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Birst launches free analytics module for NetSuite customers

Publié: mai 14, 2014, 8:43pm CEST par Ian Barker

Enterprise resource planning and other business functions like financials and customer relationship management are increasingly shifting to the cloud.

NetSuite is one of the main players in this market offering a broad suite of applications. To allow NetSuite customers to get the most from their software and gain greater operational efficiency, business intelligence specialist Birst is launching a free analytics module.

Birst Express for NetSuite helps NetSuite users understand their operational data in new ways and uses highly interactive visualizations that are unavailable in standard implementations of the software or using standard reporting tools.

Embedding Birst’s cloud BI platform within NetSuite's business software suite offers customers no-cost access to powerful analytics covering areas such as booking and billing. It includes Birst Visualizer, which combines Google-style search and Amazon-style recommendations to provide faster answers to questions.

For example it allows companies to compare conversion rates across products and customer types, understand billing trends and identify bottlenecks, as well as eliminate manual reporting to assist in faster decision making.

"Birst Express for NetSuite is designed to help companies understand their operational data in new ways using sophisticated analytics and interactive visualizations," says Brad Peters, Birst's chairman and chief product officer. "By embedding Birst's business intelligence platform within NetSuite’s software suite, we can help NetSuite customers optimize business processes, ultimately driving better performance throughout the organization. This is a no-brainer for NetSuite customers because all they have to do is start using it when they are using their NetSuite software".

The free module includes a pre-built library of more than 50 operational metrics and attributes, with historical and dimensional views. It also offers visualizations, enterprise dashboards and over 20 pre-built reports giving insights into key areas.

You can find out more about Birst and what it can do for business users on the company's website.
Snagit 12 debuts video trimmer, drops XP/ Vista support

Publié: mai 14, 2014, 8:36pm CEST par Mike Williams

TechSmith Corporation has unveiled the latest Snagit for Windows and Mac (that’s version 12 and 3, respectively), and while it’s not as revolutionary an upgrade as version 11, there are still some major changes and additions.

The bad news is the removal of support for XP and Vista. This is no great surprise -- Snagit has become much simpler and more streamlined lately, and it’s a logical step -- but that’s not much consolation if you’re affected.

The good news starts with the new video trimmer. If there’s a glitch in your video capture, you can now define the section you want to remove and cut it out with a click.

Snagit 12′s workflow is much more flexible. Instead of defining a capture type up front, you can now select the capture, resize it after you’ve released the mouse button (a real improvement) and then choose the type you need. As long as it’s not text capture mode, anyway -- that’s been dropped.

If you know exactly what you want to do, this may seem a backward step, but fortunately it’s easy to restore the old way of working. Snagit 12 can display all your capture profiles on the capture screen, and that allows you to directly capture images or videos with a click.

The Snagit editor has been redesigned for a new look, with darker shades and more muted colors supposedly helping you to "keep the focus on your content". We’re not quite so sure, and you can’t undo this, either, as the option to set a custom color scheme has been removed.

Built-in tutorials and training content should help new users find their way around Snagit’s more complicated areas. The program can directly tag single captures, and the Windows build now requires .NET 4 Full.

If you’re not an XP/ Vista user then Snagit 12 looks like a welcome upgrade, particularly the video trimmer. It can work with other videos -- not just Snagit’s own screen captures -- which could make it a useful way to quickly edit and share movies from any source. A trial build is available now.
Rdio celebrates Stones Throw Records with exclusive playlist

Publié: mai 14, 2014, 7:02pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

You may be surprised to learn this, but I used to be a crate-digger -- someone who frequented record-stores searching for vinyl. I may not look it, but I was massively into hip-hop vinyl collecting in the 90s and early 2000s. Many of my weekends were spent in Fat Beats or Beat Street in New York, just digging through boxes and crates searching for hidden gems or good deals. Sadly, the internet ruined this hobby for me and most record stores have closed. Instead of digging through crates, I now dig through Google Play Music All Access for streaming tunes.

One of my favorite record companies back in the day was Stones Throw. Besides putting out great hip-hop albums like Peanut Butter Wolf's "My Vinyl Weighs a Ton" and J Dilla's "Donuts", it also released obscure music on 7-inch. If you aren't familiar, most records nowadays are 12-inch, so the smaller 7-inch variants stood out and were fun. To celebrate an upcoming documentary on the record label, Rdio is hosting an exclusive playlist.

