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Samsung Galaxy S5 -- the whole Android package [Review]

Publié: juillet 4, 2014, 11:39pm CEST par Brian Fagioli
It is hard to get excited about an Android smartphone nowadays. There are simply too many similar devices on the market. Slightly faster processor? Slightly larger screen? Yawn. At this point, Android is simply evolution rather than revolution. Hell, Google I/O 2014 was rather boring. While the proposed changes to Android "L" are nice, it is hardly anything to get excited about.

Instead, it seems that true innovation is coming from the manufacturers, rather than Google. There have been many cool additions to Android by Samsung, LG and HTC to name a few. Samsung in particular has enhanced the OS immensely with its tweaks and features. Sadly, many critics have lambasted that manufacturer for cluttering the user experience with too many features. While I understand the "less is more" philosophy, I refuse to fault any company for being too ambitious. For the past couple weeks, I have been testing Samsung's ambitions with the Samsung Galaxy S5 (Verizon) and I would like to share that with you.

Specs
- Screen -- 5.1 inch Full HD AMOLED Corning Gorilla Glass 3 Touch Screen Display
- Dimensions -- 5.59 inch (H) x 2.85 inch (W) x 0.31 inch (D)
- Weight -- 5.11 oz
- Verizon Network: LTE Band 13/4 (700/1700 MHz), CDMA/1xEVDO Rev. A (800/1900 MHz)
- Global Network: EDGE/GSM (850/900/1800/1900), HSPA/UMTS(850/900/1900/2100)
- Operating System -- Android 4.4, KitKat & TouchWiz
- Memory -- 16GB on board memory + 2GB RAM/Supports up to 128GB microSD Card (sold separately)
- CPU -- 2.5GHz Quad Core Processor
- Battery -- Standard 2800 mAh Lithium Ion Battery
- Camera -- 16MP AF with Flash and Zero Shutter Lag Rear Facing Camera
- WiFi -- 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4GHz/5GHz, MIMO
Impressions

This is the first Samsung smartphone that I've had any extended time with. However, I have had experience with TouchWiz by using the company's tablets. I thought that most Android phones are pretty much the same, but lately I have seen a lot of people using Samsung devices. Hell, Best Buy even has a dedicated section of the store for the products. I generally believe where there is smoke there is fire, so I assumed I must be missing something about Samsung's phones. I had to find out for myself.

After I received the phone and unboxed it, nothing happened. I mean, the phone was in the box, but no unicorns flew out of the box and certainly no rainbows or fireworks. No, inside of the box was just a white smartphone. It looked like most Android phones except, there was a slight protrusion on the bottom face. Oh right, a hardware button. Yuck! Physical buttons are archaic and stupid right?

Wrong. One of the most endearing features of the Galaxy S5 is that physical button. In the past, I avoided physical buttons, opting for on-screen variants instead. Unfortunately, this proved to be an annoyance as I would constantly hit the buttons in error. This happened most often while playing games, as my fingers would wander as I became immersed in the fun. Of course, this would ruin that experience and prevent me from truly enjoying the game. This does not happen on the S5.

But wait, that physical button has a trick up its sleeve -- a fingerprint reader. Yes, much like Apple's iPhone 5s, you can unlock the device using your finger. However, unlike Apple's solution where you just hold your finger on the reader, Samsung makes you swipe your finger in a downward motion. You must teach the device by swiping downwards multiple times until it approves you. Then, it should recognize your finger.

At first, it only recognized my fingerprint about 50 percent of the time. However, the more I used it, I learned the best ways to slide my finger -- the speed, the direction -- and now it works almost flawlessly. It works so well, that I don't know if I can ever go back; entering a pin or password is archaic.

Continuing the trend of having modern features, the S5 has a micro USB 3.0 port on the bottom. This means that when transferring files between the phone and a USB 3.0 supported PC, you should realize faster speeds. Don't worry though, you can still connect the older and smaller 2.0 cables, so your existing chargers will not go to waste. My only complaint about the port is that the door can be hard to open. You have to stick your fingernail in to pry it open, which is tedious. I am fearful that it could break over time.

But wait, why does the USB port need a door? For the water-proofing, of course! Yes, the Galaxy S5 is water-proof -- well, water resistant I should say. In theory, you should be able to splash the phone or drop it in a shallow pool without destroying it. I will take Samsung's word on it though -- I can't bring myself to test it in practice. You could test a bullet-proof vest by wearing it and having someone shoot you, but is that worth the risk?

Sadly, Qi wireless charging is not supported out of the box. You need to buy an accessory -- a replacement battery door that increases the thickness of the device. Unfortunately, that extra thickness will prevent most cases from fitting, which is a major annoyance.

As an alternative, I bought a third party Qi sensor from Amazon for $9.00 that enables wireless charging using the stock battery door. It sort of worked -- it would charge for a few seconds, stop and then charge again. I feared this cycle would ruin the battery, so I quickly removed it and decided to forget about wireless charging on the S5. This was tragic as I love that feature.

You will have to charge it daily too. Battery life is passable, but not at all class-leading. The Droid Maxx remains the undisputed king in this regard. If I take it off the charger at 8am, it will need to be plugged in again around 6pm. This is with rather average usage -- no video streaming at all. This is totally acceptable for me, but heavier users may want to invest in an extra battery.

Longtime Android users like myself have been mourning the slow death of micro SD slots and removable batteries by many manufacturers. Samsung however, has stayed true by offering both. The Galaxy S5 is no different -- the back can be removed so you can access the battery, SIM card and micro SD card -- awesome.

On the rear of the device is a peculiar sensor that has been quite ballyhooed in commercials for the Galaxy S5. Yes, it can read and display your heart rate. However, without having a doctor do any calibration testing, how am I to know that it is working correctly? According to the S5, my resting heart rate seems to hover around 80 bpm. As per a Google search, it seems to be considered healthy.

My favorite aspect of the Galaxy S5 however, is the camera. The 16MP shooter takes wonderful photos, and can easily serve as a full time camera. Not only does the camera take beautiful and vibrant photos, but fast too. Nothing is worse than missing a shot because of shutter-lag and Samsung should be commended for the implementation.

