Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » février 12, 2014

BetaNews.Com (17 non lus)

1 billion smartphones ship in 2013, Android and iOS still dominate

Publié: février 12, 2014, 8:51pm CET par Mark Wilson

According to figures released by International Data Corporation (IDC), 2013 was the year that smartphones really took off -- a staggering 1 billion units shipped. As has been the case for some time, it is Android and iOS that continue to dominate, with Google's mobile operating system claiming a 78.1 percent market share, and Apple's 17.6 percent. As has been the norm, Windows Phone found itself in third place, although it did manage to increase its market share to 3 percent.

The figures are based on shipments in the fourth quarter of 2013, and when compared to the same period in 2012, Android and Windows Phone both made gains while iOS lost some of its market share. Jumping from 70.3 percent of the market in 2012, Android's growth was impressive, while iOS dropped 3.3 percentage points from 20.9 percent. Looked at in terms of percentage points, Windows Phone's jump from 2.6 to 3.0 percent of the market, it still represents an improvement of more than 13 percent.

It is interesting to see how market shares changed throughout 2013. While Android and iOS shared 93.8 percent of the market for the year, in the Q4 the market share was 95.7 percent. Ramon Llamas, Research Manager with IDC's Mobile Phone team said: "Clearly, there was strong end-user demand for both Android and iOS products during the quarter and the year. What stands out are the different routes Android and Apple took to meet this demand. Android relied on its long list of OEM partners, a broad and deep collection of devices, and price points that appealed to nearly every market segment. Apple's iOS, on the other hand, relied on nearly the opposite approach: a limited selection of Apple-only devices, whose prices trended higher than most. Despite these differences, both platforms found a warm reception to their respective user experiences and selection of mobile applications."

Here is the smartphone OS market share, with shipments, in Q4 2013.

Here is the smartphone OS market share, also with shipments, for 2013.

It seems that the cheaper smartphones are becoming more popular with handsets costing below $200 accounting for 42.6 percent of global shipments. Taking this into account it’s easy to understand Android's continued growth -- there are numerous handsets that fall into this price category. While Apple has released the cheaper iPhone 5c, it is still more expensive than a lot of Android devices. The number of manufacturers releasing Android phone means that there is much more competition, helping to drive prices down.

Photo Credit: bloomua/Shutterstock
Free 15GB Bitrix24 account for BetaNews readers

Publié: février 12, 2014, 8:46pm CET par Ian Barker

Social intranet cloud site Bitrix24 is two years old and has over 100,000 company sign-ups. To celebrate it is giving BetaNews readers the chance to claim a free account with 15 GB of online document storage -- standard free accounts only get 5GB.

Here is how to claim yours.

You have to go to the Bitrix24.com website and enter your email address. You will then be emailed a confirmation code and link to a registration form. Down in the lower right corner of the registration form, next to the "Create" button, you will see "I have promo code", click it and enter "BETANEWS", and, after refreshing your browser, you will see the available storage jump from 5 to 15 GB.

If you've been thinking of giving Bitrix24 a try there is no better time to do it.
Google and VMware join forces to bring Windows apps to Chromebook via the cloud

Publié: février 12, 2014, 8:18pm CET par Mark Wilson

Chromebooks may be increasing in popularity, particularly in business, but they still have a long way to go before they catch up with Windows-based laptops. One of the factors holding back Chromebook is, both obviously and ironically, Chrome OS. It is a perfectly capable operating system for anyone locked into the Google ecosystem, but it has one failing -- for many people, at least -- it will not run Windows applications. But all this is set to change thanks to a new venture between Google and VMware.

VWmare is a name long-associated with bringing one platform's apps to another using virtualization, and now it is pushing its DaaS platform (or VMware Horizon Desktop as a Service Platform for Service Providers to give it its full, unabridged title) as a way to bring Windows applications to Chromebook users. As this is something that will be available on a subscription basis, it is likely to appeal to businesses rather than individuals, but it does break down another obstacle for anyone with two minds about Chromebook.

Amit Singh, President of Google Enterprise, claims that "Google Chromebooks can save businesses about $5,000 per computer when compared to traditional PCs", but this does not eliminate the need many people still have for Windows software. VMware's Horizon DaaS platform delivers Window applications, and even a full desktop experience, via the cloud. As Google puts it, "this means you can work with Chromebooks and connect to a Windows experience running VMWare Horizon View".

Businesses keen to get their hands on the technology can contact Google for "on-premise service", but an app will be made available in the Chrome Web Store.

