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Next-gen firewalls need to evolve to avoid becoming irrelevant

Publié: octobre 31, 2014, 7:09pm CET par Sean Newman

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When Gartner coined the phrase "next generation firewall", in 2003, it captured a then-nascent approach to traffic classification and control. Combining traditional packet filtering with some application control and IPS layered on top, today's 'legacy' NGFWs do pretty much what they say on the tin.

However, while NGFWs continue to be a vital part of an organization’s protection, they were designed for a time before advanced targeted threats started attacking our enterprises -- threats which often go undetected until it's too late.

Most organizations today secure their networks using disparate technologies that don't -- and can't -- work together. They leave gaps in protection that today's sophisticated attackers exploit. These point solutions lack the visibility and control required to implement effective security policy to accelerate detection of all threats and response. In addition, disparate solutions add to capital and operating costs and administrative complexity.

From my own discussions with security professionals I know that they are frustrated with disparate point solutions and the cost, complexity and administrative headaches they create -- not to mention the gaps in security.

So what's to do?

NGFWs must evolve to stay relevant in a world that is dealing with dynamic threats -- threats that we couldn't have anticipated just a few years ago. It's time for a shift in mindset regarding the level of protection an NGFW must provide, to improve visibility, detect multi-vector threats, close security gaps that attackers exploit, and combat other sophisticated threats.

Until now, NGFWs have focused on policy and application control and have been unable to address advanced and zero day attacks. In short, existing detection mechanisms -- even the latest innovations around sandboxing -- simply won't protect against the advanced malware and zero-day attacks we're seeing today. In order to combat today's dynamic threats a different approach is needed -- one that delivers continuous monitoring and full contextual analysis of threats before, during and after the attack.

In order to deal with today's security challenges, an NGFW must offer capabilities that address these three strategic imperatives:

Visibility-Driven

To address today's era of threats, a visibility-driven approach enables insight into all users, devices, OS, applications, virtual machines, connections and files, to provide real-time contextual awareness, give network defenders a holistic view of the network and make it easier to pinpoint suspicious behavior, when it happens. Full stack visibility and contextual awareness for integrated security serves as the basis for both streaming and automating defense responses. Granular application visibility and control and URL filtering are also crucial to reduce the overall attack surface.

Threat-centric

This entails delivering integrated threat defense, across the full attack continuum – before, during and after the attack. Threat-centric protection must combine market-leading NGIPS, with advanced malware protection (AMP) that is third-party tested to confirm security effectiveness. Because today's advanced malware is designed to evade "point-in-time" security layers, threats still get through, so organizations now require technology that not only scans at an initial point-in-time to detect, understand and stop threats, but also makes use of continuous capabilities, which can "go back in time" to alert on and remediate files initially deemed safe, that are later determined to be malicious.

Platform-based

IT professionals are now under tremendous pressure to reduce complexity in their environments, keep operational costs low and maintain the best defenses to keep pace with the dynamic threat landscape. In today's world, platform-based now entails delivering a simplified architecture and reduced network footprint, with fewer security devices to manage and deploy. To meet today's challenges, a next-generation firewall must combine proven firewall functionality, leading intrusion prevention capabilities, and advanced malware protection and remediation in a single device. These firewalls must be highly scalable, and enabled by open APIs, to deliver security across branches, the internet edge, and data centers (physical and virtual environments) in order to cope with growing demands.

Organizations are continuously evolving their extended networks and must have defenses in place that can address the dynamic threat landscape. To remain relevant, an NGFW must offer next-generation security capabilities that are visibility-driven, threat-focused and platform-based.

Addressing these three imperatives is crucial in enabling organizations to maintain a robust security posture, that can adapt to changing needs and provide protection across the attack continuum -- before, during and after an attack.

Sean Newman is a security strategist for Cisco Security Business Group

Google announces the scariest places in Europe for Halloween -- click here if you dare!

Publié: octobre 31, 2014, 5:47pm CET par Brian Fagioli

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Fall is my favorite season, as I get to wear a hoodie, drink pumpkin-flavored coffee and celebrate Halloween. Yes, even though that holiday is designed for kids, more and more adults are getting in on the fun. Hell, who doesn't want to dress up in a costume and eat candy? I would do that every day if I could!

Unfortunately, it can be hard to find a good haunted house nowadays, as society has become very sensitive and opposed to scary things. I mean, OK yes, having a man dress as a zombie and scaring a 5 year old child with a chainsaw is not the greatest of ideas, but hey -- that is what Halloween is about. Being traumatized is part of the allure. Today, Google releases a list of the scariest places in Europe. Not in Europe? No worries, Google Maps can take you there.

"Something wicked this way comes… Whether you're a trio of witches back from the dead or just a trick-or-treater, chances are you’re hitting the streets (or riding a broom!) on Halloween night. For those looking for an extra fright, take a tour of spooky places from around the world on Google Maps", says Valentina Frassi, Google Maps' Zombie Bride.

Frassi further explains, "if these spooky spots whet your appetite for fear, get up close with some of the most frightful locations in Google Maps Gallery and find ghouls and goblins in haunted houses around the world. If you’re looking for a laugh instead of a scream, take a hayride through your local corn maze, find the perfect jack-o-lantern at your neighboring pumpkin patch, and scout the best trick-or-treat routes near you".

Google lists some truly spooky places like Dracula's Bran Castle in Romania and the Museo della Stregoneria di Triora -- a Witchcraft museum in Italy. True, they are probably scarier in person, but if you can't afford to fly to Europe, Google Maps will have to do. You can view all of the search-giant's suggestions here.

What are your favorite scary locations? Tell me in the comments.

Photo Credit: Kues / Shutterstock

How to choose the file sharing service that's right for your business

Publié: octobre 31, 2014, 5:27pm CET par Orlando Scott-Cowley

In only a handful of years, a wide range of file sharing services have popped up, from completely free services aimed at consumers (including the likes of Dropbox, Google and WeTransfer), to enterprise-focused services (such as Mimecast, EMC and Citrix).

Considering the long list of available offerings on both sides, making the right choice for your business can be difficult, so it's a good idea to do your research first...

Security

For every organization, security is a key consideration in the selection of any new IT service. When it comes to a file sharing service, it can be no less vital. Data privacy features can start with role-based access control and encryption for files in transit and at rest, but may differ between services.

More robust authentication mechanisms should also be provided by the service during sensitive transactions or when users are accessing sites from less secure locations. The provider being considered should also offer integration with policy-based data leakage prevention tools and be capable of limiting where and with whom files can be shared.

Integrated anti-malware controls are also invaluable, particularly in terms of protection against spam and phishing attacks. The latter are now routinely used in the majority of the advanced targeted attacks (or spear-phishing) and should be carefully guarded against.

Compliance

For compliance purposes, it's important that businesses know where their data and files are shared and stored. In order to meet compliance standards and to provide a measure of disaster recovery protection, files should be duplicated and stored in geographically dispersed data centers in geographically defined locations.

Availability

Any service being considered should provide a 100 per cent service availability SLA. This should include automatic failover during outages in order to provide a seamless, uninterrupted service and constant access to files.

Scalability

The service chosen should be as flexible and scalable as possible, providing support for an unlimited number of users at any given time. Services that use file volume upload limits should be avoided as they often encourage users to bypass the corporate service and use consumer-oriented offerings instead.

Administration

A particularly useful function of enterprise-grade file sharing and storage services is the ability to manage all processes via a single management console.

This saves IT time and money by providing centralized administration and can help to encourage enforcement of corporate policies. Native integration with Active Directory and other LDAP directories is also helpful in terms of assisting in the effective provisioning of users.

Devices and support

So many firms are employing BYOD policies, it's vital that any solution considered is able support a wide range of devices. It's likely that users will need to access the company systems via mobile browsers, the web, desktop and mobile applications, so all possibilities should be seamless and integrated, whilst also providing support for a wide range of document types.

Telephone and email support options are often overlooked at this stage but it's important these suit the company's needs and all the locations in which it operates. For example, such services should be available during local office hours in each region and SLAs should also be in place regarding timescales for resolving issues.

End user tools

It's vital that ease of use should be on a par with, or better than, consumer-oriented services. The service should be so tightly integrated with commonly used programs such as Outlook, that end-users may not even notice that it is in place.

A number of self-service tools such as self-service sign-up, file recovery and password resets would also be recommended. IT support should also not be needed when users want to perform basic search and retrieval activities.

Awareness and user training

Any service, no matter how well considered and implemented, will not be effective if end-users do not buy into it. Users should be informed of the security issues surrounding file sharing services such as Dropbox and WeTransfer, otherwise there is a strong likelihood that they will continue to make use of them, regardless of the company's new investment. Similarly, policies should be put in place so that end-users are provided with sufficient training on the new service, showing them how to get the most out of the improved functionality.

Image credit: Modella/Shutterstock

Orlando Scott-Cowley, is an evangelist, strategist and technologist at Mimecast.

Microsoft: Next Office for Mac coming in 2015, new Outlook is available now

Publié: octobre 31, 2014, 4:52pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

New Outlook for Mac

After a long wait, Microsoft announced today that the next version of Office for Mac will finally see the light of day in 2015. Mac users will be able to get their hands on a public beta in the first half of next year, with the final version to arrive before the end of 2015. The latest official version of Office for Mac, Office for Mac 2011, launched more than four years ago.

Microsoft does not reveal what the upcoming Office for Mac will be called, but, seeing as it launches in 2015, it is possible that the software giant will stick to the current naming scheme and call it Office for Mac 2015. What we do know is that it will include Excel, OneNote, PowerPoint and Word, which will make it less feature-rich than Office 2013, which has been available on Windows for nearly two years.

Microsoft also explained why the next Office for Mac did not arrive shortly after Office 2013, as it had been expected:

Historically we have released a new version of Office for Mac approximately six to eight months after Office for Windows. However, following the release of Office 365 we made the conscious decision to prioritize mobile first and cloud first scenarios for an increasing number of people who are getting things done on-the-go more frequently. This meant delivering and continuing to improve Office on a variety phones (iPhone, Windows Phone, and Android) and tablets (iPad and Windows) brought together by the cloud (OneDrive) to help people stay better organized and get things done with greater efficiency at work, school, home and everywhere between.

The next Office for Mac will be available for free to Office 365 subscribers, but Microsoft will also make it possible to buy "perpetual" licenses, for those who are not yet ready to shell out for its yearly subscription. That said, I think that it may be better value for money to just opt for Office 365, and enroll your Mac to your subscription as, of late, it also gives you unlimited cloud storage via OneDrive.

Today's announcement is not just about the next Office for Mac, as Microsoft today launched the new Outlook for Mac. It is designed to deliver a consistent experience that is in line with what you get by using Outlook on Android, iOS, online and Windows. On top of the "fresh look and feel", it also comes with other improvements, as you might expect.

The biggest changes are increased reliability and performance, a revamped user interface with improved switching between Ribbons, online archive support for searching archived Exchange emails (stored on-premise and in the cloud), push email support with Office 365, quicker sync and download with Exchange Web Services, support for Master Category List and improve access delivery for category lists, and, last but not least, syncing between Mac, OWA and Windows clients.

It is a substantial improvement over the last Outlook for Mac, which is part of Office for Mac 2011. The new Outlook for Mac is only available for Office 365 subscribers, and can be downloaded from Office 365 Portal (for business users) or My Account (home users).

Best Windows 8 apps this week (Halloween Edition)

Publié: octobre 31, 2014, 2:37pm CET par Martin Brinkmann

One-hundred and five in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps and games released for Windows 8 in the last seven days.

If you have browsed the new app and games listing this week you may have stumbled upon several irregularities again.

A developer named Apple for instance has released the "game" "Download Starcraft 2 Here" to the store. The app consists of a single download button that redirects to Softonic and the Blizzard Downloader.

Other developers have uploaded similar fakes for games and programs such as Shadow of Mordor, Fallout 3 or the popular WSUS Offline Update program to the store.

Here is this week's selection of apps and games. You find a list of apps and games for Halloween at the end.

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.

Red Stripe Deals

This week's selection of apps and games that have been discounted by at least 50 percent.

Skulls of the Shogun, an action game for $1.99
Hockey Nations Powerplay, a sports game for $0.99
Metro Commander Pro, a file manager for $3.99
Scrble, a free-hand note taking app for Windows for $1.49
Crumble Zone, an action game for $0.99
Virtual City HD (Full), a simulation game for $2.99

Best app of the week

European War IV Napoleon

The fourth title in the European War series plays in the Napoleonic Age.

It features a grand campaign as well as conquest game modes in which you take over the role of one of the major European powers.

Missions put you in control as well but they tend to concentrate on a single event during a ware, a siege of a city or a major battle.

As commander in chief you recruit and control troops, construct fortifications and supply buildings, and handle other affairs such as the repair of settlements.

The game features more than 130 different unit types, 200 historic generals, almost 50 general skills and a tech tree system.

While it is not as complex as a game of the Total Wars or the Europa Universalis series , it is definitely more complex than your typical tablet-based strategy game.

Other apps

Rescue -- Heroes in Action ($3.49, free trial available)

Rescue -- Heroes in Action is a simulation game in which you control the actions of a group of firefighters.

Each mission that you undertake consists of certain tasks that you need to complete.

This can be something simple such as extinguishing smaller fires in the city but also major incidents such as gas explosions or oil refinery fires.

Upgrades can be purchased after missions, for instance bigger water tanks or improved suits.

The game itself plays either with mouse and keyboard or with touch-gestures.

Student Planner

Microsoft's Student Planner, a Microsoft Garage project, enables students to add courses and tasks to the app.

New courses can be added with a swipe or with a right-click and the selection of the option in the menu that opens up.

Once a course has been added assignments and exams can be added to it.

The app uses other Microsoft apps, OneNote for note taking and OneDrive for documents and files, which can be accessed directly from it.

Python Tutor

Python Tutor is a free educational application that teaches the Python programming language.

What's most interesting about it is that code will be executed by it line by line with each line explained in the program so that you know what it does and why it is there.

It features an embedded python shell as well which you can use to write and test scripts.

Gravity Badgers

Gravity Badgers is an interesting physics based puzzle game set in space. Your task in the game is to shoot a young badger in a space suit into the level exit and to collect all points along the way.

Physics comes into play in several ways. First by shooting the badger but then also by making use of planets and asteroids that may impact the course significantly.

The game features over 140 different levels, five boss levels and different characters to play with.

Fruit Fun

A match-3 type of game which resembles Candy Crush in many aspects.

It offers four different game modes, from the mission based campaign to time-based modes and a relaxing mode without any pressure.

Missions range from reaching a score over removing a certain number of fruit types to clearing select spots on the board.

The game features a global leaderboard that displays the best players.

Halloween Special

A selection of apps and games for Halloween!

Dead Hunt -- Eliminate all zombies before the time runs out in this 3D action game .
Depicable Me: Minion Rush -- The Halloween update introduces new Halloween costumes and decorations as well as special events, challenges and the new Vector's Fortress environment.
Gunfinger -- A fast paced action game in which you tap on the screen to shoot at zombies that attack you.
Into the Dead ($1.99) -- A first person shooting game in a world overrun by zombies.
On Halloween ($1.99) -- This is an interactive children's book specifically for Halloween.
Reaper -- A wonderful action RPG in which you fight monsters with weapons and magic.

Mobile devices make sales work more complicated

Publié: octobre 31, 2014, 1:29pm CET par Ian Barker

mobile phone raincloud

We're frequently being told that the use of mobile devices makes our work lives easier, but it seems that a sizable percentage of people don't share that view.

Mobile sales solution company Seismic has released the results of its Salesforce Spotlight survey showing the complex relationship between business users and mobile technology.

The survey carried out amongst Dreamforce attendees reveals that Salesforce is still the main platform for handling sales data and that 57 percent of respondents use the package for more than two hours a day. When it comes to mobile access though, 21 percent said they had no plans to implement the Salesforce1 platform.

Of those who have already implemented Salesforce1, 66 percent say they access it via both smartphone and tablet. Those that use it on just one platform favor their smartphones, but more than 60 percent of respondents using both reached for their tablet more frequently than their smartphone for CRM, content management and presentation tasks.

Perhaps most interesting though is mobile's perceived impact on working lives. Whilst the previous survey in 2013 showed that seven percent of Dreamforce users thought mobile technology would complicate their work life, this year's findings show nearly 20 percent feel that mobile technology has made their work lives more complicated in the past year.

"While our survey findings validate the growing importance of mobile devices in the enterprise, it was surprising to find that users view mobile technology as a complication to their work lives," says Seismic CEO Doug Winter. "Cutting-edge mobile technologies should be simplifying marketing and sales processes, not complicating them. Organizations need to become more strategic and agile when implementing new software if they want to gain a competitive advantage".

The full report is available to download from the Seismic website.

Image Credit: Sergey Nivens / Shutterstock

Understanding the cloud

Publié: octobre 31, 2014, 1:20pm CET par Nathan Chai

man in cloud

How many of you really understand the cloud? If you were tasked with explaining "the cloud" to a child could you manage it?

A recent discussion with top industry professionals and cloud thought leaders revealed that, for cloud solution providers, education was the biggest hurdle in cloud service adoption. Thankfully at a SAGE hosted round table, we dissected exactly what the cloud is, what it does, and how it can benefit you.

This is what the cloud is

Are you ready for a single sentence to surmise the cloud?

"The cloud is a range of IT services that aren't on the premises" Craig Sharp, Director of Abusi, proclaimed. IT service meaning; encryption, backup and storage, security, servers, applications, and any other IT service you can think of. All these services are now available through the "cloud".

"The cloud" utilizes the speed of our communications networks to use Internet-based services as a sort-of virtual hard drive (HDD). Instead of physically accessing data stored on your HDD (such as documents, applications, or other data) or using your computer's processing power you can use offsite servers to complete tasks.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (an arm of the US department of commerce) lists five "essential characteristics" that determine if an IT service is under the cloud umbrella:

"On-demand self-service" -- A user can use more computing resources (storage, processing, bandwidth, active user accounts) as need be without needing to talk to anyone
"Broad network access" -- The services can be used or accessed by different devices, such as smartphones, laptops, work stations
"Resource pooling" -- The cloud service provider's computing resources are utilized by multiple organizations, and the computing resources adapt to suit each organization’s computing needs
"Rapid elasticity" -- The scale of the user's available resources can expand or contract according to need, so that to the user computing resources appear unlimited
"Measured service" -- A user's computing resources use is measured and can be controlled. The usage data can be reported to both user and provider.

Rather than treating the cloud as a separate entity, understand that "the cloud" is a set of Internet services that have the aforementioned features.

This is what the cloud does

In the previous section we looked at the "essential features" that a provider has to demonstrate to qualify as a cloud service, in this section we'll discuss how those features are actually utilized. I'm going to gamble that you're already using/have heard of consumer cloud services, such as Netflix, Dropbox, or Spotify so I'll relate those to businesses-use cases of the cloud.

On-demand self-service

In my household we have Netflix, me and my housemate like to watch on our laptops but my girlfriend enjoys watching on her iPad. If suddenly my sister drops by and demands "I must watch my television shows!" what we can then do is set up another Netflix user on the same account and my sister can then watch Netlfix on another device.

What Netflix allows consumers to do is set up more users on the same account, with all the users having access to the same library, and assigns enough bandwidth to the account for each user to watch different videos simultaneously. Using a cloud based service such as Office 365 is the Netflix of office documentation. You can add users on the fly, choose which documents your staff can access, and have everyone use the same Office 365 account on separate devices at once.

Broad network access

I have the Spotify app on said girlfriend's iPad, my laptop, and my Windows phone, this means that I can use my login details on any of these devices and have access to my playlists, my favorited artists, and artists Spotify has recommended to me. So I can enjoy a new album on my laptop, log in to the app on my phone and listen to the same music as I walk to the shops, and then show-off my musical discovery to my girlfriend on her iPad.

Because I can access the same data on a multitude of devices I have a much greater degree of mobility. Utilizing a cloud service you can conceivably; write a first-draft of a report on your home PC, re-read the report on your phone during your commute making annotations and editing notes, then have the report with the annotations available at your work station. If you choose your data can be synchronized across multiple devices. At a basic level this avoids embarrassing cock-ups like forgetting a USB stick or bringing the wrong version of a document. At a complex level it allows easier collaboration between staff regardless of their locations.

Resource pooling

Both my father and I use Dropbox, we have separate accounts, separate files, and separate subscription models. Just because I have 10GB of storage and my father has access to 5GB it doesn't mean that he couldn't upgrade to 10GB. Similarly if my dad suddenly needed a whopping 1TB of Dropbox storage, Dropbox wouldn't need to limit my usage to accommodate my father's.

Essentially no matter how many people from different enterprises are actively using the service there should never be a drop in quality for any user. What this means for businesses is that SMEs (small to medium enterprises) have access to the same level of computing resources as MNCs (multi-national corporations). This means your organization is incredibly scalable, we'll talk more about that under the next heading.

Rapid elasticity

I couldn't think of a particularly good analogous consumer service, but "rapid elasticity" is a simple concept to understand.

Say your company is expanding and you need more storage space for your data and more people need to access that data, so you buy more servers. Your company keeps expanding and you buy more and more servers, but there's an unexpected financial crash and suddenly you can't afford to keep on the same number of staff. The reduced staff number means that all those fancy servers you bought are now just boxes with lights on, not being used by anybody.

As we touched on under the previous heading, one of the strengths of cloud services is their scalable nature. This means that if your business begins hiring new staff, you don't need to buy more servers or data racks to accommodate the new users, you can just acquire more computing resources in the cloud. Similarly if you downscale your operation you can simply tell the cloud service provider that you don't need the extra storage space, number of user accounts or bandwidth anymore.

Measured service

Amazon's on-demand video service allows you to "rent" video for a single watch much like visiting Blockbuster (other video rental shops were available). Assuming I don't want to clutter my house with DVDs I may only watch once, this means that I only get charged for what I use.

Because cloud services are strictly measured and both you and the cloud service provider have access to the measurement data, you can judge what level of computing resources you know you need. Although most cloud services providers won't provide you with an exact you-pay-for-what-you-use model, most will offer a flexible payment model that fits in with their product.

Do you now understand the cloud?

The cloud is the future of IT infrastructure, owning physical servers is expensive and cumbersome and severely limits a business's agility and growth prospects. The biggest takeaway from the roundtable was this: the jargon surrounding cloud technology gets in the way of selling it.

All of the attendees were confused by the tech industry's insistence of using confusing terms to describe basic functions. A great litmus test for determining if a sales person is full of it or if they can actually help you is query every word you don't understand, that'll have some sales people nervously tugging their collar!

Image Credit: ND Johnston/Shutterstock

Getting the basics of network security right

Publié: octobre 31, 2014, 12:22pm CET par Ian Barker

Network security firewall

With every new breach, network security hits the news, yet many people and companies still don’t get the basics right.

UK-based wireless network specialist Exigent Networks has produced an infographic that looks at the importance of network security and offers tips and expert advice.

It covers the essentials of what network security does as well as looking at some of the most common attack vectors like eavesdropping, trojans and denial of service attacks. It also looks at the technology of network security and sets out some best practice guidelines for businesses.

It concludes with quotes from some of the industry's leading security experts on why network security is vital. You can see the full infographic below.

Importance-of-Network-Security-Infographic640

Image Credit: rosedesigns / Shutterstock

Samsung's new Galaxy A5, A3 smartphones boast very thin metal designs

Publié: octobre 31, 2014, 11:12am CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Samsung Galaxy A5

Samsung is slowly moving away from its oft-maligned, all-plastic smartphone designs of the past, in an attempt to convince consumers that it too can make premium-looking and feeling devices. The first smartphone to reveal what the future holds was Galaxy Alpha, announced just a few months ago. Then Galaxy Note 4 came along, stepping things up even further in the high-end segment.

And now we see how Samsung's vision will impact its less expensive Galaxy devices, as the company just took the wraps off Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3 today, two mid-range to low-end smartphones featuring "refined full metal unibody designs" that happen to be very, very thin (for whatever reason): 6.7 and 6.9 mm, respectively.

"The Galaxy A5 and A3 offer a beautifully crafted full metal unibody, slim design, superior hardware and the best possible social media experience", says Samsung CEO JK Shin. "These devices make our advanced Galaxy experience even more accessible to young and trend conscious consumers". In fact, Samsung is calling Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3 its "slimmest smartphones to date", thanks to those low profiles.

And when Shin says Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3 are designed for "young and trend conscious consumers", he means it. Both smartphones have 5 MP front-facing cameras, which should take quality selfies. But they also support 4G LTE connectivity, which means that those selfies should be uploaded in no time to Facebook or Instagram. Here's what Samsung says: "Users are also able to quickly and easily share photos or videos on their favorite social media channels with the device’s fast network speed of LTE Category 4 standard".

Both smartphones ship with Super AMOLED displays, a feature that is rarely seen in below-premium Galaxy smartphones (like Galaxy Alpha, Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4). Galaxy A5 has the bigger panel, measuring 5.0 inches, with the higher resolution, of 720 by 1,280. Galaxy A3 makes due with a 4.5-inch screen with a resolution of 540 by 960. There's a similar thing going on inside. Here are the other noteworthy specs:

Galaxy A5: 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, 13 MP main camera, 2 GB of RAM, 2,300 mAh battery; 16 GB of internal storage; microSD card slot; Wi-Fi 802.11n; Bluetooth 4.0 LE; NFC (only in the 4G LTE model); Android 4.4 KitKat. It comes in at 139.3 x 69.7 x 6.7 mm and 123 grams.

Galaxy A3: 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, 8 MP main camera, 1 GB of RAM, 1,900 mAh battery; 16 GB of internal storage; microSD card slot; Wi-Fi 802.11n; Bluetooth 4.0 LE; NFC (only in the 4G LTE model); Android 4.4 KitKat. It comes in at 130.1 x 65.5 x 6.9 mm and 110.3 grams.

As you might have figured out after going through the specs, both will be sold in 4G LTE and HSPA+ versions. And, of course, they will feature Samsung's usual TouchWiz add-ons, like Ultra-Power Saving Mode and Adaptive Display.

Samsung Galaxy A3

Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3 (pictured above) will be sold in Champagne Gold, Light Blue, Midnight Black, Pearl White and Platinum Silver, starting in November; the color names (trickling down from more expensive Galaxys) sound fitting for their upmarket designs.

I do have to wonder what Samsung means by "full metal unibody designs", as the backs of the two smartphones look like they are still made out of plastic (polycarbonate). That is not a problem in my eyes, as the design seems to work great for Galaxy Alpha and Galaxy Note 4 where the back cover can be removed to switch the battery and insert a microSD card. But that description may lead people into thinking that it will feature as much metal as an iPhone, which does not appear to be accurate.

Frightening facts about email

Publié: octobre 31, 2014, 9:52am CET par Wayne Williams

Skull email There are days when I get absolutely swamped with email -- my work and personal inboxes are frequently filled to bursting -- and I’m not alone in struggling with the never ending deluge of demanding messages.

Unroll.me, a service which helps users keep their inboxes under control, has put together a Halloween-themed infographic detailing some of the most frightening facts about email. Did you know, for example, that the average person in the US, spends four hours a day reading, composing and replying to messages?

Other scary facts covered include the scale of inbox overload -- some 122,500,453,020 emails are sent every hour globally. That’s every hour, not every day.

84 percent of email traffic in 2013 alone was spam, and 16 million phishing emails are sent each day.

Check out the full infographic below.

unrollme_scariestemailfacts_infographic_PRESS

Image Credit: Adam Vilimek/ Shutterstock

O&O MediaRecovery 10 now repairs corrupt data

Publié: octobre 31, 2014, 9:03am CET par Mike Williams

O&O MediaRecovery 10

Berlin-based developer O&O Software GmbH has announced the release of O&O MediaRecovery 10, its media file recovery package for Windows Vista and later.

The most interesting addition appears to be the ability "to repair corrupt data prior to recovery". We’ve yet to test that -- and it’s going to be hard to benchmark anyway -- but If you’ve lost files due to hard drive corruption then it may significantly increase your chance of recovering something usable.

The latest release now offers support for Windows 10 Technical Preview.

The program is reportedly better at recovering metadata, although we’re not sure how that’s going to work: if you can recover the original file, presumably you get the metadata as well.

Elsewhere, a redesigned interface keeps everything very straightforward, with a single wizard walking you through the entire recovery process.

As before, the highlight of the program remains its support for 80+ media file types, particularly useful when deep scanning corrupted volumes for lost data.

A trial build of O&O MediaRecovery 10 is available now. Beware, though: as with many other recovery tools, the trial version displays whatever lost files it finds, but won’t recover them.

Tesco Hudl 2: A fantastic value-for-money family tablet [Review]

Publié: octobre 31, 2014, 8:18am CET par Sam Pudwell

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Following on from the success of Tesco's first generation budget tablet, it was only a matter of time until its successor was released.

Tesco sold 35,000 units of the Hudl in the first few days after it was launched last year and ended up shifting over 750,000, placing this endeavor firmly into the 'success' category for the supermarket giant. The Hudl 2 was recently released and we were given the chance to take it for a test spin to find out if Tesco has got another bargain success story on its shelves.

Design

This device is never going to win any design awards but, being aimed at the money-conscious consumer, that's obviously not the point. If a top-of-the-range design is a key priority, then you're better off shelling out a bit more (ok, a lot more), on an iPad.

Personally, I like the look of the Hudl2. It's simple, clean-cut and much sleeker looking than its predecessor, although it does have a somewhat budget feel to it with a rubberized casing. Having said that, the rubber does make it comfortable to hold. If I'm being picky I would have preferred slightly larger bezels on the top and bottom but that's a minor complaint.

The jump up from 7 inches to 8.3 inches is a significant improvement on the Hudl and at 9.3mm thick it's still thin enough to fit in with today's skinny models.

It's heavier than the first model, jumping up to 410g from 370g, which does make it a bit weighty to hold in one hand and may be tiring for younger users. But the curved edges give it a nice, rounded look and it certainly feels like a durable piece of kit.

Display

When buying a budget tablet, one of the areas you might expect to be slightly compromised is the display quality, but Tesco has left me pleasantly surprised with the Hudl 2. The 8.3-inch HD display has a resolution of 1920 x 1200 megapixels, a substantial improvement from the Hudl's 1440 x 900 megapixels, and a pixel density of 265ppi.

Sure, the screen isn't doesn't match up to some of the higher-end tablets out there, but for the amount you're paying, the colors are bright and the images are sharp enough for all your viewing needs.

Performance

The Hudl 2 packs 2GB of RAM and an Intel Atom, quad-core processor with a speed of 1.8 GHz which, although not massively fast, is plenty good enough to browse the web, use apps and navigate around the home screen without any problems.

Some slight issues start to occur when multiple programs are running at once, resulting in some lag when switching between apps and moving graphical effects can get a bit jerky. In general, it runs well and will comfortably play basic 2D games as well as more complicated 3D ones.

Another problem that came up during our review was the battery life. The advertised 8-hour battery life is average and the Hudl 2 also seems to lose its charge very quickly when on stand-by mode, which can be very frustrating.

Camera

Unfortunately, this is an area where the Hudl 2 doesn't exactly cover itself in glory. With just a 5-megapixel rear camera and 1.2-megapixel front camera, you're never going to get great photos, but the rear camera is improved from the 3-megapixel snapper on the original Hudl. Most of the images come out quite grainy, especially if you're not in the best lighting, but for casual family usage it's probably good enough to do the job.

Extras

This is where the Hudl 2 is really impressive. Dolby-optimized stereo speakers give the sound quality a real punch which wouldn't be out of place on a more expensive tablet and a microSD slot gives you the option of upgrading the storage from 16GB to 48GB.

One of the main features that Tesco is pushing with this device is personalization and the Hudl 2 has achieved this extremely well. It comes in a range of bright colors, including blue, orange, black and red and the Android 4.4.2 KitKat operating system puts over a million apps at your fingertips.

Finally, there is a micro-HDMI slot to connect the tablet to your TV and the pre-loaded "pioneering parental control app," which allows parents to set up profiles that can be tailored according to age and suitability. A time limit can be set to restrict the amount of time children spend on the tablet and certain apps and websites can be blocked.

Verdict

When talking about the Hudl 2, it’s important to remember who it's aimed at. If it's a high-end tablet you're after then look elsewhere, but if you're on a budget or are looking for a second tablet for the family, then this really is the one for you. It's solid enough to be able to deal with rowdy children, has a good display to watch videos or play games and the parental control features mean usage can be kept under control.

The only things that slightly let it down are the camera and the battery life but if you're willing to compromise on those areas, this is a tablet that will keep both kids and parents entertained whilst offering fantastic value for money.

Good Points

Good HD display
Brilliant value for money
Parental control features
Plenty of personalization

Bad Points

Average battery life
Poor camera quality

Manufacturer and model	Tesco Hudl 2
Processor	1.83 GHz Intel Atom quad-core
Operating system	Android 4.4.2 KitKat
RAM	2GB
Memory	16GB
Memory expansion	MicroSD up to 48GB
Display	8.3-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 full HD
Connectors	Micro HDMI, micro USB, 3.5mm headphone jack
Rear camera	5-megapixels
Front camera	1.2-megapixels
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi a/b/g/n
Battery	4,900 mAH
Dimensions	224 x 128 x 9mm
Weight	410g

Microsoft enables animated GIF search on Bing

Publié: octobre 31, 2014, 2:59am CET par Brian Fagioli

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While some people find animated GIFs to be tacky and silly, I find them fun. Sure, many people use the images to flood social media with memes, but they also serve as a great way to show a short animation using a small file size. I often use them in things like PowerPoint presentations, as they jazz it up a bit and keep things exciting.

Searching for the perfect animated GIF can be problematic, as most images are not named as such, and unless the search engine gives an option, they may be mixed in with non-animated images too. Today, Bing gets even better, with the all-new option to filter image searches by animated GIF.

"In our quest to help our users hunting for image content with our last UX improvements, we are proud to unveil the work we’ve done to make searching for animated GIFs easier, and more fun. An animated GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) is a graphic image that takes a series of uploaded images and frames them together. The images run on a loop, making it appear like a movement or short animation", says The Bing Image Search Team.

The team further explains, "starting today, there’s an easier way to search for animated GIFs. When you do an image search, click on the 'Type' filter below the search box and then select 'Animated GIF'. The page will refresh to show just animated GIFs. Hovering on any of the images will play the animation right away, making it easy and fun for you to see the animation. You don’t have to filter your queries to find animated GIFs. Any result that is an animated GIF will have the below badge appear on the image, letting you know that the image will show animation on hover or click of the image".

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Sometimes it's the little things that make a big difference, and this is one of them. Quite frankly, it falls under the "why wasn't this already implemented" category; better late than never, right?

Either way, this is just another in a long line of Bing improvements, and while Google is still the search champ, Microsoft shows no sign of giving up. It is exciting to think where Bing may be at this time next year -- hopefully Google is paying attention.

Photo Credit: Alexander Trinitatov / Shutterstock

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Apple's Tim Cook is gay -- the fact it needs to be announced shows what’s wrong in tech

Publié: octobre 31, 2014, 12:35am CET par Mark Wilson

Apple's Tim Cook is gay -- the fact it needs to be announced shows what’s wrong in tech

The sexuality of people in the public often comes in for scrutiny. Whether we're talking about Michael Stipe coming out at the same time as REM released Monster, Morrissey using Autobiography to give a beautifully tender glimpse into the loves of his life, Ellen DeGeneres revealing her sexual preferences to Oprah Winfrey, or any one of countless other celebrities who chooses to make their sexuality public, where those in the limelight fit onto the sexual spectrum has long been -- and will undoubtedly continue to be -- of endless interest to people.

Writing in Bloomberg Businessweek, Apple CEO Tim Cook, entirely unprompted, has said that he is gay. For many people this will come as no surprise, for most it will be of no consequence, some will take exception to it. But what's interesting is that, in 2014, a man (or woman, for that matter) proclaiming their sexuality, is news. Tim Cook is currently the top trending topic on Twitter.

The whole thing is slightly odd. Tim Cook is CEO of Apple, a technology company loved and hated in just about equal measure, but always regarded with sage admiration. In the realms of the tech world -- which is what we at BetaNews generally concern ourselves with -- what we are interested in is the hardware and software that is pumped out with reassuring frequency, and assessing it in terms of value for money, aesthetics, usefulness and so on. The sexuality of the man at the top matters no more than whether he likes to eat cereal for breakfast or fruit and yogurt.

And yet tech blogs, newspapers, computing websites, social media have lit up at Cook's editorial. I realize there is a slight irony in writing a news article proclaiming that the very thing being referred to may not be newsworthy. But the fact that it is in the news, and so prominently, makes it newsworthy; it's slightly meta in that way.

Cook's sexuality was never a secret as such. As he says, "while I have never denied my sexuality, I haven’t publicly acknowledged it either", and "plenty of colleagues at Apple know I’m gay". It wasn't even an open secret, it was just something that many people assumed, some knew, and most couldn't care about. There has been an incredible reaction to the words "I'm proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me". It is an interesting turn of phrase which is sure to set tongues wagging.

Websites have practically fallen over themselves to heap their praise on the announcement. Some, like Neowin, have also questioned whether it should be reported as news, and plenty have labored over carefully chosen words that the writers hope convey how totally cool they are with the notion -- is acknowledging one's sexuality better than "admitting" it? PC Mag seems to suggest that Cook has been mute for a while ("Tim Cook today broke his silence"), and Ars Technica seems to think there has been "debate" about his sexuality. Re/code points out that Cook is "the most prominent openly gay business executive" -- Harvard Business Review says that he is the first CEO of a Fortune 500 company to come out.

Cook says that while he has "tried to maintain a basic level of privacy", he feels that "I've come to realize that my desire for personal privacy has been holding me back from doing something more important". Men and women who work their way to the top of the world of tech often become known for other things. Bill Gates is now more readily associated with philanthropic work than Microsoft -- something Mark Zuckerberg would no doubt like for himself and Facebook. Cook makes it clear that he is not an activist, but says that "if hearing that the CEO of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to insist on their equality, then it's worth the trade-off with my own privacy".

Part of the problem -- if it can be described as such -- with anyone coming out as gay, bisexual, lesbian, transgender, transvestite or as falling into some other group covered by the broad LGBT umbrella, is that all too often it reduces people to fitting into a particular box. Many people's view of Cook will now be forever colored by today's announcement. If this sounds like glib, it is certainly not supposed to. The whole event, and the sickly sweet reactions, is a sad state of affairs, and it just goes to show that the world of technology -- like many other businesses and the world in general -- remains dominated by white, heterosexual, middleclass, right wing men, and any deviation from this is frowned upon, or requires a special announcement followed by acceptance.

Cook's public proclamation was a brave move. Even with the support of friends, family and colleagues, it cannot have been an easy decision. But the very fact that there is such a reaction to something so... normal... is sad. Big love to you, Tim, your anti-discrimination article is inspiring. You're right to be proud. A person can only be proud of two things -- who they are and what they do. You’ve done better than most on both fronts. The fact you're gay simply doesn’t enter into it.

Photo credit: Lester Balajadia / Shutterstock.com

Choose a cloud vendor that meets your needs

Publié: octobre 31, 2014, 12:27am CET par Johnny Carpenter

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There is little doubt that cloud will play an increasingly important role as more and more organizations adopt cloud based strategies to underpin their IT infrastructures. Indeed, cloud hosting offers a wide variety of advantages to companies with the expertise to take advantage of it. Applications can be rolled out faster, resources can be rented rather than purchased and infrastructure can be right-sized to support monthly and seasonal peaks.

However, a global survey commissioned by iland in April 2014 and undertaken by analyst firm Enterprise Management Associates (EMA), highlighted that there are also plenty of challenges when moving to a new cloud based infrastructure. In fact, 91 percent of those surveyed experienced at least one unexpected challenge when moving to the cloud with pricing, performance, scalability and location all topping the list of issues.

The EMA research revealed that most organizations won't adopt a single vendor for their cloud requirements but will work with multiple vendors to best meet their IT, security and compliance needs. One of the reasons behind this relates to data sovereignty, as most organizations consider the guaranteed location of their workloads of paramount importance, as this can impact the laws that govern the application, the data and ultimately the company. Most organizations going down the cloud route will therefore seek to control the movement of their IT footprint in accordance with conscious choices regarding data sovereignty.

Organizations should choose a vendor that can guarantee the location of its IT workload, with proximity being a key factor in this decision. However, the flip side is that this leaves little protection against local natural disasters or territory-related data breaches. If you have your data safely located elsewhere, for example your fail over data center is located far from home, this does provide an additional layer of security. Many organizations, however, won't consider this as a viable option due to data sovereignty and compliance to local regulation and laws.

This is particularly important for EMEA companies as the EU Data Protection Directive adopted in 1995 is set to be replaced with new legislation known as The EU General Data Protection Regulation. It is expected to be introduced some time in 2015. I question how much impact this new legislation will have and wonder how prepared many of the existing and up-and-coming cloud providers are for this new regulation.

In particular data collection, retention and breaches are areas that the EU plans to tighten up on with the new regulations. Here are a few aspects that we've gleaned of particular importance:

Data Collection

Two significant new rulings around the collection of data are:

EU users must acknowledge that they are aware they are submitting personal data.
Data portability is still to be worked out, but when it is, there will be massive fines for leaking data across countries. Fines for non-compliance are already in place and can be up to 2 percent of the annual global sales of the company.

Data Retention

Data retention is currently under review in the EU. In April 2014, the Court of Justice of the European Union declared the Data Retention Directive invalid. The Directive had ordered European states to pass laws that obliged certain Internet organizations to log records of their user's activity, keeping them up to two years and providing police and security services access to them. The court decided that the Directive was not proportionate and did not go far enough in protecting the fundamental rights to privacy and the protection of personal data.

However, the court did recognize that data protection under specific conditions does serve a legitimate interest to the general public, namely the fight against serious crime and the protection of public security. So although the Directive was declared invalid, rest assured companies will not have a free rein to do what they want.

Data Breaches

Data handling and protection is a major concern. Failure to meet regulations can mean expensive fines for cloud providers, wherever they are located. If a breach occurs the cloud provider is required to contact the EU regulatory body. Failure to do so means additional sanctions can be levied.

If the breach occurred because adherence to proper data protection was not performed the cloud provider can expect to pay a sanction which, again, could be up to 2 percent of the annual global sales of the company.

Johnny Carpenter is UK director of iland

Microsoft gives developers new opportunities with Apps for Outlook.com

Publié: octobre 30, 2014, 7:10pm CET par Mark Wilson

Microsoft gives developers new opportunities with Apps for Outlook.com

At the Inbox Love event in Mountain View, CA, Microsoft revealed the latest way for developers to bring extra functionality to the user. Starting next year, Outlook.com will support third-party apps, known -- uninspiringly -- as Apps for Outlook.com. Just a couple of days ago, Microsoft launched new APIs and SDKs to give developers new options for working with Office 365, and the latest announcement caters for development in the cloud.

Although Apps for Outlook.com will not officially launch until next year, Microsoft is giving developers the chance to start creating apps for the Outlook Web App. Those with a penchant for coding are invited to come up with new, exciting, and productivity-enhancing ways for users to interact with Outlook.com.

Principal program manager for the Outlook team, Pretish Abraham, says:

Whenever a customer reads or composes an email or calendar event, your app could be there, helping them get the job done. If you have a great idea for how our customers should interact with their email or calendar, now is the time to make it happen. Not only are these apps simple to build -- they use open web technologies such as HTML and Javascript -- but you can start building them today.

The benefit of Apps for Outlook.com is that users will be able to take advantage of them without the need for browser extensions or plugins. But more than this, developers will be able to ensure that they are always working with the most recent version of an app without the need for manual updating. Until more details are released, Microsoft suggests developers take a look at Mail apps for Outlook to get an idea of how things will work. Numerous scenarios are suggested, including automatically inserting a map into an email when a user types an address.

Apple and Google are in a fierce battle for your car -- which will win the war?

Publié: octobre 30, 2014, 5:42pm CET par Brian Fagioli

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When I was a younger man, it was all the rage to replace the stock stereo and speakers in your car with better, third-party options. This enabled you to have more features and increased volume. If you did not have something like an Alpine or JVC deck, you and you car were lame. However, as time marched on, car manufacturers slowly began to improve the stock offerings, and, today, many people are content with the factory audio.

Two tech companies are looking to shake-up the car audio industry -- Apple and Google. Yes, the smartphone wars are advancing from your homes and pockets to your automobiles. Google has Android Auto, while Apple has CarPlay. Even though Android has handily become the dominant force in smartphones, according to a new study, the war for your car is still either company's to win.

"It was announced in August 2014 that some car manufacturers are delaying their rollouts of CarPlay. The exact reasoning is not quite clear at this point; however, many are speculating that there could be issues. The delay could cause an Android Auto ramp-up quicker than previously expected. So far five car models from Audi, GM, Honda, Hyundai, and Volvo have announced that they will include Android Auto in 2015 models. In addition, some OEMs have so far only announced they will be supporting Android Auto: Acura, Bentley, Infiniti, Maserati, Renault, SEAT, Škoda, and Volkswagen", says ABI Research.

Filomena Berardi, senior analyst, ABI Research explains, "it appears that some car makers are going down either the CarPlay or Android Auto route. This could be because of preference; for example, one car maker stated it felt that more of its customers owned an iPhone, in addition some car makers perceive Google's Android to be a greater threat than Apple. However, in research interviews some car makers liked the fact that Android is a more open platform. Therefore, going forward the majority of car makers will support both; in fact, to-date 20 car makers have said that is precisely what they will do. ABI Research believes that smartphone integration either via MirrorLink, Apple, Android or other will reach 30 percent of new vehicles by 2019. This will be a mixture of all standards or car makers choosing one over another".

Ultimately, consumers will want the car that works with their devices; if the majority of car buyers own Android phones, Android Auto could win the war. However, Google's smartphone lead is not cemented, and Apple can always make a come-back from a market share perspective.

Don't forget, the demographics for different car brands may align better with different smartphones. For instance, if a large percentage of Mercedes or BMW buyers are iPhone owners, overall smartphone market share is inconsequential.

So, for the time being, offering both Android Auto and CarPlay is a smart choice for car manufacturers; however, it is not the most cost-effective and wont last forever. Eventually, car manufacturers will have to make a decision as to which platform to support.

Which platform do you think has a better chance of winning? Tell me in the comments.

Photo Credit: Denys Prykhodov / Shutterstock

IBM and Twitter join forces to improve enterprise decision making

Publié: octobre 30, 2014, 4:20pm CET par Ian Barker

Twitter provides a unique window into public thinking and that can be useful for businesses, not only to see what people are saying about them but also to get an insight into market trends.

In order to help enterprises understand their customers and markets, IBM and Twitter have announced a partnership that will allow Twitter data to be used in IBM's cloud-based analytics platforms.

The two companies will deliver a set of enterprise applications to help improve business decisions across a range of different industries and professions. The first joint offering from big blue and the blue bird will integrate Twitter data with IBM ExperienceOne customer engagement solutions. This will allow sales, marketing, and customer service professionals to map sentiment and behavior, and help them to better engage with and support their customers.

There will also be collaboration to develop unique solutions for specific industries such as banking, consumer products, retail, and travel and transportation. The partnership will use the skills of tens of thousands of IBM Global Business Services consultants and application professionals including consultants from the industry's only integrated Strategy and Analytics practice, and IBM Interactive Experience, the world's largest digital agency.

"Twitter provides a powerful new lens through which to look at the world -- as both a platform for hundreds of millions of consumers and business professionals, and as a synthesizer of trends," says Ginni Rometty, IBM Chairman, President and CEO. "This partnership, drawing on IBM's leading cloud-based analytics platform, will help clients enrich business decisions with an entirely new class of data. This is the latest example of how IBM is reimagining work."

IBM plans to offer Twitter data as part of other select cloud-based services. These include IBM Watson Analytics, a service that brings intuitive visualization and predictive capabilities to business users. Businesses and developers will also be able to integrate Twitter data into cloud services they build using IBM Watson Developer Cloud and IBM Bluemix platform as a service.

"When it comes to enterprise transformation, IBM is an undisputed global leader in enabling companies to take advantage of emerging technologies and platforms," says Dick Costolo, Twitter CEO. "This important partnership with IBM will change the way business decisions are made -- from identifying emerging market opportunities to better engaging clients, partners and employees."

For more information on the partnership and what it will offer you can visit the IBM website, or the official Twitter blog.

What's your password backup plan?

Publié: octobre 30, 2014, 3:29pm CET par Ryan Kalember

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After news broke earlier this month that hackers had gotten their hands on nearly 7 million Dropbox login credentials, the familiar media chorus of password safety tips soon followed. You likely saw the headlines: "How to Change Your Dropbox Password". "It’s Time to Enable Two-Step Authentication on Everything". "Never Ever Reuse Your Passwords".

It’s not that good password hygiene isn’t important. Enabling two-factor authentication, not using the same passwords for multiple sites, changing passwords every couple of months -- these are all aspects of a smart and savvy approach to protecting the files and data that you store online. But they’re not foolproof. As hackers grow increasingly sophisticated, even users following all the "rules" may see their login credentials compromised as part of an attack. Additionally, for companies whose employees use consumer-facing platforms, enforcing password safety rules can sometimes be a challenge. Whether it’s a result of hacker expertise or human error, when passwords fail, companies must make sure they have a backup plan in place.

Let’s consider the Dropbox incident for a moment. Imagine that you manage a top-secret operation for Company X that involves the creation of an awesome new kitchen appliance. Your research and development team has spent years determining the perfect and most efficient way to create crisp bacon, and finally, the plans for the product are in place. Each engineer has been sent manufacturing instructions and it’s almost go time. And then… a Dropbox leak happens. Unbeknownst to you, one of your engineers had saved the product designs to his Dropbox account. The plans for your prized bacon cooker, the most innovative bacon machine ever, are now in the hands of hackers. And there’s nothing you can do about it.

Sure, you can remind your employees that they should have changed their passwords more often. And you can tell them how to be smarter about creating passwords in the future. But none of that can change the fact that your product is in jeopardy. The whole scenario would be different, of course, if you had a backup plan -- some way to revoke access to these important files immediately after you realize they’ve been compromised, or to thwart hackers from accessing those files in the first place, even if they had a list of passwords at their fingertips. But as tends to be the case with backup plans, having these sort of measures in place requires upfront planning. Rest assured that the time and resources spent on solidifying your password backup plan today will save your company major headaches and possibly financial losses later on.

To protect against the weakness of passwords, companies should ensure that access to important corporate files requires sophisticated authentication. We’re not talking two-factor authentication here -- while that approach may be enough for safeguarding the family recipes you store in your iCloud, protecting multimillion dollar product plans and financial data necessitates having sophisticated access controls and multi-factor authentication in place. Ideally, employees should use one strong credential to log into an identity gateway (like PingIdentity or Okta), which enables them to access all the right applications and data without managing multiple passwords of various strengths. For more traditional IT shops, tying file and application access more directly to Active Directory may also work well enough. Finally, for collaboration with the outside world, organizations should set up a secure means of login for external users, who will not have accounts in Active Directory or be connected in many cases to your identity gateway. Even the sort of straightforward email-based authentication your bank may use is likely better for external users than passwords, but the key is to have the option to mix and match. With these types of controls activated, a password leak won’t even cause you to break a sweat.

Comprehensive Controls

The next aspect of your password backup plan must involve having file-level controls in place. Remember how great it would have been to simply revoke access to those bacon product designs with the click of a button, Harry Potter-style? The good news is this is completely possible, and it does not require the Accio spell -- just a strategy in place for remotely controlling documents at the file-level. By ensuring that comprehensive controls are in place each time an employee receives important files, you are giving IT a critical capability: the ability to revoke access remotely at any point if there is even an inkling of suspicion that the file might be compromised.

Ensuring that you have the necessary authentication and file-level controls in place means spending time shopping around for the best technologies, plugins, providers and advisors. But it’s also about employee education. While file security may not be the most thrilling topic to discuss with your teams, it’s imperative that employees know to stay away from certain file-sharing services and avoid high-risk apps. Regardless of how strong your backup plan is, it will require support and compliance from employees to make it truly foolproof.

If the series of recent data breaches and password leaks is any indication, we’re at war and the security of personal and business data is at stake. It’s time to step up your game and get serious about data security, and that means investing time and resources in a password backup plan. Maybe you don’t see the need for it now, but someday you’ll be really happy you did.

Image Credit: Nata-Lia/ Shutterstock

Ryan Kalember is the chief product officer at WatchDox. With 15 years of experience in a variety of roles in the U.S. and Europe, Ryan has an extensive background in information security. Prior to WatchDox, Ryan held positions at HP, ArcSight, VeriSign and was a founding members of Guardent’s consulting practice. He received his bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, where he studied fault tolerance, cryptography, and authentication algorithms.

10 clever ways Microsoft could improve Windows 10

Publié: octobre 30, 2014, 2:28pm CET par Wayne Williams

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Aurélio "Baboo" knows what he wants to see in Microsoft’s next operating system, and has put together his own vision of Windows 10 "build 9928", spending over 50 hours on creating images in Photoshop that show the changes he thinks Microsoft should implement.

Top of his list, and that of many Windows users, is the return of Aero. Flat might be where it’s at right now, but there’s no question that adding some transparency effects to windows looks good, and I’d be happy to see Microsoft include this option in Windows 10. "I’m honestly not worried about the extra cents in energy consumption Aero that costs me when I’m using my desktop or laptop, because Windows is much more enjoyable with it", Baboo says.

Second on his wish list is the ability to easily back up Windows to the cloud using not only OneDrive but third party services like Dropbox. He also wants to see the option to create a system image. Adding third party services to the mix introduces potential security risks, but Microsoft could add a disclaimer, and give users the choice of where to backup their data.

The ability to back up and restore drivers from within Device Manager, Baboo’s third suggestion, is a great idea and while probably less than 1 percent of people will ever make use of it, it’s something I’d like to see implemented too.

Tabs in the Command Prompt, and in File Explorer are other suggestions that could definitely be useful. If you’ve ever used a third party file manager like Explorer++ then you’ll appreciate the benefits that tabs offer.

pictures

The introduction of a GPU section in the Performance area of the Task Manager I can personally live without, but others will find it useful.

Baboo suggests introducing an Optimize option that can remove useless registry entries, and run disk cleanup and a smart defrag in one go, which could help with regular maintenance. He also wants the Status Bar reintroduced, so that more options are available when viewing images.

Win10-build-9928-optimize

In This PC, Baboo would like to see much more information about drives and partitions, such as the type of disc, fragmentation status, and SMART status, which is something I’d definitely like to see implemented.

Win10-build-9928-This-PC

His tenth idea is improved zip support, which is something many people would welcome.

All in all, I think the ideas and suggestions that Baboo has come up with are great. They aren’t revolutionary, but they would definitely improve the future operating system which is why I wanted to share them here.

What’s your view on the ten suggestions (you can view the other images Baboo created here), and do you have any ideas of your own you’d like to see Microsoft implement? Leave your comments below.

Lenovo unveils the 13-inch Yoga Tablet 2 with Windows

Publié: octobre 30, 2014, 2:12am CET par Brian Fagioli

Convertible Tablet_Yoga Tablet 2 Pro_13_W_Bluetooth keyboard_01

Lenovo makes some great computers; its laptop build-quality is legendary. While its tablet offerings have been average, the newest line of tablets is sure to change that. You see, the Yoga Tablet 2 line, has quite the impressive specs, which consumers should notice.

Earlier this month, the Yoga Tablet 2 Pro was the star of the show, when Lenovo unveiled the new line. The "Pro" tablet stood out, as it has a 13-inch screen, coupled with an impressive audio package, including a subwoofer. Unfortunately, the 13-inch tablet only came with Android, leaving Windows fans in despair. Fear not though, Lenovo has decided to right that wrong, and announces the 13-inch Yoga Tablet 2 with Windows.

"The YOGA Tablet 2 with Windows 13-inch joins the 8-inch and 10-inch Windows models announced during the YOGA global launch event on October 9. True to the spirit of the YOGA brand, the YOGA Tablet 2 with Windows (13 inch) offers technology that adapts to users with four distinct usage modes -- Hold, Stand, Tilt, and the newest mode, Hang", says Lenovo.

The manufacturer further explains, "the YOGA Tablet 2 with Windows offers the same intuitive computing experience as its YOGA tablet counterparts, including an Intel Atom quad core processor and an ultra slim Bluetooth AccuType keyboard cover for laptop-quality typing. Its dynamic sound experience features cinematic Dolby Audio surround sound with a 5W subwoofer and two 1.5W speakers from JBL, while a Wolfson Master Hi-Fi codec chip optimizes audio processing for studio-quality noise reduction. The newest YOGA tablet also offers a Quad HD IPS high resolution display in a larger 13-inch screen size and up to 15 hours of battery life for enjoying TV and movies along with the flexibility to create content anywhere".

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Lenovo touts the following features:

Processor -- Intel Atom Processor Z3745 (2M cache, 4 cores, up to 1.86 GHz)
Operating System -- Windows 8.1
Display/Resolution -- 13.3-in Quad HD (2560x1440) IPS display
Color -- Ebony Black
Memory -- 4GB LP DDR3
Storage -- 64GB, Supporting microSD card up to 64GB
Audio -- 2x large-chamber speakers + JBL subwoofer, Dolby Audio, Wolfson Master Hi-Fi
Connectivity -- 802.11a/b/g/n Dual-Band Wi-Fi (2.4 and 5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.0
Ports -- Micro HDMI, Micro USB, 3.5 mm audio jack, microSD card
Camera -- 1.6MP HD fixed-focus (front)
Battery -- Up to 15 hours battery life, 12,800mAh Li-Ion polymer

Of course, this is not a powerhouse by any means, but the specs are still respectable. Quite frankly, I would prefer 15 hours of battery life to a more powerful processor; after all, this machine is for portability, right?

Lenovo has priced the YOGA Tablet 2 13-inch to move, at a very reasonable $699. It will be available in the beginning of November, making it ideal for Christmas shopping.

Will you buy the 13-inch Yoga Tablet 2 with Windows? Tell me on the comments.

Nexus 6 pre-orders sell out instantly -- Don't cry, there is still hope

Publié: octobre 30, 2014, 12:52am CET par Brian Fagioli

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If you are a fan of Android, there is something you may live and breathe for -- Nexus. True, fans may choose other devices for various reasons, but Nexus devices are the best way to get timely updates and a pure Android experience. As many of us have learned the hard way, non-Nexus devices may get stranded without updates and get left behind. Regardless of who is to blame, whether it is the manufacturers or the carriers, it can be an unpleasant experience to say the least.

The Nexus 6 is the newest Google handset, this time built by Motorola. Pre-ordering went live today, but something rather tragic happened -- it sold out. Yes, in merely a minute or so, the world raced to pre-order the smartphone and it is now out of stock from the Google Play Store. If you did not get to order one, you have my sympathies; it understandably sucks. However, all is not lost, you can still score one on launch day.

If you want a Nexus 6, you will have to be crafty. Using the online pre-order frenzy as an indicator, in-store interest will be high too. So, what does this mean? Well, much like the Apple fans, you may have to wait in a line, or try and place a pre-order at a store like Best Buy or at a carrier directly, such as Verizon or AT&T. Quite frankly, depending on where you live, you may be able to waltz into a local store, such as Best Buy, on launch day (November 12th) without issue. However, I caution that this may not be the case.

Probably the biggest disappointment you face is not getting the color or storage size that you desire. You see, the phone comes in both white and midnight blue, plus either 32GB or 64GB. You may have to settle for something you do not want. With that said, regarding color, don't forget that a case will cover it anyway. I would suggest focusing more on the storage size and making the color a secondary decision (they both look sexy, do not worry).

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If you did not get to pre-order, what is your game plan? Tell me in the comments.

Photo Credit: 4634093993 / Shutterstock

Google modernizes Bookmarks with redesign, enhanced search, sharing, and more

Publié: octobre 30, 2014, 12:52am CET par Dilraj Singh

google_chrome_beta_icon Bookmarks implementations have remained pretty static over the lifetime of the Internet. Google is changing that with 'Bookmark Manager' (formerly called Stars). An extension available in the Chrome Store, it promises to bring your bookmarks into the future with a new design, better search, smart organization, and sharing.

The first thing you will notice is the design, and nice, subtle animations. It feels like Google Drive, with a 'New' button on the left with the navigation under it. Each bookmark is given an image and description in a 'card-like' UI. Bookmarking pages is also a nicer experience. Adding the bookmark to a folder is more intuitive, and you can create a new folder easily. One of my favorite features is that you can include a quick note, reminding yourself why you saved the page.

Since Google is scanning the body of your bookmark, search will encapsulate the contents of the bookmark. No longer will you have to sit there and try to remember either the name or part of the domain. Carrying on with the helpfulness, Google will automatically organize your bookmarks by topic (your folders are still there, don't panic).

You can now also share folders! The folder will be public and you can share a link with whomever you wish. Just on the top of my head, this is great for school courses, including projects, course materials, etc.

Syncing will continue to work across your devices. Besides the big, card-like view of your bookmarks (which requires some getting used to, and will not be for everyone), everything is a clear step forward.

