 percent have BYOD programs in place, up from 35 percent in 2011. One-quarter of businesses with less than 2,000 employees follow suit.

Apple and other Microsoft platform competitors benefit from a startling shift in costs -- to employee up rather than organization down. Good finds that in half the companies with BYOD programs, employees pay for devices and supporting services, such as cellular data for cell phones, tablets and some laptops.

Development Changes

This trend, more than perhaps any other, eases the way for enterprises to embrace non-traditional platforms, such as iPhone and iPad. Mac is next, Gartner says, but who pays is the question yet to be answered.

Apple also benefits from changes in enterprise applications development, which platform independence increases. "Enterprises are finding that they need to support multiple platforms, especially as the BYOD trend gains momentum", Ken Dulaney, Gartner distinguished analyst, says. Increased interest in mobile devices drives demand for hybrid apps that transcend established and emerging platforms. While OS X isn't emerging, many IT shops entrenched in Windows will see it that way -- then there is the Mac operating system's increasing hybridization with iOS.

There are increasing signs that Apple will close the fork between OS X and iOS, creating a single platform for all devices. Google follows similar trend with Android and Chrome OS. The question isn't so much if but when platforms merge. Meanwhile, Microsoft follows a more defined two-platform strategy with Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8.

As I have heard IT managers often say: "We make decisions about applications, not operating systems". As BYOD changes the device mix, application development moves with them. Gartner's advice to enterprises embracing native app development with web applications --something Microsoft presents quite nicely in Windows 8, I should emphasize, much better than Apple does with OS X.

"Enterprises should consider how applications can be enriched or improved by the addition of native device capabilities and evaluate development frameworks that offer the ability to develop native, hybrid and Web applications using the same code base", Van Baker, Gartner research vice president advises. Where possible, development activities should be consolidated via cross-platform frameworks".

Photo Credit: Joe Wilcox

The stripped-down Model A Raspberry Pi now available in Europe

Publié: février 4, 2013, 2:34pm CET par Wayne Williams

The Model B Raspberry Pi is hardly expensive, costing just $35 (plus local taxes and shipping/handling fees). But if that’s a little too much for you, or you don’t need fancy features like Ethernet, and 256MB of RAM sounds more than adequate, you can now get your hands on the Model A Raspberry Pi for a bargain $10 cheaper.

Available from Premier Farnell/Element 14 and RS Components, the Model A version of the popular credit card-sized ARM GNU/Linux computer will cost just $25. Although it’s currently only available in Europe, it will be rolling out to the rest of the world shortly. If you live in the US you can pre-order one, but there will be a slight delay before the order can be fulfilled.

The Model A might have half the RAM, just one USB port and no Ethernet, but that does mean it consumes less power than its sibling, making it ideal for projects powered by batteries or solar power.

Photo credit: The Raspberry Pi Foundation

Vodafone UK customers get a taste of Windows Phone 8

Publié: février 4, 2013, 2:06pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

On Monday, the United Kingdom arm of the global telecommunications company Vodafone revealed that, starting February 6, it will carry a Windows Phone 8 smartphone lineup. In merely two days, Vodafone UK customers will have access to five devices sporting Microsoft's new mobile operating system.

The UK carrier covers the market from top to bottom, with the Nokia Lumia 920 and the HTC Windows Phone 8X taking the role of the flagship Windows Phone 8 smartphones. The former ships in black and yellow, while the latter comes in California Blue or black.

For the mid-range market, Vodafone UK offers the Lumia 820, in black and red, and the Windows Phone 8S in Atlantic Blue. Nokia's low-end smartphone, the Lumia 620 is also available for purchase, in blue and white.

Vodafone UK has yet to announce pricing for any of the five Windows Phone 8 devices.

Keep your passwords safe from prying eyes with KeePass 2.21

Publié: février 4, 2013, 1:16pm CET par Nick Peers

Open-source password management tool KeePass 2.21 has been released. Version 2.21, also available as a standalone portable build, adds a number of new features, including a hex viewer mode, support for a user-defined group separator in the Generic CSV Importer and various tweaks, improvements and bug fixes.

KeePass is designed to act a single, central repository for a user’s sensitive data, from logons to credit card details. This information is encrypted with a single, master password, allowing the user to securely lock away their personal details when not required.

KeePass 2.21 makes it easier to import group trees into the program using its Generic CSV Importer tool by adding support for user-specified group separators. The internal data viewer has also added a hex viewer mode, which is automatically made the default view for unknown data types.

The tools support for storing special keycodes has been extended with the addition of {WIN}, {LWIN}, {RWIN}, {APPS} and {NUMPAD0} through to {NUMPAD9}. Also added is an option -- enabled by default -- to additionally show references when showing dereferenced data.

KeePass is also a little more robust -- when another application window hangs, the auto-type association editing dialog doesn’t hang with it. Version 2.21 also warns the user when another app attempts to switch from the secure desktop to a different one -- clicking OK returns to the secure desktop.

When opening the icon picker dialog, KeePass 2.21 ensures the currently selected icon is visible, plus adds OK and Cancel buttons to the dialog. The app also comes with improved importers for other programs including Password Safe and AnyPassword Pro, and prefers the .NET Framework 4.5 if it’s installed on the user’s computer.

Bugfixes include the UI updating correctly after multiple databases have been locked and the Save Changes dialog is cancelled, plus the ‘&’ character is now displayed correctly in various texts: dynamic menu texts, dialog banner texts, tooltips and more.

KeePass 2.21 and KeePass Portable 2.21 are both open-source free downloads for PCs running Windows 2000 or later.

Photo credit: marekuliasz/Shutterstock

Attribute Changer lets you tweak file attributes, date stamps, metadata and more

Publié: février 4, 2013, 1:10pm CET par Mike Williams

When Windows Explorer doesn’t immediately provide all the information you need on a file or folder, a quick right-click > Properties will give you easy access to assorted other low-level details: attributes, date stamps, metadata and so on. But the standard Properties dialog has several limitations. It doesn’t show all the file attributes, for instance (Hidden and System are missing, others are a little hidden), while details such as file stamps are displayed, but can’t be edited.

If you’d like to take better control of your file and folder properties, then, you’ll need to get a little help from a third-party tool. And Attribute Changer‘s lengthy feature list suggests it could be a great place to start.

After an adware-free installation, right-clicking an object in Explorer and selecting "Change Attributes" will display the core program’s interface, a tabbed dialog with a lot of options. And the first you’ll see (unsurprisingly, given the program’s name) is a full list of file attributes -- Read-only, System, Hidden, Compress, Archive and Index -- which can all be tweaked with a click. (Altering the System attribute in particular can be dangerous, of course, so you do need to be careful here. If you don’t know why, then this isn’t the program for you).

You also get to see your file creation, last modified and last accessed times. You can manually adjust any of these, set them automatically to the current time, or even generate random date and timestamps between the range you specify. Attribute Changer can even set the EXIF datestamp of your photos to whatever you like.

And as you browse the various tabs, so even more options appear. At its simplest, you can use the program to standardize the case of your selected files and folders in various ways (both the name and extension can be in upper or lower case). But if you need rather more power then there are all kinds of configuration options available. So you can have the program include or exclude particular files from modification if they match the criteria you specify, for instance (file names, dates, times, attributes and more).

If you think this sounds very powerful, then you’re right. But some of the more advanced operations are a little more complicated than they need to be, thanks to a less than intuitive design. Documentation comes in the form of a separate PDF manual rather than a regular Help file, another inconvenience. And the program also seems to have a few bugs, or at least interactions which we didn’t understand. Because we really didn’t see why enabling the option to save program settings should have disabled our ability to change file stamps, for example.

Still, for all that, Attribute Changer’s basic options -- tweaking attributes, changing the case of names, setting file datestamps to "right now" -- proved quick and easy to use, and some of the program’s other abilities (applying random timestamps, say) are hard to do in any other way. If you need to take more control of your file properties, and are willing to take the time to master its quirks, then Attribute Changer could prove a very handy tool.

Photo credit: NinaMalyna/Shutterstock

Microsoft Research's Blink adds burst-shot mode to Windows Phone 8

Publié: février 4, 2013, 12:57pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

In the camera department, Windows Phone 8 is an interesting piece of kit -- users have access to a high number of customizable options and there is even support for add-ons, or lenses, as Microsoft likes to call them. But one major feature is still missing to nail that perfect picture, namely burst-shot mode.