If you're a Chromebook user is this something you're interested in, or could it tempt you away from your traditional laptop to Google's take on things? Or are you happy to keep Windows apps on Windows computers, and use a Chromebook to work with other apps and services?

Image Credit: Iaroslav Neliubov / Shuttstock
Monitor your PC for memory hogs with Process Piglet

Publié: février 12, 2014, 7:50pm CET par Mike Williams

With even budget PCs now including at least 4GB RAM, application memory usage isn' the issue it used to be. But if you're using an underpowered computer -- or a program with a memory leak -- then you could still run short of RAM, drastically cutting your system performance.

Process Piglet is a simple tool which monitors the memory use of running processes. New programs are tracked for 30 seconds to access their average requirements, and you'll then be alerted if that application starts to consume significantly more RAM.

The program is portable, so you can just unzip it and go. Process Piglet adds an icon to your system tray and starts watching memory usage patterns, while you carry on using your PC as normal.

If there's a major change in RAM usage then a warning dialog appears naming the guilty process, and giving you a few stats ("process IEXPLORE.EXE has increased its memory use from 86mb to 316mb"). You also get a link which will try to forcibly restart the process, perhaps useful if there's a memory leak.

As a bonus, Process Piglet also displays a list of the most RAM-hungry processes. Right-click one of these and you're able to close or restart it, search for the process online, or open its folder for further investigations.

One problem here is that some programs regularly see a large increase in RAM use (a media player opening an HD video), and these can generate false alarms. You can reduce the chance of this by setting a "minimum RAM use" figure for alerts, for example telling Process Piglet to ignore processes using less than 100MB. Alternatively, adding a program to the Exclusion list means it won't be monitored at all.

Process Piglet also allows you to turn off the alerts entirely, and have any memory issues recorded in its logs. This could be the best option for many people, as it means there won't be any unnecessary warnings, but you'll still get a list of RAM-hogging programs to review later.

There are plenty of more sophisticated ways of monitoring RAM use, but Process Piglet is still a likeable tool, easy to use and very configurable. If you're having system resource issues and want to track what applications are doing over time, then we'd give it a try.
Innovation will save net neutrality and keep data plans affordable

Publié: février 12, 2014, 6:44pm CET par Rick Rotondo

Wireless carriers are opposing net neutrality because their networks have limited capacity and they need more flexibility to handle traffic. But they are missing an opportunity by not embracing spectrum sharing, a technology that could vastly increase the available bandwidth.

Net neutrality has been in the headlines following Verizon's recent Federal court win against the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) open Internet rules. Also, AT&T is now courting corporate sponsors to help subsidize customer data plans. Some consumer rights groups view these events as a concerted effort to undermine the longstanding practice that compels service providers to treat all traffic equally. These events could all signal the beginning of a tiered-off Internet.

Why this is occurring merits some explanation, because consumers have come to expect net neutrality. The US wireless industry is opposing the FCC's open Internet rules for a number of legal and business reasons. Verizon had argued that the FCC couldn't regulate it under common carrier law, and a Federal judge agreed. That's because the data carrying capacity of airwaves is more limited than landlines, and many carriers, including Verizon, would like more flexibility to handle traffic based on their business realities and what the market will bear. Carriers have invested billions to build out high-speed data networks throughout the US, and more to win government auctions for parcels of spectrum -- the invisible infrastructure for our wireless communications. They want more flexibility to recoup those capital expenditures, which have grown by 70 percent since 2007 in the US.

Why are carriers spending so much? They are building out LTE data networks and acquiring spectrum, our invisible wireless infrastructure, which is prohibitively expensive. Blocks of spectrum are parceled off and sold at auctions by the government. This is a policy tool that has supposedly worked to date, but results in decreased competition and inefficient use of spectrum, all while demand is rising. Smartphones use 120 times more data than traditional cell phones.

The FCC recognizes that its outdated, auction-based method for adding capacity is in fact having the oppose effect as more devices join carriers' networks. The culprit is not net neutrality. FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn recently said "New approaches and policy tools are needed. What is clear to me is that we should encourage technological creativity for the use of spectrum, because ultimately, these advances have the potential of improving the lives of our citizens". Rescinding net neutrality wouldn't make our lives better or solve the inefficiency problem.

Repealing Net Neutrality Dampens Innovation

The customer experience could change dramatically without net neutrality. You might have to pay more for your connection depending upon the time of day or need for speed. Services would be priced a-la-carte. For example, some service providers may want to cut special deals with content providers (like Google) or OTT (Over-the-Top) applications (like Netflix) to insure these services get prioritized delivery. Without it, these services might be slow or constantly buffer in times or areas with high wireless broadband demand. While these established providers may be able to afford these payments, other new or smaller competitors may not, and become second-class citizens on the network.

