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School district goes gaga for Google -- Chromebooks, tablets and services, oh my!

Publié: mai 2, 2014, 6:52pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

Students nowadays are very blessed to have so much inexpensive technology at their fingertips. When I was a young boy in elementary school, I had to learn the Dewey Decimal System so I could find outdated books in a smelly library. Even if I found a decent book, there was often doodles of private-parts on the pages. Hell, writing something like a book report was done with a pen and paper because, who could afford a computer?

Chromebooks and Google services are now empowering students with access to technology that enhances the learning experience and increases group collaboration possibilities. The search-giant even offers a solution called 'Google for Education', which it describes as "affordable devices, innovative tools, and educational content built just for the classroom. Technology that helps inspire curiosity and boost productivity". The Hillsborough Township School District is the first district to offer the complete Google for Education package and it is seeing great success.

"Jennifer Tuller and Carrie Sanchez are 5th grade science teachers at Auten Road Intermediate School in New Jersey, part of the Hillsborough Township School District -- the first district to offer its students and staff the complete Google for Education solution. In Hillsborough, the students and teachers work together with Google Apps, Chromebooks and tablets with Google Play for Education", says Miriam Schneider, Google for Education.

Schneider further explains, "I was extremely inspired by what I saw. Students were working on an ecocolumn project, where they were closely observing the interaction between living and non-living elements in land and water environments. Before this year, the teachers told me, students had to individually log their observations on paper, which limited them from working as a group. But this year, students eagerly documented their observations together in real-time with Google Docs on their Chromebooks, compared the growth in their ecosystems by looking through the photos they had taken with their tablets, and presented the final report of their findings through Movenote -- an app in Google Play for Education".

While other solutions could probably accomplish the same goals, Google for Education seems to be very focused and well designed. Clearly, there is a strong emphasis on collaboration, and by keeping everything in Google's world, this becomes easily achieved. Remember, this is not just a school district using Chromebooks, but all of what Google has to offer for education. I think the Hillsborough Township School District made a good choice and the students will benefit immensely.

Photo Credit: YanLev / Shutterstock
Productivity in the workplace could get a boost from wearable technology

Publié: mai 2, 2014, 6:50pm CEST par Darren Allan

Rackspace has revealed the results of research into how wearables will fit into the workplace, and what impact these devices will have -- and the news is largely positive.

The Human Cloud at Work study, headed up by Dr Chris Brauer of the Institute of Management Studies from Goldsmiths, University of London, found that productivity was boosted by 8.5 percent through the use of wearable devices. That data was determined by evaluation over a month long period, against a control group which saw no increase in productivity levels.

It wasn't just more work that was getting done via wearable tech, either, with a rise of 3.5 percent in job satisfaction also observed.

In addition to that academic study, further conclusions were drawn from research conducted by Vanson Bourne, which encompassed 300 IT decision makers, and found that businesses had a clear willingness to push wearable tech in the workplace.

Wearables were welcomed by staff, with incidents of employee resistance only raised by 5 percent of personnel. The real concerns were, of course, the impact on security -- which 59 percent were worried about -- and also the strain placed on IT bods in terms of coping with wearables on the company network, which 52 percent were concerned over.

29 percent of UK firms, and no less than 63 percent of businesses in the States have some form of wearable tech project underway, according to the Vanson Bourne research.

Dr Brauer commented: "These results show the potential power and application of wearable devices in the workplace from employee biometric CVs to organizational real-time executive dashboards for resource allocation."

"Wearable technologies are arguably the biggest trend since tablet computing, so it's natural that employees and businesses will look to use these devices in the workplace. Using data generated from the devices, organizations can learn how human behaviors impact productivity, performance, well-being, and job satisfaction. Employees can demand work environments and hours be optimized to maximize their productivity and health and well-being".

Nigel Beighton, CTO of Rackspace in the UK, also chipped in: "Many wearable technologies are focused on improving some aspect of an individual's life -- whether it is for health and fitness, focus and concentration, productivity or job satisfaction".

"The big step change for both individuals and businesses is being able to analyze the raw data and understand the wider context surrounding the data, such as the weather, location, posture, even temperature and mood of the individual. By focusing on the data as well as the devices, wearable technologies can provide meaningful insights that can be used to improve performance and satisfaction. Essentially wearable tech and big data go hand-in-hand".

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Google launches standalone Google Docs and Google Sheets app for Android, offers offline access as carrot

Publié: mai 2, 2014, 6:35pm CEST par Nick Peers

Google has released standalone apps for viewing and editing text documents and spreadsheets through its Google Drive service. Both Google Docs 1.3 and Google Sheets 1.3 offers users lightweight alternatives to the main Google Drive app.

The key difference marking out these standalone versions from the more comprehensive Google Drive app is support for offline editing of files.

At first glance, both Google Docs and Google Sheets appear to be cut-down versions of Google Drive -- boast offer the same user interface and features for viewing, editing and sharing their respective document types as found in the parent app.

The key difference -- aside from their small, lightweight nature that may also appeal to users of less powerful smartphones and tablets -- is that both apps allow users to download and store selected documents offline, allowing editing even without an internet connection.

To make documents available for offline editing, users must first open the document in question, then tap the "i" button. From here, they can simply flick a switch marked "Keep on the device" to On and the document is downloaded and stored in an encrypted container.

By default, users can store up to 50MB of data on their device at any time -- this figure can be adjusted by tapping the main menu button, selecting Settings and then choosing Cache Size. Users can then pick a size from 25MB up to a maximum of 250MB. There’s also an option for clearing the current cache to free up space here too.

And that’s basically it -- anyone already familiar with Google Drive will have no problems using either app, but unless you’ve been hankering for offline access to your documents, it’s hard to recommend either app over the more fully functional Google Drive app.

Google Docs 1.3, Google Sheets 1.3 and Google Drive 1.3 are all available now as free downloads for Android 4.0 or later.

Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Sony Xperia Z2 vs HTC One M8

Publié: mai 2, 2014, 5:42pm CEST par Sandra Vogel

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Over the last few weeks Samsung has launched its Galaxy S5, Sony has revealed its Xperia Z2, and HTC has released the One M8. Each of these top flight handsets has its own plus points, and the uniting factor is that they are all vying for your attention if you want to be at the cutting edge right now.

Of course, that will change soon enough. We’re hearing about a possible HTC Prime, and Sony has recently started launching a second flagship handset in the latter part of the year. And other makers will come along with new top of the range phones, too. But for now, those who are after the very best phone they can get have a three way choice. So, is there an obvious best or an obvious worst phone among this trio? Let’s find out.

Design and build quality

These three handsets differ markedly in their respective build quality. The design of the HTC One M8 is simply stunning, with the curved metal backplate looking sumptuous and feeling great in the hand. It is easily my favorite for looks. My least favorite is the Sony Xperia Z2. The glass back does nothing for me aesthetically, and there’s an annoying ridge around the back which I could feel while holding the phone. Dead space above and below the screen does the handset’s looks no favors. The Samsung Galaxy S5 sits in the middle for looks. Its plastic build does not appeal to everyone, but I like it. And plastic makes for a lighter handset than the other two.

The respective dimensions of these phones are 72.5 x 8.1 x 142mm (WxDxH) in the case of the S5, 73.3 x 8.2 x 146.8mm (WxDxH) for the Z2, and 70.6 x 9.35 x 146.36mm (WxDxH) for the M8. The S5 weighs 145 grams, and the Z2 and M8 are heavier at 163 grams and 160 grams respectively.

You can get to the battery in the Samsung but not the other two -- but as I note below, battery life should not be a problem for most of us.

Display

There’s nothing to choose between the screen resolutions of the three handsets, with all of them offering 1,920 x 1,080 pixels -- but there are other differences. The screen sizes vary very slightly, so that the ppi is different for each phone. So, the HTC One M8 has a 5in screen and 441ppi, the Samsung Galaxy S5 has a 5.1in screen delivering 432ppi, and the Sony Xperia Z2 sports a 5.2in screen and 424ppi. To say there’s any real difference here would be splitting hairs, though.

M8_3V_GunMetal_original

Where you will notice differences is when it comes to display quality. My personal favorite is the Samsung, with a Super AMOLED screen that’s vibrant and sharp, with a color saturation you can change, easily dropping into several pre-set modes. My least favorite, despite the Triluminos, X-Reality and Live Colour LED systems, is the Z2’s display, though you do have a range of controls over the color saturation so you can personalize the vibrancy. The One M8 is clear and sharp, and I could certainly live with it. In many ways, though, this is all a matter of personal taste, and it is fair to say that if you end up with any of these three phones, you will find the display is perfectly good enough.

Processor, memory and battery

One thing that’s been very notable about the launches of each of these three handsets is the lack of shouting about the processor. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 is shared by all three phones, though Samsung has gone for a slightly faster variant. Samsung and HTC have plumped for 2GB of RAM, while Sony has opted for 3GB. (See the specs table at the end of this article for all the details).

In everyday use I found all three phones were snappy and responsive, and nothing I could throw at them caused slowdowns or lag. I simply couldn’t fault any of them in terms of performance.

However, I had a major complaint about the Sony Xperia Z2 running hot during my review. I could feel the warmth through the back of the chassis, and on one occasion I spent five minutes working with some of the advanced camera features before I was told the software would close because the handset was running too hot. Not a good sign for photography fans!

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Battery life across all three handsets is good, and I would expect most of us to get more than a day from a single charge. This is partly because of much better power management in these new high-end phones, and partly because of high capacity batteries being used. All three handsets have good power saving options for when you are down to the last 15 per cent of your battery, too.

All three smartphones come with 16GB of built-in memory and a microSD card slot. Some of that memory is used by Android 4.4, some by extra apps, and some by the skin that sits on top of Android. So, out of the box, the HTC One M8 has 10.1GB free, the Sony Xperia Z2 has 10.7GB, and the Samsung Galaxy S5 boasts 11.2GB.

Camera

The cameras of these three handsets are arguably where some of the greatest differences lie. Don’t worry too much about the 4 megapixels of the HTC One M8 -- the ultrapixel technology ensures quality is high. Instead consider the secondary rear camera of the One M8 which provides depth of field data for creating some fun effects. They’re not perfect, but photo fans might enjoy playing with them. Samsung can mimic this with a single camera lens, and it shoots 16 megapixel photos. Sony has a 20.7 megapixel camera and lots of fun effects. Just be wary of the potential for the handset running hot that I mentioned earlier.

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Software features and sound

Comparing the software features of all three handsets in detail would require a feature all of its own, so let’s look at some highlights. All three phones have Android skins. HTC Sense has been updated to be less in your face than previously, and the dreaded BlinkFeed, which I loathe, has improved features and can be turned off.

Samsung’s skin is visually appealing, and the Galaxy S5 has some interesting new features the other two handsets lack. There’s a heart rate monitor that sits on the back of the handset, and this is part of Samsung’s desire to build its name in the health sector. Personally, I like it. Samsung is the only one of the bunch to include a fingerprint scanner, which is on the physical home button. I’m not such a fan of this but it is easily ignored.

I really like the screen optimization feature in the Samsung Galaxy S5 -- it allows you to reduce the whole screen size to make one-handed use easier. Unlike phones that let you just left or right dock things like the dial pad, Samsung’s effort runs across the whole phone. I found it made using the handset one-handed while standing on the bus really easy. Elsewhere Samsung has de-bloated apps and features alike, but left plenty of goodies intact.

Sony comes last in terms of software features. Oh, there are plenty of them, but it all feels a bit crammed in, complex and overdone. The company’s multimedia stuff -- movies, games and music, are well in evidence and there are third-party apps pushed in here too. Of the three handsets, the Xperia Z2 feels the messiest, most bloated and least well thought out.