The software giant's research arm, Microsoft Research, has introduced a new app for Windows Phone 8 devices, dubbed Blink, that fills the gap in the otherwise competent camera bag. Blink works both as an individual app as well as a lens, and allows users to snap a significant number of shots, all in one go, and save the best one afterwards.

The app starts taking pics before you even press the camera button and stops moments after releasing it. Users are presented with all the snapped photos in a bottom row and can navigate between them by swiping left and right. Support for on-screen autofocus is also present.

Blink features "advanced image stabilization technology" which, according to Microsoft Research, "removes camera shake". Based on my own testing, the best results are delivered when holding the device still. When following a moving target the pics suffer from motion blur in out-of-focus areas.

As one reviewer points out, "the picture quality of the images does not match my normal photos. The app has no access to things like flash. I doubt it does facial recog". Indeed, Blink snaps pics at a low resolution of only 1280 by 720, instead of the maximum one supported by the smartphone. Users cannot take advantage of the built-in flash, nor does the app display the usual face detection rectangle when taking portrait pictures.

Basically Blink gives the impression of a technical exercise with the sole aim to prove that burst-shot is available for Windows Phone 8 devices. The app could use more features, some of which I mentioned above. Blink would undoubtedly be much more useful as a built-in feature, readily available from the default camera software, not as a lens or individual app.

Blink is available to download from the Windows Phone Store.

'Infinite' cloud storage service Bitcasa set to leave beta

Publié: février 4, 2013, 12:38pm CET par Alan Buckingham

There are no shortage of services that can backup your data to the cloud, but now the likes of Carbonite and Crashplan have a bit more competition in the market.

Over the weekend, Bitcasa, which has generated a lot of buzz recently, sent out an email to its early testers to alert them that the service would be leaving beta on Tuesday February 5th.

"Thank you for participating in the Bitcasa beta!" the email begins. "We have amazing product updates coming on Tuesday, and exclusive pricing for our faithful testers. Stay tuned for details in your inbox next week, but rest assured, we heard your feedback, and you will be handsomely rewarded for helping us out!"

The service will offer 10 GB of free storage or unlimited space -- "infinite" as Bitcasa prefers to call it -- for $10 per month. However, as you saw above, beta testers will be getting a "bonus". The app is available for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android. There's also a modern UI version for Windows 8 customers.

I have been testing Bitcasa for sometime now and have found it to be pretty simple. A folder is added to the Explorer window and the program can be set up to mirror your entire computer or just individual folders of your choosing.

Bitcasa is just one more player in a sea of competition, but its functionality and pricing should make it competitive. The beta is still open to the public so, if you want to take advantage of whatever deal the company plans to offer to early users, you may want to sign up for an account today.

British Telecom cuts its broadband prices and announces BT Cloud, a new online storage service

Publié: février 4, 2013, 11:14am CET par Wayne Williams

BT has said it will end traffic throttling, remove usage caps on all but its entry level broadband packages, and slash the price too.

Its new Totally Unlimited Broadband offering will be priced from £16 a month for 16Mbps copper broadband, £23 for 38Mbps Infinity, and £26 for 76Mbps Infinity. New customers will also get the first six months free.

In addition, the provider is rolling out a new online storage service. BT Cloud is available for all consumer broadband customers, with standard users getting 2GB of free storage, and Infinity 76Mbps and Unlimited customers receiving a much more generous 50GB allowance.

Making the announcement, John Petter, managing director of BT’s Consumer division, said: "We believe we have boosted our broadband offering by moving our best broadband deals to totally unlimited. Customers told us that they wanted to be able to enjoy catch-up TV, streamed films and other bandwidth-eating applications without having to worry about going over their limit or being slowed down by their ISP. But we wanted to make that really affordable too, without the sort of traffic management Virgin Media, TalkTalk or EE customers may find themselves subject to. Unlike Sky, we’re extremely confident that our network can stand up to the extra bandwidth demands from totally unlimited products everywhere across the UK".

Photo Credit: T. L. Furrer/Shutterstock

Lock down almost any PC with Deskman

Publié: février 4, 2013, 10:30am CET par Mike Williams

If there’s an aspect of your PC which you don’t like then it can normally be changed very quickly: a right-click option here, maybe launch a Control Panel applet there, install a new program perhaps, and the system should soon be more suited to your needs.

But while this configurability is great on your own computer, it’s a real problem when you want a PC to be much more restrictive: a system which you’ll install in a school, say, or a business. What you’ll probably want to do then is set up some basic configuration, and make sure your users can’t do anything to change it -- and that’s where Deskman comes in.

The compact commercial tool (priced from $60) appears deceptively simple at first, with the bulk of its functionality available in just a single dialog box. Is that it, you might wonder? Browse through the tabs, though, and you’ll be surprised at just how much the program can do.

You might start by building a Safe Start Menu, for instance, with only the applications you’d like your users to access. The regular Start Menu can then be hidden (although it still exists, if you need to use it yourself later).

And because of course users might try to launch programs in other ways, Deskman also provides a Freeze option which allows you to define exactly which programs can be run.

If browsing is an issue, then you can turn it off entirely, or restrict users to visiting just specific sites which you define.

And you can set up your preferred desktop with your own choice of application icons, shortcuts and more, and the program will maintain and restore this for you, no matter what your users might try to do.

More experienced users will of course try various tricks to get around this, but Deskman has options to block them all. So you can disable or limit Task Manager, for instance; disable the Windows keys, Alt+Tab and all the other system keypresses; hide the system tray, application buttons or the entire taskbar; restrict access to Control Panel, Explorer and a whole lot more.

And while the sheer volume of options means it’ll take a while to set up Deskman properly, the mechanics of the process isn’t difficult. For the most part you’re just working your way through a tabbed dialog, checking boxes next to a restriction you need, and the program will then apply these with a click.

Deskman may initially feel a little expensive, then, but if you really need to protect a computer then it’s well worth the investment: the ability to preserve your system setup without you regularly having to manually restore it will save you a great deal of time and hassle. It’s a very powerful tool with a lot of options, and there’s a 30-day trial available so you can sample them for yourself.

Photo Credit: Kutlayev Dmitry/Shutterstock

'House of Cards' is just that for big media companies

Publié: février 3, 2013, 8:20pm CET par Joe Wilcox

The new made-for-Netflix drama "House of Cards" is aptly named for what it represents -- a fundamental shift in entertainment creation, distribution and consumption. The political thriller is by no means the first made-for-web TV show. But the production values, storytelling and intrigue meet, and in some ways surpass, those found from cable network productions. Yes, even Showtime's popular "Homeland".

I predict that Netflix has here what HBO did with "The Sopranos" in 1999, an industry-changing series. The D.C. drama, starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright, shows how the entertainment industry is a house of cards new media distribution can topple. Good content can go to the web first, or only there.

Crime Family

HBO was no studio startup when Tony Soprano sat in the psychiatrist chair 14 years ago, but had no real success producing television series (more mini-series and made-for-pay-cable feature films). The drama's popularity demonstrated the value of pay cable, and bolstered the appeal and economics. All the cable productions that followed -- even "Mad Men" or "Walking Dead", from non-premium subscription network AMC -- owe homage to "The Sopranos".

Like HBO, Netflix depends on licensing deals with Hollywood studios, but the new media company also threatens long-established distribution channels. "House of Cards" spotlights the economics, suddenly showing how Netflix could be something like the Google of entertainment. The search giant's business model is about giving away stuff for free -- or at most for less cost -- than competitors.

From that perspective, Google lowers the value of everything it touches. Why should people pay for something they can get for free? But that's a simplification. Free isn't often good enough. The stuff given away by Google has value -- or is valuable enough.

People will always pay, and this is especially true for entertainment, when there is value. Why else do subscription services like HBO remain so popular? (Okay, that and some damn good content-distribution contracts.) That said, Netflix is just $7.99 a month, available to pretty much anyone -- no cable or premium network subscription required. Like Google, Netflix changes the economics by streaming movies and TV shows -- that's nothing new. Producing dramas that are as good as those from HBO or Showtime raises the stakes.

