Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » mars 18, 2013

BetaNews.Com (15 non lus)

Gmail for Android gets a whole lot better

Publié: mars 18, 2013, 11:25pm CET par Joe Wilcox

I'm no big fan of Gmail, which interface is overly-cluttered and uses arcane methods for managing messages. But I can tolerate the service on Android devices, where there are no annoying ads and more sensibly-presented core functions. Today, Google made Gmail for Android a little better, by way of the Notifications menu.

Small things often have big impact. Users can now reply or archive messages right from the Notifications bar -- fast and furiously. For people like me who happen to procrastinate email, perhaps there is a future with an empty inbox and all communications current. There's more.

"You can combine this with existing notification features like the ability to customize which messages you receive notifications for and set up different sounds for individual labels", Andy Huang, Google software engineer, explains. "So if you filter and label all the messages from your mom, you could set a ringtone to let you know you received a new mail from her and then quickly reply -- because we know what can happen when you ignore your mother!"

These features all require Android 4.1 or later. Google also improves search capabilities -- for Android 4.0 or more.

"Finally a feature I have been waiting for!" Alex Garipian comments on the product page. The Galaxy Nexus user gives the app five stars. "Deleting emails from the notifications bar! Excellent work Gmail team!"

Jojo Sandoval wants more: "Still needs work! Option to delete one email? Improvement! What about in batch? What about empty the trash?...C'mon Google you act like you dont know how. Add the features!"

Adi Peshkess and Gabriel Lowe also would like a delete option.

These folks are more forgiving than me. Did I mention that I hate email in general? Google gets more blame than deserved.

Email is an anachronism. There was a time when the inbox demanded attention, being one of the fastest ways to communicate using text. Snail mail takes too long, and telegrams are only a little better. My tendency is to respond to people based on immediacy. A person walking up to me deserves the most-immediate response. I feel the same about someone texting or chatting -- or even commenting on a social network post. Email, which delivers more junk than anything else, is a nuisance.

Today's update really should get me doing more, since I can right then and there in the Notifications bar. But I agree, delete would be an even better option. Perhaps Google thinks too much of its spam filter -- that most of the messages we get we want to do something with. I trash nine out of 10 messages. You?
Tales from a Google Reader refugee -- waiting in line to be fed

Publié: mars 18, 2013, 9:45pm CET par Alan Buckingham

I will spare you all of the crying and griping about the whole Google Reader thing -- you have heard it all by now. Suffice it to say that I no longer plan to trust Google with much of what I do. Other companies axe products, as I learned when Microsoft killed my beloved Live Mesh last year, but Google is more regular and ruthless executioner, but I digress -- I promised no rant here.

My colleagues and I are discussing where we will all go after being chucked from Google lands into the jungle. There are a number of options, and Feedly is among the popular destinations. But I was not impressed in my, admittedly very short, look at the service. I also fired up Opera and imported my OPML file into its built-in RSS reader, but it's not cloud-based, and I was left with more than 10,000 "unread" stories. Granted it can be fixed, but do I want to?

In the end I settled on a very simple web-based solution called The Old Reader. I would love to tell you how much I like service, how I recommend you move there immediately, but I fear I will not have those answers for days at this point. The road this refugee treads is a long one, and there are many more homeless in front of me anxious to be fed.

My initial attempt to import my OPML file from Google Takeout resulted in a message that told me, rather matter-of-factly, that "There are 46,908 users in the import queue ahead of you". That number was as of 9:41 AM ET this morning. As of this writing -- more than six hours later -- I have moved up quite a ways. The site now tells me that "There are 35,296 users in the import queue ahead of you". I figure I should be in sometime around the end of this week, perhaps sooner if I get lucky.

Its not the fault of the service. I am pretty sure that Google warned no partners ahead of its Spring Cleaning announcement that suddenly sent a tsunami of traffic the way of these third-party services. All of them scramble for bandwidth and more servers. I suppose it's a good problem for a business to have, although most would have been well-served with a warning about the mass of refugees coming their way.