Some Quick Observations

If you have a lot of (junk) bookmarks, it is probably in your best interest to organize/delete them before you switch over to the extension, as each bookmark will take a lot more space, and scrolling through them will be a pain.

By default, you can't bookmark pages in incognito mode (with the extension). Incognito mode turns off extensions, and when I tried to use it to view the classic manager, I found I couldn't access any bookmark manager. You can enable the extension in Incognito mode, which will allow you to bookmark again.

Samaritans Radar puts Twitter users on suicide watch

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 11:37pm CET par Mark Wilson

Samaritans Radar puts Twitter users on suicide watch

We all go through difficult times, and it can often be hard to cope with what life throws at us. Whether you're going through a particularly tricky patch and feeling low, or you're struggling with depression, it can be helpful to know that there are people you can talk to. But reaching out to people can be hard and it often falls to friends to notice signs of someone in trouble so they can be there when required.

Everyone would like to think they would notice when a friend starts to post worrying messages online, but the sheer volume of content we all consume each day means that it is easy to miss something important. Suicide prevention charity, Samaritans, has launched a new online venture, Samaritans Radar, which monitors the Twitter feeds of those who sign up, looking out for "potentially worrying tweets".

The UK charity explains that the service has been set up because people often use social media to express their innermost feelings, "sometimes in the hope that someone will reach out". Activate the service for your account and it will monitor the tweets of people you follow:

The app contains a special algorithm that looks for specific keywords and phrases that may indicate that someone is struggling to cope. Samaritans Radar then sends you an email if it thinks someone you follow might need some support. If this is the case, Samaritans Radar will offer you guidance on what to do next.

It's a fairly simple idea, but Samaritans Radar looks out for phrases such as "tired of being alone", "hate myself", "depressed", and other undisclosed terms. While the service is well-intentioned, there will be privacy concerns for many people. To try to allay such fears, Samaritans says "Samaritans Radar is activated discreetly and all alerts are sent to you alone -- never to your Twitter friends". This may not be enough to quieten the concerns of those who feel their feeds are now open to additional monitoring.

Feedly kills URL shortener to improve speed, security, and privacy

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 10:47pm CET par Mark Wilson

Feedly kills URL shortener to improve speed, security, and privacy

Back in January feedly -- the RSS reader that tried to fill the gap left by the death of Google Reader -- introduced a URL shortener. At the time it was billed as a "captur[ing] analytics about how people are engaging with the content you are sharing". Ten months later, the news service realized that this could be seen as being overly intrusive and has killed the tool.

The original blog post that heralded the launch of feedly.com/e has been updated to reflect the fact that the shortener is no more. "With hindsight this was a bad idea. We focused too much on feedly's growth versus doing what is right for users and for the Web. Sorry".

The change in direction comes as part of an update to feedly's web and mobile apps. A new blog post goes into a little more detail about the reasons for the change of heart. The company explains that the move is important for transparency, making it clear to users what they are going to see when they click a link.

It is the right thing to do for users, because people who receive those links in emails, SMSs and social media posts will be able to tell by looking at the URL where it leads and who created the content.

This is a move that will almost certainly be well-received by not only advocates of privacy, but also the security-conscious. However, if the boost to security and privacy are not enough, feedly sweetens things even further by pointing out that the move will "shave a few hundred milliseconds from the experience of loading the links".

Photo credit: Pavel Ignatov / Shutterstock

How to defeat network zombies this Halloween

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 7:14pm CET par Austin O'Malley

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Zombies are a staple of the horror film industry despite being absurdly ill-equipped to play the role of a predatory force unleashing Armageddon on the human race. They're embarrassingly slow and brainless, for starters. They have terrible personal hygiene, can't operate machinery of any kind, they can't drive and they even don't know how to use a computer or a smartphone. As if that wasn't bad enough, no one has properly explained why some people they kill become zombies and others are completely gobbled up.

Network zombies, on the other hand, are an all too real menace for the modern-day IT administrator. They are smarter than the average zombie, impossible to predict because they appear randomly without warning and dangerous because they cause downtime and lost productivity. Without the right approach, they are nearly impossible to locate and kill.

Network zombies are real

The process required to detect and eliminate network zombies is far more challenging than the swift headshot that eradicates their human counterparts. Network zombies are much harder to track down and kill because they often appear, wreak havoc and disappear. There's no trail of abandoned vehicles and half-eaten bodies to follow.

The only trace evidence is captured in event logs that are often buried in large volumes of hard to connect data. The root cause can be hidden almost anywhere because most business applications are complex entities that interact with multiple resources, such as databases, web servers, directory services and the network itself. That complexity forces the administrator through a slow, labor-intensive investigative process that can delay other daily tasks and projects.

Without a clear view of the zombie, the system administrator is forced to review event logs from every part of the application environment, analyzing long lists of events in multiple logs item by item to find an outstanding event, error condition, or combination of conditions that correlate to the timeframe in which users began to complain. The process can take many hours, if not weeks.

Hunting for zombies doesn't have to be hard -- using the tools you have

The greatest challenge in hunting zombies is where to begin. Is the zombie in an application, database or web server? Or is it a network issue? Without a valid starting point, there is no way to select the right diagnostic path and conduct an efficient hunt.

Effective Application Performance Monitoring (APM) can overcome this impasse by linking all application dependencies. Most organizations have a tool already in place to do this, but it is often underused or even overlooked as a tool for battling zombies. If used well, targeted, real-time monitoring puts administrators on the right diagnostic path, while clear graphic displays make it easy to follow that path to find the zombies causing the problems.

The APM uses application profiles to locate and identify zombies. Application profiles define how an application is monitored and what actions should be taken when an application or one of its components fails. The most useful APMs also define complex relationships and dependencies – from simple n-tier applications to large server farms to complete IT services.

In a SQL server farm, an application profile can be created to monitor each SQL server instance for zombies. Individual profiles can then be embedded into a higher-level profile to monitor the entire SQL server farm. Once the server farm profile is created, it can be embedded into an even higher-level profile that encompasses the entire service it is part of, such as CRM.

Replicating this process for each IT service component creates a comprehensive service profile to hunt and trap network zombies. The profile ensures the administrator can view the status of the entire service or drill down to any component within that service, to a specific instance or component of an application.

The resulting comprehensive service monitoring profile is the foundation for fast, accurate zombie eradication. Completing a service profile generally takes less than two hours but after that small investment in time, the process of hunting zombies can be collapsed from hours, days and weeks of time into a straightforward process that takes just minutes. If you multiply this by the number of zombie complaints an administrator receives, the amount of time saved could be considerable.

Expanding APM capabilities to the network can also help an administrator to identify the root cause of a network zombie attack easily.

Greater protection against the zombie menace

Once zombies have been caught, system administrators can use an APM to create multi-step action zombie traps to address future invasions more quickly. Traps can include event logging, real-time alerts and PowerShell self-healing scripts such as reboot and service restart. Setting zombie trap policies can be assigned at the service, application and component level. Dependency-aware application profiles enable coordinated multi-tier zombie traps to ensure optimal performance of complex applications and IT services.

An APM tool can streamline the process of hunting and trapping zombies, whether they reside in a device or in the network itself, from many hours of exhausting work into a few highly-productive minutes.

Now there's a weapon people confronted with shuffling zombies in a horror film might wish they had at their disposal.

Austin O'Malley is chief product officer at Ipswitch.

Breach detection market expected to exceed $1.3 billion by 2018

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 5:28pm CET par Ian Barker

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Security breaches have become a major worry for businesses in the last two years and that's reflected in strong growth of the market for breach detection products.

A new market intelligence brief by NSS Labs looks at the rapid rise of breach detection systems (BDS). In 2013 the BDS market was worth over $289 million dollars, up 99 percent over the previous year.

The market is expected to continue growing at an annual rate of 36.9 percent to reach $1.39 billion by 2018. Given that BDS is an emerging market with few products that have been around for more than three years this is an impressive jump.

The study finds that lack of mature solutions along with inconsistent marketing is, however, causing considerable confusion around the necessity, effectiveness and best practices for deployment of these products. The high price of many on-premises solutions is also inhibiting adoption.

Another barrier is that BDS solutions are complex in their own right and require a level of security expertise that is currently hard to find. As a result many vendors are deploying cloud-based or managed offerings to offset the high costs and complexities of BDS. NSS Labs predicts that hybrid solutions could become the primary vehicle for BDS deployments in the future.

Current BDS offerings are deployed primarily as hardware appliances, but many vendors are also introducing virtual appliances, software as a service and the endpoint as part of the product suite.

The report notes that, "The immediate challenges for the BDS market are twofold: Vendors must demonstrate that these expensive solutions do in fact provide increased security (i.e, they will discover threats that all other devices in the security stack have missed), and end users must be trained in how to deploy these devices and manage their output".

To address the training issue some vendors are offering services built around these solutions or are integrating breach detection into their existing security products.

NSS Labs concludes that there's no best approach to BDS, it's more important to determine what works best for a particular business. More details on the report are available on the NSS labs site.

Image Credit: Sergey Nivens / Shutterstock

Apple Pay rival CurrentC hacked -- email addresses stolen

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 5:24pm CET par Wayne Williams

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Yesterday, Ed Oswald wrote a story about the retailer-backed payment network CurrentC, describing it as a threat to iPhone and Android users alike. In the article he spoke about the security of the system, saying "CurrentC is overly complicated, and just leaves too many opportunities for something to go wrong, or a hacker to make their way in".

He turns out to have been spot on, as today MCX admits its service has already been hacked, with email addresses of participants in the pilot program and other interested individuals being stolen. Hardly the most auspicious of starts. The following email was sent to those affected:

Thank you for your interest in CurrentC. You are receiving this message because you are either a participant in our pilot program or requested information about CurrentC. Within the last 36 hours, we learned that unauthorized third parties obtained the e-mail addresses of some of you. Based on investigations conducted by MCX security personnel, only these e-mail addresses were involved and no other information.

In an abundance of caution, we wanted to make you aware of this incident and urge you not to open links or attachments from unknown third parties. Also know that neither CurrentC nor Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX) will ever send you emails asking for your financial account, social security number or other personally identifiable information. So if you are ever asked for this information in an email, you can be confident it is not from us and you should not respond.

MCX is continuing to investigate this situation and will provide updates as necessary. We take the security of your information extremely seriously, apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your support of CurrentC.

The CurrentC mobile app itself wasn’t breached, but a hack this early on hardly inspires confidence and will come as a major blow to the payment network's credibility. MCX's claim that it takes "the security of your information extremely seriously" seems laughable when made in a message admitting to having failed to secure the email addresses of supporters of the service.

How mobile users think and behave online

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 4:11pm CET par Daniel Weisbeck

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The lines between business and personal mobile use are blurring as the way consumers use their devices becomes increasingly diverse. This is leading mobile users everywhere toward an always-connected existence, dominated by mobile devices, and where brands must work even harder to meet their visitors' needs.

With this in mind, Netbiscuits recently conducted a survey of more than 6,000 consumers from six countries, asking them for their insights and thoughts around mobile web usage and behavior. Here, Netbiscuits CEO Daniel Weisbeck recaps the top ten findings from the UK, US, Germany, China, India and Brazil.

Work to do for Apple Pay and the mobile payments revolution

While we expect Apple to drive mobile payments through their ecosystem, currently 48 percent of global survey respondents said that they had never heard of NFC, rising to as high as 69 percent in the UK.

Brand loyalty is dying on the mobile web

The surge of online, particularly mobile, has opened up consumer choice to such a point that is has rendered brand loyalty a virtually redundant concept. In fact, 91 percent of consumers will turn to a rival brand if a mobile site is inadequate. Many will never return.

This trend was particularly prevalent amongst the 18-34 generation, with the older age ranges displaying more patience and loyalty. So, as the next generation emerge, what will become of brand loyalty?

Report says 96 percent of consumers want more from the mobile web

Mobile consumers are trying to do more complex things with the web than in last year's survey and this is leading to some dissatisfaction. Brands need to work harder, especially as 91 percent of consumers will turn to a rival brand if a mobile site is inadequate.

Millennial generation see privacy as a 'non-issue'

While not blasé, the 18-34 age range showed much more willingness to hand over private information if it improved their online experience. Globally, 79 percent say they will share their location in order to receive additional services.

However, there is caution for brands not to overstep the mark as 48 percent of 18 to 24 year olds have deleted an app because they feel it is too.

FOMO Culture Sees Explosion of Mobile Multitaskers

Globally we saw that mobile phones are used consistently throughout the day, even when computers are at hand, while 34 percent surf the mobile web while still in bed.

14 percent are connected to the mobile web while in the bathroom and 22 percent will be using their own mobile device while at work to take care of tasks, such as paying bills

It's clear we have now entered the Age of super multitasking. While watching TV, 35 percent of consumers will perform a number of other tasks on the web, including search, watching videos, booking holidays and shopping.

Can in-store technology fuel a retail renaissance for struggling stores?

The death of the high street has been long predicted, however, consumers have not given up on retail, with 16% of mobile web shoppers are shopping on the mobile web while physically out looking around stores.

A majority (63 percent) of survey respondents said that they would be happy to receive offers and information on their device related to the shop (or even the shop aisle) that they were in

And, in the true style of 'The Matrix,' more people said that they agreed that would be happy with personalized adverts as they entered or walked round a store (42 percent said yes, compared to 29 percent for no).

People will promote or punish brands

80 percent of respondents identified that they have recommended a brand based on the mobile web experience. 29 percent said that they do this often or very often

25 to 34 year olds are most likely to leave feedback and recommendations via a mobile device about a product or service. The same age group is most likely to make recommendations to friends and family based on their mobile web experience

90 percent of respondents in this age group agreed that they recommend a brand based on its mobile website and 38 percent do this often or very often.

However, as we learned, the 18 to 34 age group is also the least tolerant and generally perceive their experience to be worse

Wearables not as strong in cynical Europe

Asian markets are more favorable than their European counterparts, while Brazil has the most positive attitude towards smart glasses and second most positive attitude to the idea of using smart watches to surf websites

Overall, on a global scale, people found the concept of smart glasses intrusive, no more so than in Germany, where 47 percent said that they felt this was the case, while only 11 percent disagreed with that statement

Equally, even if the design were improved so that they looked more like real glasses, only 15 percent of German users would be convinced by this

The strangest result was in India, where most agreed that the concept is intrusive, however, 58 percent would wear Google Glass if they looked more like real glasses

44 percent of mobile web users in India say that they feel uncomfortable talking to devices, a sentiment felt even more strongly in the UK and Germany. The USA differed here. It was the only country where a larger proportion of respondents disagreed that talking to devices made them feel uncomfortable

How trustworthy are stereotypes on the global mobile web?

Overall, both men and women are almost equally likely to say that they are shopping while connected to the mobile web. Adult entertainment is more than twice as popular amongst men than it is amongst women. The same is true for betting

In terms of betting, the largest group is found in China, where 17 percent of total respondents said that they had used the mobile web for this purpose, compared to 13 percent in the UK and 9 percent in the USA.

In India, betting is lowest at only 5 percent of respondents. This is also where most people use the mobile web to follow religion, with one in five saying that they use the mobile web for

Apps at risk from deletion if it asks too much of consumers

Globally, 91 percent of people said that they have deleted an app because it is intrusive or wants too much information, with 40 percent of users saying that they do this often or very often. Users in the United States were least sensitive on this issue.

On the mobile web, 44 percent say that they regularly delete cookies or browsing history from their devices

Strangely, Germans are least likely to be deleting cookies and browsing history. However, despite this, Germans are hugely sensitive about information being used to improve experiences, such as personalized product recommendations

The full report is available to download for free from the Netbiscuits website.

Image Credit: William Perugini/Shutterstock

Europeans love iPhone 6, 6 Plus not so much

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 3:49pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Apple iPhone 6 Plus

Europeans are a conservative bunch when it comes to the form factor of their beloved iPhones, as most of those who purchase one of Apple's new handsets opt for the smaller model. In fact, iPhone 6 is so popular among consumers on the old continent that it outsells the iPhone 6 Plus phablet by a whopping five to one.

The difference in sales is to be expected, given that phablets are still somewhat part of a niche today, and the majority of those who buy iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus -- that would be existing iPhone users -- are more accustomed to less intimidating dimensions, like those of iPhone 6. However, Apple is right to jump on the phablet bandwagon, considering how big of a role such devices are expected to play in smartphone sales just a few years down the road, and the hit iPhone's market share is taking from Android handsets.

The finding about European's preference for smaller iPhone 6 over iPhone 6 Plus is part of a new report that was just issued by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, which also reveals that the new iPhones are in very high demand in Europe. That shouldn't surprise anyone.

After all, first weekend sales were 10 million units, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have received rave reviews, their displays are finally larger as demanded by consumers, and Europe is home to some of the largest mature markets in the world, where quite a few folks can afford to purchase the pricey iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. It is a killer combo for strong iPhone sales.

"In Great Britain, where the new iPhone models started shipping on 19 September, Apple saw its sales share up by 1.7 percent compared with the same period last year, taking share of iOS to 31 percent", says Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Dominic Sunnebo. "Across the major European markets, where the new iPhone models were made available between the 19 and 26 September, initial sales of the new iPhone models have overwhelmingly been from existing iPhone owners (87 percent)". The report focuses on five European markets, namely France, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK.

In the quarter ending September 2014, in Europe, iPhones had a market share of 15.4 percent, only surpassed by Android handsets with 73.9 percent. Windows Phone came in third place, with 9.2 percent market share. Meanwhile, in US, iPhone's market share dropped, by three percentage points year-over-year, thanks to the success of smartphones like LG G3 and Motorola Moto X. However, the report still claims that "it is clear that demand for the iPhone 6 has been very healthy".

How video conferencing helps businesses cut costs

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 1:07pm CET par Jack Bennett

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While successful businesses vary wildly in how they operate, one aspect seems to be shared -- an established communication system, both internally and externally. Through this communication infrastructure, high-level leaders can stay connected with corporate leaders, managers, and lower-level employees, allowing for precise instructions, procedures, and overall progress, to be effectively communicated and comprehended by all parties involved.

The problem most businesses encounter is maintaining that line of communication. This is especially true for larger companies with establishments in various locales.

Enter…Video Conferencing

Most businesses, especially larger ones, often encounter some sort of flaw in their communication systems. Business leaders are often dealing with major, long-term operations, ultimately resulting in a lack of physical communication (verbal, face-to-face, etc.). For a business to function optimally, every leader and worker must know precisely what their responsibilities are. However, when physical communication is hindered, certain facial clues and bodily gestures -- both crucial for adequate comprehension -- are not seen.

Over the years, the rise in technology (primarily smartphones) has led to a phenomenal increase in video conferencing technology, either through calls or instant messaging (IM) chats. While the percentage of individual use of video and phone conference services like Polycom is on the rise, businesses have also caught on, finding that the adoption of video conferencing can not only reduce costs, but improve the versatility of their communications infrastructure as well.

Aside from the obvious cost improvements, video conferencing also allows for everyone, regardless of setting, to communicate with one another. In all reality though, the benefits associated with video conferencing are abundant. Some of these benefits include:

1.) Rapid Outreach

Arguably one of the greatest benefits of video conferencing is the speed at which vital information can be communicated. Since most businesses have competitors, the simple aspect of being able to communicate important details (goals, sales quotas, deadlines, etc.) can be the stepping stone needed to get out ahead of the pack, so to speak. Another fantastic benefit is the ability to hold virtual meetings. What this means is that leaders, managers, associates, and employees can basically talk amongst one another from any location.

2.) Optimized Business Operations

For the most part, the bulk of communication within a business occurs through email because it is fast and convenient. However, emails can easily become misconstrued and interpreted wrong, likely resulting in a lack of communication. With video conferencing, however, because the communication is taking place face-to-face, business leaders can make sure their managers completely understand what is being asked of them. This in turn, can be translated effectively to employees. Not only that, but video conferencing also allows for any misunderstandings or questions to be adjusted immediately.

3.) An Eco-Friendly Improvement

Lately, the trend with most businesses is reducing their carbon footprint in order to alleviate some of the negative effects that might be afflicted on the surrounding environment. While it may not seem like it at first, video conferencing can actually help reduce this carbon footprint simply by reducing the amount of travel needed to facilitate business. Business executives are often on the move, traveling from place to place. This usually means taking a car or plane, which produce harmful emissions into the environment. However, the adoption of video conferencing can eliminate a significant amount of travel by allowing executives to communicate virtually.

As you can see, besides reducing costs, establishing a video conferencing system within a business can result in a multitude of benefits. Ultimately, a business needs to be able to adapt and respond to various stimuli, both internally and externally. Video conferencing helps bridge the communication gap.

Image Credit: Andrey_Popov / Shutterstock

Tor user? Your computer could be infected with malware

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 12:22pm CET par Paul Cooper

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Authorities are advising all users of the Tor network to check their computers for malware after it emerged that a Russian hacker has been using the network to spread a powerful virus.

Tor, which began as a secret project from the US Naval Research Laboratory, works by piling up layers of encryption over data, nested like the layers of an onion, which gave the network its original name, The Onion Router (TOR).

Tor encrypts data, including the destination IP address, multiple times and sends it through a virtual circuit made up of successive, randomly selected relays. Each relay decrypts a layer of encryption to reveal only the next relay in the circuit.

The final relay decrypts the innermost layer of encryption and sends the original data to its destination without revealing, or even knowing, the source IP address.

However, it has emerged that one of these exit nodes had been modified to alter any program downloaded over the network. This allowed the attacker to put his own executable code in such programs, and potentially take control of victims' computers.

Due to the altered node, any Windows executable downloaded over the network was wrapped in malware, and worryingly even files downloaded over Windows Update were affected.

The American National Security Agency (NSA) has made considerable efforts in the past to crack the encryption protocols behind Tor, but to limited success. Instead, they've just banked on tracking everyone who uses it, or even searched about it on Google.

Anyone who thinks they might have been infected should take security precautions and check out our guide on what to do if you think your email account has been hacked.

Have you been affected by the Tor hack? If so, let us know in the comments section below.

Oppo R5 is the thinnest smartphone around at only 4.85mm thick

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 11:30am CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Oppo R5

No one can deny that making handsets thinner and thinner is a persistent trend in the mobile device market. Rarely do we see a new, prominent smartphone or tablet being thicker than its predecessor. Manufacturers love to be able to tout during announcements and in ads just how insanely slim their new products are, like this is a feature that us, consumers, are dying to get. (Sadly, sometimes that may be the only thing that such handsets have got going for them.)

Still, if you are one of those who prefer insanely-thin smartphones, Oppo has just the thing for you. The Chinese manufacturer just unveiled "the slimmest phone in the world", called R5, measuring just 4.85 mm thick. To give you an idea of just how thin it is, it shames Apple's new iPhone 6, which comes in at 6.9 mm thick.

So what else does R5 have going for it? Well, it is made of "hand polished steel", so it should feel really good in the hand. The build material is designed to absorb heat well, so the device does not overheat or become uncomfortable to hold. Focus should be very fast, and there is support for focusing after the fact. It is ready for low-light photography. It can take 50 MP photos through stitching. Charging for half an hour will top 75 percent of the battery, while a five-minute charge will allow a two-hour phone call.

Here are the main specs: 5.2-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1,080 by 1,920; 1.5 GHz, 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor; 2 GB of RAM; 2,000 mAh battery; 13 MP main Sony camera with f/2.0 aperture and 4K video recording; 5 MP front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture; 16 GB of internal storage; 4G LTE; Wi-Fi 802.11ac; it runs the Android 4.4 KitKat-based ColorOS 2.0. It measures 148.9 x 74.5 × 4.85 mm and weighs 155 grams.

While there is no word yet on when R5 hits store shelves, Oppo revealed that it costs $499 off-contract.

Oppo N3

Alongside R5, Oppo also unveiled N3. Its highlight is the 206 degree, 16 MP motorized swiveling camera on top of the display, which should make it a great choice for selfie lovers. It packs a 5.5-inch display with the same resolution as R5, and is powered by a 2.3 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, as the other main differences compared to R5. It's bigger, obviously, and heavier, at 161.2 × 77 × 8.7 mm and 192 grams.

Off-contract price is $649. It will be available in up to 20 markets across the globe by year's end.

Bring your own security approach protects Azure cloud apps

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 11:15am CET par Ian Barker

cloud security

Securing applications in the cloud can prove a difficult challenge for businesses. Any solution needs to balance protection against accessibility and not harm performance.

Java security specialist Waratek has used the Microsoft TechEd Europe conference in Barcelona to announce an innovative bring your own security (BYOS) approach to the problem called Waratek Locker.

It's a secure container that provides Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP) for Java applications deployed on the Azure cloud platform. Waratek Locker provides transparent protection against business logic and network layer threats regardless of where an application is hosted and without the need to make any code changes.

The product works within the Java virtual machine allowing it to provide security monitoring, policy enforcement and attack blocking. It can guard cloud applications from exploits that target vulnerabilities in third party libraries and malicious activity including SQL injection, abnormal file manipulation or unexpected network connections.

Applications deployed in Waratek Locker are protected by a rule-based engine. This can be remotely managed by administrators and it comes pre-configured with rules to restrict application access to only required files and network functions, and to block SQL injection attacks.

"Microsoft Azure is a powerful platform for deploying enterprise applications in the cloud that includes industry leading infrastructure level security," says Brian Maccaba, CEO of Waratek. "With Waratek Locker we enable organizations to bring their own application security controls to Azure in one easy to deploy and manage container. It is truly portable enterprise class security for the cloud".

You can find out more and get a free trial on the Waratek website. The company has also made a free tool available for writing custom security rules.

Photo Credit: Slavoljub Pantelic / Shutterstock

FireFTP is a great FTP/ SFTP client for Firefox

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 11:02am CET par Mike Williams

FireFTP First proposed in its basic form more than 40 years ago, File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is an archaic networking technology which should have been ditched long ago.

Remarkably, though, it’s still useful in some areas -- when accessing your own web server, maybe -- and as a result there’s still a strong demand for FTP clients. Normally this might involve installing something like FileZilla; it’s fast, reliable, packed with features, and a great choice for heavy-duty FTP users.

But if you’re looking for something simpler, Firefox add-on FireFTP could be a very good choice.

Launch it from the Tools > Web Developer menu (you can add it to your toolbar if you prefer) and FireFTP displays a very familiar FTP client-type interface; local file browser on the left, remote server on the right, status pane below, and "account creation" tools to save the details of your favorite sites. (Good news if you’re a FileZilla user: FireFTP can import your existing stored sites in a few seconds.)

Once you’ve connected, files can be transferred between local and remote folders by browsing to them, and dragging and dropping.

There are built-in sync tools to compare and synchronise individual folders, or entire local and remote folder trees.

Despite "only" being a browser add-on, FireFTP also has all the other essentials you’d expect from an FTP client. There’s automatic resume for broken transfers, full SSL/TLS/SFTP support, CHMOD and full file properties, remote editing, FXP and more.

This is all very easy to use, but if you’re an FTP newcomer -- or just run into some odd problem or bug -- then you might still have questions occasionally. Fortunately the developer understands this, and the FireFTP site has a lot of detailed help available.

The program still can’t compete with FileZilla or other high-end FTP clients, of course, but FireFTP is more than powerful enough for many applications. If your FTP needs are straightforward, go take a look.

Keyless cars being targeted by high-tech thieves in London

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 8:57am CET par Jamie Hinks

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Thefts of cars that use keyless fobs to gain access are on the rise after criminals gained the ability to hack into the car’s onboard computer and it is causing some luxury car owners to be refused insurance.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers [SMMT] reports that organized crime syndicates have been able to bypass the onboard security by using software only meant for mechanics and start vehicles using the ignition button present in many high end models, such as Range Rovers and BMWs.

"The criminal act of stealing vehicles through the re-programming of remote-entry keys is an on-going industry-wide problem," said Jaguar Land Rover, according to the BBC. "Our line-up continues to meet the insurance industry requirements as tested and agreed with relevant insurance bodies. Nevertheless we are taking this issue very seriously and our engineering teams are actively working in collaboration with insurance bodies and police forces to solve this continuously evolving problem".

It has come to a head with one Range Rover Evoque driver telling The Times that they were refused cover due to the fact the car couldn’t be parked in a garage or secured location.

On the whole car theft is down with figures from the UK Office for National Statistics showing that thefts are dropped from 318,000 in 2002 to 77,500 in 2013 though London has seen a spike and many of those vehicles stolen use this new technology.

One security expert, on the other hand, is still somewhat baffled by what the nature of the problem actually is but are calling for all new technologies of this ilk to be completely secured before released into the wild.

"What is unclear at this time is whether this is related to a software/hardware vulnerability or another weakness in their system" Vicente Diaz, Principal Security Researcher, Global Research and Analysis Team at Kaspersky, told us.

"This is a timely reminder of how fast times and technology are moving; how cars are implementing more and more technology for different systems and how attackers are actively looking for ways of bypassing security mechanisms implemented, for their own gain. This means, more than ever, that security should be a priority in any new systems or designs, rather than the afterthought it often is," Diaz added.

Image Credit: Flickr (Ming-Yen Hsu)

Woof! Woof! Puppy Linux reaches version 6.0 -- fetch it now!

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 2:58am CET par Brian Fagioli

puppylinux

Linux is pretty darn awesome when used on super-powerful machines. However, where the kernel really shines is when operating systems leverage it for less powerful computers. In other words, Linux can breathe new life into old computers thanks to lightweight distributions.

One of the most infamous lightweight distros is Puppy Linux. Aw, puppies are cute, right? Sure they are, but so too is the operating system that bears the name. You see, it loads from a CD/DVD or flash drives, but it runs from system RAM, making it quite fast (and secure). Today, Puppy Linux achieves 6.0 release, and you can download it now.

"Since I retired from developing Puppy Linux early in 2014, keen members of the Puppy-community forked my Woof Puppy-builder, naming it woof-CE. Since then, 01micko has been active with a Puppy built from Slackware packages, named "Slacko Puppy", latest is 5.7 with a new release expected soon. The guys have also been working on another pup, built from Ubuntu Trusty Tahr binary packages, under the leadership of Phil Broughton (666philb in the Puppy Forum), and this has now reached release status. It is named 'Tahrpup' and is version 6.0", says Barry Kauler, creator of Puppy Linux.

The now-retired creator further explains, "Tahrpup is an official release of Puppy Linux for those who would like the package manager to have compatibility with the large collection of packages in the Ubuntu repository, and able to install and use most of them. Some default package choices, such as VLC, UI and system operations, are different from the Slacko Puppy build, which may be other reasons users might choose Tahrpup".

If you are interested in reviving an old computer or just playing around with Linux, you can download the ISO here. Since you do not have to commit to a hard drive, it makes great way to try Linux for beginners. However, privacy-focused users may like it for this reason too, as it is a good way to hide your tracks.

Do you use Puppy Linux? Tell me in the comments.

Logitech announces Keys-To-Go Bluetooth keyboard, refreshes cases for iPad Air 2

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 2:38am CET par Brian Fagioli

kblogithin

Some people are fans of movies or books; me? I love computer peripherals. Yeah, its crazy, but PCI cards, keyboards and mice really get my motor running. With that said, I particularly appreciate quality and value. In other words, I like solid build quality and reasonable prices.

It is for these reasons that I am am a Logitech fan. Yes, there are other companies that make awesome keyboards and mice too, such as Microsoft, but Logitech tends to have a more diverse product offering. Today, the company announces the all-new Keys-To-Go Bluetooth keyboard, which takes a rather unique design approach to mobile typing. True, a small keyboard is not innovative, but the svelte nature of the design is something to behold.

"The Logitech Keys-To-Go is a standalone ultra-portable Bluetooth keyboard that is thin, light and durable, making it the perfect partner for on-the-go typing. At just 6.1 mm thick and 180 grams, it’s simple to tuck into your purse, briefcase or coat pocket without taking up precious space or weighing you down, and is compatible with the entire iPad lineup. What's more, the rechargeable battery can last up to three months on a single charge, so its ready to type whenever (and wherever!) inspiration strikes", says Logitech.

You can see the keyboard in use in the video below.

It is incredibly thin, which makes throwing it in a backpack or pocket-book ideal. What's really cool though, is that it is spill-resistant. If you are in the middle of a marathon writing session at Starbucks, and you spill coffee on it, don't panic; just wipe it off.

Logitech is marketing this for the iPad; however, it should work with any operating system that supports Bluetooth, including Android. That said, the layout appears optimized for iOS, so it may not be all roses.

keys-to-go-ipad

Speaking of the iPad, Apple recently released the all-new iPad Air 2, which is unfortunately thinner than its predecessor. I say "unfortunately", because it is now incompatible with existing iPad Air cases. No worries, Logitech is refreshing a couple of its keyboard cases for the all-new Apple tablet.

Logitech explains, "if you're looking for a keyboard that can provide your brand new iPad Air 2 with added protection, we've updated two of our most popular protective iPad cases with integrated keyboards, the Logitech Type+ and the Logitech Ultrathin".

If you are interested in any of these 3 products, the good news is, you do not have to wait long. All 3 will be available in November. The Keys-To-Go will be a reasonable $69, while the Ultrathin is $89 and the Type+ is $99, respectively.

Google wants to get sloppy Android fans off the couch and into shape, releases Fit app

Publié: octobre 29, 2014, 2:35am CET par Brian Fagioli

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You haven't exercised in a while. It's OK, we know. We can see you getting winded when playing Wii. Who can blame you? I mean, nowadays, there is such incredible technology, that it is hard to be impressed by real life. It is easier to sit on the couch with your precious Nexus 7 watching Law and Order than going for a walk. Hell, maybe you are a Brony and you watch My Little Pony; whatever, it is your life. No judgement. Well, a little judgement -- you are fat and need to get in shape. Your parents are worried about you.

Don't worry, Google is going to motivate you. No, the company is not going to dangle an Inbox invite on a string in front of you and have you chase it around the yard, although that would probably work. Today, the company releases an app called "Fit" that is aimed at getting you off the couch and moving. Sure, it is ironic that technology is being used to motivate sedentary Android fans, since technology has contributed to their lazy ways. But hey, whatever works, right?

"When it comes to improving our fitness, every little effort counts. That's why we've created Google Fit – a fitness app that helps you to start tracking your activity effortlessly and become more active, aware and motivated. Google Fit uses sensors already built in to your Android phone to automatically detect walking, biking and running. And you can set and monitor your fitness goals based on your activity levels. It’s a great tool to discover how active you are and check in on your progress as you work on your fitness goals. In fact, you can check in just about anywhere, including your phone, the web, tablet and Android Wear devices", says Sabrina Ellis, Director, Product Management, Android .

Ellis further explains, "you can also connect your favorite fitness devices and apps like Strava, Withings, Runtastic, Runkeeper and Noom Coach to Google Fit and we'll surface all of the relevant data in one spot, giving you a clear and complete view of your fitness. No need to check one app to see your weight and another to review a run -- with Google Fit, that data will all be surfaced in one, simple place".

Google deserves major props for focusing on activity and exercise. If you think about it, the company is looking out for the well-being of its users, and that is damn cool.

Sadly, I have something to confess -- I am out of shape. It's true, I know it is hard to believe. Coincidentally, I am also an Android fan, who has an Android Wear watch. Starting tomorrow, I will be starting a diet and leveraging Google Fit to help me track my fitness goals in an effort to lose weight and be healthy. Will it work? Who knows, but at least Google has empowered me with a new tool.

Of course, I will listen to the following song as I exercise:

Will you try Google Fit? Tell me in the comments.

Photo Credit: kurhan / Shutterstock

The Kevlar-clad Droid Turbo coming to Verizon on October 30, promises 48 hour battery life

Publié: octobre 28, 2014, 8:27pm CET par Dilraj Singh

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Verizon has always had a love for DROIDs, and that continues today. While other flagships have long relieved the DROID's reputation as the sole Android flagship, the one unique feature Verizon has brought in the last couple of years is battery life.

The Motorola DROID Turbo, available online and in Verizon stores from October 30th, will last you 48 hours between charges. There are pretty much no other options if that is something you want, even the phablets max out under 20 hours of battery. And when you do need to charge, the phone features turbo charging (and comes with a Motorola turbo power charger). All you need to know about that is 15 minutes will give you a charge that lasts up to eight hours.

The other characteristic of DROIDs is the Kevlar, and this model comes with all the buzz words -- "Ballistic Nylon or Metalized Glass Fiber reinforced with DuPont Kevlar fiber, scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 3, and water-repellent nanocoating protecting the inside and out against spills". The Kevlar is usually a hit or miss with customers, but I think its bad-ass. If you are unsure, seeing it in person is highly recommended.

The last true differentiator of the DROID Turbo is the 21-megapizel camera. While megapixels aren't everything, and Motorola isn't especially good with cameras, it does capture 4K video. Until we see the pictures for ourselves, it is safe to assume Motorola did at least a serviceable job. You will get to see your pictures in good quality, with a 5.2in Quad HD (2560 x 1140 pixels), 565 ppi display.

Lastly, if you are on this site, you may enjoy software. And if you like software, Verizon has a nasty reputation of taking forever to update, so the Android Lollipop you were planning on enjoying might not be in your immediate future.

So there you have it. The DROID Turbo has specs that demand careful consideration, and hopefully Verizon won't destroy the software roll Motorola has been on. You can look at the different colors and the storage options that come with each, view other details, and signup for notifications through Verizon.

Motorola DROID Turbo | FindTheBest

Paragon Hard Disk Manager Suite 15 [Review]

Publié: octobre 28, 2014, 7:37pm CET par Mike Williams

Paragon Hard Disk Manager Suite 15

Keeping your hard drive running smoothly isn’t always easy. From partitioning to file and image backups, data wiping to disaster recovery, there are many different tasks involved.

You could research every aspect individually and build up a library of software to handle all your drive-related demands. Alternatively, you might just buy a copy of Paragon Hard Disk Manager Suite 15, which aims to provide everything you’ll ever need in a single package.

A power partitioning engine can set up your drive, split or merge partitions, redistribute free space, recover lost partitions and more.

You’re able to back up files, partitions or complete drives to local or network storage, CD/ DVD/ Blu-ray discs, network shares or FTP/ SFTP servers.

There are bonus tools to securely wipe data, copy or clone disks, while a choice of bootable recovery environments, (DOS, Linux or Windows PE) help to get a broken PC working again.

Paragon Hard Disk Manager Suite 15 (HDM) extends the package further with SSD wiping support, file-level backup to virtual containers (pVHD, VHD, VHDX, VMDK) and a simpler Embedded Recovery Media Builder.

It’s a lengthy list of features, but how do these all work individually? We put Paragon’s latest build to the test.

Getting started

Hard Disk Manager Suite 15 opens with a simple Windows 8-style front end menu, presenting its key functions -- backup, restore, copy, wipe, more -- in various colorful tiles.

This "Express Mode" is extremely basic. You can’t resize or arrange the tiles, add new ones or remove any you don’t need. There’s no "search" to help you find a feature. The tiles won’t even reorganize themselves if you resize the window; they just disappear out of view.

Fortunately, clicking the "Hard Disk Manager 15" tile launches the full program, giving you complete access to all of its functions.

This interface opens with various panes showing your drives, partitions, and their key details (file system, volume, size/ used/ free). Clicking any volume displays more low-level information (sectors per cluster, partition ID, NTFS version).

Select a drive or partition and a Commands pane lists some of your available actions (format/ delete/ move/ resize partition, for example). Right-clicking a volume also displays related commands, or you can browse the menus -- "Backup & Restore", "Partitioning", "Copy & Migration" -- for the functions you need.

Subdued colors, a lack of graphics and flat 32×32 icons mean this all looks rather ugly.

Help is poor, too. We’d hope that pressing F1 at any point would display detailed context-sensitive help on whatever you’re doing. Instead all you see is a message to "visit the product’s home page and download the user manual". Why not bundle it with the program, or at least provide a clickable link?

Still, while HDM’s interface could be much better, its functions are organized sensibly and -- with a few exceptions -- easy enough to find. It won’t take long before you’re using it for real work.

Partitioning, backup

Hard Disk Manager Suite 15 can handle all the partitioning basics, simple wizards allowing you to create, format and delete partitions as required.

The program gets more interesting with its "Express" wizards. If you’re not sure about the low-level details -- whether you need a primary or extended partition, where it should be, how many you can have -- HDM’s "Express Create" wizard will scan your current setup and intelligently make the safest possible choices.

express create Some of HDM’s advanced partitioning tools could be applications on their own. The Split Partition Wizard not only splits one partition into two, but it also moves files to the new volume, and can even redistribute free space when you’re done (great for separating OS/ applications and data).

If you’d like to keep full control, though, that’s just as straightforward. Right-click a partition, select "Move/ Resize", enter "free space before" and "free space after" figures and HDM will move your partition accordingly.

Backup options enable you to back up drives, partitions or (new this time) selected files and folders to virtual drive containers (pVHD, VHD, VHDX, VMDK).

The last is interesting as it offers a mix of benefits. You’re able to initially create a sector-based backup, which can be very quickly restored after some data disaster. But you can then supplement this with file-based incremental backups of whatever interested you most: the best of both worlds.

Elsewhere, the old "Smart Backup" shortcuts to save your emails, documents folder etc. are still available, although now classed as "legacy" features because they only use the old PBF container (click Tools > Legacy Features to view them).

You don’t quite get as many options and settings as you’d expect from a specialist backup tool. There are no pre/ post backup commands, no per-job include filters, no cloud support beyond FTP/ SFTP servers. And performance was nothing special, with backups taking 25 percent longer than Acronis True Image 2015 on our test system.

There’s still plenty to like here. You can run full or incremental backups, set compression levels, add password protection, then restore some or all of an image, from the program or some excellent recovery discs, even to different hardware.

In our experience HDM delivers solid and reliable backups across all hardware and drive types, too, and that remains a major plus.

More functions

There are several reasons why you might want to copy a partition or drive, and Hard Disk Manager Suite 15 probably covers them all. You get wizards to copy volumes, clone drives, migrate your current system to another drive (copy the operating system, selected files and folders), even create a VirtualBox or VMWare virtual machine from a physical drive. As usual, the interfaces are plain and ordinary, but they’re also fairly easy to use.

The Wipe Wizard is a simple tool which securely deletes free space or entire drives (and that includes SSDs in this new edition). There’s only one built-in algorithm (DoD 5220.22-M), but experts can create their own custom wipe method with user-definable masks and pass counts, which makes it extremely flexible.

Once the deleting is done, a built-in sector viewer/ editor helps to confirm its success. If you know what you’re looking for, then the tool can also be used to inspect raw boot sectors, partition tables and other drive structures. Unusually, it’s also able to save selected sectors as a file: that’s probably the most complicated way to undelete something that you can get, but it’s still useful to have available.

The program includes low-level error checking tools to scan a drive’s file system and surface for problems. We’re not sure these do much more than chkdsk, but there’s no harm in having them around.

Scheduling is a highlight. Complete some wizard-based action (backup, copy, wipe free space, whatever it might be), click "Save to Scheduler", and you can have it launched automatically when your system starts, when you log on, every day, week, month, at regular intervals, and more. This isn’t quite as flexible as it might be -- you can’t run tasks at defined intervals of less than a day, or at system shutdown -- but it’s probably good enough for any major backup job.

We’ve always been fans of Paragon’s bootable recovery environments, too, and the most significant new feature in Hard Disk Manager Suite 15, Embedded Recovery Media Builder 3.0, makes them easier to create than ever.

At last, there’s no more need to manually download extra components to create your disc. As long as you’re running Windows 7 or later, the Recovery Media Builder can create a Windows PE or Linux recovery environment, then save it to disc, USB key, or (for Linux) an ISO image ready for use elsewhere.

These don’t just run a cut-down version of the main product, either. The Linux disc includes tools to recover lost partitions, fix common boot problems, access and restore your backups, set up and work with your network, transfer selected files to some other partition or drive, or securely wipe your chosen disk.

Whether these add much value to Paragon Hard Disk Manager Suite 15 is open to question -- you can get most of this functionality for free in Paragon Rescue Kit -- but they’re still a welcome addition to a powerful and professional toolkit.

Verdict

Short on new features, and desperately needs an interface overhaul, but there's a lot of powerful functions, and Paragon Hard Disk Manager Suite 15's core engine still delivers reliable partitioning/ copying/ backups across a range of drive types and file systems.

We Like

Wide support for drive types and file systems, powerful partitioning tools, new incremental file backup to a sector-based image, most tasks can be scheduled, easier to create its excellent disaster recovery disc, runs on everything from Windows 2000 up

We Don't Like

Dated interface, some functions (and the manual) are hidden away, average backup performance, no cloud backup beyond FTP/ SFTP

Overview

Manufacturer:	Paragon Software
Price (RRP):	$49.95
Best Price:	$39.96 (save 20 percent)
Platforms:	Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, both 32 and 64-bit editions
Requirements:	250MB free hard drive space

Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast, or Roku Streaming Stick -- which is best?

Publié: octobre 28, 2014, 6:53pm CET par Wayne Williams

3 streaming-sticks

As my colleague Brian Fagioli said yesterday when reporting on the launch of Amazon’s new Fire TV Stick, there’s no shortage of streaming devices available to choose from, and knowing which to go for can be tricky.

If you use Chrome, have an Android phone, and love YouTube, then Chromecast is probably for you. If, on the other hand, you are an Amazon Prime member, then the Fire TV Stick is a good choice, especially as it can currently be had for just $19. The Roku Streaming Stick has over a thousand channels to choose from and loads of options. Still not sure which to go for? Let’s take a look at what they all have to offer.

Price wise there’s little to differentiate them. As I say, if you’re with Amazon Prime and act swiftly, you can pick up a Fire TV Stick for $19. However, it usually retails for $39. Google’s Chromecast can be found for as low as $27, while Roku is the most expensive device at $48. There’s a $20 gap between the Chromecast and Roku’s product, so if you want the best savings, then Google’s stick looks preferable, although for the extra money, Roku includes a remote (as does Amazon Fire TV Stick).

All three devices can output video at 720p and 1080p, and the Chromecast and Roku also offer 1080i. The Amazon Fire TV Stick doesn’t, but does throw voice control into the pot, which is a nice extra.

Amazon and Google’s streaming devices work on computers, smartphones and tablets, while Roku’s offering only works with mobile devices.

Content of course, is a huge factor when choosing which device to go for. The Fire TV Stick gives users the likes of Amazon Instant Video, Crackle, Flixter and Hulu, while Chromecast offers Crackle, Hulu, Netflix and Viki. Roku’s device provides access to Amazon Instant Video, Blockbuster on Demand, Crackle and Flixter. To name just some of the choices. They all offer different news and sports viewing as well.

To help you make the right decision, you can compare the three devices using the below interactive graphic put together by FindTheBest.

What streaming device do you use, and why?

Image Credit: Minerva Studio / Shutterstock

CurrentC is a threat to iPhone and Android users alike

Publié: octobre 28, 2014, 6:51pm CET par Ed Oswald

currentc

In the iPhone vs. Android drama, it’s easy to pit one side against the other. Closed architecture vs. open source. Vendor lock-in vs. consumer choice. iOS vs. Android. But a new effort by retailers is one thing that actually unites either side’s fanboys towards a common cause.

It’s called CurrentC. The effort is a payment network created by an organization of vendors known as the Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX), and aims to take credit card processors out of the equation. Payments are processed by MCX itself and then sent directly to your bank for payment. MCX partners read like a who’s who of companies that have refused to accept Apple Pay: Best Buy, CVS, Rite Aid, and Walmart, plus about 50 other major national stores and chains. Target is part of MCX too, however it's playing both sides of the fence (at least for now).

Low Tech, Little Privacy

CurrentC payments are processed using a QR code that is displayed on the payment terminal. To make the payment, the customer scans that QR code using his or her mobile device from within the CurrentC app. MCX is also allowing retailers to gather information on customer purchasing habits in the background for marketing purposes.

As an Android user, you might be saying "why should I care about these retailers banning Apple Pay?" Retailers from these chains are turning off NFC at the point of sale, meaning that no one, whether you’re using your NFC-enabled credit or debit card, Google Wallet, or Apple Pay, will be able to use contactless payment at all.

This NFC ban is bad for everyone. Apple and Google’s payment systems offer anonymous payment, and the retailer just knows they’re getting paid. While earlier reporting does seem to indicate that Apple has bigger plans for NFC and Apple Pay, in the end the payment is still anonymous.

Let’s also consider the user experience. With Apple Pay, all you need to do is get out your phone and place your thumb on the Touch ID sensor. You also have the choice of payment method. Perhaps you don’t want to pay for the item right away through a debit card? That’s okay, use your credit card instead.

Lack of Choice

CurrentC doesn’t give you this choice. It’s either debit, or store prepaid card. Since they’re giving the finger to the credit card processors, you can sure as hell bet you won’t find your Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express here. Plus the whole process is overly complicated and likely problem-prone.

What if your camera lens is dirty? It’s going to have problems focusing on that QR code, slowing things down. What if the app has trouble connecting to MCX’s servers? Too bad, the payment’s going to fail. And the fact that your information is being collected and likely shared among the group’s partners? No thank you, I control how my information is used and collected.

I’m also skeptical of a payment technology that is tied directly to my bank account using non-secure technologies. How secure is a QR code or the cloud, really? I understand that the QR code is for "one time use," however the payment process is now essentially happening outside the device especially when it goes to the cloud. With Apple Pay, payment processing occurs within the device through the secure element.

You tell me which one you’d think is more secure. CurrentC is overly complicated, and just leaves too many opportunities for something to go wrong, or a hacker to make their way in. That seems counterproductive.

So what can you do? First off, let the companies know. Through social media and by email (many already are). Next, change your shopping habits. Support places that support consumer choice when it comes to payments. It doesn’t matter whether you own an iPhone or an Android device, because this effort by certain retailers affects us all.

And most of all, start using Apple Pay or Google Wallet!

WinZip 19 launches with unified file management, increased protection and improved sharing

Publié: octobre 28, 2014, 6:43pm CET par Nick Peers

winzip

WinZip International LLC has released WinZip 19 a major new update of its renowned compression tool. Version 19 continues to see the product reposition itself in the file-sharing market with a number of new features.

These include new centralized file management tools, the promise of a more simplified, task-oriented UI and improvements to file-conversion options during the compression process. WinZip 19 also implements support for touch-based devices and high-definition screens.

The new build opens with a new centralized file management tool. Now users can more easily select files from local, network and even cloud storage without having to use different apps and browsers.

Tools make it possible for users to move, delete and rename files in the cloud as well as between different accounts and drives. All major cloud services are supported, including Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive and Box.

WinZip 19 also introduces additional encryption options to protect cloud-based files with a second layer of encryption -- before or after uploading.

The new simplified user interface also incorporates tools for saving and sharing directly from within WinZip itself, and is task-oriented to make it easier to use. It’s also been redesigned to fit in with the flatter Modern UI look to sit comfortably with later versions of Windows, and supports hi-res displays up to 500 DPI.

The UI also features a dynamic, context-sensitive Actions pane that puts relevant tools at the user’s fingertips when needed.

Additional UI improvements see more file-conversion options -- including encryption, converting to PDF, adding watermarks and resizing photos -- being made available at any point during the zip process, allowing users to decide before, during or after files have been compressed via a series of handy switches. Changes can be applied to the entire zip file or selected files only.

WinZip 19 also offers tighter integration with WinZip’s online ZipShare service, allowing users direct access to features such as tracking deliveries and sending large files up to 50MB in size for no cost.

The update also implements touch-friendly features, adjusting to hybrid devices whether they’re in notebook or tablet mode.

WinZip 19 is available as a free trial download for PCs running Windows XP or late. Also available is WinZip Mac Edition for OS X users. Both WinZip and WinZip Mac Edition cost $29.95 for the Standard edition. Pro and Enterprise editions are also available.

Google for Work scores 45,000 new users -- should Microsoft worry?

Publié: octobre 28, 2014, 5:29pm CET par Brian Fagioli

googleforwork

With every passing day, Microsoft's enterprise competition gets a bit stronger. Between OS X, Chrome OS and Linux distributions, Windows is under constant attack; however, the true threat to Microsoft is competing office suites and cloud solutions. While the business world will not largely be transitioning from Windows anytime soon, software like Google Docs and Drive are legitimate options.

Today, Google announces a new agreement with a company called PwC, which will bring Google's solutions, like Gmail, Hangouts, and Docs, to the company. Believe it or not, PwC has over 45,000 employees in both the USA and Australia which is a huge win for Google. In the grand scheme of things, it is not a huge number of users, but slowly and steadily, Google is accumulating these relationships and they add up. Should Microsoft be worried?

"As part of this new relationship, PwC will help their clients evaluate and plan their move to the cloud. Any company can benefit from the ability to work better together from anywhere with Drive for Work and Android. PwC will also help clients build custom applications and mobile solutions relevant to their industries -- improving processes like invoicing and talent management -- using Google Cloud Platform. Moving to the cloud requires trust in a new way of working. PwC's deep industry knowledge and strong client relationships will help businesses realize the security benefits, productivity gains and cultural impact made possible through this move", say Amit Singh, President, Google for Work.

Singh further explains, "PwC is also adopting Google Apps for Work for 45,000 employees in the U.S. and Australia. After extensive research and analysis, PwC's experts concluded going Google is secure and cost-effective, and offered greater opportunities for collaboration. PwC's digital transformation will include products like Gmail, Calendar, Hangouts, Drive and Docs, to communicate and collaborate with their colleagues and clients. PwC's use of Google tools will also help them advise clients on the benefits of cloud technology".

Chromebooks are noticeably absent from the announcement, but this is not surprising to me. While the machines are wonderful for both home and small business use, it is not ready for a large company with 45,000 employees. The platform is not yet there, but it can be with time. Windows and Office remain the kings of the enterprise, but will it last forever?

Should Microsoft be worried? Tell me in the comments.

Is Google Now creepy or cool?

Publié: octobre 28, 2014, 5:24pm CET par Alan Buckingham

business man spying

The other day my colleague Brian Fagioli posted a story about Cortana advancements for the Windows Phone crowd. It got me thinking because he stated that "quite frankly, Google Now is so good at learning about you, that at first, it can seem a bit creepy". He isn't far off the mark, as it is creepy, but it works. And it works to an almost scarily good degree, when it comes to figuring its user out. TV? Travel? Packages ordered? It will have you covered. But is all of this a good or bad thing?

The answer will depend on the person, as I know the privacy advocates will chime in and disagree with my assessment. Am I worried about this invasion to my personal life? The answer is a resounding NO. Google Now alerts me to all sorts of events, some are just useful, some are things I'd likely have forgot without the help of the search giant.

For instance, thanks to GPS data, Google has figured out I go grocery shopping every Sunday morning and gives me a message when I wake up. It tells me drive time and traffic conditions (non-existent, as I live in the country, but still nice) for the trip. It also alerts me about my football team's upcoming game that day and reminds me of the score the next day -- a bit annoying if they lost. On Monday morning it reminds me that Blacklist is on at 10pm.

Yes, the service learns to know you almost as well as your spouse. But is that good or bad? Google uses information from your searches, email, GPS, etc. to accomplish all of this, so many of you will baulk at the prospect. I will not be among you. As Scott McNealy, former CEO of Sun Microsystems, once said, "You have zero privacy anyway. Get over it".

As a basically public person I don't hide anything -- you can all email me or view my Facebook page (don't bother sending a friend request, though). If anything, I should worry about a stalker, and Google isn't that.

Yes, much of this data is being collected by the NSA, but guess what? With or without Google Now, it still would be. If you want privacy then disconnect the internet, use cash and move to a cabin in the woods. Otherwise, understand that Google doesn't care about you personally. It's really ads that are better targeted and Now which is genuinely helpful with your daily life. You can argue if you wish, but I'll stick with "cool" and not "creepy" for my vote.

Image Credit: Andresr / Shutterstock

Skills gap still the biggest challenge in mobile app delivery

Publié: octobre 28, 2014, 4:05pm CET par Ian Barker

Mobile device apps

Finding skilled mobile developers is one of the top challenges when it comes to the timely delivery of new apps.

This is among the findings of the 2014 Mobile Trends report from enterprise mobile platform provider Appcelerator. The company along with IDC surveyed over 8,000 mobile developers and 121 IT decision makers to get their take on trends that affect the way businesses use mobile in the workplace.

The skills gap was rated by 33.3 percent of developers and 41.3 percent of decision makers as the number one difficulty. The skills problem isn't simply about coding languages but also the way processes must be adapted and apps designed to connect to back office data. Agreeing on features and design priorities is seen as a problem by 17.6 percent of developers and 9.9 percent of decision makers.

There's also division of opinion over who owns the mobile agenda. 66.9 percent of IT decision makers feel that IT is the primary driver in setting the organization’s mobile agenda, however, 49.7 percent of developers say the business side is in control.

This same split is evident on HTML5 too. Among decision makers 70.6 percent report a positive experience of implementing HTML5 but that figure falls to 37.2 percent amongst developers.

The report indicates that release velocity is increasing too along with the number of platforms that need to be supported. 83.9 percent of developers report that their businesses are supporting two or more mobile operating systems, and 55 percent say they release monthly or more often.

What both sides agree on is the importance of accessibility to mobile platforms, with 90 percent of developers and 87 percent of IT decision makers saying it was likely or very likely that connecting mobile apps to both public and enterprise data sources will become the norm.

The full report is available in a snazzy page-flipping format on the Appcelerator website.

Image Credit: logolord / Shutterstock

Microsoft unveils new Office 365 APIs and SDKs for iOS and Android

Publié: octobre 28, 2014, 2:25pm CET par Mark Wilson

Microsoft unveils new Office 365 APIs and new SDKs for iOS and Android

As if giving Office 365 subscribers unlimited OneDrive storage was not enough, Microsoft today has some more news relating to its office suite. Previously only available as previews, a batch of new Office 365 APIs open up new opportunities for developers to tap into Office with their own apps. With APIs available for mail, files, calendar and contacts, there's lots of potential for the future.

One of the first big names to take advantages of the new APIs is IFTTT, the online automation service. The new APIs mean that it is possible for IFTTT to react to things that happen in Office applications -- so it is possible to set up an alert when an email matching certain criteria arrives. There are also updates to the Android and iOS SDKs for developers to work with.

The announcement at TechEd Europe also suggested other usage scenarios for the new APIs -- such as travel apps that connect with users' calendars, and sales apps that integrate with files and emails. Microsoft explains that "these new robust REST-based APIs empower all developers to leverage the more than 400 petabytes of data (as of March 2014) and popular services across Office 365 in any application".

Microsoft is keen for Office to spread to as many platforms as possible, and this is demonstrated by the mobile SDKs. The SDKs will be welcomed by Android and iOS developers who will now find it easier than ever to integrate their apps with Office 365. Rounding off today's batch of developer-pleasing announcements is news about the Office 365 app launcher. Developers will now be able to easily push their apps to the launcher so they appear alongside the likes of Word and Outlook.

Incapsula launches how-to guide for dealing with DDoS attacks

Publié: octobre 28, 2014, 2:01pm CET par Ian Barker

We reported back in March that DDoS attacks had risen sharply to become a major threat for online businesses.

In order to help companies cope, cloud security provider Incapsula is today launching a DDoS Playbook analyzing the threat landscape and providing businesses with a how-to guide to fend off attacks.

Incapsula's DDoS Playbook provides companies with a practical guide for planning and executing a DDoS response plan. It outlines pragmatic steps and best practices to help in choosing the right mitigation solution for an organization. It will help enterprises authoritatively respond to an attack and conduct a thorough post-attack analysis for developing follow-up defense strategies.

The Playbook starts with the basics of how often DDoS attacks occur and how and why they're launched. It then covers building a response team, preparing a plan and carrying out a risk assessment.

It looks at the key technologies and capabilities needed to build a protection strategy, including detection and the importance of timing. Crucially it also looks at what's needed to respond to an attack, covering establishing a communications center, responding to ransom notes and more.

The book's authors say, "Organizations that engage in advance DDoS response planning are far more likely to limit potential damage and act in an effective manner than those that try to improvise their way through a DDoS-induced crisis".

Written for executives rather than technical staff, the Playbook includes a glossary of terms and is written in an accessible style offering practical advice. For more information and to download a copy visit the Incapsula website.

Image Credit: sibgat / Shutterstock

Dell Optiplex 3020 Micro: A business PC that's small enough to fit anywhere [Review]

Publié: octobre 28, 2014, 1:45pm CET par James Morris

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The miniaturization of components for the benefit of notebooks has had a knock-on effect for desktops. Using some of the same components, desktops can be made a lot smaller too, or even designed to fit behind a screen for an all-in-one system. The Dell Optiplex 3020 Micro is almost a notebook without a screen, but if you want a tiny no-nonsense system that will be almost invisible on a desk, or even fitted underneath, there is plenty to commend it.

The Dell Optiplex 3020 Micro's name is a little confusing, because there are actually two larger Optiplex 3020 models; only the word Micro denotes the rather different specification of this system. Measuring just 18.2cm along its longest edge, and weighing a paltry 1.28kg, the Micro is much smaller than the Minitower and Small Form Factor versions of the 3020. It's designed to sit flat on your desk, or an optional stand can be used to stand it vertically. There are VESA mounting options too, plus an all-in-one mount and a console including a DVD rewriter.