"Stones Throw has created an incredible and diverse body of work over the past 18 years, a legacy that has been neatly summarized in a documentary called Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton. The film offers an insider's look at the Los Angeles label through never-before-seen archival footage, home videos and interviews with founder Peanut Butter Wolf, Kanye West, Common, Mayer Hawthorne and many more", says Rdio.

The music service further explains, "to celebrate the release of the soundtrack and the documentary on Blu-Ray and DVD, the label has kindly created an exclusive playlist for Rdio listeners called In Stones Throw's Headphones. The 50-minute set reveals some of the label office's most frequently played tunes from the catalog, including songs from Hawthorne, Madlib, and the late producer J Dilla".

If you aren't familiar with the label's music, I urge you to take a listen. After all, the playlist is free. If you want to get funky, you can access it here. Tell me how you like it in the comments.
Google updates transit maps, adds UK and more

Publié: mai 14, 2014, 6:35pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

Getting around on public transit can sometimes be a chore. Changing buses and trains and subways can prove a task for the unsavvy commuter. There have long been apps that attempt to help people with this, including many mobile mapping services.

Now Google Maps is adding a plethora of new transit routes. The search giant announces the addition of all routes covering Great Britain, claiming it can get travelers from "Land's End to John O'Groats" -- not quite the Orkney Islands, but you'll be close.

In addition, Google is also now covering Vancouver, in British Columbia, Canada and also Chicago. The latter contains Wrigley Field, and promises to get Cubs fans to and from games faster than ever. Sorry, it won't help your team win the game though.

Finally, Google announces that this latest update contains all of the Brazilian cities that are slated to host this year's World Cup games, just in time for the start of the event.

The company claims that its Maps Transit system now "spans six continents, 64 countries and more than 15,000 towns and cities worldwide. And we’re not done yet". Many more additions are promised to be on the way.

Image Credit: Stephen Orsillo/Shutterstock
Linux environment KDE releases first beta of Plasma Next

Publié: mai 14, 2014, 6:33pm CEST par Brian Fagioli
If you have a decent computer and you are interested in dabbling in Linux, KDE is where you might want to start. You see, there are many desktop environments for Linux, but Windows users would probably feel most comfortable in KDE -- it resembles what they are used to, with things like a start button and menu.

Beginners aside, advanced Linux geeks use KDE too -- it is powerful, beautiful and well designed. Today, KDE releases the first beta of Plasma Next and is looking for testers and feedback.

"The Plasma team would like to ask the wider Free Software community to test this release and give any feedback. Plasma Next is built using QML and runs on top of a fully hardware-accelerated graphics stack using Qt 5, QtQuick 2 and an OpenGL(-ES) scenegraph. Plasma Next provides a core desktop experience that will be easy and familiar for current users of KDE workspaces or alternative Free Software or proprietary offerings. You can find more details on the upcoming Plasma Next release in the alpha release announcement. Plasma Next is planned to be released in early July", says the KDE team.

The team further explains, "the workspace demonstrated in this pre-release is Plasma Desktop. It represents an evolution of known desktop and laptop paradigms. Plasma Next keeps existing workflows intact, while providing incremental visual and interactive improvements. Many of those can be observed in this technology preview, others are still being worked on. Workspaces optimized for other devices will be made available in future releases".

Of course, as this is a beta, you should avoid using it on a production machine. The KDE team discloses the following known issues:
- Stability is not yet up to the level where the developers want Plasma Next. With a substantial new toolkit stack below come exciting new crashes and problems that need time to be shaken out.
- Performance of Plasma Next is heavily dependent on specific hardware and software configurations and usage patterns. While it has great potential, it takes time to wrangle this out of it and the underlying stack is not entirely ready for this either. In some scenarios, Plasma Next will display the buttery smooth performance it is capable off - while at other times, it will be hampered by various shortcomings. These can and will be addressed, however, much is dependent on components like Qt, Mesa and hardware drivers lower in the stack. Again, this will need time, as fixes made in Qt now simply won't be released by the time the first Plasma Next version becomes available.
- Polish is a major benefit of QML2, as it allows seamless usage of openGL, much more precise positioning and many other abilities. At the same time, the immaturity of Qt Quick Controls, the brand new successor to the 15+ year old Qt Widgets technology, brings some rough edges yet to be smoothed out.
If you are interested in testing, but do not want to risk ruining your computer, no worries. You can run a live environment off a DVD, by downloading and burning the ISO here.