Sound quality on the HTC One M8 is really impressive. The stereo speakers deliver great punch and volume. Second best is the Samsung, and Sony comes in third, not just because of the poorer sound quality, but also because Sony majors on multimedia, and I expected a lot more as a result.

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And the verdict…

So, where does all this comparing and contrasting get us, and is there an outright winner between the three handsets at present? Well, there are obvious differences between all three phones in terms of design and innards, and some unique selling points for each of them. If you want fingerprint security, Samsung is your choice. If you want premium hardware design and great sound quality HTC wins. If you are already a fan of Sony’s products and like to consume its media offerings, then you’ll want to follow that path.

Personally, I think it’s neck and neck between Samsung and HTC, with Sony bringing up the rear, partly because of the handset design, and partly because I don’t buy into the Sony ecosystem. But you may well have a very different view -- feel free to share it in the comments section below.

For more details on these phones, see my reviews of the Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One M8, and Sony Xperia Z2.

Specifications comparison

Manufacturer and Model	Samsung Galaxy S5	HTC One M8	Sony Xperia Z2
Network	4G LTE	4G LTE	4G LTE
Processor	2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801	2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801	2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801
Ram	2GB	2GB	3GB
Memory	16GB	16GB	16GB
Memory expansion	microSD	microSD	microSD
Display	5.1in, 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, 432ppi	5.0in, 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, 441ppi	5.2in, 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, 424ppi
Main camera	16 megapixel	4 megapixel (ultrapixel)	20.7 megapixel
Front camera	2 megapixels	5 megapixel	2.2 megapixels
NFC	Yes	Yes	Yes
Wi-Fi	Yes	Yes	Yes
GPS	Yes	Yes	Yes
FM radio	No	Yes	Yes
Battery	2,800mAh	2,600mAh	3,200mAh
Size	72.5 x 8.1 x 142mm (WxDxH)	70.6 x 9.35 x 146.36mm (WxDxH)	73.3 x 8.2 x 146.8mm (WxDxH)
Weight	145g	160g	163g
OS	Android 4.4	Android 4.4	Android 4.4

Best Windows 8 apps this week

Publié: mai 2, 2014, 4:34pm CEST par Martin Brinkmann
Seventy-nine in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best Windows apps and games that were published in the last seven days to Windows Store.

As always, we begin with an overview of important application updates.

The Weather Channel application was re-designed from the ground up. New Windows 8.1 features such as enhanced search or location management were implemented, and support for additional countries was added.

Another app that should feel snappier after its last update is the official The Economist application for Windows 8.

Last but not least, Nokia's Here Maps application was updated as well. It received bug fixes and stability improvements according to the update notes.

On to this week's Red Stripe Deals.

Red Stripe Deals

Six applications and games are reduced each week by at least 50 percent. The following apps are discounted this week:
- Bejeweled Live, a puzzle game for $2.49
- Clockwork Tales of Glass and Ink, a steampunk adventure game for $2.99
- The Smurfs Hide & Seek with Brainy, a find the smurf game for $0.99
- Farming Simulator 14, a simulation game for $3.49
- Educational Puduzzle Games for Kids and Tots, game collection for children for $2.49
- Mahjong Travel, a board game for $1.99
Apps this week

United Airlines

The official application provides quick access to all features of the official United Airlines website.

This includes booking flights, hotels and cars, looking up travel information, getting boarding passes or access to the company's bonus program.

The app makes use of Windows 8's share functionality which you can use to share deals or travel plans with others.

Touch Retouch ($1.49, free trial available)

Remove objects from your photos. All that needs to be done is to mark the items that you want taken out, e.g. spectators disturbing a group shot, and let the app do the rest.

You can undo changes at any time, and save the resulting images to the local system.

Use the lasso or brush tool to mark items that you want removed, and click on Go afterwards to see the result.

While results may not be perfect, especially when compared to manual Photoshop editing, the app is unbeatable when it comes to the time it takes to retouch photos.

DesertQuest

DesertQuest is an addictive puzzle game in which you need to collect a certain amount of gems to progress to the next level.

Each map holds certain challenges that you need to overcome to meet that goal.

You may need to collect keys to open gates, cross water or ice, or move bricks or switches to open passages on the map.

A map editor is available separately.

Seagate Media

Display photos, videos, music and documents on your Seagate Wireless Plus, Seagate Central or LaCie Fuel Storage devices when you run the app.

The app supports the streaming of media contents, synchronization with Dropbox, and the saving of files to the mobile devices so that they can be accessed at any time.

Giana Sisters Twisted Dreams ($14.99)

A beautiful jump and run game that would have made app of the week had it been a Windows 8 exclusive.

The main twist of the game is that you can switch between two characters at any time which not only changes how you look, but also the game environment.

A gate may be closed for one character, but once you switch to the other, it may be opened.

You can play the game with the keyboard or gamepad controller.

BugsXplore

Designed for security researchers and analysts, BugXplore displays a database of companies that offer rewards for security bugs.

The rewards are divided into different categories based on what is promised for finding new vulnerabilities.

In addition to that, it features cheat sheets and information about types of vulnerabilities that may help beginning researchers understand these technologies.

Skateboard Party 2 ($1.99)

Skateboard Party is a great looking game that features an online multiplayer mode that allows you to play against friends and other gamers from around the world.

The game supports the Xbox controller, and puts you in control of a skater that you can customize to your liking.

Learn more than 40 unique tricks on the board as well as combinations, gain experience and level up to improve your attributes, and enjoy music from bands such as Voice of Addiction, Hitplay! or Beta while you are playing the game.

TechCrunch

The TechCrunch application brings news stories that are published on the website to Windows 8.

What sets it apart is the personalized recommendation section underneath each article that suggests related articles to you based on articles you read in the past.

CrunchBase is integrated in the app so that you can look up company information right from within.

1MSQFT

One Million Square Feet of Culture preserves records of events through technology.

