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BetaNews.Com (4 non lus)

Remotely control a PC from your smartphone with ROCCAT Power-Grid

Publié: novembre 16, 2013, 3:46pm CET par Mike Williams

It’s been in development for a long time, but PC remote control app ROCCAT Power-Grid is finally available for iOS and Android devices. And so you’re now able to view your PC’s status, launch and control programs, monitor emails/ Twitter/ Facebook, play music and more, all from the comfort of your own smartphone.

This is just the start, though. You’re also able to create your own "grids", collections of tools which help you to control particular programs or perform various tasks. It’s possible to download and install grids created by others, too, and just browsing these will give you an idea of what Power-Grid can do.

Unsurprisingly, this does require a little preparation, and there are some potential problems along the way. You have to install a PC host program, set it up, then install an app on your mobile device and get the two connected. Plenty of people are having difficulties with that final step in particular, and it didn’t work for us immediately, either.

The Windows interface side appears designed for style rather than usability, too, but after experimenting for a while you should have the basics working: choose a grid on the PC, you can apply it to the bar you’ll see on your device, and it’ll be immediately available for use.

Exactly how useful this might be is open to question, at least for the built-in grids. Okay, yes, you can play music, or use the "Incoming Center" to monitor emails, Facebook, Skype, Teamspeak and RSS feeds, but you can do this on your phone already without the hassle of networking with a PC. Or having your phone screen always displaying more or less the same remote control images, draining the battery and maybe risking burn-in.

Still, the ability to create and share grids does make for a versatile package, and if you could use a PC remote control then ROCCAT Power-Grid is certainly worth a closer look. Give it a try.
The most popular stories on BetaNews this past week -- November 10-16

Publié: novembre 16, 2013, 2:12pm CET par Mark Wilson

It would be a strange week if Google didn’t steal a few headlines, and this week saw the introduction of new quick actions to Gmail as well as the launch of a series of online tools to help with the aftermath of the Philippines typhoon. Changes were also made to attachments in Gmail so it is now possible to download files directly to Google Drive. After the launch of the Nexus 5 -- which Brian was not blown away by -- Google also started to roll out Android 4.4 to Nexus tablets -- Mihaita was on hand with a guide to manually upgrading for anyone who did not want to wait for the OTA update to arrive. The news wasn't so good for the Chromebook 11 which was taken off sale after problems with overheating chargers. Google won a court battle after a judge ruled that the scanning of books is not illegal.

This week it was revealed that while BitTorrent still accounts for a large proportion of web traffic, and usage has actually increased in Europe, in the States there has been a drop in traffic. Anyone who seeks entertainment through other channels will be pleased by the fact that Roku streaming boxes can now be used to access Disney and ESPN channels. The Netflix channel was also updated with a new look.

Apple's iPad mini with Retina display was officially launched after last month's announcement -- but is it anything all that special? If you feel Apple's offering is slightly out of your price range, Hanspree launched a super-budget 13-inch tablet for just $318. New research revealed that by 2017 our smartphones could outsmart us but this will be little comfort for Microsoft who finds that Windows Phone still trails in third place behind iOS and Android.

For anyone who works during the week -- which, frankly, is most people -- placing online orders means planning to be home to receive deliveries. Things just got easier for Amazon Prime customers after Amazon announced Sunday deliveries for certain parts of the US.

Black Friday is lingering on the horizon, and there are sure to be plenty of bargains to be snapped up. If you've been holding off getting a Surface tablet, now could be the time to jump on board as Best Buy is lopping a massive $150 off the regular price, dropping it down to under $200. Intel also published a holiday buying guide for anyone struggling for gift ideas. There's not long left until the Xbox One is released and to keep the hype going, Microsoft showed off SkyDrive running on the console.

Online, Twitter introduced custom timelines and the previously US-only ad platform was opened up to businesses in the UK, Ireland and Canada.

Facebook announced the Facebook Login API which can be used by developers to log into apps, share data and more, all using a Facebook profile. Great news for European travelers came as the European Commission OK'ed the use of 3G and 4G data connection on flights.

So, this week we had the PlayStation 4 and next week there's the Xbox One to look forward to. It promises to be another packed seven days!

Photo Credit: vinz89/Shutterstock
7+ Taskbar Tweaker adds even more desktop tricks

Publié: novembre 16, 2013, 1:43pm CET par Mike Williams

RaMMichaeL’s excellent 7+ Taskbar Tweaker has been updated to version 4.4 with the inclusion of even more tweaks and customizations. A new "Hide the Start button" option does exactly what you’d expect, for instance, saving useful taskbar space. And yes, it works in Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.

If you need another way to launch the Start menu or Start screen, then good news: install 7+ Taskbar Tweaker 4.4 and double or middle-clicking empty taskbar space will do just that.

If you’ve only used 7+ Taskbar Tweaker casually before, you might be interested in the new Advanced Options Editor (right-click the system tray icon, select Advanced Options). This provides easy access to all kinds of low-level tweaks, previously only available via the Registry. Their names aren’t exactly intuitive ("fix_hang_reposition", anyone?), but fortunately that’s not a problem -- just click Help for details on what it all means.

The extremely configurable "Mouse Button Control" feature has gained the ability to show thumbnail previews when you carry out your chosen mouse action (Ctrl+Shift+Middle Click, say, or whatever else suits your needs).

There are assorted bug fixes, too. And of course 7+ Taskbar Tweaker 4.4 includes all of its previous settings, so allowing you to customize the taskbar in just about any way you like.
The Divoom Bluetune Bean speaker sounds off [Review]

Publié: novembre 16, 2013, 11:22am CET par Alan Buckingham

Bluetooth is everywhere these days -- in our smartphones, tablets and even in newer computers. We use it for the mouse, keyboard and other items. Increasingly, that extra item is a speaker, or perhaps two, in the case of the new Logitech Mini Boom. But that's far from the only show in town, as Divoom also produces a speaker that it hopes can rival competitors in the market.

That market has become increasingly competitive, which is not particularly surprising given the growth of handheld devices, some of which produce less-than-ideal sound quality. The Bluetune Bean attempts to help alleviate this problem, by providing an external source to pound out your tunes with a bit more fury than the tiny built-in speakers that come as part of your tablet or phone.

The Divoom Bluetune: Tale of the Tape

The device is small -- about the size of a standard desktop mouse. However, it does pack a bit more power than than the size and output level would lead you to believe.

As far as specs, it boasts three watts of power, with a peak output of six watts. The Bean weighs in at just 107 grams, claims a signal to noise ratio of 75dB, 60-20000HZ frequency response and has A2DP Stereo support. It charges via micro USB, and takes about two hours from total rundown. In addition, it has a microphone to enable hands-free phone calls.

The charging port is located on the back, hidden under a flap, while the left side contains two buttons -- one for power and one for microphone. The pairing worked well with both Android devices, Chrome OS and Windows 8.1.

The Bottom Line

The Divoom Bluetune Bean is not the best or most powerful portable speaker on the market, but it brings value and variety to the table. The little speaker is available in colors such as black, red, yellow, pink, blue and white. It retails for just under $30 and is widely available from various online and physical stores.

The speaker comes with a charging cord, though any standard phone or tablet charger will also work. It's also quite portable, even containing a small metal loop upon the end, and a tiny carabiner in the package that allows for easy clipping to a belt loop or backback or another location.

It produced solid sound for both music and talk, though it isn't exactly in the high-end market. However, for a reasonable price and simple needs, it's a solid solution. Not amazing, but certainly not a waste of your hard earned money either.