Will you test it? Tell me in the comments.

Image Credit: Miriam Doerr/Shutterstock
GCHQ to be sued for infecting smartphones with malware

Publié: mai 14, 2014, 6:09pm CEST par Paul Cooper

The first legal battle against the UK's Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) has begun, as a suit was brought against the spy agency by privacy pressure groups.

The suit, brought against the GCHQ by UK-based NGO Privacy International, accuses GCHQ of infecting "potentially millions" of computers and smartphones around the world with malicious software, that could be used to do anything from extracting photos and text messages, switching on the phone's microphone or camera, or tracking locations or listening in to calls.

Privacy International filed the case in order to demand "an end to the unlawful hacking being carried out by GCHQ which, in partnership with the NSA" has carried out some of the most extensive spying operations ever known to man.

The activities of the two spy agencies were brought to the attention of the world when whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked thousands of documents he stole from the American National Security Agency (NSA) after working for them as a contractor.

The case alleges that the preferred methods of data collection used by GCHQ violate articles 8 and 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Article 8 defines the right of EU citizens to respect for private and family life, home and correspondence. It has been alleged that GCHQ has repeatedly broken this law by infecting people's smartphones with malware capable of spying on them.

Eric King, deputy director of Privacy International, said: "Unrestrained, unregulated Government spying of this kind is the antithesis of the rule of law and Government must be held accountable for their actions".

He added: "The hacking programs being undertaken by GCHQ are the modern equivalent of the government entering your house, rummaging through your filing cabinets, diaries, journals and correspondence, before planting bugs in every room you enter".

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Music player Winyl adds internet radio, lyrics, aiff/ opus/ speex support

Publié: mai 14, 2014, 5:58pm CEST par Mike Williams

Vinyl Software has announced the release of Winyl 3.0, an extremely major update to its popular music player. A new Radios menu gives easy access to nine internet radio stations, and you can add more as required.

Lyrics now appear automatically whenever you play a recognized song. Well, usually -- they’re not yet visible in all skins (try iTunes if you have problems).

A much improved tagging module adds support for cover art and lyrics, as well as allowing multiple values in tags. It can now read and write tags to all formats, too -- including WAV.

The Library has a new view which organizes all your songs by their composer. It’s turned off by default: click Settings > Advanced and check "Composers" to take a look.

File format support has improved with the ability to play aiff, opus and speex files.

The new build also comes with a new default skin, improved performance and the obligatory bug fixes (we’re not sure what they are, but early feedback suggests it’s more reliable all round).

If any of this sounds appealing, but you’re not a current user, then good news: Winyl 3.0 introduces a portable version, allowing you to try it out with the absolute minimum of hassle.

If you’re running an earlier version, though, upgrading should also be straightforward. Vinyl Software says you can install the new build over the old one without problems.
Start Menu Reviver -- not just another Start menu for Windows 8.x [Q&A]

Publié: mai 14, 2014, 2:57pm CEST par Wayne Williams
Removing the traditional Start button and menu from Windows 8 was a bold move for Microsoft. Unfortunately the tech giant underestimated just how attached to it users were. Rather than embracing the (slightly clumsy) full screen Modern UI, vast numbers of early adopters simply opted to install one of the many Start menus made available by third-party developers.

While most of these programs are straight copies of the Windows 7 Start menu, ReviverSoft has chosen to go down a different route with its product. Start Menu Reviver is a Modern-UI styled touchscreen-friendly Start menu that’s been designed to look as if it’s part of Microsoft’s OS. The recently released Start Menu Reviver 2 improves on the first edition by offering a sleeker design, greater customization, and a Windows 7 mode. I spoke to Davide De Vellis, co-founder of ReviverSoft, about Start Menu Reviver and what he thinks about Microsoft’s plans to introduce a Start menu of its own in a future Windows 8.x.update.

BN: There are lots of Start menus available for Windows 8.x, what makes your one different?