There are also only two processor choices -- Intel Pentium and Intel Core i3. Our sample came with the more expensive latter. The Core i3 in question is a 4150T from the fourth Haswell generation. This is a low-power 34W version of the 4150, so runs at 3GHz rather than 3.5GHz, and no Turbo Boost mode is available to provide a lift when required.

The Core i3 is a dual-core processor, and unlike the Pentium supports Hyper-Threading, allowing the two physical cores to present themselves as four virtual ones, for enhanced processing of parallel tasks. The Core i3 is partnered with 4GB of 1,600MHz DDR3 SDRAM, which is the bare minimum these days, and there is no option for more.

The processor also supplies the graphics in the shape of Intel HD Graphics 4400, which is a small step up from the HD Graphics 4000 of Ivy Bridge, but not the huge leap between that and HD Graphics 3000 found in Sandy Bridge. Whilst 3000 has 12 execution units, and 4000 has 16, 4400 moves up to 20. However, whilst 4000 can be around 2.5 times faster than 3000, 4400 is more like a 30 per cent improvement over 4000. The Core i3-4150T's 1.15GHz version of 4400 will get most of this benefit. The new HD Graphics have DirectX 11.1 support, too, alongside OpenGL 4, Shader Model 5, and OpenCL 1.2.

The Optiplex 3020 Micro takes a fairly minimal approach to storage. In fact, the only storage device included is a 500GB Toshiba 7,200rpm SATA hard disk with a 2.5in form factor, making it of the notebook variety. This will be ample for a general-purpose PC, even if it won't have the performance benefits of a solid state disk, and there's an M.2 expansion port available inside for fast SSD attachment. However, there's no room in this minuscule chassis for an optical drive of any sort, and it's a shame that Dell didn't shoehorn a Flash memory card reader in either, which is always a handy thing to have available.

Fortunately, a wealth of ports is on hand for attaching external devices. The front is home to single USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports, plus separate minijacks for headphones and a microphone. The rear hosts another USB 3.0 and three more USB 2.0 ports, alongside a full-sized DisplayPort, VGA, and Gigabit Ethernet LAN, as well as the connection for the external 65W power supply.

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The Optiplex 3020 also has built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi, which is the latest standard, with a large removable aerial screwing into the rear of the system for optimum reception. So you don't need to place this machine near a wired Ethernet port to get it on the network. The Intel Wireless-AC 7260 chipset providing the Wi-Fi also supplies Bluetooth 4.0 LE connectivity.

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With its relatively low-end Intel Core i3, the Optiplex 3020 Micro is no powerhouse. In fact, it performs like a fast ultraportable in most tests. The rendering scores of 3.15 and 300 in Maxon Cinebench R11.5 and R15 respectively would be good for a thin and light notebook, but are towards the lowest end for a desktop.

Likewise, the Cinebench OpenGL results of 15.38 and 19.19 in R11.5 and R15 are decent for integrated graphics, but most systems with a discrete graphics card would be far quicker. The results of 733 in Futuremark 3DMark11 and 492 in the Firestrike 1.1 test of 3DMark continue this trend, but at least the Optiplex 3020 Micro finished all our graphics tests without issue. While it may be relatively slow, if you run software that does need 3D acceleration it will at least function.

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You are unlikely to purchase a system like this for any kind of graphics-intensive activities anyway. It's therefore reassuring that the Optiplex 3020 Micro is decently capable with the everyday tasks simulated by Futuremark's PCMark 8 Home and Work tests. The scores of 2,280 and 3,277 respectively show the system will cope well with videoconferencing, web browsing and office applications, although it's no powerhouse here either.

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On the whole, the Optiplex 3020 Micro performs essentially as expected given its minuscule size, but is significantly ahead of the Intel Atom-based micro PCs that have arrived on the market over the last few years, and much more capable of handling real business workloads.

Verdict

There's nothing particularly revolutionary about Dell's Optiplex 3020 Micro. It has been possible to cram most of the necessities of a PC into a box this size for some years now. It's also not going to be sufficient for anyone who has a need to use graphics applications with any intensity.

However, this is a cheap system for employees who don't need more than office software and Internet capabilities. The price includes a standard Dell mouse and keyboard, too. There's a TPM chip built in for hardware-based security, and Windows 7 Professional is supplied so the system can fit into a corporate network with full remote manageability.

Overall, it's not the machine for every employee, but where your business computing needs to be cheap and discrete, the Dell Optiplex 3020 Micro could make good sense.

Good Points

Reasonable price
Very small
Decent business software performance
Flexible mounting options

Bad Points

Non-upgradeable 4GB of RAM
Merely adequate graphics performance

Specifications

Manufacturer and Product	Dell Optiplex 3020 Micro
Processor	3GHz Intel Core i3-4150T
RAM	4GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM
Graphics	Intel HD Graphics 4400
Hard disk	500GB Toshiba 7,200rpm SATA hard disk
Optical disc	None
Display	None
Networking	Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 LE
Interfaces	2 x USB 3.0, 4 x USB 2.0, DisplayPort, VGA, headphone, microphone, LAN.
Width x Depth x Height	182 x 176 x 36mm
Weight	1.28kg
Warranty	1 year NBD on-site

Apple Watch's Achilles' heel is short battery life

Publié: octobre 28, 2014, 12:52pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Apple Watch

One of the main reasons why smartwatches are a tough sell today is battery life. Consumers expect them to work for a very long period of time on a single charge when, in reality, they only last for a day or two. It is no surprise then that, coupled with other issues related to the user experience, most people could not care less about them.

Not even the long-awaited Apple Watch looks like it will be able to match our expectations. When Tim Cook unveiled the device last month he left out details regarding battery life, which we took as a sign that we should not get our hopes up. A statement that Apple's CEO just made at the WSJ.D conference confirms our concerns.

Speaking of Apple Watch and how "profound" of an impact it could have in consumers' lives, Cook expects that users "will end up charging it daily" because they "are going to use it so much". He may have chosen his words carefully there, but the takeaway is that we should not expect Apple Watch to last longer than other smartwatches on the market, like Motorola's Moto 360, at least not in the current iteration, which will ship next year.

Truth is, there is only so much that can be done to improve battery life in a form factor that is this small. Apple Watch cannot pack a big battery, as it would be bulky and consumers might not want a smartwatch that is too thick or too big -- as it might look out-of-place. Apple may also be lacking the technology that ushers significant battery life savings -- given time, more efficient hardware will be manufactured.

But, for an expensive smartwatch such as Apple Watch -- it starts at $349 -- offering similar battery life to devices costing roughly half as much could be viewed as its Achilles' heel. It does not seem to add any killer features for the extra money, other than the benefits that come with being part of the all-in Apple lifestyle -- which may mean nothing to those not ready to follow the same path.

BigPanda automates IT incident management

Publié: octobre 28, 2014, 11:56am CET par Ian Barker

Panda

Over the past decade or so there's been a big change in the way data centers work and in many cases procedures for managing incidents haven't kept pace.

This is partly due to greater complexity brought about by the cloud and virtualization, and partly due to the fact that monitoring has become more fragmented with companies using, on average, five different monitoring tools.

In order to bring data center incident management up to date, data science specialist BigPanda is aiming to use its platform to automate IT incident management. It analyzes alerts then automates the processes involved with detecting, investigating and collaborating to resolve IT incidents. This enables companies to resolve IT issues faster and minimize their impact on customers and revenue.

Assaf Resnick, Co-Founder and CEO of BigPanda, says, "The new generation of IT infrastructure requires a fundamentally different approach to incident management. We believe that only through leveraging data science can IT teams tackle the scale of machines, events and dependencies that must be understood and managed".

BigPanda uses a SaaS platform that aggregates and normalizes alerts from leading monitoring systems, such as New Relic, Nagios and Splunk, as well as in-house monitoring solutions. It then uses powerful data algorithms to automate the incident management process.

It sorts high level incidents from the flood of alerts so that critical issues can be spotted quickly. BigPanda also cross checks IT incidents with the code deployments and infrastructure changes that may have caused them, so IT and DevOps teams have instant access to the data they need to make smart decisions quickly.

In addition the platform makes it easy to notify the right people and keep everyone updated on incident status, notes, activities, metrics, and more. BigPanda syncs with help desk systems like ServiceNow, JIRA and Remedy, which frees IT staff from having to manually manage tickets and keep them up-to-date.

The company has also announced $7 million of funding from venture capitalists to allow it to develop the product. A lite version of BigPanda is available for free and there's a 30-day free trial of the full version available on the company's website.

Image Credit: leungchopan / Shutterstock

Windows 10 will offer Mac-like trackpad gestures

Publié: octobre 28, 2014, 11:21am CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Man Laptop Dark

Anyone who has ever used a modern-day Mac will tell you that Apple gets its trackpads right. Sure, they look nice and feel great to the touch, but, most importantly, they are also properly supported in OS X. It offers myriad gestures to help users navigate as efficiently as if they were using a mouse. In fact, the trackpad is designed to feel like an integral part of the system, not as a bolt-on, as there are lots of things that can be done faster with it, like locating a window or opening the notifications panel.

The same cannot be said about Windows PC trackpads. They truly feel like bolt-ons. And it is not because they are poorly put together, but rather because the drivers never seem to be good enough to reveal the trackpads' true potential. Microsoft, however, wants to change that in Windows 10, as the upcoming operating system will support Mac-like trackpad gestures. Finally.

Today, at TechEd Europe in Barcelona, Microsoft corporate vice president of Operating Systems Group Joe Belfiore revealed that Windows 10 will come with multi-touch gesture support, seemingly to put an end to the different approaches OEMs have when it comes to their software implementation.

Belfiore added that the new multi-touch gestures that Windows 10 will offer are designed with power-users in mind, as this is the most likely group of Windows 10 users to take advantage of them frequently. A couple of the new gestures were demoed.

A three-finger swipe down on the trackpad will minimize all windows, allowing the user to quickly see only the desktop. To see the minimized windows again, a three-finger swipe up on the trackpad will do the trick. Repeat the gesture and Windows 10 will display Task View; a three-finger swipe to the sides will allow users to select which of the active windows should be brought up to the foreground.

To give you an idea of how similar the Windows 10 gestures are to the ones offered in OS X, a three-finger swipe up on OS X will trigger Mission Control (an overview of all windows), while a three-finger swipe down will trigger Expose (an overview of all open windows of an app). On OS X, minimizing all windows is done through a four-finger pinch. As you can see, Microsoft does things somewhat differently, to better suit the character of Windows 10.

These gestures will certainly make the operating system easier to navigate for those rocking a laptop, and it may also (hopefully) come in handy for Mac users who wish to run Windows 10 under Boot Camp. Belfiore says that more new features are coming, with consumers to get more attention starting early next year.

Photo Credit: scyther5/Shutterstock

Write! is a stylish distraction-free text editor

Publié: octobre 28, 2014, 11:17am CET par Mike Williams

write Notepad may be a weak, feeble and hopelessly underpowered editor, but its more powerful replacements can have problems of their own. Piling on the features often brings an array of interface clutter -- ribbons, toolbars, menus, panes, status bar and more -- which can get in your way and slow you down.

Distraction-free text editors take a different approach, replacing all the usual interface chrome with a clean, minimalist look. This can be great when you just want to concentrate on the task in hand, and as Write! shows, they can still have plenty of features to explore.

The program (currently in beta) installs easily and opens with a very sparse interface: a tab, a "new tab" button, a menu icon, and that’s it. You can drag and drop a text file in from Explorer, or just start typing, and all the standard keyboard shortcuts work just as you’d expect (Ctrl+N = new, Ctrl+B = bold, Ctrl+U = underline, Ctrl+S = save and so on).

Just use Write! for a few minutes and other features begin to appear. An Autocomplete function learns as you type, for instance, then offers to finish words for you. Text searching supports regular expressions, and the spell checker can handle multiple languages in the same document.

Selecting and right-clicking text is another way to access commands, from basic text formatting (style/ case/ color) to calling up various web resources (Google/ Translate/ Wikipedia/ Thesaurus).

It’s also easy to add clickable links, and Write! even supports wiki syntax: =1st level Heading=, ==2nd level Heading==, *bulleted lists, [http://wri.tt|Write!] links, and so on.

The interface for all of this is kept to an absolute minimum. By default, for example, there’s no word or character count on the status bar, and instead you must click on an icon to view them.

But if you can live with that, there are plenty of stats here: words, characters, characters + spaces, reading time, characters you’ve written per minute and the number of words per day. You can even set a target figure, maybe a certain number of words, and then the status bar will update to show you how close you are.

One obvious issue here is that you’ll need to master a host of hotkeys to use Write! effectively. This isn’t particularly difficult -- they’re generally well chosen, and you can redefine any you don’t like -- but, annoyingly, while you can press F1 to view a list of shortcuts, this window has to be closed before you can continue typing.

Once you’ve found your way around, though, Write! proves to be a capable editor, easy to use and with a strong set of features. Give it a try.

How to fix IBM

Publié: octobre 28, 2014, 10:50am CET par Robert X. Cringely

Given IBM’s earnings miss last week and the impact it had on company shares I thought rather than just criticizing the company it might make better sense to consolidate my ideas for how to fix IBM. Here they are.

Early in his tenure as CEO, Sam Palmisano made changes that created IBM’s problems today. IBM customers are buying fewer products and services. Revenue has dropped each quarter for the past ten. Sam’s changes alienated IBM customers, many of whom are ending what has been in many cases a multi-decade relationship. No amount of earnings promises, no amount of financial engineering, will fix this problem.

IBM forgot the most important part of running a business. While shareholder value is important, it is customers that make business possible.

Under Sam’s leadership IBM began to cut quality, cut corners, and under-deliver on its commitments. IBM squeezed every penny out of every deal without regard to the impact it would have on customers. And those customers have paid dearly. The reputation IBM earned over a century was ruined in a few short years.

What Ginni Rometty and IBM need to do now is simple: Stop doing the things that are damaging IBM. Go back to customers being a corporate priority. They are after all the folks who generate IBM’s revenue.

The Services Problem -- IBM needs to fix Global Services, the company’s largest division touching the most customers and a catalyst for IBM sales. For IBM to succeed it needs a strong and effective services organization. IBM’s Cloud strategy, for example, cannot be financially successful without Services. If Services fail, IBM will fail. It is that simple.

IBM’s Global Services have seen the worst cost cuts and the most layoffs. These cuts have hurt IBM customers. Many contracts have been canceled and sales lost. IBM is no longer considered to be a trusted supplier by many of its customers.

To fix IBM it needs to invest in Global Services and in its people. Yes, there are already quality improvement programs and automation projects, but these efforts are new, few, and small. Their focus is at the account level, not the organization. Most of the problems are at the leadership level, where profit has been the only priority. Global Services is in crisis and IBM needs to get serious about fixing this organization.

IBM is hemorrhaging talent on a global scale across all divisions. It cannot retain good people. IBMers, as they call themselves, are underpaid, neglected, and have been abused for years. Most of IBM’s 400,000+ employees are no longer working for the company. Their jobs have become nightmares. They are prevented from doing good work. They know IBM is neglecting its customers, but they are powerless to do anything. The best they can do is to try to survive until reason returns to IBM’s leadership, if ever.

Every IBM staff cut now has a direct impact on revenue. After the 1Q 2014 earning miss IBM hit its sales support teams hard with layoffs, making it immediately much harder for IBM to sell products and services. Customers became frustrated and shopped elsewhere. In 3Q 2014 revenue took a big fall as a direct result of this earlier bonehead move. Formerly growing lines of business in IBM are now declining. After 10 years of continuous layoffs, any subsequent reduction has a direct and immediate impact on business. IBM can no longer afford to cut staff.

IBM needs to stop staff cuts and start doing the things needed to retain its good workers, including paying them better.

Global Services is horribly inefficient. There is very little automation. The business information systems are poor. IBM has too many people managing accounts and too few servicing them. Global Services is in serious need of a business process redesign and better information systems. For the last 10 years all IBM has done is replace skilled American labor with cheap offshore labor. IBM’s workforce of 400,000 workers looks impressive. Ask IBM how many of them have minimal education and have worked for IBM for less than 3 years? That huge workforce is now a hollow shell of a once great company.

If IBM can invest $1.2 billion in the Cloud, why can’t it invest $200 million in Global Services? A wise investment could cut in half the number of people needed to manage IBM’s accounts. It could allow IBM support teams to operate proactively instead of reactively. The client experience would be greatly improved – fewer problems, things running better. If IBM’s Services customers were happy, business retention would be better, more products and services could be sold. This division could again be the business catalyst of the corporation. It is time to manage it better and make modest investments in it.

To look at this another way, if IBM continues to neglect Global Services and does not invest in it, then those billions of dollars in investments in Cloud and Analytics will be wasted. If IBM is to grow again, Services must again become IBM’s most important business. As goes Services, so goes the whole corporation.

The Cloud Problem -- Cloud computing is one of IBM’s gambles for future prosperity. Cloud means different things to different people but what is important for IBM is to understand the business reasons behind the Cloud. It is part of an evolutionary process to reduce the cost of computing. This means less expensive computing for customers and lower profit margins for IBM. It means reduced hardware sales. It implies there will be reduced support costs from Services, too. This is the opposite of what IBM is now telling itself about the Cloud.

For IBM to be profitable in Cloud computing it needs to provide value-added services with its Cloud platform. Most Cloud offerings are a Platform as a Service (PaaS). There isn’t enough profit in PaaS for IBM to get a good return on its multi-billion dollar investment. IBM needs to provide additional things with its Cloud service -- Services and Software as a Service (SaaS). To provide Cloud SaaS IBM needs to have software applications that the market needs. It doesn’t. The biggest market for Cloud Saas is not with IBM’s huge legacy customers, it is the other 80 percent of the market consisting of not-so-big companies that IBM has served poorly (if at all) in recent years. They will want something that is cost effective and "just works". IBM does not have in its product portfolio the business applications these customers need. In this area IBM is dangerously behind and faces stiff competition from firms like Amazon, Microsoft, Google -- even Oracle. IBM urgently needs to invest in the software its next generation of customers will want to use.

The Software Problem -- IBM’s software business was one of its brighter stars in 2013. It enjoyed sales growth and good profit margins. The problem is IBM’s software business is far from where it needs to be. To understand IBM’s situation in software, look at Oracle. For years Oracle was a database company. Today Oracle is much more than a database company. It has developed and acquired a portfolio of business applications. If you want an HR system or an accounting system you can find it at Oracle. When it comes to software IBM is still very much in the 1970s. It sells the tools their customers need to write their own business applications. If you have a business and want to purchase finished software you can use to run your business, IBM will probably not be your first choice. While IBM’s software division has been growing nicely, its long-term potential is limited because it is not aligned to the needs of the market.

IBM’s current management approach has crushed the life from most of the software companies it has purchased. Software is not a business you can carve into pieces and scatter all over the world. Software works best when there is a short and tight communications link between the customer and a dedicated product development team. Product development needs to understand the needs and directions of the customers, it needs to be empowered to design new products and versions that will increase its value to the market, and it needs to be enabled to produce those products and versions quickly and efficiently.

IBM’s announcement last week of running SAP HANA is a step in the right direction. Though I think SAP will be making more money on the deal than IBM.

Here’s the key: every company in existence needs an accounting program, order processing, inventory management, distribution and other types of "run your business" applications. All of IBM’s big customers already have the applications they need. They’ve had them for 25 years. It is all the smaller companies that could use better and cheaper application. These organizations make up 90 percent of the IT market and are not served well -- if at all -- by IBM. This is where the big money in Cloud is.

IBM used to have a lot of "run your business" software. Since the demise of the old General Systems division in a political bloodbath a lot of this software has faded out of existence. This is a huge problem for IBM.

Oracle bought PeopleSoft and got a very good accounting system and a very good HR system. It has bought other companies who sell "run your business" software. Computer Associates (CA) has bought many of these types of businesses too. If you want to buy an accounting package, I don’t think IBM would have anything to sell you. It probably doesn’t have anything it could put in the Cloud, either. But Intuit (Quickbooks) has an accounting package and figured out it can make more money be selling it as a service. So did Salesforce.com. These companies are years ahead of IBM.

For Cloud to become a big money maker for IBM, IBM needs to buy applications -- big time. Maybe it should buy Intuit, Salesforce, etc. Could it afford to buy CA? Can it afford not to buy CA?

Software as a Service (SaaS) is critical for IBM’s Cloud to be financially successful. Unfortunately today IBM does not have software that customers want to use or need for their business. IBM needs to be a lot smarter about its software investments and completely change how it manages this business.

The Mobile Problem -- IBM invented the first smart phone (the Simon) in 1993. Today IBM is completely non-existent in the mobile market. Apple and Google are the leaders; Microsoft has been working very hard and making enormous investments to get a foothold in this market. That said, Microsoft is light-years ahead of IBM. IBM has completely missed the biggest change in Information Technology in a decade. This should speak volumes about the leadership at IBM and why it needs a large scale change in management.

IBM cannot buy its way into the mobile market. If it isn’t working for Microsoft, it won’t work for IBM. Then again IBM does not have to make big acquisitions to become a big player. IBM needs to think differently. IBM should start by looking at the App Stores of Apple and Google. There IBM will find tens of thousands of applications, most of them written by individuals and small companies. This can be an archetype for a whole new IBM behavior -- creativity. IBM needs its vast workforce to come up with ideas, act on them, and produce mobile applications. IBM should have its own App Store. This will give a way to learn how to use the new mobile platforms. It will provide a way for the application developers to interact with IBM’s customers. Over time IBM will learn and develop mobile technology that is useful to IBM’s customers. This is a market where seeing and using a live application is much better than marketing copy in a sales presentation.

IBM should be partnering with Apple, Google, and yes -- Microsoft. There should be no favorites. IBM already has a mobile deal of sorts with Apple but it is key to understand that it has so far resulted in a total head count increase in Cupertino of two workers, which shows what Apple thinks of IBM. Apple is not enough.

IBM should license development tools for every mobile platform. These tools should be made available to any employee with an interest in developing a mobile application. IBM should make it easy for employees to get mobile devices, especially tablets. IBM should provide internal infrastructure -- servers, applications, etc. with which to develop and demonstrate mobile computing. The better IBM understands mobile technology, the sooner and better IBM can support its customers. There is a place in the mobile market for IBM. It must make up for lost time and become everyone’s trusted partner.

The Quality Problem -- The best definition of quality is "delighting the customer". Quality means being able to do the same thing tomorrow, better, faster, and cheaper. Quality is continuous improvement. It is possible to improve quality and at the same time reduce labor and costs. Companies that have mastered this skill went on to dominate their markets. Quality is a culture, an obsession. It must start from the top and involve everyone -- IBM’s executives, all levels of management, employees, suppliers, even customers.

Sometime soon one of IBM’s competitors will implement a serious Continuous Quality Improvement program. When that happens, IBM will be toast. History has shown that when a company trashes its quality, neglects its customers, and makes earnings its only priority -- bad things happen. Over the last 50 years, the USA has lost many industries this way. If IBM does not get serious about quality its survival will be at risk.

The Respect Problem -- Today in IBM "Respect for the individual" is dead. So is "Superlative customer service". Every decision made by IBM for the last 10 years has been to find ways to spend nothing, do as little as possible, and get to $20 EPS. IBM’s workforce is operating in survival mode. They have no voice, no means to make IBM better, and they are certainly not going to stick their necks out. IBM is squandering its greatest resource and most of its best minds. Most of IBM’s businesses are declining. As business declines IBM cuts staff. Quality and services get worse and business declines even more. Execution gets worse. Every day customers trust and respect IBM less. They buy less. IBM needs to break this cycle of insanity. It needs to start treating their employees better and mobilize them to save the company.

The Leadership Problem -- IBM has no vision, none, nada, zip. CEO Ginni Rometty and her cadre have no clue how to fix what’s wrong with IBM. And even if they did, they are too tainted by the current state of the company -- a state they created. IBM executives are for the most part in a state of paralysis. They don’t know what to do. They know their business has serious problems. Even if they knew what to do they’re afraid to act. Ginni and the $20 EPS target had most of the senior executives frozen from doing anything. This type of management style can be fatal for business. The CEO should be helping each division become more successful. Because $20 EPS has been the only goal, IBM’s senior leaders have become unable to manage their businesses.

Here’s why current management can’t do the job. If the current VP-level managers at IBM (the only level, by the way, that’s allowed to even see the budget) take action to spend some of the profit to fix their businesses, they’ll be in hot water with Ginni Rometty and IBM’s culture of blame simply for trying to do something. Just watch: Ginni’s plan to save the company will involve further cuts. You can’t cut your way to prosperity. If they take action and the fix doesn’t work, then they’ll be punished for trying. So the only obvious option current management seems to have is stand by and watch Ginni and the finance department kill their divisions.

IBM has been here before, back in 1993 under CEO John Akers the company cratered, booking an $8 billion loss on $40 billion in sales. That’s when, for the first time in its history, IBM turned to an outsider to be CEO. They should do this again -- find another Gerstner, ideally a better Gerstner, because he had a share in creating the current crisis, too.

Ginni Rometty has to go and with her much of IBM’s board.

The Bottom Line -- IBM has never been the low cost provider of anything, yet a company of IBM’s size and talent should be able to be the undisputed lowest cost, highest volume supplier in the industry. IBM’s leaders are mostly from the sales organizations. Those with expert operational and leadership skills don’t go far in IBM. A new way of thinking is needed in every corner of IBM. Every line of business should be asking itself "how can we become the best, cheapest, and biggest supplier?" Every line of business should have well reasoned plans, funding to act on those plans, and a green light to proceed.

Thankfully IBM gave up on its 2015 goal of $20 EPS. Unfortunately IBM still plans to continue cutting staff to reach prosperity, which is insane. By now it should be painfully obvious this is destructive to the company. IBM needs to step back and be honest with itself and its shareholders. It needs to set reasonable budgets and financial expectations. It needs to spend more on its people and on improvements. IBM needs to regroup and repair the company. For the next three to five years IBM should plan on turning in lower, but still good profits. If it does this by 2020 it could again be a business juggernaut.

PS4 v2 update available today -- finally delivers Share Play, YouTube, themes and more

Publié: octobre 28, 2014, 8:52am CET par Dilraj Singh

PS4

Sony is known for its engineering prowess in a lot of consumer goods, such as TVs, Walkmans, cameras, etc. But what it is not known for -- in any good way, at least -- is software. Sony's software is generally the low point of its product, which isn't unexpected, as software was never the firm's focus. So, when you look at the PS4 and Xbox One, you will notice Sony's advantage in pure gaming, while Microsoft brings software features likes apps (e.g. Skype), and multi-window support.

Sony's update today finally delivers some of the 'next-gen' software features it bragged about a year ago. Share Play is now available and lets your friend join your game, even if they don't own it themselves. There are some limitations without a PlayStation Plus membership, but that was to be expected. YouTube will finally get an app on the PlayStation store. Additionally, you can now use the 'Share' button to upload gameplay highlights directly to YouTube from your PS4.

You can personalize your home screen using provided backgrounds and colors, which isn't so impressive now that Xbox One is experimenting with letting you use a custom background. Sony is giving away themes for Destiny and Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, but if the only option to get newer and 'cooler' themes is to buy them, it's not looking great.

Sony has also upgraded the usability of the PS4. The update adds enhancements to live broadcasting, like filters. The content area and library have better filters and sort functions. You can now plug a USB drive into the PS4 and play music in the background. The activity feed is also seeing upgrades to what it considers relevant information for you.

Lastly, the PS Vita, PS TV, and PS App (for mobile) have all been updated.

All in all, Sony is upgrading the PS4 in the little ways that don't always make headlines, but enhance your experience. It remains a video-game focused machine, without the fancy (or gimmicky, to some) voice and software features of its competitor -- but if you bought the PS4, that is probably your preference anyway. You can go over the details at Sony, or watch the video below.

The New York Knicks select ZTE to be its official smartphone sponsor

Publié: octobre 28, 2014, 12:47am CET par Brian Fagioli

KnicksZTE

When it comes to sports, I am a born loser. New York is chock full of successful sports teams like the Yankees and Giants, but I am not a fan of them. You see, I love the Mets, Jets, Islanders and Knicks; these teams have historically been horrible and I have had much disappointment in my life.

Today, the team I love the most, the New York Knicks, selects ZTE to be its official smartphone sponsor. Unfortunately, even the basketball team's sponsors aren't winners, as ZTE is the mere fourth-largest smartphone manufacturer in the USA.

"ZTE USA, the fourth largest smartphone manufacturer in the U.S., today announced it will become the official smartphone sponsor of the New York Knicks, Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors. Following a successful sponsorship season with the Houston Rockets, ZTE is continuing its partnership with the Rockets and teaming up with the Knicks and Warriors for the 2014 - 2015 NBA season. As part of the partnership, ZTE will increase its commitment to local communities by supporting charitable initiatives such as the Rocket's Season of Giving, the Knick's Garden of Dreams, and the Warriors Community Phone Drive, where fans are encouraged to bring their old phones to donate to the Warriors' charity benefiting underserved youth in the San Francisco Bay Area", says ZTE.

Tad Smith, President and CEO of Madison Square Garden explains, "ZTE is a leading global smartphone brand and a great addition to the Knicks' roster of world-class partners. As the Official Smartphone of the Knicks, ZTE will be synonymous with a world-class franchise and will have a powerful platform to showcase its brand to Knicks fans throughout the tri-state area".

While ZTE should be applauded for supporting the charities of the Knicks, Warriors and Rockets, let's be honest here -- most consumers do not know the company. For those aware of the brand, it is largely synonymous with being low-cost. Clearly, this association with the Knicks is designed to build brand awareness, but it remains to be seen if it will work. Luckily for ZTE, the Knicks remain popular even when losing, so either way, its brand will get increased visibility.

Are you aware of ZTE? Tell me in the comments.

Why Mac sales are up, when PCs are down

Publié: octobre 27, 2014, 11:28pm CET par Joe Wilcox

MacBook Air

On May 15, 2001, while previewing the first Apple Store to analysts and journalists, then CEO Steve Jobs boasted: "Apple has about 5 percent market share today", but the remainder "don't even consider us". Jobs exaggerated, and not for the first time, seeing as how Mac global share was more like 2 percent. But the ambition, to use the retail shops to "double our market share", was achievable. Three years following his death, with 10-percent long ago reached in the United States, something more startling occurred: During calendar Q3 2014, Apple moved into fifth place for global PC shipments, according to IDC. The question is why?

I have wondered for weeks, and waited until Apple's quarterly earnings report before writing an analysis. By my math, the average selling price of Macs was about $1,200 -- that in a PC market where sales are sluggish, at best, except below $300 selling price. Yet, according to financial disclosures, Apple shipped a record 5.5 million Macs, with units up 21 percent annually and 25 percent sequentially and generating $6.625 billion revenue; that's an increase of 18 percent and 20 percent, respectively, for the same time periods. Who in the hell is buying these things, and for so much money? The answer may surprise you.

Storm Warning

A perfect storm aligned with Macintosh during Q3:

Declining tablet shipments
Windows 8.1 dissatisfaction
Surging emerging market sales
Apple's success unifying user experience across devices

I will start with the first in the list before going into a broader state of the Mac market, because declining iPad shipments was my first hypothesis, which in interviews analysts confirm. The reason also defies popular convention that presumes larger-screen smartphones -- e.g., phablets -- suck sales from iPad. Truth perhaps, but there is another, too.

During calendar third quarter, iPad shipments fell 13 percent year over year and 7 percent sequentially, while revenue declined by 14 and 10 percent, sequentially, according to Apple. The sudden downturn aligns with global tablet forecasts from Gartner and NPD DisplaySearch. iPad's growth reversal isn't as bad as some punditry claims. What Apple loses in one form factor goes to another.

Starting with iPad's release in April 2010, IDC observed perceptible impact on personal computer sales -- as people put off upgrades to buy tablets, Rajani Singh, senior research analyst, tells me today. "We did see cannibalization of PC sales by tablets", Singh says.

Wind in Apple's Sails

However, many people who got a tablet "instead of buying a new PC in 2012", are purchasing computers now. Apple is a surprising benefactor of a delayed refresh cycle, and the surging winds pushing Mac shipments aren't likely to abate in future quarters. The big rush of tablet buyers bought companions to their personal computers, which upgrades the pads delayed. Users are ready to buy new computers, finding tablets to be able adjuncts rather than replacements.

Strangely, or not, Mac is a beneficiary, and halo sales are a factor. "Apple has built a virtuous circle between iPhone, Mac, and iPad", Stephen Baker, NPD's vice president of industry analysis, tells me. "Each feeds on the other in its turn, and it appears to be the Mac's turn".

Singh agrees, praising Apple's push -- particularly with iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite -- to make the user experience familiar across devices. "It's like a family, where everyone can speak together", the IDC analyst asserts. People using iPad or iPhone and a Windows PC won't have "as strong a learning curve" going to the Mac, and those devices pull them Apple's way.

Learning curve is a big deal, particularly because of Windows 8's tile-oriented touch interface. Some of "my customers tell me: If I have to learn a new operating system, I would rather learn a Mac", Singh says.

Baker agrees. "Consumers dislike Windows 8. Do they want touch in a clamshell form factor? It appears they don't really and maybe some are moving away from Windows because of it. Microsoft's strategy is highlighting the differences between Windows and OSX/iOS and that isn't working".

The differences benefit Apple's unified user experience strategy, with iPad and iPhone the hook to Mac sales.

7-Percent Solution

Mac's sudden strength cannot be overstated, or overestimated. For example, 19 days ago, IDC estimated U.S. shipments of 2.25 million and global of 5.1 million, with real numbers later being 2.32 million and 5.5 million, respectively. Worldwide, Apple laptops reached 4.5 million units, or about 82 percent of total shipments.

IDC's most current Apple data differs from the preliminary numbers released October 8 -- although still not final. Singh says the Mac's global share is "over 7 percent", emphasizing this is the "first time after 1995 that Apple had over 7 percent market share in the global market". Sobering perspective: 2 percent in 1998. Macintosh "highly out-performed the rest of the PC market", Singh explains further. Apple's market share grew by 20 percent during Q3, up from 5.7 percent a year earlier.

Other measures: By IDC's reckoning, Mac shipments rose 13 percent in mature markets and by stunning 50 percent in emerging ones, where Windows PCs struggle -- surprising considering Apple's considerably higher selling prices. Apple's success in emerging markets "does not align with the rest of the PC market", Singh says.

During last week's earnings call, Luca Maestri, Apple CFO, highlighted the "impressive performance in emerging markets where Mac sales were up 46 percent". Emerging markets now account for about one-quarter of Apple revenues.

ASPers Syndrome

However, the United States is Apple's most-important market -- for the three months ending in September, accounting for 42.3 percent of Mac shipments, according to IDC. Q3 U.S. retail Mac sales are the highest in 7 quarters, according to NPD, up 16 percent year over year and they even exceed Holiday 2013. During the third quarter, by comparison, Windows PC sales plummeted by 21 percent.

Mac ASP in the United States closely aligns with the global market: $1,277, compared to $458 for Windows PCs, by NPD's reckoning. The Apple figure fell $176 from first quarter and $79 from the second.

One reason for the change, and with it boost for Apple computer sales: "Clearly MacBook Air has become much more competitive in the $700-$1000 price range", Baker says. The entry-level model is $899 for the general populace and $849 for students and educators.

"Windows has been competing more in that area but mostly with 2-in-1s and Ultrabooks and high-end Windows products that appear to be struggling in a value proposition vs their low cost brethren", Baker emphasizes. "By bringing more attention to this price range, consumers are looking at it and finding Windows products wanting".

The United States is a microcosm -- what IDC calls "test market" -- for the world, and Mac's performance foreshadows the future. So there is no misunderstanding, for the blogosphere obsessing over Asia: "The U.S. is bigger than China -- it's a huge market for PCs", Singh says. IDC typically sees sales slowdowns or upticks start in the United States and follow in other countries over subsequent quarters.

Unified Theory

That brings us back to iPad, declining global tablet shipments, and a reason other than phablets for the trends. The PC refresh cycle that contributes to slowing pad sales starts in the United States and spreads across the globe. The question isn't so much will consumers and small businesses buy but what. Chromebook? MacBook? Windows notebook?

There, Apple's unified theory of personal computing -- similar user experience across devices -- is huge advantage, starting with iPhone users and continuing with iPad owners. Their numbers are legion. "We've sold 237 million in just over four years", Apple CEO Tim Cook said about iPad during last week's earnings call. "That's about twice the number of iPhones that we sold over the first four years of iPhone. If you look at the last 12 months of iPad, we sold 68 million in '13, in fiscal year '13 we sold 71 million".

All those people who put off PC upgrades since 2010 to buy iPads are potential -- and many likely -- Mac buyers. If you look at where Microsoft heads with Windows 10 or Google with Android/Chrome OS, the destination is a unified user experience. But Apple is there now, with hundreds of millions of satisfied customers.

There is nothing in the data to suggest that suddenly Mac will own the personal computing market; Windows shipments are so much greater. However, there is clear evidence that as tablet shipments decline, PCs will go up. That's the takeaway often overlooked in the rush to give all the credit to phablets.

What Apple doesn't capture in units, it recovers in revenue, if ASPs are any measure, and demonstrates that many people will pay much more -- nearly three times the average PC price in the United States. During calendar Q3, Mac generated about 16 percent of Apple revenues. Sales were up $1 billion, or about the same as Microsoft Surface Pro generated during the same quarter.

Thirteen years ago, during the first Apple Store briefing, Jobs asserted: "Macintosh users are early adopters for portable digital devices". How funny if early adopters of portal digital devices like iPad, and also iPhone, become Macintosh users.

Photo Credit: Joe Wilcox

Google's Trojan Horse reaching completion: Open files in Windows with Chrome Apps

Publié: octobre 27, 2014, 11:27pm CET par Dilraj Singh

Trojan horse a

For a significant number of users a computer session starts, and ends with Chrome. Google continued to reinforce this with Chrome Apps, which are apps that run on the desktop, outside of the browser and can be pinned to your taskbar.

You will soon be able to open files from the Windows file explorer directly in Chrome Apps. Chrome apps will be able to specify the file types they handle, and for those file types, you will see the Chrome App listed in 'open with' when you right click a file. If the Chrome App is the only app installed which handles that file type, it will be set to default (so simply double clicking will open the file in the Chrome App). This will essentially remove all distinction of Chrome apps and desktop programs you have installed on Windows.

This has already been added to the Canary Chrome build for OSX (look in chrome://flags), and it should be hitting Linux soon (based on Google's track record).

Chrome apps have a number of advantages for Windows users. They are easy to find, as they are found in an app store, and come complete with reviews. They are also lightweight, and available automatically on all your computers (Windows, OSX, and Linux) you have synced to the Google account. The only real disadvantage was that you had to open the app before you could open a file with one, and soon that will no longer be cause for hesitance.

Lastly, while this feature will be implemented in Chrome, you will have to wait until your favorite apps take advantage of it before you can. Luckily, it doesn’t appear to require much effort, just a change in the app's manifest file.

Which Chrome apps have replaced desktop variants for you?

Image Credit: Sadik Gulec / Shutterstock

Stop the iScandal insanity!

Publié: octobre 27, 2014, 7:58pm CET par Ed Oswald

iPhone insanity

Another day, another iPhone scandal. It seems like we can’t go through one news cycle without something to blame Apple for. While yes, the iPhone is nowhere near perfect, at times the level of negative press has bordered on ridiculousness.

My patience with these iScandals reached its breaking point this weekend. Here on BetaNews we covered the latest media-created iPhone flaw, which apparently is called "dyegate". The gist is this: a small minority of users complain that their iPhones are being stained by the dye from their jeans. That’s right: it is Apple’s fault that the consumer purchased a cheap pair of jeans that weren’t correctly pre-washed at the factory to prevent these dye bleeding issues.

Nevermind that those cheap jeans could stain that consumer’s white shirt (I guess it’s the shirt manufacturer’s fault they made the shirt white), or anything else that’s in your pocket at that time. But we’ll blame Apple for it, because it makes for great link fodder.

To be fair to BetaNews, this was not our own story. This instead was based on reporting from another site. But this same site is running another manufactured scandal which leads me to suspect that these stories are not run exactly for their news value (ten years in tech news, you kind of see through these things).

Oh Wait, It Gets Better

This particular iScandal is "a serious software problem you should know about," the site claims. Here’s the Cliff Notes: the "problem" affects the 128GB iPhone 6 Plus model, and centers around crashes on devices with more than 700 apps installed.

Yes, 700+ apps! I am not even sure there are 200 apps I’d want to have, and I thought the 85 or so I had installed was a little extreme. But apparently there’s about four dozen or so users out there according to this Apple support forum post that do.

This again is something that can happen to any computer device. Load it down with hundreds of apps (which no doubt at least a quarter of them or more are operating in the background), and it’s going to cause problems whether you’re using a PC, a Mac, or a smartphone. Memory is a finite resource. Of course the device will eventually crash or freeze -- it’s likely out of memory!

There’s also "bendgate", which was partially disproven by Consumer Reports (yes, the center force testing is suspect, thus why I say partially). But what saddens me is that this was born out of coverage of a legitimate issue with iPhones that nearly everyone could reproduce.

How About a Real iScandal?

"Antennagate" was a legitimate iScandal. It affected a large portion of users, and even got Apple to admit that it messed up. However since then, it seems to have become de rigeur for the tech press to place every iScandal in the same realm. The reality is no iPhone issue since then has even come close in scope.

Why is this happening? Everyone has their opinions, but I do think the tech press has a propensity to concern themselves with linkbait over honest and actual news. We do a disservice to our readers by riling them up with half-assed stories and turn minor issues into showstopping problems. It’s the same thing that’s happening in the mainstream media with the Ebola "crisis".

Nobody is being served by this type of reporting. That’s a story for another day, though.

I’d like to hear from you all, and especially on Twitter. You can find me @edoswald. Use the hashtag #iScandalinsanity and share some of the other iScandals I haven’t covered here. Is Apple getting a fair shake?

Photo Credit: Stuart Miles /Shutterstock

Beat that Google! Office 365 subscribers get unlimited OneDrive storage

Publié: octobre 27, 2014, 6:19pm CET par Mark Wilson

Beat that Google! Office 365 subscribers get unlimited OneDrive storage

Microsoft just stoked the fires of the cloud storage wars once again. There have been various updates to OneDrive in recent months. Microsoft lifted the 2GB file size limit all the way up to 10GB, and we showed you how to up your free storage to 15GB. But if you’re an Office 365 subscriber, things just kicked off -- storage limitations are a thing of the past.

Starting today, Office 365 Home, Personal and University plan subscribers have unlimited OneDrive storage. Store as much as you like in the cloud for free. Well, free if you ignore the subscription you've paid, or continue to pay each month. The roll out to the consumer level subscriptions starts today, but you'll need to take action if you're interested.

Unlimited storage will make its way to your OneDrive account eventually, but if you'd like to boost yourself further up the list, pay a visit to the special OneDrive storage page and put your name forward. Microsoft says that the rollout will take place over the course of the next few months, so it's a good idea to get yourself at the front of the queue. Business customers have not been forgotten; the same unlimited storage option will be rolling out to OneDrive for Business customers in the coming days.

Chris Jones, corporate vice president, OneDrive & SharePoint explains that while unlimited storage is great news for Office 365 users, it is just part of the story:

While unlimited storage is another important milestone for OneDrive we believe the true value of cloud storage is only realized when it is tightly integrated with the tools people use to communicate, create, and collaborate, both personally and professionally. That is why unlimited storage is just one small part of our broader promise to deliver a single experience across work and life that helps people store, sync, share, and collaborate on all the files that are important to them, all while meeting the security and compliance needs of even the most stringent organizations.

Run over to the sign up page and put your name forward so you can take advantage of the extra space as soon as possible.

Microsoft teaches Bing to speak emoji -- Konami code included

Publié: octobre 27, 2014, 6:01pm CET par Brian Fagioli

The problem with email and text messaging is that context can be lost in transmission. In other words, even if your intentions are good, the recipient may misinterpret the overall tone. This can cause the communication to break down quickly and lead to hurt feelings. Believe it or not, in business, it can even lead to review by Human Resources, as employee relations are harmed.

Emojis are often criticized as being stupid and silly -- something teens use for talking about nonsense. I disagree, as they can help establish the proper tone of your message. A smiley face or picture of a jack-o-lantern can liven up your text message or tweet so it cannot be misconstrued as being angry. Today, Bing learns how to speak the language.

"As you likely know, emoji are small pictures used to express an idea or emotion. With the explosion of mobile devices and the ubiquity of texting, it has become a shorthand language used by billions of us around the world. At Bing we want you to be able to search the same way you communicate every day. Today, we are announcing the support of emoji characters in Bing search in all English markets. With this new feature, you can search using your favorite emoji, and Bing will return results based on the semantic meaning of the emoji", says Nick Roberts, Senior Program Manager, Bing Relevance and Intent.

This is incredibly cool, as Bing can now translate emoji into the direct English translation. True, you likely would not type emoji directly into Bing, but you may benefit when copying and pasting from sources like text messages or Twitter. My favorite example can be seen below, as Bing can translate the infamous Konami code using emoji.

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Do you use emoji? Tell me in the comments.

Photo Credit: CoolKengzz / Shutterstock

Building and securing the connected cars of the future

Publié: octobre 27, 2014, 5:58pm CET par Lars Reger

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The number of people living in cities is expected to double by 2050, meaning congestion and pollution will increasingly be a problem for city dwellers. As a result the cities of the future will demand smarter traffic management solutions and more intelligent vehicles.

Experts say that car industry will develop more in the next decade than it has in the last fifty years due to the rise in connectivity and mobile technology. The industry is gearing itself up for the age of the 'connected car' but how will this manifest itself? What will cars look like five, ten even twenty years from now?

Ultimately our vehicles will be transformed into a 'super computer' on wheels, housing huge amounts of data to enable safer and more efficient driving practices. But this transformation also leaves it open to the same vulnerabilities as our consumer devices including hackers and viruses. Overcoming these obstacles will be critical to the success of connected vehicles. Lars Reger of NXP Semiconductors outlines the vision of the connected car and how they will be protected from threats.

Five years from now

By 2020 the connected car will be an everyday reality, enabling a new world of new possibilities for drivers. In five years' time, you will be able to drop your car off at the garage for a service and monitor its progress from the office, hand over control to the car in a traffic jam or benefit from next generation connected infotainment services.

The next five years will see the roll out of Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) Communication networks. These networks transform the car from a mechanical device into an intelligent transport system capable of communicating with other vehicles and infrastructure.

NXP, together with Delphi has developed a platform that allows alerts to be delivered to vehicles from other cars and surrounding infrastructure, such as traffic lights and signage to alert drivers about potentially hazardous traffic situations even beyond the line of sight. This platform could be seen on the road in as little as two years' time.

The success of V2X and V2I will largely depend on manufacturers' ability to convince consumers and governments that the technology is safe. Open networks are ripe targets for abuse from hackers. For example false messages and signals sent to cars or traffic lights, could cause havoc and endanger other road users. It's therefore vital that the right levels of authentication and approval are put in place so that the source of communication can always be verified.

But these security measures do not need to be created from scratch. By introducing existing 'banking level' security to the car at a chip level, similar to what we see today in ATM cards, digital IDs and passports, into the car malicious elements can be blocked and vital systems protected.

Ten years from now

The rise in urban living will mean car ownership will become less appealing to drivers. Car sharing fleets like ZipCar will be much more common by 2025. We could therefore see digital driving licences held on our mobile phone, together with a subscription to a Car2Go service. Users will be able to book a car, will receive the booking details on their smart phone and then use Near-field-communication (NFC) to access it.

NFC will also be used to personalize car settings; your favorite radio station, preferred temperature and seat position will all be stored on your mobile device. By touching your phone to a sensor pad on the car, it will adjust instantly. While these concepts might sound futuristic all the required technology already exists. In Germany, smart licences have been introduced and can be used to access Car2Go vehicles. NFC enabled stickers have also been developed for use with paper licences.

Data protection will be of paramount importance as car-sharing companies will need to hold a lot of personal data to allow the user to access, personalize and activate the car. Again, to ensure these details are kept safe from threats we need to take the lessons learned from other areas of enterprise and cloud security and apply them directly to the car.

Twenty years from now?

Twenty years from now interaction between drivers and their cars will be entirely different. Voice recognition systems will be used by everyone and the car will act as a co-driver or driver. Younger generations will have grown up with totally different in-car technology and will view the car, not as something to be driven, but as something to drive with.

By this stage cars will probably be more intelligent than the driver when it comes to the environment around them. The car's intelligent system will know how best to avoid traffic jams, will know the best routes to get to certain places and will be able to respond to hazards far more quickly and effectively than the average driver. Many may prefer the car to do all the driving. This will reduce accidents caused by human error and will hugely increase mobility for the elderly and disabled.

In order for self-driving to become a reality, legislation will also form a core element of ensuring consistent security. Both consumers and governments need to be convinced of the various industry groups, such as the Car 2 Car Consortium, are already collaborating to put these standards in place.

Once the hurdles surrounding security and legislation have been overcome, which I am confident they will be, the future of the connected car looks very promising indeed.

Lars Reger is vice president of strategy, new business and R&D for the Automotive business unit at NXP

Amazon aims to burn the competition with the Fire TV Stick -- $19 for a limited time!

Publié: octobre 27, 2014, 5:32pm CET par Brian Fagioli

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There is currently no shortage in the market when it comes to streaming devices. Quite frankly, there are so many available, that it can be very hard to choose; Chromecast, Apple TV, Roku -- it is dizzying.

Today, Amazon further complicates the decision with the all-new Fire TV Stick. Yes, the company already offers the Fire TV box, so the Fire TV Stick, in some ways, competes with its existing offering. However, the big selling point of the Fire TV Stick is the price -- $39. But wait, you may be eligible to get it cheaper!

"Fire TV Stick is the most powerful streaming media stick available -- a dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of storage, dual-band and dual-antenna Wi-Fi, included remote control, voice search with our free mobile app, easy set-up, an open ecosystem, and exclusive features like ASAP for instant streaming. The team has packed an unbelievable amount of power and selection into an incredible price point -- Fire TV Stick is just $39", says Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO.

Amazon explains, "Fire TV Stick delivers instant access to a vast selection of content, including the most popular video and music services such as Netflix, Prime Instant Video, Hulu Plus, WatchESPN, NBA Game Time, Twitch, SHOWTIME ANYTIME, Prime Music, Spotify, Pandora, Vevo, Plex, A&E, PBS, PBS KIDS, WATCH Disney Channel, YouTube.com, and more. The number of video services and games available on Amazon Fire TV has tripled in just seven months, with more services and games being added every week. You can also rent or purchase over 200,000 movies and TV episodes from Amazon Instant Video, which has the world's largest selection of videos to rent or buy, including new releases and blockbusters".

OK, so yes, the Fire TV Stick is chock full of functionality and should make many consumers very happy. The $39 price is awesome on its own, as it comes with a remote, unlike Google's no-frills Chromecast. However, the real news is that Prime members can snatch one for a paltry $19 for the next 2 days. Hell, even if you do not need one, think of holiday shopping; for under 20 dollars, you can give a gift that looks like it cost much more.

Will you buy the Fire TV Stick? Tell me in the comments.

What is Magic Leap, the mystery startup valued at $1bn?

Publié: octobre 27, 2014, 5:07pm CET par Paul Cooper

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Silicon Valley startup Magic Leap is valued at over $1 billion. It just announced the close of its $542 million (£338 million) Series B, featuring investors led by Google, Inc., and including KPCB, Andreessen Horowitz, Obvious Ventures, Qualcomm and Legendary Entertainment. But there's a catch: no one quite knows what it is.

We love a good "mysterious startup" story, and Magic Leap has set our mystery senses tingling. The website for the startup is suitably vague, featuring only a beautiful animation of a tiny pint-sized elephant rearing and trumpeting out of a person's cupped hands. And a trippy picture of a whale flying over a beach.

"So what is Magic Leap?" it asks. "Magic Leap is an idea. An idea that computing should be shaped and forged to work for us: our life, our physiology, our connected relationships. That exploring human creativity is as great an adventure as exploring space".

"It's an idea based in the belief that people should not have to choose between technology or safety, technology or privacy, the virtual world or the real world... With our founding principles our team dug deep into the physics of the visual world, and dug deep into the physics and processes of our visual and sensory perception. We created something new".

So basically we still know just about nothing about it. The site goes on to say that Magic Leap has "dug deep into the physics of the visual world, and dug deep into the physics and processes of our visual and sensory perception. We created something new. We call it a Dynamic Digitized Lightfield Signal (you can call it a Digital Lightfield). It is biomimetic, meaning it respects how we function naturally as humans (we are humans after all, not machines)".

So... magic? CEO Rony Abovitz has spoken to the press in equally vague yet tantalizing terms.

"If you think about what mobile computing is right now, it's portable, it's great, and I call it 'making your hand happy,' in that you can hold it and it's great," Abovitz said.

"Your hand is happy, but your eye is not. What I mean by your eye is not happy, if you step outside your office and look at San Francisco Bay, it's just this visual feast, and there's no movie theater, there's no television display, there's nothing that will ever match the grandeur of what our own brains can create in terms of visual experience".

Stay posted for more updates as they come, and check out the site's blog while you wait (though there's not a whole load up there).

So what is Magic Leap? Altered reality? A Google Glass rival? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

HP launches free executive tools to reduce the impact of security incidents

Publié: octobre 27, 2014, 4:41pm CET par Ian Barker

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More than 70 percent of executives think their organization only partly understands the risks it could be exposed to as a result of a data breach. This is among the results of a study from technology giant HP into the importance of executive involvement in breach responses.

In addition less than half of board-level executives are kept informed about the breach response process and only 45 percent believe they are accountable for the incident response process.

Some 79 percent of respondents say executive level involvement is necessary to achieving a successful data breach response, while 70 percent believe board level oversight is also crucial. However, only 45 percent of executives believe that their own enterprise's incident response process is either proactive or mature.

In terms of what constitutes a serious incident, 57 percent of respondents say the lost or theft of more than 10,000 records containing confidential or sensitive information constitutes a significant data breach. In cost terms, a data breach that averages approximately $2 million is considered significant.

"Without a well thought out plan in place, and without the proper guidance, training and process instituted throughout the organization, executives can stumble when dealing with the public outcry once sensitive data has been compromised", says Arthur Wong, senior vice president and general manager, Enterprise Security Services at HP. "No amount of spend can completely protect organizations from highly sophisticated cyber attacks, but how prepared an organization is in the event of a breach can mean the difference between a speed bump in the road or a catastrophic business event".

To help executives prepare for handling data breaches HP has made some free online resources available as part of an Executive Breach Response program. These include a study exploring how 300 global organizations plan and use best practices to prepare for cyber security incidents.

There's also a breach response assessment which contains a series of questions to compare an organization's answers to those of its industry peers. Using the tool, an individual can assess an organization’s ability to respond to a data breach and identify areas of strength and weakness when it comes to preparing for a breach.

A breach response playbook offers scenarios, best practices, and benefits in planning that will help organizations be prepared in the event of a data breach. Finally there are a series of webinars to help executives draft and implement breach preparedness plans.

The full report and details of the Executive Breach Response program are available on HP's website.

Image Credit: Pressmaster / Shutterstock

Targeted attacks against businesses are on the rise

Publié: octobre 27, 2014, 3:01pm CET par Ian Barker

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In the last year 94 percent of organizations have encountered at least one cyber security incident, with 12 percent indicating that they’d been on the receiving end of a targeted attack.

These are among the findings of a survey of worldwide IT professionals by security company Kaspersky Lab and research specialist B2B International. Damages from one successful targeted attack could cost a company as much as $2.54 million for enterprises and $84,000 for small businesses.

Whilst the threat of targeted attacks affects businesses of all sizes, the survey finds that large companies in particular see them as a major threat. 38 percent of companies with 1,500 to 5,000 employees, and 39 percent of companies with more than 50,000 employees named targeted attacks as their number one concern.

Smaller businesses are slightly less concerned, with 34 percent naming targeted attacks as a key priority. A major worry for all businesses is losing sensitive data with more than a third saying that protection of confidential data against targeted attacks is a key problem for IT management teams.

Chris Doggett, Managing Director of Kaspersky Lab North America says, "The survey results clearly indicate that many businesses now recognize that the threat of a targeted attack is very real and could be very harmful for their organization. However, we are seeing that the number of companies that are actually taking that knowledge and turning it into an action to protect their organization from such attacks is still alarmingly low. With major breaches being reported regularly now, it is critical for businesses of all sizes to make protection of their IT infrastructure their top priority, especially given the damages that arise from each successful targeted attack".

Other findings from the report are that spam is now seen as the number one external threat, named by 64 percent of respondents. Viruses and other malware were named by 61 percent. Phishing attacks trail some way behind on 38 percent followed by network intrusions on 25 percent. Whilst DDoS attacks rate only 18 percent on the overall threat scale they're placed much higher by IT and telecom companies.

Where internal risks are concerned, flaws or vulnerabilities in software are rated highest at 36 percent, followed by accidental leaks by staff (29 percent) and loss or theft of mobile devices (26 percent). Again these figures vary by industry with 42 percent of telecom companies being worried about accidental leaks.

There's much more information in the full report which is available on the Kaspersky Lab website.

Photo Credit: Sergey Nivens/Shutterstock

The Document Foundation aims to push LibreOffice adoption in the workplace

Publié: octobre 27, 2014, 2:43pm CET par Mark Wilson

Document Foundation aims to push LibreOffice adoption in the workplace

Who doesn't like free stuff? Not many people, but there are various definitions of free. Free as in beer, free as in speech, and so on. The open source software movement combines these two ideas, and many more, by making software freely available to anyone who wants to use it, and also affording them the right to tinker with the code and change it in whatever way they want. It's one of the foundations of Linux, and it's a philosophy that -- in increasingly cash-strapped times -- is gaining momentum.

The Document Foundation, creator of the LibreOffice variant of the free OpenOffice suite, today announces that it is joining the Open Source Business Alliance. The aim is to help with the deployment of the free office suite on larger scales within companies and organizations.

There is a reason that Microsoft Office has become an industry standard tool. As well as having the backing of the Microsoft behemoth, there is a great deal of reassurance taken by companies who know that it will "just work". Files that are sent between employees, contractors, and external parties can be opened without problems. Part of the aim of the Open Source Business Alliance is to help ensure compatibility and interoperability so alternatives such as LibreOffice become viable for larger organizations.

The involvement of the Open Source Business Alliance in the LibreOffice ecosystem has already helped to improve compatibility with Microsoft OOXML -- an important factor for any organization considering making the shift from Microsoft. The Alliance's Peter Ganten said:

Open Source Office Software like LibreOffice has always been very important to most of our members, and there is a long and successful history of cooperation between the OSB Alliance and the respective projects. For this reason we are very happy to have The Document Foundation in our organization and are looking forward for a great continuation of our cooperation.

Photo credit: Gilmanshin / Shutterstock

Xbox One set to go on sale for the holidays, bundles included

Publié: octobre 27, 2014, 2:20pm CET par Alan Buckingham

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Microsoft has struggled a bit recently with Xbox One sales, at least in comparison to rival Sony's PS4, though strides are being made. So what to do to combat this problem? For starters the company recently began selling a cheaper model that comes without the Kinect. But things will heat up even more this holiday shopping season, which is fast approaching.

Beginning November 2nd, the Xbox One will be available for $349 -- $50 off the regular non-Kinect price. That price will only be available in the US. And it's not the only discounted offer coming to the gaming platform next month.

"Special promotional pricing of $50 off the console of your choice applies to any Xbox One console, including special edition bundles, offering some of the year’s most anticipated games – Assassin’s Creed: Unity, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and Sunset Overdrive", says Larry Hryb of Xbox Live, better known as Major Nelson.

So, get your Xbox One, along with a game, and save $50 off the regular price of just the console. And if you wish to get the bundled Kinect version you can still save some money, as that will be $449, also a saving of $50.

Hryb also mentions that "the Xbox One Special Edition Sunset Overdrive Bundle, available in limited quantities now, features a sleek white console and wireless controller, a digital copy of Sunset Overdrive, and special Day One edition in-game items -- available for $349 ERP".

Meanwhile, the Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare bundle will come with Kinect and will be available November 3rd for $449.

The offer is nationwide in the US and you'll be able to take advantage of it at most retail outlets. The deal runs through January 3rd of 2015, so you'll have plenty of time to take advantage of this, if you so choose.

OnePlus One goes up for pre-order -- no invite needed

Publié: octobre 27, 2014, 2:10pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

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OnePlus One has attracted lots of attention from the media and consumers without even being generally available, as virtually every other flagship smartphone is today. Many have chosen to play by the company's rules, asking and waiting for the invites which give them the option to purchase the device. It's a pretty unusual way of selling and buying smartphones, but it seems to have only boosted One's appeal.

If you have not yet had the chance to buy One, you should know that today OnePlus is making it generally available to pre-order, as it temporarily drops its invite-only system to get One in the hands of more consumers.

In this case, "temporarily" does not mean a month, a week or even a day. No. One will only be offered for pre-order between 11 AM and 12 PM EST (8 AM - 9 AM PST; 15 - 16 GMT). Yes, that is right -- if you do not have an invite, you have an hour to make that pre-order. There is some good news though.