Specifically, subscribers may have to pay extra to access streaming sports sites. ESPN might need to compensate a wireless carrier to have its sports package delivered to mobile users. However, a sports package branded by the carrier might not incur an extra charge while still getting priority delivery. Without net neutrality, carriers can favor their own content. That limits consumer choice and reduces value.

US consumers already pay up to 38 times more than Japanese ones to access the Internet. The end of net neutrality could mean less choice and a likely increase in the cost of data plans. Verizon and AT&T have already raised data prices to manage increases in demand and are seeking to purchase more spectrum. Additional costs to carry content threaten the ability of Internet startups, and could increase the barriers for even more mature businesses such as Google or Netflix, to deliver their products.

The federal government is offering to share vast amounts of spectrum with commercial carriers to prevent this scenario from occurring. It would behoove carriers to follow its lead and explore new spectrum management technologies.

Spectrum Sharing Adds Lanes to the "Highways"

Slowing traffic from some content providers would cause a significant upheaval of the consumer marketplace, which may not be well received, could dampen innovation, and is entirely unnecessary. There’s plenty of spectrum that sits unused by the government and even by the very service providers fighting net neutrality. Sharing idle spectrum, or making more of it unlicensed like Wi-Fi, would create ample additional network capacity that could help meet the rising demand for data services. Innovation, not artificial limitations, is the solution to unfettered content delivery to consumers.

A shared spectrum approach to the problem would allow carriers to offer exclusive content or OTT application packages in addition to existing services like Google and Netflix, because there would be more bandwidth available. Consumers would win by having more choices.

Leveraging shared spectrum assets enables carriers to monetize existing capital investments, minimizing or eliminating new spectrum costs, while ensuring a higher quality customer experience. It's a win-win for carriers and customers alike. Spectrum sharing will end dropped calls and broken data pipelines by offloading saturated networks during peak demand. This will increase overall network reliability and capacity.

Spectrum sharing technologies and more unlicensed spectrum are the optimal solutions to the network issues carriers are facing, and will preserve net neutrality.

The cost of your data plan could soar as your web access is limited, but these changes -- which may result from the move to undo net neutrality -- can be prevented. Service providers can monetize their 4G network investments and preserve net neutrality while remaining profitable by adopting the latest spectrum management technologies.

Rick Rotondo is VP of marketing and publication relations at xG Technology, a provider of radio spectrum technology.
Europe calls for less US influence over the internet

Publié: février 12, 2014, 6:34pm CET par Mark Wilson

The US is used to being a dominating force in the world -- this is true in sport, politics, economics, and many other areas -- but the European Commission thinks there should be less US influence over the internet. There are concerns about the level of control the United States has over the technologies and protocols that underpin the internet. One area for concern is ICANN which operates on behalf of the US government yet exerts control over procedures that have global effects.

There is also concern that Europe does not currently have enough sway over the internet. Neelie Kroes, commissioner in charge of telecommunications policy, said: "Europe must contribute to a credible way forward for global internet governance. Europe must play a strong role in defining what the net of the future looks like."

US surveillance of the internet sent shockwaves around the world and caused tensions in the relationship between the US and Europe. Following revelations by Edward Snowden about the web monitoring activities of the US, there was widespread uproar. The European Union had initialy said that an agreement to grant US agencies access to European data would be ended, but it was ultimately maintained.

A vote is due to take place to determine whether Europe-based servers should be used to store data that is gathered online, but the real aim is to try to make the internet less US-centric. A careful equilibrium needs to be struck if a globally balanced internet is to be created, but care needs to be taken that other governments don’t exert too much control -- we've already seen what has happened in China.

Image Credit: alexmillos / Shutterstock
Roku adds DirecTV channels to its lineup

Publié: février 12, 2014, 6:23pm CET par Alan Buckingham

The sad state of affairs with the status of today's cord-cutting is that most channel apps and websites still include the requirement that demands the customer to verify a TV service provider. It's not the best solution, but for now it seems we must deal with it.

Now set-top box maker Roku has added several new channels for the folks who happen to call DirecTV home. The satellite provider has come on board with three of its offerings.

A&E, History Channel and Lifetime have all agreed to a contract, or rather DirecTV and Roku have. Nonetheless, it brings access to all three to the little device.

"The number of providers offering the additional value of Roku channel support continues to grow -- including DirecTV! Find out if your provider supports these channels here: A&E, HISTORY and Lifetime. We'd love to expand this list, so if you do not see your provider, we encourage you to contact them and request that they add support for Roku", says Melissa Morell, social media manager for Roku.