Thankfully we all have until July 1 to get this sorted out. There is time to try multiple services and pick a favorite and there is time for the app makers to get up to speed with their new-found popularity. It just begs the question, once again, what Google's powers-that-be are thinking in making this move. There is obviously a business here, and the biggest Internet company in the world failed to find a way to capitalize on it.

Photo Credit: Scott Maxwell / LuMaxArt/Shutterstock
Paragon Backup & Recovery 2013 Free is now Windows 8 compatible

Publié: mars 18, 2013, 9:28pm CET par Mike Williams

Paragon Software has revealed the latest edition of its excellent imaging tool, Backup & Recovery 2013 Free.

The most important addition this time around is the program’s new “Windows 8 Compatible” stamp. If you’re upgrading soon, or have done so already, then Paragon Backup & Recovery 2013 Free should work just as it always has.

And as a part of this, Paragon Backup & Recovery 2013 Free now also supports Windows 8 Storage Spaces. (Paragon first made this technology available back in December 2012 in an update for their Hard Disk Manager Suite and Professional packages, but it’s finally filtering through to the free products.)

Storage Spaces is an interesting Windows 8 feature which allows users to combine the space in multiple existing hard drives, then reallocate it to virtual volumes in whatever configuration they need.

And Paragon Backup & Recovery 2013 Free now recognizes Storage Spaces volumes and treats them like any other, which means you can freely back up, partition or delete them, without worrying about the underlying technology.

That’s all we’ve noticed with regard to new features. There’s not even an interface revamp, the usual trick companies employ when an upgrade isn’t looking too exciting. (Although that’s probably a good thing, especially if you’re an existing user: at least you can download and use the new version immediately, without having to find your way around rearranged dialogs and menus.)

Then again, when you consider how much Paragon Backup & Recovery 2013 Free offers -- wide hardware support, full and differential backups, file exclusions, partitioning tools, a bootable recovery disc and more -- it’s hard to see what else the company might reasonably have added. If you need an imaging backup tool, take a look, it’s still one of the best options around.

Photo Credit: Raimundas/Shutterstock
Scale Mt. Everest without leaving your seat

Publié: mars 18, 2013, 9:10pm CET par Alan Buckingham

You have no doubt heard the term "Monday Morning Quarterback", which refers to the person who always has the plan that would have won the game the day before. Now you can be an armchair mountaineer thanks to Google's latest update to its Maps program, that brings some of the biggest and baddest climbs to your computer screen.

The Maps teams has gone to a number of extremes and this time they are scaling the heights of some of the most feared peaks on the planet. The team visited Nepal, commonly thought of as the gateway to the Himalaya's, and captured images that must be seen to truly be appreciated.

According to Google's Dan Fredinburg: "This awesome trek began at Everest Base Camp where the crew rolled out over 70 miles through the mountains and through the towns -- through lovely days and real powerful color splashes alike". The team ventured as far up as an altitude of 18,192 feet. Along the way panoramic images were capture and are subsequently made available for viewing on your PC or mobile device.

In what seems somewhat of a surprise, Google has also made a number of the panoramic images available within Microsoft's Photosynth app -- "if you’re using a Windows Phone or iOS device, you’ll want to have a peek at Photosynth", Fredinburg states.

This latest release adds to the existing World's Highest Peaks that is already part of the Google Maps collection -- a set that includes several Andean peaks and also the famed Kilimanjaro in Africa.
You do NOT want Google Reader gone but embrace Feedly anyway

Publié: mars 18, 2013, 7:31pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Dozens of alternative services have popped up to claim that future vacant lot to be cleared on July 1, the day Google Reader closes for good. Unsurprisingly, more than one hundred thousand stubborn users are unwilling to let go, unpersuaded by third-party promises, and still want their beloved RSS feeder to stay.