Videos are equally as good and 4K shooting is available. However, I was disappointed with some limitations of 4K shooting. For one, you are limited to 5 minute videos, regardless of available space. This means you will have gaps in recording as you must restart at 5 minute intervals. Also, you cannot take simultaneous stills while shooting in 4K. It must be noted though, that my complaints do not exist when shooting in 1080p or 720p.

Consuming media on the device works great. Watching videos on the beautiful screen is a pleasure. However, the rear mono speaker is a bit of a disappointment. Don't get me wrong, it works fine for TV and movies, but music reproduction through the speaker is simply average. With that said, it does get rather loud, which is good for a small gathering or having fun at the beach.

Hacking

It took a while, but root has been achieved on the Verizon Galaxy S5. The solution is pretty epic too, as infamous hacker geohot released an easy to use APK, called "towelroot". This means no PC or clunky ADB commands are needed -- you can root from within the device.

Once rooted, you can install a SafeStrap recovery, which lets you have fun with alternative ROMs. While there are not many ROMs available, there are a few quality offerings that will easily remove bloat, including Verizon's pre-installed apps.

Conclusion

Before using this phone, I assumed people were buying Samsung Galaxy devices as zombies due to clever marketing. However, it soon became clear that Samsung's massive market share is well deserved. The screen on the S5 is vibrant and enjoyable and all of the company's enhancements to Android are beneficial. In other words, TouchWiz is great -- detractors are just simply wrong.

Sure, the HTC One has a better build quality and the LG G3 has a better screen. While both of those devices are great, the Galaxy S5 is simply a better all-around package. The fingerprint unlocking on the S5 in particular, renders any comparative shortcomings with those devices moot -- it is that good.

The Galaxy S5 is highly recommended and since it has been on the market for a couple of months, you can find some pretty good deals if you want to buy it. Do you already own it? Tell me your thoughts in the comments.

Photo credit: Brian Fagioli (taken with Nokia Lumia Icon)
Facebook Messenger update includes new dedicated iPad build

Publié: juillet 4, 2014, 6:53pm CEST par Nick Peers

Facebook has unveiled Facebook Messenger 7.0 for iOS and Android, a major new version of its dedicated messaging app for Facebook users.

Version 7.0 is notable for being the first version to include a native iPad build, coming three years after Facebook originally acquired the app’s forerunner, Beluga. The app also includes improvements to its video functions.

Facebook Messenger 7.0’s iPad build debuts a two-pane window design, with the left-hand pane allowing users to switch between recent conversations, groups, people and settings, where users can toggle notifications on and off, sync contacts and switch accounts if necessary.

The right-hand pane contains the currently selected conversation, where users will find the vast majority of features in the iPhone and Android versions are present, including stickers, group chat management and VoIP calling along with the ability to record audio messages.

Features not yet implemented from the iPhone build include tap-and-hold video recordings and the split-screen selfie camera.

Version 7.0 also now adds support for users to save any video shot in Messenger to their camera roll on both iOS and Android platforms, and rounds out the update with a number of unspecified fixes that promise better reliability.

Facebook Messenger 7.0 is available now for iPhone, iPad and Android. The Android version remains non-optimized for tablets for now.
Watch as global cyber warfare unfolds before your eyes

Publié: juillet 4, 2014, 6:48pm CEST par Paul Cooper

We've all heard that the scale and number of cyber attacks are constantly increasing, and that the bad guys are only getting smarter -- but can you actually picture what the unfolding exchange of cyber attacks looks like around the world?

Well now you can, with security company Norse's real-time online map of global cyber attacks. The map uses honeypot servers around the world to entice attackers into launching their attacks, and then displays them in real time on the map. The result is pretty mesmerizing, and shows the true scale of the worldwide cyber war going on all around us.

Most attacks originate in the US or China, usually targeted at each other, but other attacks originate from Russia, Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia, and all across Europe.

You can also see which type of hack is being used. The result is rather varied: Microsoft-DS (port 445) is still one of the top targets (it's the port used for Windows file sharing), but DNS (port 53), SSH (22), and HTTP (80) are all very popular too.

You'll probably see a lot of CrazzyNet and Black Ice, too -- two common Windows backdoor programs often used by script kiddies and criminals, rather than actual cyber warriors or nation states.

Every now and then, you'll also catch sight of a huge coordinated attack originating in China and coming down on the US like the fiery fist of an avenging God. While there's no direct evidence linking these back to the Chinese government, they do seem to happen all at once from a lot of different locations around the country -- suggesting that someone is coordinating them -- whether a cyber criminal mastermind or the Chinese government itself.

Back in 2012, the US Department of Defense reported that it was the target of 10 million cyber attacks every day; likewise, the National Nuclear Security Administration (which is in charge of the US's nuclear stockpile), says it saw 10 million attacks per day in 2012. We can only assume that these numbers have increased over the intervening years.

While the targets aren't real, the attackers on the map are, and we can suppose that the actual number of attacks going on is much higher than even the Norse map suggests. Still, this will give you some sense of just what's going on out there, and why a strong cyber security policy is a must-have in today's business world.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
I declare independence from Google

Publié: juillet 4, 2014, 4:43pm CEST par Joe Wilcox
Fifth in a series. Two years ago today, I stepped away from Apple, following a boycott later abandoned. My problems were philosophical, regarding the company's aggressive patent litigation that thwarts innovation. This July Fourth I seek freedom from Google, and not for the first time. I don't oppose the search and information giant, nor like fanboy rally for it. I declare independence as a practical exercise; an experiment. Can you -- OK, I -- do without Big G's expansive portfolio of products and services? I want to know.

In many regards, Google is the Internet gatekeeper U.S. trustbusters asserted Microsoft would be, in their late-1990s court case. Big G is unquestionably a monopoly that integrates features and products for competitive gain. In the United States, Google's search share is about 67 percent (3.5 times greater than second-ranked Microsoft), according to ComScore, and as much as 90 percent in some countries. Android's worldwide smartphone share is about 80 percent, according to IDC.