The roll out is beginning immediately, so check your box when you get the chance. Hopefully, the company will continue to bring channels on-board and, even better, the ridiculous restrictions will slowly dry up.
Why Microsoft must allow legacy apps in Windows Store

Publié: février 12, 2014, 6:07pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

The tangible value of any operating system, be it for mobile devices or traditional PCs, is given by the strength of its app ecosystem. Having many, great pieces of software available is hugely important, no matter the platform, as these are the things people are interested in and wish to use on a daily basis. When it comes to desktops and laptops, Windows is, and will continue to be for the foreseeable future, the undisputed king in that regard. But, with the introduction of Windows Store, one important question arises: When will Microsoft finally concede legacy apps also need centralized distribution?

Apple understands users do not wish to risk visiting the shady corners of the InterWebs when looking for the software they need or want, and so the company introduced the App Store in OS X 10.6.6 Snow Leopard. Admittedly, it is not as vast as it could be, but it is definitely miles better than having nothing at all. Even Microsoft has launched some of its popular apps there, so the software giant is clearly aware of the benefits of this distribution method on traditional PCs. Allowing users to install legacy apps from Store will also do wonders for the Windows user experience. Honestly, Microsoft would be foolish not to do it soon.

Why Windows Store?

Offering legacy apps through Windows Store is the right approach as the groundwork has already been laid out, beginning with Windows 8. Such software could, naturally, be listed alongside its Modern UI counterpart. Users should be able to install legacy apps from the Desktop side as well as the Modern UI (and not be forced to switch between the two UIs).

Also, to add some context to the idea, the Windows Store should automatically install legacy apps when triggered from the Desktop, for users to avoid getting the (unwanted) Modern UI version by mistake (an option to change this behavior could be offered for advanced users to take advantage of).

Obviously, Microsoft must make it more difficult -- but not impossible -- for users to install legacy apps from other places than its Windows Store (like Apple does for OS X software). Here is what such an approach would entail.

No More Outdated Versions

Since legacy apps developers will, naturally, offer updates through Windows Store it will be much easier for users to install the latest available version. If automated updates are added into the mix, this will ensure that all fixes are applied and the latest features are rolled out to the entire user base which, in turn, will result in a more enjoyable and effortless experience.

Extra Security...

The largest problem Windows users have to deal with whenever they download software from the Internet is malware. Those who are knowledgeable enough can avoid it (at least most of the time), but inexperienced users may frequently be in great danger.

Just look at the most recent stories detailing the latest infections, and how they spread. In case you may be thinking of saying it, asking inexperienced users to learn more about how Windows works and adopt safer computing habits is, probably, the least practical resolution.

The same does not hold true for a curated app store, like Windows Store. Microsoft can decide which legacy software should be validated and which one should be rejected, based on, among other reasons, security concerns. The user experience will (almost) be devoid of any security risks from downloading and installing legacy apps. It will also lead to safer practices among legacy apps developers, that will be forced to comply to have their software in Windows Store.

... And Convenience

And, for the average Windows users, being able to install legacy apps from Windows Store will be much more convenient than having to manually download and install files from the web. It will also make it easier for them to discover new software.

For developers it will also be much more convenient and effective to distribute legacy software through Windows Store, as the number of potential users is significantly larger than that of many online stores, combined. Given some time, users might not even look elsewhere to get their favorite legacy apps.

Higher Revenues

By allowing developers to offer their legacy apps in Windows Store, Microsoft will effectively get a significant cut from all sales and in-app purchases, adding to the revenue generated by Modern UI apps. If top firms that sell expensive legacy software will embrace Windows Store, then the revenues collected by Microsoft will be even higher.

Of course, this goes both ways. Developers will definitely stand a better chance at making decent money from their legacy apps, as users are more likely to discover and pay for software in Windows Store, compared to some online store they may not trust with their personal data.

Puts a Damper on Piracy

Software piracy remains one of the largest problems Windows developers have to deal with. Microsoft is definitely no stranger to having its most-popular apps pirated, as new versions of Windows and Office are available in the darker corners of the InterWebs for free.

Like the iOS App Store, the Windows Store is least-affected by piracy as there is no way for users to install cracked versions of the offered software (without resorting to jailbreaking, which very few people embrace anyway). Needless to say, the same benefit will apply to legacy apps.