A basic "Google Reader" search on change.org now lists eight petitions related to the service that ask or demand the search giant keep the popular RSS feed aggregator alive. Most have less than 7,000 supporters, with one exception. The petition started by New Yorker Dan Lewis, "Google: Keep Google Reader Running", has more than 126,000 people behind it.

Four days ago when I wrote the "Users rally against Google's plans to shut down Reader" story, the same petition had just 37,000 supporters, or 89,000 less than at the time of writing this article. But public interest peaked shortly after. The petition reached 250 signatures on March 14 and 100,000 signatures on March 15, only gathering 26,000 supporters afterwards in around three days.

Feedly, a long-standing RSS feed aggregator service and alternative to Google Reader, already claims that more than 500,000 Google Reader users have jumped ship in the last two days, with an average rate of 250,000 users per day. Seeing as Feedly is not alone in this game, nor have all interested companies released alternative services, the number of users that have migrated is likely considerably higher.

Even with a basic math calculus it seems that less users care about their beloved Google Reader to sign petitions than those that rush out to embrace alternative services. That alone may be reason enough for the search giant to bring down the axe on Google Reader starting July 1. With more people making the switch I wonder who's going to stick around and see how the petitions pan out. It's time to wave goodbye!

Photo Credit: Ollyy/Shutterstock
Microsoft pushes out Windows 7 SP1 on March 19

Publié: mars 18, 2013, 7:03pm CET par Alan Buckingham

For those people who haven't moved on to Windows 8, don't worry -- you will still get something new. Microsoft has announced that Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 will automatically push through the Windows Update tomorrow.

This is not entirely new, though. In fact, Service Pack 1 released way back on Feb. 9, 2011, but has remained optional. Users could previously install SP1 from Windows Update, but the task required manually adding it to the installation list. The difference now is that Microsoft will no longer give users a choice in this matter. That is not a bad thing, because SP1 rolls together a number of security updates for your computer.

According to Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc, "Starting tomorrow, the installation will be fully automatic with no user action required for those who already have Automatic Update enabled. SP1 will be released gradually over the coming weeks to all customers on the RTM version of Windows 7. The service pack will take slightly longer to install compared to other updates".

The update will only happen on consumer computers, so IT has nothing to fear from this sudden change. The update only applies PCs that are not managed by any Microsoft management tool such as Systems Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) or WSUS Server. Businesses will need to roll out this update on their own.

Customers should make the move as soon as possible because Windows 7 without SP1 will become unsupported on April 9. In other words, this is not really an option for you or IT. The good news is that, after two years in the market, most users likely already have the updated version of the operating system. This is simply a last ditch effort to get the stragglers on board and perhaps make things just a bit more secure.

Photo Credit: Adriano Castelli/Shutterstock.com
Sony unveils Xperia SP and L

Publié: mars 18, 2013, 6:22pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

On Monday, Japanese smartphone manufacturer Sony announced two new handsets, the Xperia L and Xperia SP, aimed at the low-end and mid-range smartphone markets, respectively.

The Xperia L smartphone is Sony's new low-end offering. The device comes with a 4.3-inch display with an effective resolution of 854 x 480 and is powered by a dual-core 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus (MSM8230) processor, 1GB of RAM and a 1,700 mAh battery. Other specs include: 8-megapixel back-facing camera with 720p video recording; 0.3MP front-facing camera; 8GB of internal storage; microSD card slot; HSPA+ connectivity: NFC (Near Field Communication); as well as the usual array of sensors.

The Xperia L ships with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean alongside Sony's branded app suite. The device comes in at 128.7 x 65 x 9.7 mm and 137 grams and will be available in Black, Red and White from Q2 2013.

Sony pits the Xperia SP at the mid-range smartphone market, delivering decent specs in the process. The handset features a 4.6-inch display with a resolution of 1280 by 720. Power comes from a 1.7 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro (MSM8960Pro) processor, Adreno 320 graphics card, 1GB of RAM and 2,300 mAh battery.