"To make things a little easier, you can go ahead and get your order just the way you want it. Save your cart, mark your calendar, and relax", says OnePlus. A "Prepare my pre-order" button will allow you to add the 64 GB One to your shopping cart, as well as various accessories like cases, covers, screen protectors and earphones.

The 64 GB One runs for $349 (€299 for those ordering in Europe). As far as I can tell, at the time of writing this article, there is no way to select the lesser 16 GB model which costs $299. Shipping is, obviously, not included, nor are any taxes that you may have to pay locally, once your order arrives. To save the contents of the shopping cart, just hit "Save my pre-order" at the bottom of the respective page.

For more information regarding One's specifications, check out this article. Since it was announced more than six months ago, its off-contract price has remained the same. It is fair to assume that after the one-hour of pre-orders, OnePlus will bring back the invite-only system.

Home appliances set to become wireless charging points for phones and other devices

Publié: octobre 27, 2014, 12:59pm CET par Wayne Williams

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At the moment, when you want to charge your smartphone or tablet you have to either plug it in, or (if it supports the technology) place it on a wireless charging mat. That's all set to change though, as soon you’ll be able to charge your electrical equipment simply by being near a fridge or washing machine.

It sounds like crazy science fiction, but it’s just very clever science. Energous today announces a partnership with Haier Wireless, the world's largest appliance manufacturer, that will see its WattUp wire-free charging transmitters embedded in a wide range of home appliances including refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, microwaves, stoves and more.

All you need to do to charge any compatible device -- be it a smartphone, tablet, smartwatch or electric toothbrush -- is to get within 15 feet of an appliance and it will start to charge over the air. Make no mistake, this really has the potential to be a game changer -- no longer will we have to think about plugging in devices or placing them on a mat.

"WattUp is a natural fit for a wide range of Smart Home products," says William Xu, CMO of Haier Wireless. "As Haier Wireless continues to cultivate the wireless power industrial ecosystem in the connected home market, true wire-free charging is a value-add we feel we must aggressively pursue. In our vision, WattUp-embedded Haier Wireless appliances would serve as transmitters for any WattUp-enabled device that is within range".

WattUp works by delivering intelligent, scalable power via the same radio bands as a Wi-Fi router. To charge a device (provided it's WattUp enabled) you just need to be close to any of the appliances. Devices can be charged when on a table, in your pocket, or in use, and the technology can charge multiple devices at the same time.

"Expanding into the Smart Home is a central piece of Energous’ roadmap, and WattUp transmitter deployments into Haier Wireless’ everyday products gives us a broad-reaching channel to do so," says Stephen R. Rizzone, CEO of Energous. "This relationship will enable us to create an always-on charging environment in high-traffic areas in homes, offices, retail and commercial spaces".

What do you think of the idea of being able to charge your devices in this way?

Hungary proposes taxing internet usage -- will other countries follow suit?

Publié: octobre 27, 2014, 12:28pm CET par Mark Wilson

Hungary proposes taxing internet usage -- will other countries follow suit?

You might think that you've already paid enough to get online. You bought your computer (or phone, tablet, whatever...), you pay line rental to your phone provider, you pay your monthly broadband charges, you pay the bill for electricity all of this requires. How does the idea of an extra charge on top of this sound? No? That's the general feeling in Hungary where an "internet tax" has been proposed by Viktor Orban's right wing government.

The Prime Minister proposes taxing internet usage in a similar way to mobile phone companies -- by tracking traffic levels. How much could this end up costing? Well, it could very quickly add up. The draft law suggests a fee of 150 forints (around $0.60) per gigabyte. To put that in perspective, it would cost more than $2 to download the Windows 10 Technical Preview, and around the same amount to upgrade to the latest build 9860.

There is, understandably, something of an uproar about this in Hungary -- the proposed tax in general, that is, not the specific costs of downloading a preview version of Windows. Detractors say that it is the poor who will be hardest hit, and the country has witnessed mass demonstrations in protest. Orban's response to criticism has been to suggest capping the tax at 700 forints per month -- meaning that internet usage beyond 4.6 GB is essentially "free".

Slapping an extra $2.80 on top of internet usage charges might seem like very little, but opponents of the new tax say that it is undemocratic. For many people struggling to make ends meet, $2.80 is a significant chunk of money. But that's not the point, at least it is not the only point. What is particularly concerning here is that this amounts to a tax on the flow of information. The internet is used for many things -- email, job searches, work-related research, and so on. File your taxes online under such a regime and you're basically being taxed for doing so.

There are currently all manner of programs underway at the moment that have the aim of bringing internet access to developing parts of the world. The threat of taxing this fabulous resource is worrying. The internet is something that should be accessible to all, and any plans that put even the smallest of obstacles in the way of those who want to use it should be passionately opposed.

Photo credit: Stuart Miles / Shutterstock

The mobile device is the new company car

Publié: octobre 27, 2014, 12:01pm CET par Nigel Seddon

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I've been in the market long enough to have lived the glorious years when as a salesperson, you would join a new company primarily because of the salary and benefits it offered above any other consideration.

At that time, one of the important benefits was the company car, and once you had it, the next question was; how flexible would the company be around its use?

I remember a time when you could only have a company car during office hours, then, businesses began to understand that allowing salespeople cars for personal use was in fact a real advantage for the company. They could attract and retain better people versus their competition.

For us in sales it made sense, because we wouldn't have to deal with two cars at home -- one for work and one for the school run. The next logical step for businesses was offering choice based on job role -- Choose Your Own Car. Whilst this was well received by employees, it presented a headache for the company, another cost center to be invested in, but which depreciated over time.

Today's company car is the mobile device. The clued-up businesses are already looking at ways to incorporate "bring your own device" policies, offering flexibility around using business apps on employees' personal devices, and providing choice around different handsets or tablet models.

By allowing employees (and potential employees) to 'drive' what fits them and their lives better, businesses will stand out over the competition and attract and retain the best talent.

It's important, however, to keep in mind the security of corporate data, whilst at the same time ensuring the best user-experience for the employee. The most efficient way to achieve this is to use 'gateway', centrally controlled by the IT department, through which all company information is managed, outside of the device.

This data can then be streamed to the device when needed, without actually having to be stored on it. By doing this, businesses can safeguard the security of the data at any time, whilst not disturbing the end-user experience. Long live BYOD!

Nigel Seddon is regional sales director North at LANDESK

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The slow pace of smart technology adoption is set to cost the UK economy £9bn in 2015

Publié: octobre 27, 2014, 9:40am CET par Darren Allan

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According to the Smart Society Barometer report from Samsung, the UK economy stands to lose out on over £9 billion over the next year, due to the pace of smart tech adoption being too sluggish.

According to the research, which involved speaking to 1,000 British companies and 2,500 consumers, UK businesses stand to lose up to £5.6 billion over the next 12 months by failing to utilize smart technology appropriately in their organization. And UK consumers will pay to the tune of £3.6 billion for a lack of understanding of how smart tech could benefit them.

Indeed the effects of this "smart deficit", as Samsung calls it, are already here, with 27 percent of businesses admitting that they lost a contract or client because they didn't have the right smart technology to hand. In the telecoms industry, that number was 31 percent of companies missing out on possible work, with 37 percent of finance firms also admitting losing contracts due to a lack of smart adoption.

When questioned on how much money the further adoption of smart tech could save their companies, UK business leaders stated an average of £81,000 over the next year. However, one in ten businesses have yet to adopt any smart tech whatsoever -- and IT managers also said that just 11 percent of their budget was going towards the smart stuff.

As for the consumer angle, the areas where UK citizens will lose out on money (some £3.6 billion of it, as we mentioned) due to failing to adopt smart technology themselves include smart meters for utilities, and smart home devices that can also produce energy savings. These have the lowest adoption rates at just 6 percent for both, yet they are among the products most respondents said they were keen to purchase in the future (60 percent and 63 percent indicated this for meters and smart home gadgets respectively).

24 percent of consumers said that their lack of understanding of what smart tech is, and what it can do for them, is the main barrier to them adopting the technology.

Andy Griffiths, President of Samsung UK & Ireland, commented: "The Smart Deficit that we have identified through the Smart Society Barometer should act as a wake-up call for the technology industry and its partners. Smart technology adoption is happening and where it is being used most effectively, the benefits are already being felt both by individuals and businesses".

"If we are to accelerate as a smart society, we need to fully understand how to get the most out of this technology. At Samsung, we understand that in order to help achieve this, we must play our part in educating businesses and consumers on unlocking the true potential that smart technology can bring to the UK".

I will be putting the Nexus 6 in my front pocket -- should I worry about bending?

Publié: octobre 26, 2014, 11:52pm CET par Brian Fagioli

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Of course, I ask this semi-facetiously, as I do not expect the Nexus 6 to bend at all. Heck, I keep all my smartphones in my front pocket, and have yet to experience any bending or damage. Sure, smartphones are getting larger, often testing the limits of pocket size; however, manufacturers should know a consumer's expectation about front pocket usage, and should take that into account in design.

Lately, I have been storing the large phone de jour, the Galaxy Note 4, in the front pocket of both my jeans and khakis. Guess what? It remains flawless -- no bending. So why am I asking this question? The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus of course! The "Bendgate" scandal has been criticized by many, for various reasons. I have seen people say "of course aluminum bends", and my favorite, "you should not put it in your front pocket". Really? That is just silly, as again, Apple knows that consumers keep smartphones in their front pockets, and the company has never warned against the practice.

I stumbled upon quite the interesting website, called "One of the Nine". The domain name is genius, as it plays off of the infamous Apple assurance that it is rare for the iPhone to bend, and only 9 people had complained about the issue. The website started with a tongue-in-cheek search for those 9 people. As of today, there are 233 affected (thus far). You can spend hours on the site, scrolling through examples of the bent iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, often bent in the same place near the volume buttons. Keep in mind, there is no way to know if these people somehow abused their phones or bent them on purpose.

I don't mean to knock Apple, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are fine phones. However, if they are getting bent through being in a front pocket, that is a serious issue and design flaw. Apple is not alone here, as to a lesser extent, some have even claimed the same about the HTC One M8 (it never bent in my testing, though). It begs the question, should large smartphones not be kept in a front pocket? Well, I find this to be quite silly, because where else would you put it? Lets examine some possibilities.

Stick it in your back pocket -- This would mean sitting on your phone, and potentially cracking the screen. Of course, you could remove it and hold it every time you sit, but that is tedious. Not to mention, constantly removing the phone from your pocket increases the chance you drop it by mistake. This also opens you up to pick-pockets.
Wear a belt-clip or fanny pack -- Men often do not have the luxury of a pocket book or purse, so affixing the smartphone to your waist is an option. The problem is, this arguably looks rather dorky. Historically, fanny packs and belt clips are like nerdy pocket-protectors from the 1980s; they are simply not fashionable, and I don't anticipate that changing. Plus, a belt clip advertises your device to thieves and makes you a target.
Redesign clothing -- An entire industry could be born of newly designed pants with side pockets large enough to accommodate a large phone, while not putting stress on it. Unfortunately, this could lead to even worse damage, as certain chairs, like in a small theater or at a baseball game, could press against it. Before you suggest redesigning all chairs too, let's just take a deep breath.

None of these options would prove popular with consumers; the front pocket method of storing a smartphone is clearly here to stay, as is the large screen trend. There is only one reasonable solution -- manufacturers must put greater focus on designing phones for front pocket use. This means that maybe you do not try to make it as thin as possible and maybe you do not use malleable materials for the chassis. Ultimately, if a phone bends in a front pocket, the manufacturer has failed.

So to my original question -- should I worry about Nexus 6 bending in my front pocket? I do not think so. It appears to be adequately thick, and similarly designed to the second-generation Moto X, which has not seen any bending issues. I am confident that Motorola and Google have anticipated the scary front pocket, and designed the phone with it in mind. When BetaNews obtains the Nexus 6 for testing next week, I will be sure to keep it my front pocket and will report the results in our review.

Should the ability to keep a phone in a front pocket be a common-sense design focus? Tell me in the comments.

Photo Credit: Suchat Siriboot /Shutterstock

How to make Windows 10's Search and Task View buttons die, die, die!

Publié: octobre 26, 2014, 10:17pm CET par Mark Wilson

How make Windows 10's Search and Task View buttons die, die, die!

There's a lot to like about Windows 10, particularly if you're already a fan of Windows 8.x -- there isn’t all that much that's new at this stage. It's not all good news however, and there's also quite a lot to dislike. One thing that has cropped up time and time again in user feedback is the fact that the Search and Task View buttons that appear in the taskbar cannot be removed.

At least, there is no built in option to remove them. Where there's a will, there's a way and some enterprising users of the Technical Preview have found ways to banish the buttons that are seen by many as being pointless.

It's likely that Cortana will at some point be integrated into the search button so it may become more useful in the future. It's even possible that Microsoft will make either or both of the buttons optional. Until that time, you're going to have to do it yourself. Over on the My Digital Life forums, user vali20 has created a simple tool that hides the buttons for you. You'll have to register with My Digital Life to access the files, and then it's a very simple task to hide the unwanted buttons.

Extract the contents of the zip file, and navigate to the \WinTHButtonHider\bin\Debug subfolder and you'll find an executable called, appropriately enough, WinTHButtonHider.exe. Double click it and the two troublesome buttons will vanish; the tweak works in both build 9841 and the newer build 9860. It's not perfect. The buttons remain hidden at all times, but you may find that the bank they occupied reappears when you activate the Start menu, shoving your other taskbar buttons to the right. You'll have to run the program automatically at startup so the buttons are hidden every time you restart your computer.

If you don’t mind getting a little more hands on, the guys over at How-To Geek also have a guide to hiding the buttons with an AutoHotKey script.

Whichever route you decide to go down, hiding the buttons doesn’t mean losing any functionality. The search feature can be accessed by just hitting the Start button or Windows key, and if you're a fan of keyboard shortcuts, the Task View button's function can also be accessed by pressing the Windows key and Tab at the same time.

Photo credit: Zuzana Susterova / Shutterstock

UberX lands in hot water with Philadelphia Parking Authority

Publié: octobre 26, 2014, 6:02pm CET par Ed Oswald

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Uber’s low-cost ride sharing program UberX launched in Philadelphia this weekend, but not without attracting the ire of the notorious Philadelphia Parking Authority. The agency claims UberX is operating illegally within the city, and has threatened to shut the service down.

Despite these threats, those looking for UberX rides in Philly will be hard pressed to find one. Uber ran a promotion for free rides up to $20 through the service to celebrate its launch, and through much of the weekend UberX showed no cars available.

UberX has been available in the Philadelphia suburbs for several months now, but its debut in the city itself was delayed due to questions of legality under city statutes. Uber changed its tune late last week however after insurer First Keystone Risk Retention Group, Inc. went bankrupt, leaving as much as a quarter of the city’s 1,600 taxis and limos without valid insurance.

Drivers of these cabs will have until Tuesday or Wednesday to obtain new insurance before being forced to park, PPA legal counsel says. Some taxi owners are fighting back though, claiming they’re covered for another 30 days despite the bankruptcy.

That placed the PPA in an odd spot when fighting back against Uber. "Public needs to know UberX drivers may not be licensed and cars may not be insured. Criminal background checks also in question," it wrote in a tweet on Saturday.

Uber shot back, noting that UberX drivers and passengers are protected under Uber’s $1 million insurance policy, which the company pointed out is 28 times more than what is required for PPA-backed taxis. It also pointed out that its background check policy is far more stringent. It claims that about 100 of the city’s PPA-sanctioned drivers would fail Uber’s background checks if they had applied.

Regardless of Uber’s claims, the PPA will impound any vehicle found to be driving for the UberX service, it says. In addition, both the driver and Uber will be fined $1,000 a piece. As of Sunday, five cars had been impounded through an undercover "sting" operation according to local media reports.

It was not clear what Uber is doing for drivers affected by PPA’s enforcement operations. It does seem likely though that UberX will end up meeting a similar fate as SideCar, which also tried unsuccessfully to launch in the city last year.

There too, the PPA impounded cars and issued fines claiming the service was illegal and that drivers lacked proper insurance. Three drivers were busted, and according to at least one media report drivers were instructed by SideCar itself to drop passengers off immediately and refuse service to any further passengers during that weekend.

SideCar no longer operates in the city.

Cambridge Audio Bluetone 100 -- not your average Bluetooth speaker [Review]

Publié: octobre 26, 2014, 3:13pm CET par Alan Buckingham

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As Bluetooth speakers go, most tend to be small devices, easily transportable and charged via a micro USB port. That is largely what has made the peripherals popular -- portability and convenience. But there are manufacturers that take these things a bit more seriously.

Cambridge Audio aims to change perceptions of Bluetooth speakers, turning those small portable gadgets into something that is more home theater gear. One of its offerings is called the Bluetone 100 and, though it doesn't come cheap, it may satisfy the audiophiles out there by offering a bit more than average.

Tale of the Tape

Cambridge Audio promises a number of features, including the most prominent -- a 100 watt amplifier. The big sound is complimented by aptX Bluetooth and several convenient connections located on the back, including RCA jacks and a 3.5 mm input, as well as a port for plugging in the supplied power cord, as the speaker doesn't have micro USB charging, or any other form for that matter. If you care to forgo the Bluetooth, then plug your source in directly.

On top of the rather large device you'll find the controls, including power, forward and backward, Bluetooth connect and auxiliary. Bass adjustment, however, is located on the back panel -- it's a tiny dial that can be turned up or down.

Cambridge Audio promises that "The Bluetone 100 is packed full of technology which maximises the audio quality of the music you hear, from advanced Digital Signal Processing (DSP) to squeeze the most out of music files, to ground breaking Balanced Mode Radi".

It's not that the speaker can't be moved, it does have a handle in the back, but you'll need a location with an electrical outlet in order to power it, and it isn't small either. The Bluetone 100 measures in at 13.9 x 4.6 x 7.2 inches and 9 pounds.

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Sounding Off

The company doesn't lie about the sound. When playing music streamed from a Chromebook it had the capability to easily be heard in multiple rooms. It can do just as well if you prefer to utilize a smartphone or tablet -- any device that is able to emit a Bluetooth signal. At half volume you will fill much of a floor within your home.

And getting started requires nothing more than plugging it in, powering the speaker on and pressing the Bluetooth button, then letting your device hook up with it. In other words, it's no different than its smaller cousins, with the exception of the power source that is needed.

Where it differs is power and sound. But those certainly are not knocks against a speaker. In fact, most people would consider them benefits.

Conclusion

The Cambridge Audio Bluetone 100 became available a few weeks ago and it retails for $299. You can grab it from Amazon, or check the company site for other possibilities.

Included in the package is the power adapter, you will need to supply RCA and 3.5 mm yourself if you wish to go that route.

In the end, this is a high-end model and not exactly geared towards something such as a dorm room, or those who want to use it at locations like the beach. But if you are looking for build quality and big sound, and don't mind spending the money, then it may be what you want.

Twitter: Your Twitpic photos and videos are safe... for the time being

Publié: octobre 26, 2014, 1:50pm CET par Mark Wilson

Your Twitpic photos and videos are safe... for the time being

After flip-flopping between closing, then not closing, and finally closing, Twitpic has now shut up shop. But that's not quite the end of the story. There had been rumors flying round that Twitter was going to buy the image and video hosting service, but that ultimately amounted to nothing. The latest twist in the story is that Twitpic and Twitter have come to an arrangement that means content that has already been uploaded is safe. For now, at least.

In a statement on the Twitpic blog, founder Noah Everett explains that a deal has been struck with Twitter. What this amounts to is Twitpic handing over the domain and content archive to Twitter. This will keep "the photos and links alive for the time being".

The phrase "for the time being" is interesting. It could be that Twitter and Twitpic simply do not know how long the arrangement will be in place, or it may be that Twitter has plans that will be revealed at a later date. Everett says that "since Twitpic’s user base consists of Twitter users, it makes sense to keep this data with Twitter".

The blog post also explains that the iOS and Android Twitpic apps have been removed from their respective stores, and are no longer supported. The Twitpic site, having been handed over to Twitter, remains online, but only in read-only mode -- it is still possible to delete content if you want. And, of course, the option to export data from your account is still available, and this is something you might want to take advantage of.

It's not clear quite what this means in the long term. On one hand, it's hard to imagine Twitter annoying hundreds of thousands of Twitpic users by just trashing their photos and videos, but on the other hand... well... you just never know.

Photo credit: Thomas Bethge / Shutterstock

I need your advice! Should I get basic cable or keep the cord cut?

Publié: octobre 25, 2014, 9:56pm CEST par Joe Wilcox

Neko Cat and TV

In July, connected TV service went dark in the Wilcox household, as we pulled the plug on AT&T U-verse and switched to Cox Internet. That reduced our monthly bill from about $130 to $59.99 exactly; there are no taxes or surcharges applied to the Net. Now Cox tempts with a compelling offer: Add local channels and HBO or STARZ, with no-cost HD set-top box for another $9.99 month. Installation is free, and there is no contract. Price is good for 12 months. Should we?

Cox promises 44 channels, plus either of the premium channels (I want HBO). But, realistically, that means 10, since we only watch HD, plus the "Game of Thrones" channel. We already receive five over the air using a Mohu Leaf 50 HDTV antenna, which I have to review.

I scheduled with Cox, while pondering whether to pull the plug before putting it in. Installation is scheduled for Halloween morning. So I have a few days left, and after initially thinking we would get lots of value for the extra 10 bucks a month, plus taxes and surcharges, doubts creep in. So I ask you what the Wilcox household should do.

Adventure Begins
Our newest cord-cutting endeavor started with 50Mbps Internet, which Cox promises to double this month for free. Already, I see 75Mbps wireless, which is damn satisfying, although I care more about uploads, being a content creator. We connected Apple TV, Chromecast, and Roku 3 to our 42-inch Sony Bravia television, before selling it in early August. I used some of the proceeds to buy a Korg electric piano, and, because of the vintage, had a little money leftover.

We sold the television as a life-reclaiming exercise. In the 12 days between cutting the cord and dispatching the tellie, my wife and I easily switched to Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Netflix as our primary entertainment sources. I'm guilty for gorging YouTube and Vevo, too, among other content sources. We let go half the set-top boxes with the Sony, keeping Chromecast and Fire TV, which arrived for review just a few days before the sale.

Dispatching the TV "Shrine" in the living room liberated us. My wife claims to read much more, and we both dramatically decreased how much time we spend sitting on our asses watching videos and much more up on our legs doing stuff. But when we do watch, on separate iPad Airs, we are just that. Separate. She also missed the big screen, which also entertained my 92 year-old father-in-law, who occasionally watched movies with us.

So in early October, we considered bringing back the television—but one much smaller—and debated on size and price. On October 8, Best Buy offered what looked like the deal of the year: 32-inch Insignia 1080p TV for $179.99. What's not to like about that? Two salesmen said that Insignia is the house brand, and that this model probably uses last-year's LG parts.

Down went the credit card and up went the TV, on a $30 desk found in the IKEA "as is" department. The screen quality really impressed, but the audio, which was muddy, greatly disappointed. I also discovered some defect in the analog audio outputs. They wouldn't work with external speakers, and after examining user manual and online forums, I was convinced there was no user error.

Re-boxing and then returning the Insignia was a real pain in the ass, and the local Best Buy had sold out. We could have driven to another store for exchange, but once burned by the house brand was enough. My wife was resigned to give up, but I wasn't: "Let's go at Costco". I only intended to look, to get ideas, in case we wanted to buy from Amazon.

But something on shelf appealed: 32-inch Vizio, also 1080p, with one more HDMI port than the Insignia, and 120Hz instead of 60Hz. The on-display M322i-B1 model was $225 rather than $299.99. Sold! We took the television home and love it. The smaller size is perfect. Our living room is no longer overwhelmed, and because we changed our habits during the previous two months viewing time remains about the same as when we just used the tablets.

I never thought much positive about Smart TVs but must say that the built-in services have largely replaced the Chromecast and Fire TV. The Vizio serves up Amazon and Netflix from buttons on the remote, and other streaming services are easily accessible.

The Truth is Out There
The Smart TV capabilities are timely, with unexpected benefit.

Two weeks ago, while eating lunch together, my daughter asked: "Have you heard of The X-Files?" I had to laugh. The TV show, which helped launch the FOX network, debuted the year before the 20 year-old was born. She was conceived 25 days after the Sept. 10, 1993 debut; on a Sunday, when there was no Fox Mulder and Dana Scully adventure to watch. My daughter wouldn't remember, but I'm sure there were some Friday nights she bounced on my knee during The X-Files season 2 in autumn 1994.

Engaging my Millennial in something other than her phone during a meal is a task, but she was all chatty about The X-Files. Could there be alien life? What about government conspiracies? She and friends discuss these and other topics because of the program, and she wanted my opinions.

Now I'm rewatching the series, but from Amazon Prime; she uses Netflix. I read online that the signature "The Truth is Out There" is missing from the Netflix streams, as well as subtitles. Sure enough, I confirmed it.

Last night, my daughter texted asking: "Is there a way for me to watch it on Amazon? There's no subtitles for when people speak other languages. Reviews said it's important to know what's said". She could sign up for Amazon Student Prime, free for six months. Problem: She watches on a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display, and, in my experience, Amazon streams in low quality, 384kbps. This is common problem, and she and I both have it at our different residences. I get low quality no matter what computer and whether using either U-verse or Cox.

She has a TV, which sits on the floor collecting dust. My daughter hasn't used it since moving to her new place in June. She just streams Netflix to the laptop. But now the plan is for her to use the 22-inch television with my Fire TV connected to her WiFi and using my Amazon Prime account.

Somehow this all circles back to the Cox decision. For reasons I can't explain, my regular TV shows dissatisfy. Is it an age thing, where multi-plot lines don't appeal? Storytelling is too much the soap opera? Or are expectations elevated, or fussier. Blacklist still has me. But I find Revenge, Resurrection, and Scandal, for example, to be predictable but outrageously convoluted and contradictory. How to Get Away With Murder started off with promise but is boring, even though the forward-backward storytelling begs to be interesting.

So when I look at those 10 basic channels, none really appeals. Hulu gives me everything but CBS, but that's the network watched least. Of the shows for which hope remains—The 100, among them—free streaming is available. But HBO is really tempting for the extra 10 bucks a month. Or should I stay pure, and keep the cord cut? I've practically answered my own question writing this post. But please, I would like your opinion, too, and if a cord-cutter take a few minutes to evangelize the benefits for those still cable chained.

The photo is our new TV setup, and Neko is the Caturday decoration.

How to remove devices from your Dropbox account

Publié: octobre 25, 2014, 10:02am CEST par Dilraj Singh

Dropbox

Dropbox is not especially consumer focused. However, it is still very popular in the cloud market for individuals. The good thing about this combination is that security insights needed for the business aspect of its model seep into the consumer product.

For example, it has much better security settings than Google Drive or OneDrive, the other two popular cloud services in the consumer space. Only Dropbox allows you to view, and remove connected devices.

To do this, first sign in. Then go to your name in the top right wrench, click the downward arrow, and then the settings option. Now, click the Security tab. Here you can see every browser session, linked devices, and apps connected to your account. Simply press the 'x' on the right of an entry to unlink it.

If the unlinked device is a computer, it will stop syncing your files, but the files on the computer will remain. If the unlinked item is a mobile device, all the files (including the favorited ones available offline) will be removed. If you sign up for Pro or Business, you can remotely erase the files from linked computers. As a note, if you have to unlink access to something suspicious, it may be in your best interest to reset your password or set up two-step verification (both options are available in the settings tab at the top).

The other popular cloud service that allows this functionality is SugarSync -- another business focused cloud solution. However, SugarSync is not nearly as well designed as Dropbox, Drive, or OneDrive.

What cloud service do you use? What did you compromise on, and what are your must-haves?

Photo credit: Gil C/Shutterstock

Apple's latest iPhone 6 problem -- #dyegate

Publié: octobre 24, 2014, 9:21pm CEST par Aatif Sulleyman

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Apple's latest flagship smartphone has caused consumers quite a few headaches (literally, in some cases).

The handset, which doesn't come cheap, is prone to bending and tearing out people's hair, leading to the creation of the vastly amusing '#bendgate' and '#hairgate' scandals. Now, however, it's all about '#dyegate'.

iPhone 6 owners are complaining that dye from their jeans is being transferred to the rather ugly plastic strips that adorn the back of the device, staining the expensive piece of kit.

A review conducted by BGR appears to confirm that this is indeed the case.

According to the publication, "Apple support staff instructed users to carefully scrub their iPhones with various common cleaning products. When those products failed to remove the dye from the iPhones, no further assistance was provided".

Oh dear.

It's another blow that the Cupertino-based firm could have done without. Tim Cook's spell as the head of the company has seen its crown slip somewhat, but that doesn't seem to be deterring many consumers.

The company managed to sell 10 million units of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus during the opening weekend of sales.

Image Credit: BGR

Amazon Kindle Voyage Wi-Fi + free 3G and Leather Origami Cover [Review]

Publié: octobre 24, 2014, 8:06pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

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It seems like everyone has a tablet or phablet nowadays. These devices are wonderful as they let you do many things, like listening to music, surfing the web and reading. Yes, you can read a book on an iPad, Nexus 7 or Galaxy Note, but you shouldn't -- your eyes do not want you to. You see, it's debatable, but generally accepted, that back-lit LCD displays can strain eyes and lend to eye fatigue. Also, they tend to have poor readability in bright sunlight.

Amazon solved these dilemmas in 2007 with the original Kindle -- an e-ink based e-reader, that worked well in sunlight and was easy on eyes. Since then, there have been many upgrades to the original design, leading up to the all-new Kindle Voyage. I have been reading many a book on the device and want to share my impressions with you.

Amazon touted features

High-resolution 300 ppi display -- looks even more like the printed page
Reimagined page turns -- PagePress enables you to turn the page without lifting a finger
New adaptive front light -- provides ideal brightness, day or night
Thinnest Kindle ever
Battery lasts weeks, not hours

Unboxing

Kindle Voyage

When I took it out of the box, I was shocked by how light it was. Sure, my PaperWhite is light too, but this goes even further, entering the unreal category. When it comes to an e-reader, heft, or lack there of, is one of the most important aspects. Think about it -- whether you are in bed or relaxing on the beach, you do not want your wrist to hurt from one-handed use. The Kindle Voyage is like holding nothing at all. This leads to a more immersive reading experience.

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The 6 inch screen is lit, which makes it ideal for using in the dark. This is great, because you can read in bed without disturbing the person sleeping next to you. However, it is front-lit, which is even better, as the light is shining on the screen and not at your eyes directly. This allows for much more comfortable viewing; your eyes will thank you. Hell, the 300 ppi screen is no slouch either, offering an experience that rivals actual paper.

While the screen remains touch-capable for navigation, just like the previous generation PaperWhite, you can now tun pages using buttons on the right and left bezels too. Amazon took a rather smart approach, and put "back" and "forward" buttons on both sides. This way, no matter which hand you are using to hold the Kindle, you can navigate in both directions one-handed. Of course, if you prefer screen-swipes, that is still available. Me? I prefer the buttons, so I do not get smudges on the screen; although, it is rather smudge-proof.

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You can get the Kindle Voyage in both a Wi-Fi or 3G model, and I highly recommend opting for the latter. Why? Well, consider this -- if you are away from home and do not have access to Wi-Fi, you can still buy and download books and magazines. With the Wi-Fi only model, you need to take the approach of predetermining how much content you want to take with you before leaving the house (or searching for a potentially dangerous open Wi-Fi connection). Is it more expensive? Yes, but the 3G access is free and you will be glad you spent the money.

Battery life is amazing, and should last you weeks between charging. Best of all, the Kindle Voyage charges with a standard micro USB connection. Sadly, a power brick is not included in the box, so you must use one of your existing chargers or charge it using a computer. I respect Amazon for recognizing that yet another charger is just being wasteful when people have so many, but still, I think every device that needs to be charged should come with a standalone charger.

Origami Cover

The new $45 Origami Cover for the Kindle Voyage is very similar to the covers for the Fire HD and Fire HDX. It is extremely durable and offers great protection for your investment. It is not function over form, however, as it is very beautiful and light, even offering an option for genuine leather ($60) as you can see in the image below.

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The true greatness of the cover, however, is the ability to prop up the Kindle Voyage for hands-free reading. Imagine this, you are on an airplane and you want to read a book. Rather than hold it in your hand and try to get comfortable, you prop up the e-reader on the pull-down snack tray and relax. Even a student at a desk or table can take this approach.

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Strangely, the power button remains available on the rear of the cover, but I cannot imagine a scenario where it will be used. The Origami Cover turns the screen on and off automatically when it is opened or shut. With it opened, the flap folds around the back and covers the power button. So, in a screen-on scenario, the button is covered. With the flap shut on top of the screen, the button is available, but now the screen is off. It doesn't hurt to offer the button, but it makes little sense.

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Conclusion

If you already own a Kindle PaperWhite, the Voyage is not a necessary upgrade. You can probably wait for next year before considering a new model. However, users of older-gen Kindles or consumers that do not own a dedicated e-reader, should definitely take notice.

The Kindle Voyage has a beautiful screen, solid design and access to the largest e-book store in the world. You will not find a better pure e-reader on the market, but be prepared to pay up; the starting price is $199, but with 3G and the removal of "Special Offers" (advertisements), the cost climbs to $289.

If that seems like too much money, or if you do not read often enough to justify the cost, the basic Kindle starts at $79 and we will have a review of that soon.

If you do read a lot and prefer premium devices, the Kindle Voyage is highly recommended. It is a luxurious reading experience that is worth ever penny of its premium price. However, if you do buy it, I suggest splurging on the 3G and Origami case for the full experience.

Pixelmator for iPad launches, offers Photoshop-style editing on your tablet

Publié: octobre 24, 2014, 6:58pm CEST par Nick Peers

Pixelmator

The Pixelmator Team, renowned for its Mac image-editing tool of the same name, has released Pixelmator for iPad 1.0, a similarly powerful image manipulation tool.

The app, which costs $4.99 and requires iOS 8.0 or later, has already garnered rave reviews and offers a wide range of tools covering creating, editing, fixing and enhancing images.

The app offers a number of creative tools for enhancing existing images: frames, collages, text effects, shadows, fills and strokes are all covered. It also comes with full-featured painting tools.

Pixelmator also bundles professional-grade color correction tools, some accessible with a single tap or swipe. Users gain full control over a wide range of adjustments, including levels, curves, brightness and contrast.

The app also offers photo-retouching tools that make it easy to fix a wide range of problems from dust and blemishes to lighting issues and unwanted blur. Note that the Repair tool requires iPad 4 or later.

Pixelmator also comes loaded with dozens of different effects for quickly transforming photos in a variety of different ways, including Light Leaks, Hue and Saturation, Vintage and various black and white effects.

The app -- which is a 120MB download -- supports layers, easy selection tools and the ability to cut and paste objects from one part of the image to another. Support for non-destructive layer styles make image editing simple without rendering changes permanently.

To accompany this powerful featureset, Pixelmator can handle a wide range of popular formats, including Photoshop PSD as well as JPEG, PNG and PDF, and supports the new iCloud Drive feature for easy data storage in the cloud. It also supports existing layers in Photoshop images, and the finished products can be sent to the Photos app for sharing with others.

Pixelmator 1.0 for iPad is available now for iPads running iOS 8 or later for $4.99. Some tools, including the Heal tool, require the fourth generation iPad or later.

Streaming music service Deezer buys Stitcher and branches out into talk radio

Publié: octobre 24, 2014, 6:51pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Streaming music service Deezer buys Stitch and branches out into talk radio

The world of streaming music is dominated by just a few names. Deezer is a relatively new entrant to the US market, and it is now stretching its wings by purchasing Stitcher, the radio and podcasting service. Deezer currently has roughly 16 million users scattered across 180 countries, and this represents great growth potential for Stitcher.

The seven-year-old internet radio service carries content from 40 countries, giving it a catalog of more than 35,000 shows. Diversifying in this way could be Deezer's ticket to success in a somewhat crowded market, where a unique selling point is needed to stand out from the likes of Spotify.

Stitcher says that it is business as usual, but under Deezer, there is great scope for scaling up operations. Adding talk radio to an already vast music collection is seen as the catalyst to take the service to the next level:

We will continue to keep doing what we do best under the Deezer umbrella, and eventually provide even better listening experiences across the globe, combining music and talk. We’re extremely excited about this new adventure, and hope you are too.

In the blog entry announcing the purchase, the Stitcher team says that "we believe we’re just at the dawn of a Golden Age of on-demand spoken audio".

At the moment, there are no details about the amount of money that has changed hands, nor any information about when users will start to see changes to the service.

CCleaner 4.19 gains Windows 10 support

Publié: octobre 24, 2014, 5:54pm CEST par Mike Williams

ccleaner

It’s that time of the month when Piriform’s team delivers their regular CCleaner update, and sure enough they’ve announced the availability of CCleaner 4.19 and CCleaner 4.19 Portable.

The big news this time is compatibility with Windows 10 Technical Preview. If you’re using the new system so much that it’s cluttered with junk, then the program can now give it a thorough cleanup, just like any other.

Improved application support sees the program do a better job of cleaning the Opera 25 cache.

There’s more reliable automatic update checking.

We can’t remember the last time CCleaner displayed an error message for us, but if major problems do strike then version 4.19 brings improved exception handling and reporting.

There are also the usual collection of non-specific translation and interface tweaks, along with a scattering of minor bug fixes.

CCleaner 4.19 and CCleaner 4.19 Portable are available now as freeware downloads for Windows XP and later.

Facebook teams up with Yahoo to create safe email standard

Publié: octobre 24, 2014, 5:01pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Facebook teams up with Yahoo to create new, safe email standard

A new email standard called RRVS (Require-Recipient-Valid-Since) has been unveiled by Facebook. The new standard comes through the social network working in conjunction with Yahoo, and is designed to protect users against potential account hijacking.

It's now over a year since Yahoo decided that the time had come to start recycling email addresses that had lain dormant and unused. Concerns were voiced that little used email addresses could end up falling into the wrong hands and be used for nefarious purposes. With email addresses used for much more than just email communication -- often doubling up as login credentials -- the need for security in this area is apparent.

Yahoo's email address recycling was something Facebook watched closely. "If a Facebook account were connected to a recycled Yahoo email address, that account could be taken over by the new Yahoo account owner via a password change request if no additional protections were in place," says Facebook software engineer Murray Kucherawy. RRVS is essentially an extension to the SMTP standard which increases security by double-checking when the ownership of a given email address was last known:

Working with our counterparts at Yahoo, we quickly proposed and prototyped an enhancement to email that mitigates this problem. The enhancement inserts a timestamp within an email message to indicate when we last confirmed the ownership of a Yahoo account. If the account changed hands since our last confirmation, Yahoo can just drop the message, preventing delivery of sensitive messages to the wrong hands.

While at the moment the standard only involves Yahoo and Facebook, details have been published so that others can work to combat the problem of account hijacking.

Photo credit: phadventure / Shutterstock

Employees' bad habits could put businesses at risk

Publié: octobre 24, 2014, 4:58pm CEST par Ian Barker

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Individuals are frequently the weakest link in the chain when it comes to protecting business data, often through simple day-to-day lapses that can have a serious consequence.

Atlanta-based IT Services company Leapfrog Services has identified five common bad habits of employees that businesses need to manage in order to guard their information.

Poor password practices are top of the list. If employees fail to log out when they leave their desks, or write passwords on sticky notes attached to the monitor, they're putting company data at risk. It's important to establish and enforce security procedures especially if workstations are shared.

Updating social media may seem like a harmless activity, but badly-judged comments about products, clients or even colleagues can have serious consequences. Enterprises need to have a clear social media policy which outlines what can be shared and what needs to be kept confidential.

Sending texts may be convenient, but if employees use personal devices for business it risks losing the security that's in place for company systems. As a result something like sending links, images and quick thoughts by text may fall outside of the IT department's control or access.

Social engineering is a problem across all businesses and phishing emails do make it through to inboxes occasionally, even with protection in place. Opening an email mindlessly may be all it takes for hackers to infect a system or company network. Whilst it's important to keep security systems up to date, education is vital to make sure staff are aware of the potential threat posed.

Finally, seemingly helpful working methods such as using public clouds to share files or working via insecure home networks or access points can put company data at risk. If employees are allowed to work away from the office or on their own devices this needs to be backed up by security systems that keep the company safe but don't compromise convenience.

"Lines are now blurred between using company computers vs. personal devices for work," Leapfrog’s CTO Trey Hawkins says, "And as we learned with recent celebrity hacking incidents, even cloud-based platforms can be compromised. It is critical to have rules in place that protect company information".

Image Credit: Jirsak / Shutterstock

Best Windows 8 apps this week

Publié: octobre 24, 2014, 3:22pm CEST par Martin Brinkmann

One-hundred and four in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps and games released for Windows 8.x in the last seven days.

Microsoft may have cleaned up the store recently but there is still work to be done. If you check the newest apps in the Music & Video category for example you will notice eight paid YouTube applications of which all have been created by the same author and don't seem to be different at all.

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

This week's selection of apps and games that have been discounted by at least 50 percent.

Fishdom3: Special Edition, a match-3 puzzle game for $2.49
Doodle Devil, a puzzle game for $0.99
Sunny Hillride, a racing game for $0.99
Left in the Dark: No One on Board (Full), a puzzle-focused adventure game for $3.49
SuperPhoto, an app to apply effects to images for $1.99
Infinity Runner HD, a great looking running game for $4.99

Best app of the week

Chronology: Time Changes Everything

Chronology: Time Changes Everything is a beautiful puzzle platform game in which you use time travel to fix the present.

The player takes control of two different characters, an elderly inventor and his snail sidekick. The old man has the ability to travel in time while the snail can stop it instead.

The levels are challenging but fun to play nevertheless, and you will encounter jumping puzzles as well as logic puzzles while playing it.

The game has been published for free but includes the first three chapters of the game only. The second part of the game is available as an in-app purchase with more chapters on the way.

Other apps

Watch TNT

The application brings TNT shows to Windows 8 and 10. It features shows such as Legends, Franklin & Bash, and Castle as well as movies.

It needs to be noted that you need to authenticate through your television provider to access the streams.

Apart from TV and movie streams, it is offering a schedule and information about each show.

Collaborate

Collaborate is a free application that enables you to send text and image cards to a canvas that is shared with other users.

Sessions are joined by scanning a QR code or by entering a session ID, and it is possible to use the operating system's share functionality to share contents directly from other applications.

Aggregator ($1.99, free trial available)

Aggregator is a lightweight RSS feed reader. It uses a three-column layout to display feeds, articles and contents on the screen.

Articles are marked as read automatically when they are selected and individual feeds or OPML files can be imported as well. The app lacks features such as search or filters.

Letter Lab

Create enough points in each round of this word puzzle game to qualify for the next.

The game displays 25 random letters in five rows and it is up to you to create words in those rows to raise your score enough to qualify for the next round.

Letters are arranged using drag and drop, and it is often necessary to move letters between rows to create words.

Music Deals

The Microsoft application displays weekly music deals that are discounted by at least 80 percent.

Deals and the remaining time are displayed in the interface on start. A tap on an offer or a category such as "must have pop" or "trick or beats" displays album and artist names as well as the price that it is available for.

The app is tied to the Music (Xbox Music) app on the device and will open it whenever you select to make a purchase.

Empire under Fire

Empire under Fire is a 3D tower defense game in which you try to prevent hordes of onrushing enemies from reaching a designated target location on the map.

You place four different kinds of towers on the map to defeat wave after wave. The barracks tower spawns defenders for example that block enemies from advancing while the mighty mage tower attacks from afar using magic.

Towers can be upgraded and powers are at your disposal as well which you can use to fire magic at foes or place additional soldiers on the battlefield to slow down the enemy advance.

AutoTag 'n Search My Photos

Another Microsoft Garage project. The app can tag photos in the pictures library and OneDrive Camera roll automatically and offers search capabilities to find people across the photo collection.

It uses Facebook to learn about new faces but offers to create unique identities for friends who are not on Facebook so that they can be identified as well by the app.

It won't modify existing tags but can use them in the identification process. The tagging accuracy improves over time as the app learns while you interact with it.

Election Essential

The app displays information about local State ballots and Federal candidates.

Select a state using a menu at the top and all congressional candidates and ballot measures are displayed afterwards.

A click on a candidate displays a wealth of information from education, political experience and family status to personal finance information, and options to research the candidate in detail.

Happy Chef 2

Cook a variety of dishes in this cooking simulator. To do so you need to cook the right dishes at the right time and add the correct toppings to them before you serve them to customers.

Each level of the game has an earnings goal that you need to meet or surpass to proceed to the next level in line.

You spend the earned money on new equipment that increases your payout or improves other things that help you throughout the game.

LG introduces its first in-house mobile processor, powers G3 Screen phablet

Publié: octobre 24, 2014, 3:14pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

LG G3 Screen

The mobile device market is extremely diverse judging by the number of companies which sell smartphones and tablets today. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of vendors worldwide. On the other hand, when it comes to mobile processors, there are only a handful of companies which make them. Of those, even fewer are also handset vendors and even fewer still are well known by the average consumers: Apple and Samsung.

It is tough to make a splash in the mobile processor market, as top players such as Qualcomm and Apple are so far ahead in the game that it is very difficult for a new player to catch up and compete on equal footing with the leaders. LG, however, is not afraid to give it a try, as it just unveiled its first in-house mobile processor. And the South Korean maker is not wasting any time as it has already put it to use in its new G3 Screen phablet.

The processor, called Nuclun, features eight processors, and is based on the ARM big.Little architecture. Basically, it is similar to Samsung's latest high-end Exynos solutions in design. Nuclun has four ARM Cortex-A15 cores running at 1.5 GHz, while the remaining four cores are based on the Cortex-A7 architecture and are clocked at 1.2 GHz.

This type of design is meant to increase energy efficiency under light loads (that is where the Cortex-A7 cores come into play) and provide a power boost under heavy loads (through to the faster Cortex-A15 cores). Nuclun is capable of adjusting the number of cores in use depending on the load, according to LG, which means that it should be able to trigger all eight, or just four, if needed. This sort of behavior hasn't always been possible with the big.Little architecture, at least in Samsung's case (that has changed in its most-recent Exynos processors though).

The point of Nuclun? "With this in-house solution, we will be able to achieve better vertical integration and further diversity our product strategy against stronger competition. NUCLUN will give us greater flexibility in our mobile strategy going forward", says LG CEO Jong-seok Park.

Basically, LG wants to differentiate its products from what the likes of HTC, Samsung and Sony make, which use the same processors as LG in most of their mobile devices. LG may also want to decrease its reliance on Qualcomm's Snapdragons for more upscale devices, like its G3 successor.

G3 Screen, the first LG device to benefit from Nuclun's capabilities, is an oversized version of the company's G3 flagship, with, as you can see, a terrible name. It packs: 5.9-inch IPS display, with a lower resolution of 1,080 by 1,920 (compared to G3's 1,440 by 2,560); 13 MP main camera with optical image stabilization; 2.1 MP secondary camera; 2 GB of RAM, 3,000 mAh battery; Cat.6 4G LTE (300 Mbps download speeds); Android 4.4 KitKat. It comes in at 157.8 x 81.8 x 9.5 mm and 182 grams. G3 Screen will be available in black and white. There is no information regarding price or availability.

Flashback Friday: How Disney's Fantasia led to the foundation of HP

Publié: octobre 24, 2014, 2:26pm CEST par Aatif Sulleyman

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HP is one of the oldest and largest IT corporations in the world. It also happens to be one of the most interesting. Now largely associated with enterprises and hardcore business technology, it's a little-known fact that HP was actually the driving force behind the establishment of Silicon Valley.

Way back in the early 1930s, Bill Hewlett and David Packard were engineering students -- and friends -- at Stanford University. Upon graduation, however, they went in separate directions; Packard headed to New York State, securing a job with General Electric, while Hewlett took his studies further, at MIT and then Stanford again.

However, they stayed in touch, and in 1938 Packard returned to California with his new wife, Lucile. Hewlett found a property in Palo Alto that the trio could afford to rent and they subsequently all moved in, paying $45 per month. The newlyweds stayed in the downstairs flat, while Hewlett set up base in the backyard shed. The landlady gave them permission to use the property's 18 x 12ft garage as a workshop.

Hardly the most glamorous of arrangements, but the fact that 367 Addison Avenue's humble little garage is now an official California Historical Landmark, featuring a plaque that reads "Birthplace of 'Silicon Valley'", tells you everything about what the young entrepreneurs achieved there.

Hewlett and Packard made themselves busy over the following months, creating a series of prototype electronic devices, such as a harmonica tuner, a diathermy machine and a foul-line indicator to be used in a bowling alley. Their big break was just around the corner, though.

Under the guidance of Professor Fred Terman at Stanford, Hewlett developed a resistance-tuned audio oscillator, which was able to measure sound frequencies. The duo built a device in their garage and named it the Model 200A, in order to give the impression that it was manufactured by a company with a strong product line.

Crucially, their oscillator was, according to HP, significantly cheaper than rival devices on the market, and soon enough Disney came knocking on the door. The company, which at the time was working on the 'Fantasia' movie, ordered eight units of the 200B (an improved version of 200A).

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This deal led Hewlett and Packard to formally establish their little business on 1 January 1939, but the duo ran into trouble when they came to naming it. After tossing a coin, they decided to go for Hewlett-Packard, rather than Packard-Hewlett.

In 1940, having picked up two new employees, HP relocated to Page Mill Road, in Palo Alto. The following few years were eventful. In 1942, Hewlett was called up to fight in World War II, leaving Packard to run the company alone. During this period, the company manufactured oscillators that were used in radar equipment by the US army.

HP_contenthalfwidth In 1947, Hewlett-Packard incorporated. A few years later, it got involved in conflict again (the Korean War this time), and found more and more success, as the demand for electronics skyrocketed. Over the years, the company has built a huge range of products, including printers, calculators, medical equipment, business software and, of course, computers.

Aside from its devices and solutions, HP became renowned for one thing in particular: its culture. "The HP Way" was described by Hewlett as, "The policies and actions that flow from the belief that men and women want to do a good job, a creative job, and that if they are provided with the proper environment they will do so". This led Apple co-founder Steve Jobs -- who was incidentally offered a summer job by Hewlett as a precocious 12-year-old -- to single out HP (along with Disney and Intel) as a company he admired.

David Packard passed away on 26 March 1996 and Bill Hewlett died on 12 January 2001.

Point of sale malware infections show sharp rise

Publié: octobre 24, 2014, 1:38pm CEST par Ian Barker

Malware spy

Threat protection specialist Damballa has released its threat protection report for the third quarter, highlighting that the malware threat is still growing.

Based on analysis of traffic from the company's ISP and enterprise companies, the report looks at one of the biggest challenges facing IT security teams, that of identifying genuine attacks amongst a plethora of security alerts. In the last quarter it says that the 'noisiest' enterprises experienced some 138,000 events in a day. This represents a 32 percent increase over Q2, with customers experiencing an average of 37 infected devices a day.

There is some good news thanks to a 40 percent reduction in daily infections over the previous quarter. This is thanks to customers using technologies like automatic incident detection to respond to threats and identify true positives.

The biggest worry though is an increase in point of sale malware. Damballa detected a 57 percent increase in infections of Backoff from August to September and a 27 percent increase from September to the end of the month. Backoff, is a new breed of highly targeted POS malware and is reported by the US government to have infected 1,000 businesses including Kmart and Dairy Queen.

Brian Foster Damballa's CTO says, "Fundamentally, these figures show that prevention controls cannot stop malware infections. POS malware and other advanced threats can, and will, get through so we can't simply build the walls around the network higher. And for security teams, faced with the trawling through a tsunami of events every day, manually correlating these to find the 'true positives' is simply not feasible".

The particular worry with Backoff malware is that it attacks via local area networks where traffic may not come under the same scrutiny as external traffic. Once an infection is present therefore it can remain active but hidden.

Foster concludes, "The encouraging news is that automatically correlating evidence, can have a significant impact in reducing the number of infected devices within the network. We'd advise enterprises to be prepared, to get ahead by assuming that they will be compromised, and take proactive measures to be ready to remediate".

The full State of Infections report can be downloaded from the Damballa website.

Photo Credit: Balefire / Shutterstock

Microsoft ditches Nokia brand for Windows Phones

Publié: octobre 24, 2014, 11:59am CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Microsoft Lumia

Microsoft officially announced today that the Nokia branding will not be used in conjunction with its future Windows Phones. The software giant will sell its upcoming smartphones as Microsoft Lumias. However, it will continue to make use of Nokia's name for dumb phones.

The tech media may act surprised, but, in fact, we have known that this was bound to happen for more than a year. In early-September 2013, when the sale of Nokia's Devices & Services to Microsoft was announced, the terms revealed that the software giant would eventually have to drop the Nokia branding.

"Microsoft has agreed to a 10 year license arrangement with Nokia to use the Nokia brand on current Mobile Phones products. Nokia will continue to own and maintain the Nokia brand. Under the terms of the transaction, Microsoft has agreed to a 10 year license arrangement with Nokia to use the Nokia brand on current and subsequently developed products based on the Series 30 and Series 40 operating systems", specifies the sale announcement.

This move also involves other transitions, like social media accounts, international sites (and local ones as well), app names and so on which Microsoft will take under its umbrella. Soon, everything Lumia-related will be linked exclusively to Microsoft, which makes lots of sense in the long run as the use of Nokia's branding would have been short-lived anyway for Windows Phones (it is highly unlikely Nokia would have granted Microsoft a license with no expiration date).

Microsoft just revealed that Lumia sales for Q3 2014 reached 9.3 million units, besting the number of units sold a year ago; then, Nokia sold 8.8 million Lumias. The impact that this change may have over sales should be minimal, given the already low volume of units sold during the past quarter.

Chromebook shipments rise 67 percent this quarter

Publié: octobre 24, 2014, 11:08am CEST par Darren Allan

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Chromebooks continue to shine in terms of growth according to the latest figures from ABI Research, with the notebooks up 67 percent quarter-on-quarter in terms of shipment levels.

And indeed ABI forecasts that Google's cloudy laptops will double in quantity when it comes to year-on-year.

Which is the leading Chromebook vendor? Acer is at the top, followed by Samsung and HP, and this trio accounted for 74 percent of all Chromebooks sold during the first half of this year. They're expected to retain solid market control in the second half of 2014, as well -- although sadly Samsung is dumping its laptop operation, including Chromebooks, at least in Europe.

ABI notes that vertical markets such as elementary education are still helping to drive the Chromebook's success, and in emerging markets, businesses are picking up no less than 75 percent of Chromebook sales.

The majority of the Chromebook market is still focused on the US, though, with 78 percent of sales predicted to come from North America this year.

Research Analyst Stephanie Van Vactor commented: "Consumers are hungry for a product that is cost effective but also provides the versatility and functionality of a laptop. The growth of the Chromebook market demonstrates a niche that is gaining traction among consumers".

In August, a Gartner report also cited an impressive performance from Google's notebooks, with Chromebook sales for 2014 predicted to hit 5.2 million, up 79 percent from 2013. Gartner found that Samsung was the leading vendor ahead of Acer, though.

Fire Phone flops badly, burns Amazon

Publié: octobre 24, 2014, 9:19am CEST par Wayne Williams

fire

Amazon didn’t have a good third quarter, reporting a net loss of $437 million, which is up significantly from the $41m loss it reported for the same quarter last year. Contributing to that loss is the abject failure of the Fire Phone.

My colleague Brian Fagioli described Amazon's handset as Android done differently in his review, and although he liked it, he said it wouldn’t be for everyone. It turns out it’s for hardly anyone.

During the Amazon earnings call, Amazon’s Chief Financial Officer Tom Szkutak said that the company was taking a $170 million dollar write-down "primarily related" to costs associated to the Fire Phone. In other words, Amazon vastly overestimated the phone’s appeal and ordered far too much stock. As Microsoft did with the original Surface.

It’s not surprising to discover that the Fire Phone hasn’t been doing well -- Amazon held a "Fire sale" two months ago when it slashed the price of the device from $199 to just 99 cents (with a two year contract) -- but the scale of its failure is staggering.

Szkutak says as of the end of Q3 Amazon is sitting on $83 million worth of Fire Phone inventory. Ouch.

Photo credit: urfin/Shutterstock

Christian Bale is Steve Jobs in upcoming biopic

Publié: octobre 24, 2014, 8:39am CEST par Barclay Ballard

Christian Bale

Christian Bale has been confirmed to play Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in an upcoming feature film based on Walter Isaacson's biography of the late technology icon.

Oscar winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin revealed the news during a Bloomberg television interview with Emily Chang yesterday.

Sorkin added that Bale did not have to audition, being the project's number one candidate for the role.

"We needed the best actor on board in a certain age range and that's Chris Bale," Sorkin said. "He didn't have to audition. Well, there was a meeting".

Bale, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in "The Fighter," has long been rumored to be involved. Back in March, David Fincher, who is no longer attached to the film, indicated the main role should go to Bale, while earlier this month, unconfirmed reports suggested that Bale was in talks to join the project under Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle.

Sorkin also implied that the role would be a challenging one, but had every confidence that Bale would succeed.

"He has more words to say in this movie than most people have in three movies combined," Sorkin said. "There isn't a scene or a frame that he's not in. So it's an extremely difficult part and he is gonna crush it".

Principle shooting for the film should begin within the next few months, but there is no definite timetable in place yet.

Sorkin and the rest of the film's crew will be hoping that the project fares better than last year's "Jobs," which cast Ashton Kutcher in the title role and received largely negative reviews.

Aaron Sorkin's interview with Bloomberg's Emily Chang will be aired in full in an upcoming edition of "Studio 1.0".

Photo credit: cinemafestival/Shutterstock

Surface generated almost $1 billion revenue for Microsoft last quarter

Publié: octobre 24, 2014, 3:01am CEST par Mark Wilson

Surface generated almost $1 billion revenue for Microsoft last quarter

Anyone who was under the impression that Surface was a failure for Microsoft need look no further than the latest earnings release for proof that they're wrong. In the quarter ending September 30, Microsoft pulled in $23.20 billion in revenue, and $908 million of this came from the Surface division.

All told, FY15 Q1 represents record first quarter revenue for Microsoft, and it can be at least partly attributed to the influence of Satya Nadella, as well as the restructuring surrounding Nokia Devices and Services. There was a strong performance in the Devices and Consumer divisions, with revenue increasing 47% to $10.96 billion, while commercial revenue rose 10% to $12.28 billion.

The earnings release shows that there are now more than 7 million Office 365 Home and Personal subscribers, and Xbox sales grew by 104 percent to 2.4 million. Phone hardware also fared well, pulling in more than $2.6 billion in revenue. There was growth in a number of other areas including a 128 percent boost in Cloud revenue -- thanks to Office 365, Azure and Dynamics CRM -- and Windows volume licensing revenue rose by 10 percent.

CEO Satya Nadella is understandably pleased with how things are going:

We are innovating faster, engaging more deeply across the industry, and putting our customers at the center of everything we do, all of which positions Microsoft for future growth. Our teams are delivering on our core focus of reinventing productivity and creating platforms that empower every individual and organization.

With the launch of Windows 10 next year, Microsoft will be keen to continue the growth of the operating system's impact on income.

Buffer 4.0 for iPad and iPhone released, becomes universal app

Publié: octobre 24, 2014, 3:01am CEST par Nick Peers

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Social media scheduling service Buffer has unveiled Buffer 4.0 for iPad and iPhone, a major new release of its companion app for sharing and scheduling posts on social networks. Like the web-based service, the app supports Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn accounts.

Version 4.0 becomes a universal app, and now offers full, native iPad support. It also adds a new Share option for scheduling content from other apps.

The major change is full support for the iPad with a user interface that’s designed to take full advantage of the larger screen and works in both portrait and landscape orientations. Users can enjoy all of the functionality found on the web: simply connect to an existing Buffer account and tools for sharing, scheduling and analysing posts are included.

Also included is support for linking RSS feeds to profile accounts, a feature designed to make it easier to share content from favourite web feeds directly from inside the app itself.

Version 4.0 also comes with support (and optimization) for iOS 8. This includes adding support for sending content to Buffer via the native Share menus, which includes Safari, Instapaper and Tweetbot.

On our test iPad, the app proved rather unstable, crashing at certain points. We suspect a bug-fix update will follow shortly to resolve these issues. However, once these are ironed out, the app should finally come of age, providing a convenient alternative to the Buffer web interface for queuing up and sharing of media, links and other updates.

Buffer 4.0 is available now free for iPad and iPhone running iOS 7.0 or later. Users will require a Buffer account (free or paid-for) in order to use the app.

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen pledges $100 million to tackle Ebola

Publié: octobre 24, 2014, 2:46am CEST par Mark Wilson

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen pledges $100 million to tackle Ebola

Saying "the Ebola virus is unlike any health crisis we have ever experienced and needs a response unlike anything we have ever seen," Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, pledged millions of dollars to help tackle the virus. The billionaire philanthropist increased his commitment to "at least $100 million" and called on others to contribute as well.