Those are two separate intertwined monopolies, as examples among others. They were organically obtained, not illegally gotten. But at what cost are they maintained? The question is not the M word, but this: Is Google a potentially dangerous monopoly that causes consumer harm? There are many tests, and I apply one: Seeing if I can find competing products and services that are comparable or better among the pillars of power, search high among them.

Microsoft All-In

Dependence is a long-standing concern. Four years ago, my lament: "I sold my soul to Google, can I get it back?" Five months later I tried to give up Google and failed, admitting defeat on July 2, 2011. Three years and two days later, my declaration of independence comes again -- and confidence is greater even though Google is ever more the necessary utility in 2014.

I lean on one monopoly to escape from another. For the summer, I embark on two interrelated digital lifestyle quests. The other is "Microsoft All-In", where I return to Windows full time following a nearly four-year hiatus. Surface Pro 3 replaces Chromebook Pixel as my primary PC and Nokia Lumia Icon takes the place of several Android phones, including HTC One M8 and Nexus 5.

In a series of ongoing posts, I will report my experiences going all-in, which will incorporate progress updates on my Google separation. The move back to Microsoft platforms, and also devices and services, isn't exclusive. I will use third-party products made for Windows and Windows Phone. Google is the exception, because of my freedom quest.

Necessary Utility

True independence is impossible, and undesired. In 1776, the American colonies sought freedom to govern themselves, not to sever all ties with England. The British Empire was enormous and realistically impossible to separate from. To do so would mean economic and political isolation. Something similar applies to the Google empire. I wouldn't want to be removed from search, for example. Given Big G's dominance, the result would be oblivion -- essentially being purged from the public record. I seek freedom to choose, nothing more.

While the recent European Union decision baffles me -- the one allowing people to be removed from Google search -- the implications are astounding. The service from one provider is a necessary utility. There Big G demonstrates greatness but also the power of monopoly as the Internet's informational gatekeeper. As Google ties more products and services to search, there is increasing concern about leveraged monopoly -- using dominance in one market to gain competitive advantage into others. This is the behavior, sealed by exclusive agreements, that got Microsoft into trouble with trustbusters on two continents, and Google on one. The European Union isn't as forgiving as the United States.

Read more of Joe Wilcox's "Microsoft All-In" series

U.S. antitrust and fair-trade regulators seek to protect consumers from harm. If they have choices, and those that are good enough, the government should stay back and let competition and commerce serve the public good. I am, from today, one anecdotal experiment seeking to determine if someone entrenched in the Google lifestyle can realistically adopt another.

Microsoft removes some of the barriers I expected. For example, Outlook.com can with a couple mouse clicks import folders and messages from Gmail. The process is easy and effective, and unexpected. I wonder if moving messages from the service back to Google's would be so effortless. That's question for another day.

The Road Ahead

Pledging to walk away is one thing, doing it is something altogether different and harder. So let me lay out a few ground rules. I have no control over the platforms and services that BetaNews uses, and for the benefit of readers must use to review some Google-related products. For example, I will complete HTC One M8 and Nexus 5 photography reviews and spend some time with new products, like Moto 360, if they are made available to me.

Personally, however, separation will be aggressive. I am so committed that on June 30, I closed my Google Apps account of six years and switched to Office 365; my main personal email domain has a new home. Couple days earlier, I cancelled Google Music and subscribed to the Xbox service. But last night I discovered that despite cancelling both Apps and Music services -- and even receiving confirmations -- Google still charged my credit card on July 2nd and 3rd. WTH? Google Apps is a laughable Catch-22. I phoned for the support number, but Google's automated system wouldn't process the call without a PIN, which is generated in the admin console. There is none since the account is closed. Email hits the same barrier. Google demands the message be sent after going to the same place. As for the music service, looks like Google ripped me off 10 bucks.

Back to the new lifestyle, I now Bing instead of Google and replace Gmail with Outlook.com. I even step back from Google+, where my presence is frequent. The social network's loss is a real sacrifice. I am in nearly 17,000 Circles and have there a loyal audience. Hopefully, my followers will be forgiving and move with me for the duration of the freedom quest. I don't see a single destination but several, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Vine. If you can make other, or better, suggestions, please do.

However, I won't delete my Google Account, Gmail, or YouTube. This is an experiment, not a boycott, and I tried and failed once before. My dependence is extensive and will not be easily broken. Regarding Gmail, too many people use my address to dump it. Compromise: Mail forwards to Outlook.com. I fully expect to start using some Google products in the future.

Perhaps your list of Google products or services looks something like mine. Here is what I use; in parenthesis is the planned replacement:
- Android 4.4 (Windows Phone 8.1)
- Chrome 36 (Internet Explorer 11)
- Chromebook (Surface Pro 3)
- Chromecast (Roku 3)
- Chrome OS (Windows 8.1)
- Gmail (Outlook.com/Office 365)
- Google Apps (Office 365)
- Google Calendar (Microsoft Calendar)
- Google Contacts (Microsoft People)
- Google Drive (OneDrive)
- Google Finance (Bing Finance)
- Google Hangouts (Skype)
- Google Keep (OneNote)
- Google Maps (Bing Maps)
- Google Music (iTunes, Xbox Music)
- Google News (Bing News)
- Google Now (Cortana)
- Google Play (Amazon, iTunes, Xbox)
- Google Photos (Flickr, OneDrive, 500px)
- Google+ (Facebook, Reddit, Twitter, Vine)
- Google Search (Bing)
- Google Translate (Bing Translator)
- Google Voice (Skype)
- Nexus 5 (Nokia Lumia Icon)
- YouTube (Vimeo)
Already, during my early days of Google freedom, I see two services toughest to abandon: Search, for which Bing is almost good enough but lacking in surprising ways, and YouTube, for which there is no satisfactory replacement; too much valuable content is not available elsewhere, and I refer to much more than cat videos.

True independence is impossible. Google is a necessary utility. Freedom to choose is my quest -- something that is good enough or better. No competitor other than Microsoft offers so many products that match those available from the other platform monopoly. Are they enough? We will see.

Photo Credit: Joe Wilcox
Best Windows 8 apps this week (4th of July edition)

Publié: juillet 4, 2014, 4:27pm CEST par Martin Brinkmann
Eighty-eight in a series. Welcome to this week's selection of the best applications for Windows 8.