Browse photos or watch videos, and check out new events that are added to the application.

If you like beautiful photography, this is an app to check out as it offers plenty of that.

Violett ($3.99)

The click and point adventure game Violett features hand-drawn graphics inspired by Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Salvador Dali's paintings.

Solve puzzles, use paranormal forces to manipulate objects, and prevent the evil Spider Queen from coming back to the world.
Are we starting to fall out of love with tablets?

Publié: mai 2, 2014, 3:36pm CEST par Ian Barker

It looks like the growth of the tablet market may be starting to slow down according to a new study carried out by research specialist IDC.

Tablets and 2-in-1 shipments slipped to 50.4 million units worldwide in the first quarter of 2014 according to IDC's Quarterly Tablet Tracker. This represents a decline of 35.7 percent from the high-volume holiday quarter and just 3.9 percent growth over the same period last year.

The slowdown has been seen across all operating systems and screen sizes and IDC suggests that it points to an even more challenging year ahead for the sector.

"The rise of large-screen phones and consumers who are holding on to their existing tablets for ever longer periods of time were both contributing factors to a weaker-than-anticipated quarter for tablets and 2-in-1s," says Tom Mainelli, IDC Program Vice President, Devices and Displays. "In addition, commercial growth has not been robust enough to offset the slowing of consumer shipments".

Looked at by manufacturer, the figures show that Apple has maintained its lead in the market having shipped some 16.4 million units worldwide. However, that figure is down from 26 million units in the previous quarter and 19.5 million in the same quarter of 2013. Apple's market share has held up though at 32.5 percent compared to 33.2 in the previous quarter.

Samsung grew its market share from 17.2 percent in the last quarter of 2013 to 22.3 percent in the first quarter of this year on the back of 11.2 million shipments. Amazon tablet sales showed a year-on-year decline from 1.8 million units in Q1 2013 to just one million this year.

The biggest growth comes from Lenovo which shipped only 600,000 tablets in Q1 2013 but leaped ahead of Amazon this year moving 2.1 million tablets in the first quarter.
iCharts

Android continues to dominate the tablet market with around a two-thirds share, but Windows is starting to gain ground. Jitesh Ubrani, Research Analyst, Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker says, "Although its share of the market remains small, Windows devices continue to gain traction thanks to sleeper hits like the Asus T100, whose low cost and 2-in-1 form factor appeal to those looking for something that's 'good enough'".

So what does all this mean? Are we losing our love of tablets? Or is it simply as Mainelli says that having found a device they like people are hanging onto it rather than upgrading to the latest model? The latter seems most likely as, unlike smartphones, tablets aren't bought on contract so represent a more significant spending commitment.

Image Credit: vinzstudio / Shutterstock
Does Mom want a tablet? Amazon is hoping so

Publié: mai 2, 2014, 2:47pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

If there is one thing Amazon loves, it's a good sale. The company seems to always be discounting one product or another, and a favorite target is its line of Kindle Fire tablets. That's the case now, this time in honor of your mom.

The company has slashed prices on its lineup of tablets in an effort to convince customers to grab one for dear old mom before her day arrives on May 11th.

To commemorate, the Fire tablets have been reduced in price, with the HDX 7 now starting at $199 -- $30 less than normal. The 8.9-inch model has been slashed from $379 to $339, and the HD model now can be had for as little as $119. Only the HD 8.9 has not received the sale treatment.

In addition the Kindle readers have also seen a price reduction, with the Paperwhite going down from $119 to $99 and the regular model dropping to $49, $20 less than it's normal pricing.

The sale is for a "limited time", but no expiration date is specified. However, given that it's for Mother's Day, you can expect it to wrap up before May 11th.
Best iOS apps this week

Publié: mai 2, 2014, 2:24pm CEST par Wayne Williams

Seventeenth in a series. Microsoft updated its Office for iPad apps this week, adding some welcome new features, including the most requested of them all -- the ability to print documents. This is a feature that should really have been included from the start, but at least it’s in there now.

New releases this week include standalone apps for Google Docs and Sheets, the first in a series of new Star Wars themed story apps from Disney, a clever app that pulls high quality photos straight from your videos, a SpongeBob SquarePants version of Doodle Jump, and one of the best note taking apps I’ve ever used (and no, it’s not Microsoft OneNote -- although the iPhone version of that was also updated this week).

As always, if I miss an app that you think should definitely have been included, let me know in the comments below, or drop me an email.

Here is my selection for this week.

Paid App of the Week

Star Wars Journeys: The Phantom Menace ($6.99)

The last three Star Wars movies were all pretty atrocious, but if you have children who enjoyed them, then this Disney app -- the first in a series covering all of the movies (including the good ones) -- is worth a look.

The app lets you take part in fun pod races across Tatooine, customizing your racer with visual and performance enhancements. It also lets explore the story in 180 degree parallax, and unlock hidden content.

Free App of the Week

Google Docs

Inspired, no doubt, by the success of Microsoft’s Office for iPad apps, Google has released standalone apps for Google Docs and Google Sheets.

The apps provide a front end for Google’s excellent productivity tools and let you create, open and edit documents and spreadsheets. You can use them without an internet connection, and share and collaborate on documents.

If you are online, you don’t have to worry about saving files as everything is saved automatically for you as you type.

There’s no Google Slides app yet, but it’s coming soon.

Other Apps

Vhoto

This app pulls great photos straight from your video clips. You can shoot a video using the built-in camera or choose a clip from your device, and Vhoto will automatically extract impressive photos from it. You can save or share the results on social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or with the Vhoto community.

It’s a great idea that works really well -- the app only chooses shots that are in focus and well framed, and takes over 20 factors into account including faces, smiles and "user intent" -- and saves you have to choose between shooting a video and taking a photo.

OneNote for iPhone

As well as updating its Office for iPad apps, Microsoft also pushed out a new version of OneNote for iPhone. This note taking tool has been given an iOS 7 friendly look, and also gains new features. You can now create new notebooks and sections, and there’s a handy OCR feature called Office Lens that "turns OneNote into a scanner in your pocket".