Ebola has now claimed the lives of more than 5,000 people, and Allen is keen to help fund not only heathcare professionals and treatments, but also the evacuation of international aid workers. Allen's #TackleEbola website is being used as a hub to raise money for a number of individual projects and causes such as household protection kits and hand-washing stations.

The funds will help the U.S. State Department, World Health Organization, and University of Massachusetts Medical School to co-ordinate their efforts to help those in need. Allen made the announcement in a press release as well as on Twitter:

I'm committing at least $100M to #TackleEbola. Join me in helping those responding to this outbreak at [t.co]

— Paul Allen (@PaulGAllen) October 23, 2014

The money has been welcomed by the U.S. Department of State:

We thank Paul Allen and his foundation for their contribution on this crucial issue. We hope that this sets a much needed example for what will be robust and rapid private sector leadership, working in partnership with the U.S. government. Mr. Allen’s #TackleEbola campaign is providing an important catalyst to help us get medical responders to West Africa to fight Ebola at its epicenter. His leadership is timely and greatly augments the work that the U.S. government, international organizations, NGOs, and others are doing on the ground every day.

Paul Allen is not the only figure from the world of technology to get involved in the fight against Ebola. Earlier in the month, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg donated $25 million to the Centers for Disease Control Foundation.

Ubuntu 14.10 Utopic Unicorn is here -- Linux fans, download now!

Publié: octobre 24, 2014, 12:20am CEST par Brian Fagioli

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Not only is Ubuntu one of the most user-friendly Linux distributions, but it also gets many timely releases. Say what you want about it, but the overall experience is second to none. I would not hesitate to recommend Ubuntu to both Linux beginners and experts alike.

After we just learned the name of the future version of the OS (15.04) to be Vivid Vervet (it is coming in 2015), Canonical releases Ubuntu 14.10 Utopic Unicorn today. Linux fans can download it now!

One of the most important aspects of a Linux-based operating system is the kernel. In 14.10, it is very up-to-date.

Canonical explains, "the Ubuntu 14.10 release delivers a v3.16 based kernel. This brings a significant number of bug fixes and new hardware support including expanded architecture support for Power 8 and arm64 platforms. It also includes support for Intel Cherryview, Haswell, Broadwell and Merrifield systems, and initial support for Nvidia GK20A and GK110B GPU’s. There is improved graphics performance on many Nvidia, Intel and ATI Radeon devices and also audio improvements with support for the Radeon .264 video encoder. Expanded platform support is enabled via support for 64 bit EFI boot on 32 bit EFI BIOS. This release also brings performance improvements in suspend/resume times".

Canonical touts the following additional changes:

Unity has improved support for High-DPI displays.
Firefox is updated to version 33 and Chromium is updated to version 38.
Gtk updated to version 3.12. Qt updated to version 5.3.
Support for IPP Everywhere printers is added, and printers shared from Ubuntu can emulate IPP Everywhere printers.
LibreOffice 4.3 brings a lot of improvements including improved PDF support, new features in Writer, Calc and Impress (word processor, spreadsheet and presentations).

If you are ready to download, you can get it here. Since this is a final release, it should be safe for most home users; however, if you are using it for a business, you should always test first.

Tell me how your upgrade goes in the comments.

Bluesmart debuts its intelligent 21st Century suitcase

Publié: octobre 23, 2014, 11:51pm CEST par Ed Oswald

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There are a few things that annoy the modern jet-setter more than anything. It is those pesky baggage restrictions for some. For others, it’s the airline’s uncanny ability to lose your luggage at the most inopportune times. Or maybe its those pesky TSA security lines or a lack of power outlets to charge your electronic devices.

Bluesmart Technologies wants to solve those problems in a new high-tech carry-on suitcase, and from the looks of it, the traveling public is ready to give the firm their hard-earned money.

Within two hours after the suitcase debuted on crowd-funding site Indiogogo, Bluesmart surpassed its $50,000 funding goal. Over 1,300 funders have contributed more than $310,000 to the project as of Thursday afternoon.

The suitcase connects to a user’s smartphone via Bluetooth. The user can lock and unlock the suitcase, weigh the contents within, track its location, and be alerted if the suitcase is left behind, all from Bluesmart’s mobile app.

"We came up with the idea for Bluesmart after suffering a couple of bad experiences with our luggage, when airlines forced us to check bags only to have them mishandled or lost," co-founder Tomi Pierucci says. "Suitcases haven’t seen much innovation in decades, so we decided to design a suitcase for this century".

Bluesmart adds specialized protected compartments for electronic devices to the standard clothing compartments, and goes even further by tapping into the suitcase’s internal battery for charging needs. The company claims a standard smartphone can be charged fully six times over.

The weighing mechanism is contained within Bluesmart’s handle. To weigh the contents, all the user needs to do is pick up the suitcase and access the weighing option within the app. Other features include TSA approved locking mechanisms and content exposure methods for smoother security experiences.

We did find the location services option a bit problematic, at least as its been explained so far. It appears the service will rely on other users to track your lost luggage, meaning once it's out of range it may be difficult for early adopters to effectively use this feature.

Of course, with all this technology comes some fun features, too. Bluesmart will track your travel information, giving you real time updates on miles traveled and countries visited, time away from home, and even updates on your flight information so that you don’t miss your flight.

The Bluesmart is expected to launch in July 2015 at a retail price of about $450 USD.

Ello pockets $5.5 million, legally pledges to never feature ads

Publié: octobre 23, 2014, 6:48pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Ello pockets $5.5 million, legally pledges to never feature ads Out of nowhere, Ello exploded, ninja-style, into the public eye. The social network shot to fame after Facebook's real name policy sent many users scuttling off in search of a new home, and the spartan, "beautiful" (Ello's word, not mine) social network welcomed an influx of new users. In addition to the "use whatever name you want" philosophy, users were happy to find that Ello offered a completely ad-free experience.

Now the lack of ads has been enshrined in law. While pocketing $5.5 million in a new round of venture funding, Ello has converted to a State of Delaware Public Benefit Corporation (PBC). The social network vows to never show nor sell ads, and requires this commitment to transfer to any future owner, should the company be acquired.

In a document signed by Paul Budnitz and Ello's co-founders, the social network responds to "speculation in the press since our launch eleven weeks ago that Ello will someday be forced to allow paid advertising on its network". Despite conceding that the internet is "turning into one giant billboard", Ello remains committed to its "better way" of doing things. Ello explains that in converting to a PBC, it "is legally obligated to take its impact on society into account in every decision it makes".

While Ello enjoyed a massive boost in popularity a few weeks ago, interest seems to have trailed off slightly in more recent weeks. The round of venture funding was headed by Foundry Group, and Bidnitz says that the money will enable Ello to "take [its] time and build rather than rushing ahead and trying to make some money".

Amazon rolling out Fire OS 4.1.1 to its tablets

Publié: octobre 23, 2014, 3:56pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

fire-os-4-1-1

Amazon recently released a new line of Kindle products, featuring two new tablets and readers respectively. With the release came an update to the retailer's version of Android, known as Fire OS. It's a highly customized take on Google's mobile platform -- almost unrecognizable, in fact.

Now Amazon is rolling out an update to it, bringing the system to version 4.1.1. The update doesn't seem to have hit the 2013 models yet, but those with the latest tablet should be seeing it now, or at least very soon.

Included is Profiles, allowing each family member to have his or her own account. That includes email, social media accounts, videos and game levels. This feature is available to those in the US, UK and Germany.

Customers will also be able to view and edit documents using WPS Office, receive a new weather app, full screen mode for apps and games, and device settings backup. The latter includes wireless settings, email, bookmarks and more. All of this will be stored in the cloud.

Perhaps the biggest thing about this update is the claims for battery life. Amazon says it is using a new "Smart Suspend", which was introduced in 4.0, and is being tweaked now. This will turn wireless off when the device isn't active, but it periodically turns it back on to grab your email so you're up to date when you turn the Fire on.

If you haven't yet received the update then stay tuned, as it should be coming very soon. It certainly seems to be one that you'll want. Some of this was introduced with the 4.0 release of Sangria, so it's just fixes and improvements. Still, it's an update to grab.

Top 5 tips for avoiding project failure

Publié: octobre 23, 2014, 3:48pm CEST par Eric Winquist

Happy man

How can I avoid project failure? That's a question I'm asked all the time. There's no doubt things today are complex -- products have millions of lines of code, dozens of variations, and projects usually have hundreds or even thousands of stakeholders, often all in a perpetual state of development. But, the reality is that failure isn't usually a result of all this complexity. Rather, it's generally caused by a collaboration meltdown.

Research from Forrester paints a clearer picture. According to the firm, the biggest problem in product development is a mismatch between the expected and actual value of a product, and the number one reason that products are delayed is unclear or changing requirements. In addition, more than 40 percent of companies cite an inability to agree on product requirements.

Combine these challenges with the fact that many large technology companies work with teams dispersed across the globe and it becomes easy to see the pivotal role of collaboration in delivering today's software applications and other technologies.

But the good news is you can avoid a lot of heartburn by understanding the major pitfalls which lead to project failures. So, before you embark on your next project, consider these five reasons it could fail:

11th hour swoop-in

This happens when a stakeholder or executive comes onto the scene at the last minute with all types of questions or input, throwing a spanner in the works. In these cases, the relevant teams have likely been trying to communicate with this person all along, but he or she hasn't been paying attention.

Development misunderstandings

It's no surprise that your customers and your development teams speak a different language. However, problems arise when developers are not given enough information to really understand what the customer wants, and they make poorly-informed decisions along the way, which result in a product that doesn't meet customers' needs.

Decision recollection disorder

People often find themselves spending a lot of energy going back in time to both explain and substantiate how decisions were made when another stakeholder or manager says, "I was expecting something different".

The missing vault

While it's great to have a mastermind with deep insights working on your project, it can be devastating when that person goes on vacation, moves to a different team, or -- worse yet -- leaves the company. When the subject expert is gone, so is the invaluable knowledge.

CYA syndrome

Everyone has been in meetings where a decision is made, resulting in a lot of nodding heads. But when there is no documentation showing how these decisions were made along the way, teams run the risk of later being asked, "Wait a minute, why are you doing that?"

Effective collaboration is a critical element, because the project management process goes a lot more smoothly when every person is on the same page throughout the entire course of the project, and they all persistently share the same ultimate goal. This requires letting go of the typical command and control model, where only the necessary information is dispersed to each contributor. Managers need to trust that people make better decisions when they have as much information related to the project as possible. In addition, projects need airtight review cycles that bring key decision-makers into the process, offering them richer context about the previous decisions that were made. Collaboration systems that use social media constructs can provide stakeholders with a central framework for easily capturing knowledge and decisions into a central repository.

In today's environment, emails, spreadsheets and weekly status meetings just aren't enough to help your team avoid these major mishaps which can put your project at risk. Collaboration systems can get information out of people's heads and make it accessible for everyone involved in a project. Ultimately, this shared information will greatly improve the likelihood of success.

Eric Winquist is the CEO of Jama Software

Photo Credit: ollyy/Shutterstock

Microsoft launches lockscreen apps for Android, Windows Phone

Publié: octobre 23, 2014, 2:18pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Next_Lock_Screen_01_Large Microsoft app launches are usually predictable. Most are offerings which aim to get us hooked on the software giant's most-prominent products, like Office, OneDrive, Outlook.com and Xbox. But, every once in a while, Microsoft does something out of the ordinary, like it wants to tell the world that, much like startups, it too is capable of intriguing and exciting things.

After launching a lovely keyboard for Android Wear, Microsoft just released a whole bunch of apps for Android, iOS and Windows Phone, made by an in-house team of "hackers, makers, artists, tinkerers, musicians, inventors" called Microsoft Garage. The most interesting offerings are Torque, which my colleague Brian Fagioli just covered, and two lockscreen apps, for Android and Windows Phone.

The Android lockscreen app is called Next Lock Screen. It is designed to offer much more useful information, compared to typical Android lockscreens, and provide intelligent access to certain apps.

You can see calendar entries, emails, missed calls and messages, and open the most-used apps based on location. It also gives you the option to connect to conference calls right from the homescreen. It also looks quite nice.

Tetra_Lockscreen_01_large For Windows Phone users, Microsoft launched Tetra Lockscreen. It is very different compared to the stock Windows Phone lockscreen, that is still very sparse feature-wise, and the ones offered by Microsoft through its Live Lock Screen beta app, as, like Next Lock Screen, it shows a tremendous amount of information.

It even supports widgets, which, currently, show your calendar entries, location and give access to a stopwatch. There is swipe support, which works nice with the calendar functionality.

Even though both apps are quite decent from the start, Microsoft is looking to improve such offerings further through your feedback. "Tell us what rocks, and what doesn’t", says the team behind these apps.

Next Lock Screen is available to download from Google Play. Tetra Lockscreen is available to download from Windows Phone Store.

Understanding how decisions affect the enterprise

Publié: octobre 23, 2014, 1:34pm CEST par Ian Barker

muPDNA

In large companies it can be difficult for decision makers to see the full impact their choices have. A new product from decision support specialists Mu Sigma aims to provide a holistic picture of how things are connected.

The product, called muUniverse, is designed to give decision makers at Fortune 500 companies a complete view of their business decisions, allowing them to navigate an increasingly complex set of interconnected problems they face in areas such as sales, marketing, finance, supply chain, risk, and others.

It's based on the patterns found in nature where problems occur in clusters rather than isolation and organisms increase in complexity over time. MuUniverse maps the decision foot print within the organization and is claimed to be the only solution available today that can provide an intelligent path to drastically improve decision making and impact the outcomes that are necessary for growth and survival.

"In the age of big data, companies often lack the tools they need to appreciate and understand the complexity of problems they face. A new art of problem solving is needed to address this. The big goal of our new platform is to automate dynamic thinking that is often baked into the DNA of innovators like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk, but now make this available to any major corporation," says Dhiraj Rajaram, CEO and founder of Mu Sigma.

It builds on the company's existing muPDNA business intelligence platform and is aimed at helping businesses improve problem solving and planning by allowing the creation of better insights. It can also assist in prioritizing and engaging with the correct stakeholders, as well as investigating the relationship between problems allowing the impact of decisions to be anticipated. Eliminating risk is another benefit as is the ability to spot new opportunities based on data analysis.

You can find out more on the Mu Sigma website.

How to combat cyber attacks using speed and sophistication

Publié: octobre 23, 2014, 1:10pm CEST par Paul Nguyen

attack

During a cyber attack, every second counts. While an attack can happen in an instant, it can take months to remove it from an organization’s infrastructure. For some organizations, there can be more attacks in one hour than a well-staffed security team can address in an entire day. That's a big problem.

Historically, attackers have had the advantage over defenders by being able to choose from a broad array of tools, around-the-clock attack windows, and innumerable attack types. If one type of attack failed, an attacker could simply try again and again until vulnerabilities were discovered. Moreover, cyber attacks are easy to organize and cheap to enact.

Any computer anywhere can become the front line of an attack, which is not only difficult to defend against but leads to the need for constant vigilance and flexible defensive moves. Attacks often come in looking like one piece of software code only to rapidly mutate and adapt to the target environment, proliferating at machine speed to expose weaknesses.

Because bad actors currently have the upper hand in cyber warfare, organizations need to find effective, innovative ways to combat them. They need speed. They need the power and control to change networks on the fly. They need to respond in seconds. They need to shift dynamically to spoof attackers with defensive tactics that appear as random to malicious actors as attacks so frequently appear to them.

Popular technologies such as firewall, antivirus, encryption, and authentication tools provide basic layers of protection, but they do not adapt in real time to combat malware that is infinitely flexible, adaptable, and patient. Instead, they behave like stationary sentries, unable to move, pivot, or otherwise adjust to an intruder whose infiltration tactics shift in milliseconds. These tools perform the grunt work of detection and protection, but when attacks come in looking like legitimate network traffic, how can the system detect them? How can a system know what to defend against when the code behind the attack can change its approach at will and at machine speed to escape detection?

Today's state-of-the-art security operations require well-honed protocols, advanced data gathering and analysis tools, and modern threat-identity infrastructures. But integrating multiple point security tools is expensive and does not scale when the tools are supported by manual processes. Security teams need a way to tie their tools together with proven processes and protocols and a dose of automation to make everything work at machine speed.

Smart organizations are building incident response plans with digitized cyber playbooks to support automated and semi-automated courses of action that can be synchronized across the security ecosystem. Playbooks are powered by automation and orchestration tools that enable security teams to counter attacks using coordinated defensive strategies; they contain all of the relevant workflows, tools, and processes necessary to respond quickly to a cyber threat.

Instead of analyzing and reacting to specific attacks as they happen, these forward-looking organizations maintain playbooks of active responses built from the proven protocols they use on a regular basis. An intuitive and effective playbook outlines courses of action and orchestrates them to execute specific threat-response scenarios, which allows organizations to reuse proven automation tools and workflows within larger threat-response strategies.

Over time, such playbooks can become digital libraries of approved actions that can be linked together to create active defense environments. Playbooks can continually collect organizational wisdom around security measures and provide security analysts with tested and adaptable sets of responses to multiple attack scenarios.

The use of playbooks offers immediate benefits to security teams, in part because automation tools allow them to keep pace with all incidents that penetrate the network. Orchestrated automation reduces the backlog of security incidents and decreases risk to network and data assets. It also enables security analysts to determine which issues pose the most threat or require the most investigation. Combining incident response plans with digitized playbooks allows organizations to automate repeatable processes that shore up the weak links in the security chain, which in turn enables highly trained staff analysts to focus on taking the steps necessary to maintain a continuously secure operating environment.

After all, many highly-specialized analysts spend significant amounts of time dealing with the manual aspects of the many advanced tools at their disposal. Countless personnel resources are expended on updating helpdesk tickets, uploading malware protections, testing hyperlink safety, and gathering information from infected machines.

In fact, many organizations spend more time on repeatable manual tasks than they do on analyzing actual incidents or supporting more advanced security measures.

Playbooks and other tools in the threat-response framework combine an organization’s best personnel, processes, tools, and workflows and organize them into a dynamic, flexible, real-time security-response engine, forming the cornerstone of a more effective and holistic security strategy. And in a world where organizations fend off millions of attacks every, speed and agility matter.

Paul Nguyen is president of CSG Invotas

B&O PLAY introduces BeoPlay A2, its first Bluetooth speaker

Publié: octobre 23, 2014, 11:26am CEST par Wayne Williams

beoplay

Bluetooth speakers can be a mixed bag, audio-wise. I have a Cambridge Audio speaker which I’m very happy with, but I may be tempted to stray now that B&O PLAY has launched the BeoPlay A2.

The stylish new speaker is designed be carried and has a leather strap/handle on the side. It features Bang & Olufsen Signature Sound and delivers 180W power, with True360 omni-directional performance so the audio should sound good no matter where you are in the room. It has two speaker drivers on each side -- a 3/4-inch tweeter and a 3-inch full range driver.

B&O Play says the rechargeable Li-ion battery allows for 24 hours of music and can be fully recharged in just three hours. The BeoPlay A2 can remember up to eight paired devices and will allow two devices to pair at once.

The speaker measures 256x142x44mm and weighs 1.1Kg. It’s available in black, gray/rose gold and green finishes.

"BeoPlay A2 is an honest product. It is what it looks like: a functional and likable speaker you can easily take with you", says Cecilie Manz, the speaker's designer. "The fact that BeoPlay A2 was designed for a life on the go has influenced every aspect of the speaker in terms of its design. There is no front, there is no back -- and there is no up or down, but there’s sound everywhere".

BeoPlay A2 will be available from 3 November, priced at £299/€349.

Oculus Rift owners will be able to go to the moon

Publié: octobre 23, 2014, 9:19am CEST par Barclay Ballard

Carnegi_Mellon_Google_X_Prize_contentfullwidth

US scientists have developed a robot that will allow Oculus Rift owners to see the surface of the Moon as if they were really there.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed the project to compete for the Google Lunar XPrize, which is offering $30 million to a team that can send video back from the Moon.

Carnegie Mellon has collaborated with Astrobotic Technology, an off-shoot of the university, to secure a deal with SpaceX, Elon Musk's private space company, to launch the robot in 2016 using its Falcon 9 rocket.

Daniel Shafrir, the project's team leader, said that their idea was based on a simple premise.

"We weren't just going to go to the Moon. We are going to bring the Moon back," he said.

The telepresence robot, which has been named Andy after university founder Andrew Carnegie, is controlled via an Oculus Rift headset, with the movements of the operator's head being tracked and sent to Andy's camera to mimic the user.

"Imagine the feeling of looking out and seeing rocks and craters billions of years old. Turn your head to the right and you see the dark expanse of space. Turn your head to the left and you see home, Earth," Mr Shafrir told the BBC.

The team leader added that the project became a "day and night hackathon," as scientist tackled coding challenges and the fact that the Oculus software can only receive one live video stream at a time.

There's no guarantee that the Oculus-driven robot will secure Google's prize, with 18 other teams competing, but that hasn't dulled the ambition of the Carnegie Mellon project.

Mr Shafrir said the goal is to ultimately have "hundreds of robots on the Moon".

"With an Oculus headset in every classroom, allowing kids to experience what, to this date, has only been experienced by 12 human beings".

Google Earth for Android gets perhaps its biggest update yet

Publié: octobre 23, 2014, 8:11am CEST par Dilraj Singh

earth-n9-nyc

Google Earth has never been too highly publicized, besides maybe a couple seconds in a Nexus tablet commercial here or there. A lot of the awesome use cases for Earth have also been slowly integrated into Google Maps. Maps is new and stylish where Earth feels antiquated, Maps is light and fast where Earth is slow and laggy. Hence, Earth hasn't had wide appeal, especially when Google showered Maps, its prodigal son, with attention.

Google has finally shown Earth some love with a significant update for Android. You can see the change right from the get-go, as the icon has been redesigned to fit in with the material guidelines (although looks a lot like AT&T now).

The 3D technology in Earth is getting its first major upgrade since the launch of Earth a decade ago. This will result in sharper views, as well as smoother and faster 'zooms'. Google Earth will now get the same updates as Google Maps, so you will be viewing the newest information and imagery. Further, the roads and labels have been redesigned to better blend into the terrain and make viewing more pleasant. Lastly, if you've made your own Map, you can open them directly from Drive inside the Earth app.

There is nothing revolutionary, but everything about your experience is being refined. It promises be a pleasure to use, and provide a much easier workflow for the more involved users creating their own maps, thanks to Google Drive support.

The update (read Google's blog here) will be rolling out in stages, as always -- so practice patience if you don't have it yet, or download an APK from a source you trust.

Microsoft releases Torque -- a Bing-powered Android Wear app

Publié: octobre 23, 2014, 3:03am CEST par Brian Fagioli

bingwatch When the smartwatch concept started to take off, I was dubious to say the least. I mean, I own a smartphone, so why do I need another device that essentially duplicates functionality of my phone? It is an honest argument, but I'll concede that I was wrong -- smartwatches rock. Well, to be more specific, Android Wear in particular kicks major ass. I love my Samsung Gear Live which I recently got.

As great as Google's watch concept is, it is a bit limited. It tells me the weather, checks my heart rate and alerts me to Android notifications, and that's cool, but clearly the sky is the limit for the new platform. Today, an unlikely company, Microsoft, releases a new Android Wear app called "Torque" and it is powered by Bing. Yes, a Bing app on a Google watch -- are pigs flying?

Microsoft explains, "Xuedong Huang is wearing a smartwatch. It's a Google smartwatch, and he wants to ask it a question: What's the weather in San Francisco? 'OK, Google', he says to the watch, following the protocol needed to get the watch’s microphone turned on before making a query, which he subsequently does. Then Huang tries another approach, one that's faster, using Torque, an app he helped create. He gives his wrist with the watch a slight twist, and asks the question to Bing. This time, there is no 'OK, Google' needed; the twist turns the microphone on, and the Bing answer arrives quickly: 90 degrees", says Microsoft.

The company further explains that the app "represents Microsoft's evolving culture, where experimentation is encouraged, failure is an option, apps are platform-agnostic and getting them to customers quickly for review is key to learning what will work and what won't". This is a really refreshing thought model and Microsoft deserves major kudos.

I installed the app on my Samsung Galaxy Note 4, and it syncs to my Android Wear smartwatch. At first, you aren't sure that it worked, until you turn your wrist, almost like you are screwing in a screw with a screwdriver. Now, the face of the watch is replaced with the Torque app, which displays the message "how can I help you?", followed by "listening...", as the mic is activated. From here, I can ask Bing for the weather, the time, and things like that. What is really cool though, is that I told it "find me a pizza" and it displayed the 3 nearest pizzerias to my home.

bingweatch2

Unfortunately, not all is roses. It often got my location wrong, and on more than one occasion, I activated Torque in error while scratching my head or doing other activities. Even worse, the twisting motion hurts my arm after a while, and I worry that such an action is not sustainable without potentially damaging my wrist or elbow. You can see me using it below:

UPDATE: As some have pointed out, a much gentler twist can be used to activate Torque; no need to damage your arm violently twisting as I do in the above video. This makes the feature far more enjoyable and I look forward to seeing this amazing app evolve. Check out the proper way to do it in the below video.

If you have an Android phone and Android Wear watch, you can try the app here. Tell me how you like it in the comments.

Forget Facebook, Microsoft now has a 'share with Yammer' button

Publié: octobre 23, 2014, 2:06am CEST par Alan Buckingham

Okay, that may be a bit over the top. I doubt most users will be forgetting Facebook anytime soon, but it isn't the only social network. Don't forget Microsoft owns Yammer, which is geared more towards business than personal use. That doesn't mean it should be left out of the equation though.

In an effort to cash in on the social sharing craze, Microsoft is bringing Yammer to web sites. Yes, the business network will be included with Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and the rest of the set, allowing users to share stories.

"Just like how we have Facebook Share buttons, Microsoft has announced Yammer Share buttons for websites. With the Yammer Share Button, you can share useful web content directly into your network to help your colleagues get the most out of Yammer. Select specific groups or coworkers to share with so the right people are included in the conversation", the company states.

This is early days, so you likely shouldn't expect it in a Wordpress plugin anytime soon. For now, you'll need to handle sharing via code, but Microsoft has made it simple. "Want to use the Share Button on your own sites? We've made the code available on the Yammer Developer Center, so you can easily embed the Yammer Share Button within your own sites for simple Yammer sharing. For developers, the Share Button is our most lightweight tool yet, requiring no developer application registration so users can share quickly and easily".

You can grab the code by following this link.

Employees are distracted by technology -- should employers ban smartphones?

Publié: octobre 23, 2014, 1:56am CEST par Brian Fagioli

distracted

I will admit that I am addicted to my smartphone -- there, I said it. Quite frankly, I am becoming addicted to my smartwatch too, but I digress. You see, I am not alone in this, as many people seem glued to their devices nowadays. However, I know to put away my devices when it is time to work. Sadly, many people use their smartphones for personal reasons as they do their job. If I go to Starbucks, the barista is usually distracted by her iPhone, and I end up with the wrong drink -- I'll be like "listen lady, I wanted a venti, not a grande, hop off of that Instagram, yo!"

Sadly, this seems to be plaguing society, but businesses are getting hit hard; employees are too damn distracted! Today, a new report explains that a large amount of the workforce is distracted by technology. Should employers start banning smartphones and tablets at work?

"Today's workforce is more productive than ever, but the inability to focus is running rampant in the workplace. New data released today by Virgin Pulse, the market leader in the rapidly-growing employee health engagement category, finds 95 percent of employees report being distracted during the workday. The survey, Driven By Distractions: Why Employees' Focus Is Waning At Work & What You Can Do About It, features responses from 1,000 participants (not Virgin Pulse members). It also revealed that healthy habits, like getting the proper amount of sleep, eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly, help employees stay focused better than old-fashion methods like written to-do lists", says Virgin Pulse.

The company further explains, "for more than half of respondents (54 percent), it’s their fellow co-workers looking to chat and socialize. Nearly 45 percent also cited their inability to hone in on what’s important at work stems from technology distractions like email and text messages. Twenty-two percent said personal stress like worries over relationships, family or money inhibits their ability to focus at work".

OK sure, not all of the distractions are technology-driven, but a staggering 45 percent are! Think about that for a moment -- that is productivity and ultimately money being wasted by nonsense. If text messages and other tech-related distractions are so disruptive, it may be time for more employers to ban smartphones and dumb-phones from the workplace.

True, many people have legitimate needs for having a smartphone at work, such as a sick child at home or any family emergency -- exceptions can be made. Still, for the majority, maybe they should hand in their smartphone at the start of the day and get it back at quitting time.

What do you think? Should employers ban smartphones and other devices in the workplace? Tell me in the comments.

Photo Credit: Solphoto/Shutterstock

Windows 10 to include built-in two-factor authentication

Publié: octobre 23, 2014, 1:49am CEST par Mark Wilson

Windows 10 to include built-in two-factor authentication

We've looked at the two public builds of the Windows 10 Technical Preview -- the initial, disappointing, embryonic build 9841, and the very slightly less disappointing build 9860 -- but of course the best is still to come. There are many features we expect to find their way into the final build, such as Cortana, and there are sure to be many surprises. One interesting inclusion is built-in two-factor authentication.

The presence of this valuable security feature is revealed by Jim Alkove in a post on the Windows blog in which he talks about the importance of identity protection and general security. He explains that Windows 10 will start to move users away from single factor authentication -- the humble password -- in favor of more secure options.

He is talking specifically about built-in two-factor authentication. This is something that will be of particular interest to business and enterprise customers, but is also of great value to the average consumer. Alkove explains how a cell phone could be used as a login tool:

Once enrolled, devices themselves become one of two factors that are required for authentication. The second factor will be a PIN or biometric, such as fingerprint. From a security standpoint, this means that an attacker would need to have a user’s physical device – in addition to the means to use the user’s credential – which would require access to the users PIN or biometric information. Users will be able to enroll each of their devices with these new credentials, or they can enroll a single device, such as a mobile phone, which will effectively become their mobile credential. It will enable them to sign-in into all of their PC’s, networks, and web services as long as their mobile phone is nearby.

New user credential authentication will be supported by Active Directory, Azure Active Directory, and Microsoft Accounts as standard. Microsoft is keen to move people away from old-fashioned passwords. With other new features such as data loss prevention (DLP) to contain and protect business-related data, and an increased reliance on app signing, Windows 10 is shaping up to be Microsoft's most secure operating system yet.

Photo credit: Johan Swanepoel / Shutterstock

Microsoft is killing Xbox Music free streaming

Publié: octobre 23, 2014, 12:33am CEST par Mark Wilson

Microsoft ending Xbox Music free streaming from 1 December

Microsoft is pushing music fans towards Music Pass by cutting off one supply of free streaming music. On December 1st, the free streaming feature of Xbox Music will be no more, leaving Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and web users looking for new ways to satisfy their music streaming cravings.

In an announcement posted on the Xbox website, Microsoft explains that it wants to encourage music fans into signing up for a paid Xbox Music Pass. The posts explains that there is a free 30 day trial available, but once this is up, the charge is $9.99 per month. Is this likely to fly with users who have been enjoying music for free? That remains to be seen...

An FAQ page has been set up, which explains that MP3s that were uploaded to a user's Xbox Music collection will remain untouched, and any music that has been purchased will also be unaffected. There is potential for missing out on some music; Microsoft points out that some content will not be available through Xbox Music Pass.

There are likely to be a swathe of upset music fans who suddenly discover that their playlists no longer work:

You may continue to view any playlists or collections you created using the free streaming feature, but you can't listen to the music in those playlists or collections unless you purchase the music or an Xbox Music Pass. If you have an Xbox Music Pass, you will still have access to all the music in your playlists, radio stations, collections, and catalog.

Just under six weeks to go, so fill your boots while you can!

Picture credit: Natsmith1 / Shutterstock

Kinect apps come to the Windows Store, Kinect SDK 2.0 and adaptor kit launch

Publié: octobre 22, 2014, 10:51pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Kinect apps come to the Windows Store, Kinect SDK 2.0 and adaptor kit launch

Kinect has moved on. Once a peripheral that encouraged gamers to dance manically in front of their consoles, it has now evolved into something rather more sophisticated. As part of Kinect's on-going development Microsoft today released Kinect SDK 2.0 following the developer preview program from last November. Developers not only have scores of improvements to enjoy, but they now have the ability to deploy Kinect apps to the Windows Store.

This news goes hand in hand with the release of a new Kinect adaptor. The adaptor makes it possible to take an Xbox One Kinect and connect it to a PC or tablet. There's no need to choose between a Kinect for Windows v2 and Kinect for Xbox One as they both now perform identically.

The $49.95 device is perhaps an indication that the Windows version of Kinect has not proved quite as popular as Microsoft would have hoped. The company is now trying to encourage more developers into making use of the device under Windows and take advantage of all of the Xbox Kinects out there. Microsoft will have to encourage Xbox One users with a Kinect to invest in the adaptor -- there is a something of a saving to be made here.

Starting today, the Kinect Adapter for Windows is available in more than 20 countries, and there are plans to roll it out to more than 40 in total. As with the latest build of Windows 10 Technical Preview, this is another example of the all-ears Microsoft. "We have been listening", proclaims the announcement blog post. These latest movements in the world of Kinect should make life easier for developers and users alike.

Google launches Inbox, the smart inbox that 'works for you'

Publié: octobre 22, 2014, 7:45pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Google launches Inbox, the smart inbox that 'works for you'

Hands up if your inbox is out of control? From that quick show of hands, it's clear that the idea of inbox zero has not caught on globally. We all have more email to deal with than ever before, even if most of it is junk. Google has a new solution to email overload. Inbox. This is, Google is quick to point out, not Gmail, although it is from the same people.

Available for your Android phone and the web, Inbox by Google helps to cut through the crap to ensure that you're free to focus on what actually matters. It expands on some of the ideas already found in Gmail, but is a completely separate tool. This is Google recognizing that people use email not only to communicate with others, but also to organize their lives and keep on top of a schedule.

Email is used to convey all sorts of information, but wouldn’t it be great if they just cut to the chase? This is what Highlights does. By analyzing your messages, Inbox is able to extract pertinent information such as flight times, hotel reservation details, and so on, and highlight this so you don’t have to search for it. If you are the sort of person who finds that emails tend to get buried as more and more messages come through, Inbox has a great feature that could help you out -- reminders.

In fact Inbox offers more than just reminders. You can snooze emails and receive a reminder at a later time; reminders, like emails, can be snoozed if you are busy so you can deal with them at a quieter time. Snoozes can also be put in place so you're not reminded about something until you are in a particular location.

There are also Assists. Your inbox just became a calendar and personal assistant. If you have a reminder to make a call at a particular time, Inbox will provide you with the necessary number, pull up directions if you need to get somewhere, and so on.

Inbox groups similar messages together in bundles, much like the way Gmail currently groups together promotional messages, social email, and so on. The idea behind this is that it makes it easier to jump to certain types of email if they are all found together. Need to check the details of a receipt? They're all together in one place. As you would expect, Inbox's Bundles feature can be trained to cope with email the way you want it to.

The Inbox video serves as an introduction to the app:

But before you get too excited, you need an invite to use the app. Google says that these are being sent out to a select few, but you can request one by dropping an email to inbox@google.com. When you get on board, let us know what you think!

10 music releases that brought down entire websites

Publié: octobre 22, 2014, 6:42pm CEST par Steve Rawlinson

girl-music

The Internet and digital downloads have moved us past the times when the shelves of record stores were often cleared of every last copy of the latest hit single. But that doesn't mean that the mad onslaught of devoted fans can't still cause havoc as they scramble to get the newest songs.

The businesses behind online music stores and artists' sites often fail to predict the incredible and unusual demand for their services and, rather than queues at record shops, the shift to downloads now means that website crashes are the new normal for merchants caught by surprise. Here are 10 music releases that have caused web crashes -- it really can happen to anyone.

Chris Webby, Webster's Laboratory

Whilst Chris Webby probably hoped his sixth mixtape, Webster's Laboratory, would go down a storm, he probably didn't expect Datpiff, the site hosting the mixtape, to go down with it! The mixtape gained big exposure among British hip hop fans, and its popularity was boosted by the guest appearances from Gorilla Zoe, Freeway, Apathy and Kinetics.

Boards of Canada, Tomorrow's Harvest

Boards of Canada fans had to wait eight years before the group made their comeback in June 2013, with the album Tomorrow's Harvest. Rubbing salt into the wound, the long wait was extended for many when the live album playback crashed the band's official website under the massive demand.

Whilst everyone was excited about the record launch, Warp Records got a little bit carried away when it saw that Twitter went down for several minutes not long into the transmission. "Did @boctransmission break twitter? #tomorrowsharvest" it asked. I'm going to hazard a guess that it didn't...

Ellie Goulding and Tinie Tempah, Hanging On

When two of the biggest British stars collaborate together on a single, online mayhem should be expected. Ellie Goulding's and Tinie Tempah's single, Hanging On, was no exception. In July 2012, Ellie announced the unveiling of the new song on Twitter. Fans swarmed onto Soundcloud, bringing the site down with them.

Ellie's urge to "Enjoy and share responsibly" no longer seemed the best advice and she later had to apologize on Twitter, saying "I'm sorry sound cloud d/l link is down it will be back up soon yous crashed it!!!"

My Bloody Valentine, Loveless

Communication is key to My Bloody Valentine's position on this list. Choosing to go live with the follow-up to the band's first album since 1991 solely on their website wasn't the best idea. The site quickly crashed as fans clambered to download a copy. However, the real mistake was not giving their fans any updates. With only a server error for information, fans quickly turned to social media to vent their frustration.

Kylie Minogue, All The Lovers

The hidden mystery of the "extra special" news on her website brought a mad rush of fans that caused Kylie Minogue's site to crash in April 2010. Thousands of devoted fans logged on, desperate for a glimpse of the video clip for her upcoming track, All The Lovers.

Kylie turned to Twitter, exclaiming "Aaahhhhhhhhh ... you've overloaded the system!!!

Arrgggghhhhhhhhh!!!!!... That is the strength of your combined power!!!!!! OMG (Oh my God)!!!!"

Coldplay, Violet Hill

Coldplay seemed to underestimate how many of their fans love a bargain when they released their single, Violet Hill, as a free download on their website. Thousands immediately logged on, quickly crashing the site. By the end of the evening, only 900 fans had successfully managed to download the single for free, in many cases turning to fansites to taunt those who hadn't.

5 Seconds of Summer

5 Seconds of Summer demonstrated the immense power of "tweenagers" everywhere (and why we should probably harness that power as the only effective form of renewable energy) without even having to sing a note. Announcing that they'd hidden something in the maze of their Pacman-inspired video game was enough to provoke an onslaught of fans, crashing the website. Only a few fans managed to play the game before the site went down, and these winners were lucky enough to see the new album... artwork.

Radiohead, In Rainbows

You'd expect one of the most popular bands in the world to expect a fair amount of interest to an album launch, especially one where the fans could choose the price they want to pay. But Radiohead's website collapsed after waves of fans -- first from Britain, followed by east coast USA, and then its west coast -- all logged on upon hearing the announcement of the release of In Rainbows.

Lady Gaga, Born This Way

If you think it's just fan sites that fall short of user demand, then Lady Gaga will make an impression on you (and in a different, less 'creative' way than usual). Amazon.com decided to release Lady Gaga's album, Born This Way, for download at $0.99 for one day only. Sadly it wasn't long before the site buckled under the demand as fans flocked to download it at a full $11 discount.

Beyonce, Beyonce

Queen Bey tops the list with the release of her latest album, Beyonce, which impressively resulted in an amazing 80,000 downloads of her latest album in just three hours. However, iTunes' performance was less impressive as the site crashed under the strain of millions of hysterical fans who logged on after the album was placed on the website without any prior warning.

Even if a business doesn't have an avid following of millions of fans, like some of the artists mentioned above, website surges still happen and website owners need to be aware and ready to act. Predicting when a website might experience surges in traffic is the best way to ensure that consumers and stakeholders don't end up frustrated and unable to access the content they need or want. We saw this just recently when the UK DVLA website crashed as thousands of motorists logged on on the launch day of the new digitized tax discs service.

But not all traffic surges are predictable, Chris Webby never could have anticipated the demand for his sixth mixtape. Yet sadly customers are no more sympathetic when the surge is unexpected as when it is expected. The results for a business are always the same: lost revenues and angry customers.

Website owners need to know that when their website has a massive increase in demand they are ready to scale up and withstand the traffic. Scalability must be a priority to avoid lost revenue and damages to the brand. Because without the right resources, a website will buckle when the most eyes are upon them.

Image Credit: Serhiy Kobyakov / Shutterstock

EaseUS To Do Backup can now mount system images

Publié: octobre 22, 2014, 6:07pm CEST par Nick Peers

EaseUS Todo Backup

EaseUS software has released EaseUS Todo Backup Free 7.5 and EaseUS Todo Backup Workstation 7.5, a major new release of its comprehensive Windows backup tool.

The program, which allows users to take both file- and image-based backups from a single tool, gains one significant new feature with this release: the ability to mount and unmount image backups.

The new Mount feature can be found by clicking the Tools button and choosing Mount/Unmount. Users then select the backup they’d like to browse before clicking Next. They can then choose to mount all partitions within the backup or simply select a single partition, clicking Proceed to finish.

The image is then checked before a drive letter is automatically assigned to it – users can then click Finish and browse the image, plus copy individual files from it from within Windows Explorer itself.

Once mounted, users should then choose Tools > Mount/Unmount and click "Manage mounted drives" to view all currently mounted drives or unmount them.

Todo Backup 7.5 also adds support for Polish and Portuguese languages and comes with the promise of improved performance when browsing files.

The new release also fixes four specific bugs, most notably one that prevented later versions of Windows (Vista onwards) from proceeding with a backup when scheduled to occur during shutdown.

The other errors fixed resolve issues with restoring network locations, a bug whereby an empty folder was generated after a file-type restore and problems with Outlook restore after cancelling a previous restore.

EaseUS Todo Backup Free 7.5 is available as a free-for-personal-use download for PCs running Windows XP or later; EaseUS Todo Backup Workstation 7.5 is available as a free trial download -- the full version can currently be purchased for $39.

IBM and Microsoft team up to offer greater hybrid cloud choice

Publié: octobre 22, 2014, 4:30pm CEST par Ian Barker

handshake hands shaking world cloud

One of the problems that enterprises often see in implementing cloud computing is that they risk getting tied into a single supplier for software and platform.

This is leading to more interest in 'hybrid cloud' solutions which allow the mixing and matching of features from different suppliers. Today industry giants IBM and Microsoft announce that they're working together to provide their respective enterprise software on Microsoft Azure and IBM Cloud.

"Together we are creating new opportunities to drive innovation in hybrid cloud," says Robert LeBlanc, Senior Vice President of IBM's Software and Cloud Solutions Group. "This agreement reinforces IBM's strategy in providing open cloud technology for the enterprise. Clients will now gain unprecedented access to IBM's leading middleware and will have an even greater level of choice over the tools that they use to build and deploy their cloud environments".

The idea is to give clients, partners and developers a wider range of options. IBM middleware such as WebSphere Liberty, MQ, and DB2 will be available on Microsoft Azure, whilst Windows Server and SQL Server will be offered on IBM Cloud.

At the same time the two companies are working together to deliver a Microsoft .NET runtime for IBM’s Bluemix cloud development platform. Plus IBM will expand support of its software running on Windows Server Hyper-V. The companies plan to make IBM Pure Application Service available on both Microsoft Azure and IBM SoftLayer for automated deployment, configuration and license management in a hybrid cloud environment.

Customers will be able to bring their own software licenses to the IBM and Microsoft clouds, helping them to avoid extra cost. IBM middleware licenses for things like WebSphere will be made available to Azure users with per user pricing.

"Microsoft is committed to helping enterprise customers realize the tremendous benefits of cloud computing across their own systems, partner clouds and Microsoft Azure," says Scott Guthrie, executive vice president, Cloud and Enterprise at Microsoft. "With this agreement more customers will be able to take advantage of the hyper-scale, enterprise performance and hybrid capabilities of Azure".

For more information visit the IBM Cloud or MS Azure websites.

Photo Credit: Minerva Studio/Shutterstock

Nokia Lumia 735: Budget smartphone for the selfie generation [Review]

Publié: octobre 22, 2014, 3:07pm CEST par Sandra Vogel

Nokia-Lumia-735

Nokia is coming to the end of the road as a name in phone making, and the brand will likely get subsumed into owner Microsoft in the not too distant future. With Nokia phones already well and truly part of the Windows Phone stable, you won't be surprised to learn that the Lumia 735 runs Windows Phone 8.1. Nor will its general looks be any surprise -- it is a straightforward Nokia monolith.

But there are some pleasant surprises under the hood that lift this budget handset above the ordinary. A 5 megapixel wide angle front camera for taking high quality selfies is Nokia's own selected highlight, but Cortana, Microsoft's much talked about digital assistant, is also here, making a belated arrival in the UK to join Apple's Siri.

Then there's the fact that this is a 4G handset, sports NFC and can handle wireless charging (if you buy the stand). The presence of an FM radio is nice too, and music fans can take advantage of the rather fabulous perennial favorite of mine Mix Radio for streamed music on the go.

That's a neat set of features for a budget handset, and they're accompanied by the usual suspects Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS. Wi-Fi doesn't run to 802.11ac, though -- you just get b/g/n support, but that won't trouble most of us.

The back of the Lumia 735 is made from grippy polycarbonate, and the backplate wraps around all four sides bringing the color scheme into the edges and to the front of the handset. That didn't matter much with the black handset I was sent, but if you prefer white, orange or -- my favorite -- green as your phone's color, then it matters a lot. The frame of bright color round the front and sides of the phone looks great -- and is rather distinctively Nokia Lumia.

It is a bit tricky to get the back off this phone, and a little sticker on the rear tells you to use your fingers rather than a sharp implement to do this. The point of a knife will make unsightly divots in the shell, and indeed the knife might slip and cut you. There's a definite knack to getting the backplate off the phone, and if you are keen on swapping out memory cards you'll want to master it, as there's a microSD card slot under the backplate as well as the slot for your nanoSIM and a removable battery.

Nokia-Lumia-735-side-2_fullwidth That microSD card slot can accommodate cards up to 128GB in size. The Lumia 735 ships with 8GB of storage, but there's only 3.4GB of that free for your own use, so getting a nice high capacity card might be a good idea. This being a Windows Phone you also get 15GB of OneDrive storage of course.

The 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor is not top of the range, and while players of Bejeweled and its ilk should be quite happy here, fans of the latest, resource hungry games might want to look elsewhere. The same kind of comment goes for battery life. The hardened gamer or dedicated music fan may well deplete the 2,220mAh battery before a day is up, but less demanding users will probably find they can get through a day, perhaps with an early or mid-evening boost to help things along.

Nokia-Lumia-735-side_fullwidth

Windows Phone 8.1 features the now familiar live tile display with its ability to squeeze more tiles into the available screen space than Windows Phone 8. You can max this out to 60 tiles before you do any vertical scrolling, though every one will be the smallest size possible to squeeze that number in. You can also now drag tiles on top of one another to create folders, which you can name, and you can set up 15 folders on the home screen before any vertical scrolling is needed. So, this is good flexibility, and you can always flick left to see a full A to Z list of all the apps that are on board.

The screen measures 4.7in and its 1,280 x 720 pixels give it a pixel density of 312ppi. That's not head turning, but the AMOLED does its job well enough and colors are bright -- though a bit overstated for my taste. You can fiddle with the color profile with pre-sets or sliders to fully personalize things. I also found the 'white' background to text is a bit yellowy, and the relatively low pixel density means text is a bit fuzzy too.

I mentioned Cortana, and what you get here is the UK beta. It'll get updated as time goes on, though already it lets you both control the handset and do web-based searching -- up to a point. When I asked it to 'find my nearest cinema' it popped up a list really quickly. When I asked it to 'run Twitter' it opened the app up for me. When I asked Cortana to 'call mum' it found her and asked which number to use before placing the call. When I asked it to 'navigate to Trafalgar Square' it took three attempts before Cortana decided to route me to a solicitor I'd never heard of instead. As a beta Cortana isn't bad, but I did find it frustrating at times.

So, that selfie camera. Its 5 megapixel capability sits out rather proudly against the 6.7 megapixels of the main camera and both take a decent photo -- though if you are used to HDR you'll miss its absence here. The front camera gets its own app -- Lumia Selfie -- and a wide angle lens that lets you cram your friends into the frame. If you're not content with that, you can apply filters both to the images as a whole and to faces, to 'enhance' their appearance. It's a great idea from Nokia as it makes this handset a real steal for the selfie fan.

A range of other apps add more value to this handset, including Here Drive, Here Maps, Nokia Beamer for screen sharing, and more, while enhancements to Windows Phone 8.1 such as the ability to double tap to wake the handset up are evidence of the OS becoming more competent as time goes by.

Verdict

Nokia might be pitching the Lumia 735 at the selfie fan, but in doing so it misses a potentially larger market. Well-built with lots of app extras, an operating system which is become more user friendly and flexible, and higher-end features like wireless charging, 4G and NFC to its name, the Lumia 735 is, for this reviewer, the best of the lower cost Lumia range. Indeed, it's a pretty good buy across the board.

Good Points

Wireless charging
Smart software extras
Good selfie camera
Memory expansion

Bad Points

Struggles with demanding games
Battery life solid but not great

Specifications

Manufacturer and Model	Nokia Lumia 735
Network	4G
Processor	1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400
Ram	1GB
Memory	8GB (3.4GB accessible)
Memory expansion	microSD
Display	4.7in, 1,280 x 720 pixels, 312ppi
Main camera	6.7 megapixel
Front camera	5.0 megapixel
NFC	Yes
Wi-Fi	Yes
GPS	Yes
FM radio	Yes
Battery	2,220 mAh
Size	68.5 x 8.9 x 134.7mm (WxDxH)
Weight	134g
OS	Windows Phone 8.1

Samsung teases Android 5.0 Lollipop for Galaxy Note 4, but don't get your hopes up

Publié: octobre 22, 2014, 1:31pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Android 5.0 Lollipop

With Android 5.0 Lollipop yet to be released, some manufacturers have already revealed their upgrade plans for the latest version of the mobile operating system, effectively setting a high bar for the rest of the pack. You can thank HTC, Motorola and Sony for doing so last week. In fact, HTC and Motorola consistently rank among the first in this regard, and when it comes to rolling out those software updates to their customers' devices as well.

Not to be outdone by its far-distant competition, top maker Samsung wants us to know that it too has some upgrade plans for Android 5.0 Lollipop. But, instead of actually showing them, it has posted a rather lame teaser on Twitter, regarding Galaxy Note 4. Pundits have fallen for it, writing that the much-awaited software update is fast-approaching. Really?

The teaser in question, which can be seen in its fully glory above, does not tell us anything that we couldn't have figured out by ourselves. Yes, it is obvious that Galaxy Note 4 will be upgraded to Android 5.0 Lollipop. Even someone without insider knowledge knows that to be true.

Samsung is pretty good with delivering software updates to its prominent handsets (even ones less popular or important). That has never been a problem, as far as I am concerned, as even some devices it released more than two years ago rock Android 4.4 KitKat today.

But what has always been a problem is when Samsung will release those software updates. I specifically pointed out HTC and Motorola because their software updates usually come within three months of Google launching a new Android release (even sooner if we're talking about a minor version bump), and that includes most mobile operator-branded models which usually get them last.

Samsung usually takes a long time to even reveal its upgrade plans, let alone get to the same place as soon as HTC or Motorola. For One (M7) and One (M8), HTC gave an estimate of 90 days for the Android 5.0 Lollipop software update. The further end of that time-frame is in 2015.

Galaxy Note 4 is a huge new release for Samsung, and, judging by the initial reviews, it is a great device. But, let us not be fooled by Samsung's latest improvements to hardware and software design, by assuming that they will translate into faster Android updates also. A mammoth such as Samsung does not change its habits overnight. Perhaps this time it will be different, but let's lower our expectations until Android 5.0 Lollipop is officially running on Galaxy Note 4.

Anyway you look at it, the #GALAXYNote4 Quad HD Super AMOLED display is pretty sweet. #NoteTheDifference pic.twitter.com/8JsfYyzLs7

— Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) October 21, 2014

EHEAR E2: A wearable Bluetooth video camera that won't break the bank [Review]

Publié: octobre 22, 2014, 12:30pm CEST par Wayne Williams

You never know when you’ll see or hear something interesting when out and about. If you want to record what's going on around you, the easiest solution is to whip out your smartphone, but that’s not always practical -- if you’re driving for example, or performing any task that requires both hands (like mountain biking down a treacherous slope).

The EHEAR E2 is a small finger-sized recording device that hooks over your ear, and lets you record what you see. You can fire up the camera with a single tap, and then view your recordings on a phone or tablet later on.

Setting up the device involves firstly turning it on and charging it via microUSB (it takes around four hours to charge fully). You’ll then need to insert a microSD card for recording on to (not supplied), and install the companion Android app by downloading and sideloading an APK file.

Once that’s all done, you’ll need to open the app and pair it to the E2 via Bluetooth. Use the ear loop to attach the device to the side of your head, put the earbud in your ear, and you’re good to go. The device has three buttons and an on/off switch. The buttons let you record video, answer a call on your mobile and share a recorded clip. You can also record directly from the app if you prefer.

When you want to review your recordings, tap on the Video or Audio sections in the app, and tap on the refresh button to get a list of available clips. Select one and tap the download button. Depending on its size, the clip will probably take an age to download, but when it has scroll right to the local storage area, select the downloaded item and hit play to watch the recording. It all sounds rather complicated, and it’s not especially intuitive truth be told, but you soon get the hang of it.

The app shows you the E2’s remaining battery life and free storage, and you can delete recordings from the device via the app, instantly freeing up space.

The quality of recorded video isn’t great. You can choose between 320p at 20fps, and 480p at 15 fps, so it won’t replace your smartphone for recording important events, but for casual use, it’s acceptable. Constantly recording will eat into your battery life -- you can expect around 1.2 hours when recording at 480p.

The E2 weighs just 17g so you can wear it for extended periods, and recording something quickly becomes second nature. The video below will give you an idea of how it works.

The EHEAR E2 is available from GearBest for $65.40 with free shipping, but BetaNews readers can buy it for $54.99 using the coupon code EHEARCN (the code expires November 30).

Using Google Analytics to gauge return on investment

Publié: octobre 22, 2014, 12:19pm CEST par Ian Barker

Data analytics

Google Analytics has become something of an industry standard for gathering web metrics. But a new report from form building company Formstack says that businesses may be concentrating on measuring the wrong things.

It suggests that users tend to focus on vanity metrics, like page views and bounce rate, but stop short of real data tracking. What they should be focusing on are the actionable GA metrics that will impact conversion rate and ultimately revenue.

The company has produced an infographic guide to calculating the return on investment of a landing page using Google Analytics. This sets out four key steps: defining the audience, discovering conversion rates, calculating page revenue and assigning value to customer actions. Given the relatively simple process it's surprising that only a third of marketers bother to calculate the ROI of their sites.

You can download the full report from the Formstack website and view the infographic below.

landing-page-roi-infog640

Photo Credit: Sergey Nivens / Shutterstock

Bitdefender unveils portable Adware Removal Tool

Publié: octobre 22, 2014, 11:52am CEST par Mike Williams

Adware Removal Tool

Bitdefender has announced the availability of Bitdefender Adware Removal Tool for PC, the first public beta of its portable program to detect and remove unwanted software.

The Removal Tool arrives as a single 41.8MB executable file. There are no supporting files, and it doesn’t download anything else: just run it and go.

Program usage is just as straightforward. There’s no choosing a scan type, or location, no advanced settings to consider: agree to the user license, click "Get Started", and that’s it.

The need to check everything means you could be kept waiting for a few minutes (around five on our program-packed test PC), but eventually the Adware Removal Tool displays a list of the threats it’s uncovered.

Encouragingly, at least from our point of view, this doesn’t seem to be the type of application which raises alerts over NirSoft-type technical tools.

But whatever Bitdefender Adware Removal Tool lists, you’re able to choose anything you’d like to remove, and then watch as the program eliminates it.

There isn’t much power or configurability here, and presumably that’s the point. Bitdefender Adware Removal Tool is aiming to be a program that absolutely anyone can use to check and clean up their system, and it does that very well.

The tool’s portability and Bitdefender engine mean it could be helpful for everyone, though. If you’ve adware problems which other software can’t solve then we’d give the program a try. And if you spot any issues, Bitdefender is asking for feedback and error reports to be sent to them at remtools@bitdefender.com.

Staples is the latest US store to suffer a credit card data breach

Publié: octobre 22, 2014, 11:45am CEST par Barclay Ballard

Staples_800x450_contentfullwidth

The office supply store Staples has announced that it is investigating a possible breach of payment card data, making it the latest US store to be targeted.

The retailer has notified the relevant authorities, but has not disclosed details of the data breach publicly.

In a statement issued earlier in the week, company spokesman Mark Cautela confirmed the news.

"Staples is in the process of investigating a potential issue involving credit card data and has contacted law enforcement," he said.

The vulnerability was discovered following a blog post by security reporter Brian Krebs which highlighted a pattern of payment card fraud identified by several banks. It suggested that multiple Staples stores in the north-east of the country had been the victim of a data breach.

"We take the protection of customer information very seriously, and are working to resolve the situation," Cautela told Reuters. "If Staples discovers an issue, it is important to note that customers are not responsible for any fraudulent activity on their credit cards that is reported on a timely basis".

Other US stores have also been the victims of cyber attacks recently, with customer payment cards stolen from Kmart stores earlier this month. Restaurant chain Dairy Queen also confirmed that card information may have been compromised for its customers across 46 US states.

With in-store transactions increasingly moving away from cash towards card and electronic payments, they could prove a lucrative breeding ground for digital thieves. Apple Pay, which launched earlier this week, will be hoping that its security systems stand firm against this increased scrutiny.

Image Credit: Mike Mozart

Making direct interconnection of networks a Snap

Publié: octobre 22, 2014, 10:55am CEST par Ian Barker

network connect laptop pc wireless wifi

As businesses increasingly turn to the cloud to store their data the weak link in the chain remains the use of the public internet to transfer information.

To overcome these concerns enterprises are looking for secure and scalable ways to directly connect data centers across the globe. Now IIX (International Internet Exchange) has acquired a platform that fully automates the buying and provisioning of network connections in under five minutes, replacing a manual process that can take as long as 30 days.

IIX has acquired UK-based Allegro Networks which has a pioneering automation platform called Snap. This provides organizations with a new and unique capability to purchase and provision virtual cross connects, point-to-point circuits, and peering interconnections in minutes.

Snap eliminates the manual and laborious process of creating direct network interconnections across multiple markets, something which can take weeks or even months. Using a laptop, tablet or mobile device, customers can log on to a secure portal. From there they can buy and provision connections to the content providers, cloud providers, and other trading partners that are key to their business, in under five minutes.

"Enterprises are rapidly adopting cloud computing solutions, driving the demand for scalable, secure, and flexible direct interconnections to content, cloud, and application providers and other enterprise networks. With the acquisition of Allegro, IIX gains top engineering talent, innovative technology, and 34 network Points of Presence (PoPs) in the UK to support growing customer demand," says Al Burgio, founder and CEO of IIX.

As part of the deal Andy Davidson, Allegro's Chief Technology Officer, has been appointed IIX's Vice President of Network Engineering, Europe. He says, "IIX is at the forefront of next-generation direct interconnection for enterprises worldwide. This acquisition enables our customers to have direct access to additional leading content and application providers globally. Our two organizations share the same philosophy, believing that the ability to provision scalable, reliable, and secure interconnects will power new innovation for the benefit of online users".

You can find out more about the Snap platform and how it works on the Allegro website.

Photo Credit: Palto/Shutterstock

Proximity Unlock hitting Android L and ChromeOS Preview builds

Publié: octobre 22, 2014, 9:53am CEST par Dilraj Singh

easy unlock

Google has long been unhappy with traditional passwords. And rightly so, they are a headache. If they are easy to remember, they can become easy to guess. There are problems with reuse, attackers are getting them through compromised third party applications, and there are more problems than I care to list. It is hard enough to follow good practice as an informed and security conscious individual -- imagine the struggle for the "non-techy".

Google has long been looking into proximity based credentials as alternatives, and placing them in objects like rings. Last Google I/O, the company released an upcoming feature in Chrome OS that uses your authorized, unlocked phone to unlock your computer simply by having them near to each other (unlocking your phone indicates you are near your computer).

While Android L has not yet been released, some users have reported Proximity Unlock is working for them. If you are running the Android L Preview and Chrome OS Beta/Dev, let us know if it works and how you like the feature so far! But if you are taking advantage of this feature, do remember your phone security is now also a top priority.

The future could be even more amazing -- imagine watches, rings, and other accessories unlocking your devices and Google services for you...

Xiaomi price drop suggests new flagship devices are on their way

Publié: octobre 22, 2014, 9:14am CEST par Barclay Ballard

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Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi looks set to implement a price reduction drive across a number of its devices, increasing speculation that new flagship models will be released in the not-too-distant future.

According to a report by GizChina, citing Xiaomi's e-commerce webpage Tmall, several of the firm's products, including its Mi 4 smartphone and Mi Pad tablet have received new price tags.

