Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » juin 25, 2013

BetaNews.Com (14 non lus)

CCleaner improves cleaning performance with Office 2013 and major browsers

Publié: juin 25, 2013, 9:56pm CEST par Nick Peers

Piriform has updated its free Windows cleaning tool with the release of CCleaner 4.03. The new build, also available in portable form, concentrates its improvements on the four major browsers: Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Opera.

Version 4.03 also improves cleaning for Office 2013 users, extends support to five new programs (including three Windows 8 apps) and also promises new and improved features for paid-for Pro users too.

One new feature is added to CCleaner 4.03 -- the ability to reboot the computer after cleaning has finished. This is accessed from the command line using the /AUTO /RESTART switch.

Improved browser cleaning covers Firefox (site preferences, History and startup items), Internet Explorer 9 (last download location), Internet Explorer 10 (saved passwords, userdata cookies and last download location), Chrome (startup items) and Opera (cache).

Also improved is the cleaning tool for Microsoft Office 2013, while new programs added to CCleaner’s database include Express Scribe, Gom Player, Skype Modern UI, Twitter Modern UI and Adobe Reader Touch.

Pro users gain the ability to manage cookies for multiple user profiles, while the Startup item management tool has also been improved on multi-user setups in Windows 8. The update is rounded off with improved localization and language support, including a new Thai translation.

CCleaner 4.03 and CCleaner Portable 4.03 are both available as freeware downloads for PCs running Windows XP or later. A Pro version with added features, including system monitoring and multiple profile cleaning, is also available.
Source code for Carberp security threat leaks into the wild

Publié: juin 25, 2013, 9:26pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

Security is a big business on both sides of the line. Anti-virus companies scare customers with doom and gloom if you do not buy the wares, meanwhile, on the black-hat side of the fence, the sale of exploits is a lucrative trade. Now the source code for one of the biggest exploits, known as Carberp, has leaked and cut off reported sales that top $40,000.

Security researcher Peter Kruse from CSIS says that the firm has been "investigating this further and now confirms that we have the complete source code for Carberp and that the code compiles and works just as descripted in the associated text files included in the package".

A similar event occurred when the ZeuS source code leaked back in May, 2011. With Carberp, the leak came from within, as a member of the team announced on an underground forum that he is willing to sell the source code for the Trojan program and its additional components for $5,000 -- quite a bargain basement price.

Carberp has largely been used to attack online banks in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova and other former Soviet Union states. However, the attacks have just migrated to the United States and Australia.

Most are familiar with the old phrase "there is no honor among thieves". This latest story only goes one step further in confirming the old adage.

Photo Credit: grafvision/Shutterstock
Defending Apple

Publié: juin 25, 2013, 7:39pm CEST par Joe Wilcox

On June 30, the day after my most recent one-year contract expires with AT&T U-verse, I will cancel the service and cut the cord. Last night, while I watched some last-minute Prime Time before it's gone, Apple commercial "Our Signature" aired. The ad is a concise, tweet-like mission statement that encapsulates all of what the company's product design is about. The spot sums up all anyone need know about the fruit-logo company in 60 seconds.

"This is what matters. The experience of a product. How it makes someone feel. Will it make life better", the commercial begins. Yes. Yes. Yes. This is what I have written about Apple for a decade -- that the company's products and marketing are aspirational. That the design goal simply is to make people feel good, to inspire life will be better for choosing the Apple way.

More isn't Good Enough

The message, for customers and partners, isn't the only one. "We spend a lot of time on a few great things. Until every idea we touch enhances each life it touches". For investors, and also developers, complaining about lacking innovation, Apple demands patience. A few products done really well is better than many. I don't invest in any company, for conflict-of-interest reasons, so gain nothing by suggesting those abandoning Apple stock will regret the decision. Good product design and marketing is about feelings, and no tech company gets this right better than Apple.

Four days ago I returned to my local Sony store the Xperia Tablet Z I purchased two weeks earlier. There is much to like about the device. The 10.1-inch slate is thinner than iPhone 5 and is super light, just 495 grams, such that one-handed use is as easy as a 7-inch tab. The device is waterproof, too. But these benefits couldn't satisfy. I didn't feel good using Tablet Z. There was no one usability problem, just a bunch of little ones. Little things among many, I found the system font to be too light and too much visual inconsistency across apps -- the latter a problem even stock Android presents.