The smartphone also features an 8MP back-facing camera and a 0.3MP front-facing shooter; 8GB of internal storage; microSD card slot; HSPA+ or 4G LTE connectivity; NFC as well as the usual array of sensors including magnetometer and gyroscope.

As with the Xperia L, the Xperia SP ships with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box backed by Sony's branded app suite. The Xperia SP comes in at 130.6 x 67.1 x 9.98 mm and 155 grams and will be available in Q2 2013 in Black, Red and White Silver.

Sony has yet to reveal the price for the Xperia L or Xperia SP.
Nothing can save Windows 8 now

Publié: mars 18, 2013, 5:35pm CET par Joe Wilcox
Tell me if you can't make the connection here. China is the world's largest market for PCs and during 2012 passed the United States to claim the top spot in smartphones, too. About two thirds of all handsets going into China are smartphones, and there is a long-documented trend in emerging markets where people skip the PC and go right to mobiles as their first connected devices. Handset sales are way up and now IDC says PC shipments are way down going into the People's Republic and will contribute to larger-than-expected decline in global personal computer shipments. You follow where this is going?

IDC says February PC shipments fell below forecasts. The analyst firm had expected a 7.7 percent year-over-year decline for first quarter but now predicts double-digit drop instead. China, which accounted for 21 percent of global PC shipments last year, is a major, but not the only, reason. The analyst firm identifies Chinese New Year, budgets cuts and anti-corruption campaigns as factors, while ignoring the most obvious: Shifting buying patterns.

From Bad to Worse

IDC is among the most-optimistic analyst firms with respect to Windows 8 leading to a PC rally later in the year. But today's revised forecast feels more like denial, which wouldn't be the first time. Analysts there also underplayed tablet competition after iPad launched and in less than the last 12 months revised tablet shipment forecasts upward four times -- again, just last week.

"Based on our latest quarterly figures, global PC shipments were expected to decline by 7.7 percent in the first quarter as vendors and the supply chain work through the Windows 8 transition", Loren Loverde, IDC program vice president, says. "However, our February monthly data suggest that we could see a drop touching double-digits in the first quarter and a mid-single-digit decline in the second quarter before we see any recovery in the second half of the year".

That's consistent with past positioning, but this is new: "Even getting to positive growth in the second half of 2013 will take some attractive new PC designs and more competitive pricing relative to tablets and other products". In your dreams.

Two weeks ago, when IDC last revised PC shipment data, Loverde said: "Growth in emerging regions has slowed considerably, and we continue to see constrained PC demand as buyers favor other devices for their mobility and convenience features. We still don't see tablets -- with limited local storage, file system, lesser focus on traditional productivity, etc. -- as functional competitors to PCs, but they are winning consumer dollars with mobility and consumer appeal nevertheless".

As China Goes...

Unlike Europe or the United States, China is a market with lots of headroom for PC growth. Suddenly, the country is the canary in the coalmine -- and it just flopped over. China leads a global trend towards devices that are even more personal. This is something American bloggers and journalists struggle to comprehend -- that in many other markets people can and do use mobiles instead of PCs.

Why not? Mobile devices, particularly smartphones, are even more personal and increasingly much more powerful and useful than PCs. People carry cell phones most everywhere and use them to maintain personal and professional relationships. The smartphone's smarts only make the device more personal, as people manage e-mail, financial accounts, music, personal communications, photos and videos, among other things. PCs are personal, too, but not nearly as much. How many people are so attached to their PCs they want to be buried with them? That's not a new trend.

But Americans, living in the land of plenty, can use many more devices, and the PC is the most-established among them. Writers here often miss global trends. Think about it. Why are Asian manufacturers like HTC and Samsung rushing flagship smartphones to 5-inch screens -- or more! These mobiles are huge, but they also increase the PC displacement, or replacement, utility of a more personal device that is most-likely carried most of the time. These manufacturers recognize where the global market is headed.