DDV: Taking just one look at Start Menu Reviver, the difference is obvious. We've taken the best of Windows past and combined the direction of Windows' future, and the result is a Start menu that many have said should have been the menu Microsoft included in its first release of Windows 8. Start Menu Reviver has the familiarity of a launch pad that people would expect from a Start menu on the Desktop, and we've used Microsoft's modern design styling by employing tiles that is quintessentially Windows 8. Where others have looked to the past and simply replicated the old Windows Start menu, we have looked to the future and designed a Start menu truly for Windows 8.

BN: What are the benefits of Start Menu Reviver?

DDV: Apart from bringing the Start menu back to the Desktop, we see the key benefits of Start Menu Reviver to be:
- Tile based menu structure is unique and truly touch friendly. Have you tried to use a Windows 7 style Start menu on a touch screen device? It's almost impossible (unless you have pin fingers).
- The tiles allow you to not only pin apps (desktop and modern) to your Start menu, but also your favorite files, folder and websites. That's right, you can launch your favorite websites directly from Start Menu Reviver.
- Start Menu Reviver is fully customizable. From the menu color scheme, to the tile destinations, to the tiles themselves. We built Start Menu Reviver so you can Start your way!
- Most other Start menus for Windows 8 restrict access to the Start Screen and Modern apps. The start screen (and Modern apps added as tiles) are directly accessible from Start Menu Reviver.
- Powerful search functionality accessible directly from Start Menu Reviver lets you access anything on your computer from files, to windows tasks, to apps.
BN: Why did you decide to create a Start menu that’s so unlike the others out there?

DDV: ReviverSoft is all about helping customers love their computers again. When we saw Windows 8 we knew that people were going to miss the Start menu. That being said, we also understand what Microsoft has set out to achieve with the new Modern design style of Windows 8 and so when thinking about how we would design Start Menu Reviver we knew that we wanted to complement Microsoft's vision, not work against it. Not only was it design though, it was also functionality. When you think about touch screen devices, we knew that we needed to design a Start menu that was not only navigable by mouse and keyboard, but also by touch. So, for us it was a no-brainer that we needed to employ a tile based structure, which had the launchpad familiarity of the traditional Start menu. We really do think we've done a great job of combining the best of the old with the direction of the new.

BN: Why do you think so many people prefer a Start menu to the Start screen?

DDV: I think familiarity is definitely key. People are familiar with utilizing a Start menu as the launch pad for their activities on the desktop. In the first iteration of Windows 8, when people hit the desktop and then had no familiar button for what they wanted to do next, they were lost. The introduction of the Start button was a move in the right direction, but again Desktop users aren't as familiar with having to navigate the Start screen to perform tasks on the desktop side of Windows 8. And trying to navigate the Start screen with a mouse is a bit of a pain, let alone having to scroll through all of the different apps just to find the one you’re looking for.

BN: Microsoft is set to bring back the Start menu in a future Windows update. Do you think this will impact on the need for your product?

DDV: Given the noise being made by Windows users, we always knew it was inevitable that there would be a re-introduction of a Start menu in some capacity in future versions of Windows 8, we just weren't sure when or how. Basically, we think it makes sense. The good thing for us is that we aren't a Start menu company. We built Start Menu Reviver to deliver on our brand promise -- to help customers love their computers again. Start Menu Reviver is free and so it's not going to impact our business when Microsoft releases its Start Menu. We will continue to support Start Menu Reviver and if people choose to use our product over whatever iteration of a Start menu Microsoft decides to bring back, whenever it finally does, then that's awesome.

BN: What plans do you have to make Start Menu Reviver even better?

DDV: A couple of features we were hoping to get into the recent release of Start Menu Reviver 2, but were left out due to time constraints, include the ability to launch Metro apps on the desktop. We are also working on live tiles in Start Menu Reviver and a more extensive tile library that will allow for greater personalization. What we've loved about launching Start Menu Reviver is the positive reception from users and the awesome feedback we've received. Many of the improvements in Start Menu Reviver 2 have come from user feedback and we expect that what you see in Start Menu Reviver 3 will also be a result of what our users are asking for.
Want your router to match your outfit? D-Link has you covered with the DIR-818LW

Publié: mai 14, 2014, 2:43pm CEST par Brian Fagioli
Aesthetics in technology matters. Historically, with the exception of Apple, many technology manufacturers have shipped functional, yet ugly products. While Windows-based desktops are more modern-looking nowadays, we aren't far removed from the days of beige boxes.