Day later, I bought the 32GB iPad 4, in black. Apple's tab is a brick by comparison, 652 grams. Aspect ratio is less-appealing 4:3, and there is the tired user interface and limited multitasking. Yet using Apple's brick makes me feel good. The content experience is much more immersive, an attribute I identified with the original model and have yet to find in any Android, including Nexus 7 and Nexus 10. Naysayers can complain about specs, but content experience is better on iPad, I say. That's quite the statement from someone who boycotted Apple in April 2012 (but ended in January 2013).

Cheap Talk

Tech bloggers and Google Plusers like to babble about how much better Google apps are on iOS than Android, giving credit to the search giant's good work. What about Apple's due? Perhaps iOS is simply the better platform. Immersion is a key usability differentiator. When reading, I spend more time on iPad than any other device. I prefer Google+ or IMDB on iOS, for example, which draw me in more than their Android counterparts. Every publisher, every app developer should want more people spending more time in their thing. For reading frequency, Android and iOS are neck and neck, according to comScore. For immersion, I don't see how Android yet competes.

Still, Google's platform is the one to beat. Yesterday, Gartner released a new multi-device forecast for PCs, smartphones and tablets. Android wins by volume, with more than 1 million units shipped in 2014, compared to 355,000 iOS and OS X devices. But there is another important measure, which goes back to platform usability, application consistency and user experience. "Apple is currently the more homogeneous presence across all device segments, while 90 percent of Android sales are currently in the mobile phone market and 85 percent of Microsoft sales are in the PC market", Carolina Milanesi, Gartner research vice president, says.

I got a laugh last week reading all the Google+ posts, and a few blogs, finger-pointing at Apple for copying Android. Many of the same posters complain that iOS 7's flat design is plain ugly. Oh, yeah? If the flat design is so unappealing, but Apple copies Google's platform, what does that say about Android? Hey, you can't have it both ways, buddy.

Bumper Crop

Apple innovated best when small and scrappy, when fruit flung against Windows. Now Apple is fat and lazy. iPhone humanized mobiles, but rivals like Samsung make smartphones more responsive, more an extension of you.

But Samsung isn't Apple's problem. Once-mobile leaders HTC and Sony look to rise and be influential again. They're hungry and innovating. HTC One is a marvel, and Sony is on a roll with the Z series, which today adds phablet Ultra.

The fruit-logo company's mission statement commercial, which signature is "Designed by Apple in California", is a call to its own people, too. Success, not just cofounder's Steve Jobs' death, is major reason why Apple stands on the past rather than truly represents the future. As competition increases, the old scrappy Apple will emerge, I predict. Anyone betting against Apple this summer will be sorry for it come autumn.

Hey, I'm the last person to defend the company. My reputation speaks for itself (or so BetaNews commenters say). From OS X Mavericks to iOS 7 to iPad mini 2 to iPad 5 to iPhone 5S and those things we don't know about, more good feeling will come your way. Believe it.
Who will install Windows 8.1?

Publié: juin 25, 2013, 5:55pm CEST par Wayne Williams

Microsoft will be releasing the Windows 8.1 Preview this week and we’re excited to finally get our hands on an official build, and try out the new features and improvements which the software giant has implemented in its quest to make its divisive operating system more appealing to the masses.

A week ago we asked you if you intend to install Windows 8.1. To date we’ve had just over 2,800 responses, so it’s a reasonable sample size given the time the poll has been up, and the results are interesting. The actual percentage between answers hasn’t changed much since around the 1,000 responses mark.

The first surprise is how many of you are currently using Windows 8. For an operating system viewed to be a failure, it’s astonishing really that 73 percent (2,052) say you have the OS installed. Of course BetaNews readers like to have the latest hardware and software, so maybe its adoption shouldn’t be that much of a revelation.

It’s worth pointing out that the numbers could be slightly skewed because users of Windows 8 will be more likely to respond to a survey about Windows 8.1 than users of another operating system, including Windows 7 or XP.

That said, it’s still a very healthy percentage of you using Windows 8, which Microsoft will no doubt be happy about.

Of the 73 percent who say they have Windows 8 installed, 56 percent (1,156) say they intend to install the preview upon its release. 41 percent (848) plan to be more cautious and wait for the full, stable version later in the year. 2 percent (48), for whatever reason, have no plans to install the OS update.

4 percent of the total number of poll responders (107) say at this point they don’t know if they will be installing Windows 8.1 or not. There’s no way of knowing how many of those uncertain voters already have Windows 8, but it’s unlikely to be many.