Another excellent week in terms of app and game releases. Gameloft has released the superb Rival Knights jousting game which offers such stunning visuals and gameplay that we had to make it app of the week.

Three new TV network apps were released this week, in addition to the educational application Nova Elements which teaches you about the elements in an interactive way.

As always, if I missed an app or game that has been released this week that you believe is particularly good, let me know in the comments below or notify me via email instead.

Here is this week's selection of apps and games.

Red Stripe Deals

Six apps and games are discounted by at least 50 percent each week. The following applications are available at a discount this week.
- Bejeweled Live, a puzzle game for $2.49.
- Cribbage, a card game for $1.49.
- Tennis in the Face, action-based puzzle game for $0.99.
- GRIDD 2, a futuristic flying game for $0.99.
- Where Angels Cry (Full), an adventure game for $2.99.
- Gleek, a Twitter client for $4.99.
4th of July apps

There are not that many 4th of July games or apps available in Windows Store but here are some that you may want to consider.
- Touch Fireworks: create fireworks with your mouse or touch input.
- We The People offers access to the text of the Constitution. Bill of Rights and later Amendments.
App of the week

Rival Knights

Rival Knights is all about jousting and prevailing in medieval tournaments.

The game features beautiful visuals and touch-optimized controls that also work well for mouse users.

The game breaks jousting down to three different parts. First a good start, then acceleration and finally hitting the opponent where it hurts.

The goal of the game is to win all five tournaments and all the extra challenges the game makes available.

To do so, you earn gold and sometimes gems while jousting which you can invest in better equipment.

This comes down to either grinding your way to enough money, or to buy gems in the store to speed things up.

I have not have this much fun jousting since Cinemware's Defender of the Crown. Good times, good times.

Other apps

Disney Bola Soccer

The football World Cup continues today with the first two quarter-final matches and what better way to prepare for that than to play a bit of football yourself.

You take over a team in Disney's football game that you need to lead from humble beginnings to championship.

The game is played with touch or mouse, with touch feeling more natural. To pass a ball, you touch or click on another player, to run you swipe to the location, and to shoot the ball you hold down to do so.

The game is basic, especially if you compare it to the likes of FIFA or PES, but that does not mean that it cannot be fun.

It features player improvement, sponsorship deals and options to play against other players.

CNBC

The official application features full episodes of popular CNBC shows including American Greed, Mad Money, The Car Chasers and The Profit.

You need to log in with your satellite provider or cable account to watch the shows from anywhere.

Besides full episodes, it is also offers available clips and behind-the-scenes contents, and a program guide to find out the on-air schedule.

Roku

Control your Roku player using the official application for Windows 8. The app detects all players connected to the home network on start and offers an option to connect manually if the automatic detection fails.

It displays all installed channels on the device which you can switch to with a tap or click. In addition, it also acts as a remote control to control the Roku player.

YouTube for Windows 8

There is still no official YouTube application for Windows 8 but this one ticks all the right boxes.

The app offers a design optimized for tablets. It features select videos on its startpage, and search or browse functionality to find videos of interest.

If you have a YouTube account you can sign in to it to access your playlists and watch later videos.

Besides that, it also lets you subscribe to channels and download videos to your local system.

Comedy Central

This is the official Comedy Central application. You do need to sign in first using your TV provider's account but once that is out of the way, you get access to full episodes of shows such as South Park, The Colbert Report or The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Just like the CNBC application, it does feature additional contents besides full episodes. You can watch stand-up specials for instance or the clips that it makes available.

Animated Movies - Fun Unlimited

This is a port of the Windows Phone app of the same name. It makes available a huge list of animated movies and anime movies that you can watch from any location in the world.

The animated movies category features films from the last 60 years from classics like 101 Dalmatians and Alice in Wonderland to recent releases such as Brave or Despicable Me 2.

The quality of movies is quite good and it seems that you can watch as many as you want using the app.

Is it legal? Microsoft accepted the app in its store which gives it credibility, but since it is not clear if the company has the rights to stream those movies, it is a question that I cannot answer.

Socialradar

After you have connected your Facebook or LinkedIn account to Socialradar, it informs you about people you are connected to who are nearby.

It displays how many friends and things you have in common with nearby people, and how far they are away from you.

The app features privacy controls that put you in charge, so that you only share information that you are willing to divulge. It does also feature an invisibility mode which you may find useful at times.

AutoCAD 360

AutoCAD 360 is a free CAD viewer for mobile devices and operating systems such as Windows 8.1

It supports DWG, DWF and DFX files, synchronization with AutoCAD 360 accounts, and both offline and online viewing of layouts.

Nova Elements

The educational application brings you closer to the Periodic Table and the elements.

It offers an interactive periodic table that you can explore, a two-hour long educational video about the elements, and an interactive application that you can use to create everyday items such as red dye or a watch by combining elements.

Bravo Now

The third and final TV network application. This one provides you with access to Bravo's selection of shows including The People's Couch, Million Dollar Listing or Watch What Happens Live.

You do need to authenticate with your TV provider before full episodes are made available though. Besides that you also get a program guide and extra clips that you can watch.
Quickly remap your PC drives with Drive Letter Changer

Publié: juillet 4, 2014, 4:19pm CEST par Mike Williams

Utilities developer Sordum has released Drive Letter Changer, a portable tool which allows you to reassign PC drive letters in two or three clicks.

The program is small (a single executable under 400KB) and has a very basic interface: mostly just a table with a list of your current drive letters, their labels and names.

Click a drive you’d like to reassign, and a context menu appears immediately. Hovering your mouse over "Change drive letter" displays a list of possible drive letters, and all you have to do is click one.

Error handling is mostly good. You’re not allowed to change your system drive letter. And if you try to assign one local drive to another, which is currently in use, then you’re not told that’s impossible (which NirSoft’s similar DriveLetterView does); instead the drives are swapped.

One notable problem is that Drive Letter Changer doesn’t appear to recognise disconnected network drives. Their drive letters are displayed as "free" in the program, and you can assign drives there, but they may not be accessible (fortunately you can just reassign them elsewhere to get them back). DriveLetterView scores here as it understands Explorer is still mapping the drive and won’t allow you to use it.

