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BetaNews.Com (7 non lus)

Microsoft pulls Windows RT 8.1 update from Windows Store

Publié: octobre 19, 2013, 9:17pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Just about everyone with a desktop, laptop or even a Surface Pro running Windows 8 has been busy updating to Windows 8.1 over the past couple of days.

But things aren’t so rosy for anyone with a Surface RT. After a number of users took to Microsoft forums to complain about problems updating their tablet/laptop hybrids to the latest version of Windows, the update was pulled from the Windows Store.

Moderators explained the removal of Windows 8.1:

Windows RT 8.1. Microsoft is investigating a situation affecting a limited number of users updating their Windows RT devices to Windows RT 8.1. As a result, we have temporarily removed the Windows RT 8.1 update from the Windows Store. We are working to resolve the situation as quickly as possible and apologize for any inconvenience. We will provide updates as they become available.

The problems come as something of a blow to Microsoft which has been enjoying positive feedback and pushing the operating system update in a couple of new ads. It's not clear how many people have been affected by the issue, but Microsoft is likely to be breathing a sigh of relief that it is only the RT variety of 8.1 that is proving problematic as usage levels are far lower than regular Windows.

No detailed explanation has been given, but if there is any further news, we'll update this post accordingly.

Have you had trouble updating your copy of Windows RT? Take some comfort in the fact that Microsoft is looking into it.
New Android Trojan making the Asian rounds

Publié: octobre 19, 2013, 5:10pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

Mobile malware tends to make news on a regular basis, most notably targeting Android. As Microsoft has learned with Windows, being the market share leader also means presenting the biggest target.

Russian virus researchers at Dr. Web are releasing new research around the latest volley from cyber-criminals, this one being dubbed "Android.Spy.40.origin". The Trojan is currently only prevalent in the southeast Asian geographic area, specifically in South Korea, where it's spread by means of unwanted SMS messages containing a link to an APK file.

Once the program is executed, Dr. Web explains that "the Trojan connects to a remote server from which it receives further instructions". These instructions include intercepting inbound messages and uploading them to the server (while also hiding them from the user), blocking outbound calls, sending a list of your contacts and apps to the server, removing and installing apps and sending text messages.

"This malicious program can pose a severe threat because it intercepts messages that may contain confidential information, personal and business correspondence, bank account information and mTAN-codes used to verify transactions. In addition, the contacts list acquired by cybercriminals can then be used to send bulks of SMS spam and mount phishing attacks", explains Dr. Web.

None of this sounds particularly alarming perhaps -- few of us are likely to open unsolicited APK files that arrive via text message -- but what makes Android.Spy.40.origin dangerous is its ability to escape detection. The Trojan demonstrates an "ability to exploit an Android vulnerability to avoid detection by anti-viruses", the researchers point out.

"According to the zip [APK] file's format specification, the archive header for each compressed file within it includes the field 'General purpose bit flag'. A zero bit fixed in this field indicates that the files in the archive are encrypted (password protected). In other words, despite the absence of a password, when a bit is set to 1, the file must be treated as encrypted", says the report.

For now, the Trojan has not left the Asian region, but that is always subject to change, and the technology to escape detection can be exploited in other nefarious software in the future.

Image Credit: DeiMosz / Shutterstock
Google is broken in IE11 on Windows 8.1

Publié: octobre 19, 2013, 2:34pm CEST par Wayne Williams

Oh dear. If you try and search using Google in Windows 8.1 there’s a very good chance the results page won’t display properly. Whatever you search for will generate a mangled page that works, but makes finding the results you want rather tricky.

This problem doesn’t affect searching using Google in Chrome, or Firefox, it only affects IE11 in both Modern UI and Desktop modes.

Google worked just fine in IE11 prior to the official launch of the new operating system, so it seems rather strange it should be misbehaving now.

Also at the moment it’s difficult to know who is to blame for this cock up -- is it a problem with Microsoft’s browser, or an error at the search giant’s end? I would guess the latter as all the other sites I’ve tried are displaying just fine in IE11. But it's certainly one for the conspiracy theorists.