Of the 23 percent (650) of total responders not using Windows 8, a large 73 percent (478) say they have no intention of upgrading to Windows 8.1, suggesting Microsoft’s changes don’t go far enough, or those people simply don’t like the direction of the new OS. 26 percent (172) do, however, feel the concessions are enough to persuade them to join the tiled side.

Naturally, there are some interesting comments to go with the poll responses.

onlysublime makes a valid point in saying:

I would install the preview if not for the fact that when the real thing comes out, you have to reinstall all your apps and programs. If you go straight from win8 to 8.1 RTM, you do not have to reinstall anything.

barely_normal feels that a lot of people who have Windows 8, don’t actually like it much, and shares the following story:

My sister purchased an HP computer for her family, against my advice, because it was cheap. She now has something that is exactly that, which won't do what she had said she wanted it to do, but that is only part.

After not seeing them for about three months, I asked my nephew [12 years old] if he liked Windows 8. He said no, not really, and he got no inkling from me either way, so there was no poisoning of his honest thoughts. My son asked if he liked the Start screen, he said "No". He stated that he immediately bypasses it upon starting the computer.

My niece, a little older, but both a classic sheeple, and also wowed by colorful displays, says she likes it, as it is "faster" than their old machine -- in fact, it is not, but the newness has swayed her. In other words, she is the target customer that Microsoft wishes everyone would be.

That would seem to indicate how the "unwashed" feel about Windows 8, as it is roughly the same set of responses that I see many times from people. It is not something they feel so important to be vocally truculent, but it IS a huge annoyance that they will simply live with, as they are not experienced enough to know that they don't have to be led by the "wise" people at Microsoft. In other words, sheeple will pretty much do as their guided, but it does not mean that they like it.

I think a lot of us who know Windows over time would be much less vocal if we weren't getting the "improved" status along with the "new" about Windows 8. Microsoft should simply say "New and Different", and that way those of us who know better won't have to waste our time refuting the assertion of improvement.

Sounder’s comment is short and to the point:

I have Windows 7. Why should I downgrade to Windows 8?

Finally, johnrc2 has this to say:

I will install it on my Surface Pro and three laptops. I hope it fixes some of the outstanding issues I have with 8.0, and I hope it doesn't break Start8.

I have been using the Surface Pro almost exclusively as my Window 8 machine. When I went back to one of the non-touch laptops, it was painful and frustrating. I can better understand the problems many of you are experiencing. Windows 8 is really made for a touch device.

The poll is still open, so if you haven’t yet voted, please do so.
Samsung launches ATIV Beam for NFC file sharing between its Android and Windows Phone lineups

Publié: juin 25, 2013, 5:32pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Despite the fact that both operating systems support Near Field Communication (also known as NFC), users cannot transfer files between Android and Windows Phone devices. The implementation is different on the two platforms, with manufacturers complicating things further by employing branded software to handle any interaction. I've learned this the hard way after trying to move files between the Google Galaxy Nexus and the HTC Windows Phone 8X.

Android and Windows Phone device maker Samsung wants to bridge the NFC gap between the two platforms with ATIV Beam, a new app launched on the tiled smartphone operating system. The software allows ATIV Odyssey and ATIV S users to share files with Android-based Galaxy devices.

It allows anyone to share documents, music, pictures and videos simply by selecting the desired files and tapping devices from the two Samsung lineups.

This app could also allow other Windows Phone 8, non-ATIV users (like those who own a Nokia Lumia or HTC Windows Phone handset) to share files, via NFC, with Galaxy devices but, sadly, Samsung restricts app downloads solely to its ATIV smartphones.

ATIV Beam is available to download from Windows Phone Store.
Sony introduces SmartWatch 2, invites you to take it swimming

Publié: juin 25, 2013, 5:18pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

The invasion, or perceived invasion, of the smart watch is one of this year's polarizing tech topics. While some feel it is a worthless item that is nothing but a passing fad, I am of the mind that the tiny wrist devices have a future, though a niche one. Sony is all-in for this market and today announces its SmartWatch 2 with new features.

The watch runs Android and acts as a second screen for your phone and promises customers a range of functions that will banish the need to remove your phone from your pocket.

Of more importance to athletes and outdoor types, the new version is water-resistant, though Sony mentions nothing of a depth rating, which is a bit odd. On this the company is dropping the ball -- divers, triathletes and the like want this information.

SmartWatch 2 also boasts the fact that it is the first such device to come with NFC. Other specs include a standard micro USB cable for charging, standalone watch functionality, a battery level indicator that shows low battery warning, a 1.6 inch, 220 by 176 pixel screen and swappable wristbands.