It Just Makes Sense

The only reasons I can think of why anyone would say "No" to having legacy apps in Windows Store are the extra resources involved in tailoring the software for this kind of distribution (any efforts spent in this direction are not significant in the grand scheme of things), not being able to easily install pirated software (this is a terrible reason) and, possibly, lower revenues compared to the traditional distribution method (however, Microsoft takes care of Windows Store distribution costs, and users might buy more software, likely boosting revenues overall).

But, really, why would anyone not want legacy apps in Windows Store?

Photo Credit: Bevan Goldswain/Shutterstock
CRM is here to stay as businesses seek to improve customer experiences

Publié: février 12, 2014, 4:02pm CET par Ian Barker

CRM has been around for a long time, but don't be tempted to think that it's on the way out. Companies are seeing CRM technology as a major part of their digital initiatives in order to improve customer experience.

This is the finding of the latest Gartner market trends report which says that demand for improved customer relationships is driving the expanded integration and use of CRM technology.

"CRM will be at the heart of digital initiatives in coming years. This is one technology area that will definitely get funding as digital business is crucial to remaining competitive", says Joanne Correia, research vice president at Gartner. "Hot areas for CRM investment include mobility, social media and technologies, Web analytics and e-commerce."

Although Gartner expects CRM market growth to be modest in 2014, following three years of strong investment, revenue from CRM software is expected to reach $23.9 billion this year with the cloud accounting for almost half of that.

Whilst e-commerce is at the top of most companies' lists when looking to improve customer service, Gartner's report identifies five main drivers of CRM investment. These include the need to monitor and respond to social media and use it as a channel for business intelligence. The mobile market is also key with connections to the Internet from smartphones expected to overtake those from PCs by the end of 2014.

The cloud is still important despite having been around for more than a decade. Gartner sees the move to the cloud slowing though as, "...the low-hanging fruit for cloud adoption has already been picked". Big data has led to an explosion in the amount of customer information available to businesses and has driven increasing sophistication in CRM models to analyze and predict customer behavior.

The fifth driver is the growing shift towards an "internet of things." As the price of embedded sensors falls, many industries will be transformed by the information gathered and CRM is likely to be at the forefront of exploiting the data produced.

"These drivers are spurring a critical need for more traditional operational CRM as CRM continues to top software investment priorities. This further validates businesses' focus on enhancing customer experience and consistent investment in CRM software, especially in CSS, marketing and sales software", says Ms. Correia.

The full report is available from Gartner's website and Gartner analysts will be discussing CRM trends at summits in Orlando and London later this year.

Photo Credit: Mikko Lemola / Shutterstock
2013's malware trends reveal non-Windows systems face greater threats

Publié: février 12, 2014, 1:19pm CET par Ian Barker

Threats to Mac OS X, Linux and Android systems have increased over the past year as the malware landscape has evolved.

This is among the findings of Russian antivirus company Doctor Web which has released its annual overview of threats. Other trends include an increase in the number of programs designed to display annoying ads and a surge in the number of Bitcoin and Litecoin mining trojans.

Using statistics compiled from Dr.Web CureIt! the company finds that trojans were the most common threat of the year. Amongst these the top of the table was Trojan.Hosts.6815 which modifies the hosts file to redirect the user's browser to infected web pages.

Doctor Web also monitored the activity of several botnets. Although one of these almost ceased to exist in 2013 others are still operating and their numbers are growing. In particular it highlights the Win32.Rmnet.12 botnet, which from May was gaining around 25,000 machines per day. The report also notes that the Backdoor.Flashback.39 trojan, which exploits Mac OS X systems, although declining still had a botnet of almost 29,000 infected Macs by the end of December.

As you might have gathered from our story yesterday on CryptoLocker, the big trend of 2013 is the growth in ransomware trojan encoders that encrypt files and demand a payment for their release. The report says, "During the year, the Dr.Web virus databases were supplemented by definitions for more than 200 new modifications of encoders, and the geography of these threats expanded considerably. And, the technologies used by the attackers evolved, too: above all, more sophisticated encryption was employed, making it virtually impossible to restore data affected by the actions of some Trojan.Encoder modifications."

It seems criminals have improved their victim profiling too. Malicious files were attached to forms that job applicants had to fill out to apply for an accountant post and sent out to companies offering such jobs. This increased the chances of encrypting vital accounts forms thus raising the probability that the ransom would be paid.

Advertising and mining trojans showed increased numbers of detections too and again Mac users don't escape, with the development of Trojan.Yontoo.1 which downloads and installs advertising plug-ins for the Mac versions of Safari, Chrome and Firefox. Trojans seeking to mine Bitcoin and Litecoin also showed an increase in the second half of the year with average daily income for the criminals estimate at close to $1.5 million.