In my house, I have an Apple Airport Extreme router. Now, maybe it's insane to spend $200 on a router, but I had my reasons. First of all, it has great speeds and is reliable. The other reason? It's pretty! Yes, that matters as I keep it in my living room. Today, D-Link releases a new line of routers that can match your outfits or your living-room furniture.

"D-Link today announced that it is now shipping a new line of AC750 Wi-Fi Routers (DIR-818LW) available in red, teal, black, and white. Featuring a sleek, cylinder shape, the routers deliver next generation 802.11ac wireless speeds and gigabit wired speeds. The new routers are perfect for any house looking for a reliable and strong home network ideal for HD video streaming, online gaming and multiple user activities with some desk appeal", says D-Link.

Daniel Kelley, VP of marketing, D-Link says, "Wi-Fi routers have never had the reputation of being the most aesthetically pleasing products in the home, and we set out to change that with our color routers. With the launch of our new line of AC750 Wi-Fi Routers, customers not only get a powerful home network capable of supporting the most demanding applications, they also have a stylish device they can proudly display on the desk rather than buried underneath it".

D-Link touts the following features:
- Next Generation AC750 Technology -- increased speed, range and reliability ensure strong whole-home coverage
- Fast Gigabit Ports -- four 10/100/1000 Gigabit ports provide high-speed wired connectivity
- Dual Band Performance -- up to 433Mbps on the 5GHz band and 300Mbps on the 2.4GHz band for maximum throughput with less Wi-Fi interference
- Backward Compatibility -- works with existing Wi-Fi devices
- mydlink Cloud Services -- remotely monitor your network using your smartphone or tablet
- SharePort -- stream content from a connected USB drive to multiple mobile devices with a free mobile app
As you can see, the router is very capable and is much more than just gimmicky colors. However, the color and design is important too, as it gives consumers choice. While white and black are rather ho-hum, the teal and red are very attractive and fun. Best of all, it is being sold at a very competitive $79.99 (Exclusively at Amazon).

Does the appearance of your router matter to you? Tell me in the comments.
Latest iPhone lock screen bypass uses Siri to gain access to Contacts

Publié: mai 14, 2014, 2:35pm CEST par Jamie Hinks

Apple iPhone owners have a new lock screen bypass to combat after a security researcher discovered a flaw in the newest version of iOS.

It’s reported that the latest exploit, which is inside iOS 7.1.1, allows someone to reach the iPhone’s Contacts screen without unlocking the device and works across all iPhones that have the Siri personal assistant.

Sherif Hashim, a part-time security researcher and full-time neurosurgeon from Egypt, outlines the loophole in a YouTube video where he explains how Siri can be used to enter the device.

Hashim uses Siri’s "Call" command that asks who the user wants to call and after this it takes just a few more steps before being given access to the device’s entire Contact list that can be viewed and used for illicit means.

The bypass can’t be exploited remotely and it has to be done by someone that has physical access to the device and it pays to be vigilant when using a device and to not leave it unattended for long periods of time.

Graham Cluley, a security researcher himself, writes on the Intego security blog that iPhone owners can prevent the attack by going to Settings and then Passcode before scrolling down to the Allow Access When Locked section and turning off Siri.

Apple’s iPhone has been plagued by a number of lock screen exploits over the years that have usually meant that the company releases a new version of iOS that addresses the problem.

That was the case when an updated version of iOS 7 was released to address an error that meant anyone with physical access to the handset could gain partial access to data by simply using the new Control Center that was implemented with iOS 7.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
BurnAware 7 Free revamps user interface, adds new third-party file explorer

Publié: mai 14, 2014, 2:18pm CEST par Nick Peers

BurnAware Technologies has released BurnAware 7.0 Free, BurnAware 7.0 Premium and BurnAware 7.0 Professional, the latest builds of its free and paid-for disc burning products for Windows.

Version 7 adds a new user interface to all of its tools, plus adds a multi-erase tool for wiping discs simultaneously. It also replaces the built-in file browser with an external file manager.

BurnAware 7 opens with a radically revamped user interface, sporting a sleeker, curved and semi-translucent look, complete with redesigned icons. This redesign is present throughout the entire suite of tools and is part of an updated Multiburn SDK and user interface.

Three new options have been added to the program: users can now detect the read/write speed of their drive, apply a skin for forms and adjust the recorder cache to help speed up the burning process.