Drive Letter Changer also supports the creation of volume mount points, where essentially an empty folder on an NTFS drive can point to another volume. If you’d like an easier way to access your drive E, for example, you might create a desktop folder SpareDrive, select E: in Drive Letter Changer, click "Mount in empty NTFS drive" and select Desktop\SpareDrive. Then, whenever you browse to SpareDrive, you’ll see and be able to access all your drive E: files and folders. (An “Unmount” option turns this mapping off when you’re done.)

There are also a very few small extras. Click a drive and you’ll find convenient options to open it in Explorer, or view its properties. Experts may also appreciate a Tools menu with options to launch the Disk Management applet, run the mountvol.exe command or restart Windows Explorer.

Drive Letter Changer has its problems, then, particularly with network shares (check out DriveLetterView if that’s a deal breaker for you). The program does make it quick and easy to change drives, though, and the volume mount point support is also welcome, so on balance it’s still worth checking out.
TripAdvisor for iPhone adds offline support, improves mapping features

Publié: juillet 4, 2014, 4:16pm CEST par Nick Peers

TripAdvisor LLC has unveiled a major update to its iPhone app with the release of TripAdvisor for iOS 9.0. The free travel planning app gets -- according to TripAdvisor -- it’s "biggest update ever" with the new release.

The major highlight of version 9 is offline support, but other new features include a shortcut for returning to the home screen and the ability to now find and reserve tables at restaurants.

By far the biggest new feature in TripAdvisor for iOS 9.0 is offline support. Users can now download maps, reviews and saves for over 300 cities worldwide for storage on the iPad or iPhone without requiring an internet connection.

Users can access downloaded cities (and select new ones to download) by tapping Downloaded Cities. Search for a city and you’ll see an estimated data size for the full download. Should storage become a problem, users can easily remove individual cities from here too in order to free up space.

Offline support also allows users to view their current location on maps through GPS without requiring a data plan.

Other improvements include the ability to find and reserve tables at thousands of supported restaurants worldwide. Users can now also shortcut back to the home screen by simply tapping and holding on the back button.

Also added is an option for viewing recently searched hotels via a single tap, while member profiles also show photos and badges for easier identification.

Note that the update only applies to the iPhone -- for now the iPad version remains at version 8.8, but we envisage TripAdvisor will bring this functionality to the iPad in due course. For now, TripAdvisor for iOS 9.0 is available now as a free download for iPhones and iPod touches running iOS 6.0 or later.
Capture, record, annotate and share your desktop with Grabilla

Publié: juillet 4, 2014, 4:14pm CEST par Mike Williams

When it comes to capturing the Windows desktop, you’ve no shortage of options, and we’ve covered many of them here: SnagIt, QIP Shot, HotShots and more.

Of course there’s always room for another, and Grabilla is an especially interesting example, as the program comes packed with unusual extras to help it stand out from the crowd.

This isn’t just another Windows-only tool, for instance: it’s also available for Android and Mac. Each version can upload its captures to the same free Grabilla space, which means it’s accessible wherever you are. And once at the site, you’re able to annotate the capture, get links to share it, password-protect it, embed the screenshot or post it in forums, and there’s even a one-click option to create a short URL and QR code.

We tried the Windows edition, and it offered a good range of capture types: freehand rectangle, active window and full screen, and the ability to capture images, animated GIFs and videos.

There are some neat extras, too. It’s often difficult to define a freehand rectangle, but here there’s a zoomed view around your mouse cursor, an X/ Y coordinate display, even a hex value for the color under the mouse cursor, very useful when you need precise positioning.

Exploring the Grabilla website reveals even more options. A web capture bookmarklet enables you to save web pages from Chrome or Firefox. Grabilla can be used to share other files, not just captures, within a fairly strict size limit (20MB, 300MB for videos). A History page keeps track of what you’re doing, too, although to access this from anywhere you must sign in with a Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Yahoo or LinkedIn account. (If that doesn’t appeal, no problem – most of the site’s features work just fine as an anonymous user.)

There are also problems. Grabilla’s Windows client had some significant issues, at least on our test PC. It wouldn’t minimize to our system tray. The "Hide" key didn’t hide it. On one system, it refused to record videos at all (presumably some local issue as on another it worked fine).

The program’s plus points win out, though -- configurability, online annotations, capture sharing features, cross-platform -- and on balance Grabilla gets a qualified thumbs up from us.
GCHQ faces legal action from ISPs over alleged spying and network attacks

Publié: juillet 4, 2014, 2:49pm CEST par Barclay Ballard

Seven internet service providers (ISPs) have filed a legal complaint against the UK's intelligence agency GCHQ.

Since a series of high-profile allegations made last year by US whistleblower Edward Snowden, government agencies have had to face claims of spying and intrusion but this is the first time GCHQ has faced legal action.

ISPs from the UK, US, Netherlands and South Korea are behind the complaint, alongside campaigners Privacy International.

A series of articles in Der Spiegel and the Intercept outline the claims which suggest that the GCHQ conducted illegal network attacks that undermined the "goodwill the organizations rely on".

Other allegations include that the GCHQ infected a Belgian telecommunications firm with malware in order to gain network access and that the agency used an automated system, called Turbine, to scale up network implants.

In a statement, Privacy International explained the reasoning behind the complaint. "The type of surveillance being carried out allows them [the ISPs] to challenge the practices... because they and their users are at threat of being targeted".

The group, which fights to defend privacy across the globe, has also previously filed cases against mass surveillance programs Tempora, Prism and Upstream.

The ISPs involved in the action are UK-based GreenNet, Riseup (US), May First/People Link (US), Greenhost (Netherlands), Jinbonet (South Korea), Mango (Zimbabwe), and the Chaos Computer Club (Germany).

Cedric Knight, from ISP GreenNet said, "Snowden's revelations have exposed GCHQ's view that independent operators like GreenNet are legitimate targets for internet surveillance, so we could be unknowingly used to collect data on our users. We say this is unlawful and utterly unacceptable in a democracy".