Linux and Android

Linux users normally feel pretty smug about their vulnerability to malware but Doctor Web has noted a number of new threats to the open source operating system. Most notable is the Hand of Thief trojan which can operate on various distros including Ubuntu, Fedora and Debian, it also supports eight desktop environments such as GNOME and KDE. This sophisticated malware features anti-detection technologies and routines for its covert startup, does not require administrator privileges, and uses strong 256-bit encryption for communicating with the control panel. Once installed it adds a special grabber to browsers that intercepts HTTP and HTTPS sessions and transmits data entered by users in web forms.

Other programs targeted at Linux are aimed at compromising servers, by sending logins and passwords to a remote system, and organizing DDoS attacks.

There's been a further increase in Android threats too with the Dr.Web virus database receiving 1,547 new entries corresponding to malignant, unwanted and potentially dangerous programs in 2013. This means that since the first malicious Android programs were detected in 2010 their number has increased almost 94 times.

Most common Android threats are still those that seek to extract cash through premium rate SMS services. Other familiar threats are spreading to Android too though, including trojans looking to steal personal data and fake anti-malware tools. In September 2013 Doctor Web's researchers uncovered the largest known botnet of mobile devices.

The report concludes that we're likely to see further increases in encoder trojans thanks to the availability of malware construction kits. It also predicts further increases in mining as the popularity of Bitcoin-like systems grows.

If you'd like to scare yourself some more you can read the full findings on the Doctor Web site.

Photo Credit: Balefire / Shutterstock
Set up your own personal cloud for free with Tonido

Publié: février 12, 2014, 12:38pm CET par Nick Peers

There's a lot to like about cloud backup and sync -- security, for one, and the convenience of being able to access your files remotely for another. But cloud storage can be an expensive option, which is where Tonido comes in.

It provides a trio of tools -- Tonido Desktop and Tonido Sync for desktop, Tonido Mobile for mobile -- that lets you turn your home storage into a personal cloud. So long as your backup needs are catered elsewhere, you can access, share, stream and -- to a limited degree -- sync data without paying a single cent.

Start by designating your main computer -- Windows, Linux or Mac -- as your server. Install Tonido Desktop on this and set up your free account: all you need to do is supply a username and password, and you're good to go.

The obvious thing to do here is supply a memorable username, but seeing as your server will be visible from any web browser -- simply type username.tonodoid.com into it -- it makes sense to choose both a less obvious username and a robust password to keep unwanted people out.

Once the server is up and running, you might want to go further too. Right-click the Tonido Desktop icon in the menu bar or Taskbar Notification area and choose Open to access it via your web browser. First, click Settings, select the Account tab and click Set Remote Login/Answer to add another layer of security -- again, make the question and answer only something you personally know.

Second, switch to the Misc tab and scroll down to the Allowed Folders section. Click Add Allowed Folder to limit accessible folders or drives to only those you specify -- all other folders, including your critical system folders -- will then be off-limits the moment you tick "Enable access to only selected Folders".

You can now start to enjoy the benefits of Tonido. From this point on you have access to your specified folders from any Internet-connected computer via its web browser or the Tonido Mobile app on your tablet or phone. Just access username.tonidoid.com (where "username" is the username you specified), supply the details asked for and you can browse, view, open, download and access your files and folders with ease. You can also stream media from supported folders.

If you're looking for a means of backing up data, then take a look at Tonido Sync -- install this on your other computers and you can keep a single folder perfectly in sync between them, allowing you to easily access the latest version of key files while also backing them up at the same time. The big limitation here is that you only get 2 GB free -- up this limit to 100 GB by paying $29 a year for the Pro service.

Tonido can also be used to share files with others -- again, there are limits to the free package in the shape of a maximum five guest accounts and five shared folders. These limits are lifted from the Pro account, but for most people they should be sufficient.

We've scratched the surface of what Tonido can offer, but if you're looking for a personal cloud solution that doesn't involving uploading files to a third-party server, then it's well worth giving a whirl: nothing is stored online and you retain complete control. Just make sure you set things up for maximum security.

Tonido Desktop 4.7 and Tonido Sync 4.7 are available now as a freeware downloads for Windows, Mac and Linux. Tonido Mobile is available free for iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone.
Translate any English text on your display with Screen Translator

Publié: février 12, 2014, 12:29pm CET par Mike Williams

Translation services from Google, Bing and others mean it's now very easy to translate plain text, and there are a host of apps and browser extensions available to simplify the process further. Translating text embedded in an image requires a little more work, but Screen Translator is an open source tool which may be able to help.