Netflix seemingly bites the hand that feeds it, but that's another simplification. People didn't stop watching network television because of pay-cable dramas like "The Sopranos". TV simply got better, and I'd argue across the board. A new golden age of television started around 2004, with debut of dramas like "Lost", and continues today (Yes, there are early exceptions, like "The West Wing", which is same vintage as "The Sopranos", or many Fox dramas).

Network programs are better, but more importantly, cable is changed. Most major cable-only networks, even the non-premiums, produce in-house dramas, not just mini-series. If successful, "House of Cards" could -- I predict will -- lead to a surge in TV shows produced directly for the web. The series is that good.

Political Intrigue

Netflix has a real winner that smartly, and too accurately, captures Washington's political intrigue -- from the Capitol dome to the newsroom. "House of Cards" is based on a 1990 BBC program, which also is available on Netflix. So, you can watch both and compare, which I may do. Besides great acting and storytelling, the original Netflix series does something else quite dramatic. There is no serialization. All 13 episodes are available at once, for people to watch at their own pace. That's simply brilliant.

"The world of 7:30 on Tuesday nights, that's dead", series director David Fincher says. "A stake has been driven through its heart, its head has been cut off, and its mouth has been stuffed with garlic. The captive audience is gone. If you give people this opportunity to mainline all in one day, there's reason to believe they will do it".

That's how many people watch TV shows on Netflix, or even Amazon Prime, today. It's the next thing beyond the DVR. Rather than time-shift by recording, watching and fast-forwarding commercials, people can watch what they want when they want and how much they want. Granted, this isn't new, whether programs are rented, purchased or consumed for free from the Internet.

The earth that shakes media distribution's house of cards is something else: Releasing all episodes of a series simultaneously, turning the concept of serialization on its head. My wife and I watched the first two "House of Cards" episodes late last night and probably more today.

For Netflix, the approach makes loads of sense, because the business model is different. For traditional television programming, the idea is to get people to come back and to pull them away from competing networks. Like websites that measure value by the amount of time people stay on them, Netflix wants viewers to stay put. Why not 13 hours straight, then present them even more reasons with other programming that is either original or otherwise not available elsewhere.

Take "Annika Bengtzon: Crime Reporter", which I recently watched on Netflix. The producers filmed six 90-minute movies back-to-back over the course of a year. Only one released to theaters in Europe. But all are quite good and available on Netflix to watch on your time, which I did when sick with the flu earlier this month. The production concept is similar to "House of Cards" -- make them all, then release them all, at the same time. I highly recommend the book-based Swedish series, by the way.

The question, looking ahead 12 to 36 months: What next, and from where? I'd pay for MAX Go, as a separate streaming service, just for the original programming. Cut cable's cord. Wouldn't you? Today you can taste the future. "House of Cards" debuted February 1, and for the month the first episode is available to everyone, even non-subscribers.

avast! 8 beta is available -- get it NOW!

Publié: février 3, 2013, 2:35am CET par Mike Williams

AVAST Software has released the first public beta of avast! 8 (or the first official one, anyway). Downloads are available for avast! Free Antivirus, avast! Pro Antivirus, avast! Premier Antivirus andavast! Internet Security.

The immediately obvious change is avast’s clean new GUI. The home page presents a simple front end to each product, dividing its functionality up into six tiles, but clicking one of the tabs at the top of the screen allows you to quickly drill down into the detail.

Explore the menus a little further and you’ll quickly spot several new tools. Perhaps the most important is the Software Updater, which will check your installed applications for missing updates. We’re not sure how many programs are supported, but already it’s covering the most important candidates: Adobe Reader, Flash, Java, all the main browsers, and so on.

Elsewhere, Browser Cleanup aims to help you remove annoying addons from your browsers (although this only appears to work with IE and Firefox at the moment, at least on our system), AccessAnywhere allows you to set up remote access to your PC, while DataShredder will securely wipe files, drives or partitions. The last two will only be included as a part of the new avast! Premier product tier, though, so keep that in mind when you’re deciding what to download.

And of course there have also been improvements to the core protection technologies, so for instance FileRep and WebRep are now better able to identify and new threats in near real time.

Keep in mind that this is a beta, and even by those standards it has plenty of problems. In particular, there’s no Windows 8 support yet, and Facebook registration is buggy: you’re better off registering with an email or skipping it altogether.

In our brief tests we’ve also noticed performance issues and some product instabilities. And the official avast! forum announcement talks of several other issues, including broken profile detection with the firewall, stability issues with Outlook plugins, and a significant Data Shredder bug (it can’t shred files or partitions: oops).

This is only to be expected with betas, though, so isn’t any particular cause for alarm. So if you want to install avast! Free Antivirus or avast! Internet Security then go ahead (apparently they can be installed over an existing version, keeping your current settings), just expect occasional problems as you explore the new features.

Photo Credit: almagami/Shutterstock

Twitter hacked -- approximately 250,000 accounts affected

Publié: février 2, 2013, 9:32am CET par Wayne Williams

If you've just received an email from Twitter warning that as a precautionary security measure the micro-blogging site has reset your Twitter account password, and inviting you to create a new one, you should take it seriously. Very seriously.

According to Twitter the service recently "detected an attack on our systems in which the attackers may have had access to limited user information -- specifically, your username, email address and an encrypted/salted version of your password (not the actual letters and numbers in your password)".

Details of the attack can be found in a blog post in which Twitter explains that the attackers may have gained access to details for approximately 250,000 users. A relatively small proportion, seeing that Twitter has 200 million active monthly users.

Twitter goes to explain that "this attack was not the work of amateurs, and we do not believe it was an isolated incident. The attackers were extremely sophisticated, and we believe other companies and organizations have also been recently similarly attacked. For that reason we felt that it was important to publicize this attack while we still gather information, and we are helping government and federal law enforcement in their effort to find and prosecute these attackers to make the Internet safer for all users".

I'm among the 250,000 users who were affected by this hack and this morning received two messages from Twitter. The first warning that my password had been reset, and the other containing a link to create a new one. If you receive the same messages and, like me, are adverse to clicking these kind of links (this is the perfect opportunity for phishers of course) you can just go to Twitter and try to log in. Enter your old email address, phone number, or username and Twitter will send you a fresh reset link.

The micro-blogging site says that while "only a very small percentage of our users were potentially affected by this attack, we encourage all users to take this opportunity to ensure that they are following good password hygiene, on Twitter and elsewhere on the Internet. Make sure you use a strong password -- at least 10 (but more is better) characters and a mixture of upper- and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols -- that you are not using for any other accounts or sites".

All good advice of course. So whether you received the emails or not, now is a very good time to change your Twitter password because you can never be too careful.

Photo Credit: Julien Tromeur/Shutterstock

Android is winning the mobile platform wars

Publié: février 2, 2013, 12:14am CET par Joe Wilcox

Some days the sorry state of news reporting really baffles me. Today I read numerous headlines claiming that Android tablet share surged past 50 percent in Q4, usurping iPad -- all using numbers I wrote about a day earlier. The one on CNN -- "[IDC says Android is the new king of tablet market share]" -- got to me. Immediate reaction: "What did I miss?" But in looking over the numbers, nothing really jumped out that IDC said any such thing. Sure iPad shipment share fell to 43.6 percent from 51.7 percent annually and from 46.4 percent sequentially. I chose to ask the analysts rather than follow the feeding frenzy.

"Android actually passed the 50 percent mark in 3Q 12", Tom Mainelli, IDC research director for tablets, says. Whoa, there's no new king at all. Android took the crown last summer. Still, that's a phenomenal achievement, setting me to write a story I couldn't imagine a year ago.

Cloudy Crystal Balls

C`mon, analysts had forecast iPad share well above 50 percent through 2015. Example, Gartner, in April 2011, predicted iPad would fall from 83.9 percent in 2010 to 68.7 percent in 2011 to 63.7 percent in 2012 to 47.1 percent in 2015. By comparison, the analyst firm predicted that Android would go from 19.9 percent in 2011 to 38.6 percent in 2015.

The tablet market is so volatile, no one gets it right. IDC revised tablet operating system forecasts three times throughout 2012. In the most recent (now subsumed by actual data), iOS: 53.8 percent, down from 59.7 percent in September and 62.5 percent in June. Meanwhile, Android forecast increased to 42.7 percent share from 38.8 percent in September but down from 35.3 percent in June.