Doodle Jump SpongeBob SquarePants ($3.99)

Offers in-app purchases.

Classic iOS game Doodle Jump has been given a SpongeBob SquarePants themed makeover. In this game you guide Doodle Jump SpongeBob through four undersea worlds featuring characters from the popular Nickelodeon show. There’s also the usual endless mode where the challenge is to see how high you can go.

Fun for fans of Doodle Jump and/or SpongeBob SquarePants.

Dwarven Den

Offers in-app purchases.

Your fellow dwarves are trapped in ancient underground ruins and it’s up to you to rescue them by solving tricky puzzles. You can mine for loot, forge better tools and gear, and blow stuff up with bombs.

It offers the usual selection of largely pointless and over-priced in-app purchases (a handful of gems, a chest of gems).

Apple’s App of the Week

Notability

This week’s free app from Apple isn’t a game for a change, but rather a note taking tool that lets you jot down ideas, annotate documents, make sketches, keep a journal, record your spoken thoughts and so on. You can import items (including Word documents and Excel spreadsheets via Google Drive) and sort and share your notes.

iCloud support means your notes will be instantly accessible on any iOS device you own, and your work can also be backed up to Dropbox, Box, and Google Drive.

It’s particularly useful for recording meetings or lectures, and writing notes at the same time.
Degrees of protection -- 360° Case for Nexus 7 and the iPad family

Publié: mai 2, 2014, 2:08pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Tablets are über cheap these days. It seems as though just about every electronics company has them flying off the production lines. But even if you manage to pick up a cheap tablet, you still want to keep it protected -- no one wants to end up with a screen that is scratched to the point of being unusable, or a body that's smashed to smithereens. The need to protect is even greater if you have handed over a few hundred dollars / pounds for something from the Apple family, and there are all manner of cases to whet the appetite of those keen to keep things safe.

One such offering is the 360° Case from Everything Tablet (operating in the US and Canada as well as the UK) which features a folio-style wrap-around design. I took a look at the Nexus 7 model and my previously svelte 7 incher was transformed into something resembling a leather-bound personal organizer from the 80s. Such is the price one pays for protection, I guess.

At the moment Nexus 7 users have a rather limited choice when it comes to colors for the case. There's Black Carbon, with which it is all but impossible to go wrong, and then there is orange. And holy heck, is it orange! iPad users have a wider palette from which to make their selection -- Baby Blue, Baby Pink, Black Carbon, Gun Metal Grey, and Orange -- and just about the full gamut of Apple tablets is covered. The iPad 2, 3 and 4 cases will set you back £22.99 ($22.99), the iPad Air jumps to £29.99 ($29.99), the iPad Mini drops to £19.99 ($19.99), and the lower price is what Nexus 7 owners are expected to part with as well. The pricing is good, but yet again it is disappointing to see UK consumers getting worse deal, ultimately ending up paying a massive premium -- $22.99 equates to £13.63, for instance, and while there are state taxes to factor in, an extra £9.36 (or $15.79) is difficult to justify. Maybe the US and Canada is just getting a really great deal, but being in the UK I can’t help but feel like I'm getting the dirty end of the stick.

That minor rant out of the way, the case itself is pleasing to use, but not the best I've ever come across. The cover of the case is held in place with an elasticated band. A magnetic catch or other form of closing mechanism would have been preferable because there's huge potential for catching the strap on the content of a bag when the tablet is pulled out for use. Open it up and the smart cover activates the screen -- at least it does most of the time -- and the tablet can then be used in a number of ways. Hold the case in portrait mode and you can use your tablet in the case as if reading a book, but there is scope to fold the cover all the way round the back.

Flip round to landscape mode and you'll find a groove running along the front edge of the inside of the cover that can then house the bottom edge of the tablet. This is a great 'tent' style mode for watching movies or making use of a Bluetooth keyboard. But here's the interesting bit. The 360° part of the case's name stems from the rotatability of the portion that holds your tablet in place. It can rotate through a full 360°, but really it's just to allow you to switch between a hands-free portrait and landscape mode. The angle is a little shallow when flipped to the vertical position, but it is still more than usable.

The case feels robust and, aside from access to buttons and speakers, there are few exposed parts that could get scratched or damaged. I'm not sure how much rotating the case will stand for months or years to come, but the rotator cuff, including its off two-inch hole that makes it look as though it has been blasted at close range with a firearm, is certainly a weak point.

While the 360° gives a generally decent viewing angle and will protect against bumps and scrapes, it also feels rather awkward to use, making the tablet experience more annoying than enjoyable -- and this is something no case should do.
RefactorU Q&A: Courses for those who want to reinvent themselves

Publié: mai 2, 2014, 1:27pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic
Education is undergoing significant transformations, due in no small part to technology. Video chats give students and teachers the opportunity to interact without even being together in the same room, software makes teaching and learning more effective, reading books can be done without turning even a single page and, for an increasing number of students, jotting down notes has shifted from pen and paper to PCs.

It should not surprise anyone that, in this day and age, eager students can learn new, relevant skills and land good paying jobs through alternative learning programs that require much less of their time to graduate and are more affordable, compared to traditional education. RefactorU is one of the companies which offer alternative learning programs that "challenge" people to reinvent themselves, giving them the chance to learn how to code, manage projects or how to build and fly drones. I chatted with RefactorU CEO Sean Daken to learn more about what it offers, the entailed cost and more.

BN: What can you tell me about the RefactorU courses?

R: RefactorU's mission is to accelerate the learning and development of the world's aspiring creatives, makers, and technologists. We're creating a variety of learning experiences and opportunities to further that mission.

Currently, our primary course is a 10-week, full-time, full-stack (Javascript-core) bootcamp. The bootcamp is 500-700 hours of in-class time where people new to programming become competent, world-class, entry-level developers after 10 weeks.