I’ve asked Microsoft and Google for a comment and will update this post when I hear back. Of course this being a weekend it will likely be Monday before a response is forthcoming and the issue might have been fixed by then…

Photo Credit: Denis Belyaevskiy/Shutterstock
Google is broken in IE11 on Windows 8.1 [updated]

Publié: octobre 19, 2013, 2:34pm CEST par Wayne Williams

Oh dear. If you try and search using Google in Windows 8.1 there’s a very good chance the results page won’t display properly. Whatever you search for will generate a mangled page that works, but makes finding the results you want rather tricky.

This problem doesn’t affect searching using Google in Chrome, or Firefox, it only affects IE11 in both Modern UI and Desktop modes.

Google worked just fine in IE11 prior to the official launch of the new operating system, so it seems rather strange it should be misbehaving now.

Also at the moment it’s difficult to know who is to blame for this cock up -- is it a problem with Microsoft’s browser, or an error at the search giant’s end? I would guess the latter as all the other sites I’ve tried are displaying just fine in IE11. But it's certainly one for the conspiracy theorists.

I’ve asked Microsoft and Google for a comment and will update this post when I hear back. Of course this being a weekend it will likely be Monday before a response is forthcoming and the issue might have been fixed by then…

Update: A Microsoft spokesperson tells me "It appears Google made some changes to its search engine that temporarily impacted the way search results rendered for some browsers. We have already made the necessary adjustments to ensure customers using Internet Explorer are not impacted".

Photo Credit: Denis Belyaevskiy/Shutterstock
The most popular stories on BetaNews this past week - October 13 -- 19

Publié: octobre 19, 2013, 1:03pm CEST par Mark Wilson

This was another week in which Microsoft managed to steal the show, this time with the public release of Windows 8.1. Here at BetaNews we were fully prepared for the upgrade and showed off what's new. While we're generally impressed with the update, there's still a little room for improvement. Of course the Start menu (or lack thereof) is still a sticking point, but you can get this back. The operating system update was preceded by a raft of updates to Window's built in apps.

Windows 8.1 may be where it's at right now, but there are still plenty of people running Windows XP. Google announced that Chrome users on XP would be supported for a year after the OS is retired.

Anyone in the market for a new portable computer might be considering a Surface 2, or Surface Pro 2 to run Windows 8.1 should be aware that these are two very different beasts as one runs Windows RT, although this may not be immediately obvious to everyone.

This was not the only release from Microsoft this week. Just days after celebrating the third birthday of Windows Phone, Update 3 (formerly GDR 3) was released. There was nothing groundbreaking to be found, but this was already expected, and we installed it as soon as was possible. The freebies from Microsoft didn’t end there -- it was also announced that students will be able to get their hands on Office 365 completely free of charge from December.

A final software release saw an update to Visual Studio being made available at a time-limited low price. There's not long to go until the Xbox One is launched, and Major Nelson himself showed off some of the upcoming gaming hardware. In other Microsoft news, BetaNews was issued with a DMCA takedown notice for linking to old software on the Microsoft website.

OS releases were not limited to Microsoft: Ubuntu 13.10 Saucy Salamander was also unleashed onto desktops and mobiles. Microsoft decided to make it easier to access Windows PCs from Android and iOS devices with its mobile Remote Desktop apps.

Not wanting to be left out of the burgeoning phablet market, HTC unveiled the latest addition to the One range: the HTC One Max. This 5.9 inch monster retains the look of the original device and borrows the fingerprint reader idea from the iPhone 5s. Other hardware of note from this week included the Lenovo Miix 2, a tablet which includes full-blown Windows 8.1 for just $299 -- no sign of RT here. Brian was impressed with the LG G2.

The keenly anticipated Nexus 5 was, whoops! accidentally-on-purpose (?) revealed in Google Play only to quickly disappear. Amazon started shipping the 7-inch Kindle Fire HDX some time after it had been announced. Apple noticed that some drives in MacBook Airs were at risk of failure, and issued a recall.

In the online world Twitter decided that DMs should be made available to everyone while music streaming service Rdio branched out into videos with a documentary. Yahoo decided to catch up with other email providers and make HTTPS enabled by default. To tie in with the release of Windows 8.1, a Facebook app was finally released for Microsoft's desktop OS.