Currently, the Xiaomi Mi 4 is priced at 1,999 Yuan ($327), but the Tmall listing suggests that this will drop to 1,799 Yuan ($294). However, the new prices are yet to be made official and are hidden within the web portal.

It is unclear what the price drop means for the Indian market, where the Mi 4 is not scheduled for release until early 2015. It is expected that the reduction will be passed on to consumers in the Asian country, meaning a retail price of around 18,000 rupees ($294).

Accompanying the news of Xiaomi's price reduction is a report suggesting the firm will update its existing smartphone range to Google's Android One initiative. Android One is a standard created by the search engine firm, providing software close to stock Android and security updates from Google itself.

A number of Indian smartphone brands including Micromax, Spice and Karbonn offer budget smartphones under the Android One banner. Prices for these handsets start from as little as 6,300 rupees ($102), almost matching the price tag of the Xiaomi Redmi 1S smartphone which launched in India last month for 6,000 rupees ($98).

Avast 2015 gains Home Network Security check, HTTPS scanning, hardware-based virtualization

Publié: octobre 22, 2014, 9:03am CEST par Mike Williams

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Avast Software has announced the release of its 2015 product lineup, including Avast Free and Pro Antivirus 2015, Avast Internet Security 2015, and Avast Premier 2015.

All editions now include a Home Network Security option which scans your local network for vulnerabilities: Wi-Fi status, router settings, passwords still set to common defaults, more.

A new Smart Scan option on the main console runs all Avast scans in succession (antivirus, Home Network Security, software updates, junk files). The results are delivered on a single screen and you’re able to resolve them all with a click.

Each package can now scan TLS/SSL-protected connections, enabling it to detect threats in HTTPS traffic.

Avast’s DeepScan can use hardware-based virtualization to run processes in their own virtual machine, isolated from your system, improving security and detection. (Hardware virtualization needs to be supported and enabled on your PC, of course.)

Paid Avast products now include SecureDNS, Avast’s own DNS system, which helps to protect you from DNS hijacking when you’re using unsecured networks.

Help has moved completely online, where it’s both more complete and more up-to-date. And paid users have a smarter support system which automatically adds the key data whenever you submit a ticket.

Avast reports that you should be able to use the in-product updater to grab this version, or just install it on top of your existing setup (your settings should be preserved).

Alternatively, 30-day trials of Avast Free Antivirus 2015, Avast Internet Security 2015 and Avast Premier 2015 are available now.

Ginni comes to her senses, but too late for IBM?

Publié: octobre 22, 2014, 8:57am CEST par Robert X. Cringely

Ginni_Rometty-253x300 This week, of all weeks, with IBM seemingly melting-down, you’d think I’d be writing about it and I have been, just not here. You can read two columns on IBM I published over at forbes.com, here and here. They are first day and second day analyses of IBM’s earnings announcement and sale of its chip division to GlobalFoundries. I could publish them here three days from now but by then nobody will care so instead I’ll just give you the links.

One thing I can do here is consider the way IBM CEO Ginni Rometty is spinning this story. She was all over the news on Monday repudiating the 2015 earnings target set by her predecessor Sam Palmisano and more or less claiming to be a victim -- along with the rest of IBM -- of Sam’s bad management. Well she isn’t a victim. Ginni was an active participant in developing the Death March 2015 strategy. And as CEO -- now CEO and chairman -- it’s laughable to contend, as Ginni apparently does, that she has been somehow bound by Sam’s bad plan.

When you get the big job the whole idea is that you start calling your own shots.

Ginni Rometty is in trouble along with the rest of IBM. She’s leading a failed strategy laid out in gruesome detail in my IBM book (link -- buy a bunch, please) and appears to have little or no idea what to do next. Having finally repudiated that crazy 2015 earnings target, the market will allow Ginni to reinvest some of that money in trying to save IBM’s core businesses. But it isn’t at all clear she knows where to invest or even why. If that’s true, Ginni Rometty won’t survive much longer.

A bold turnaround plan is coming from Ginni, we’re told. And I’ll be coming up with my own plan, too, which will be interesting to compare and contrast. Look for that here at the end of the week.

Some readers see this as pointless. They don’t care about IBM and don’t want to be bothered reading about it. Well I’m sorry, but I have a sentimental connection with the company. And that’s not to mention all the IBM customers, retirees, and current employees who wonder what the heck is actually going on?

As Churchill said of the USSR, IBM has been a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. But maybe not for much longer.

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Vatican Library’s digital archives now available online

Publié: octobre 22, 2014, 4:16am CEST par Barclay Ballard

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The Vatican Apostolic Library has announced that more than 4,000 ancient manuscripts will now be available online as part of a digital archive.

Global IT service provider NTT DATA has developed the service, which displays high definition digital reproductions of the texts at the library's website.

A special viewer built by the firm's digital archive solution technology, AMLAD, enables manuscripts to be examined across a variety of devices, including tablets.

The four-year project was initially launched in March of this year, with NTT DATA tasked with establishing the necessary infrastructure for the long-term storage, safekeeping and viewing of digital specimens. The company also hopes to provide an efficient search function for the library's digital artefacts by the end of the year.

Toshio Iwamoto, president and CEO of NTT, said that the firm was extremely excited to bring the collection to a wider audience.

"We will continue to leverage our IT solution technologies to help advance research in diverse academic disciplines and satisfy people's curiosity about these irreplaceable manuscripts", he said.

Prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Library, Monsignor Cesare Pasini added that the Vatican gladly adopts the use of innovative technologies in order to make "these treasures of humankind more widely known, in a profound spirit of universality".

The digital archives can also be accessed via a portal site managed by Digita Vaticana, a foundation raising funds for the library's preservation projects.

Formally established in 1475, the Vatican Library is one of the oldest in the world and currently contains 75,000 codices, 1.1 million printed books and an estimated 8,500 incunabula.

The Vatican Secret Archives were separated from the library at the start of the 17th century and are believed to contain an additional 150,000 items.

Image Credit: cesc_assawin / Shutterstock

Here's what's new in Windows 10 Technical Preview build 9860

Publié: octobre 22, 2014, 3:43am CEST par Mark Wilson

Windows 10 Technical Preview build 9860

Development of Windows has been criticized in the past for being slow. With the Technical Preview of Windows 10, it's just not possible to level the same complaint at Microsoft. It's only a couple of weeks since we got our grubby little hands on the embryonic build 9841 and tens of thousands of users have provided feedback. Now it's upgrade time. Build 9860 has been pushed out -- through Windows Update, no less... none of this messy ISO malarkey this time around -- so it's time to take a look at the work Microsoft has done.

When build 9841 was released, there was disappointment from many quarters -- including here -- at just how little had changed since Windows 8.1. Jumping up 19 build numbers might not seem like much, but there are now a couple of features that were talked about at the launch of the Technical Preview that were not available in the first release -- but still no Cortana.

On the face of it, little has changed. Fire up PC Settings, however, and you'll see a couple of new tools -- and something else we'll return to at the end of this post. DataSense is a new tool to help stay within data usage limits. It's a continuation of the 'metered connection' idea from Windows 8, and it makes it easy to see how much data has been download over cellular and Wi-Fi connections.

DataSense

Another new setting is Battery Saver which, as the name suggestions, helps to conserve battery life on laptops and tablets. Both of these features will be familiar to Windows Phone users, and are indicative of Microsoft's merging of platforms.

Battery Saver

Back at the desktop is the much sought after notification center -- or the Notifications and Actions Center as it is currently known. It serves as a replacement for many popup windows, so you'll see email notifications here as well as information from Explorer and other applications. If an app or web service ordinarily generates some sort of popup notification, you should see them appear here, all collected together in one place from now on.

Notifications and Actions Center

Nothing has changed in the Start menu, but take a browse through All Apps and you'll find a couple of new additions -- DockingController, and PC Settings. At the moment it appears that the former is not working, but will presumably provide access to settings for docking laptops and tablets. PC Settings does work (although there are lots of bits and pieces missing), and seems to be a merging of PC Settings with the traditional Control Panel.

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There are also minor tweaks such as new animations that accompany the opening of Windows. Some people suggested that this gives Windows 10 something of an OS X feel -- albeit with a significantly lower number of animation frames -- but really it's just a little eye candy. Windows do not jump out of or into taskbar buttons any more -- the center of the desktop is the start and end point for animations now.

We've already looked at some of the new keyboard shortcuts that were introduced, and in this build there's another shortcut that will be of interest to multiple monitor users. To move a window or application from one monitor to another, just press Windows key + Shift + arrow key.

In the blog post announcing the availability of build 9860, Microsoft's Gabriel Aul gives a little detail about the process involved in getting the build to its public release. Using imagery that conjures up images of the circles of Hell in Dante's Inferno, we are told that there are five rings of development starting with Canary -- where internal daily builds are to be found -- right up to the outer rings which are accessible to those signed up for the Windows Insiders Program. At least there are now five rings of development. Build 9860 has been made available through what is known as Windows Insiders Slow.

The presence of the word 'slow' implies there is a faster option, and indeed this is now the case. For anyone happy to work with less stable builds, it is possible to opt to access the Windows Insiders Fast ring. This means you can get builds that have passed through the Canary, Operating System Group, and Microsoft rings, but may not necessarily have had enough kinks ironed out to be deemed ready for public consumption.

Preview builds

Fancy getting your hands on future builds a little faster? Head to PC Settings, click Update and recovery to the left and then select the Fast option from the Preview builds drop down menu. That's all there is to it.

And that's also all there is to it for Windows 10 Technical Preview build 9860 -- at least on the face of it. It would appear that the majority of the near 7,000 changes have taken place under the hood. Aside from the components that are clearly not finished yet, the build feels solid and stable -- but the same was true of build 9841.

Have you spotted any new features or settings that we've missed?

Why the iPhone 6's Apple Pay is all about owning your identity

Publié: octobre 22, 2014, 3:27am CEST par Paul Cooper

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Apple's 'Apple Pay' function, tying Touch ID with mobile payments, was perhaps the most important announcement to come from the 9/9 event, and one that signifies the company's first legitimate claim to consumer identity.

This pits Apple not just against payment providers such as PayPal, but against companies like Facebook, Google and Amazon as an identity provider. Combining Apple Pay with Passbook effectively digitises a user's entire wallet, and with that their identity as a consumer. It's essentially putting your 'identity' into one 'pocketable' device.

This includes anything ranging from your credit or debit card, Tesco Clubcard, or student ID card, to your flight boarding pass, hotel room key, or restaurant voucher. Developments in the world of the Internet of Things will even enable you to unlock your car via NFC-enabled devices in the not-so-distant future -- you can already do it with your home.

While other identity providers have offered businesses a way to get users to register and log into their sites for years, Apple has the scale to compete as a major player in consumer identity from the outset. What's more, it will be joining the party armed with millions of iPhone users and over 200 million credit cards on file.

NFC payments have so far failed to take off, but Apple Pay is likely to turn the tables on a so-far sluggish take-up. A number of other companies have tried to apply the to payments before and have failed because they couldn't make the user experience seamless enough, regardless of merchant adoption. What's significant about Apple Pay, however, is that Apple may have found the mobile payments holy grail by tying identity, credit cards, Touch ID, and NFC together.

Interface and user experience will be crucial for wide adoption by consumers, but if there's one company that understands how to do this, it's Apple. With its huge customer base, and backing from major US banks, retailers and online companies that are already planning to accept Apple Pay, Apple is perhaps the only company that can make NFC payments useful and popular.

Apple is not alone in recognising the importance of payments in the race to own consumer identity however. Facebook, for example, which allows for social login -- a feature that permits users to sign into their favorite websites using their social media profiles rather than entering their personal data -- applied to the European Union earlier this year for a license for money transfer capabilities.

This is part of what is believed to be Facebook's plan to incorporate payments into its messaging platforms. Facebook also owns WhatsApp, which has a huge international subscriber base -- especially in the developing world.

Whilst Apple is yet to confirm whether or not it will take a commission or charge a fee for its role in the payment process, even with an intermediary charge, it is not expected to generate substantial profit from the feature. Instead, Apple Pay will seek to draw users further into the Apple eco-system. Apple Pay, combined with Passbooks and HomeKit, really will make your iPhone 6 the key to your digital life.

RapidWeaver 6.0 adds five new themes, debuts Addons Manager, Markdown tool

Publié: octobre 22, 2014, 2:11am CEST par Nick Peers

RapidWeaver-200x175 UK developer Realmac Software has unveiled RapidWeaver 6.0, a major new version of its acclaimed web design tool for Macs.

Version 6, which now requires OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) or later to run, throws in a new Addons Manager, bundles five new themes and promises vastly improved performance thanks to full 64-bit support and a revamped publishing engine.

The new release opens with five new themes from renowned theme designers including Elixir Graphics and OneLittleDesigner. It also debuts a new Addons Manager for organising existing add-ons – an overdue addition thanks to the existence of over 1,000 add-ons for the program.

Users also gain a simple way of obtaining new add-ons via a new dedicated Community site.

Version 6 has been re-engineered and rebuilt specifically for the latest OS X iterations, which means 64-bit support for creating larger websites without unduly affecting performance.

The new release also debuts a new rewritten publishing engine that Realmac promises to boost upload times by up to three times thanks to multi-file uploads as well as FTP, FTPS and SFTP server support.

RapidWeaver 6.0 also introduces a new Markdown feature, designed to simplify web design even further by allowing users to simply concentrate on producing content while RapidWeaver handles all the code and HTML design.

The latest build also introduces support for Versions & Autosave, allowing users to experiment freely while knowing they can always rollback to an earlier iteration of their site.

Other changes and improvements include easier two-click insertion of code into sites, full-screen support and a responsive preview with support for iPhone and iPad views.

One final new feature is Master Styles, which simplifies layout by making it easier to apply consistent style changes to the entire site. The app also now comes with five example sites to get users up and running quickly.

RapidWeaver 6.0 is available now as a free trial for Macs running OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) or later. Existing users can upgrade from any previous version for $39.99, while the new version can be purchased for $89.99.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (Verizon) -- Unboxing and first impressions

Publié: octobre 19, 2014, 11:34pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

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There are many times when tech pundits are wrong about things. I remember thinking the first iPad was a disaster -- who wanted a computer that did not have a USB port for flash drives? The whole world apparently, including myself, only a short while after it launched. The same can be said about Samsung's Note line of smartphones. When the first Note launched, I thought people looked idiotic using such a large phone. I mean, talking on that monstrosity in public? You look like a loon, right? Wrong there too -- people loved it and the industry followed Samsung's phablet lead. Hell, the term phablet is almost a misnomer now, as large screens have become the norm. The screen sizes we considered to be "normal" only a few years ago, are now designated with terms like "mini".

So here we are in 2014 and Samsung is still the leader of the large screen movement, although imitators are catching up. Apple got into the phablet game with the iPhone 6 Plus and even Google is set to release the Nexus 6 in conjunction with Motorola. Still, as great as the iPhone 6 Plus is, and as wonderful as the Nexus 6 is sure to be, Samsung releases the Galaxy Note 4 in hopes to remain the gold standard and the one to beat. I finally got my hands on one -- arguably the best one -- the Verizon variant, which will not be released until October 23. Yes, BetaNews has achieved it early and here are my impressions.

Notable Specs

Operating System -- Android KitKat 4.4.4
CPU -- Snapdragon 805 2.7 GHz Quad-Core Processor
RAM -- 3GB
Storage -- 32GB, expandable with microSD
Display -- 5.7 inch Quad HD Super AMOLED 2560 x 1440
Battery -- Li-ion 3220mAh, Fast Charging (Adaptive Fast Charging & QC2.0)
Camera -- Front: CMOS 3.7MP w/ f1.9, Rear: CMOS 16.0 MP w/ OIS

Unboxing

Impressions

When taking it out of the box, it is shocking how light it is. You expect such a phone to be heavy, but it is not so. Believe it or not, it is slightly heavier than last year's Note 3 at an acceptable 6.21 oz. I have never experienced wrist-fatigue when using it one-handed. I spent a lot of time with the Note 4 at the official unveiling, but it is hard to gauge just how light it is when it is tethered with a security wire. You can see my initial experience in the video below.

The back remains plastic, but the faux-leather feel gives it a good grip, so it is not slippery like the iPhone 6 Plus. The band around the body is now metal, lending to a more premium feel. The corners are rounded, but the edges are sharp, and the overall build feels strong and industrial. Of course, you should still invest in a case, as even the most care-conscious owner can drop it by mistake, despite the good grip.

Once powered on, the screen becomes the star of the show. The 5.7 inch display is now Quad-HD, or 2560 x 1440. This is the same resolution as the LG G3, but Samsung's technology produces a much more vibrant experience with eye-popping colors and detail. Viewing photos and watching videos are awe-inspiring, as the media pops, and feels alive. Hell, even watching iJustine dressed up as Libby the Lobster on YouTube looked great!

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Speaking of pictures, the cameras on the Note 4 are exceptional -- both the front and rear. The 16 megapixel rear shooter takes gorgeous photos, and the optical image stabilization assures photos are not blurry. Videos can be shot in 4K, something Apple's new handsets cannot achieve. Audio quality for the videos is amazing -- check out the 4K video test below.

Selfie-fans will love the front 3.7 megapixel camera, as it takes rather nice photos too. The standout feature for me, however, is that the heart-rate monitor located on the back, doubles as a button for snapping front-facing photos. In other words, you do not need to fiddle with tapping the screen or waiting for timers -- a quick tap triggers the shot.

wp_20141018_13_50_17_pro The speaker is passable and produces decent sound quality, but it is small and located on the rear. The upcoming Nexus 6 features dual front-facing speakers for an optimal stereo experience. Would I prefer that the Note 4 have that level of audio design? Sure, but the rear speaker is totally acceptable when listening to music or watching movies. Quite frankly, I usually use headphones for that.

Actually, the Note 4 has something more important than speakers on the face -- a hardware button that doubles as a fingerprint reader. Many Android purists prefer on-screen buttons, but I am not a fan. Sure, it can lend to a cleaner look, but the on-screen buttons do take up screen real estate and can be easy to hit on accident.

The fingerprint reader works very well -- just as good as the Galaxy S5. I know, people hate sliding their fingers, and would prefer a stationary approach like Apple's touch ID. I'm with you there, it would be preferable, but the finger sliding is fine for me, and is close to 90% accurate once you learn the best way to interface with it. Bottom line, sliding your finger is much better than typing a pin or password.

What truly differentiates the Note 4 from most phablets, is the inclusion of the S Pen (aka a stylus). My first smartphone was a Treo 650 and I used a stylus quite a bit, so I was hesitant to embrace Samsung's S Pen, as it seemed like a step backwards. This is definitely not the case, as it unlocks many unique features, which makes Android a more usable operating system. Doing something as simple as selecting multiple photos is a dream, as you can hold down the button on the pen to drag and select.

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Sadly, the Note 4 ships with Android 4.4.4, but should get a quick upgrade to 5.0 Lollipop. This may be a blessing in disguise however, as 5.0 may have bugs, and is likely to cause issues with existing apps. Android KitKat is a proven and stable base, and should serve well as 5.0 gets straightened out.

The love-it-or-hate-it Touchwiz UI is of course on board, and I love it. Stock Android is fine, but Samsung's enhancements are well executed and improve the overall experience. Little things like folder animations and a more user-friendly settings menu makes all the difference.

I particularly like the pull-down menu that can be customized and expanded to a full-screen view. While it may be overwhelming for some, this too seems better designed than the stock design, and Samsung deserves major kudos.

It's one of those things where, had Google implemented the Touchwiz enhancements, the hardcore Android purists would celebrate them, but because it is Samsung, it is decried.

Verizon "bloatware" is kept to a relative minimum, and includes "My Verizon Mobile", "Visual Voice Mail", "Verizon Cloud", "Caller Name ID", "VZ Navigator", "VZ Protect" and the very good "Message+". Do I wish these were all optional? Sure, but it really doesn't slow down the phone. Once root is achieved, you can remove all the apps you want, but remember; missing apps can sometimes cause issues with OTA updates.

Luckily, Verizon has not neutered the phone -- special features are not removed or hidden. For instance, Download Booster is selectable, which enabled simultaneous Wi-Fi and 4G LTE downloads. Also available is Ultra Power Saving mode, which can extend usage when your battery gets low.

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Conclusion

In my limited testing, I can safely declare the Note 4 to be the best Android smartphone on the market today -- powerful, sexy and chock full of features. However, this may be short-lived as the Nexus 6 arrives in November with a bigger screen and similar specs. While I am sure the Nexus 6 will be a great phone, I think Samsung has enough unique features and customizations to make the Note 4 stand-out.

The big question that consumers will ask over the next 6 months will be, "should I buy the Note 4 or Nexus 6?" Quite frankly, you probably can't go wrong either way, but if you like getting work done and put a premium on productivity rather than fast Android updates, the Note 4 is for you. Don't hesitate to buy this phone.

Apple solders RAM into new Mac mini to block memory upgrades

Publié: octobre 19, 2014, 4:24pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Apple solders RAM into new Mac mini to block RAM upgrades

This week, Apple unveiled a number of new and updated products. The latest additions to the iPad range were the crowd pleasers, while the iMac with Retina 5K Display was something of a headline-grabber. Yosemite was expected, but the Mac mini refresh came slightly out of the blue.

For anyone looking for a cheap way to get their hands on a Mac, it's a great starting point -- prices start at just $499. But you'd better make sure you select a model with enough RAM when you place your order -- Apple has taken steps that mean it is impossible for buyers to install more memory.

The surprising news was confirmed by Brian Stucki on the macminicolo blog and it will come as a disappointment to anyone on a budget. It's quite common for people investing in a new computer to cut back in certain areas to help keep costs down, and then upgrade further down the line when funds allow. With the new Mac Mini, this is simply not an option. Speculation had been rife that RAM modules were soldered in place, and this was backed up by Stucki:

Confirmed: RAM in the new Mac mini is not user accessible. Hard drive can be replaced/upgraded, though not keeping warranty.

— Brian Stucki (@brianstucki) October 17, 2014

This isn't the only bad news for the would-be upgrader. As well as making double sure you have decided on the right amount of RAM before placing your order, you'd better also have a good hard think about what size hard drive you want. While not impossible to upgrade, Stucki deals another blow:

If people didn't like to hear the confirmation of soldered RAM, wait until they see the foot of the Mac mini with tamper-proof screws.

— Brian Stucki (@brianstucki) October 18, 2014

If you're determined to add more storage, it is possible to do so, providing you don't mind invalidating your warranty.

Does the lack of upgrade possibilities make the Mac mini less desirable, or is it a non-issue?

Avira 2015 offers optional Dropbox install, online product management

Publié: octobre 19, 2014, 11:07am CEST par Mike Williams

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Avira has announced the arrival of its 2015 product line, including Avira Free Antivirus, Avira Antivirus Pro and Avira Internet Security.

The main highlight is a "superior" engine to improve PC protection, along with enhanced Android and iOS apps.

A new Free Antivirus setup process now provides the option to install Avira Browser Safety, Avira SafeSearch, and even Dropbox. We found this isn't as annoying as it sounds, though: these offers open in a separate window to the program installer, and if you're not interested then you can close this and dismiss them all with a click.

The 2015 product range is managed through Avira Online Essentials, a web dashboard which gives details of all your packages and devices, and allows you to install extra modules ("Browser Safety", "System Speedup", "Identity Safeguard" and Dropbox -- again).

There's nothing major here, then, but that's no surprise. In recent years Avira has been delivering new features throughout the year, rather than saving them up for a big step-change update, a more stable approach that's probably best for everyone.

What's probably more important is Avira's test performance, and that's still looking good, with the company ranking 5th out of 22 in AV-Comparatives September 2014 Real-World Protection Test. Right between Kaspersky and Bitdefender, in fact, and that's not a bad place to be.

Avira Free Antivirus, Avira Antivirus Pro and Avira Internet Security are available now.

Paragon Hard Disk Manager Suite 15 now available

Publié: octobre 19, 2014, 1:06am CEST par Mike Williams

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Paragon Software Group has announced the release of Paragon Hard Disk Manager Suite 15, the latest edition of its all-in-one drive management package.

The new Embedded Recovery Media Builder 3.0 creates Windows PE and Linux-based recovery discs from within the suite, and if you’re running Windows 7 or later then there are no further downloads required. (XP/ Vista users will still need Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit or Automated Installation Kit.)

The package can now run file level backup and restore operations on all its supported virtual containers (pVHD, VHD, VHDX, VMDK).

You’re now able to securely wipe SSDs, as well as regular hard drives, destroying all data beyond hope of recovery.

The interface has seen a minor revamp. Legacy functions relating to Paragon’s old .pbf backup container are now hidden by default (clicking Tools > Legacy features turns them back on), while other areas have been reorganised to simplify navigation.

This is probably a good thing, as there’s a lot of functionality here: partitioning, boot management and correction, file and image backup, disk copying, data wiping and more, and all running on any version of Windows from 2000 Professional SP4 up.

A trial build of Paragon Hard Disk Manager Suite 15 is available now, though beware: although basic tasks work just fine, some operations – advanced partitioning, migration -- can’t be physically applied to a target disk until you’ve purchased a licence.

Cable providers should now panic -- cutting the cord is getting easier all the time

Publié: octobre 18, 2014, 1:49pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

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Cord cutters are not new, they've been around for years now. Various reasons lead to this decision -- ranging from a simple lack of interest in programming to a desire to get TV shows and movies through other means. Over-the-air (OTA) has always been possible, and some go that route, but a growing number of services have sprung up to fill the gap left behind when cable and satellite service is cancelled.

Netflix, Hulu and Amazon all provided options for movies and TV shows, and now each has spread its wings and moved into the realm of producing original content. That is likely the time when cable providers should have moved into panic mode.

If they didn't, then they weren't paying attention. If that's the case then this past week should have their full attention, because a couple of things happened that may signal their eventual doom.

First, HBO announced that its online service, which currently requires a verification of some sort of subscription to the old time services, will be dropping that little stipulation in 2015. The network that brings us such shows as Game of Thrones will offer a stand-alone product next year.

Second, CBS quickly followed -- in fact it did so the very next day (though it clearly was in the works, so this is coincidence). Its new online service is available right this moment, and it comes at a rather small fee. The network is offering a mix of new and old shows that should keep customers from repeating the old "there's nothing to watch" mantra.

Combine these new offerings -- well, including HBO, which is coming -- with existing ones I've mentioned. Then throw in other, lesser-known options like Crackle. Add in the smattering of folks who simply use things like Popcorn Time and you have a recipe that should scare the pants off of Comcast, Time Warner and their ilk.

Pile on set-top boxes like Roku and Amazon Fire TV and throw in dongles such as Chromecast. All are constantly improving the offerings provided to viewers. Oh, and let's not forget consoles like Xbox One, which is as much entertainment hub as it is gaming platform.

Don't get me wrong -- the providers aren't gone just yet. They still have folks like my parents, who can somehow watch endless hours of The Weather Channel. But the die is cast, the writing for what's coming is on the wall. In the future cable won't mean TV, it will simply mean broadband. It's not the end that any of them wants to face, but it's the reality they will have to look at. Like it or not, their days are are numbered.

Image Credit: Pressmaster / Shutterstock

FlightGear 3.2 enhances graphics, flight dynamics, plane models

Publié: octobre 18, 2014, 10:05am CEST par Mike Williams

FlightGear-3.2

The free, open-source flight simulator FlightGear 3.2 has been updated to version 3.2 with a stack of new and enhanced features.

A more realistic JSBSim flight dynamics model now includes support for ground effects, including bumpiness, solid-ground detection and adjusting of friction factors. (The official release notes point out that you can’t ride on water any more, either.)

Orbital rendering has been enhanced with textures from NASA’s Visible Earth project, while smarter rendering brings new forest and agriculture effects, extended cloud layer visibility, cloud shadows on the ground, and sparkle and fog effects on runway lights.

Aircraft improvements include a new model of the P-51D Mustang based on factory blueprints, and significant updates for the Boeing 757-299, Cessna 337G and Mainair Flash 2 Alpha.

A Failure Management Framework simplifies failure simulation, and in the long term should deliver more consistent and realistic failure options. (Bring on the engine fires, we say.)

Usability improvements include an aircraft package manager for downloading new aircraft from within FlightGear, while the Windows build allows using the mouse scroll wheel in list boxes.

There’s also a new console for Nasal (FlightGear’s scripting language), Nasal documentation, a host of improvements to the Canvas rendering system, and a bug fix which should eliminate "large numbers of crashes".

FlightGear 3.2 for Windows and Mac is available now.

Skype 7.0 lets you format your IMs

Publié: octobre 18, 2014, 9:22am CEST par Dilraj Singh

When you say, "lets Skype", you usually want to have a video call. That is what made Skype popular, and where its strength lies. However, lately Microsoft has also been focusing on written conversation, perhaps in reaction to how successful IM apps have been.

Microsoft updated Skype last week to 7.0 on Mac and Windows (beta), and one of the features overlooked in the UI redesign was formatting for instant messaging. You can now bold, italicize, or strike-through your messages.

The commands are very simple, you can bold with *asterisks*, italicize with _underscores_ and strike-through with ~tildes~.

skype

It is usually hard to express your emotions clearly through text, but with animated emoji and now formatting, Skype lends your words more voice than other IM solutions. It will be interesting to watch if Microsoft takes the text formatting further, although that could make chats unnecessarily messy.

There are still problems with the instant messaging experience of Skype. The biggest one is annoying, space-consuming ads on the desktop, especially since (practically) no other messaging app subjects their users to any. The ads don't affect the video messaging experience, but Microsoft will have to fix up some things if it wants to compete with the likes of Facebook messenger, Google Hangouts, or Apple's iMessage.

View, process and sort RAW images with FastRawViewer

Publié: octobre 18, 2014, 3:46am CEST par Mike Williams

FastRawViewer

It's no secret that working with a camera's RAW images can improve photo quality, as you’re accessing all the information from the original shot.

But as RAW files are also huge, and often slow to render (if your preferred software supports them at all), it's no surprise that most photographers stick to JPEG.

If you've not quite given up on RAW, though, FastRawViewer may be able to help.

The program is a free Windows and OS X tool, based on LibRaw and dcraw, the industry standards for RAW viewing. And so when the developer claims it supports "almost every single existing RAW format", you can be confident that they're right (and it certainly had no problems at all with our Canon, Nikon, Olympus and Panasonic shots).

The core viewer is relatively simple. There's no thumbnail browser, you either open an individual image, or step through the contents of a folder. But as well as the image, it displays the file name, resolution, key EXIF metadata, the actual RAW histogram, and more. And what’s really important is the speed: even the largest of our test photos was rendered in a fraction of a second.

There are tools to highlight under and overexposed areas of the image, and manually correct any issues. Exposure changes can be recorded in XMP files, ready for use by Adobe Bridge/ Camera Raw/ Lightroom.

You also get options to highlight focus peaking (the sharpest areas of an image), check noise levels, adjust white balance, assign an XMP rating or label.

Once you've finished, you can move the picture to defined "accepted" or "rejected" folders, pass it to other programs for further processing, or just click "Next" to check the next image.

FastRawViewer is targeted at the professional user, someone who needs to scan through perhaps hundreds of RAW files and sort out the best shots. And it does that very well.

The program’s rendering speed and wide RAW format support mean it’s useful just as a simple viewer, though, so if you need any help working with RAW photos then we’d give it a try.

Tablets: Quest for the enterprise

Publié: octobre 18, 2014, 2:15am CEST par Sameer Singh

Tablet Market Tiers

Yesterday, Apple announced a minor refresh to their iPad portfolio, with improvements mostly focused on Touch ID and a thinner footprint. In many ways, this did feel like this was a "placeholder" upgrade. The new iPads would certainly appeal to loyalists, but they don't seem to target the primary reasons behind the recent slowdown.

The slowdown in iPad sales (or high-end tablet sales, in general) was caused by three factors -- 1) Increasing overlap in use cases of large screen smartphones (or phablets) and tablets, 2) Inability to move downmarket, despite lower iPad Mini prices, because of competitive reasons highlighted in the chart above, and 3) Limited upmarket mobility because of a lack of developer focus around productivity.

With the release of the iPhone 6 Plus, the first factor really plays into Apple's hands. If you have to cannibalize your own products, doing it with a higher margin product is the most painless way to go. The second factor is a market reality and there is little Apple or any other company can do about it. This leaves an upmarket move as the last remaining option to boost tablet sales. While Apple's IBM deal could help here, that is only a small part of the solution.

In the enterprise, tablet use is still restricted to highly specialized use cases -- executives use them to take down notes, check email, etc. and sales staff in the field use them on the go. The primary issue is that developer innovation focused on tablet productivity has been minimal so far. Developers are partially to blame here because smartphones seemed like the more lucrative market. But OEMs and platform owners have to share some of the blame as well.

Of all the tablets and platforms released so far, only the Surface Pro seemed to target productivity. Unfortunately, Microsoft made major sacrifices in ease of use and pricing to get there. Combined with their ecosystem handicap, this created a compromised tablet and PC experience. On the other hand, Google seems to have taken a step in the right direction with the Nexus 9's keyboard cover. While the Nexus 9 is unlikely to see meaningful sales, it could have a very "Nexus 7-like" impact. So far, tablets with keyboard attachments have remained a novelty. But if more OEMs go that route, it may finally pique developer interest in taking advantage of these accessories. In much the same way, I think Apple needs an iPad Pro to get developers to take an interest in productivity. In my opinion, this may be the only way to meaningfully increase tablet penetration in the enterprise.

This story was reposted with permission from tech-thoughts.

Sameer Singh is an M&A professional and business strategy consultant focusing on the mobile technology sector. He is founder and editor of tech-thoughts.net.

Kazam's Tornado 348 is the world's thinnest smartphone

Publié: octobre 18, 2014, 12:52am CEST par Barclay Ballard

Kazam_Tornado_contentfullwidth

British phone manufacturer Kazam is launching its new flagship Android 4.4 KitKat smartphone, which will also become the world's thinnest handset.

At just 5.15mm thin, the Kazam Tornado 348 technically already holds the title, but will have to wait to receive the Guinness World Record, currently held by the Gionee Elife S5.5.

Despite only being founded last year, Kazam has already assembled an impressive, if small, selection of affordable Android and Windows Phone-based handsets. The Tornado largely follows in the footsteps of the firm's other devices, such as the Trooper X4.5, but does up the ante when it comes to design features.

Aside from its slender frame, the Tornado boasts an aluminum covering around the side of the phone, while the front and back are coated in Gorilla Glass. The handset also features a 4.8-inch HD display along with a 5-megapixel front-facing camera and an 8-megapixel one on the back.

The phone's internal specs are also pretty impressive, with a 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek processor delivering 1GB of RAM, accompanied by 32GB of storage and a 2050mAh battery.

Kazam is also providing a deal to entice clumsier smartphone users to purchase the flagship device. The company is offering a two-year warranty on the phone and if users break the glass on the front or back of the handset in the first year of ownership, it'll be repaired free-of-charge.

Consumers looking for an alternative to the latest Samsung or Apple release may want to check out the Kazam Tornado 348 when it receives its European launch sometime around mid-November, for an estimated £249.

5 essential tips for staying safe online

Publié: octobre 17, 2014, 8:48pm CEST par Mark Wilson

5 essential tips for staying safe online

The security of the internet is an on-going concern. Whether you're online for fun, or you're conducting business, there are all manner of pitfalls you may encounter. Issues such as viruses and malware are now widely known about, but these are far from being the only security issues to concern yourself with. Security has been thrown into the limelight once again by high-profile stories like the Fappening, problems with SnapChat, concerns about the Whisper app, and the POODLE SSL 3.0 vulnerability.

A large proportion of companies and individuals are aware of the importance of anti-virus and anti-malware tools, firewalls and the like. Security tools are all well and good, but there's also a lot to be said in favor of changing online behaviors; it's something that the online community and businesses are increasingly coming to understand. Much of what this entails -- taking care about the personal information you share and educating yourself about services before you use them -- is common sense, but it bears repeating.

Jean Dobey is CEO of Virtual Artifacts, a company focused on producing tools that allow for communication, social networking, online payments, and shopping without compromising security. He has a number of tips which can help to protect user privacy and personal information.

1. Be aware of changing privacy policies

When it comes to sharing information through social media platforms and online communication tools, it's worth remembering that what’s private today may be public tomorrow if a site changes its privacy policies. As many sites revise such policies on a regular basis, privacy settings will often only offer a false sense of security.

2. Understand how social media platforms operate

Before you share through a social media platform, take the time to learn how it operates. Many of us place a lot of trust in social media tools without fully understanding the nature of such services. Facebook Lists are a good case in point. Trusting users would be forgiven for thinking that whatever they share through a list made up of their family members would only be accessible to the relations in question. In reality, what you share in a list is accessible to you, the people you’ve added to the list and a hidden audience comprising Facebook and any person or organization that’s paid Facebook to search your content.

3. Be selective with how and what you share

It may sound simple, but you can never be too careful when it comes to sharing personal information online. Apparently straightforward tasks like shopping online or installing an app can force us to expose private or sensitive information -- such as our purchasing preferences, our location or even our lists of contacts. Whether completing a transaction or connecting with someone through social media, it pays to always question who you’re sharing with, what you’re sharing with them, which context you’re sharing in and why. You can then decide what identity or persona you should display to connect with such an audience. In the end, it’s better to exercise a little caution than risk having your private data fall into the wrong hands.

4. Use two-step authentication

It never hurts to add a second stage to the authentication process, particularly when you’re dealing with sensitive personal data. But adding an easy-to-answer security question may only delay, rather than deter, someone. Any resourceful person will easily find your mother’s maiden name, your favorite band or the team you support online. Giving past instead of current information as the answer to a security question can reduce the likelihood of someone gaining access to your account. For example, if the question is ‘In what city or town does your nearest sibling live?’ your answer could be the place they lived ten years ago, instead of their current address.

5. Look at how those close to you, including your children, behave online

Taking the time to educate your children and speak with the other people in your life on the dangers of sharing personal or sensitive information online will not only help to protect their safety, it can also protect your family as a whole. Whether sharing information that could be exploited by others, making purchases online or visiting unsecure sites make sure they understand the potential risks both to themselves and those around them.

These tips may not be the be all and end all of online security, but they are steps in the right direction.

Photo credit: Markus Gann / Shutterstock

Microsoft supercharges Cortana with new Bing features -- can it beat Siri and Google Now?

Publié: octobre 17, 2014, 7:06pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

bingsupercharge

Google is the king of both search and personal assistants. As great as Cortana and Siri are, Google Now is currently superior, offering more functionality. Quite frankly, Google Now is so good at learning about you, that at first, it can seem a bit creepy. Still, Cortana is steadily making progress and Microsoft's personal assistant is becoming more formidable with every passing day.

Today, Microsoft announces that it is supercharging Cortana with better Bing features and integration. The question is, will these new features usurp Google Now?

"A few months ago, we talked about how we’re making search more personal. We discussed how Bing’s massive investments towards indexing the real world combined with speech recognition, entity understanding, and stream processing are making things like Cortana more helpful and intelligent. This week we are rolling out some new improvements that take advantage of these advancements and are making Cortana more useful", says The Bing Team.

aircort The Bing team further explains, "every morning, Cortana shows you a daily glance of all the information you need to start your day. She displays current weather, the first appointment on your schedule, projected travel time to work and the top headlines of the day. Many of you have asked us to create something similar to end your day. We heard you loud and clear. Starting today, Cortana will show you travel time to home and upcoming items on your calendar so you’re sure to be on time for that dinner date or know to go to bed early for that 7 a.m. meeting. To ensure you’re getting the most from this feature be sure and update Cortana with your home and office addresses".

This is great stuff for staying organized and on-time for work. Frequent business flyers will be glad to know that Cortana will now learn and monitor your flight status. This should prevent you from missing an important meeting in a different city, state or country. Travelers aside, friends, family or Town car companies can utilize Cortana when picking someone up from the airport.

justincort Besides business and travel, people do not just work -- they play too. Cortana has you covered in entertainment too, as it (she?) has improved features regarding sports and concerts. NFL fans can now see standings directly within Cortana, while NCAA football nuts can track their favorite teams. If you like soccer, additional leagues have been added such as "EPL, Bundesliga, La Liga, Italian Serie A, and Ligue 1".

If you are a fan of music like me, you probably love concerts. Well, Cortana has you covered there too. She will now track the artists that you search for, and based on your location, let you know when they are performing in your area. Never again will you miss the Jonas Brothers.

Speaking of location, the coolest new feature is location-based app suggestions. Microsoft gives the example of Cortana suggesting a Disney app while near Disney Land. Taking it a step further, it will even suggest installed apps that may benefit you in that location. I can evision having an installed sun advisory app being suggested when visiting a beach -- how cool would that be?

Microsoft is doing a great job of adding features to both Bing and Cortana, and its fun to see both evolve. While Cortana is still not on the same level as Google Now, it is definitely catching up. With that said, it seems Cortana is handily beating Siri from a functionality standpoint; Microsoft should take pride in that win over Apple.

Photo Credit: Wallenrock/Shutterstock

The iPad Air 2 is why tablet sales are falling

Publié: octobre 17, 2014, 4:36pm CEST par Wayne Williams

Apple disappointment

So yesterday Apple announced the latest iteration of its hugely popular iPad. I own a fourth gen model, and as someone who likes to be on the cutting edge, I was all set to snap up the new device. Except, what I saw didn’t excite me or give me a killer reason to drop $600+.

Tablet sales are slowing, and a large chunk of the reason for that can be laid squarely at Apple’s door. While the iPad Air 2 will appeal to first time buyers, businesses, or people looking to upgrade from inferior tablets, it just doesn’t offer enough to get existing iPad owners like me to upgrade. But it’s thinner! It’s lighter! So what? I’m not a frail old lady, or cursed with a muscle wasting disease. My iPad 4 is hardly a major weight, and to be honest, I like my devices to have a bit of heft to them anyway.

The new iPad comes with improved cameras! So what? I will never be the sort of person who takes meaningful photos with a tablet. If I’m somewhere amazingly picturesque, there’s a good chance I’ll have my Canon DSLR with me, and that takes far superior photos. And if I need to take a casual snap of something, my phone’s camera is all I need. People who take photos with an iPad are special. Let’s say no more.

It’s faster! Yes, this is the one selling point that means anything to me. I upgrade my PC on a regular basis in the vague hope that one day I’ll have a system that can keep up with me and do everything I want it to, so a speedier tablet is something that appeals. But the weird thing is, my iPad 4 never feels particularly slow. I’ve never cursed or shouted "come on!" at it. It does misbehave occasionally, forcing a reboot to teach it a lesson, but that’s about it. If I switched to an iPad Air 2 I would notice the difference I’m sure, but my iPad runs all the apps I throw at it without issue, and of course it runs the latest version of iOS, so I have nothing to lose by not upgrading.

It’s available in gold! I shove my iPad in a case, so it could be maroon and I wouldn’t know.

It’s got Touch ID! I like this feature on my iPhone, and I can appreciate it on the iPad, but am I prepared to spend $600+ to get it? Er… no.

So what was I hoping for? What would make me upgrade? Storage. The iPad Air 2 comes in three storage sizes -- 16GB, which is essentially worthless (buy that and you’ll regret it in a week), 64GB, which is the minimum you’ll need, and 128GB, which is the one you really want. If Apple had offered the 128GB model for a lower price, and chucked in a ton of iCloud storage, and just for once added the option to upgrade the internal storage in some way (a proprietary Apple expansion card of sorts would be fine), then I’d have sat up and listened. My iPad is always full, despite regularly copying photos off of it and deleting apps. Storage could have been the iPad Air 2’s killer feature. Not weight or thickness. Who the hell cares about weight or thickness?

A better screen would have been welcome. Sure, the new one is less reflective, but it offers the same 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution found on my iPad 4, the same 264ppi count, and the same Retina display. I can’t complain about my iPad screen, but a better one would be a reason to upgrade.

Any kind of innovation would have helped. Before the launch there was talk of Apple rolling out a giant iPad Air Pro capable of running iOS and OS X. That was never going to materialize, but if it had, at least we’d have something more interesting to talk about, and consider buying.

Adding something different to the iPad Air 2 -- some kind of built-in kickstand, a range of stunning accessories, anything -- would all have given me a reason to upgrade, except we got a refreshed Air and little else.

Don’t get me wrong -- if I was in the market for a new tablet, I would buy the iPad Air 2 in a heartbeat. I own a Nexus 7, and I’ve played around (briefly) with a Surface Pro 3, but neither device can compare with the iPad.

But the trouble is, I’m not in the market for a new tablet and so, like the vast majority of existing iPad owners, I won’t be upgrading to the iPad Air 2.

Maybe the iPad Air 3 will be the device I’ve been waiting for. I guess I’ll meet you back here next year to find out.

Photo credit: shpock/ Shutterstock

Snapchat talks API, warns about a hacked third-party app

Publié: octobre 17, 2014, 4:24pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

Breakup Smartphones

Snapchat has enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity. But for software and apps popularity also means becoming a bigger target. There's been no shortage of news recently regarding systems being breached, with Kmart being the most recent victim.

In this case the victim isn't Snapchat, at least not directly, but a third-party app that uses the chat service's API. While the company is happy that so many want to use its API, it felt forced to issue a warning to the folks who decide to use these apps.

In this case, the victim was an app called Snapsaved, and it has apparently been breached and user data compromised. The service allows for photo editing and is available for both iOS and Android.

"Over the past few days we’ve fielded a number of questions about our API and third-party applications after a website that offered to save Snaps indicated that their database had been breached. We are grateful that the service provider acknowledged that Snapchat was never compromised, but we wanted to use this as an opportunity to reiterate the unfortunate threats these third-party applications can pose to our community", Snapchat says in a statement.

The company goes on to warn users about these third-party apps. "When you give your login credentials to a third-party application, you’re allowing a developer, and possibly a criminal, to access your account information and send information on your behalf".

This is certainly wise advice for any app you plan to use, Snapchat or otherwise. The service plans to enhance its security measures and make sure that Apple and Google take down third-party apps that don't meet its requirements. It also states that it does not provide a public API and restricts access to the private one.

Photo Credit: View Apart/Shutterstock

Apple launches iPhone 6, 6 Plus in China, Samsung brings Galaxy Note 4 to US, UK

Publié: octobre 17, 2014, 2:51pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

apple_iphone_6_plus_theader_contentfullwidth Today is a big day for both Apple and Samsung, as the two are launching their latest flagships in three of the largest smartphone markets: iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus officially hit China, and Galaxy Note 4 arrives in US and UK. It's a "finally" moment in both cases, as the handsets were announced more than a month ago.

For Apple, having its new iPhones officially available for sale in China, the largest smartphone market, is a huge opportunity to boost sales in what could very well be its best quarter of the year. The pair had to launch later in China this year, due to regulatory hurdles. Among other things, the local government has forced Apple to beef up the security of iOS 8 to give the new iPhones its nod of approval.

In China, iPhone 6 starts at CNY5,288 (about $860). The bigger iPhone 6 Plus is available from CNY6,088 (about $990). The entry-level prices are for the 16 GB models; prepare to shell out another CNY800 or CNY1600 to get the 64 GB or 128 GB model, respectively. Meanwhile, in US the most expensive iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus -- with 128 GB of internal storage -- costs less ($849 or $949, respectively) than the respective base model in China.

Moving to Galaxy Note 4, Samsung's latest flagship phablet is available now in the US through AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile, with Verizon to offer the device starting October 23. On a two-year contract with AT&T, Sprint or Verizon, it can be had for $299.99; off-contract it costs $825.99, $720 and $699.99, respectively. T-Mobile sells it for $749.76 off-contract or $0 down coupled with $31.24 monthly payments for two years.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 N910 Black Being the second-largest smartphone market, the US is very important for Samsung. So far, its new phablet has only been available in a limited number of markets, starting in its home country of South Korea. Meanwhile, direct rival iPhone 6 Plus has enjoyed a broader availability and, arguably, more success among consumers because of it.

UK is among the leading European markets for smartphone sales and among the first European markets to get Galaxy Note 4. On the old continent, it is also available in France, Germany, and Italy, among other countries. Thanks to Samsung's staggered release, it will take a while before Galaxy Note 4 reaches most of the planned markets.

In the UK, Galaxy Note 4 is available from local mobile operators like EE and Vodafone. The former, for instance, has two-year plans which start at £14.99 per month (with the phone costing £459.99) while the latter has two-year plans which start at £31.50 per month (the price of the device drops to £199) and also two-year plans with no upfront cost starting at £48.50 per month. It is also available from local retailers, like Amazon, where it can be had for £599.

Best Windows 8 apps this week

Publié: octobre 17, 2014, 2:31pm CEST par Martin Brinkmann

One-hundred and three in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps and games released for Windows 8.x in the last seven days.

Big news this week was Microsoft's announcement that Halo: Spartan Strike will be released on December 12, 2014 for Windows 8.x and Windows Phone 8.x.

Several questionable apps and games have been published to store this week including a game called Super Mario Bros which it turns out is Infinite Mario Bros by Mojang. In addition, several "Fun Unlimited" apps are available that deliver full seasons of popular TV shows such as Batman: Animated Series, Ben10, Mickey Mouse or Dragonball. These apps and the shows they make available are free and all created by a company called OOB App Creations.

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

This week's selection of apps and games that have been discounted by at least 50 percent.

Modern Combat 5: Blackout, a first person action game for $3.49
The Mystery of the Crystal Portal (FULL), an adventure game for $1.99
8 Zip, a compression tool for $4.99
Riptide GP2, a water racing game for $2.99
Rayman Fiesta Run, an action game in the Rayman universe for $0.99
Grim Legends: The Forsaken Bride (Full), an adventure game for $3.49

App of the week

Zoo Tycoon Friends

Build your own zoo on any Windows 8 or Windows Phone device. Zoo Tycoon Friends is a simulation game in which you build a zoo from the ground up.

Add more than 40 different animated animals, concessions, decorations and more to the zoo and complete more than 100 missions while doing so.

Your zoo syncs automatically on all Windows 8 devices so that you can play at home or on the go.

The game features beautiful visuals and options to connect with friends through Xbox Live or Facebook.

Note that the game may not be available to all users yet.

Other apps

Sudoku 9

Sudoku is a logic based game in which you need to fill out all blank spots on the board with numbers. Each square and line (vertical and horizontal) needs to contain the numbers from 1 to 9 in the end.

Sudoku 9 offers great visuals and several thousand puzzles ranging from very easy to very hard and expert difficulty levels.

Surface Hub

Surface Hub has been designed for Surface Pro 3 devices. The official app offers customization options for supported devices.

It is for instance possible to change the pen pressure sensitivity and test the sensitivity of the pen using the application.

Cave Coaster

Cave Coaster plays similarly to the mine levels in Donkey Kong Country for the Super Nintendo.

The cart rolls automatically and all you can do is jump when it is appropriate to avoid falling into mine shafts or hitting obstacles along the way.

The game is fun and fast paced, and the visuals are well done.

Hexoid 3D

Hexoid 3D is a client game of HexGL. a futuristic racing game which means that it requires an Internet connection.

The game resembles classic games such as Wipeout or F-Zero but lacks different game modes or maps.

It ships with a single track to race on. Visuals are stunning but there is no variety in the game itself. There are no computer or human controlled drivers on the track for instance or choices to be made.

Waffle

Find as many words as you can in two hours by connecting letters with each other.

Draw a line across the board to create words and get points for doing so.

The game is rather simple but well designed and supports not only English but six other languages including German, French and Portuguese.

Treasure Arena

Treasure Arena is a fast-paced action game in which you fight against up to three human opponents in arenas.

The game features three classes that players can play as, and several arenas to battle in.

Weapons are available in each arena that players can pick up to fight each other and the neutral monsters that roam the arenas as well.

Violett ($3.99, no trial)

A great port of the adventure game Violett. It is a point-and-click game in which you control a young girl named Violett.

Violett managed to shrink herself to mouse-size and finds herself in a strange world that is inspired by Alice in Wonderland and other fantastic works.

The goal of the game is to find a way back home and defeat the evil spider queen trying to prevent you from reaching that goal.

GemDasher DX

GemDasher DX is not a shoot 'em up game even though it looks like one. It is a variant in which you fight bosses by collecting gems that spawn randomly on the map.

You swipe or click with the mouse to move your ship and collect all games that you fly over.

The game feature six ships that you can purchase for gems that you collect in the game and four bosses that shoot at you while you collect those games.

iTunes 12 unveils radical new redesign, promises simpler playlist editing

Publié: octobre 17, 2014, 1:50pm CEST par Nick Peers

itunes

To coincide with the release of OS X 10.10 Yosemite, Apple has unveiled iTunes 12.0.1, the first major release of its media manager and player for almost two years.

The new release debuts a flatter, more modern look designed to tie in with Yosemite, which includes a new red app icon and some redesigned and restructured elements. The update also adds support for some iOS 8/Yosemite-only features such as Family Sharing.

Once installed, the changes to the user interface are immediately apparent. Aside from the flatter, more modern look, iTunes 12 also debuts a restructured look that sees users navigate between libraries, shared folders and devices by way of icons displayed horizontally at the top of the screen.

The left-hand sidebar view has been depreciated so it only appears when Playlists have been selected or an iPod, iPhone or iPad is being browsed.

Music (and Music Videos), TV Shows and Movies get their own distinct library sections, while a … button provides access to other sections, including Podcasts, Books (including Audio Books) and iTunes U.

The redesign also sees a new "Recently Added" section to the top of each library while a convenient iTunes Store tab has been added to each view directing users to the relevant section of the iTunes Store for more content.

Playlist editing has been made easier by placing playlists side-by-side with users music libraries, making it simple to add tracks to existing playlists by dragging and dropping them on to the playlist in question. The Get Info box for a selected item has also been radically redesigned and simplified.

Those running OS X Yosemite will also find that iTunes supports Family Sharing, which allows users to share photos, location data, music, apps and movies between family members on Yosemite and iOS 8 devices. Finally, support for OS X Snow Leopard has been dropped with this release.

iTunes 12.0.1 and iTunes 12.0.1 (Windows 64-bit) are both available now for free download for Mac (OS X 10.7.5 or later) and Windows (XP or later).

How to create a bootable OS X 10.10 Yosemite USB drive

Publié: octobre 17, 2014, 1:00pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Apple OS X 10.10 Yosemite

There are times when you may want to avoid using App Store or the built-in recovery mode to install OS X 10.10 Yosemite. So, Apple continues to give you the option of creating a bootable USB drive. You can use it anytime and anywhere to get the operating system running, quickly, on any compatible Mac. An Internet connection is not even required as everything you need is already on it.

Creating a bootable OS X 10.10 Yosemite USB drive is very easy. All you need is a Mac, as the tools provided for the process are only available in OS X, and a USB drive with a capacity of 8 GB (or more, depending on what you have lying around), as the setup file is rather large. I will also explain how to use a dedicated third-party tool, in case you decide that this option suits you better.

But, first, you have to download the setup file from App Store. Use this link to take you right to its landing page, or search for it manually in the app. After the download is complete, Install OS X Yosemite will be available in your Applications folder. Also, a setup wizard for OS X 10.10 Yosemite should have appeared by now; you can close (quit) it as it is not required for this process.

Also, you should backup the contents of the USB drive that you are using for the process, as everything that is stored on it will be removed. And, of course, make sure that you read the instructions carefully before starting.

Apple's Way, All the Way

Apple offers a dedicated tool in OS X specifically for the purpose of creating a bootable USB drive. Unlike most tools that ship with the OS, it is not available from Launchpad. There is a support page, however, but the instructions are pretty confusing and they are only meant for OS X 10.9 Mavericks (at the time of writing this article).

To use this tool, Apple indicates that the Mac that you use it on must be running OS X 10.10 Yosemite. It may allow you to create a bootable OS X 10.10 Yosemite USB drive using prior iterations of the operating system, but I have not yet tested this and, therefore, there are zero guarantees that it will work. (The third-party tool will work, however.)

Now, let's move on to the actual process. Here is what you need to do:

Connect the USB drive to your Mac.
Using Disk Utility (it is found in Other under Launchpad), format the USB drive as Mac OS Extended (Journaled), and name it Yosemite. This can be done from the Erase tab within the app; make sure that there are no multiple partitions (turn to the Partition tab to verify and correct this).
Open Terminal (it is found in the same folder as the Disk Utility app).
Use (paste) the following command: sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Yosemite.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Yosemite --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Yosemite.app --nointeraction.
Type in your user password, when required, to start the process.

Based on my experience, this is the best method of creating a bootable OS X 10.10 Yosemite USB drive. It is virtually bulletproof, gives consistent results, and works without problems. But, because it is basically barebones, the tool does not provide any indication as to how much time is left until the process completes. Rest assured that it will, usually in less than half an hour (the time element mostly depends on the speed of the USB drive that you are using -- the faster it is the better).

The More User-Friendly (Third-Party) Tool

DiskMaker X is the more user-friendly tool for the job. It automates the process of creating a bootable OS X 10.10 Yosemite USB drive, but it still requires you to know which options to select. Like I mentioned earlier, it works with previous incarnations of the operating system; the version of DiskMaker X that is compatible with OS X 10.10 Yosemite also works with OS X 10.9 Mavericks and OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, according to the official page. At the time of writing this article, however, it is still in beta, which means that there is a chance that you may run into bugs.

If you wish to use DiskMaker X to create the bootable OS X 10.10 Yosemite USB drive, here is what you need to do:

Connect the USB drive to your Mac.
Open DiskMaker X and select Yosemite (10.10). (You may get a warning due to its beta status.)
Select Use this copy to use the Install OS X Yosemite app from the Applications folder. (Select Use another copy... if the setup file is in another folder.)
Select An 8 GB USB thumb drive. (Select Another kind of disk if you want to use something else).
If requested, from the given list, select the USB drive you are using for the process, and then select Choose this disk.
Select Erase then create the disk.
Select Continue.
Type in your user password when requested.

Unlike the official tool baked in OS X 10.10 Yosemite, DiskMaker X lets you know how long the process takes. Like I mentioned before, this depends largely on the speed of the USB drive that you have, so, ideally, you should use the fastest one available, in case time is of the essence.

What Now?

Now that you have a bootable OS X 10.10 Yosemite USB drive, you may want to install the operating system on your Mac. To do that, you need to restart the Mac, and, right after that, press the Option key, and choose to boot from this drive. Afterwards, you can use the step-by-step setup as you normally would to install and setup OS X 10.10 Yosemite.

Tablet showdown: iPad Air 2 vs Nexus 9

Publié: octobre 17, 2014, 12:02pm CEST par Team ITPP

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Apple has released the much-anticipated iPad Air 2, updating its beloved iPad Air with an all-new look and beefed-up specs. But how does the iPad Air 2 compare to Google's just-released Nexus 9 tablet?

Let's break down the specs and take a look.

Display

There's not a great deal separating the two devices on this front. The iPad Air 2 has almost an extra inch of real estate on its rival, but pays for the additional screen space with a lower pixel density. Apple's number boasts a decent 264ppi, while the Nexus 9 just about trumps it with 281ppi.

Camera

Apple has bumped up the camera specs on the iPad Air 2, from 5 to 8 megapixels, with a whole host of "image optimisation" tools. If you were hoping for a higher resolution selfie-snapper, though, you're out of luck. Apple has stuck with its proprietary FaceTime camera, a 1.2-megapixel piece -- though let's remember megapixels aren't everything in this race. The Nexus 9 packs the same primary snapper, while its selfie camera is a tiny bit better on paper, at 1.6 megapixels. Neither device particularly impresses in these stakes.

Size & weight

Apple has made the iPad Air 2 even thinner than its extremely svelte predecessor. At 6.1mm thick, the iPad Air 2 is definitely one of the thinnest tablets on the market. The Nexus 9 isn't exactly overweight, but its extra 1.8mm of thickness definitely shows. Both weigh in around the 430g mark, with Google's tablet shaving off a few grams, but you won't exactly have trouble lugging either device around.

Design

The iPad Air 2 is built for the catwalk. It's a beauty. Apple hasn't changed the design from its predecessor, because it hasn't needed to. It's slim, sexy and very desirable. HTC's done a great job with Google's new piece too, bringing some glam to the Nexus range. It's difficult to look anywhere past Apple's creation though.

Check out the full specs table below.

	Apple iPad Air 2	Google Nexus 9
Display
Screen size	9.7in	8.9in
Resolution	2,048 x 1,536	2,048 x 1,536
Pixel density	264ppi	281ppi
Type	LCD	IPS LCD
Processor and battery
Family	Apple A8X	Tegra K1
CPU	TBC	Denver
Cores	TBC	Quad-core
Clock speed	TBC	2.3GHz
GPU	TBC	Kepler DX1
Battery	TBC	6,700mAh
Claimed battery time	Up to 10h
Storage and memory
RAM	2GB	2GB
Internal storage	16GB / 64GB / 128GB	16GB / 32GB
microSD	No	No
Camera
Rear	8-megapixel	8-megapixel
Video	1,080p	1,080p@30fps
Front	1.2-megapixel	1.6-megapixel
Wireless
Standard	4G LTE	4G LTE
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac	Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac
NFC	Yes
Bluetooth	v4.0	v4.0
Integrated wireless charging	No
Dimensions
Size	6.1mm thin (rest TBC)	228.2 x 153.7 x 7.9mm
Weight	437g	425g
Operating system	iOS 8	Android 5.0 Lollipop
Price (SIM-free)	16GB - $499/64GB - $599/128GB - $699	32GB - $649/64GB - $699
Availability	17 October 2014 (pre-order)	October 2014

1 in 4 organizations use Hadoop to manage their big data

Publié: octobre 17, 2014, 11:56am CEST par Ian Barker

Big data

You can't go too far in the big data world without encountering Apache Hadoop. The open source framework was created in 2005 to handle large scale processing.