Installation is trickier than it should be, thanks to a setup program which lists some options in English, others in Cyrillic. It's not the most impressive start, but choose to install everything (which is safe, there's no adware here) and setup proceeds with no other problems.

Once Screen Translator is running, you can initiate a screen capture with a customizable hotkey, or by right-clicking Screen Translator's system tray icon and selecting "Capture". The mouse cursor changes, and you simply click and drag to draw a rectangle around your source text.

Release the mouse cursor and Screen Translator uses the Tesseract OCR engine to extract any text, sending the results to Google for translation. Finally, the source and translated text is displayed in a window, and you can copy it to the clipboard for reuse elsewhere.

One very obvious limitation here is that Screen Translator only supports English as a source language (you can't translate from another language to English). The Settings dialog does provide an option to choose the "Recognition language", though; it only lists English right now, but presumably that means other languages will be supported soon.

Another irritation is that you can only choose source languages by their two character ISO 639-1 codes, which aren't even sorted into alphabetical order. And so instead of the full name of the country, or language, you're trying to figure out what codes like IS, HR and TL represent. (If you're not sure, then as ever, Wikipedia reveals all.)

Screen Translator isn't the most powerful or convenient of translation tools. It could be significantly improved with just a little more work, though. And even now, if you’re happy translating from English only, the core of the program works well, delivering accurate and reliable results.
Who's your daddy? Google voice dialling lets you call and text family with ease

Publié: février 12, 2014, 11:23am CET par Mark Wilson

You know how sometimes it just seem like too much hassle to scroll through your contact list to place a call or send a text to someone? Well, no more! There's no need to update your app, but Google's Search tool for Android has been enhanced with a new voice-dialing feature. The app now lets you use phrases such as "OK, Google, call mom" or "OK, Google, send a text to dad" you can... well... place a call to your mom or compose a text message to send to your dad.

Before you start panicking that Google has started spying on your family and is now aware of the relationships you have with each of your contacts, fret not! This is not an entirely automated feature -- you will need to specify which of your contacts is your mom, your dad, and so on. If you try to call your mother using the vocal command before having set up your relationship, you will be prompted to choose which of your contacts gave birth to you -- on subsequent utterances, the call will be placed straight away.

The new feature was announced on the official Google Google+ page (sorry for the stutter) and it seems to be the kind of timesaving option that will go down very well with mobile users who are ever more concerned about efficiency. At the moment you are limited to using keyword vocal shortcuts for standard familial relations, and there is support for different variants -- mum, mom and mother for example.

It's not clear whether things will be extended further to include quick-call options so you can quickly telephone your best mate or your boss. Of course, there's nothing to stop you from creating a contact called "boss", but for now we'll have to make do with a faster way of getting in touch with our immediate relations.

Good feature?

Photo Credit: pashabo/Shutterstock
Dropbox joins Twitter, says new transparency rules are not enough

Publié: février 12, 2014, 4:15am CET par Alan Buckingham

While several companies have been busy posting new transparency reports, based on recent changes in US law, not everyone has been content with what has transpired. Last week, Twitter stood up and called the reform, essentially, too little and far too late. That sentiment likely echos the feelings of many US citizens.

However, the social service isn't the only one taking this stand. Today it is joined by cloud storage darling Dropbox. "We believe everyone has a right to know how much information the government is seeking from online services. This lets users fight back against improper requests, helps prevent abuses of power, and allows for a more informed public debate", states the company's Bart Volkmer.

Dropbox points out that the US government forbids companies from disclosing figures regarding the number of requests flowing in -- perhaps because it's rather more than they wish to acknowledge. That recently changed, but not enough. Services can now post "estimates" rounded to the nearest 250. Yes, it's a start, no it's not good enough.

Dropbox agrees, stating "this is a step in the right direction. But it doesn’t go far enough, especially for services that receive only a handful of requests or none at all. We believe the public has a right to know the actual number of requests received and accounts affected, and we'll continue to push to be able to provide this information".

Dropbox proceeds to post its own transparency report, following the law of what is allowed, which results in the service only telling us that it received somewhere between 0 and 249 National Security Requests. That's helpful, huh? The company was able to post some exact numbers, including 118 search warrants and that 172 accounts were involved in those.

It's fairly clear that reform is arriving, but it's far from what we had all hoped would transpire. All of us wish to live in a terror-free world, but is the cost of that freedom greater than we are willing to pay?

Image Credit: carol.anne / Shutterstock
Cha-ching! Microsoft brings Bitcoin to Bing!