Rest in Peace

If you thought Microsoft was in trouble before, matters are much worse. If you didn't think the company had problems, you should look again. Windows 8 is in deep do-do as the world goes mobile and Steve Ballmer and Company have got nothing to offer. Windows Phone 8 has little to no market share, which, by the way, isn't growing in the emerging markets (China among them) where smartphone shipments soar.

PC shipments aren't going to get better. Larger smartphones and smaller tablets will continue cannibalizing personal computer sales. China foreshadows an imminent future. Facts (with links to past reporting):
Windows 8 was supposed to save the PC market. But roles are reversed. With about 80 percent of operating system revenue coming from personal computer sales, Microsoft's options are limited. Short of divine intervention, nothing can save Windows 8 now.
Get more Firefox options with Pale Moon Commander and Configuration Mania

Publié: mars 18, 2013, 3:39pm CET par Nick Peers

There’s only so much tweaking you can do from within Firefox’s own Options dialog. All the really juicy stuff is hidden away, accessible only by typing about:config into the Address bar, heeding the warning and then attempting to navigate the bewildering list of preferences from accessibility.accesskeycausesactivation to zoom.minPercent. This is fine for occasional tweaks, but if you’ve a hankering for some real deep-seated changes, you’ll want to consider a more user-friendly alternative.

If you’re a Windows user running Firefox or its performance-enhanced variant, Pale Moon, then the answer lies in installing the free Pale Moon Commander 0.6add-in. Also available for Windows, Mac and Linux, is Configuration Mania 1.6, aimed squarely at Firefox itself.

Once installed, Pale Moon Commander is accessible via the Firefox > Options menu by selecting Advanced options… You’ll see its dialog box is modeled on Firefox’s own Options dialog for familiarity purposes, with six sections recognizable by their brightly colored buttons: Graphics, Network, Performance, User Interface, Security, and Other.

Select one and its contents are further divided, again like Firefox, into tabs. From here it’s a case of ticking some options, choosing others from dropdown menus and entering figures for others. Nothing is documented, however, so you need to know what you’re doing. And remember the warning that accompanies about:config itself -- these are low-level settings that can really screw up your browser.

Should things go spectacularly wrong, Pale Moon Commander 0.6 does add a Reset tab under Other, but clicking Reset All Preferences effectively returns your browser, and any installed add-ins, to their factory defaults, so use with extreme care.

Mac and Linux users looking on with a feeling of impotent jealousy can relax. There’s an alternative add-in for all flavors of Firefox called Configuration Mania 1.16. It’s a more established tool, again accessed via the Options sub-menu, but opts for a different design, sporting six tabs with sub-sections serving to further break down all the tweaks in each.

Again there’s no documentation, but you can at least right-click a setting and opt to search for its entry in the MozillaZine Knowledge Base for enlightenment. It also has a reset button, but this can be used selectively on tabs.

While there’s plenty of overlap, both add-ons have tweaks not found in the other tool, and both can happily co-exist too. Pale Moon Commander is optimized for the Pale Moon browser, but will work with Firefox, while Configuration Mania is aimed squarely at Firefox users. Just make sure you back up your Firefox configuration before you begin.

Pale Moon Commander 0.6 is a freeware download for Windows machines running Pale Moon or Firefox, while Configuration Mania 1.16 is a free open-source download for Firefox across Windows, Mac and Linux.
Sorry Google, I’m switching to Microsoft

Publié: mars 18, 2013, 1:17pm CET par Wayne Williams
A week ago, I had a dream. I was sitting on a beach with a glass of wine and a laptop and I was searching the internet using Bing. My wife came up, saw what I was doing, and said "Why aren’t you using Google?" To which I replied, "I’m boycotting it. The company shutdown Reader." Yes, that’s right, I dreamt Reader was being shuttered before Google even announced it, and now I’m using Bing. Spooky or what?