Users also gain the ability to use the BIN format when using the Copy to Image module, while users with multiple drives can now erase discs simultaneously.

Both burning and shell libraries have been updated alongside the Help and translations. The program also comes with the promise of improved performance and stability.

Problems with detecting recorders in Multiburn have been resolved along with verification and tray opening issues. A couple of other bugs have also been squashed -- one offering multisession for closed discs, the other creating the possibility of a date encoding error. Other unspecified fixes and improvements have also been implemented.

BurnAware 7.0 Free is a freeware download for PCs running Windows XP or later. It supports disc burning, image creation and burning plus disc copying to images. Users wanting direct disc-to-disc copying, audio track extraction and file recovery capabilities should look at BurnAware 7.0 Premium instead, which costs $19.95 for a lifetime license with one year’s free upgrades. Also available is BurnAware 7.0 Professional, which costs $39.95 and also offers multi-burn support from ISO images as well as allowing commercial usage.
Whirlpool File Checker finds new and changed files on NTFS drives

Publié: mai 14, 2014, 2:15pm CEST par Mike Williams

Every time you use your PC, files are being created, modified or deleted in the background. For the most part you won’t care, but if you’re worried about malware, or wondering what someone else is doing on your system, then it might be interesting to find out exactly what’s being changed.

Enter Whirlpool File Checker, an open source file integrity checker which can scan a set of files and highlight any which are new, or have been changed.

The program works by calculating the hashes for your files, and storing them in alternate data streams (file system records associated with the file). The down side of this technique is it only works on NTFS drives. But by way of compensation, the hashes stay with the files, even if you copy or move them to another folder or volume.

Whirlpool File Checker arrives as a very small stand-alone executable, just 42KB, so it’s no surprise that the interface looks, well, basic. But it’s easy enough to use. To get started, click "Add Files/ Folders", select a folder tree to scan (use your Documents folder, as a test), click Start, and wait as your files are scanned.

Once the process is complete, you’ll see a list of "Files without Hashes" -- files that don’t have any associated hashes. Click "Create Hashes" and Whirlpool File Checker calculates a hash for each file (it uses "a strong 512-bit hash function", apparently) and saves this in its alternate data stream.

To see how the program works, create a new file in your Documents folder (or whatever folder you scanned), and change one or two others.

Finally, relaunch Whirlpool File Checker, choose the same folder and click Start. The program then creates hashes for every scanned file, and compares them with the stored hash.

If there is no stored hash then it’s probably a new file, and is listed in the "Files without Hash" box.

And if there is a stored hash, but it doesn’t match the new calculation, then the file has changed, and it’s listed in the "Altered Files" box.

Whirlpool File Checker isn’t the most sophisticated of integrity checkers. Its interface is poor, and it’s distinctly short on features (you can’t even export the "Altered Files" list for use elsewhere).

Still, the program is also tiny, fast and free, and a quick and easy way to highlight changed files on your system. If that sounds interesting, go take a look.
Android developer surprised to find his app in Nokia Store

Publié: mai 14, 2014, 11:56am CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

ADW.Launcher developer Ander Webbs has taken to Google+ to share his surprise after finding out his Android app was available in the Nokia Store -- the app store for Nokia X -- seemingly without his permission and without him ever launching the offering there. At first glance it appears Opera, which operates Nokia Store, has jumped the gun by creating an account and uploading the app on his behalf.

Without knowing the context, a number of vocal Google+ users have begun to accuse Nokia of unprofessionalism (bordering on wrongdoing). Fueled by a desire to bring the matter to the public's attention, it has quickly escalated. But, as it turns out, in 2010, Webbs agreed to have ADW.Launcher offered through Handster, which was later purchased by Opera.

Because of this, Opera deemed it appropriate to publish the version of ADW.Launcher, that it has from Handster, to Nokia Store. The agreement Opera and Nokia have is meant to allow the former to distribute Handster-posted apps through Nokia Store.

What is interesting is Webbs, until his chat on Google+ with Anna Melnychuk of Opera who sent him the email that triggered everything, apparently did not read the email that was sent in 2012, informing him he was becoming an Opera developer, following the Handster acquisition.