The fact that we’re teaching the Javascript stack is important. Node.js has enjoyed enormous growth in the last couple of years. It is based on Javascript, which runs on every browser, has a very small footprint, low-latency, etc. Node.js is awesome at handling concurrent connections as a web server. This makes your apps really fast and ultimately makes hardware (servers) cheaper. Node.js promotes full stack development and even makes it easier (since Node.js and client-side JS are the same syntax)… Not to mention the Node community and tools makes development super-fast.

Ultimately, RefactorU is teaching people how to be effective programmers and how to learn new technologies. RefactorU is focused on practical skills. The people who care to invest their time learning more cutting-edge technologies, libraries, etc. show passion and maturity that the typical computer science graduate may not. Traditional computer science programs don’t touch the technologies and skills that RefactorU does. We think our approach is the most efficient and effective route to those skills.

At a very high-level, here's some of what the web development bootcamp covers:

Technologies:
- HTML5
- CSS3
- Javascript
- Node.js
- Web Sockets
- Mongo DB
- Command Line
- SQL
Libraries:
- jQuery
- Twitter Bootstrap
- Underscore
- Coffeescript
- Stylus
- Phonegap
Skills:
- Semantic Markup
- Developer Tools
- Responsive Web Design
- Ajax
- Build Systems
- Functional Programming
- Object-Oriented Programming
- Debugging Skills
- Pair Programming
- Test-Driven Development
- Unit Testing
- Design Patterns
We've also just announced several additional course offerings that we're adding this summer, including Data Science, Game Development, Product Management, and a course in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

BN: How many people have taken your "challenge" to reinvent themselves?

R: Great question! Despite the fact that RefactorU is still young, 38 students have graduated.

We’re currently running four 10-week Web Application Development bootcamps per year, at 24 students in each cohort, so 96 students per year for that course. We’re launching other courses and other delivery methods, so we’re just scratching the surface.

BN: How difficult is it to complete a course?

R: It's not easy. The web development bootcamp is very intense. Students need to be extremely dedicated to pursuing this as a career path, and they need to have sufficient levels of grit and tenacity to get through an enormous amount of content and projects related work in a short-time.

RefactorU's other course offerings will be similarly challenging, but may be delivered in different ways, and some courses will be avocational rather than purely vocational, so it won't always be an apples-to-apples comparison.

BN: Which are the most popular ones?

R: The On-Campus Full-Stack Web Development Bootcamp is our most popular, followed by a lot of interest in our self-paced plus mentor-facilitated web development course.

We're also seeing a lot of interest in the Data Science and Game Development courses that we’re kicking off. The one I’m most excited about right now is a course on UAVs and aerial video. Despite the recent coverage about the city of Deer Trail, Colorado, selling licenses to hunt drones, there is quite a lot of interest in UAVs.

BN: How do you choose which applications to accept?

R: RefactorU views applicants through the lens of a hiring manager. Successful applicants are highly intelligent and love solving problems. We look for candidates who are both confident and humble, who can communicate exceptionally well, who get along with others, and who work well in teams. To be accepted, an applicant must have all of those attributes and be determined to learn as much as possible.

Having said that, successful applicants don’t need a lot of prior coding experience prior to attending RefactorU. It helps if they’ve tried to learn on their own, and trying and failing is okay. Hitting a wall with MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses) is the norm and we understand that. Ultimately, we accept smart, well-rounded people who are passionate about pursuing an intense learning experience, transforming their careers, and who are not afraid of swimming in the deep end.

BN: What is the cost an applicant must pay to enroll?

R: Cost depends on the course. For the Web Development Bootcamp, the cost is $13,500. We also provide a 20 percent discount for women (underrepresented in STEM -- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics -- careers) and retired/active military personnel (and their spouses).

BN: What is the difference between on-campus and remote learning?

R: On-campus courses are held at RefactorU, in Boulder, Colorado. That may be a single-day class or workshop, or a multi-day course spread out over one or more weeks. These standard, on-campus courses are not immersive like bootcamps. Instead, they typically meet for a few hours per day or per week.

Remote courses at RefactorU come in two flavors: Live-stream and Self-paced.

Live-stream courses at RefactorU are offered in conjunction with several of our on-campus courses and bootcamps. In live-stream courses, students participate simultaneously via the Internet with students at RefactorU using high-definition web cameras, Google+, Skype, and other tools.

Self-paced courses at RefactorU are courses that are delivered completely online, via the Internet. Lectures are pre-recorded and all course resources (readings, exercises, solutions, etc.) are available online. With self-paced courses, students have the option of working 1:1 with mentors who have deep experience in the course topic.

BN: Have graduates landed high-profile jobs? If so, please give some examples.

R: It’s still early, and thus far most of our grads have been drawn to small and mid-market organizations in the Boulder/Denver area. We’re lucky to be in such an awesome city. Boulder has more startups per capita than any other city in the country, including Bay Area cities, NY, etc.

Some people are interested in getting experience at a larger, more established company. Others want to experience a startup. Still, others want want a little bit of both.

Here is a sample of some of the companies that have hired our graduates (not an exhaustive list):
- Markit On Demand
- Human Design
- Social Tables
- Ranku
- ArcStone
- HyperIQ
- Hook & Loop
We have relationships with a variety of companies to provide opportunities to students regardless of their interests.

BN: How many graduates get a job after RefactorU?

R: In the three months after our first cohort ended, approximately 85 percent of graduates were working as developers. Most students who enter RefactorU want to get a job afterwards, but there is a significant percentage that want to get into freelance work or want to start a company. We encourage all of that and work hard to help them achieve their goals, no matter what those goals are.

BN: What is next?

R: We're continuing to focus on delivering world-class learning experiences and challenging traditional models of education, even other bootcamps. Our bootcamp experience is unlike any other experience our students have gone through. Many of them forge deep emotional connections with their peers and instructors, and a lot of them shed tears when the bootcamp ends. We're going to continue to create those kinds of experiences.