GCHQ has defending its practices, stressing that all its activities are carried out "in accordance with a strict legal and policy framework which ensures that our activities are authorized, necessary and proportionate".

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Threats to the internet in 2025 -- start worrying now

Publié: juillet 4, 2014, 1:37pm CEST par Ian Barker

We looked yesterday at the ten most serious security breaches of recent years, but the threat landscape is constantly changing. So what will happen in the future and which threats should we be most concerned about?

A new report by PewResearch, as part of its series marking 25 years of the internet, looks at how things might be in 2025. More than 1,400 experts in various fields were canvassed for their views on future threats.

The outlook is generally positive, with 65 percent believing that there will be no significant changes for the worse and hindrances to the ways in which people get and share content online. However, most believe that, thanks to mobile and other changes, billions more people will have internet access by 2025. Many of those questioned also believe that the web may be threatened by new trends.

The report identifies four main threat themes. First that actions by countries looking to maintain security and political control will lead to more blocking, filtering, segmentation, and balkanization of the internet.

Not all the experts agree on the outcome though. Paul Jones, a professor at the University of North Carolina and founder of ibiblio.org, responded, "Historic trends are that as a communications medium matures, the control trumps the innovation. This time it will be different. Not without a struggle. Over the next 10 years we will be even more increasingly global and involved. Tech will assist this move in a way that is irreversible. It won’t be a bloodless revolution, sadly, but it will be a revolution nonetheless".

The second theme is that trust will evaporate in the wake of revelations about government and corporate surveillance and likely greater surveillance in the future. Peter S Vogel, internet law expert at Gardere Wynne Sewell says, "Privacy issues are the most serious threat to accessing and sharing Internet content in 2014, and there is little reason to expect that to change by 2025, particularly given the cyber terror threats confronting the Internet users and worldwide businesses".

The third threat is that commercial pressures will endanger the open structure of the web. Technology futures expert Marcel Bullinga's response cites existing legal frameworks as a problem, "Sharing is hindered by ridiculous 19th century laws about copyright and patent. Both will die away. That will spur innovation into the extreme. That is the real singularity".

And finally there's the threat that efforts to fix the problem of having too much information might actually hold back content sharing.

Joel Halpern, engineer at Ericsson says in his response, "The biggest challenge is likely to be the problem of finding interesting and meaningful content when you want it. While this is particularly important when you are looking for scientific or medical information, it is equally applicable when looking for restaurants, music, or other things that are matters of taste. While big-data analysis has the promise of helping this, there are many limitations and risks (including mismatched incentives) with those tools".

Jonathan Grudin from Microsoft Research predicts this will lead to the emergence of a new breed of "personal information trainers" who will help people find the information they need.

You can find the full report and read the responses from many more of the experts by visiting the PewResearch Internet Project site.

Photo Credit: Anneka/Shutterstock
Windows Phone Store is a ghost town

Publié: juillet 4, 2014, 12:52pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

As the third-most popular smartphone platform, it is difficult for Windows Phone to attract as many top developers as Android and iOS do through its tiny market share. As a result, it is not uncommon for popular titles to be unavailable in Store long after their launch on Google Play and Apple App Store. Sometimes, popular titles do not arrive at all. It is a sad state of affairs, as it directly affects the reach Microsoft's platform can enjoy. But, wait, it gets worse.

A new comparison reveals that of the 25 top free offerings in Apple App Store, Windows Phone Store only offers six of them: Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Facebook, Pandora, Spotify, and WhatsApp. Of the remaining 19 titles, 13 are games. I honestly expected to see Windows Phone missing a couple of apps, but definitely not as many. Put differently, 76 percent of the 25 top free iOS apps are not available officially on Windows Phone. It is surreal.

Of course, Windows Phone developers can narrow the gap through third-party offerings, but even so we are still looking at only a couple of more titles that the platform can tout in Store. I have to agree with Windows Phone Central's Sam Sabri, who says that quite a few games are fads, but, as he points out, "they're fads that Windows Phone owners are going to miss out on. While you may never want to play Kim Kardashian: Hollywood on Windows Phone, a potential customer might and will chose the platform that has it now. Windows Phone then loses out on the sale because a game that's popular today isn't on the platform". You are right there, Sam.

Things do not necessarily get better when we look at the top 100 free iOS apps. Sabri identifies 22 apps, not including games (of which there are many), which Windows Phone Store currently does not offer. Being a Windows Phone user myself, I have to say that this list is actually more relevant as it features titles like Google Maps, SoundCloud, Gmail, Tinder, Uber, Yahoo Mail, Dropbox, Google Translate, Fitbit and Google Chrome, among others. Those are hardly fads, and will continue to appear on the list even during World Cup 2014, or the next Flappy Bird-inspired game craze.

As I have pointed out in past articles, there is also the problem of the so-called feature gap between Android, iOS titles and Windows Phone counterparts. While developers may release their apps on the third-most popular platform, those titles are, quite often, missing the feel and features users on the two other platforms get to enjoy. It is a sad practice, and one that does not appear about to go away with time.

(And, while we are at it, let us drop the sad -- and unfounded -- excuse that Windows Phone users do not care about popular apps. That is something that has been perpetuated by fanboys and apologists in forums and comments sections, and it is time to put an end to it.)

As a Windows Phone user, it is only natural I am rooting for the platform. With the launch of Windows Phone 8.1, Microsoft gets a lot of things right and, hopefully, more popular apps will make their way into Store, and more users will, at least, give serious consideration to the idea of embracing Windows Phone.

Photo Credit: Janelle Lugge/Shutterstock
Best iOS apps this week

Publié: juillet 4, 2014, 11:47am CEST par Wayne Williams

Twenty-fifth in a series. The App Store saw some excellent releases this week, including two expensive games (by App Store standards) which are well worth the asking price, a powerful email client, a fun, modern day take on an old arcade classic, a superb journaling tool, and an app which can help you take back control of your digital identity.

In other news, all three Infinity Blade games are on sale this holiday weekend. The original Infinity Blade is now $0.99, Infinity Blade 2 is $1.99 and Infinity Blade 3 is priced at $2.99. If you don’t have any or all of these games, now is your chance to right that wrong.