It is an interesting turn of events, and one which would have not come to light had Melnychuk kept quiet about it. This goes to prove just how quickly Internet users can take someone's side without seeing the full picture, becoming judge, jury and executioner, and also how a past agreement can have unexpected repercussions.

Image Credit: Maridav/Shutterstock
Opera Developer adds support for unprefixed CSS transforms, fails to ignite user imagination

Publié: mai 14, 2014, 11:55am CEST par Nick Peers

Opera has unveiled Opera Developer 23.0, a brand new version of the alpha build of its web browser. Version 23.0 contains little in the way of eye-catching headlines, but has been used to showcase the browser’s new flexibility with regards to web standards.

Its headline feature is support for "unprefixed CSS Transforms", which accompanies another update to the underlying rendering engine.

CSS Transforms allow developers to apply various 2D and 3D transformation effects to page elements, including scaling, rotating, moving and skewing. The full changelog shows a lot of minor tweaks and improvements are also being implemented in Opera 23, while the update also includes previously introduced features from version 22 (and now available in Opera Next 22.0), including updated themes and minor improvements to the Windows installer to remove the UAC dialog prompt during updating.

Perhaps mindful of the lack of eye-catching new features in this first development release (as well as Opera Next), Opera is keen to highlight a number of ongoing projects that may or may not bear fruit in terms of actual browser improvements in the next few months.

These include working on improving the browser’s bookmarking tools, which were the cause of much anger among Opera veterans when the browser first switched to its rapid-release cycle.

Developers have also been looking at Mozilla’s PDF.js technology, which powers Firefox’s internal PDF viewer, and concluded that it’s a "very valid candidate" for incorporating into a future build of Opera as its own default internal viewer.

While these changes are all very welcome, it’s already clear judging by responses to the company’s blog post that users are largely underwhelmed by the seeming lack of new, headline-grabbing features.

Opera Developer 23.0 and Opera Next 22.0 are both available now as a freeware downloads for adventurous Windows and Mac users. Both can be installed alongside each other as well as Opera 21.0 FINAL.
LG teases upcoming G3 Android flagship

Publié: mai 14, 2014, 11:02am CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

It is hardly a secret that LG is working on the successor of its G2 flagship, as the South Korean maker has officially announced that the upcoming G3 Android smartphone will be unveiled at a press event later this month. It says so in the description of one of its YouTube videos, a teaser of, you guessed it, the G3, as well as on its Facebook page (and, most likely, every other social media page LG has).

We do not need to speculate on the name (G3, obviously), the day of its presentation (May 27) or even the hour (18:00 GMT, 1 pm EST, 10 am PST). But, not to reveal all its cards before the big night, LG is (for now, at least) still keeping the actual smartphone under wraps. Go figure. We can, however, get a pretty good idea on how the G3 looks and what it offers, as the teaser does reveal plenty of details.

It appears that LG will place a great deal of importance on the camera, which is the star of the show for half of the teaser's duration. It will feature optical image stabilization, as indicated by the movement of the lens inside the camera compartment. This is a feature the G3's predecessor has, as well as other smartphones like the year-old HTC One and the upcoming Nokia Lumia 930.

Near the camera, on the right side, there is a dual-LED flash (I cannot make out what the thing opposite it is). The now-traditional physical buttons under the camera module also make an appearance in the G3 (for some reason, LG seems to be fond of their unusual placement).

What I find more interesting though is the newfound metal look and feel the G3 is going for. Whether it is actual metal or plastic made to look like it will remain to be seen, but, thankfully, LG is trying to move away from the cheapness of glossy plastic.
iStick is a USB flash drive with integrated Apple Lightning connector

Publié: mai 14, 2014, 9:51am CEST par Wayne Williams

Transferring files between an iPhone and iPad is easy. If you’re running iOS 7 on both devices you can use the AirDrop feature. Transferring files from an Apple device to a PC (and vice versa) is trickier though, and often involves emailing them, or using a cloud drive.

iStick is a clever solution that functions as a USB flash drive, but comes with a Lightning connector on the opposite end, allowing it to be used with iPhones, iPads and iPod touches. As well as transferring files between devices, you can play music or watch movies directly from the iStick.