A new infographic from data management company Solix looks at what Hadoop is, the four modules that make it up, and how it’s used in the enterprise, along with a glimpse at its future.

Key facts are that one in four organizations use Hadoop to manage big data, up from one in 10 in 2012. Reasons cited for using it include low cost, computing power and scalability. More than 60 percent of companies say that Hadoop is used to supplement or replace their existing data environments.

Looking into the future, 61 percent of organizations plan to deploy Hadoop in the future or have already started to deploy it. Worldwide sales of Hadoop-based technology are expected to exceed $50 billion by 2020.

You can see the full infographic below.

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The cloud is ubiquitous -- and so is its security

Publié: octobre 17, 2014, 11:17am CEST par Kirill Bensonoff

cloud

The tabloids are abuzz with tales of hackers stealing salacious celebrity selfies stored on the Cloud, and of course the furor dies with next week’s issue of People Magazine.

The thought of Cloud based business data being compromised is a different matter, and you’re right to be concerned about ubiquitous computing resulting in ubiquitous hacking attempts. Fortunately, efforts to secure the cloud are maintaining the pace of the unprecedented growth of the cloud itself.

Now for the good news

The need to modify infrastructure to meet the alphabet soup of compliance regulations (SOX, GLB, HIPPA, FISMA) is already a reality to the vast majority of enterprises, and valuable time and resources are used that take away from their core business efforts. The good news is that security is one more IT function outsourced to your Cloud Service Provider, and that the provider has more resources to deal with security than your business. The learning curve that comes with the design, implementation, and maintenance of data security (which most enterprises already are involved in) are the responsibility of the service provider, who deals with them on a daily basis.

The benefit of delegating this responsibility to the Cloud Service Provider will increase in value as regulation becomes more exacting in implementation and scope. According to a survey by the nonprofit Cloud Security Alliance, 73 percent of respondents call for a Global Consumer Bill of Rights concerning Data privacy. Anyone who has dealt with modifying their infrastructure for data privacy knows the value of outsourcing the details of this effort!

Who’s setting the standards?

As cloud technology matures, so do best practices and standards. The Cloud Security Alliance promotes "the use of best practices for providing security assurance within Cloud Computing". The Board of Directors includes CXOs of Microsoft, Coca Cola, Sallie Mae and Zynga. The CSA’s Cloud Controls Matrix contains 269 standards covering every aspect of Cold Security implementation, operation and maintenance, including Data Security, Audit Assurance, Business Continuity, and Access, Threat & Vulnerability Management. The standards document is available here.

What Questions should I ask of a Cloud Service Provider?

In short, your expectations for a Cloud Provider are the same as those you are expected to implement in the traditional IT space. The Financial Times of London recommends asking the following:

Where is the Physical location of the data?
Who has access the data?
How is data encrypted and authenticated?
What policies are in place to handle security breaches?
What are your procedures for transferring service to another provider should that be necessary?

In Conclusion

The evidence of the benefits of Cloud Computing are overwhelming, and the marketplace has responded. According to iCorps Technologies, 2014 is the first year the majority of computing workloads take place in the cloud (51 percent versus 49 percent in the traditional IT Space).

If you are working in the tradition IT space, you are already dealing with security issues, and with the pain of a learning curve. As Cloud computing becomes the rule and not the exception, security issues will migrate to providers with resources and expertise beyond that of most organizations -- and give you one less thing to worry about.

Kirill Bensonoff is a founding partner at ComputerSupport.com. He is responsible for delivering technology solutions, driving customer satisfaction, maintaining the culture of innovation as well as overseeing the strategic direction of the company and building business relationships. Kirill has utilized his unique blend of skills and expertise in IT, business strategy and customer service to drive ComputerSupport’s growth.

How to get Android 5.0 Lollipop on your mobile device

Publié: octobre 17, 2014, 11:06am CEST par Jamie Hinks

Lollipop Forest

Google has officially announced Android 5.0 Lollipop alongside a brand spanking new range of Nexus devices including a phablet, tablet and set top box geared towards gaming.

Over the coming weeks the new OS will roll out to the Nexus 6 and 9 before landing on a raft of Android devices across various manufacturers including HTC, Sony, Samsung and many more. In order to be prepared for its arrival, here is a step-by-step guide to make sure it hits your device without a hitch.

1. Check your device is compatible

Not every Android device will be able to handle the new OS version and Google has already confirmed that the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 will get it in the coming weeks, as well as the Nexus 6 and 9. Other devices that are getting the update include:

Various Google Play Edition devices [possibly all of them]
HTC One M8 and One M7
Motorola Moto X, Moto G, Moto G 4G, Moto E, Droid Ultra, Droid Maxx and Droid Mini
Sony, Samsung and LG will all confirm which devices will get the update in the coming weeks

2. Backup your stuff

Even though this is a stable release it is always wise to make sure everything on your device is backed up. This can be done by using Google Drive or any other well-known cloud storage service.

3. Plug your phone into a power supply

To make sure the smartphone or tablet doesn’t power down during the update be sure to plug it into the wall or a USB port on your computer.

4. Download the update

Navigate to Settings > About Phone or About Tablet > Software Update > Check for Updates. If Android 5.0 Lollipop is available and your smartphone or tablet has a Wi-Fi connection it will begin the download right away. It’s then just a matter of waiting for Android to do its thing.

After those easy steps you should have the newest version of Android on your phone and it’ll be time to enjoy all the new features that Google has worked hard to implement.

iPad Air 2 vs iPad Air: What's the difference?

Publié: octobre 17, 2014, 8:33am CEST par Team ITPP

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Apple has released the much-anticipated iPad Air 2, updating its beloved iPad Air with an all-new look and beefed-up specs.

But how does the iPad Air 2 compare against its insanely successful predecessor, the iPad Air? Let's break down the specs and take a look.

Display

Ok, on paper, there is really very little in the way of resolution improvements for the new iPad Air 2. It has exactly the same 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution as its predecessor, the same 264ppi count, and the same Retina display.

But, that's not to say that Apple hasn't innovated. For starters, the iPad Air 2's screen has been imbued with an anti-reflective coating that claims to reduce reflections by 56 percent.

More impressively, however, is the fact that despite the fact that this new tablet is an eye-watering 18 percent thinner than the first generation iPad Air (more on that below,) its managed to maintain the same quality display. That's because it has a laminated screen, with an optically bonded touch sensor, LCD and glass -- that means no air gaps and a lot more room.

Camera

Apple has bumped up the camera specs on the iPad Air 2, from 5 to 8 megapixels, with a whole host of image optimization tools. If you were hoping for a higher resolution selfie-snapper, though, you're out of luck. Apple has stuck with its proprietary FaceTime camera, at 1.2-megapixels -- though let's remember megapixels aren't everything in this race.

It's a big bump up though from the 5-megapixel offering of the previous generation iPad Air. Photos on the new tablet are, in a word, crisp. Tablet photography has famously lagged behind its smartphone cousin. Could the iPad Air 2 be the one to even out the deficit?

Size & weight

Apple has made the iPad Air 2 even thinner than its extremely svelte predecessor. At 6.1mm thick, the iPad Air 2 is definitely one of the thinnest tablets on the market. Even though both generations sport the same 9.7in screen, the iPad Air 2 measures just 6.1mm to the old one's 7.5mm.

That's a big difference, and makes the Apple's new slate one of the most elegant on the market. It's also a lot lighter, weighing just 437g to the first iPad Air's 469g.

Under the hood

Apple has brought the beef with its new A8X processor, specially designed for the new iPad Air 2. This is meant to make the iPad Air 2 40 percent faster than its predecessor, which wasn't a sluggish machine to begin with.

Verdict

Thinner, lighter, and... gold-er, the new Apple iPad Air 2 is a worthy step up from its predecessor. Not only that, but it matches the original iPad Air in price, meaning it's also one of the most competitive Apple slates we've seen.

With added features like the long-awaited TouchID, the second generation iPad Air is bound to be a crowd-pleaser that ties in with a rapidly expanding Apple ecosystem.

	iPad Air 2	iPad Air
Display
Screen size	9.7in	9.7in
Resolution	2048 x 1536	2048 x 1536 pixels
Pixel density	264ppi	264 ppi
Type	LCD	IPS LCD
Processor and battery
Family	Apple A8X	Apple A7
CPU	TBC	Cyclone (ARM v8-based)
Cores	TBC	Dual-core
Clock speed	TBC	1.3 GHz
GPU	TBC	PowerVR G6430
Battery	TBC	8600 mAh battery
Claimed battery time	Up to 10h	10 hours Wi-Fi web surfing, watching video, or listening to music
Storage and memory
RAM	TBC	1GB
Internal storage	16 GB / 64GB / 128GB	16GB / 32 GB / 64GB /128 GB
microSD	No	No
Camera
Rear	8-megapixels	5-megapixels
Video	1080p	1080p
Front	1.2-megapixels	1.2-megapixels
Wireless
Standard	4G LTE	4G LTE
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac	Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac
NFC	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth	v4.0	v4.0
Integrated wireless charging	No	No
Dimensions
Size	6.1mm thin (rest TBC)	240 x 169.5 x 7.5 mm
Weight	437g	469 g
Operating System	iOS 8	iOS 7 (upgradeable to iOS 8)
Price (SIM-free)	16GB - $499/64GB - $599/128GB - $699	16GB - $399/32GB $499
Availability	October 17 2014 (Pre-order)	Now

Apple releases OS X 10.10 Yosemite -- flat, beautiful and free

Publié: octobre 17, 2014, 3:19am CEST par Brian Fagioli

Yos0

Apple's OS X is a great operating system, but guess what? So is Windows. Yes, each are great in different ways, and it is OK to like both. Even if you prefer one over the other, it is silly to make fun of someone else's choice. In other words, don't be a fan-boy or bully.

Today is not about Windows however, as it is Apple's day to shine. The fruit-logo company has seen much success with OS X over the years; yes, success. Even though the operating system holds a very small percentage of the desktop market, it has impacted our overall culture and is instantly recognizable. Today however, Apple releases version 10.10 of OS X, dubbed Yosemite and it is quite possibly the most radical change to the Mac operating system. You see, much like iOS7, OS X is getting a "flat" overhaul.

"OS X Yosemite has been redesigned with a fresh, modern look, while maintaining the power and familiarity users expect from a Mac. Streamlined toolbars make more room for your content, and use translucency to reveal additional app content as you scroll. Other translucent elements, such as window sidebars, take on the feel of your desktop picture and give you a sense of what’s hidden behind the active window. App icons have a clean, consistent design, and a new system font improves readability on every Mac and looks stunning on a Retina display", says Apple.

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The company further explains, "Yosemite includes amazing Continuity features that make your Mac and iOS devices perfect companions. Handoff automatically passes what you’re doing from one device to another, like writing an email or surfing the web. Instant Hotspot makes using your iPhone’s hotspot as easy as connecting to a Wi-Fi network. AirDrop now works between Mac and iOS, so you can quickly and easily share content across devices. All the SMS messages that previously only appeared on your iPhone now can automatically appear in Messages on your Mac and all your iOS devices. You can even make and receive iPhone calls on your Mac".

Apple touts the following changes:

Today view in Notification Center, giving you quick access to informative widgets for Calendar, Weather, Stocks, Reminders, World Clock and social networks. You can also add widgets like Yahoo! Sports from the Mac App Store to customize your Today view;
a new Spotlight, delivering rich information right to your desktop from Wikipedia, Maps, Bing, App Store, iTunes Store, iBooks Store, top websites, news and movie showtimes;
iCloud Drive, so you can store files of any type in iCloud, organize them any way you like, and access them from your Mac, iPhone, iPad or even a Windows PC;
a streamlined new Safari that delivers the fastest performance, as well as the longest battery life for web browsing and Netflix HD video streaming on the Mac;
an updated version of Mail, which includes Markup for quickly filling out and signing forms and PDFs right within Mail, plus Mail Drop, which makes it easy to send large attachments up to 5GB for free;
enhanced Messages, so now you can add participants to your ongoing group conversations, see their locations on a map, quickly access attachments and even mute notifications;
iTunes 12, which has a sleek new look, is fast and simple to use, and makes it easier to switch between browsing your music library and discovering new music on the iTunes Store. A new Recents view makes it easy to access the media you just purchased or recently played; and
Family Sharing, so family members can now browse and download each other’s iTunes, iBooks or Mac App Store purchases.

yos3

With all of these awesome new features, you probably expect to pay quite a lot of money right? Heck no! Apple is delivering OS X Yosemite as a free upgrade. In fact, it is available now from the App Store; however, please note that Apple's servers are currently being pounded, and download speeds are quite slow. I've been downloading it for about two hours now, and I apparently have 4 more days to go (it should get faster overnight).

yosdays

Are you excited about Yosemite? Tell me in the comments.

Review: Acronis True Image 2015

Publié: octobre 17, 2014, 3:07am CEST par Mike Williams

AcronisTrueImage2015-200-175 Acronis’s True Image has always been one of the more feature-packed backup tools around. Imaging, file and folder backups, syncing, online backup, continuous data protection: it’s all here.

Over the years True Image has piled on the extras, too: Try and Decide, disk editing, a secure file shredder, and more.

A few of these add-ons were useful, but most had little value, so it’s no surprise that some users were beginning to say the program was bloated.

But Acronis True Image 2015 tries to reverse that trend with a back-to-basics approach, ditching many of the extras, focusing on the core essentials, and wrapping everything up in a stripped-back, simplified interface.

Does it work? Let’s see.

Getting started

True Image 2015 looks very different to the previous release, with touch-friendly flat icons organising its features into six areas: Backup (and recovery), Sync, Tools, Account (online backup), License and Help.

It’s all very much simplified, and that pays off in some ways. To create your first backup, for instance, you’d click Backup > Add Backup > Create New Backup. Clicking Select Source and choosing the new “Entire PC” option selects all your drives for you. Choose a destination, and that’s enough: you can launch your backup with one more click. Even brand new users will figure it out in seconds.

There's plenty of power hidden behind the “Options” button, of course. You can run full, incremental or differential backups, with your choice of backup schemes. Custom exclusion filters help to ensure you only back up what you need. There’s control over backup encryption, splitting and validation, optional pre- and post-backup commands, email notifications, and a capable scheduler to run backup jobs at precisely the right moment.

What you don't get is any direct option to choose backup files by type – music, pictures, documents, whatever -- which could be a complication for the novice user.

We noticed some small issues during backup, too. It took 8 minutes for us to be given a "time remaining" figure during one test, for example. That wasn’t close to being accurate until 18 minutes in, and the entire backup only took 43 minutes.

Scheduler

More seriously, backup logs are now only available if you create a “system report” (or use email notifications), an annoyingly lengthy process which not even an expert would necessarily figure out, and isn’t clearly referenced in the help. That’s more "dumbing down" than simplifying.

Fortunately the backup process itself proved speedy and reliable. Acronis says a new deduplication scheme further improves online backup performance by an average of 10%, and the flexible scheduler worked as advertised for each of our tests. Once it’s set up and running, the program works very well.

Backup and recovery

Click the Backup button and True Image 2015 lists each of your backups, with its name (by default the source), destination, and a status indicator to let you know what happened last time (hopefully a green tick, which means it ran without problems).

What you can’t see immediately is when the last backup took place, but that time -- and the total backup size -- is displayed when you select an individual job.

Restoring a backup works essentially as you’d expect. Select a job, click "Recover Files", and choose the time of the backup you’d like to use. Navigate your backup folders with the ugly-but-functional browser, checking boxes next to the files and folders to restore, and set the program to recover them all with a click.

Alternatively, while there is no “mount” command within True Image 2015 any more (that’s been ditched as well), Explorer integration has the same effect. Right-click a backup file, select True Image > Mount and it’ll be mounted as a virtual drive within Explorer, leaving you free to access whatever files you need.

(We noticed the cloud backup "Email link" and "Copy link" context menu options were always available, even when right-clicking backups on your own PC. Wow, we thought: will this generate network paths for local resources? Well, no -- use either option offline and it does nothing at all.)

Recovery

Disaster recovery is marginally better than before. The Rescue Media Builder now has options to build bootable rescue discs/ USB keys in Linux and Windows PE form, as well as a “Universal Restore” option which allows you to recover your system to different PC hardware.

Explore the WinPE and Universal links, though, and you’ll find they can require you to do some quite complex manual work (check this official Support article; “prepare necessary drivers”?): definitely not for novices.

The Linux boot disc didn’t detect our USB mouse, either. Fortunately it was perfectly usable with the keyboard, and apparently this is also a known issue which will be fixed very soon.

Dropped features

Get past the drastically redesigned interface and there’s little new in Acronis True Image 2015. As we mentioned, this release is more notable for what it leaves out.

Top of the list, there’s no more “Try & Decide”, the clever system which meant you could install software, try it out, and undo any changes later if you didn’t approve. This cuts down on True Image code size and complexity, but it’s a major feature, and losing it is sure to annoy plenty of users.

Some of the lesser backup functionality has been ditched. There’s no Mail Backup option, no import/ export of backup settings. And we’re not going to shed any tears about those.

Backup management is more of an issue. You can’t manually mount an image from within the program, consolidate incremental backups or convert them to VHD and back.

Acronis True Image 2015 also waves farewell to the Disk Editor, file shredder, Boot Sequence Manager, Extended Capacity Manager, the Trim SSD wizard and more (DriveCleanser and the feeble System Cleaner have inexplicably survived).

Okay, if you’re on Windows 7/ 8 you don't need some of these anyway, but other neat touches have also gone missing since True Image 2014. Remember how you could create a shortcut by dragging and dropping a backup job onto your desktop? Not any more, and that's a pity. Luckily you can still purchase True Image 2014, with a discount, which we’d recommend before it’s discontinued.

Mac mini lives! Apple finally refreshes the cute little computer

Publié: octobre 17, 2014, 1:37am CEST par Brian Fagioli

miniwithstuff

When I worked at CompUSA, we had a dedicated Apple section filled with beautiful computers. I regularly sold Macs, but with nowhere near the frequency of the Windows-based computers. This was because Apple's machines were far more expensive than their Windows counterparts. This was reflected in the type of person that purchased a Mac -- they had money. As a commission-based salesman, this was awesome, as they never got rejected when applying for a store credit card or got denied when paying at the register.

Sadly, even though I sold Macs, I could not afford one. This was fine, as I was a Windows fan anyway, but still, it hurts to be a salesperson or factory worker that produces a product that is out of reach. This changed in 2005, however, with one magical product -- the Mac mini. It was impossibly small, super cute and best of all, affordable. When my mom needed a computer, I quickly talked her into the mini, as I was tired of fixing her Windows machine. Today, after what feels like an eternity, Apple finally refreshes the Mac mini line with Haswell processors and OS X Yosemite, while also bringing the starting price down to a mouth-watering $499.

"The new Mac mini delivers new levels of graphics performance, expandability and connectivity. New integrated Intel HD Graphics 5000 and Intel Iris Graphics deliver up to 90 percent faster graphics performance than the previous generation. Mac mini now includes two Thunderbolt 2 ports, each delivering up to 20Gbps of bandwidth to each port, as well as next-generation 802.11ac Wi-Fi that is up to three times faster when connected to an 802.11ac base station. Mac mini is still the world’s most energy efficient desktop, exceeding Energy Star 6.1 requirements by seven times the standard and consuming as few as 6 watts of power at idle", says Apple.

macminifront

The company further explains, "Mac mini begins shipping today. Mac mini comes in three standard models: a 1.4 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 2.7 GHz, 4GB of memory, Intel HD Graphics 5000 and a 500GB hard drive starting at a suggested retail price of $499 (US); a 2.6 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.1 GHz, 8GB of memory, Intel Iris Graphics and a 1TB hard drive starting at suggested retail price of $699 (US); and a 2.8 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.3 GHz, 8GB of memory, Intel Iris Graphics and a 1TB Fusion Drive starting at a suggested retail price of $999 (US)".

macminirear

As you can see, the prices can jump dramatically as you up the specs; however, the base model is more than enough for the average home user and remains a wonderful value. Heck, use your existing mouse, keyboard and monitor and you are off to the races! Hardcore users can choose to up the ante even further with the powerful Core i7, by customizing the order online. That is the beauty of the Mac mini -- it can be a value machine or enthusiast machine, depending on how you configure it.

Which Mac mini will you buy? Tell me in the comments.

iMac with Retina 5K display has the world's highest resolution display -- and a hefty price tag

Publié: octobre 17, 2014, 1:07am CEST par Mark Wilson

iMac with Retina 5K display has the world's highest resolution display -- and a hefty price tag

In addition to the expected iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3, Apple today announced the latest update to the iMac range. The iMac with Retina 5K display's killer feature is the screen which packs a breath-taking 14.7 million pixels into its 27 inches. With a resolution of 5120 x 2880, the new iMac has two thirds more pixels than a 4K display, and four times the number of pixels found on a regular 27 inch iMac. Despite the colossal number of pixels involved, Apple has switch to ultra-efficient LEDs to keep power consumption, and heat production, down.

The system comes with AMD Radeon R9 M290X graphics as standard, but this can be upgraded to AMD Radeon R9 M295X graphics. This is backed up by 8GB of RAM and a 1TB Fusion Drive, and there is the option of upgrading various components if you're happy to part with a little extra cash.

"A little extra", might not be entirely accurate. The baseline price for the new iMac with Retina 5K display is $2,499. For this money you get a system with a 3.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 offering Turbo Boost up to 3.9GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB Fusion Drive, 2GB graphics card, and -- of course -- the newly unveiled Yosemite. Two Thunderbolt 2 ports each provide a data transfer rate of 20Gbps. But $2,499 is just the starting price; you can pay much, much more if you are willing and able.

Fancy a 4.0GHz CPU? That'll be an extra $150. Bump the RAM up to 32GB? An extra $600. Add a larger hard drive, upgrade the graphics card, and the price soon adds up. Take advantage of all of the possible hardware upgrades -- including adding flash storage -- and the price rockets to $4,547. That's a lot of money, but you get a lot of computer for your cash.

Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing said:

Thirty years after the first Mac changed the world, the new iMac with Retina 5K display running OS X Yosemite is the most insanely great Mac we have ever made. With a breathtaking 14.7 million pixel display, faster CPU and graphics, Fusion Drive, and Thunderbolt 2, it’s the most beautiful and powerful iMac ever.

If you like the idea of getting your hands on one, head over to the Apple store and have your credit card at the ready.

Twitpic really IS closing, and the deadline is tight to back up your data

Publié: octobre 17, 2014, 12:30am CEST par Mark Wilson

Twitpic really IS closing, and the deadline is tight to back up your data

Twitpic was closing, then it wasn't. But now the champagne corks have been well and truly push back into the bottle after news of an acquisition turned out to be a false alarm. Users now have just one week to export their photos and data before Twitpic closes for good on 25 October. Company founder Noah Everett used the Twitpic blog to break the news, explaining that the photos and video sharing service will shut up shop in a week's time.

The last month and a half has been something of a rollercoaster ride for Twitpic and its users. After a trademark application dispute, the original closure announcement came on 4 September with the closure planned for 25 September. A lifeline appeared just two weeks later when it was announced that a buyer had been found.

The stay of execution was short-lived, however. Today it has been re-announced that the closure will be going ahead -- a full calendar month after the original closure date.

It's with a heavy heart that we re-announce that Twitpic will be shutting down again. More details on our blog [t.co]

— TwitPic (@TwitPic) October 16, 2014

Over on the Twitpic blog, Everett made the following statement:

It's with a heavy heart that I announce again that Twitpic will be shutting down on October 25th. We worked through a handful of potential acquirers and exhausted all potential options. We were almost certain we had found a new home for Twitpic (hence our previous tweet), but agreeable terms could not be met. Normally we wouldn’t announce something like that prematurely but we were hoping to let our users know as soon as possible that Twitpic was living on.

I’m sincerely sorry (and embarrassed) for the circumstances leading up to this, from our initial shutdown announcement to an acquisition false alarm.

Users are advised that their photos and data can be downloaded from their account page. If you want to safeguard your files, you'd better be quick because the clock is ticking once again.

Photo credit: ronfromyork / Shutterstock

Proof that Bing is trying to impersonate Google

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 10:59pm CEST par Dilraj Singh

bing A couple of days ago, I wrote an article about my impressions of the redesigns of Bing and how it seems to be changing in reaction to Google. It was getting to the point where it seemed as if they were trying to confuse users.

Some of the commentators disagreed vehemently. Some denied the changes, and said Google was copying Bing (what?!). Some said that this was the natural progression of design to a more minimalist view. While that second point does hold some merit, it doesn't explain the discrepancies between the Bing web search versus the larger Bing theme, especially the navigation bar underneath the search box and why these discrepancies happen to mimic Google.

Today, I have undeniable proof that Microsoft is trying to make Bing indistinguishable from Google. Take a look at these pictures below, chronologically (they show Bing before, Bing after, and then Google)

The first picture is similar to the screenshots in my old story. Now compare the first two (both Bing) pictures. Notice the grey bar at the top. Notice the navigation bar (web, image, videos, etc.) and the color change it has partaken. Now take a look at the last (Google) screenshot.

The navigation bar of Bing now looks almost exactly like that of Google. And this makes no sense! Orange/red is a Google theme, Bing should be using yellow (as they were). Further, the grey bar at the top is also a direct duplicate of Google's design.

Bing before

Bing after

Google

The only explanation is that they are imitating Google. Why? I am not quite sure. Normally, if you think you have a good product, you build a unique brand around it. Microsoft seems to be trying to dismantle Bing's brand. They renamed Bing apps to MSN, and now seem to be trying to steal traffic from Google in a slippery scheme. These changes can only be useful for tricking users that have been previously tricked into defaulting Bing as their search engine, and now don't even realize that they are using Bing -- not Google.

Do you have a better reason why Bing is trying out UI changes that imitate Google so closely?

Apple announces the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 -- thinner and faster

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 8:29pm CEST par Wayne Williams

ipad air 2 and ipad air mini

As is the case with all Apple announcements these days, rumors, speculation and leaks were rife ahead of the official iPad event, and pretty much all of what we were expecting to be revealed today, was revealed.

We expected Apple to refresh its iPad Air and iPad mini tablets, and that’s what we got in the shape of the iPad Air 2, and the iPad mini 3.

The iPad Air 2 is very, very thin. Showing it off for the first time Tim Cook joked to the assembled audience, "can you even see it?" The tablet is 6.1 mm thick -- that’s 18 percent slimmer than the previous Air, and less than half the thickness of the original iPad which was released back in 2010. The overall design of the tablet hasn’t changed, but why mess with a winning formula?

The iPad Air 2 is powered by a new A8X processor which offers 40 percent faster CPU speeds and 2.5 times faster GPU than the original iPad Air. It promises faster connectivity as well thanks to the inclusion of 802.11ac Wi-Fi with Multiple-In-Multiple-Out (MIMO) technology.

A new 8MP iSight camera offers 1080p HD video, burst mode photos, and time lapse and slo-mo videos. A new FaceTime camera allows for burst selfies, and single shot HDR and HDR video.

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Apple also claims the iPad Air 2 has the lowest reflectivity of any tablet and offers 10 hours of battery life.

It comes with the TouchID fingerprint sensor found on the newer iPhones.

As for pricing, the 16GB model will set you back $499, the 64GB version is $599, and the 128GB model is $699. The WiFi + Cellular model will cost $629 (16GB), $729 (64GB) and $829 (128GB).

Pre-orders start from tomorrow, with shipping by the end of next week.

The new iPad Air 2 is available in silver, space gray and gold -- matching the iPhone.

The smaller iPad’s refresh is less exciting -- the iPad mini 3 is powered by the same A7 chip as last year's model, but now comes with TouchID.

It is priced at $399 for the 16GB version, $499 for 64GB and $599 for 128GB.

Apple is now selling a bewildering array of iPads, with the iPad mini, iPad mini 2 and iPad mini 3 all still available. It has reduced its full-size iPad line up to just the iPad Air and Air 2.

The prices of the older models have all dropped by $100.

iPad comparison

TVMC simplifies XBMC for Android users, brings media to your mobile

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 8:17pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

TVMC

XBMC, which is now transferring to a new name of Kodi, to leave its old life being Xbox Media Center, has morphed into a top-notch option for HTPC and media buffs. But setting the service up has never been the simplest process, and it's been relegated to the more advanced users out there.

Now TV Addons has released TVMC for Android to simplify the setup process. Yes, XBMC runs on mobile devices as well as every computer platform.

"We just released our new user friendly custom build of XBMC for Android which is meant to make the whole process of getting started with XBMC a more inviting and less stressful one for the end user. It used to take about a half hour for a newbie to get XBMC setup, configured and ready to begin watching movies and television shows, now it takes about seven minutes including the download time", the company announces.

While the site claims "Google Play", the app doesn't appear to be there yet. However, you can side-load it from the TV Addons site. If you don't know how then there are a simple set of instructions to get the APK installed and running.

As always, be cautious with any APK file, but this one should not worry you. In a few minutes you'll be watching your media on your phone or tablet.

Investigation finds 'anonymous' Whisper app secretly tracks user location

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 8:10pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Investigation finds Whisper app secretly tracks the location of users

Following all of the NSA revelations, mass surveillance has increased the general level of paranoia to be found online -- although it could be argued that not all surveillance is bad. With everyone on such high alert it's little wonder that an app that described itself as "an anonymous social network that allows people to express themselves" should be so popular. Whisper encourages users to embrace the supposed anonymity it offers and reveal secrets they would not otherwise feel comfortable sharing.

An investigation by the Guardian found that the app is tracking the location of its users -- even those who have opted out of such tracking. As a result of the Guardian's report, Whisper amended its terms of service and introduced a new privacy policy. But the revelations will cause concern to users of the service, who sent more than 2.5 million messages per day.

Despite the claims of anonymity, Whisper is in fact able to determine the location of users to within 500 metres. Does this matter? Some of the messages posted via Whisper have been found to originate from within the White House -- one that reads "I'm so glad this app is anonymous. The press would have a field day if they knew some of the stuff I post on here", for example. Whisper assures its users that "We collect very little information that could be used to identify you personally" -- which you'll notice is very different to saying no data is collected.

The Guardian learned about the existence of in-house tools that Whisper can use to plot the location of messages on a map. Perhaps most worrying, this includes those users who has explicitly opted out of sharing their location. The privacy statement does state that "we use the information that we collect from you for internal purposes", but few users would expect that their expressed wishes would be directly opposed. The Usage Data section of the privacy documents states that "even if you have disabled location services, we may still determine your city, state, and country location based on your IP address".

The privacy page also now says that using Whisper means that it is possible "to make a determination as to your identity based on the content of your whispers as well as your general location". Whisper reveals that user data if often stored outside of the US: "This may be important to you, as the laws of the United States or such other countries may not be as protective of your personal information as the laws of your jurisdiction."

User location is valuable data, Like many other services, Whisper is keen to provide content that will be of interest to individual users -- this is very hard when dealing with "anonymous" users. But location can reveal a great deal about a user, hence Whisper's keenness to gather such information. The data could also be shared with third parties: "We may also partner with universities or other research institutions or scientists to use the limited information we have in anonymous, controlled research studies".

The Guardian's investigation also found that Whisper was sharing information with the FBI and MI5 for legal reasons, and working with the US Department of Defense to provide data about suicide and self-harm.

Michael Heyward, co-founder and CEO of Whisper, has described the service as "the safest place on the internet". In the light of the revelations, many users might disagree.

Photo credit: Lightspring / Shutterstock

CBS All Access delivers live and archived TV shows without a cable subscription

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 7:02pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

cbsdevices

As an American, I watch a lot of television -- it's kind of what we do. While baseball was once considered to be our national pastime, TV-watching has certainly replaced it. Quite frankly, it is not due to laziness, but quite the opposite -- we work a lot of hours, and have little time for anything but relaxing with our favorite shows. Not to mention, the quality of TV programming is very high right now.

One of my favorite channels is CBS, as it is home to the two best comedies on TV -- Big Bang Theory and Mom. Plus, you can't forget the awesome Under The Dome. The network has countless good shows, both past and present, and thanks to CBS All Access, consumption is only a small monthly fee away. Better yet, it does not require a cable subscription. Yes cord-cutters, the future is now -- access quality live and archived programming from the famed channel.

"Ready. Set. Binge! Get unmatched access to thousands of episodes -- from current seasons to complete past seasons of shows such as The Good Wife. Enjoy fan favorite hits like CSI:Miami and MacGyver. Catch up on your favorite shows or discover something completely new. We've made it easier than ever", says CBS.

The network further explains, "From tablets to smart phones, now there is no wait to catch up on the shows you love on the CBS App. Have it all at your fingertips as soon as they're available the very next day. Watch your local CBS broadcast as it happens-all from your mobile device or computer. Just sign in and enjoy live news, sports, special events and all the shows you love".

cbsmap

At $5.99 per month, it is a bargain to have so much content available 24/7. Not only are new shows represented, but old shows too, such as Brady Bunch, Andy Griffith and Family Ties. Hell, there are over 6,500 episodes in all, so if you can't find anything to watch, you simply aren't trying.

If you are interested, you can check it out here.

Watch the Apple iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 launch on a Windows PC

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 7:01pm CEST par Wayne Williams

Apple Store France

Apple always streams its major events live, but restricts them to existing users of Apple products.

If you want to watch today’s launch of the Apple iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3, you need to be viewing on Safari 5.1.10 or later on OS X v10.6.8 or later; Safari on iOS 6.0 or later. Streaming via Apple TV requires second or third-generation Apple TV with software version 6.2 or later. However, there is a way around this.

Download and install VLC Media Player, open the program, and click on Media at the top left. Go to Open Network Stream and paste in the network URL of the live Apple event.

This is: http://p.events-delivery.apple.com.edgesuite.net/14pounqefvoiubefvpiub10/m3u8/atv_mvp.m3u8

The event is live now.

Photo Credit: nui7711/Shutterstock

Why tablet sales are slowing

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 3:52pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

businessman on tablet

Remember those predictions about tablets taking over the world and putting good-old PCs out to pasture? Well, scratch that, as it is not happening, at least not in the foreseeable future. Sales are slowing this year, dramatically. The slate market is estimated to only grow by 11 percent, year-over-year, in 2014, falling short of the 55 percent increase that was registered in 2013. So why is this happening?

Well, if you ask Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, it is because "tablets are not smartphones". Giving the US market as example, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech highlights the fundamental differences between the two categories, pointing to long replacement cycles, impersonal nature, resilience and low perceived value of tablets as the main reasons for the sales slowdown.

The replacement cycles are indeed longer for tablets compared to smartphones. Kantar Worldpanel ComTech says that the subsidies that mobile operators provide are lower, and, therefore, do not encourage consumers to replace them every two years, as most do with smartphones. In US, for instance, an iPhone 6 can be had for $200 on a two-year contract ($450 subsidy), while an iPad Air can go for $530 (just $100 subsidy) also on a two-year contract. The up-front cost is prohibitive for the latter. (I'm using AT&T as example of mobile operator subsidies.)

At the same time, software upgrades keep tablets feeling fresh, even years down the road. Apple, the largest tablet manufacturer, supports iPad 2 in iOS 8, despite the tablet launching more than three years ago. And if it ain't broke, don't fix it, goes an old saying.

It is worth adding that new slates offer very little in the way of benefits, compared to older versions, to entice people to upgrade. An old iPad 2 is still able to run most apps that a new iPad Air can. Speaking of iPads, according to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, the first version has a usage share of 14 percent among Apple slates, surpassed by iPad 2 with 32 percent and iPad 3 with 16 percent.

Tablets are also shared with other people, mostly family members, with Kantar Worldpanel ComTech saying that as many as 20 percent of owners share their slates with family members. I do the same thing, as my other half and I use the same tablet, a Google Nexus 7, without issues. On the other hand, smartphones are treated as more personal items, which hold more private information such as call logs, messages and photos.

What's more, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech adds that even if they are replaced, 36 percent of owners keep their tablets, with half as many of them passing them on to their friends or family members. "Some tablet users are not replacing a tablet with a tablet, they are favoring hybrid or two-in-one devices", says Gartner in its latest forecast on tablet sales.

Meanwhile, the lack of interest from non-tablet users explains why tablet owners would rather pass them on. The research firm reveals that 54 percent of non-tablet owners are not interesting in buying a slate in the next year, and only 10 percent say they likely will while just three percent of them say they most definitely will. Of those who are against purchasing a tablet, 72 percent see their PC (desktop or laptop) as sufficing for the most part.

Photo credit: bloomua/Shutterstock

Protecting your PC is like defending a castle

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 3:46pm CEST par Ian Barker

ZoneAlarm_infographic_crop

Most people are aware that they need to have some form of protection on their PC if it's attached to the internet. Yet it seems that a lot of users still don't know how to properly protect themselves.

Many believe that the security software that comes with their PC is enough to protect them. Security company Check Point ZoneAlarm has released an infographic which shows that 71 percent don’t have both a firewall and antivirus solution on their PCs.

It also shows that 32 percent of PCs in the world have a malware infection and that unprotected machines are 5.5 times more likely to get infected. The graphic compares protecting your PC to defending a medieval castle, but don’t go heating the boiling oil just yet.

ZoneAlarm has also released a blog post on the results of the recent AV-TEST research which shows that its premium product out performs free offerings from Avast and AVG. The message being that relying on free solutions may not protect you as much as you think it does.

The key thing though is that whatever you use you need to have both a firewall and antivirus to provide protection. Otherwise it's back to the drawbridge and the suit of armor. More details in the infographic scroll below.

ZoneAlarm_Why-You-Need-Antivirus-and-Firewall640

Driver Booster 2 updates more drivers, adds rollback support

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 3:40pm CEST par Mike Williams

driver booster

IObit has released Driver Booster 2.0, a major update for its free driver updater.

An expanded driver database, now held online, and the ability to scan for unplugged devices should ensure the program finds even more updates.

Optional support for scanning "gaming components" -- Adobe Air, Flash, Shockwave, Java, DirectX, PhysX, more -- will keep those updated, too.

A simplified interface, smaller program and driver installation files and faster download speeds make the program more comfortable to use.

IObit also highlights a new "driver roll back feature" which restores drivers to a previous version "if the unexpected happens".

That’s rather more basic than it sounds -- the program just creates a system restore point before an update, and allows you to restore it later -- but any extra safety measures are welcome.

As previously, Driver Booster Pro adds more hardware support, earlier notification of driver updates, driver backup/ restore, free technical support and other extras, and a 1 year/ 3 PC license can be yours for $22.95.

That can seem expensive, especially if you also think automatic driver updaters are risky, and increase the chance of installing the wrong component (with potentially catastrophic results).

If you’re happy with the core idea, though, Driver Booster 2.0 is a good example of the type: fast, capable and extremely easy to use. Give it a try.

How can consumers stay secure as payment systems evolve? [Q&A]

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 2:49pm CEST par Ian Barker

Chip and pin card reader

Data breaches continue to make the news on a regular basis and payment details are high on the hacker’s shopping list when it comes to protecting information. We reported yesterday on Intel introducing a new secure solution for protecting payments and card providers are engaged in a continuing arms race to stay secure. The latest part of this is the introduction of more secure EMV (EuroPay, MasterCard and Visa) compliant payment terminals around the world. Banks are issuing the new chip cards as current cards expire or need replacement. Retailers are installing new chip-enabled terminals.

As the holiday shopping season approaches keeping your details safe as you hit the shops is at the top of many people's thoughts. We spoke to Carolyn Balfany, SVP, Product Delivery and EMV of payment card specialists MasterCard to find out about what consumers can do to help protect themselves as they shop.

BN: Have EMV technologies like chip and pin made a difference to the way criminals target payment card information?

CB: New chip cards have embedded computer chips which provide more layers of security. Chip cards generate a unique code with every purchase, which makes each purchase unique and prevents the creation of counterfeit cards.

BN: What does the upcoming EMV liability shift mean for consumers?

CB: The liability shift means a higher level of security for consumers. Liability for fraud will lie with the bank or retailer with the least secure technology. This is an incentive for banks to issue the new cards and retailers to update their terminals to accept the safest form of payments.

BN: Why has EMV taken so long to roll out in the US given that it's been the norm in Europe for some years?

CB: There are a few reasons. Historically the US has low levels of fraud due to sophisticated processes and technologies which identify potential issues, in many cases, before they happen. Therefore the move to chip cards was not as urgent in the US.

In addition the process for banks and retailers moving to chip cards takes time. It's as if the US decided to drive on the left-hand side of the road -- all cars, road signs, exit ramps and toll bridges would need to be modified. The US adoption of chip cards actually started back in 2012.

BN: How safe are contactless card payments and do they require additional safeguards?

CB: Contactless card payments are extremely safe due to the unique codes mentioned above. Your contactless card or device never leaves your hand, reducing the risk of it being lost or stolen. Safeguards are even in place to only charge once, even if you accidentally tap twice.

BN: What effect will non-card technologies like the new Apple Pay and other NFC systems have? Are these more or less secure than using a card?

CB: Digital payment platforms such as Apple Pay, Google Wallet and MasterPass will make mobile payments as easy and secure as using cards. Think of applying the security of chip cards in the online and mobile worlds.

BN: How worried should people be that if they're using a mobile phone for payments they risk losing their whole identity of they lose their device?

CB: When cardholders use their MasterCard cards they are protected by zero liability -- consumers are never held responsible for fraud. All MasterCard credit, debit, prepaid and small business cards issued in the US. MasterCard's zero liability policy in the US protects consumers and small businesses against card being fraudulently used in stores, online or at ATMs, including all signature and PIN tractions.

In addition there's identity theft resolution assistance. The program provides help in canceling missing cards and alerting credit reporting agencies, as well as targeting searches to detect if stolen personal and confidential data appears online.

As discussed above, chip or EMV cards provide an additional level of security. MasterCard cardholders can also download the InControl app. InControl allows cardholders, parents or employers to establish parameters for when, where and how their cards are used and even block transactions that they deem inappropriate. Additionally, it enables cardholders to receive real-time alerts about card activity via email or text message.

MasterCard has also worked with Apple Pay on security to protect our cards when they are used in connection with the iPhone 6. Apple Pay assigns a unique Device Account Number with a transaction-specific dynamic security code for every purchase. These codes or numbers are never stored on Apple servers and never shared with merchants. If iPhones are lost or stolen, features such as Find My iPhone can quickly put devices in Lost Mode. iPhones can also be wiped completely clean. Either way, both card numbers and identities are not accessible. For Android users, Google Wallet requires users to set up PINs that must be entered before making payments. Android phones also support a separate lock screen. Together, these two security features make it difficult for someone other than you to pay with your phone.

Image Credit: Sedlacek / Shutterstock

EssentialPIM 6 for Windows, and EssentialPIM 3.5 for Android arrive

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 2:21pm CEST par Mike Williams

essential pim

AstonSoft has announced the release of EssentialPIM Pro 6.0 and EssentialPIM Free 6.0 for Windows, and EssentialPIM 3.5 for Android, the latest editions of its popular information manager.

The Android build sees significant improvements, including Contacts support and the ability to set start and due times, as well as dates, for to dos.

There’s also a new start screen, assorted interface improvements and "numerous" bug fixes, while the Pro version can now show to dos in the calendar.

In EssentialPIM 6.0, smarter views now optionally show start/ end appointment times, and allow to dos to be sorted by Due Date.

A new Quick Filter bar and additional advanced filters make it easier to zoom in on the emails you need.

A smart Passwords option to clear the clipboard after an adjustable timeout should help to protect your logons.

EssentialPIM Pro 6.0 gains a new "Week Agenda" view, while Month views now have an adjustable number of weeks.

The Pro version can also automatically type passwords into web forms. It’s able to create to dos or appointments from selected text, and extended search features mean you can now search over custom fields, and save and apply search templates.

EssentialPIM Pro 6.0 is available as a free update to anyone with a lifetime license, or who purchased a "1 year of free updates" license after October 1, 2013 (click Help > About to check the dates for your installation).

EssentialPIM Free 6.0 is of course free to everyone, and downloads of each edition are available now.

When disaster strikes, Safety Check lets people know you're OK... via Facebook

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 1:19pm CEST par Mark Wilson

When disaster strikes, Safety Check lets people know you're OK... via Facebook

In times of natural disaster and chaos, people are increasingly turning to social media for news and updates. But while Facebook is a handy way to keep up to date with the latest news about Ebola, earthquakes, and other problems, it's also a valuable means of checking up on loved ones to make sure they're OK. Now the social network has a new tool that makes it easier than ever to let your friends and family know that you’re safe if you happen to be in or near a problem area.

It’s a simple idea. Facebook uses your statuses and check in details to determine where you are. If you happen to be in a disaster area, a message will pop up in your account or mobile app asking if you're OK. You can then indicate that all is well and your friends and family will be able to see that there is no cause for concern.

If you are with other people, you can also indicate that they are safe so not everyone in a party has to do so manually. Introducing the feature, Mark Zuckerberg said:

Safety Check is our way of helping our community during natural disasters and gives you an easy and simple way to say you're safe and check on all your friends and family in one place.

It's meaningful to be in Tokyo to announce this because the great earthquake and tsunami a few years ago inspired us to build the first version of this for Japan. Now we're glad to have this ready to serve everyone in the world.

There is, of course, a chance that Facebook will incorrectly decide that you re in a disaster area. Facebook explains that, "we'll determine your location by looking at the city you have listed in your profile, your last location if you've opted in to the Nearby Friends product, and the city where you are using the internet." Should your location be incorrectly detected, you can indicate that you are outside of the danger zone.

The feature is starting to roll out globally now.

Opera 25 arrives, finally adds full bookmark support, redesigns Start page

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 1:19pm CEST par Nick Peers

opera

Norwegian browser developer Opera has released Opera 25 FINAL, a landmark release of its web browser. The headline new feature is support for bookmarks.

The feature -- long overdue -- attempts to steal a march on Opera’s rivals by providing thumbnail images for each site that’s bookmarked. Also new in version 25 is a redesigned Start page and built-in PDF viewer.

Added support for bookmarks has been the number one feature request from disgruntled Opera users since the new Chromium-based version of Opera debuted back in July 2013.

Users can now add bookmarks via the heart button to the right of the main Address bar -- once clicked, users get a choice of images, plus the opportunity to file the bookmark directly into a folder (new or existing).

Existing bookmarks can be accessed from the Bookmark Manager, accessible via the Opera menu or by pressing [Ctrl] + [Shift] + [B]. Users browse by folder using the left-hand pane, with that folder’s bookmarks displayed on the right, either as a simple list or as a grid with the associated image used to maximum effect.

At the present time, there is no facility for importing bookmarks from other sources, but Opera is likely to implement this reasonably quickly in a future release.

Other changes in version 25 are note-worthy by themselves too. The Start page has been redesigned to use tiles instead of screenshots -- it’s inspired by Coast, Opera’s new iOS browser.

Version 25 also debuts a built-in PDF viewer that Opera promises is lightweight and fast, saving users the hassle of switching applications. Another change sees web notifications delivered as normal Windows or Mac notifications.

Version 25 also introduces support for H.264 video and MP3 audio, but there’s no sign yet of a stable Linux build -- it’s currently in Beta having moved one step closer to final release last month.

Opera 25 FINAL is available now as a freeware download for Windows and Mac. Linux users can road-test Opera 25 Beta, which can also be installed by Windows and Mac users alongside the existing Opera FINAL installation.

Thieves beware: Android 5.0 Lollipop packs kill switch

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 1:02pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

lock key smartphone iPhone

We have known for quite some time that the next incarnation of Android will pack a kill switch. This feature has long been requested, as it would prevent unauthorized reuse and, therefore, make a serious dent in smartphone and tablet theft. It is even imposed under Californian law, going into effect next year. But even though Google has not mentioned it yet, the kill switch is indeed baked into Android 5.0 Lollipop.

The kill switch in Android 5.0 Lollipop is officially known as "Factory reset protection", and is offered as an opt-in feature which only works in conjunction with a passcode. After it is enabled, the user's credentials (Google account and password) are required in order to reset the device, to allow a person other than the original user to use the device as intended.

A kill switch is not a new feature in the Android world, as Samsung has introduced it a while back, offering it with devices like Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4. But, given that Google's Android is the foundation for virtually every other distribution used by mobile device vendors, the benefits of a kill switch will basically be available to the entire Android 5.0 Lollipop user base, no matter which manufacturer makes those devices.

But, as you can see, there are disadvantages to Google's implementation. The kill switch is not enabled by default, which means that users will have to know about it and manually activate it, in order to take advantage of it. For the less tech-savvy it is fair to assume that the kill switch will probably remain disabled until Google makes it active by default (presumably, it will happen right before or when the Californian law goes into effect, to allow vendors to sell mobile devices in the state).

Also, the kill switch in Android 5.0 Lollipop needs a passcode, which is likely required every single time the user wants to unlock the device. That can be a nuisance and I can see why many would not bother to set it up. Google should have forgone this requirement, while still designing Android 5.0 Lollipop to ask for the user's credentials to disable the kill switch, making the security feature easier to deal with.

The Android 5.0 Lollipop kill switch may not be perfect right now, but it sure is a welcome addition and a feature many users will benefit from. It should also drive mobile device theft down, as thieves will find it incredibly harder to sell stolen devices, which are clearly someone else's property, to their (unsuspecting) customers.

Photo Credit: The To/Shutterstock

Will.i.am launches Puls -- the smartwatch that's not a watch

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 12:47pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Will.i.am launches Puls -- the smartwatch that's not a watch

It's not a watch. It's not a watch. It's not a watch. Despite appearances to contrary (it tells the time and is worn on the wrist for starters...), Black Eyed Peas' singer and tech fiend will.i.am is keen to assure us that his new wristband is most definitely not a watch. Unveiling the wearable, the smart cuff, the wristband -- call it what you will, as long as it's not a watch -- at Dreamforce in San Francisco, he showed off the fact that the Puls (pronounced Pulse, not Pulls) can be used to make calls without the need to be paired with a mobile phone.

It's a device that has been teased for quite some time now. Will.i.am has been seen on many occasions with the band on his wrist, but had resisted giving away too many details. Now we know it is a curved screen device complete with its own SIM card, 16GB of memory and 1GB of RAM, and a Siri/Cortana-bating voice recognition system called Aneeda (I need a...).

We could be seeing the start of a new breed of wearable. While Samsung produces smartwatches that can only be used in conjunction with Samsung phones, and Apple produces the Apple Watch that can only be used in conjunction with an iPhone, Puls has no such reliance. It is a standalone device that can be used to make and receive calls and text messages without the need for a separate handset. There's Wi-Fi and Bluetooth available, and SIM-mirroring means that if you do want to hang onto your phone, you can use the same number on both devices.

As you'd expect from a wearable, Puls is packed with sensors. There is, of course, a touch screen, but accelerometers and GPS are on hand to help with the health and fitness side of things, but there's also an emotion sensor that can allegedly detect the mood of the wearer. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, the Puls runs a forked version of Android and will be capable of playing music and used to run other apps. And that's about all we know. Oh... apart from learning that battery life is a bit, er, rubbish. We're promised five hours of continuous use, so you'll want to make sure you have a charger with you at all times.

At the moment we only know about US and UK launches. In the US the wristband will be carried exclusively by AT&T, while in the UK it will be carried by O2. No pricing or launch date details have yet been announced.

Photo credit: Tech Crunch

Phablet showdown: Google Nexus 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 12:27pm CEST par Team ITPP

nexus_6_vs_galaxy_note_4_contentfullwidth

Google has just launched a shiny new addition to its signature Nexus range, the Nexus 6. At a whopping 5.96-inch, this is a beast of a phone that is bang on the phablet trend sweeping the global smartphone market. But how does it square up to the other large-screened powerhouses scrapping for your attention?

We pit its specs against those of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 to see who (on paper) comes out on top.

Display

On the surface of things, the Google Nexus 6 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4 have virtually identical screen sizes. Measuring 5.96-inches and 5.7-inches respectively, there's very little difference between them.

This similarity carries through into the handsets' resolutions. Both boast 2,560 x 1,440 pixels, but the Nexus 6 has an ever so slightly lower pixel per inch density (ppi) of 493 compared to the Note 4's 513 ppi. At a glance with the naked eye you won't really see much of a difference though -- if anything, the raised ppi is just compensating for the slightly larger screen size on Samsung's flagship.

Camera

When we turn our attentions to the cameras, however, the differences become clear. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 packs a 16-megapixel camera compared to the Nexus 6's 13-megapixels.

Its front-facing camera is also more powerful, capturing 3.7-megapixels rather than the Nexus 6's 2.1- megapixels. In this round, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 comes out on top.

Under the hood

Pop open the hood, however, and the playing field levels again. Both phablets sport a powerful Snapdragon 805 processor with a Krait 450 CPU and Adreno graphics. They're very evenly matched, with the Nexus 6 only just nudging ahead with its slightly faster clock speed of 2.7 GHz.

It really is down to the wire though, and since both have 3,220 mAh batteries and both pack 3 GB of RAM, there's very little to separate these two phablets in this part of the specs sheet alone.

Verdict

Overall, these two heavyweights are pretty evenly matched. In the bare bones of their specs, including battery size, there is very little between them -- except perhaps the Samsung Galaxy Note 4's increased power and camera.

Still, it's important to consider pricing. The Note 4 is expensive, costing between $750 and $850 unlocked. The Nexus 6, meanwhile, packs decent specs at a much lower price ($650, for the 32 GB version).

It all comes down to whether you want to fork out the extra for those extra little improvements. For us? We'd stick with the Nexus 6.

	Google Nexus 6	Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (international))
Display
Screen size	5.96-inch	5.7-inch
Resolution	2,560 by 1,440	2,560 by 1,440
Pixel density	493	515
Type	LCD	Super AMOLED
Processor and battery
Family	Qualcomm Snapdragon 805	Qualcomm Snapdragon 805
CPU	Krait 450	Krait 450
Cores	4	4
Clock speed	2.7 GHz	2.7 GHz
GPU	Adreno 420	Adreno 420
Battery	3,220 mAh	3,220 mAh
Storage and memory
RAM	3 GB	3 GB
Internal storage	32GB/64GB	32GB/64GB
microSD	No	Yes
Camera
Rear	13 MP	16 MP
Video	1,080p	2,160p
Front	2 MP	3.7 MP
Wireless
Standard	4G LTE Advanced	4G LTE Advanced
Wi-Fi	802.11ac	802.11ac
NFC	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth	4. 0 LE	4.0 LE
Integrated Wireless Charging	Yes	No
Dimensions
Size	159.3 x 83 x 10.1 mm	153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5 mm
Weight	184 grams	176 grams
Operating system	Android 5.0 Lollipop	Android 4.4.4 KitKat
Price (Unlocked)	$649 for 32 GB/$699 for 64 GB	$750 - $850

The best tools for removing malware 2014

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 10:56am CEST par Ian Barker

Malware spy

Independent testing organization AV-Comparatives has released the results of its latest Real World Protection and File Detection tests showing which security products perform best at dealing with malware.

The Real World Protection test results are based on over 600 live threats including drive-by downloads, malicious URLs, and infected email attachments. 22 products were tested and rated against the 'out of the box' protection provided by Windows (80.4 percent).

The only product to achieve 100 percent protection in the tests was trend Micro Titanium Internet Security, though it did so at the expense of five false positives. Qihoo 360 Internet Security and Panda Cloud Free Antivirus both achieved 99.5 protection with Qihoo scoring no false positives and Panda six.

Kaspersky managed 99.3 percent with no false positives, Avira and BitDefender both scored 99.2 percent again with zero false positives. ESET came next with 98.7 percent and one false positive.

Other notable results were F-Secure which although it managed to block 97.2 percent of malware recorded a massive 66 false positives, and McAfee which blocked 94.7 percent with 36 false positives.

At the other end of the scale Lavasoft and AhnLab both managed 85.2 percent and no false positives. At the bottom of the pile ThreatTrack Vipre scored 84.4 percent with 14 false positives.

So much for protection. The File Detection test measures the product's ability to detect malicious files already present on a system. Products were tested against more than 126,000 malware samples, again the out-of-the box protection of Windows (9.8 percent of samples missed) is used as the benchmark.

No product achieved total detection, Kingsoft and Avira score best here, missing just 0.1 percent, followed by McAfee on 0.2 and Kaspersky Labs and Baidu both on 0.3 percent. Only two products missed more than two percent of samples, Fortinet on 2.1 percent and AhnLab on 6.3.

Looking at false positives ESET scored only one, Panda two, with Emsisoft, Escan and Fortinet on four and Panda five. At the other extreme Avast clocked 120 false alarms, yet still managed to miss 1.4 percent of the malware samples.

What we can conclude from all this is that choosing internet security tools is a balance. No one product offers perfect protection across the board and detection rates need to be set against the number of false alarms likely to be generated.

There's an interactive chart of the Real World Protection Test results and the latest plus previous reports are available on the AV-Comparatives site for both Real World Protection and Detection tests.

Photo Credit: Balefire / Shutterstock

O&O DiskImage 9 brings redesigned interface, Windows 10 support

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 10:53am CEST par Mike Williams

OODiskImage9

Berlin-based developer O&O Software has announced the release of O&O DiskImage 9, its one-stop drive imaging and file/ folder backup tool.

The most obvious change this time is the completely redesigned Start screen, where the program’s core backup and recovery functions are accessed via six chunky icons.

Simplified workflow means you’re able to back up your complete system, or individual files or volumes in a click or two. But there’s also all the powerful options available in previous editions: compression, encryption, incremental/ differential backup support, exclude filters, backups to VHD files, and more.

Elsewhere, there’s an enhanced image engine, improved Explorer integration, and better Plug and Play support for running backup jobs when you connect an external device.

There’s even support for running the program on Windows 10 Technical Preview, which could be useful for creating a VHD backup of your system drive for easy access somewhere else.

Trial builds of O&O DiskImage 9 and O&O DiskImage 9 (64-bit) are available now.

Smartphone showdown: Nexus 6 vs iPhone 6 Plus

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 9:56am CEST par Team ITPP

nexus_6_iphone_6_plus_contentfullwidth Google (with a lot of help from Motorola) has released the much-anticipated Nexus 6, updating its beloved Nexus 5 with an all-new look and beefed-up specs. But how does the Nexus 6 compare to other smartphones on the market?

More specifically, how does it fare against Apple's iPhone 6 Plus? Let's break down the specs and take a look.

Display

When Tim Cook revealed that the iPhone 6 would pack a 4.7in, 1,344 x 750 pixel resolution screen -- working out at a pixel density of just 326ppi -- last month, our hopes for the iPhone 6 Plus were somewhat dented. However, Apple came through. We were pleasantly surprised with its 5.5in, 1,920 x 1,080 pixel resolution display, however, its 401ppi doesn't come close to matching the Nexus 6's 493ppi. This despite the fact that the latter is also a great deal larger.

Camera

Unfortunately for Apple, iPhone 6 Plus also comes up short in the camera stakes. True, more megapixels don't always translate to better images, but an 8-megapixel rear snapper and a 1.2-megapixel front-facing one simply don't cut it in today's world. Google's done far better with its 13-megapixel primary camera but its 2-megapixel front-facing one -- though superior to that of the iPhone 6 Plus -- isn't exactly great.

Size & weight

With larger screens inevitably come expanded dimensions. Plenty of people aren't pleased with the sheer size of the Nexus 6, while a great deal of others are ecstatic that Google's decided to join the phablet league. The iPhone 6 Plus is absolutely enormous compared to the iPhone 6 but is still significantly easier to handle than the Nexus 6, especially if you have small hands. Your scalp might prefer the Nexus though.

Design

I'm afraid to say that Motorola's design, while instantly recognizable, just doesn't push the right buttons for me. The Nexus isn't ugly - most of its competitors are just much more attractive. The iPhone 6 Plus, in my opinion isn't quite as pretty as the 5S but is still up there with the HTC One and iPhone 6, in terms of looks.

Under the hood

Why Apple opted for a dual-core processor with a clock speed of 1.4GHz in the iPhone 6 is another mystery. On paper, the Nexus 6's 2.7GHz, quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor wins all day, but in reality, this could be a different case entirely. The battery war could be a different story though. While the Nexus packs a whopper, it also has a beat of a screen to power. The iPhone 6 Plus' 2,915mAh number, however, claims to deliver up to 24 hours of 3G talk time.

Check out the full specs table below.