Sony promises "it’s easy and convenient to access notifications from your wrist such as messages, calls, email, Facebook, Twitter, Calendar, or use it as a remote for your Walkman or other digital media player. This wireless accessory is ideal for pairing with large-screen devices, such as the newly announced Xperia Z Ultra, in situations which call for discrete usage".

Sony has been in this market longer than most -- "Sony is the proud leader in the smartwatch market since introducing our first Bluetooth watch in 2007" says Stefan K Persson, Head of Companion Products at Sony Mobile Communications.

The company has yet to reveal price and availability dates at this point, so you will not be able scoop one up just yet.
Secure Work Space for Android and iOS arrives in BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10

Publié: juin 25, 2013, 3:23pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

On Tuesday, BlackBerry announced the availability of Secure Work Space for Android and iOS in BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10. The tool, which was unveiled little over three months ago, is designed to provide a safer and BYOD-friendly environment with features like application-wrapping and containerization.

"It offers BlackBerry Balance-like capabilities to provide peace of mind for IT departments in a BYOD environment, while separating personal content for personal use", according to the Canadian maker. BlackBerry's reasons for beefing up the security of Android and iOS devices revolve around expanding needs and the "ever-growing variety of devices" brought into the work space.

Secure Work Space also features basic apps such as calendar, contacts, email client and HTML5-compatible browser and touts secure connectivity "into every level of the solution" with data in transit being routed through the BlackBerry Infrastructure. IT administrators will be able to configure, interact, secure and wipe Android and iOS devices (both smartphones and tablets) through Secure Work Space in BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10.

According to BlackBerry, Secure Work Space is supported by "important solution partners such as Box, Harmon.ie and Splashtop", which will launch compatible tools "in the near future".

BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 is available as a 60-day trial which includes 50 EMM corporate CALs (Client Access Licenses) and 50 Secure Work Space CALs. A one-year CAL runs for $99 per device.

Photo Credit: Maksim Kabakou/Shutterstock
Firefox 22 enables WebRTC, makes social APIs easier to manage

Publié: juin 25, 2013, 3:22pm CEST par Nick Peers

Mozilla has released Firefox 22.0 FINAL for Windows, Mac and Linux. The update includes some platform-specific improvements -- Firefox following display scaling options in Windows, and providing download progress indicators in its dock application icon in OS X -- plus a number of other tweaks and improvements.

Other new features include the ability for users to now manage their social API plug-ins via the Add-ons menu (select Services in the left-hand menu to do so), while users can now adjust the playback rate of HTML5 audio and video files (right-click the playback screen and choose Play Speed to do so).

One major behind-the-scenes update is that WebRTC -- the technology used for sharing audio/video streaming and data sharing between browser clients -- is now fully enabled by default in Firefox. This is achieved by enabling the two remaining components, PeerConnection and DataChannels, the latter of which can be used to reduce latency in real-time gaming by allowing gaming apps to connect peer-to-peer between devices.

Another new feature is the enabling of asm.js optimizations (codenamed OdinMonkey), which Mozilla promises will see major performance improvements. Other performance tweaks include asynchronous canvas updates that will improve WebGL rendering, better memory usage and shorter display times when rendering images.

Other changes include plain text files being displayed with word wrap within the Firefox window and support for using the Pointer Lock API outside of full-screen view. Developers gain access to a new built-in font inspector, plus CSS3 Flexbox as well as a new Web Notifications API have both been implemented. HTML5 support has also been extended to support the new <date> and <time> elements.

Firefox 22.0 FINAL is available now as a free, open-source download for Windows, Mac and Linux.
Sony unveils the Xperia Z Ultra phablet

Publié: juin 25, 2013, 2:10pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Following Samsung, LG and other makers, today, Sony officially enters the phablet market with the new Xperia Z Ultra. The handset, which is designed to compete with devices like the Galaxy Note II and Optimus G Pro, packs a whopping 6.44-inch display and runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

The Xperia Z Ultra features a TFT "Triluminos" screen with a resolution of 1080 by 1920, which can be used with "any pencil and selected stylus or pen" with a tip diameter larger than one mm. Power comes from a 2.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor backed by 2 GB of RAM and a non-removable 3,000 mAh battery. Like the older Xperia Z, the Xperia Z Ultra complies with the IPX5/8 and IP5X standards for dust and water-proofing.