"I think the big picture is that for many years people insisted that there wasn't a tablet market, just an iPad market", Mainelli says. "The last few quarter have shown that there is indeed a market for tablets beyond the iPad, although that product continues to be quite dominant from a vendor market share perspective".

Beyond Apple's brand, Mainelli puts perspective on the current market:

The iPad has long benefited from the fact that there are many, many apps created specifically for that device, whereas Android tablet owners often had to make due with smartphone apps scaled up to fit their tablet screen. I think part of the reason Android has gained traction recently is the simple fact that many of the Android devices shipping these days are 7-inch models, and smartphone apps don't look nearly as bad on a 7-inch screen as they do on a 10-inch screen.

Actually, NPD DisplaySearch sees a dramatic shift in size preference underway, forecasting that 9.7-inch models (majority iPad), will command just 17 percent share this year, while 7-7.9-inchers rise to 45 percent. But, again, given how rapidly this market changes, consider no forecast reliable.

Ultimately, Mainelli sees apps as turning point. "As the installed based of Android tablets grow, I think we'll see more tablet-specific apps appearing, and that will in turn lead to more Android tablet shipments".

Platform Purge

In October 2009, I asserted that "Apple cannot win the smartphone wars", then declared Android winner four months ago. In February 2012, I asserted that "Apple is winning the mobile platform wars", largely because of iPad gains combined with iPhone.

But much changed since. Weeks later, Android Market became Google Play, starting a major transformation of the store. The rebranding marked Google's first of many steps taking more authority over Android. By summer, cumulative Android shipments surpassed iOS for the first time -- 500 million to 400 million. Apple's platform only caught up in December. Then came Android 4.1, Google Now and Nexus 7 tablet in mid summer. Apps got a lot better, and suddenly by release of the Nexus 10's release, Android really looked like a viable all-around mobile platform for anyone.

I was right a year ago, but wrong today. Now Android is winning the mobile platform war -- 1.3 million device activations per day, compared to 834,000 for iOS, based on fourth quarter shipments of 75 million. Android smartphone shipments, so not counting tablets, were higher -- 80.6 million, according to Strategy Analytics. Based on analyst data, Android share exceeds iOS on both major mobile platforms. As the numbers rise, the apps get better and more piqued for tablets.

"Of course, Apple isn't sitting still", Mainelli says. "The iPad mini was a response to consumer demand for smaller tablets, and as you know they couldn't make enough of them over the holidays (they're still supply constrained). And, interestingly enough, iPad has become the go-to tablet for commercial entities who consider Android insecure, and schools buy almost exclusively iPads at present".

Locally last year, here in San Diego, the school district bought 25,000 iPads, which replaced the fleet of netbooks.

But Android and iOS aren't the only contenders for the crown. "you have Microsoft and its partners trying to make inroads with WinRT and Win8 tablets", Mainelli says. "So 2013 should bring plenty of good products and great competition, which is always good for consumers".

Photo Credit: Joe Wilcox

Best Windows 8 apps this week

Publié: février 1, 2013, 9:31pm CET par Martin Brinkmann

Fourteenth in a series. Microsoft continues to publish updates for the apps that ship with Windows 8 natively. Both the finance and weather application have been updated this week. However, it is not clear what changed as Microsoft did not update the release notes yet.

As far as total numbers of applications go: the Windows Store in the US lists 21,208 free apps and 6,074 paid apps as of this morning for a total of 27,282 apps. That's an increase of 970 apps this week, which falls in line with past performances. While we have seen slower weeks, app numbers consistently grow by about a 1,000 each week.

Let us get started with this week's selection of the best new and updated apps in Windows Store.

Pin Anything

You can pin programs or websites to the Start screen of the operating system by default. While this may be sufficient for many users, others may want to pin documents or other types of files as well.

Pin Anything is a free app that lets you do that. It makes available options to pin any file, website or Steam games to the start screen. For each item, you are free to select a wide and standard sized logo, a title and background color.

You can use Pin Anything to customize the look of programs that are already linked on the start page. While you need to use the files menu to add them anew, you can change a program's background tile color and logo this way.

Astrology Clock

The app combines the time of the day for over 4,000 cities around the globe with the position of the sun and moon among zodiac constellations. It displays the current month, day and year on top of that, as well as information about the moon cycle, spring and fall equinox and summer and winter solstice.

While it is probably most useful if you enjoy horoscopes, it is a beautiful looking clock at its core.

Barcode Read It

A barcode reader for Windows 8. The program uses a connected camera, a webcam for instance, to read barcodes. The application supports multiple barcode formats and comes with an option to read a continuous stream of barcodes within a video stream.

The text that is recognized by the application can then be shared with other applications or opened on the Internet if it is a link to a website.

A history of previously scanned barcodes is made available as well.

Appy Geek

This magazine style application aggregates news from popular gadget websites and blogs including Gizmodo, T3 Magazine, Tom's Hardware and The Next Web.

The start page lists editorial content on the left and favorites on the right which you can customize with a click on the plus icon. Here you can select topics, like Google, Apple, Microsoft or Top Stories UK so that they appear on the front.

A click on a topic opens its stream of news. The left displays the most recent news items, the right the article that is selected currently.

It is like an RSS news reader where you have grouped specific feeds together under a certain topic. You can't add your own feeds to the app though.

Live from the Red Carpet

If you like celebrity gossip then Live from the Red Carpet may be an application of interesting to you. It makes available a stream of celebrity pictures, titles and dates that you can click on to read the full story.

Each news piece consists of a couple of sentences, a larger version of the photo and one or multiple links to the eonline website where additional information are available.

The start page enables you to display news around a particular event or premiere, the 2013 Oscars or Golden Globes awards for instance.

Movie Night

The application provides you with information about movies, those that are currently shown in theaters and upcoming, movies that are available on DVD or Blu-Ray, and those that you can rent or stream online.

It can help you make a decision on which films to watch right at that moment or in the future. You can browse movies by their cover and will notice that relevant information about the current movie is displayed on the same page. Here you see the title, runtime and cast, as well as a synopsis if available and Rotten Tomatoes scores.

A double-click displays the Rotten Tomatoes website, Netflix or Amazon on the right half of the screen giving you the opportunity to access additional information about the movie or rent it online if available.

Sports Republic

This application looks on first glance similar to Appy Geek as it uses a similar layout and has been created by the same company. Like the name implies, this one is about sport and not technology.

You find editorial contents on the left and options to add your own sport streams to the favorites section on the right. Here you can add streams for soccer, cricket or the top stories from a select country to the selection of basketball, NFL, hockey and baseball news you already find listed under favorites.

Audible

The official Audible application for Windows 8 provides you with its selection of audiobooks. You can browse the store without an account and can even listen to excerpts and samples doing so.

For the most part though, an account is required. You can sign in with an existing Audible account or create a new one right from within the app. Only signed in users can browse the full catalog using the built-in search, while guests can only search within a small selection of audiobooks that are provided to them as excerpts.

My Server

The application allows you to connect to Windows Server 2012 Essentials and manage resources right from within the apps interface. It in particular enables you to:

Search, browser and edit files on the server
Manage users, devices and alerts
Share resources
Access files locally without the need for an Internet or network connection
Play back media files

Netizen

Netizen enables you to look up the voting record of congressional representatives. You can browse representatives by state, allow the application to use your current location to automatically display the representative, or use the search instead.

The votes of the selected representative are then displayed on screen. Here you see the title, question, how the representative voted, the result, and how democrats and republicans voted.

You can steal -- ah, still get -- Windows 8 Pro cheap

Publié: février 1, 2013, 7:59pm CET par Alan Buckingham

I owe a commenter an apology. Let me explain. Two months ago I wrote about a Microsoft error that allowed anyone the Windows 8 Pro upgrade for $14.99, which is supposed to only be available to those who have purchased a Windows 7 PC after June 2, 2012. I took a lot of heat from our kind readers for pointing out the flaw. Microsoft also contacted me and assured me that the loophole would be fixed.

It is an easy fix, honestly. Require the user to enter a Windows 7 key and then check against the database to ensure that it was activated after the required date. It is really that simple. But, Microsoft didn't close the loophole.