The flash drive measures 51.6 x 28.6 x 9.1mm, and is offered in various colors and storage capacities -- 8GB/16GB/32GB/64GB/128GB. You can choose from ABS plastic and aluminum, or all aluminum. It’s USB 2.0 only at the moment unfortunately (the creators say implementing USB 3.0 would involve redesigning the drive).

iStick is currently available on Kickstarter where a $79 pledge will net you an 8GB plastic model (Facebook or Tweet about it and you’ll get a free upgrade to the all-aluminum version). That might seem a little expensive, but the full retail price will be $129, so it’s actually a $50 saving. Free shipping to the US is included -- international purchasers will need to add $10. Obviously higher pledges will get you a larger capacity drive -- $299 for a 128GB model, for example ($100 off the retail price).

There’s clearly a huge demand for a USB flash drive with Lightning integration because the creators were seeking $100,000 in funding and have already received pledges of $309,000, with 34 days still to go. Most Early Bird Specials (offering iSticks for a discounted rate) have already been snapped up.
Microsoft Azure to get extra security and disaster recovery features

Publié: mai 14, 2014, 8:28am CEST par Jamie Hinks

Microsoft Azure is adding a number of new features to its public cloud offering that provide customers with extra security protection and disaster recovery improvements.

The firm told attendees at its TechEd conference in Houston that a glut of new features will include enhanced malware protection, performance protection for virtual machines as well as various parts of the product being refreshed, according to Cloud Pro.

One of the many changes is a rebranded version of the Hyper-V Recovery Manager that will be now be known as Microsoft Azure Site Recovery and able to be previewed from next month.

It will include allowing end users to replicate and recover virtual machines, workloads and services to Azure even if a primary data center goes down, and this makes it cheaper and easier for enterprises to benefit from.

"One of the things that differentiates [this] is that it is drop dead simple to use, and you can apply this to every workload in your data center. Historically, disaster recovery has been reserved for only the most mission critical applications for most organizations because it’s too expensive and too difficult. Let’s have disaster recovery for every one of the offerings in your company. For every one of the offerings your users and customers are using," said Brad Anderson, corporate VP of the company’s cloud and enterprise division.

Anti-malware protection is another product that has been added to the public cloud service to let end users protect Azure hosted virtual machines as well as applications that are being built for the public cloud platform.

To try to build confidence and trust in the security and performance of the public cloud it also announced the launch of the Azure ExpressRoute service. It gives a private Internet connection to connect on premise and data center assets to the public cloud and thus reduces the strain on bandwidth and any latency issues.

The latest changes come after the company changed the product name from Windows Azure to Microsoft Azure in order to better reflect its position as a product that is no longer just linked to Windows.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Griffin releases Wired Keyboard for iOS Devices -- wireless is so passé

Publié: mai 14, 2014, 1:37am CEST par Brian Fagioli

It seems that lately, consumers prefer wireless for everything. Sure, wires may look old-school, but I like them. My wired keyboards and mice never run out of juice or have connectivity issues. As great as WiFi is, whenever possible, I try to use ethernet cable too. Despite what some recent DirecTV commercials say, wires are not ugly!

When I use my iPad for creation, I typically use a Bluetooth keyboard with great results. However, the battery on it must be charged, and most of them utilize microUSB. And so, I must remember to pack an extra cable when traveling just in case. Today, accessory-giant Griffin releases the Wired Keyboard for iOS Devices and I am intrigued. Yes, you actually plug a wire into an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.

"Featuring the familiar layout and feel of a full-size keyboard, Griffin's Wired Keyboard offers full iOS key functions and tactile feedback with the added advantage of a cord that makes connection quick and easy in any setting. The Wired Keyboard is offered in 30-pin or Lightning versions and is the perfect hassle-free, secure solution for students, teachers and professionals. Users simply connect the keyboard to their iPad, iPhone or iPod touch, and instantly their devices get the full-featured keyboard they crave", says Griffin.

The manufacturer further explains, "created specifically with school environments in mind, the Wired Keyboard helps instructors avoid challenges that inevitably occur when pairing several iPads with several Bluetooth keyboards. Since there is never a need to change batteries, recharge the keyboard or go through a Bluetooth pairing process, teachers can focus on lessons rather than spending time troubleshooting connection issues".

Even though the keyboard is aimed at schools, it should work wonderfully for other uses too. I envision myself propping up my iPad Air using the official Apple case, and plugging in this keyboard when needed -- a great tool to keep in a backpack.

If you are interested, you can buy it for $59.99 here.