Publié: février 12, 2014, 2:40am CET par Brian Fagioli

As the world of technology evolves, so does money. People are paying for things using their smartphones and shunning cash. However, while services like Google Wallet use standard currencies, a new type has emerged from the depths of the internet -- Bitcoin.

This relatively new virtual currency is all the rage, being accepted at many businesses, including the Sacramento Kings -- an NBA franchise. If that isn't mainstream, I do not know what is. Today, Microsoft announces that it too is getting cozy with Bitcoin, by way of Bing.

"For years, you have been able to convert currencies in Bing. Whether you’re looking to compare dollars to pounds, euros to pesos or yuan to rupee, we've got over 50 currencies in our index that we'll display following a few quick keystrokes", says The Bing Team.

The team further explains, "as Bitcoin (the peer-to-peer payment system and digital currency) makes headlines and captures the world's attention, we thought it was only natural to give you an easy way to track real-time fluctuations. Starting today, you will find instant Bitcoin conversions at the top of your Bing results".

Microsoft's acceptance of Bitcoin lends further legitimacy to this mysterious currency, whether that was the intention or not. What remains to be seen is if the company believes in the currency, or is simply riding the "me-too" wave of trends. Either way, you can try it by going to Bing and searching for something like "Bitcoin to dollar".

Do you own any Bitcoins? Tell me in the comments.

Photo credit: ppart/Shutterstock
Schooled by Linux -- 1,700 students get Ubuntu laptops

Publié: février 12, 2014, 1:28am CET par Brian Fagioli

Linux is everywhere; from mobile phones to web servers. Even Chromebooks run Linux. Ironically, Chrome OS is a poor platform for actually learning about the open-source kernel. This is because Google's OS is limited by design. And so, it does not behave like a typical Linux distribution.

Instead, students would be better served by using a true Linux distribution, such as Ubuntu, Fedora or Mageia. With that said, a forward thinking school in Pennsylvania has done just that. Penn Manor High School has purchased 1,700 laptops running Ubuntu.

According to the school, "each student received an Acer TravelMate TMB113 laptop, mouse, flash disk and case. Kits were distributed, by grade level, during the week of last week of January 2014. The bulk of the distribution took 4 days. During distribution, students received an orientation session to help them get started with the new laptop".

Handing out laptops to students is not news, but the underlying OS is -- Ubuntu 13.10. This is an up to date, easy to use distribution, which will allow the students to learn more about Linux. Somewhere in the world, Linus Torvalds is smiling.

Believe it or not, the school has not locked-down the machines for software installation. Students can explore all aspects of the operating system and install the software of their choosing. The only caveat is that they respect copyright laws as well as the school district's policies.

However, web content will be filtered. "As required by the Children's Online Protection Act, (CIPA) each laptop is equipped with a filter to block material deemed harmful to minors. Filters are enabled both on and off campus", says the school. Regardless of your stance on censorship, protecting the morals and minds of high-school students is a positive.

The school should be applauded, not only for thinking outside of the Microsoft and Google box, but for embracing open-source philosophy. These students will learn more than how to use Facebook and Microsoft Word. Not to mention, besides the students benefiting, so does the Linux community. Future open-source evangelists and programmers may be bred from Penn Manor High School.

Should more schools embrace Linux? Tell me in the comments.
ScreenTabs -- extend your PC with two virtual desktops

Publié: février 12, 2014, 1:21am CET par Mike Williams

The Windows desktop is a great place to work, when you're running two or three programs. Launch 10, 20, maybe 30, and life becomes rather more difficult. Application windows are everywhere, taskbar buttons become tiny, even Alt+Tab becomes awkward to use.

Fortunately, it doesn't have to be this way. Install ScreenTabs and the program will equip your system with two extra virtual desktops, giving you three in total. Each one gives you a fresh start -- an empty taskbar, no visible application windows -- and switching between them is as easy as clicking a tab on the left side of your screen.

While this gives you more space, it does also introduce a few complications. In particular, you can't simply look at the taskbar to see whether a program is running: it might be on another desktop.

ScreenTabs does its best to help, though. Right-click a tab and a pane appears listing the running applications in each tab. Double-clicking whatever you need will switch to that desktop and program. Alternatively, right-clicking an application and selecting "On all tabs" will display it on all desktops.

This all worked well for us, but if you need more then there are plenty of configuration options. Tabs can be renamed, given a new colour, have a custom transparency, made to automatically hide, perhaps be selected with a customizable hotkey: whatever works best for you.

Upgrade to the commercial version of ScreenTabs and you’ll gain even more functionality, in particular the ability to create as many tabs as you like (not just three). It's yours for $17.95.