Yesterday Microsoft ended promotional pricing for Windows 8. You can no longer upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $39.99, but if you purchased a Windows 7 computer within the required dates then you have until the end of this month to grab that $14.99 upgrade.

After being told by "Ilev" in the comments yesterday that customers could still use the deal without worry, I disagreed. I assumed that Microsoft had fixed the flaw as I had been told. Uh-oh, I checked, and guess what? The loophole is still wide open.

In other words, you do not need to pay $199.99 for Windows 8 Pro just yet. Microsoft has left the ability to grab it for $14.99. You can enter any computer make and model, any purchase date and any retailer name. No questions asked.

It is unclear at this point whether or not Microsoft will leave this option open until the promotion expires. How much will it cost the company given few customers will stumble upon the opportunity? Heck, it is even good business to drum up a few extra sales from the tech crowd who will find this offer or read this article.

iPhone wins the U.S. (kind of), but Android rules the world

Publié: février 1, 2013, 7:40pm CET par Joe Wilcox

Americans love their iPhones, finally enough to topple Samsung's long-time leadership. During fourth quarter, Apple nudged ahead of the South Korean electronics giant, with 34 percent share, based on shipments, according to Strategy Analytics. To be clear, the numbers are for all mobiles, not just smartphones. The distinction is important for several reasons. The American company only ships smartphones, for which demand rages. Related: Overall phone shipments fell for the year.

"Apple has become the number one mobile phone vendor by volume in the United States for the first time ever", Neil Mawston, Strategy Analytics research director, says. "Samsung had been the number one mobile phone vendor in the U.S. since 2008, and it will surely be keen to recapture that title in 2013 by launching improved new models such as the rumored Galaxy S4".

Apple shipped 17.1 million handsets during Q4, compared to Samsung's 16.8 million, for 32.3 percent share. A year earlier: 25.4 percent and 26.9 percent, respectively. However, Samsung easily leads for the year, with 31.8 percent share to its rival's 26.2 percent. But the share lead considerably shrank compared to 2011 -- 28 percent and 15.9 percent, respectively. Unquestionably, iPhone's gains are remarkable, and in a rapidly saturating market.

The United States is the most mature smartphone market, which is where Apple only competes, while Samsung still sells feature handsets. The fruit logo company's changing position is more than increased demand for iPhone then. For all 2012, Samsung phone shipments changed little year over year -- 53 million units from 52.3 million -- while Apple rose to 43.7 million from 29.7 million.

Mobile phone shipments grew a scant 4 percent during the quarter but fell 11 percent for the whole year. "Growth was driven by robust demand among consumers for 4G smartphones and 3G feature phones", Mawston says.

Globally, Samsung's lead over Apple is enormous and widening, ranking first and third, respectively, with 24 percent and 10.6 percent share for the quarter and 25.2 percent and 8.6 percent for the year, according to Strategy Analytics. During 2012, the American company's share rose 2.6 points compared to its rival's four. Stated differently: Samsung accounted for "one in four of all mobile phones shipped worldwide last year", Mawston says.

Comparing global to U.S. shipments reveals just how dependent Apple is on the one country. During Q4, the United States accounted for 36 percent of Apple handset shipments, but only 16 percent for Samsung. For the year, 13 percent to Apple's 32 percent.

The point: Samsung's global reach far exceed's Apple, and there is huge disparity regarding the most-mature handset market, particularly smartphones, where sales are slowing.

Then there are smartphones, which account for the majority of handset growth in most markets. While Americans favored iOS over Android during fourth quarter, Google's green robot captured the world. Year over year, Android surged to 70.1 percent smartphone share from 51.3 percent, according to Strategy Analytics. iOS share actually retracted, to 22 percent share from 23.6 percent. For all 2012, Android climbed to 68.4 percent from 48.7 percent, while Apple nudged up to 19.4 percent from 19 percent.

In the world's largest smartphone market, China, Android market share reached 86 percent during Q4, compared to 12 percent for iOS, according to Strategy Analytics.

The point: The Apple Fan Club of analysts, bloggers, reporters and other writers claim bragging rights today (just look at all the "iPhone is No. 1" stories). But in larger context, during iPhone 5's global launch quarter, Android still rules the world and the U.S. for all 2012.

What have investors got against BlackBerry?

Publié: février 1, 2013, 5:36pm CET par Joe Wilcox

I would think that the long-anticipated BB10 platform would excite the stock market. Rather, shares of the company formerly known as Research in Motion and still listed as RIMM are down more than 26 percent from Monday's open. BlackBerry (new company name) is up about 1 percent in late-mornong trading today, but it's tiny respite from a beating that started before Wednesday's big new product reveal.

I haven't seen BlackBerry 10 up close, or the new Q10 and Z10 smartphones, but "impressed" is apt description, nevertheless. Would I switch, though, from Nexus 4 and Android? Probably not, and that is RIMM's problem -- too many people like me -- and perhaps what has legitimate investors (not pesky shortsellers) antsy. BlackBerry market share has fallen too far against Android and iOS, which, according to IDC, had 92.1 percent combined market share in fourth quarter. Once a leader, BlackBerry fights to be the far-behind third smartphone platform.

How far the mighty has fallen. Three years ago, BlackBerry's share of smartphones was 15.9 percent, according to IHS iSuppli. In 2012: 5.2 percent. For fourth quarter 2009, BlackBerry commanded 19.6 percent market share, putting it ahead of Apple (16 percent) and behind category leader Nokia (38.2 percent), according to IDC. Three years later, BlackBerry didn't even make the top 5, with Apple in second place.

"Despite the overwhelming advantages held by the opposition, BlackBerry’s introductions this week will keep the company in the smartphone game -- for now", Ian Fogg, IHS iSuppli senior principal analyst, says. "The new operating system and phones increase the chances that BlackBerry can regain some of its lost market share during the make-or-break year of 2013".

But he warns: "In order to claim the title as the smartphone market’s third ecosystem after Google and Apple -- a distinction now being pursued by a range of competitors -- BlackBerry needs to bring its A game in all areas. These areas range from differentiating its products, to offering compelling and reliable smartphone devices, to securing broad operator support, to creating a complete software ecosystem".

Kevin Burden, Strategy Analytics research, director sees opportunity in the two others' dominance: "Blackberry 10 is now the newest mobile platform on the market and gives Blackberry the opportunity to attract users who are feeling the fatigue set-in from five year-old platforms like iOS and Android".

Distribution means everything. In the United States, three of the four major carriers -- AT&T, T-Mobile and Verzion -- will carry BlackBerry Z10, which is good sign.

Still people, have to purchase the devices. Two days ago, I asked: "Will you buy BlackBerry Z10?" Forty-eight percent of respondents answer "No". But another 31.43 percent say they will buy the smartphone "as soon as available".

Will you buy BlackBerry Z10?

In the year since becoming BlackBerry CEO, Thorsten Heins has done an amazingly good job reviving the ailing, and core, smartphone business. The question now: Is it too late? Have Android and iOS gained too much to allow room for BlackBerry, which competes with, among other platforms, Windows Phone?

"BlackBerry 10 is a smart launch from a smart company that has marshaled its relatively modest resources effectively to create a range of next-generation smartphones that are differentiated compared to what’s on the market now", Fogg says. "However, to compete with the big boys, BlackBerry will need to execute every part of its playbook perfectly during the next 12 months. If BlackBerry fails in any phase, it will be game over for the company’s comeback story".

HTC Windows Phone 8X -- Purple madness [Review]

Publié: février 1, 2013, 4:23pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

The HTC Windows Phone 8X is a smartphone that you will either love or not want to touch even with a 10 foot pole. Part of the arguments for and against it stem from the operating system of choice, Microsoft's latest (and greatest) Windows Phone iteration. Sure, the device has good build quality and the software is fluid and responsive, but the app selection is currently lacking compared to rivals like Android and iOS. So where does one draw the line between success and failure?

I've been using the Windows Phone 8X for almost two weeks and the early impressions are still on the positive side. In my initial review I touched on a number of points that I found revealing for my brief time with it, but the real test is how the Windows Phone 8X fares over a longer period of time. My main and initial gripes concern the limited app selection and general usability issues of Windows Phone 8 when coming from the stock flavor of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The real question is this: Is it good enough?