But let’s make one thing very clear here. Although I plan to switch to using Microsoft’s services for a while, it’s not a boycott. I realized, after the dream, that I’ve been so tied into Google that I’ve never really given Microsoft’s alternatives -- Bing, Outlook.com, Bing Maps, and even Internet Explorer -- a fair chance to see how they compare. I've used them, in passing at least, but I've never used them full time. And today that’s about to change.

From now, I’m going to start using Outlook.com as my primary email account (still using my Gmail addresses to send and receive messages of course) and Internet Explorer as my web browser. Having only just really made the full time transition from Firefox to Chrome, that will take a while to get used to.

I’ll be searching exclusively through Bing, which is easy as it’s the default in IE anyway, and using Bing Maps instead of Google Maps. I already have SkyDrive set up through Windows 8, so I’ll switch to using that entirely, in place of Google Drive. Where there’s a straight replacement for an occasional Google service -- Bing Translator, for example -- I’ll use that. My aim, really, is just to fully immerse myself in Microsoft’s services, and to get a real idea of how they compare.

Change Can Be Good

A few years ago I was a die-hard iPhone user, but then I switched to a Galaxy S II, and then to an S III, and while I still own (and love) my iPad, I can’t see myself ever going back to the iPhone -- well not without a huge incentive. Because I use my Samsung phone all the time, I’ve become so used to how it works, what features and apps are where, that switching back to an iPhone will seem like a retrograde step. The same is true with Windows 8. Although the OS could stand a lot of improving, I’m used to it now, and prefer the way a lot of things are done in it. When I switch back to Windows 7, it seems odd and (admitting this feels weird) not as good.

I’m thinking by committing myself to Microsoft’s services, forsaking Google’s, I might -- just might -- end up preferring at least one if not more of them. I might discover features and ways of doing things that are better and that I will miss if I switch back to Google.

Or I might end up realizing just how much better Google is at everything. We’ll see.

I'm not the first BetaNews writer to try giving up Google. My colleague Joe Wilcox did something similar two years ago. Worried that he’d sold his soul to the Mountain View, Calif.-based company he tried to swap as many Google products for alternatives, including Microsoft services. Ultimately he failed.

Because my plan isn’t a boycott, or -- like Joe’s idea -- an attempt to entirely remove Google from my life, I will still use some of the big G’s products. I have an Android phone and won’t be swapping it for a Nokia Lumia. Microsoft doesn’t have anything that competes with YouTube (aside from Bing Videos), so I’ll have to stay with that. I use Google Reader religiously, but I may take the opportunity to switch to Feedly, because I’ll have to at some point anyway, so it might as well be now.

These are the Google products I intend to try and replace with Microsoft ones.
- Google Search -- Bing
- Google Images -- Bing Images
- Google News -- Bing News
- Google Maps -- Bing Maps
- Gmail -- Outlook.com
- Chrome -- Internet Explorer
- Google Talk/Chat -- Skype
- Google Drive -- SkyDrive
- Google Translate -- Bing Translator
- Google Shopping -- Bing Shopping
In a month, give or take, I’ll report back on how I got on, and what -- if anything -- I learnt from the experience and which Microsoft services I loved and preferred, and which I couldn’t wait to give up. In between then and now I’ll also report on any discoveries I’ve made. Like, for example, the fun that’s involved in switching from Gmail to Outlook.com full time.

I’m curious though, have you switched from one of Google’s products or services to a Microsoft alternative, and if so which one(s). And what made you change? Comments below please.

Photo Credit: Pixotico /Shutterstock
Verizon details new update for Motorola Droid Razr HD and Maxx

Publié: mars 18, 2013, 12:12pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

US mobile operator Verizon has announced a new software update for the Motorola Droid Razr HD and Droid Razr Maxx HD. Bearing the "9.16.6.XT926.Verizon.en.US" moniker, it introduces a number of bug fixes and enhancements for the two Verizon-branded handsets.