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

Civilization Revolution 2 ($14.99)

Yes it’s pricey, but if you’re a fan of Sid Meier’s Civilization, and/or Civilization Revolution, the 2008 PC original, you’re going to want this game.

The aim is to build a glorious empire that will stand the test of time and the game offers updated 3D graphics, new units, tech, buildings and wonders, as well as historic events and battles available in the Scenario Challenges mode.

Free App of the Week

Inky

The cloud-based desktop email client for Mac and Windows is now available as a mobile app for iPhones. It’s geared toward helping you save time by organizing all of your email accounts into one, simple interface.

The app includes standard email features, like sorting email by day, author and message size, and introduces something new -- sorting your email by personal relevance through Inky’s advance algorithms, determining what messages users will want to read, and ranks them first.

Other Apps

Demolition Lander: Universe ($3.99)

This game offers a destructive twist on the classic Atari arcade game Lunar Lander. Instead of attempting to land your craft peacefully, you now get to destroy everything in your way. You can fully customize your ship, and there are multiple ships and locations available, as well as obstacles to avoid including black holes, natural danger zones, airspace mines and anti-aircraft missiles.

Extra planets and levels, and multiplayer options are planned for future releases.

citizenme lite

This app will help you take back control of your digital identity. It lets you see what information you’re sharing via social networks, websites and apps, and make changes to boost your privacy. There’s also a Personality section which connects to your Facebook account and shows how advertisers, data brokers and others might see you. Are you conservative or liberal, spontaneous or organized, reserved or outgoing, or calm or stressed? The app will tell you.

Yummly

The latest update to Yummly’s iOS app lets you sync your shopping list between devices (this is apparently the most requested feature). Additionally, there’s a recipe suggestion option where users will get ideas of what to make with the ingredients right within the shopping list.

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite ($14.99)

A hunting game from Capcom, the aim is to take on quests and slay monsters. As you progress you earn money which you can use to get bigger and better weaponry which will help you master even bigger challenges.

You can play on your own with up to four friends over Wi-Fi. If you’re stumped on a quest, just call for backup!

Apple’s App of the Week

Day One

Apple’s free app this week is a diary/journal tool that usually comes with a $4.99 price tag. Day One has a smart, clean interface and offers a range of useful features including a full screen mode, privacy passcode lock, customized writing reminders, location and weather data, and the ability to search by keyword and create tags and hashtags. You can star favorite entries, and share content with friends and family.

Day One keeps your entries in sync across platforms via iCloud.
Google bans porn ads from search results

Publié: juillet 4, 2014, 11:22am CEST par Sam Pudwell

Google has made changes to its ad network by banning the promotion of pornographic websites.

The ban specifically concerns sites that feature "graphic sexual acts with intent to arouse including sex acts such as masturbation."

A Google spokesperson said that the company has had restrictions on its adult category for some time, but not all industry experts agree.

Theo Sapoutzis, the chairman and CEO of AVN Media Network said, "I was caught by surprise. I was one of the very first advertisers for AdWords back in 2002. It's something that's been [untouched] for 12 years, so you don't expect change is going to start happening."

Adult industry insiders say that the impact of this ban won't be clear for some time, as many adult sites are found through word of mouth and by natural search results.

"There are many people who say the biggest losers are the ones who play by the rules," says Tom Hymes, senior editor at industry trade publication AVN. "The winners are the huge properties with a lot of free content and frequent updates — the type of actions the Google algorithms really like.

"But at the end of the day, there are some people out there who have been abiding by every [rule] that Google sets and they're getting cut off at the knees now."

"Porn" is one of the most common Google searches and, according to Google AdWords Keyword Planner, related keyword searches almost hit the 351 million mark in May 2014.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.

Image Credit: Aquir/Shutterstock
Windows 8.1 update woes? A fix is on the way

Publié: juillet 4, 2014, 11:03am CEST par Wayne Williams

Take a look at the monthly market share stats for Windows and you’ll see a good proportion of Windows 8.x users are still on the original version of the tiled OS. For some it’s a matter of choice, for others it’s because they simply can’t update to Windows 8.1.

A large number of users have experienced the dreaded Blue Screen of Death when attempting to perform the update to Windows 8.1, which has resulted in them being unable to complete the process. Fortunately, Microsoft has a fix to address the issue.

The automatic update, which is still in testing in "select markets" reportedly solves the problem and allows Windows 8.0/RT 8.0 users to (at long last) complete the upgrade.

"This [Windows RT] pilot program is an example of ways we're experimenting to help ensure more of our customers benefit from a continuously improving Windows experience," a Microsoft spokesperson told Paul Thurrott. "Similar to how the Windows 8.1 Update [1] process works today, the pilot program will automatically update consumer Windows 8 and Windows RT machines for free to Windows 8.1 Update and Windows RT 8.1 Update in select markets".

If you’re one of the affected customers, keep checking Windows Update for the fix. Thurrott points out the RT version of Windows 8.1 can be downloaded from the Microsoft Support website and installed manually now. Windows 8.0 and Windows RT 8.0 users will first need to install update 2871389 before applying the Windows 8.1 update.

Image Credit: Syda Productions/Shutterstock
Office 365 prices to rise for enterprise customers

Publié: juillet 4, 2014, 8:30am CEST par Sam Pudwell

Microsoft's August price list has revealed increases of up to 15 percent for Office 365 enterprise customers.

Those without a software assurance plan will be hit with the largest hikes, whereas those who do will have their prices frozen until the end of their contract.

It's not all bad news though. Existing customers will not experience any price increases when renewing their contracts and anyone who bought Office 365 from Microsoft or through its open licensing program won't be affected.

"The vast majority of our customers will not see an increase in the cost of Office 365," said a Microsoft spokesperson. "All existing Office 365 EA customers are guaranteed prices will not change for the duration of their agreement.

"New Office 365 EA customers who don't have a previous investment in our products will see an increase to align our pricing to our other channels. We are always evaluating our pricing to maximize the value to our customers as we continue to add more features and benefits to Office 365".

In an effort to counter this price increase, greater discounts will be offered for Office 365 E1, E3 and E4 subscriptions, which will be priced at $8, $20 and $22, respectively.