The Specs

The HTC Windows Phone 8X features a 4.3-inch Super LCD 2 display with a resolution of 1280 by 720. The handset is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB of RAM and an 1,800mAh battery. There is 16GB of non-expandable internal storage onboard, or 8GB of internal storage depending on the carrier variant. My Windows Phone 8X is the California Blue international variant, and comes with the former option.

The Windows Phone 8X sports HSPA+ cellular connectivity (LTE is available depending on the market); Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n; Bluetooth 3.1; NFC (Near Field Communication); GPS with Glonass support as well as the common plethora of sensors. The device ships with an 8MP back-facing camera and a 2.1MP shooter on the front, both capable of 1080p video recording. Other specs include Beats Audio support and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The Windows Phone 8X measures 132.35 x 66.2 x 10.12 mm. Weight comes in at 130 grams.

Great Social Integration, but not Perfect

I'll kick off with the social element. Windows Phone 8 places social (or human if you will) interaction at the forefront, be it through the Me tile and People app pinned on the homescreen or through the social network integration. Users can post straight to Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter right after pressing their own live tile, view social notifications and check on what other connected folks are doing. Social, social, social. But not that social.

As you may expect the main gripe with Windows Phone 8 in terms of social integration is Google+, or the lack thereof. For me that's a deal breaker when it comes to any mobile device, more so with a smartphone as it's the only one that I carry around with me. That would be relatively fine had Google bothered to release an official app but, sadly, the only ones available are third party offerings that display a mobile view. Not modern, not modern at all.

It's one of the worst parts in dealing with Windows Phone 8 on a day-to-day basis, and really puts a dent in enjoying the operating system. That's a shame as Microsoft managed to deliver an impressive package in this regard -- the unified social notifications in the Me tile is great, the People app is really useful in finding out what your buddies are doing, and the Rooms and Groups features for private chats and sharing are nice as well.

Users can also expect an official Foursquare app and third party Pinterest and Reddit clients, among others. For those roaming around interwebs forums, Board Express is a nice and free Tapatalk alternative, although like most third party apps it's supported by ads. So far, I have found a working replacement for almost every social app that I use on Android and iOS.

Let's Talk Mail

What's a smartphone operating system without a competent email client? Thankfully Windows Phone 8 includes support for Gmail, Hotmail, Outlook.com, Yahoo! Mail, generic POP and IMAP accounts, as well as Exchange ActiveSync support, among other types of supported accounts such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or Sina Weibo.

I will not bore you with generic details, but suffice to say that it works as expected -- you get emails, they show up. There are some issues though which I struggle with on a day to day basis, ones which a Gmail user on Android will undoubtedly find annoying to deal with (and likely others as well). As a point of reference I have set up Outlook using the Microsoft-preferred method and Gmail as an Exchange ActiveSync account in order to take advantage of push email as well as calendar and contacts synchronization.

With both types of accounts I have noticed that marking an email as read does not necessarily mean that it will be listed as read when checking the web app. This is a nuisance that reminds me of just how trouble-free the Gmail and Email apps on Android really are. Furthermore, after applying a batch action the previously selected emails will be unticked and you have to start over ticking them again as to perform another batch action.

The third issue comes from using Gmail. Unlike with the Android counterpart, on Windows Phone 8 there is no Archive button as to immediately move emails straight to All Mail. I have to do that by hand, which is time-consuming and bothersome when dealing with a ton of emails each day. The fourth issue, and the most frustrating, is yet again with Gmail -- emails cannot be sent using aliases from a single account. I have to add each and every single one in order to get that functionality.

Great Phone

The Windows Phone 8X (and Windows Phone 8 by implication) is great at making calls and sending texts. The sound through the headpiece is loud and clear, sometimes too loud with the volume raised all the way up. I have noticed a few dropped calls, although I cannot really fault the device for any of those since although I had a decent signal the person at the other end of the line did not.

This is not a Windows Phone 8 fault per se, but I'd like to have a dedicated contact list just for making calls. By default, and this applies to Android as well, the operating system uses a unified contacts list for all corresponding apps, which is overkill when looking up someone to call. I doubt this will be implemented, but it would be nice to have for someone like me that makes plenty of calls each day.

In the texting department, I do really have to commend Microsoft for the extensive dictionary selection. Unlike Google, which doesn't bother with stock Jelly Bean, the Redmond, Wash.-based software corporation admits to the existence of more than a couple of languages. I count more than 60 dictionaries for a variety of languages, which really comes in handy when writing texts (but applies to other areas as well).

The keyboard itself is quite nice to use, without any of the swiping gimmickry, and provides decent word predictions. The keys are rather tall and narrow, but even with my big thumbs I can write without making too many mistakes while typing. It's worth noting that the space bar, at least on the Windows Phone 8X, is quite narrow and too close to the "," sign, making accidental presses a common occurrence.

Maps

Straight off the bat I do have to point out that I do not find much use for a maps app. Most of the time I know where I am and how to get to where I want, although I can understand why others may feel the need for navigation and similar features. Where I live functionality is rather limited when it comes to discovering nearby shops, restaurants and movie theatres to name a few. They're there but don't show up on maps, hence my rare, online and offline, use of Maps.

The Maps app on Windows Phone 8 implements Bing Maps as one might expect, but with some features supported by Nokia, and as far as I can tell only works in portrait mode. That's a real bummer, and something to consider when using the Windows Phone 8X with car mounts. I have no doubt that the recently introduced Nokia Drive+ is a more suited alternative for navigation, but since it only works with US, UK and Canadian SIM cards it's pointless for billions of people on the globe. Whoever took charge and decided to offer Drive+ in just three locations is clearly short-sighted, to put it kindly.

Within the Maps app users can also find a navigation feature, dubbed "directions" which works as expected at a first glance, but again only in portrait mode. There is also an option to display traffic, view favorite locations and display an aerial view. By comparison, and I have only tested this in my location, Google Maps, through the gMaps app, displays more detailed maps and allows to zoom in more compared to Windows Phone 8's Maps app.

That said, users can download maps of entire countries and update them if needed. As a point of reference the entire map of the United States of America take up in excess of 2,556MB, with states like California and Delaware needing 208MB and 40MB, respectively.

Through the Maps app Windows Phone 8 users can also use the Scout feature, which displays nearby "eat+drink", "see+do", "shop" and "for you" places on the map. It's a similar feature to Google Now for instance, and I can only assume that it works as expected for other regions other than mine. Again, I appear to live in the desert or a remotely isolated area with Internet connectivity.

Office, Baby!

Call me an Office fan, I really don't mind. Although it does not live up to the features of its desktop counterpart, the Office app on Windows Phone is a welcome addition. It comes with Office 365 integration, can add SharePoint locations, integrates with SkyDrive (which as a SkyDrive user I can certainly appreciate), handles opened email attachments, and can also open and edit locally stored documents.

I have covered the important details in the "Microsoft details Office on Windows Phone 8" article but suffice to say that it works well, even on the 4.3-inch display of the Windows Phone 8X. I mostly like the Excel and Word editing features, which come in handy while on the go and ensure compatibility with every modern office suite.

Undoubtedly, Office on Windows Phone 8 is one of the most important features of the smartphone operating system. It works well for editing and viewing large documents and spreadsheets (from a physical dimensions point of view) as well as presentations and neatly integrates with other Microsoft services. I do have to mention that the Samsung ATIV S or even the Nokia Lumia 920 might be better suited for Office use, due to larger displays, compared to the Windows Phone 8X.

The App Store Conundrum

One of the first issues that I have to overcome in order to use the Windows Phone 8X is the lack of official apps. Mostly everything that is Google-related comes from third party developers, except a frankly pointless Google Search app from the Mountain View, Calif.-based corporation, and a YouTube app made by Microsoft which displays a mobile view of the popular video sharing website.

That said, there are working third party alternatives to Google+, Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Maps, Google Play Music, Google Reader, Google Talk, Google Voice, Picasa and YouTube. I've used a bunch of them, and while they may not come from the search giant, each of the ones I’ve tried so far works as intended. Keep that in mind if you're a Google user planning to buy a Windows Phone 8 device soon and are afraid of leaving the comfort of Android or iOS.