The handset comes with an 8 MP back-facing camera with HDR and image stabilization, which is capable of 1080p video recording. On the front, the Xperia Z Ultra offers a 2 MP shooter that can also record 1080p video.

The device ships with 16 GB of internal storage (of which only 11 GB are user-accessible) alongside a microSD card slot, that can extend the capacity by a further 64 GB (80 GB total).

Other specs include: HSPA+ and 4G LTE cellular connectivity; Wi-Fi (presumably 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac); Bluetooth 4.0; DLNA; NFC (Near Field Communication); USB 2.0 and the usual array of sensors.

According to Sony, the "Xperia Z Ultra is supremely slim and lightweight", but at 179.4 x 92.2 x 6.5 mm and "just" 212 grams it meets only one of the two claims. By contrast, the Galaxy Note II measures 151.1 x 80.5 x 9.4 mm and weighs 180 grams.

On top of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, Sony also adds its own branded apps which include Album, Music, Reader and Walkman among others.

The Xperia Z Ultra will be available, in black, purple and white trims, from Q3. There is no word on pricing at the moment.
Microsoft trumpets next generation enterprise solutions

Publié: juin 25, 2013, 1:23pm CEST par Ian Barker

In a keynote speech to the TechEd Europe conference in Madrid, Microsoft's Server and Tools Corporate VP Brad Anderson has announced the availability of preview versions of Windows Server 2012 R2, System Center 2012 R2 and SQL Server 2014.

Writing on the company’s blog Anderson says, "These products are going to have a massive impact on companies around the world -- and IT pros are going to see the traditional boundaries between datacenters vanish and a true hybrid cloud emerge".

He also used the speech to show how major European companies like Spain's Telefónica and Italy's DDM are already using the Microsoft platforms to maintain their services in an easily scalable environment. The largest telecoms operator in Spain, Telefónica aims to move 80 percent of its IT to virtual platforms using Windows Server Hyper-V and SQL Server.

DDM has developed its popular CineTrailer movie app on the Windows Azure platform. This has allowed it to scale easily in order to accommodate growth in demand from PCs, mobile devices and connected TVs.

Cambridge, UK based semiconductor maker ARM Holdings was showcased to exhibit the potential for Surface RT devices in the enterprise. The Surface RT (which uses ARM chips) has been supplied to employees in IT, quality assurance, marketing and sales to enhance their efficiency and mobility.

Anderson sums up, "I believe that Microsoft’s track record with new enterprise cloud offerings makes it the best equipped to deliver an end-to-end app and IT experience -- everything from building the app, deployment, maintenance and managing every device that uses it."

The server software previews can be downloaded from the TechNet site.
CyanogenMod 10.1 reaches stable status, builds rolling out now

Publié: juin 25, 2013, 12:10pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Modders rejoice! CyanogenMod 10.1 is now available as a final release, nearly two months after the popular custom green droid distribution reached release candidate status. The latest iteration, which is based on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, carries over existing features from previous (monthly and nightly) builds.

"The list of devices will be in line with the devices that have received release candidates to-date", says the team of developers behind the project. CyanogenMod 10.1 builds are available for a significant number of smartphones and tablets, including the Google Galaxy Nexus (in all of its trims), Nexus 7, ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity and Samsung Galaxy S III (US and international variants) among others.

But, there are some bad news as well: "At this time, we do not plan on incorporating devices that did not receive a RC into this release", says the CyanogenMod team. "Also absent from this release are Tegra 2 powered devices and many of the Exynos based Samsung devices".

According to the team behind the project, following the CyanogenMod 10.1 stable release, monthly builds will continue to arrive, focusing on "additional functionality and features".

The now famous Privacy Guard, which allows users to safely run apps without any permissions, will also make an appearance in upcoming monthly builds.

CyanogenMod 10.1 builds are available to download from CyanogenMod Downloads.
Microsoft and Oracle head into the cloud together

Publié: juin 25, 2013, 12:01pm CEST par Ian Barker

Microsoft has announced a tie up with Oracle that will allow customers to run Oracle software on Windows Server Hyper-V and in Windows Azure.

The partnership means that Oracle will certify and support its software -- including Java, Oracle Database and Oracle WebLogic Server -- on the Microsoft cloud platforms. The key elements of the deal are listed on Oracle's corporate blog.