Stay tuned over the next seven days, they're sure to be busy. We might hear something more about the Nexus 5 from Google, and Apple has an event on Tuesday which is likely to include new iPads, new MacBook Pros and availability info for OS X 10.9 Mavericks...

Photo Credit: vinz89/Shutterstock
Lenovo announces the A10 Android laptop

Publié: octobre 19, 2013, 4:06am CEST par Brian Fagioli

Google has an operating system for the desktop and laptop form-factors called Chrome OS. However, the company also has the Android operating system, which is designed for mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. This prompts many pundits to posit "why not just have Chromebooks run Android, as that OS can run the Chrome browser, and much more". And you know what? They are kind of right.

Sadly though, those people are mostly wrong; bless their hearts. You see, less is more in this case, and a lack of local apps breeds out of-the-box web app thinking, which is good. However, despite this, a number of manufacturers have released Android laptops but none of them took the world by storm. Today, Lenovo hopes to change that and releases the A10 -- an Android laptop with a 10.1-inch screen.

Lenovo says the device is "an affordable, ultra-portable, dual-mode laptop and the company’s first to run on Android 4.2 OS. Weighing less than 1kg and measuring just 17.3mm at its thickest point, the Lenovo A10 is an ideal companion for users on the go, providing easy access to a wide range of apps on a unique, dual-mode platform, which enhances the user experience for entertainment and Web browsing as well as productivity".

The computer manufacturer further says, "the Lenovo A10 is powered by an RK3188, quad-core Cortex-A9 processor, running at a maximum frequency of 1.6GHz, the highest frequency for all quad-core ARM-based CPUs currently available. The Cortex-A9 processor delivers solid performance for gaming and entertainment purposes, as well as enhances users’ ability to multitask and be productive. In addition, the A10’s battery supports up to nine hours of continuous video playback, ensuring that it is ready to perform, both on the road and at the desk".

Lenovo has been on a multi-mode computing kick lately, with their Yoga line of laptops. This Android laptop is no different -- the screen can fold partly back so the keyboard can act like a stand. Sadly, there is no tablet mode -- the screen does not flip around all the way. This severely limits the usefulness of the device.

While Lenovo calls the laptop affordable, they have not officially announced pricing, other than to say it will vary by region. However, with Haswell Chromebooks being priced as low as $249, an ARM-powered Android franken-computer with a small screen may be a hard sell.
Microsoft uses DMCA to force BetaNews and others to remove old software listings

Publié: octobre 19, 2013, 12:29am CEST par Mark Wilson

Microsoft is using an interesting technique to ensure that websites such as BetaNews (or FileForum in particular) list only the latest versions of its software. Rather than just contacting websites who link to software that is no longer available, Microsoft is invoking the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to force websites to remove the links. BetaNews has been contacted by Google after one such complaint from Microsoft.

In the complaint -- which can be read on the Chilling Effects website -- Microsoft refers to our listing for Microsoft Project (although the page is no longer live). Microsoft contacted Google who in turn contacted us to say that "Google has been notified, according to the terms of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), that some of your materials allegedly infringe upon the copyrights of others".

Google goes on to say that "we are in the process of removing from our Google Search results the materials that allegedly infringe upon the copyrights of others". In this instance the FileForum listing for Microsoft Project simply linked to a Microsoft page -- one that also no longer exists. So why the takedown notice? Why go down a legal route rather than simply making contact?

It's understandable that Microsoft wants to promote its latest software, but to suggest that a page linking to the original product page for an older version of software is copyright infringement makes little sense. It smacks of forcing the hand of website owners. There are plenty of instances of copyright infringement for which the DMCA is entirely applicable, but to use legal measures to block pages featuring links to non-existent software would not appear to be one of them.

The quicker, easier, cheaper and -- and, frankly, friendlier option -- would have been to make direct contact with us and ask for an updated link to be posted, or to set up a redirect that automatically took visitors to the page for the latest version of Microsoft Project. Forcing websites to link to the most recent version of an application or none at all is not what the DCMA was designed for.

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