Office 365 is currently enjoying successful adoption rates across the board and reportedly generates $2.5 billion in annual revenue.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
The Tour de France starts Saturday and you can watch it on your mobile

Publié: juillet 4, 2014, 2:31am CEST par Alan Buckingham

Not to be overshadowed by the World Cup, this Saturday professional cycling's biggest event kicks off. The season may run February to October, but nothing compares to the month of July. That's when the world's best gather in France -- well England this time, at least for a couple of days -- to participate in the spectacle that is the Tour de France.

While almost 200 riders take to the starting line, very few have a real shot at winning the race -- it takes all-around skill, including climbing, time trialing, and staying out of trouble in general, as accidents have ruined the chances of favorites many times.

If you want to watch every stage live right on your mobile device, then NBC has an app that will allow you to keep up with all of the action. NBC Tour de France Live is now available for iPad, iPhone and Android.

According to the description in the Google Play store, "Experience the 2014 Tour de France like never before…watch every stage LIVE on your Android handheld or tablet device. And track the peloton in real-time with interactive maps and profiles. It’s as close as you can get to the Tour without a passport".

It's not particularly cheap, selling for $14.99, but that's really not bad for three weeks of action. Each stage generally lasts between three and six hours, so you'll be getting your money's worth on this deal. You can grab a copy for yourself for Android, iPhone or iPad. The only thing you need to do after that is make your prediction for the eventual winner. Will Britain's Chris Froome repeat? Can the young American Tejay Van Garderen make a run at the title? We won't know until things conclude on the Champs Elysees in Paris.
Roku lists the the top 10 patriotic movies for 4th of July -- do you agree?

Publié: juillet 4, 2014, 12:32am CEST par Brian Fagioli
Regardless of your political affiliation, financial status, or religion, if you are an American citizen, the 4th of July is a day to be celebrated. Hot dogs, hamburgers and fireworks are great equalizers, bringing people together. It is meant to remember our gaining of independence from the treacherous (at the time) British government. However, it is so much more -- it should be a day to reflect on our blessings and freedoms that were earned by our forefathers.

While no one should need motivation to be patriotic, a great film that conjures pride in the USA is never a bad thing.Today, Roku announces its picks for the top 10 patriotic films of all time. Do you think the company got it right?

Roku lists the following movies and descriptions:
1. Top Gun (Movie, 1986) – A daring yet reckless pilot (Tom Cruise) who shuns teamwork and the rules of engagement eventually learns the importance of cooperation and discipline. Along the way he has a fiery affair, does some spectacular flying and causes the death of his best friend. Available on M-GO, Amazon Instant Video, Redbox Instant, Vudu and Time Warner Cable.
2. Independence Day (Movie, 1996) – Communications systems worldwide are sent into chaos by a strange atmospheric interference caused by gigantic spacecraft, piloted by a mysterious alien species who have set out to launch an attack throughout the globe. After they obliterate parts of the country, a band of survivors devise a plan to fight back against the enslaving aliens for our freedom. Available on M-GO, Amazon Instant Video, Vudu and Time Warner Cable.
3. Captain America: The First Avenger (Movie, 2011) – After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America’s ideals. He joins forces with Bucky Barnes and Peggy Carter to wage war on the evil HYDRA organization, led by the villainous Red Skull. Available on M-GO, Amazon Instant Video, Redbox Instant and Vudu.
4. The Patriot (Movie, 2000) – A reluctant South Carolina farmer (Mel Gibson) is forced to fight the British in this epic adventure of the American Revolution. Directed by Roland Emmerich (Independence Day). Screenplay by Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan). Available on M-GO, Amazon Instant Video, Redbox Instant and Vudu.
5. Saving Private Ryan (Movie, 1998) – Set in France in 1944 shortly after the Normandy invasion. The story concerns a squad of U.S. Army soldiers on a perilous assignment behind enemy lines. The mission: to risk their lives to save the life of one man, paratrooper James Ryan (Matt Damon). Ryan is the last survivor of a family of four brothers, the rest of whom have been killed in action. Available on M-GO, Amazon Instant Video, Redbox Instant and Vudu.
6. Apollo 13 (Movie, 1995) – It had been less than a year since man first walked on the moon, but as far as the American public was concerned, Apollo 13 was just another “routine” space flight – until these words pierced the immense void of space: “Houston, we have a problem.” Available on M-GO, Amazon Instant Video, Blockbuster on Demand, Redbox Instant and Vudu.
7. Miracle (Movie, 2004) – Filled with exhilarating nonstop hockey action and heart-racing suspense, Miracle is the inspiring true story behind one of the greatest moments in sports history – the 1980 United States ice hockey team’s triumphant Olympic victory against the Soviet Union. Available on M-GO, Amazon Instant Video and Vudu.
8. Forrest Gump (Movie, 1994) – In this Oscar-winning picture, Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks), a gentle soul born in a small Alabama town, happens into one memorable experience after another through a panorama of American history. Throughout his life, he is supported by his love for Jenny, his childhood friend with whom he shares his lifelong memories. Available on M-GO, Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Redbox Instant and Vudu.
9. Born on the Fourth of July (Movie, 1986) – Based on a true story, the film follows the young Kovic (Tom Cruise) from a zealous teen who eagerly volunteers for the Vietnam War, to an embittered veteran paralyzed from the mid-chest down. Deeply in love with his country, Kovic returned to an environment vastly different from the one he left. Available on M-GO, Amazon Instant Video, Blockbuster on Demand, Redbox Instant and Vudu.
10. Yankee Doodle Dandy (Movie, 1942) – James Cagney danced and sang his way to a well-deserved Oscar for his outstanding portrayal of vaudeville composer and performer George M. Cohan in this Oscar-nominated biography. Available on Amazon Instant Video, Redbox Instant and Vudu.
Sadly, one of my favorites, Apocalypse Now is not represented. While that film is not all roses, it is still a stunning portrayal of war. Another favorite of mine, Stalag 17 is nowhere to be found. Come on Roku, Captain America is a friggin' comic book character!

What are your favorite patriotic films? Tell me in the comments.

Photo credit: Smit / Shutterstock