Commenting on the move Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's chief executive says, "Microsoft is deeply committed to giving businesses what they need, and clearly that is the ability to run enterprise workloads in private clouds, public clouds and, increasingly, across both. Now our customers will be able to take advantage of the flexibility our unique hybrid cloud solutions offer for their Oracle applications, middleware and databases, just like they have been able to do on Windows Server for years".

Oracle President Mark Hurd says, "Our customers' IT environments are changing rapidly to meet the dynamic nature of the world today. At Oracle, we are committed to providing greater choice and flexibility to customers by providing multiple deployment options for our software, including on-premises, as well as public, private, and hybrid clouds. This collaboration with Microsoft extends our partnership and is important for the benefit of our customers".

An interesting effect of the deal is it means that Oracle Linux will be available as a preconfigured instance on Windows Azure. Microsoft, however, will gain from getting customers to pay for its services even if they’re running rival software.

Microsoft's Azure cloud platform has so far lagged behind Amazon's AWS offering. This deal with Oracle may provide the push it needs to gain impetus in the enterprise marketplace.

Photo Credit: 2jenn/Shutterstock
HP Slate 21 -- Android invades Microsoft territory

Publié: juin 25, 2013, 9:38am CEST par Brian Fagioli

Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in! Only days after selling my Nexus 7 and preparing for a life without tablets, HP pulls me back by announcing the Slate 21. The HP Slate 21 is a tablet masquerading as a desktop -- a 21.5-inch touchscreen tablet with kickstand, keyboard and mouse. This unique all-in-one form factor has me very intrigued. However, this is not the first time we have seen Android being used in an original way. Just last week, Samsung announced the convertible franken-tablet ATIV Q.

While the Samsung ATIV Q is designed to merge Android and Windows, the HP Slate 21 is designed to put a dagger into the back of Windows. Make no mistake, this is a huge blow for Microsoft. While this isn’t HP’s first Android device, the Slate 21 is its first to directly compete with Microsoft on the desktop. Since HP is a close Microsoft partner, it will be interesting to see how their relationship will be affected.

The Slate 21 will run on the quad-core nVidia Tegra 4 platform. This is a great foundation that will offer exceptional performance, especially for gaming. However, the large size may limit its usefulness for that -- try steering an in-game car by holding and maneuvering a 21.5-inch screen. With that said, HP hasn’t announced if the device will even have an accelerometer.

Gaming aside, this device should be a productivity dynamo. While the Slate 21 will come preloaded with KingSoft Office, Android offers a plethora of other office options, many of which are free. Not to mention, if the user is an existing Android user, all of their purchased apps will be available on the Slate 21 at no additional charge -- a truly killer feature. In addition, Splashtop2 HD will be pre-installed, allowing the user to remotely access and control their Windows or Mac computers.

Since it will be running Android 4.2.2 it will also support multiple users -- up to 5 to be exact. This is a necessity for it to be useful as a family computer. This will allow the kid’s homework and games to be kept separate from Mom and Dad’s business documents and browsing history. It will also have 3 USB 2.0 ports to support the family’s collection of flash drives and USB hard drives.

The device lacks a battery so the user will be tethered to a wall-socket. However, sometimes less is more -- the lack of a battery cements HP’s intention to sell it as an all-in-one computer. If it did have a battery, it would likely be stigmatized as just a giant tablet.

While some may critique the Slate 21 as a gimmick, I proclaim it as genius. Starting at just $399, this will be the best "bang for your buck" computer for families, professionals and power-users alike. It is scheduled to be released in September -- will you be buying it?
Microsoft would like you to build and share Xbox One games

Publié: juin 25, 2013, 2:16am CEST par Alan Buckingham

Microsoft is looking for a handout it seems. They would like customers to build and share their own games for both Xbox One and Windows 8. With that, the company invites users to sign-up and test Project Spark, an invitation extended today and which you will need to sign up for and await an actual chance to use the service.

For now Microsoft offers a video demonstration of what to expect. The video shows off the "ease" with which games can be created and altered and promises you will be able to share them when the process is complete and you are satisfied with your finished product.

"Project Spark is an open-world digital canvas that enables anyone to build, play, and share whatever they can imagine", the company claims on the product's Facebook page.

The service will be free and does not require the user to have developer skills, as it will work with simple drag and drop. The project will also be available for Xbox 360.

Major Nelson, AKA Larry Hryb from Xbox Live, gave a brief announcement regarding the release, but provided little information -- "beta sign up for Project Spark is now open over at https://joinprojectspark.com/. Learn more about “Project Spark’ in the above video or this Q&A done during E3". I am registered. Can't hurt to try, right?