According to the big red, the "9.16.6.XT926.Verizon.en.US" update comes in at 96MB and sports Google Security Patches for increased security, a data roaming fix, improved Wi-Fi connectivity as well as the detection for connection/disconnection with USB. When users select home screen icons, wallpaper options are also displayed.

The software update additionally brings enhancements for the camera, which touts improved low-light performance, notifications and touch-to-focus operation. There are also improvements for media sync, which should be more stable, and video streaming pixilation.

Users should also notice improvements for in-call audio, with the software update claiming enhancements when routing to earpiece with the headset connected.
Clean Master frees up space and resources on your Android device

Publié: mars 18, 2013, 12:12pm CET par Wayne Williams

Piriform’s CCleaner is on its way to Android smartphones, but there are powerful all-in-one cleaning apps already available on Google Play, such as Clean Master.

The app, which has just received an update, can clean the cache, removing unused files, residual files, and clear search history. The app can also kill running tasks to free up more RAM, and let you uninstall any apps you rarely (if ever) use.

The main screen shows how much space -- used and free -- you have on your SD card and in your device’s on board storage. From here you can also access the History cleaner, Privacy cleaner, Tasks, and App Manager options.

Tap on History and you can view and clear the cache contents (which includes content stored by the likes of Gmail, Facebook, and your web browser). Some items can be selected and cleaned individually, but most can’t. You can also select and remove individual residual files, such as temporary files and very large items, like video clips (make sure you back these up before deleting of course).

The Privacy section lets you clear individual SMS/MMS conversations and messages, as well as call logs, search history, and content from Gmail, Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and your browser.

The Task option lets you add a list of tasks and stop and clean any of them, while the App Manager lets you uninstall or backup your apps.

The new version adds two extra features which can be accessed through Settings on the front screen. There’s a Scheduled Cache Cleaner which lets you set a reminder and specify a frequency (clean every day, every three days, every week, or every 15 days), and cache size target (50MB, 100MB, 300MB, 500MB). The Auto Kill option will clean background tasks automatically and go to work when your device is idle (when the screen is off).

If a tidy Android device, with the maximum free space and minimum clutter is important to you, Clean Master is definitely worth an install, especially as it’s free and doesn’t come with any annoying adverts.

Photo Credit: ARNICA/Shutterstock
AT&T slashes the price of HTC Windows Phone 8X

Publié: mars 18, 2013, 12:00pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

The price difference on AT&T, between the HTC Windows Phone 8X and the Nokia Lumia 920 has always been somewhat contradictory. The US mobile operator has offered the former in 16GB and 8GB trim for $199.99 and $99.99, respectively, while for the latter AT&T requires users to pay $99.99 in 32GB storage trim.

Considering that both smartphones share the same operating system, Microsoft's Windows Phone 8, but the Lumia 920 adds more to the equation through an extensive list of exclusive apps and hardware features, like wireless charging, it begs the question: Why is the Windows Phone 8X more expensive? As it turns out, it is not. Well not anymore.

AT&T has slashed the price of the Windows Phone 8X to $99.99 for the 16GB model and $49.99 for the 8GB model (both available with a two-year contract), bringing the smartphone in line with Nokia's Lumia 920 and Lumia 820, respectively, in the price department.

On a one-year contract, the Windows Phone 8X now runs for $349.99 and $299.99 for the 16GB and 8GB model, respectively, $250 more on top of the two-year contract price. Off-contract the smartphone goes for $449.99 and $399.99 for the 16GB and 8GB model, respectively.