We're also building out a network of coaches and mentors who have experience with cutting edge 21st century skills. These coaches will be assisting more and more people reinvent their careers through RefactorU's learning experiences.

Finally, we're dabbling with creating an incubator for RefactorU's graduates who are interested in bootstrapping businesses. In our last cohort, about 30 percent of our students were bouncing around startup ideas, and I increasingly find myself being a lean startup/customer development coach. That’s all consistent with our mission to accelerate the learning and development of the world's aspiring creatives, makers, and technologists. We'll see what happens!

Photo Credit: bikeriderlondon/Shutterstock
World's thinnest soundbar: Humax STA–1200 BSW packs a punch

Publié: mai 2, 2014, 12:27pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Whether you've been following Alan's guide to cutting the cord and have opted to ditch your traditional TV service in favour of something web-based, you're keen on sticking with your cable or satellite setup, or you're a gamer, sound is incredibly important to any setup. You could opt to go down the 5.1 (or even 7.1) surround sound route, but all too often this will involve trailing cables around the room in somewhat untidy fashion.

In recent years there has been something of a surge in interest in soundbars -- single units that pump out pseudo-surround -- and there is a huge range to choose from. Many are big and bulky, but the latest offering from Humax -- of set top box fame -- has something of a unique claim to fame: it is, allegedly, the slimmest soundbar in the world.

The first time I read the dimensions for the Humax STA-1200 BSW, it just didn’t make sense. I didn't go quite as far as whipping out a tape measure or making up a dummy unit out of cardboard, but I did plenty of guestimating of size with much waving of arms whilst muttering (something along the lines of) "that can't be right!" Anorexia references are probably in bad taste, but I'm not one for worrying about such things and it's been typed now -- I'm not going back to delete it. Good taste or bad, this is a soundbar that is positively waif-like: 1200mm wide by 37mm tall by 20mm deep. Yep -- no typos there, this is a soundbar that has dimensions that are not dissimilar to a broom handle. There's also a sub to take into account, but this is hardly of mammoth proportions.

Dotted along the length of the soundbar are four speakers, pumping out 80W of power. The sub is a passive unit that provides 100W of bass backup. There's a frequency range of 40Hz-40KHz (or 40Hz-14KHz, depending on whether you trust the online brochure or the user manual), which is more than acceptable. Despite the unit's diminutive size, it really does throw out some decent sound. Controls are basic -- there are no equalizer settings to play with, for instance -- but the bass boost option and "surround" feature both yield impressive results. Audio is rich and clear, but it would be nice to be afforded a little more in the way of tweaking options. Switching through the small number of settings can be achieved using the mini remote control, or the pleasing touch controls on the bar itself.

Aesthetically, the Humax STA-1200 BSW is a good looking piece of kit and it wouldn't look out of place under any large screen TV or monitor. The styling is such that the soundbar can "blend in" with most setups, and you can choose between using a wall bracket or a desk-mounted stand. The wall bracket keeps things neat and tidy, but the stand gives more flexibility in terms of positioning.

The stand itself, whilst entirely functional, is a very basic and plasticky affair. Whilst not exactly flimsy one can’t help but feel that it wouldn’t take much to snap it in two -- if you have a couple of cats stalking the house, or perhaps kids, you may feel similarly concerned. Left to its own devices it's going to come to no harm, but it almost has the look and feel of a 3D printed model -- it is something of a low point.

In terms of inputs, things are a little limited. In fact there are only two wired options: optical or 3.5mm jack. While this will allow for connection to most devices, audiophiles may well rue the dearth of inputs. There is one other option however -- the Humax STA-1200 BSW also functions as a wireless speaker thanks to built-in Bluetooth support. Great for streaming music from a phone or tablet, using the soundbar as a Bluetooth speaker is very simple to get up and running... and it's just kinda cool, really. Pairing is a breeze and output via Bluetooth 3.0 is more than passable.

So… is this the best soundbar you could get for £200 (it's currently UK only)? Possibly not. Is it £200 well-spent? Almost certainly. This is a unique beast whose looks and stature belie the power and punch that lurks beneath the surface. For fans of minimalism looking for sleek style without having to make too much of a compromise, this is a great option. And hey, it is also referred to as the Blade, which is kinda sexy. Maybe we'll see a surge in sound blades this year...
Microsoft OneNote for Mac adds new features, still lags behind Windows version

Publié: mai 2, 2014, 12:27pm CEST par Nick Peers

Microsoft has released OneNote for Mac 15.1, the first major update to its note-taking tool that was released back in March.

Version 15.1 comes with printing support, a new Format Painter tool and support for embedding web links. It’s joined by OneNote for iPhone 2.2.1, which is now capable of creating notebooks and sections from scratch as well as bundling Office Lens functionality for document scanning.

OneNote for Mac launched with only a subset of the features found in the Windows version -- users could only insert text, tables, images and date or date/time stamps, for example.

Version 15.1 adds a new option to the sparsely populated Insert tab -- Link. Sadly, this can currently only be used to insert hyperlinks. The same option in the Windows version allows users to also insert links to locally stored files and other notebooks.

OneNote for Mac 15.1 also adds support for both printing notes and saving them as PDF files -- both options are available from the new Print dialog. This option seems to work best with notes formatted for A4 portrait -- in our tests, we found large chunks of free-form notes were chopped off with no option for setting orientation to landscape for example.

Version 15.1 also supports copying and pasting formatted content from other applications -- including of course, Microsoft Office for Mac -- into OneNote without losing the original formatting. OneNote for Mac also gains the use of a Format Painter for applying text formatting from one selection of text to another.

Users also gain the ability to drag and drop pictures directly from open web pages or from local folders into the currently open note. Multiple items are supported when selecting pictures in a folder. In addition to this, users can now rotate photos as well as restore resized images to their original size.