There are plenty of official apps available ranging from Kindle and Amazon Mobile, Bank of America, Box, eBay, Endomondo Sports Tracker, Evernote, Fandango, Flixster, Glympse, Groupon, IMDb, Last.fm, Newegg, Nike+ Kinect Training, OpenTable, PayPal, Shazam, SoundHound, Speedtest.net, TopGear News (for much needed car news), TuneIn Radio, Vevo, Vimeo to The Weather Channel, for instance.

There are third party Instagram clients, however neither is a replacement for the official Instagram app which must come to Windows Phone as soon as possible. Same goes for Google+. There are millions of people who rely on such apps on their smartphones, so why not cater to that significant audience? Microsoft made the official Facebook app, so why not do the same with Instagram? I'm sure Facebook wouldn't mind.

Generally speaking I have found that if there is no official corresponding Windows Phone 8 app, a suitable third party alternative can be installed instead. That's not good enough though.

The Bummers

Moving on from the software onto the hardware and I do have to point a couple of weaker traits, which affect either Windows Phone 8 or the Windows Phone 8X, or both.

Seeing as my new smartphone has NFC I decided to give it a go and pair it with my Google Galaxy Nexus. So I touch their back covers one to another (in an appropriate manner that is) and wait for something to happen. Guess what? It doesn't work, as the Windows Phone 8X and the Galaxy Nexus cannot pair, with the latter requesting Android Beam to send files to the former (although I did get a link to Google Play on the Windows Phone 8X). Oh, the joy of having NFC and be unable to use it between different phones. This is an issue that plagues many devices on major platforms.

The Windows Phone 8X features an LED indicator, but it only lights up to display charging status. It's green when the battery is completely charged and red while it's charging and that's it. Coming from the Galaxy Nexus I expected HTC's device to feature a more usable LED indicator which lights up for missed calls, new emails, Facebook notifications and such, but sadly it does not. I hope that this feature will come with a future software upgrade, as it's disappointing to let it go to waste.

One thing which I am not used to is the inconsistent implementation of the disappearing status bar throughout apps. By default Windows Phone 8 only shows the time within the status bar and in order to display the carrier network or Wi-Fi signal strength one has to swipe down from the top of the screen. It's not a bad implementation as it cleans up the look, but the gesture has no effect within certain apps. FeedWorm is a good example where the app is not maximized and there is a black bar on top which fails to display the status indicators after swiping down.

The Camera

The Windows Phone 8X features an 8MP back-facing camera with an F2.0 aperture, 28mm lens, LED flash and a BSI sensor for low-light use. That suggests that it's capable of capturing some great pics in poorly lit conditions, but sadly it is unable to deliver spectacular results. I often notice that flash is not always needed even though it's used and that color reproduction is not entirely accurate.

Colors tend to have a blueish tint when the flash is used and noise is present from up close (without zoom) in low-lighting conditions, whereas in well-lit scenarios the camera on the Windows Phone 8X shoots fairly decent pictures, which are better than the ones produced by the Galaxy Nexus. The latter is not exactly a professional shooter in disguise, but it's adequate for brief use.

That said, I have not noticed a single scenario where the Windows Phone 8X can shoot pictures with accurate color reproduction. I am much more impressed by the video camera, with manages to shoot decent videos with flash as well as without it, although it could use better autofocus when pointing it around in different directions. By contrast the front-facing camera is rather poor, which is to be expected considering that it's just a 2.1MP unit.

Battery Life

Battery life is difficult to quantify as usage scenarios differ from one person to another. I use my phone most when I'm heading out and then I mostly check email and browse the web, among other things like playing games for instance. With the software up to date, including the much-needed "Keep WiFi on when screen times out" option, the Windows Phone 8X gets me even through a heavy day of use.

Generally speaking battery performance is similar to the Galaxy Nexus throughout a day of use, although the Windows Phone 8X sips less when displaying web pages, something that I've come to appreciate when switching from the former.

I do rely on a bunch of apps to sync in the background, including the dedicated email app, Facebook, Foursquare, LinkedIn, Twitter, People, Associated Press, CNN, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, among others. Depending on what's actively syncing the battery might suffer a lighter or heavier hit, so your performance will definitely vary.

The Verdict

It's my personal opinion that every operating system comes with its own caveats, more so in the app store. Android provides a more raw experience where the user interacts with the device in a more analogue kind of way -- the software is not designed to mask itself through fancy transition effects or animations and generally feels unadulterated. iOS on the other hand is more fluid and provides a more artificial experience where the operating system is merely a bridge between the user and the apps.

However, both Android and iOS cannot really be faulted for the available app selection. Windows Phone 8 on the other hand is the perfect example of how an operating system can strike a balance between raw and artificial, but fail to carry over the common denominator -- the vast app store offering. No matter how many third-party apps are available, people like me that have a craving for the official variety will often be disappointed.

At the same time the Windows Phone 8X is not really an Apple iPhone 5 nor a Samsung Galaxy S III when it comes to the camera performance. It's average and really does not work as well in low-light conditions as HTC may lead everyone to believe -- the quality is just not there. So the back and front-facing shooters rule out the Windows Phone 8X for camera aficionados.

I have said that the battery gets me through a heavy day of use, but is that really impressive? No, I don't think so, at least not when comparing it with smartphones like the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD and Samsung Galaxy Note II, both of which come with batteries larger than 3,000mAh and, therefore, with better performance in this regard.

After using the Windows Phone 8X for a couple of weeks I've grown fond of it. It's not designed to take on Android flagships in terms of raw performance, but it's enjoyable. The form-factor makes it easy to hold, the operating system is refreshing compared to the bigger players and, something that I really came to appreciate, the design is, frankly, amazing in this California Blue (which is really purple) color. At the end of the day the Windows Phone 8X can only be summed up as this -- the all-rounder.

Free up disk space by uninstalling unwanted software with Should I Remove It?

Publié: février 1, 2013, 2:18pm CET par Mike Williams

When you’re looking to improve your PC’s speed and stability then there are plenty of actions you might take, but one of the most effective is often just to uninstall any applications, add-ons and extras which you don’t really need. You’ll free up plenty of system resources, and that alone could help to deliver a real performance boost.

You’ll have to figure out exactly which programs you need to keep, though, and which can be safely uninstalled, and that can be a challenge if you’ve hundreds of apps to explore. Don’t worry, though, because Should I Remove It? is here to help: just download the program, the authors say, "and within seconds we will help you purge your PC".

As Should I Remove It? is all about reducing clutter, it was good to see the program come in the form of a very small download (1.16MB), which doesn’t include any adware itself. Installation is quick and easy, and within a moment or two we were looking at a list of our installed applications.

The program displays software in the order in which it’s removed by other program users, with the most-often-dumped at the top. Presumably the theory here is that if everyone else is uninstalling it, then perhaps you should consider doing so, too -- but we’re not sure this logic really holds, especially when we looked at the list on our test PC. Was uTorrent really the program most worthy of uninstalling on our system, for instance? Does it really make sense that a program as useful as 7-Zip should appear in 4th place, or that Freemake Video Converter and Downloader would follow immediately afterwards?

If we scrolled to the bottom of the list, then, to find the programs most rarely removed, would that tell us anything more helpful? No, not really -- the app with the lowest removal rating on our system was the "Microsoft All-In-One Code Framework Sample Browser". And we’d hazard a guess that’s just because hardly anyone else has ever installed it.

The opening program list doesn’t tell you much useful, then, but fortunately Should I Remove It? has another useful trick. When you scroll through your applications you may find some you don’t recognize, or otherwise decide you’d like more information about them. And if you click that app, and select "What is it?", Should I Remove It? will open a web page which tells you more.

Launch the page for Orbit Downloader, say, and you’ll see a basic description of the program’s functionality, and a link to the developer. There are key program details, including the installation folder, uninstaller location, and files installed by the program, as well as their purpose (so for example you’ll read that "orbitnet.exe" is the Orbit P2P service).

The "Behaviors exhibited" information then explains more about what the program does on your system. Which in Orbit’s case means installing a couple of IE extensions (listed here with the file names and ClassID), as well as adding a couple of Windows Firewall exceptions.

And there’s even more, including the Windows versions it runs on, the rating given to the program by other users, the PC manufacturers who install it, and the list goes on.