Prospective Windows Phone 8 users now have a tougher choice in the days ahead, with four smartphone models -- the two Windows Phone 8X versions, the Lumia 920 and the Lumia 820 -- priced competitively against one another, relying solely on their distinguishable attributes to make a difference in the buyer's eyes.
JPEGView is a surprisingly powerful image viewer

Publié: mars 18, 2013, 11:56am CET par Mike Williams

At first glance, JPEGview doesn’t appear as though it’s going to be a particularly interesting image viewer. A 798KB download suggests there can’t be too much power here. And on launch the program asks you to choose an image, and then just displays it, with no menus, toolbars or other obvious signs of any interface.

First impressions aren’t always reliable, though -- and you’ll quickly realize that as you begin to explore.

Touch the left and right cursor keys, for instance, and you’ll find you can browse through all the images in your chosen folder. There’s support for a reasonable range of file types, including some RAW formats: JPEG, BMP, PNG, TIFF, GIF, WEBP, WDP, HDP, JXR, PEF, DNG, CRW, NEF, CR2, MRW, RW2, ORF, X3F, KDC, NRW, DCR, SR2 and RAF. And JPEGView loads and processes them quickly, too, thanks to its support for SSE2 and multiple cores.

Move your mouse cursor over the image and a small control overlay appears, with some useful options. You can step backwards and forwards through images in the same folder, for instance; switch to a full screen or "actual size" view; rotate images by fixed increments or just by dragging the mouse; and there’s perspective correction, auto image enhancement, and a simple EXIF viewer.

JPEGView would be useful if it only did this -- but the program is just getting started. Move your mouse cursor below the control overlay and more options should fade into view (if they don’t, maximize the window and try again).

A collection of sliders allow you to tweak contrast, brightness, contrast, colors (CMY/ RGB); there are options to tweak your shadows and highlights, correct colors and contrast; there’s an Unsharp Mask option, and you can rename the image, too.

Still not impressed? Then right-click the image for even more. Like the option to display your images as a slideshow or movie (that is, at speeds of anything up to 100 per second); a complete batch file renamer/ copier; and a settings file which gives you more options, including the ability to extend JPEGView with other programs and custom commands.

And even this isn’t the end. Pressing F1 reveals a list of more than 50 keyboard shortcuts covering every aspect of the program’s operation. And so if you’re unhappy with the way it cycles only through images in the current folder, for instance, you can press F8 to have the program browse through subfolders as well, or F9 to work through the current folder and its siblings (folders at the same level).

Despite all this power, JPEGView isn’t going to appeal to everyone. The fact that most of the program’s interface is entirely hidden is one issue, for instance. We quite like that -- it’s clean, stays out of your way, yet remains very easy to access -- but beginners may be confused.

And at the same time, you don’t get the same level of functionality here as, say, with IrfanView, so more experienced user might also have some complaints.

On balance, though, we think JPEGView is an excellent image viewer. After all, it’s well designed, crammed with features, highly configurable, tiny, portable and free -- and that works for us. So go check out a copy for yourself, see how it performs for you.

Photo Credit: Iaroslav Neliubov/Shutterstock
Support for Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 and 7.5 ends in 2014

Publié: mars 18, 2013, 11:56am CET par Mihaita Bamburic

After screwing early adopters from upgrading their devices to Windows Phone 8 and offering the lesser-featured Windows Phone 7.8 instead, Microsoft has revealed that it will provide updates over an 18-month period for WP7.8 users, with support to officially end on September 9, 2014.

As Windows Phone 7.8 started to rolled-out earlier this year, with Nokia announcing the upgrade spree in late-January, its lifecycle will be cut out later than Windows Phone 8's mainstream support. Support for that OS started on December 14, 2012 and ends on July 8, 2014, two months after its lesser sibling.

Microsoft is the one taking care of issuing updates and security fixes, but the company warns that when (and if) users receive them depends on the mobile operator, smartphone maker, country, region and hardware specifications.

There is no word at the moment concerning a possible mainstream support end date extension period for either of the two smartphone operating systems alongside a prospective future update.