At the same time, Microsoft has also updated OneNote for iPhone to version 2.2.1. Despite the minor revision number, the update is significant in that it "untethers" the app from the desktop version, giving users the ability to not just edit and view existing notebooks, but create their own notebooks and sections directly from the iPhone too.

The app also gains the functionality of the Office Lens app, which allows users to take photos of whiteboard notes, receipts and other documents, which are then rendered more readable and even made editable where possible using OCR technology.

Microsoft OneNote for Mac 15.1 is available now as a free download for Macs running OS X 10.9 or later. Also available is Microsoft OneNote 15.0 for Windows 7 and 8 PCs, as well as a range of mobile apps, including Windows RT/8, iPhone, iPad and Android.
The top five technologies driving the internet of things

Publié: mai 2, 2014, 11:15am CEST par Ian Barker

We're hearing more and more about the internet of things at the moment, but what are the technologies that are doing most to make it a reality?

Entrepreneur’s group TiE Global has produced an infographic highlighting industry insights and predictions for the top internet of things technologies for this year.

It names the five key technologies making the IoT a reality as smartwatches, the automated home, health and fitness tracking, connected retail, and virtual and augmented reality. Some of these like smartwatches, and fitness tracking are heading towards the mainstream. Others like augmented reality -- Google Glass for example -- have yet to fully take off but are likely to have a big impact when they become available to consumers.

Connected retail systems, allowing you to pay with your mobile phone using NFC for example, are predicted to account for 19 percent of retail sales by 2016. Automated home technology has started off slowly but the market is expected to be worth over $35 million by 2016.

You can read more on the infographic below.

Image Credit: lucadp / Shutterstock
Oculus Rift launch date officially confirmed for 2015

Publié: mai 2, 2014, 8:44am CEST par Alysia Judge

If you can't wait to start hurling yourself down virtual sled slopes and exploring full 360 environments, an Oculus Rift spokesperson has revealed the company expects to ink a launch date for some time next year in 2015.

Saying that the company would be "disappointed" if the virtual reality headset wasn't on shelves by 2016, the unnamed spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider that after months of waiting we're one step closer to an official retail release.

It's about time too. When the Oculus Rift raised $2.4 million on Kickstarter over a year and a half ago, the world expected to have virtual reality headsets-to-go within a matter of months. However it's taken the full force of Facebook throwing itself behind the project to bring a concrete release date into focus on the horizon.

Apparently the delay has been largely due to developers. As with all technology worth its salt, it's no good having a shiny bit of kit if there's no decent software to go with it. With the second generation SDK now scheduled to ship to developers in July, Oculus is willing to stall the official hardware launch to give the professionals time to create content worthy enough to accompany it.

Most intriguingly however was Business Insider's chat with Chris Dixon, an investor in Oculus VR who hinted at the company's next project: a new headset that will require a whole room of servers to work.

"You go into a room. It's a special room. Fancier headset. ... In user testing it gets to a level of realism where almost all people feel that it's realistic. Imagine everything you can see now, but it's a little bit pixelated. Eventually that [pixelation] will go away," he reported.

Exactly what this headset so powerful it needs the server equivalent of the Titanic to work is unclear, but Dixon reportedly said that he expects Oculus's new product to be employed in training for both the fire service and military applications.

Meanwhile, Facebook's acquisition of Occulus Rift earned both companies few favours. Many who had seen it as purely another step in the evolution of gaming felt betrayed by a seeming "corporate sell out," with the creator of Minecraft himself rejecting the Virtual Reality headset.

However, whilst gaming is of course a rich landscape in which the Oculus Rift could flourish there are multiple potential applications for the revolutionary technology. David Attenborough, for example, is filming his next documentary for Sky 3D to be VR-compatible and many have hypothesised that a VR-enabled Facebook could allow users to interact with their friends online in a completely different way.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Doctor.com prescribes Chromebooks as cure for insecurity

Publié: mai 2, 2014, 5:55am CEST par Brian Fagioli

Chromebooks are very capable computers that many dismiss as a glorified web browser. However, those detractors should think outside the box a bit. For many people, the low-cost Chromebook can meet all of their needs. If all you need is a hammer, it is silly to argue that the hammer isn't also a screwdriver. If all you need is to drive nails, the hammer is fine.

One company, Doctor.com, has found that Chromebooks are meeting a need in a certain usage case. In other words, it is the right tool for the job. Even though a Macbook or Windows laptop may offer more features, the extra cost is wasted if the features are not needed.

"This January, we began deploying an application to efficiently collect credible patient reviews of their doctors, which we publish at Doctor.com and across a growing network of top healthcare websites such as the recently launched YourDoctor.com, a joint venture with Healthline, one of the web's most popular destinations for healthcare information and tools", says Andrei Zimiles, Co-founder and CEO, Doctor.com.

Zimiles further explains, "Chromebooks are allowing us to scale this program quickly and efficiently. We send every doctor who opts in an Acer Chromebook, which typically sits at the receptionist counter. At checkout, patients are encouraged to spend a few minutes entering anonymous feedback about their doctor as they wait for their paperwork to go through. This feedback is immediately sent to our team, and we vet and publish reviews on the Doctor.com network according to strict guidelines. This combination of credible reviews from patients and a wide network of important healthcare sites is unique in the marketplace and a win-win for both our doctor and patient users".

As you can see, the need is a simple web interface for collecting patient feedback. To deploy a Windows machine would be much more costly, involving security software, maintenance and fear of malware. When dealing with patient information, even something as simple as a review, securing the data is of the utmost importance. Don't forget, with an anonymous review, a patient can still potentially enter sensitive information in an open text box.

Doctor.com specifically mentions security as a reason for going with Chromebooks and I agree. It is the perfect cure for insecurity, since the machines are (so far) impervious to malware. After all, for the most part, the user can't install software locally that would negatively impact the machine. Quite frankly, if your need is only a mini-kiosk with simple web interface, why wouldn't you use Chrome OS?

Did Doctor.com make the right choice? Tell me in the comments.

Photo Credit: PathDoc / Shutterstock