Should I Remove It? can’t immediately tell you which programs to keep, and which to uninstall, then. But it can help you in your own research by providing a great deal of useful information about your installed applications. And because it’s so small and hassle-free itself, the program will probably make a good addition to most PCs.

Photo Credit: Pavel Ignatov/Shutterstock

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Kim Dotcom offers a $13,500 bounty to anyone who can break Mega’s encryption

Publié: février 1, 2013, 11:52am CET par Wayne Williams

Mega has come in for some criticism since it launched, with the likes of Ars Technica, among others, questioning exactly how secure Kim Dotcom’s new file storage and sharing service actually is. Cryptography researcher Steve Thomas even created a tool designed to reveal passwords stored in confirmation emails.

But despite all this, Mega has so far proven to be a sturdy ship. Although it has had a few (quickly plugged) leaky holes, which is to be expected considering it’s still very new, nothing’s come along so far to sink it. And Kim Dotcom is so sure Mega’s security is uncrackable, he’s prepared to put his money where his mouth is.

The brash entrepreneur announced his intentions in a tweet earlier, stating: "#Mega's open source encryption remains unbroken! We'll offer 10,000 EURO to anyone who can break it."

10,000 euros/$13,500 is a decent amount of cash up for grabs, and will likely appeal to hard up hackers looking to line their pockets and make a name for themselves (the first person to crack the high profile site will no doubt gain a lot of press attention). But I can’t help thinking that if Dotcom is truly convinced his site is uncrackable, the bounty would be much higher. Maybe it will increase the longer the site's encryption goes unbroken.

Things have certainly been busy behind the scenes at the new file locker. The service, which now lets you change or reset your password is, according to Dotcom, currently hosting around 50 million files. And the unofficial Mega search engine which popped up was quickly blocked after less than 24 hours.

Microsoft rolls out Bing apps for Office

Publié: février 1, 2013, 8:56am CET par Wayne Williams

There are already Bing-powered apps for Windows 8, Windows Phone, and Xbox, and now Microsoft’s search platform has made some free apps for the software giant’s new Office 365 Home Premium suite (what, you thought Office 2013 was going to get some Bing love?)

At the moment there are five apps on offer -- Bing News Search for Office, Bing Finance (Beta) for Office, Bing Dictionary (English) for Office, Bing Maps for Office, and Bing Image Search for Office.

According to Microsoft, "Our goal is to make Bing available in convenient and intuitive ways that take advantage of knowledge Bing has assembled for search… With Bing Apps for Office we are introducing ways for you to be more productive without having to leave the applications".

So what do the apps actually do? Well as you’d probably expect, Bing News Search for Office lets you search for news and related videos from within a Word document and paste in any stories.

Bing Finance (Beta) for Office lets you build a finance portfolio table in Excel and input stock symbols, while Bing Dictionary (English) for Office provides spellings and definitions, and if you’re not at all sure how to spell a word, type it in as it sounds and Bing will attempt to identify it for you.

With Bing M aps for Office people can plot location details on a map and the app also has a data visualization tool for Excel. As an example of what this could be used for, Microsoft says "imagine overlaying census data on a state map". So go ahead and do that.

Finally, Bing Image Search for Office lets you search for images on the web from within a Word document. Handy if you want a picture to illustrate your document or flier.

The apps are all available to download now. Provided you have a copy of Office 365 Home Premium, of course.

So what do you think about adding Bing apps to Office? Is it something you'd be likely to do? I have a two monitor setup at home, so use one screen for Office and the other for research, email and so on. But I can see these coming in handy on a laptop or tablet.

Apple can't escape market realities

Publié: février 1, 2013, 4:30am CET par Sameer Singh

Apple's stock price tanked more than 12 percent the day after announcing fiscal 2013 first quarter earnings. Nine days later, shares are still down about 10 percent, in part because Q2 guidance came in below analyst consensus. The guidance, in particular, seems to have spooked investors as Apple announced its intentions to provide a realistic guidance, as compared to the usual "sandbagging". The company also warned of lower margins -- between 37.5 percent and 38.5 percent. In that context, let's look at the average selling price movement chart and benchmark our previous iPad Mini cannibalization estimate.

The shipment chart above clearly shows that iPhone growth has slowed during the current product cycle, thanks to market saturation. This should give Apple even more incentive to launch a cheaper iPhone. In contrast, the iPad has seen reasonably strong growth, but as I predicted, iPad Mini cannibalization seems to have pushed Q1 shipments below market expectations.

The iPhone's ASP has remained remarkably stable in Q1, given Apple's move to exclude accessory revenue (~$10-$15 per device) from product categories. On the other hand, the iPad's ASP took a nosedive because of the iPad Mini, especially compared to my ASP estimate of around $500 - the removal of accessory revenue doesn't explain this fall, but it is directly related to cannibalization:

Benchmarking iPad Mini Cannibalization

My iPad sales estimate ranged from 24.5-26.2 million units, with iPad Mini cannibalization in the 50-percent to 70-percent range. At this point, I'm virtually certain that the higher end of my iPad Mini cannibalization estimate was accurate, but I seem to have missed something. In light of the limited iPad Mini supply, I had applied my cannibalization estimate on just iPad Mini sales and not iPad Mini demand, i.e. I inherently assumed that the iPad brand would cause the potential "cannibalized" iPad Mini buyer, to buy an iPad 2/iPad 4 in case of short supply. In hindsight, that seems to have been a silly assumption.

It looks like those particular iPad Mini buyers either delayed their purchase or purchased a competing product (most likely a comparable & cheaper android tablet). Given my previous analysis, this is the only explanation I can think of for iPad sales coming in at 22.9 million.

Market share figures for this quarter and iPad shipments over the next quarter should shed more light on purchasing decisions. If a majority of potential iPad Mini buyers delayed their purchases, we should expect the iPad to hold a 50-percent to 55-percent market share and iPad sales should remain strong or post a modest decline in Apple's fiscal Q2. Today, IDC released tablet shipment estimates for calendar fourth quarter. Apple share fell to 43.6 percent, indicating a good many buyers chose not to wait for iPad mini. Combined share for ASUS and Samsung, which grew by several hundred present rose from 7.9 percent to 20.9 percent.

Reprinted with permission from Tech-Thoughts

Sameer Singh is an M&A professional and business strategy consultant focusing on the mobile technology sector. He is founder and editor of Tech-Thoughts.

Got a PC problem? Try OSForensics 2.0

Publié: février 1, 2013, 1:01am CET par Mike Williams

Passmark Software has released OSForensics 2.0, the latest edition of its excellent computer forensics package. And while it’s more about improving on what’s gone before than adding any major new functionality, there are still some very useful additions here.

While previously the program could only index the documents on one drive at a time, for instance, OSForensics 2.0 now allows you to specify as many drives per index as you like, and search them in a single operation later: seems like a small change, but this makes the program much more convenient to use.

If you regularly use the indexing feature then the good news is it’s no longer necessary to configure its fine details each and every time. A new Template option allows you to define the file extensions you’d like to check, what exactly you’d like to index (title, content, file name, metadata), exclude filters, stemming rules and more, and you can then reload the template you need for a particular job in a couple of clicks.

And while indexing itself can still take a very long time, improved caching means file searches can sometimes be as much as 500% faster than the previous release.

Elsewhere, there have been various improvements to the email, raw disk and internal file viewers. Many are small, but still very welcome, such as the new ability to maximise the file viewer window. And a further key change sees the program now able to open Office documents directly, another positive step which should significantly improve performance.

The OSForensics internal web browser has been extended with the ability to add or save complete web pages, as well as a region of the screen.

And there are the usual stack of smaller enhancements, from performance improvements with FAT volumes, to enhanced compatibility with Opera, and a lengthy list of bug fixes (the official What’s New page tells all).

What hasn’t changed, though, is the generous licensing model, where an enormous amount of functionality is available for free, with only minimal restrictions (the new web page images have watermarks, for instance).

OSForensics 2.0 offers file search tools, undelete functions, memory and disk viewers, password recovery options, drive imaging tools and a whole lot more, for instance, so you may find the program useful even if you’ve no specific interest in computer forensics. Take a look: it’s one of the most powerful free tools of its kind available anywhere.

Photo Credit: Phil Holmes/Shutterstock

Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » février 2013

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