	Google Nexus 6	Apple iPhone 6 Plus
Display
Screen size	5.9in	5.5in
Resolution	2,560 x 1,440 pixels	1,920 x 1,080 pixels
Pixel density	493ppi	401ppi
Type	IPS LCD	IPS LCD
Processor and battery
Family	Snapdragon 805	Apple A8
CPU	Krait 450	Cyclone
Cores	Quad-core	Dual-core
Clock speed	2.7GHz	1.4GHz
GPU	Adreno 420
Battery	3,220mAh	2,915mAh
Claimed 3G talk time		Up to 24h
Storage and memory
RAM	3GB	1GB
Internal storage	32GB / 64GB	16 / 64 / 128GB
microSD	Yes	No
Camera
Rear	13-megapixel	8-megapixel
Video	1,080p (Full HD)	1,080p (Full HD)
Front	2-megapixel	1.2-megapixel
Wireless
Standard	4G LTE	4G LTE
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac	Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac
NFC	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth	v4.0	v4.0
Integrated wireless charging	No	No
Dimensions
Size	159.3 x 83 x 10.1mm	158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1mm
Weight	184g	172g
Operating System	Android 5.0 Lollipop	iOS 8
Price (SIM-free)	Unconfirmed	$749 / $849 / $949
Availability	October 2014	September 2014

Phablet showdown: Google Nexus 6 vs Apple iPhone 6 Plus

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 9:56am CEST par Team ITPP

More specifically, how does it fare against Apple's iPhone 6 Plus? Let's break down the specs and take a look.

Display

Camera

Size & weight

Design

Under the hood

Check out the full specs table below.

	Google Nexus 6	Apple iPhone 6 Plus
Display
Screen size	5.9in	5.5in
Resolution	2,560 x 1,440 pixels	1,920 x 1,080 pixels
Pixel density	493ppi	401ppi
Type	IPS LCD	IPS LCD
Processor and battery
Family	Snapdragon 805	Apple A8
CPU	Krait 450	Cyclone
Cores	Quad-core	Dual-core
Clock speed	2.7GHz	1.4GHz
GPU	Adreno 420
Battery	3,220mAh	2,915mAh
Claimed 3G talk time	-	Up to 24h
Storage and memory
RAM	3GB	1GB
Internal storage	32GB / 64GB	16 / 64 / 128GB
microSD	No	No
Camera
Rear	13-megapixel	8-megapixel
Video	1,080p (Full HD)	1,080p (Full HD)
Front	2-megapixel	1.2-megapixel
Wireless
Standard	4G LTE	4G LTE
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac	Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac
NFC	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth	v4.0	v4.0
Integrated wireless charging	Yes	No
Dimensions
Size	159.3 x 83 x 10.1mm	158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1mm
Weight	184g	172g
Operating System	Android 5.0 Lollipop	iOS 8
Price (SIM-free)	$649/$699	$749 / $849 / $949
Availability	October 2014	September 2014

Open General and OpenPanzer are classic turn-based strategy games

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 8:48am CEST par Mike Williams

open panzer

If you’re a fan of turn-based strategy games -- or just very old -- you might remember Panzer General 2, the 1997 classic which tested your tactics across a range of brutal World War II battles.

Its varied campaigns, scenarios and engrossing gameplay ensured that Panzer General 2 is still remembered fondly today, but it’s not just about memories. The game has also been remade and reimagined in various forms, and old fans and newcomers can try them out for free.

Open General is an open-source Windows "evolution" of Panzer with some challenging and complex campaigns. Just one -- "Guderian’s Gambit…" -- makes you a panzer commander, and sees you tasked with eliminating the Poles and crushing the French, before heading east and attempting to take Moscow. (Yes, that’s often just as bad an idea in the game as it was in real life).

If you’re looking for a quick fix then there are several scenarios, single battles with a smaller, sometimes turn-limited goal: marching on Madrid, invading Malta, fighting in Salerno, North Africa, Normandy and more.

OpenPanzer is an iOS/ Android edition, but that doesn’t mean it’s in any way stripped down. You can play either an Axis or Allied general across lengthy campaigns and 32 scenarios, moving 4,000 historically-accurate units across 20 terrain types as you fight for eventual victory.

Both versions have a familiar interface. You start with various units on a hex-based map, move them around, discover enemy units when they’re within range, then make best use of your men’s abilities to achieve victory.

As you work through the campaign, so your units gain experience, earn prestige points to help them upgrade, or you can buy new units from the Purchase screen.

If you don’t play this kind of game so often then the many options can seem a little intimidating at first, but tutorial scenarios will help you get started, and you’ll master the basics quickly enough.

There are some very modern features for such an old-school game, too, including OpenPanzer’s ability to save and restore games to the cloud for playing on other devices.

The learning curve and relatively basic graphics mean Open General and OpenPanzer won’t be for everyone, but the core gameplay is still great, and if you like your entertainment to have real depth then it’s worth a look.

Things heat up as IFTTT teams with Honeywell for new evohome thermostat technology

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 5:34am CEST par Alan Buckingham

ifttt-honeywell-evohome-iphone

If This Then That, better know as IFTTT, is a system for customizing what happens with various devices. Pretty much anything you can dream up can be programmed in, and the service has moved now into the home automation field.

The company is announcing integration with Honeywell's new thermostat. The evohome systems now have a custom channel, bringing even more to the growing Internet of Things offerings from IFTTT. This brings the total products up by one more.

"Now evohome can work with the 134 connected products and services -- from weather services and iOS/Android locations to calendars and even sports apps, allowing users to have even more control over their connected home -- and home heating", the company states.

There are many options available here -- users can set the heat to turn on and off based on outside temperature -- drops below 40 F? Turn it on. Rises above? Turn if off. Pretty simple stuff, really.

"We are really excited to expand the level of control that users can have with our smart thermostat by making evohome even more connected -- and this is just the beginning. Over time IFTTT support will enable us to have even deeper integration, and use evohome as the trigger for other channels. For instance, users will be able to dictate: ‘IF evohome says that it is above 22 degrees Celsius in the nursery, THEN send me a text message'", says Jeremy Pearson of Honeywell.

Now all you have to do is get the thermostat and start enabling things. It isn't difficult either. Most casual users won't have a problem setting all of this up.

X-Doria KidFit is a watch-like wearable for children -- tracks sleep and activity

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 3:34am CEST par Brian Fagioli

watch1

Many kids nowadays are lazy and sedentary. They come from school, sit on the couch, eat Go-Gurt and watch nonsense like Adventure Time. Actually, swap the Go-Gurt for Teddy Grahams and Adventure Time for Heathcliff and it sounds like my youth, but I digress. Kids don't play outside enough and thanks to smartphones and tablets, they don't get as much sleep as they should. Hell, can you blame them? If I had an iPad in the 80s, I never would have slept.

Today, a new product called KidFit from a company called X-Doria becomes available. In a nutshell, it is a watch-like wearable that you strap onto your kids, so you can track both their activity and sleep patterns. While some may claim the use of such a product is lazy parenting, I disagree; utilizing this technology is a proactive approach to combatting obesity and fatigue.

"An easy and intuitive interface, Bluetooth 4.0 technology and a straightforward one-button design, makes setup easy. User's simply download the KidFit app, press one button on the KidFit wristband and answer a few simple questions. KidFit will then automatically set daily activity and sleep goals for a quick start. Parents looking to further refine their child's KidFit goals can customize active time and sleep goals, amongst other settings at any time. KidFit is housed in a colorful, 'slap-band' style wristband that provides a continually adjustable, secure fit. With an IPX3 water-resistant rating and rechargeable battery capable of up to seven days of monitoring, KidFit is a true 24/7 activity monitor", says X-Doria.

watch2

The manufacturer further explains, "rather than just counting steps or calories, KidFit motivates a behavior change in children by making activities into a game, and encouraging any form of activity to meet daily goals. Built-in challenges centered around key measures of health, encourage continued engagement for both the short and long term. Goals focus on key metrics such as hitting your daily target score, getting enough sleep and distance traveled, so children are rewarded when goals are met. Parents can also create custom goals tied to real world rewards for extra motivation".

watch3

The device itself is rather inexpensive at $49.99 and comes in fun colors, such as black, aqua, hot pink, yellow and red. Best of all, it works with both iOS and Android, so most parents' smartphones and tablets will be compatible. If you are interested, you can order it here.

Would you strap a wearable to your child 24/7? Tell me in the comments.

Parlez-vous l'internet? Google Translate gains new Chrome extension

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 2:19am CEST par Mark Wilson

Parlez-vous l'internet? Google Translate gains new Chrome extension

The web is truly worldwide, the epitome of globalization and the ever-shrinking world. As much as the McDonaldization of the world means that cultures are on an homogenizing course, there are still plenty of differences to embrace -- language is one of them. Spend just a little time surfing the web and there's a reasonable chance that you'll encounter a foreign language site, or at least a few words and phrases that are beyond your high school French and Latin.

Enter stage right Google Translate. This service of course n'est pas nouveau. In fact Google Translate has been around for ages. Mais maintenant il y a un Chrome extension that makes the translation process easier than ever. Oubliez visiting a dedicated website, now your translation is a mere click away.

Grab yourself a copy of the newly announced Google Translate Chrome extension and you'll be able to quickly translate passages of text or individual words by highlighting and right clicking. This is a handy option if you're reading an article that contains a few foreign words, but you still have the ability to translate entire pages.

Chrome will usually offer to translate web pages that are written in a foreign language, but should this not happen automatically, you can instigate it manually. Rather than highlighting words to translate, just click the Google Translate toolbar button in Chrome and the whole page will be converted to the language of your choice.

Grab a copy of the extension and get translating!

Photo credit: Lemon Tree Images / Shutterstock

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‘Keep up the hard work and we'll freeze your eggs’, say Apple and Facebook

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 1:30am CEST par Claire Woffenden

woman-freezer

From serving up free meals to providing on-site massages, companies are always looking for innovative ways to recruit and keep talented staff. But is paying for women to freeze their eggs a step too far?

Facebook and Apple, it was revealed this week, will help their female employees in the US pay for the cost of freezing and storing their eggs.

According to an NBC News report, Facebook started covering up to $20,000 in egg freezing expenses earlier this year, while Apple will start offering the perk to US-based staff from next January.

The generous offer will provide women with a way to juggle their personal and working lives, the companies claim. It will empower women by alleviating the pressure of having children before a certain age.

For many women, this is a positive step taken by Facebook and Apple -- the tech giants are investing in women and showing they will support them. It addresses the conflict women face between hitting their career goals and a desire to start a family.

Technology is still a male-dominated industry with clear issues around female career progression and pay equality. It was only last week that Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella raised eyebrows by answering a question about male-female pay discrepancy by suggesting women should not ask for a raise, as it was “good karma” not to.

By becoming one of the first employers in the tech sector to offer this, Facebook and Apple could be praised for giving women a choice and helping to remove a major financial barrier in their decision to delay having kids.

But for many, the message that women need to defer childbirth if they want to do well in their jobs is just plain wrong. "Creepy", "intrusive", "invasive" and "dark" are some of the words commentators have used to describe the news.

However well-intended the benefits are, it is a bit of an extreme way of levelling the gender playing field at work.

Let's face it, it’s ultimately about getting women to stay with a company longer, saving money on recruiting and hiring costs and cutting pregnancy-related costs in the long term.

Surely it would be more empowering for tech companies to concentrate on making it easier for talented women to have children when they want to rather than make them feel pressured to focus solely on their career.

Instead of leaning on women to work through their most fertile years, companies could be more flexible about working hours for parents. Should it really be that women have to postpone having children in order to succeed in the workplace.

Image Credit: Kzenon / Shutterstock

'Keep up the hard work and we'll freeze your eggs', say Apple and Facebook

Publié: octobre 16, 2014, 1:30am CEST par Claire Woffenden

woman-freezer

Facebook and Apple, it was revealed this week, will help their female employees in the US pay for the cost of freezing and storing their eggs.

According to an NBC News report, Facebook started covering up to $20,000 in egg freezing expenses earlier this year, while Apple will start offering the perk to US-based staff from next January.

However well-intended the benefits are, it is a bit of an extreme way of leveling the gender playing field at work.

Let's face it, it’s ultimately about getting women to stay with a company longer, saving money on recruiting and hiring costs and cutting pregnancy-related costs in the long term.

Image Credit: Kzenon / Shutterstock

4 vital ways collaboration can save your business

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 11:29pm CEST par Susanna James

office collaboration

Since the global recession, many businesses have struggled to recover. For those that have survived, there are several areas where improvements must be made and belts must be tightened in order to ensure the business gets back to, and exceeds, 2007 levels of profitability and success.

There are several areas which businesses struggle with today, such as cutting costs, increasing efficiencies, and satisfying clients and employees. The adoption of enterprise cloud collaboration software can help businesses to address these issues and ensure that they stay strong and grow increasingly successful. Here are four areas where enterprise cloud collaboration software can help businesses improve and ensure they stay afloat during the tough times.

1. It saves money and increases efficiency

An enterprise cloud collaboration platform is ultimately designed to make people work more efficiently. An integrated platform will encompass several business solutions into one, acting as a complete portal for work of all kinds.

Combining project management, intranets, external collaboration and file sharing in one platform, along with solutions for data management and transactional requirements, means that everything is held together in one system. There’s no confusion about where information is stored; there’s no need for time-consuming training on multiple platforms; no issues with integration as all the solutions are part of the same system.

Centralizing all of this in one place means that everyone in the business has access to this repository of information. There is clear visibility about where they’re at with different projects, connects team members, and enables team members to communicate in a frictionless way.

Enterprise cloud collaboration platforms also enable people to work from anywhere on any device, helping them to work from their smartphone or tablet from anywhere, not just the office but from home, clients’ offices, or on the move.

2. It helps businesses work more easily with external parties and clients

Working with external parties can be problematic, and extends beyond simply sharing files with people outside the organization. The trouble lies in how to work with customers, consultants, partners, anyone who don’t have access to internal systems, such as the intranet or collaboration platform.

Most organizations will have an internal collaboration platform of some sort, whether that’s SharePoint or something else, but opening it up to external users can be extremely difficult. Without a simple solution, people drop back to using email or other systems that are not effective or secure.

Share information and work more freely with clients by using an enterprise collaboration platform as an extranet. Clients will like being able to access all the information they require in one secure space, and they will appreciate the openness that the business offers them. Allow clients to access their own billing information in the system, and gain access to any information or documentation relating to their account.

What’s more, a unified collaboration solution can give people the ability to work in one place, blurring the lines between internal "intranet" work and external “extranet” work. Staff internally can work just as easily with customers as they could with colleagues. They don’t need to context switch between an intranet and an extranet, which improves efficiency and makes them more productive.

3. It helps promote openness and integrity in the business

Working social is about emphasizing people and connections. Instead of pivoting around data, files or information, social businesses pivot around people. It means making sure everything that is created is connected to a person, and people can see and connect with each other freely and easily.

Also, this means that everything is out in the open for all employees to see. This kind of transparency is good as it develops a deeper level of trust and investment in an organization among the employees.

It is important to note, however, that permissions can be set which can limit access to confidential files, and an individual’s activity is only visible to colleagues with access to the same sites.

Working in the open encourages productivity as people are motivated to work harder by the sense that their work is visible and colleagues are interested enough to look at it. Team collaboration is aided by working transparently and in one place, which allows colleagues to work together on ideas and documents. And knowledge can be easily shared throughout a company without any additional effort involved.

4. It inspires innovation and enables you to share ideas

An enterprise cloud collaboration platform with social networking built in enables colleagues to share knowledge and best practices, breaking down organizational or hierarchical boundaries, work in the open, and gain a peripheral vision of what’s going on around the organization.

Prevent knowledge or information from getting trapped in silos (such as inboxes and shared drives) where it’s hard to discover it in the future.

When organizations are using an innately social system to manage projects, share files, collaborate with one another, they are inherently sharing that knowledge and making sure that it’s being captured and shared across the organization. With access to this knowledge, innovation is encouraged. When people are exposed to new ideas and stimulating information, they gain new ideas instead of solving the same problems over and over again.

And this is key to being a successful, ever-growing business.

Photo Credit: Pressmaster/Shutterstock

Susanna James is Copywriter and Marketing Executive at HighQ. She specializes in social business and content marketing. Her expertise lies in helping companies streamline the way they work and improving how they collaborate through enterprise technologies and social tools.

Google and Asus launch Nexus Player for video, music and game-playing

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 6:51pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Google and Asus launch Nexus Player for video, music and game-playing

Well... Android Lollipop (née Android 5.0), the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 were expected, but Google managed to sneak a little 'one more thing' addition to today's batch of announcements. Nexus Player, as you'd probably guess from the name (and certainly from the headline), is a streaming media device. But in addition to catering for all your video and music streaming needs, the device also doubles up as a games console.

In many ways the Nexus Player is an extension of Chromecast -- there is even casting support. Google has teamed up with Asus to bring us a device that not only streams media, but also streams games from phones and tablets. And this aims to be more than a console for casual gamers; there's even a gamepad that's very reminiscent of the Xbox One controller.

The device itself takes the appearance of a big, black period. Google says that "the Nexus Player console is designed to fit beautifully alongside your current home entertainment setup", and it certainly wouldn't look out of place next to most TVs. We've already mentioned the gamepad which owes quite a lot to the Microsoft design team and there's also a remote -- which this time borrows ideas from Roku. The Player is powered by a 1.8GHz quad-core Atom processor which opens up the opportunity to play 3D games.

In the box you'll get a Nexus Player and a remote -- sadly, the controller is going to be sold separately. The remote is a simple-looking affair with just four buttons and a direction ring. Google says that it is suitable for "playing casual games", so it should afford enough control to allow for a quick game of Angry Birds or Candy Crush Saga from the sofa -- and you can then pick up from where you left off on your phone or tablet. The remote is more than a standard buttoned controller. There's also voice activation which can be used for controlling media playback, as well as playing games.

Nexus Player is primarily a streaming media device and there is tight integration with other platforms. Content can be cast from Android, iOS, Windows and OS X, with playback position synced between devices making it easy to switch platforms mid-movie. There's already support for a wide range of apps such as Plex, Netflix and Hulu, but content can also be purchased from the Play Store.

The Nexus Player, like the Nexus 9, is available to pre-order from 17 October and will ship 3 November. Google has confirmed that the Nexus Player with remote will cost $99.99, and will come with $20 of Google Play credit. The optional controller will cost $39.99.

New Intel technology helps safeguard the payment process

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 6:45pm CEST par Ian Barker

Happy shopper card

Recent high profile data breaches involving retailers have led many people to have doubts about the security of transactions.

Chip maker Intel has today announced a new data protection technology that will both address these concerns and help speed up the roll out of internet of things devices in retail environments.

Intel Data Protection Technology for Transactions adds an extra layer of software to protect the payment process. This complements other security and authorization technologies. The software sits on an Intel chipset and creates a secure pathway between the retailer's point of sale system and the servers.

The solution supports all modern forms of credit and debit payment including EMV (Europay, Mastercard and Visa), magnetic stripe and near field communication (NFC) transaction readers, including Google Wallet, Softcard and Apple Pay.

"This solution introduces a significant improvement in today's retail transaction data protection without costly hardware upgrades, and provides retailers a path for adopting new Internet of Things technologies," says Michelle Tinsley, director of Mobility Retail and Payments at Intel. "It also sets the stage to expand to other industries such as financial services, healthcare or even government agencies".

The client software is available now and the full solution is expected to be available to retailers by the end of next year. More information is available on the Intel website and there’s an overview of how it works in infographic form below.

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Image Credit: Sergey Nivens / Shutterstock

Google wants you to suck it -- reveals Android 5.0 Lollipop

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 6:43pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

Lollipop Forest

Android 5.0 has been highly anticipated; fans of Google's operating system have been speculating for months about what it would be like. Hell, people have even been wondering what the name may be. You see, Google sticks to an alphabetized convention using tasty treats -- Cupcake, Jellybean, KitKat -- you get the idea.

Android 5.0 is the letter L and after much wonder, the name is revealed -- Lollipop. I guess you could say that the new version of the operating really sucks, eh? Actually, it looks quite incredible and the new version furthers Google's lead over Apple's iOS from a features perspective.

"Lollipop is made for a world where moving throughout the day means interacting with a bunch of different screens -- from phones and tablets to TVs. With more devices connecting together, your expectation is that things just work. With Lollipop, it's easier than ever to pick up where you left off, so the songs, photos, apps, and even recent searches from one of your Android devices can be immediately enjoyed across all the other ones", says Sundar Pichai, SVP, Android, Chrome and Apps.

Pichai further explains, "and because we're using our devices a lot more, there's a new battery saver feature that extends the life of your device by up to 90 minutes -- helpful if you're far from a power outlet. We've enabled multiple user accounts and guest user mode for keeping your personal stuff private. And you can now secure your device with a PIN, password, pattern, or even by pairing your phone to a trusted device like your watch or car with Smart Lock. But this is just a small taste of Lollipop".

A small taste? Hah! Pun much, Google? While the new operating system is sure to have a ton of new features, users will want to experience them on their own. Luckily, Google is releasing all-new Lollipop devices -- the Nexus 6 and 9 -- a smartphone and tablet, respectively. Google is also releasing the Nexus Play; the first TV media device to run Android TV, which also uses Lollipop as an OS.

Don't worry though, if you are happy with your current Nexus or Google Play Edition device, it will be coming to Nexus 4, 5, 7, 10 and Google Play edition devices "in the coming weeks".

Are you excited for Android 5.0 Lollipop? Tell me in the comments.

Google takes the wraps off Nexus 6, Nexus 9 [Update]

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 6:30pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Google Nexus 6

It is estimated that one in three smartphones shipped in 2018 will be a phablet, which is more than double their projected share for 2014. For Google -- with Android still likely to run on the majority of phablets -- helping developers to properly optimize their apps for larger screens has become a top priority. Ensuring that Android phablets provide a great user experience is paramount; otherwise, users may jump ship to Apple's iPhones or Microsoft's Windows Phones.

So, today, Google takes the wraps off its first phablet, Nexus 6. It is the embodiment of all the great features we have come to expect out of a phablet from late-2014: super high-resolution screen, super fast processor, solid cameras, very thin bezels and a huge battery. As expected, Google also announced a new tablet, the first one to come since July 2013, called Nexus 9. It does not disappoint either. Of course, both run the new Android 5.0 Lollipop, which is shipping in the next few weeks.

But, first off, let's talk about Nexus 6. The Motorola-made handset packs a whopping 5.96-inch screen with a resolution of 1,440 by 2,560; that equates to a pixel density of 493. The resolution has become standard for flagship smartphones launched in the second half of 2014, so it is only natural that Google would want to use it in a phablet which will most likely be its only one for a year. It is also a resolution for which few titles are optimized, which makes that much more relevant.

Power comes from a 2.7 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor, coupled with 3 GB of RAM, and a 3,220 mAh battery. By the looks of it, battery life will be better than with past Nexus smartphones. Turbo Charge will ensure that, after just 15 minutes of charging, it will add around six hours of battery life, which is nice.

On the back, there is a 13 MP camera, which features optical image stabilization (OIS). It has a large f/2.0 aperture, which should mean great image and video quality in low light. It is a welcome upgrade coming from Nexus 5, which camera boasts a smaller f/2.4 aperture, but still offers OIS. On the front, there is a 2 MP shooter, which should be good for selfies and video chats.

Nexus 6 is offered in two storage options: 32 GB and 64 GB. Naturally, there is 4G LTE connectivity on board, as well as other typical features like NFC and Bluetooth 4.0 LE. It also packs stereo front-facing speakers, like HTC One (M8).

Available color options are Cloud White and Midnight Blue. It will cost $649 off-contract, according to Motorola, and Google says it will go up for pre-order later this month. Nexus 6 will be offered at AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, US Cellular (on-contract) as well as Best Buy (on-contract as well, probably), Motorola's online store and Google Play (unlocked). Nexus 6 will go on sale in 28 countries in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific later this year and "into Q1" 2015, says Motorola.

T-Mobile has already announced that Nexus 6 will be through its online and brick and mortar stores starting November 12, for $0 down coupled with $27.08 monthly payments for two years, on its Equipment Installment Plan.

It is worth noting that Google will keep selling Nexus 5 alongside it, probably because lots of people have asked it to, in the same trims as before: black or white, with 16 GB or 32 GB of internal storage. Nexus 5 is currently listed from $349 on Google Play.

As far as Nexus 9 is concerned, Google's new tablet -- which is made by HTC -- packs an 8.9-inch display with a resolution of 1,536 x 2,048. That resolution is what Apple uses in its Retina iPads; it is also the first important Android tablet with a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Power comes from a 64-bit 2.3 GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra K1 processor, with 2 GB of RAM, and a 6,700 mAh battery. It ships with 16 GB or 32 GB of storage, depending on which version you get. There is also a 4G LTE version with 32 GB of internal storage offered.

Google Nexus 9

For those who like to take photos with their large tablets, Google has opted for an 8 MP camera on the back and a 1.6 MP shooter on the front. Since the latter will probably get the most use, the relatively low megapixel count (compared to other Nexus devices) is likely to disappoint, at least when it comes to selfies and video chats (1080p is out of the question). Other noteworthy specs include NFC and Bluetooth 4.0 LE as well as BoomSound stereo, front-facing speakers.

Nexus 9 comes in at 8.9 x 6.05 x 0.31 inches. It weighs 425 grams for the Wi-Fi models, and 436 grams for the cellular version.

Nexus 9 will be available starting November 3, with pre-orders kicking off on October 17. According to The Verge, it costs $399 for the 16 GB model, $479 for the 32 GB version and $599 in the 4G LTE trim.

Update: This story has been updated with additional information regarding Nexus 6 colors, price and availability, and Nexus 9 hardware specifications and price.

Why the government needs access to your data

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 6:10pm CEST par Paul Cooper

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We are in Brussels at the 27th annual Information Security Solutions Europe Conference (ISSE), one of Europe's largest gatherings of cyber security experts.

Troels Oerting of the Danish police gave a fascinating opening keynote defending the right of the police to use surveillance over the Internet. It certainly ruffled some feathers in Brussels, but here are some of the highlights so you can make up your own mind.

troels_oerting_headshot_original At the moment I'm taking a lot of flak from privacy people on the Internet, because I want police and law enforcement to have access to people's data on the Internet.

I know this is controversial. We all live in European countries, and you might have a government you trust, who gives you rules about how you live in the world.

We also give our government the right to interfere in our basic rights to freedom, to private ownership or free speech, so that when police see someone committing a crime, we can act. So when I acted in the Danish police, I could arrest them and deprive them of freedom. I could also use violence against people -- I had a baton, and pepper spray. And of course ultimately I was able to actually kill people if I deemed it necessary.

I could put bugs in people's homes, and use surveillance. These are the rules we have in the real world, and if we didn't have them, people wouldn't act in the way we want them to. If there were speed limits on the motorways, but no police to enforce them, would people follow the speed limits? Of course not. Some would, of course, but most would not.

I want you to imagine a world where a car was going too fast, but because there was no law about having number plates on your car, and the police are unable to identify the car. Or what about if we knew there was a ton of cocaine in a house, but because of a special kind of door and lock, we were unable to get inside. The criminals could just be watching us as we try. In that world, it's not law or reason that would be in charge, but the strongest people. That's the world I'm afraid of.

If civilians want intelligence services to stop spying on them, they will fail. They're better than we are, and they'll find a way.

As for the four billion people on the Internet, I think they have no idea what they're getting into, or what's out there. Someone has to protect them. And if you can't trust your police or your government, you should vote them out. Because if you can't trust them, you're only left with the strongest.

Cybercrime isn't a new kind of crime -- it's the same old crimes, now being facilitated by the Internet. Before, if you needed drugs or weapons or whatever, you might go to some bar in the city where you knew you had contacts. Now, you just order them on the Internet. And in the future, we'll see these things being delivered by drone. Why not? Why get yourself involved when you can just send a drone. Who can identify a drone? I can't, at least.

As more people get online, we'll get a wider attack surface, and because of this we'll see more crime -- and as more crime develops, we'll see fewer people getting caught for it. What we have to do is educate our citizens that they shouldn't share everything with everybody, which they currently do now. It's so easy for criminals to create an app that's full of malware and give it you for free. You have to learn: if you're getting something for free on the Internet, you're probably the product.

I think we all know that the third world war will begin in cyberspace. Of course we will still need soldiers. But at the outset infrastructure will go dark -- the television will go dark, the lights will go dark, and then the soldiers will come.

Right now, the vast proportion of cyber criminals are from the Russian world. It's a huge problem for us, and they're very, very skilled. We have to make it unattractive to be a criminal regardless of where you come from. We have to have a conversation about how to secure the Internet -- not for the tech savvy, not for you and me, but for my mother and father, my brothers and sisters, who just use it, and don't know what's waiting out there for them.

Cut the cord -- HBO will offer standalone streaming service in 2015

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 6:03pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

Satisfied Happy Businessman Relaxing Office

Cable providers see the writing on the wall. They will eventually become internet services and nothing more, but for now each is fighting this future. The battle took a turn against those TV services recently. HBO has dealt the latest blow.

For the moment, the HBO app requires the user to verify a subscription by adding information for a cable or satellite provider. That's bad for cord-cutters -- it means they simply can't get the HBO service. However, that requirement will be changing in 2015.

HBO president Richard Plepler, speaking at the Time-Warner Investor Meeting explained his plans for the future of the TV service in the US. He estimated 10 million homes now have broadband only, and that the number was expected to grow.

"That is a large and growing opportunity that should no longer be left untapped. It is time to remove all barriers to those who want HBO", Plepler claims. "So, in 2015, we will launch a stand-alone, over-the-top, HBO service in the United States. We will work with our current partners. And, we will explore models with new partners. All in, there are 80 million homes that do not have HBO and we will use all means at our disposal to go after them".

It's about time. People have been begging for this option for ages and it will finally arrive next year. It can't come soon enough for many customers. It likely is just the beginning of the end for cable providers.

Photo Credit: wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock

Cloud-based security and why it's here to stay

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 4:38pm CEST par Ian Barker

cloud security

As the popularity of cloud services has grown, so have concerns over the security of the data that's stored on them. This has led security vendors to adapt and develop solutions for the new environment.

A new report by security company NSS Labs looks at the rise of cloud security solutions and at the business demands driving their adoption, as well as the limitations and potential hidden costs in their use and recommendations for enterprises.

Findings include that many cloud security appliances and services are from new vendors rather than established providers, something which significantly complicates integration. Also a key feature of many data protection services -- manipulating data before it heads to the cloud -- can require organizations to deploy new critical assets, such as databases and servers and lead to new processes and potential expenses.

Ensuring compliance with organizations' unique regulatory and other requirements is a critical issue too, as is accounting for any gaps that exist between on-premises security and the cloud.

NSS recommends that enterprises deal with these issues by conducting thorough testing of all SaaS tools, either in-house or through a trusted third party, and that they include mobile platforms in their testing.

They also need to perform total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis on any SaaS solution, and take into account the cost required to change vendors including any updates to security. Legacy applications need to be mapped to existing security functions in order to understand their dependencies. The final recommendation is that businesses don’t outsource security related to mission-critical applications or business functions.

The report’s authors conclude, "The decision to rely on virtual security appliances or SaaS products for the protection of enterprise data presents a dilemma for organizations. While there is interest in leveraging cloud services, if security components cannot be seamlessly integrated to the cloud, organizations will experience gaps in their security architecture that could increase risk and expose sensitive data. Vendors must go beyond merely offering cloud-based services; they must prove that they can extend existing on-premises security controls to the cloud while maintaining regulatory compliance and controls".

The full analyst brief is available to download as a PDF from the NSS Labs website.

Photo Credit: Slavoljub Pantelic / Shutterstock

Ireland in tax clampdown targeting Microsoft, Apple, Google, and more

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 4:05pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Ireland in tax clampdown targeting Microsoft, Apple, Google, and more

The Irish government is phasing out the so-called 'Double Irish' finance scheme that currently enables companies such as Google and Apple to slash millions (or even billions) of dollars from their tax bills. The scheme works by companies, regardless of where they may be operating in the world, collecting their profits through an Irish office (where tax is already low), and then funneling the money through a subsidiary company located in another tax haven by means of royalty payments.

Companies, like individuals, are understandably keen to keep their tax bills down as much as possible, and will jump through lots of hoops to reduce the amount of tax they have to pay. Offshore bank accounts, subsidiary companies and the like might sound like the makings of something illegal -- which it can be -- but it's a legitimate way to reduce costs. But the fact that something is legitimate doesn't mean that it's popular. At least it's not something that is popular with governments.

In both the UK and the US, concern has been voiced at the level of tax that has been avoided. It is important to reiterate that tax avoidance is entirely legal; tax evasion is an entirely different matter. No one is suggesting that Google, Microsoft, Apple, et al are involved in anything illegal, but countries are slightly irked that the system has been worked in such a way that respective governments have been unable to collect the amount of tax they would have liked.

Now the heady days are over -- Double Irish arrangements are set to become a thing of the past. Delivering a budget statement, the Irish Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, said:

Aggressive tax planning by multi-national companies has been criticized by Governments across the globe and has damaged the reputation of many countries. Schemes that exploit mismatches in tax legislation are being heavily scrutinized by the OECD and others and through the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting project they will come to an end over time. The so called "Double Irish" is one of many such schemes.

He went on to explain that the scheme's days are now very much numbered:

I am abolishing the ability of companies to use the "Double Irish" by changing our residency rules to require all companies registered in Ireland to also be tax resident. This legal change will take effect from the 1st of January 2015 for new companies. For existing companies, there will be provision for a transition period until the end of 2020.

While the move will almost certainly upset a lot of companies, it's unlikely there will be a mass exodus from Ireland. With corporation tax set at just 12.5 percent, the country is still an attractive place to do business -- it's rather more than the 0 percent in Bermuda, but much lower than many other countries. The increased costs will almost certainly be passed on to customers, but there are still over five years until this should be cause for concern.

Photo credit: xtock / Shutterstock

Thinking unconventionally is how you protect an entity the size of Google

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 3:27pm CEST par Paul Cooper

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We are at the 27th annual Information Security Solutions Europe Conference (ISSE), one of Europe's largest gatherings of cyber security experts.

Stephen Somogyi of Google Safe Browsing gave an amazing keynote speech about how Google goes about protecting its billions of users around the world. Here are some of the highlights:

stephan-somogyi_headshot_original How do you protect an entity the size of Google? It's something we take for granted now that you have to think along unconventional tangents to do so. At Google we like to measure things a lot. We need to know how you behave. But we also need to see how things change over time.

When we think about risk, we need to think about proportionality. Given a shed, how would you protect it? Would you get a padlock, or an alarm system? The answer is, you have to know what's inside. If you have a lawnmower inside, a padlock might be enough. If you have gold bullion -- apart from questioning your judgment -- you might have to use a more advanced alarm system.

Using Google's safe browsing system, we protect twice the population of the EU every day. These are the scales we operate on, so every choice we make -- even very small changes -- have the potential to effect huge amounts of people very quickly. We also protect over 1 billion Android users, and our service protects a number of mobile systems.

Google Safe Browsing works in the same way as Google's indexing service, known as "crawlers", which search out the web page you want in our search -- except it searches out badness. It seeks out malware. And we make all of our safe browsing data available through an open API. We make that available to Firefox. So if you use Mozilla, you've probably used Google Safe Browsing today. If you use Safari, you're using Google Safe Browsing's data. Our users are global, and we have to act on a global scale.

But it's not about usability. If you look at the space shuttle endeavor, and its cockpit covered in buttons and dials, it's not the model of intuitive usability. And nor should it be. But there has to be a level at which your security is easy to use for the inexperienced. Otherwise people just turn it off.

I've met many security professionals who think that planning for resiliency is an admission of defeat. For us, it's just good engineering. We have to fail safe, because we will fail. We know this, because we have a good understanding of what it takes to get updates out into the world fast. We know that we can auto-update the vast proportion of our users in under 30 hours. You can't wait for a monthly patch cycle. The proliferation of vulnerabilities online is so fast, and so pervasive, that you just can't wait. We took a lot of heat at the outset for what was perceived as arrogance over that -- people asked "why does Google know better than us when to update?" -- but now automatic updating is an industry best practice.

I never thought I'd see people spray-painting the IP addresses of DNS servers onto walls, but that's exactly what happened when Turkey's government tried to block Twitter. People were trying to search for information, and those reliable systems allowed them to access it.

Five years ago, my colleagues were worried about rootkits and so on. Now criminals don't need to get malware onto your system if they can just convince you to hand over your data.

But you can't rely too much on your technical systems. There's a great story about a lottery company who sent out their fraud people after over a hundred people correctly guessed 5 out of 6 numbers on the lottery draw. And when they tracked these people down, they discovered that there was a fortune cookie company that had printed random numbers on some of their fortune cookie messages, and that of those 100 people, nearly all of them had simply played the number on the cookie. So make sure you always have humans inside your decision-making loop, because people do funny things. Sometimes they just play the numbers on the fortune cookie...

Bitcoin will do nicely -- the state of Russian cyber crime

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 2:01pm CEST par Ian Barker

Banking fraud is down, mobile threats are up and cryptocurrency is the preferred payment method in the world of Russian cyber criminals.

Fraud prevention and cyber crime investigation specialist Group-IB has released a report on the Russian high-tech crime market in 2014. The report provides detailed assessments of the who, what, where and how of high-tech crime, who is behind what crimes, where they originate and who they target.

"With recent cybersecurity events such as the leaks at JPMorgan, Home Depot, Target and others, it pays to know which threats matter and where to best allocate security resources," says Ilya Sachkov, CEO at Group-IB. "Having solid information on the exact nature of cybercrime attacks, and knowing the vulnerabilities that criminal target and exploit, is invaluable to protecting personal and corporate data. Our report provides readers with the knowledge to make smart security decisions".

The report identifies a number of key trends, banking fraud overall is down. Of eight criminal groups active in Russian online banking theft last year, two have switched to foreign targets and one was broken up following the 2014 arrest of one of its leaders. However, mobile banking threats are up as five criminal groups have emerged that specialize in mobile banking theft using Trojans. These groups infect Android phones and steal information via SMS banking and the use of phishing sites.

Attacks on financial institutions continue and groups targeting them have stolen about $40 million during the report period, using techniques including Trojans, phishing sites, and even assistance from inside personnel. ATMs are a popular target too either via physical attack or access to networks.

A look at the online black market in stolen card details -- known as SWIPED -- reveals that one individual uploaded details of over five million cards in the past year. Group-IB estimates the market in stolen cards at $680,000,000. Investigation of a test sample found that all sampled cards on offer were originally stolen from the retail chain Target, which suffered a security breach in the past year.

When it comes to payment hackers prefer virtual currencies. The report finds that 80 percent of payments on SWIPED are made using Bitcoin. The use of malware-based botnets to mine bitcoins has also become more widespread and stealing from cryptocurrency wallets using Trojans is also more sophisticated and commonplace.

None of this means that the old favorite cyber crimes are going away though. Group-IB still detects 10,000 stores selling fake pharmaceuticals via spam every month.

You can read more about the report's findings and look at its prediction of trends for the coming year on the Group-IB website.

Image Credit: Augusto Cabral / Shutterstock

Samsung's 5G is now 25 times faster than 4G

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 1:57pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

speed road fast

Samsung has made good progress on its 5G cellular technology, increasing transfer speeds to a whopping 7.5 Gbps from a tad over 1 Gbps in April 2013. To put things into perspective, the next-generation cellular networks are now more than 25 times faster than the fastest 4G (LTE Advanced) networks in use today.

The 7.5 Gbps transfer speed represents a new record for 5G cellular networks; it was achieved during the first successful outdoor test. Samsung says that stable transfer speeds of 1.2 Gbps were registered while traveling at 100 kph (62 mph), which is a more accurate representation of how fast the current 5G technology is in actual practice.

Put differently, at 7.5 Gbps, a 1 GB file would download in a tad over one second, while at 1.2 Gbps a download of a file of the same size would require short of seven seconds to complete.

"Both the stationary and mobile tests were conducted over a 28 GHz 5G network. Until now, the industry as a whole has not used higher frequencies, such as 28 GHz, despite their speed-related benefits, due to the likes of short communication range", explains Samsung. "However, Samsung overcame these obstacles through the company’s own Hybrid Adaptive Array Technology, which uses millimeter wave frequency bands to enable the use of higher frequencies over greater distances. While the 5G standard has yet to be ratified, 5G networks are expected to offer data transmission rates that are tens, if not hundreds, of times greater than 4G LTE".

Today's fastest 4G networks, which are based on the LTE Advanced technology, top out at 300 Mbps for downloads. That is a theoretical maximum for those networks, which is rarely, if ever, achieved in real-life testing. The best that future implementations of 4G LTE Advanced can offer is 3 Gbps for downloads and 1.5 Gbps for uploads, theoretically speaking.

There are, however, few devices which can fully take advantage of 4G LTE Advanced today, among which being Samsung's Galaxy Alpha and Galaxy Note 4. Keep in mind that we are only referring to the implementation which tops out at 300 Mbps, which is even less prevalent than the standard 4G LTE.

Photo Credit: Krivosheev Vitaly/Shutterstock

How Apple's iPhone language has evolved over the years

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 1:37pm CEST par Pete Miller

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Over the years, Apple has become well known for its tight control of the message in new product launches. Increasingly, one word or concept has become a signature that is carefully woven throughout the keynote, press and marketing material.

Here is a look at some of the language used for each iPhone launch since 2007 and how we can learn from what Apple is really good at; controlling the message.

2007 iPhone -- "Revolutionary"

The first iPhone was simply billed as "revolutionary" which, looking back, is a fairly reasonable claim. It was the first multi-touch screen phone that completely did away with a physical keypad. It was also the first phone to introduce apps, one of the biggest game changers of the tech industry in the noughties.

2008 iPhone 3G -- "Twice as fast for half the price"

I guess just saying "cheaper" would have been a bit crass. It's interesting to see how after its first "revolutionary" launch, Apple rested on its laurels a bit while everyone played catch up. Faster and cheaper was enough. Apple was well ahead of the game with the introduction of the fast 3G network and the third party App Store, so this slogan said all it needed to for the moment.

2009 iPhone 3Gs -- "The fastest, most powerful iPhone yet"

Web pages? Faster. Launch applications? Faster. View email attachments? Faster. Apparently, the new iPhone 3GS was pretty much the same, but faster. Fair to say Apple had been focused on readying the iPad, which would launch 6 months later and revolutionize the meaning of 'tablet'.

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However, faster came at some cost -- all this power caused a number of users to report overheating of the device with heavy use and discoloration due to heat. Many people didn't see the point of the new hardware as it was not dramatically different to look at, so they just took the software update and waited for something a bit more "revolutionary".

2010 iPhone 4 -- "This changes everything. Again"

With Android gaining ground and Microsoft launching Windows Phone, the competition in 2010 had grown a lot stiffer. It was time for an overhaul: rebooting the line-up by swapping the curved edges for more austere clean lines and sharp edges. Although the redesigned aluminum case interfered with the phone signal, which did cast a shadow over the launch, the new aesthetic was well received.

"In so many ways, it's a first" was a hint at Apple's new competition and feeling the need to define or reinforce its individuality as Apple has so famously done for all of its products. The iPhone 4 launch also introduced the line "the biggest thing to happen to iPhone since iPhone", which then became the headline for the iPhone 5.

2011 iPhone 4s -- "Picking up where amazing left off"

"Amazing" was the key word of 2011, introducing Siri, the personal assistant and arguably the last true innovation in an iPhone launch. Equally "amazing" was an improved camera that "means amazing photos" and video recording "in 1080p amazing HD".

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This is another classic Apple-ism: coupling complex specifications or standards with snappy adjectives to give them more of an 'Apple twist', or avoiding them entirely with phrases like "Retina display" or "iSight camera". Sadly, the launch was overshadowed by the death of Steve Jobs a day later which, not unreasonably, took the wind out of Apple's sails.

2012 iPhone 5 -- "The biggest thing to happen to iPhone since iPhone"

The iPhone 5 tentatively followed the market trend for larger phones, with a self-conscious phraseology so as not to stray too far from Jobs' oft quoted opinion that 3.5in display was the perfect size for a phone to be held in one hand. The website insisted that "even though the display is bigger, iPhone 5 is the same width as iPhone 4s. So it's just as easy to use with one hand". Indeed, the iPhone 5 was the fastest selling iPhone in Apple's history, selling out 20 times faster than the 4 and 4s. It sold over 5 million units on the launch weekend and exceeded the supply available, clearly proving the consumer appetite for the larger display.

2013 iPhone 5s and 5c -- "Beautiful"

The headline was "Forward thinking", but the word used more than any other was "beautiful" -- "iOS 7. Designed to complement iPhone 5s beautifully" and "A beautifully crafted phone deserves a beautifully crafted case." The word is a familiar one throughout Apple's history, having been used more than once by Jobs and Ives throughout the years. There was a focus on the crafting of the finer details and the new gold finish, designed to offset the stripped back and cleaned up look of iOS7 which had (finally) adopted a more modern design aesthetic.

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The 5s was also the first iPhone to introduce Touch ID which, though some dismissed it as a gimmick, actually turned out to be a game changing innovation for biometric authentication in every day devices. A year on, and with the introduction of Apple Pay, we can start to see just how much the strategy will pay off for Apple in the coming years. The iPhone 5s and 5c sold over 9 million units in the first three days, which set a record for first weekend smartphone sales. It seemed this model's "beauty" appealed to the masses.

2014 iPhone 6 -- "Bigger than bigger"

The most 'on message' and controversial reception at a launch yet centered around one concept: bigger. "Bigger than bigger" claims the headline. The theme runs as a rather awkward subtext throughout the launch with like "Hugely powerful" and "Faster wireless: far and wide". However, none of these slogans focused on the fact that the bigger iPhone was considerably thinner and lighter than previous models. Although good features, the light and thin aluminum case was reported as bending out of shape, which quickly erupted on just about every social media channel. The #bendgate scandal derailed most of the launch online, although Apple was keen to put the claims to rest, reporting only 9 complaints about this problem and a consumer reports test video.

Throughout iPhone's history its launch language has played a key role, instilling the messianic position of the Apple brand. The tone has been mocked and caricatured many times by brands like Ikea with the BookBook catalog, and Samsung's "It doesn't take a genius" campaign, but ultimately, as ever, this mockery is more akin to flattery. Apple launches, with its careful staging, clear messaging and massive hype year on year are what most brands dream of in a product launch.

So, though there is ever-growing pressure from the likes of Samsung forcing Apple to continue game changing innovation year on year, the buck ultimately rests with Apple. The language it uses is just one component of the extraordinary effort it places in crafting a holistic experience -- and it's this focus that ensures the cult of Mac is still recruiting new devotees every day.

Pete Miller is the Creative Director of Tangent Snowball.

Tracking and tackling Ebola using mobile phone surveillance

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 1:11pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Tracking and tackling Ebola using mobile phone surveillance

Mention web or mobile surveillance, and you're sure to raise a few hackles. But the current Ebola outbreak is showing that the data collected from handsets can be extremely useful. The idea of tackling a disease with 'big data' gathered from mobile phones might seem a little odd, but it's actually an incredibly valuable source of information. Telecom firms such as Orange have been working with data scientists, using anonymized data gathered from phones to track population movement in regions affected by Ebola.

The BBC points out that even in relatively poor countries in Africa, mobile phone ownership is still high. Experts have been able to use this data to determine the best places to set up treatment centers, and it's an idea that has been pounced upon by the CDC.

Used in conjunction with existing data, information pulled from mobile phone masts helps to provide a broad overview of what is happening in any given area. For example, by monitoring mobiles, it would be possible to notice a spike in calls to health and helplines. This could be indicative of a problem in the area so resources could be better concentrated. Mobile phone masts can also be monitored to track changes in population movement -- compare current activity level to historic data and it's easy to see when patterns change.

Monitoring phone and web usage, even when done so anonymously, is generally frowned upon, but so-called 'big data' makes it possible to see trends faster than would otherwise be possible. Hospitals and health centers are tied up treating people and don’t necessarily have the time or resources to report back in real-time about the numbers of people they are treating. Analyzing previously unavailable big data allows for faster responses and better deployment of resources.

The technique is not new -- mobile phone data was also used during the cholera outbreak that followed the Haiti earthquake in 2010 -- but, while it helps to provide valuable data, it's still not quite enough. Frances Dare, managing director of Accenture Health, explains that data from other sources is also needed as well as the ability to successfully analyze it:

Big data analytics is about bringing together many different data sources and mining them to find patterns. We have health clinic and physician reports, media reports, comment on social media, information from public health workers on the ground, transactional data from retailers and pharmacies, travel ticket purchases, helpline data, as well as geo-spatial tracking.

Interconnected systems mean that it is also very easy to track the movement of groups and individuals around the world. Bank details, phone records, social media usage, and information from travel agencies can all be used to follow people from disease prone parts of the world. Should it be suspected that an individual is an Ebola carrier, the task of tracking them down is a great deal easier than it would have been a few years ago.

But the problem with big data is the very fact that it is big. Pulling in information from mobile phones, web searches, and population movement involves working with a massive amount of data. It is comparable to the NSA trawling the web and trying to pick out the few snippets of data that are useful. The analysis of big data is a developing art form, but it's one that's improving all the time. Surveillance and data collection isn’t always a bad thing after all.

Photo credit: Sergey Uryadnikov/ Shutterstock

Why Google needs a bigger Nexus phone and phablet-optimized Android L

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 12:34pm CEST par Dilraj Singh

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The point of the Nexus line is ambiguous now. Is it a developer line? Does it showcase what Google wants in an Android phone? Does it showcase the cutting edge of Android? Maybe in the beginning the purpose was clear, but now I don’t think even Google knows. The one thing I am certain of is that the forthcoming Nexus phone will not be just another phone.

The Nexus line so far has helped to give developers a pure experience of Android to work on. One where the OS followed and fostered an environment that placed emphasis on the guidelines set forth by Google, such as on-screen buttons and leveraging full screen mode. A developer using a Nexus would get a very different impression of Android than one using Samsung's TouchWiz on a Galaxy phone -- which would reflect in the app produced.

Now, bigger phones are becoming increasingly popular, and more accepted. So if a developer wants to test an application for these new phablets the most obvious choice is the Samsung Note series. And Samsung has its own software additions to Android on its phones. The ideal app for phablets on Android would include S Pen and Samsung Multi-Window support, and be optimized for Samsung -- not Android at large.

So why is this a problem for Google?

Without optimizations such as multi-window and pen support, 6+ inch stock Android phones are inherently inferior to Samsung Note devices. Couple that with marketing and mind share and you have a future where Samsung will dominate the Android phablet market with a tweaked version of Android. To compete, other OEMs like LG will have to include their own implementations of multi-window and pen support.

Google lost the chance to optimize Android for larger phones before Samsung, but if it does not act now, each OEM could have their own optimizations and their own device-specific APIs. The fragmentation situation everyone likes to talk about could become a very real problem.

The alternatives of a phablet optimized Android are 6+inch phones running specific OEM-flavored versions of Android or an iOS-like Android which lacks optimization on bigger phones. The worry is a Nexus phone without multi-window or pen support that is inferior to Samsung's Note, and hence, useless as a consumer or developer device.

With all that said, the ideal situation would be two Nexus devices: one optimized phablet phone and a Nexus 5 sized phone. We will know the choices Google made soon enough.

Mozilla will make Firefox 34 immune to POODLE, releases fix for older versions

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 12:24pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

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Google yesterday disclosed a major security vulnerability it has found in the SSL 3.0 encryption protocol, that is still employed by many sites across the web, despite long being superseded. Dubbed POODLE (Padding Oracle On Downgraded Legacy Encryption), it allows attackers to steal private data, like cookies, and, possibly, use it to access user accounts on vulnerable sites. The search giant says its Chrome browser should be safe, but warns that others may be vulnerable.

Firefox is one of the vulnerable ones. To address this issue, Mozilla reveals that the upcoming version -- Firefox 34, to be exact -- will feature code which makes it immune to the POODLE attack. For those who use lesser versions of the open-source browser -- most users, basically -- the organization provides an optional fix.

Mozilla says that it is making Firefox 34 safe from POODLE by disabling SSL 3.0 by default. The code which does this is already baked into the Nightly channel, and will make its way to the Aurora and Beta channels also "in the next few weeks".

You may wonder why it is taking Mozilla so long to protect its users from POODLE. Well, the reason for the apparent delay is to give website administrators enough time to upgrade to a superior encryption protocol, like TLS, as to not break sensitive encrypted connections.

On top of disabling SSL 3.0, Mozilla says that there will be an extra security measure in Firefox 34, that would prevent future attacks that rely on insecure failback. Insecure failback is leveraged in POODLE to tell websites, that already support superior encryption protocols, to revert to communicating using the less secure SSL 3.0.

The negative impact that disabling SSL 3.0 in Firefox 34, or any other older iteration for that matter, will have is negligible, as far as the vast majority of users are concerned. According to research carried out by Mozilla and the University of Michigan, only a small fraction of the top million domains in Alexa rely on SSL 3.0.

The percentage that Mozilla mentions -- 0.42 -- translates to just 4,200 domains. Mozilla also says that SSL 3.0 is only used in 0.3 percent of encrypted connections. That, however, means "millions of transactions per day", according to the organization.

Needless to say, Mozilla recommends making sure that Firefox automatic update is enabled, so that users can update to Firefox 34 as soon as it is released, on November 25. In the meantime, the organization has developed an extension, called SSL Version Control (no restart is required after installing it), which users can install to disable SSL 3.0, as it sets the minimum encryption protocol version to TLS 1.0 (which has supersededed SSL 3.0).

Photo Credit: Maksim Kabakou/Shutterstock

Intronis ECHOshare brings simple, secure file sharing to SMBs

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 11:08am CEST par Ian Barker

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Sharing files among employees can be difficult for any business, but particularly for smaller ones which often end up adopting solutions like emailing attachments or using public cloud services.

These approaches can put data at risk and also cause problems for support staff. Backup and disaster recovery specialist Intronis has a new solution to help businesses share files safely in the form of ECHOshare.

"Intronis ECHOshare is an affordable, enterprise-grade file sharing and collaboration technology, delivered through the cloud, purpose built for business and easy for employees to use," says Chuck DeLouis, vice president of product management at Intronis. "With ECHOshare, we are empowering our partners to address use cases that go beyond backup and data protection, and helping them provide their SMB clients with the ability to access and share their data anywhere, anytime".

ECHOshare can be integrated with existing Intronis backup solutions or supplied separately. It's designed to allow managed service providers (MSPs) to offer sharing to their clients with features including centralized management and billing. It offers security too with remote wipe capability for lost or stolen devices, compliance with industry and government regulations, and integration with the existing ECHOplatform backup solution.

End user clients benefit from team-based sharing with user control over permissions on all projects, folders and files, along with password policies and data wipe features. Data can be accessed remotely from portable devices or branch offices and version control allows tracking of who edited a document and when.

There's also the facility to send large files within teams and to create a public link that can be shared with people outside the organization.

For more information about ECHOshare and to request a free trial you can visit the Intronis website.

Image Credit: megainarmy / Shutterstock

WYSIWYG Web Builder 10 adds responsive web design, including mobile-specific design tools

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 10:33am CEST par Nick Peers

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Pablo Software Solutions has released WYSIWYG Web Builder 10, a major new version of its DTP-style web building tool for Windows users.

Version 10 adds support for responsive web design, allowing users to create different variants of pages optimized for a wide number of devices. Part of this includes integrated support for designing mobile-friendly web pages.

The new responsive web design feature, which ensures web pages are readable across different devices and platforms, uses CSS3 media queries to achieve its aim. It also comes with a brand new integrated environment for creating flexible mobile-friendly pages, offering a dedicated toolset for mobile web pages.

The new build also adds support for CSS3 Animations, with an animation timeline, support for multiple animations per object and a library offering 40 new pre-defined animations.

Users also gain built-in support for many jQuery Mobile widgets, such as Collapsible, List View, Navigation, Panels, Forms and Themes.

A new Navigation Panel menu has also been implemented, allowing users to create panels that slide in from the left or right of the page, with support for gradients and images. Also added in are Facetime, SMS, Phone and Skype links.

Other new objects added to WYSIWYG Web Builder 10 include support for wrapping text neatly around other objects, new page header and footer objects and a Notes feature, allowing users to add comments to the page that don’t appear in the final version.

The new build -- which comes with more than 100 new features in total, all documented here -- also adds new Smart Guides, a Backup Manager, Format Painter and the ability to set user-defined variables.

WYSIWYG Web Builder 10 is available now as a 30-day trial download for PCs running Windows XP or later. The full version can be purchased for $49.95 -- existing version 9 users can get a 50 percent discount on upgrading (expires November 1), while anyone who purchased version 9 after July 21 are entitled to a free upgrade.

Don't overlook the most important cloud storage feature: Security

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 9:55am CEST par Markus Rex

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The craze in the world of cloud storage today seems to be rolling out lists of additional features that match the features of every competitor out there, and presenting them as new and improved. Every company strives to be appear as the best possible cloud option on the market by continually adding "new" features right alongside competitors, and in all of the competition it can be a simple mistake to overlook what these features actually mean.

Before you let these lists of newly-added features dazzle you into choosing one specific cloud storage option over another, do a little research into what these features actually do. You might be surprised to find that many aren’t precisely new ideas, and they don’t increase the most important cloud storage aspect of all: secure file storage.

Are the Features Really New?

Many companies present their brand new updates and additional features as options which can’t be found anywhere else and haven’t been seen before. But if you read between the lines you’ll realize that they are just putting a slightly different and brand-focused spin on an idea that has been around for a while, and probably even available through that same company for some time. It is great to update existing ideas to bring them up to the standards and expectations of today, but they should be represented a bit more honestly. Some of the most popular features that big public cloud storage companies have been rolling out include:

Password protection for share links
Share links that expire
Read only share options
Searching for full text
View only permission folders

If you look around you will see that these aren’t exactly new ideas, even if they are new to the particular providers who have added them. The new features offered by big name companies like Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, and others may be what you are looking for, but make sure you are getting them for a fair price and that you aren’t letting the word "new" tempt you into a cloud service that doesn’t have everything you need. Sometimes it’s better to choose a provider that offers less flashy options, but more of the things you need. Many professionals agree that simplicity is best.

Security is Arguably the Most Important Feature of All

Many of these new feature updates are put in place because they are supposed to solve some serious security issues which have had major public cloud storage companies under scrutiny in recent days. The problem with public cloud storage options is that they come with some serious data security risks including:

Insecure file sharing
Data leaks
Vulnerability to hackers
Data seizure by government
Lack of file control
Unknown locations of servers
Cloud employee data snooping

The list can continue on with a disturbing number of unknown factors that are simply the nature of handing over your data control and security to another party. New features like expiring share links and folders with permissions certainly help, but they don’t change the fact that your data is being sent outside of your own firewalls and away from your own IT department.

Private Cloud Storage Offers Excellent Security

A private cloud option is becoming increasingly popular with small and medium sized businesses because it can protect the control, ownership, and privacy of your corporate information. Your data is protected by your own firewalls and IT personnel, and you have total control over who can access files and what they can do with them. Solutions like what we offer at ownCloud in particular can offer a private cloud which integrates with your existing system to streamline the process and get you started with cloud storage right away. Lengthy and expensive training for your employees won’t be necessary.

With nearly 20 years of open source experience behind him, Markus Rex founded ownCloud, Inc. with community leader Frank Karlitschek and long-time SUSE colleague Holger Dyroff, determined to bring secure file sync and share to business. Rex is responsible for all day-to-day management, yet never misses a chance to go under the ownCloud hood and tinker with fixes and QA.

Forgetting a password is more annoying than your phone dying or losing your keys

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 8:57am CEST par Darren Allan

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A new survey has revealed that forgetting online passwords is one of the most annoying things imaginable -- as setting and remembering passwords becomes an increasing burden.

This is according to a survey of 1,000 UK consumers, commissioned by Centrify Corporation, which found that forgetting a password was more of an annoyance than having a mobile phone battery run out of juice, losing your keys, or getting a spam email.

The only things folks found more annoying than a misplaced password, according to the survey: A computer program crashing, and a program freezing while sending email, apparently.

16 percent of those surveyed said they would prefer to sit next to someone talking loudly on their mobile than forget a password, and 12 percent would rather be next to a crying baby on a flight. 17 percent would prefer the Macarena as a ringtone for a year, and 7 percent would elect for root canal treatment in preference (come on, this is getting silly now -- the Macarena, really?).

These comparison results are a little dubious sounding, but still, the fact remains that it is frustrating to forget a password, and indeed simply to have so many of them. That's a big part of the problem, of course -- the survey noted that 42 percent of those questioned create at least one new online account per week, so keeping track of those passwords is a headache.

Barry Scott, Chief Technology Officer EMEA for Centrify, observed: "In our new digital lifestyles, our frustrations are increasing as we constantly juggle multiple passwords for everything from photo sharing apps and Facebook to shopping sites and email. According to our survey, over a quarter of us now enter a password online more than 10 times a day -- that could be as much as 4,000 times a year. We're told not to write them down or use the same one, so it's becoming really tough to stay in control of our passwords and remember them all".

Some 38 percent of respondents said they have accounts they can't access any more due to not being able to recall the password.

Popcorn Time fights back -- moves domain after takedown

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 3:41am CEST par Alan Buckingham

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There's no accounting for what will happen if you run a website, especially a questionable one. We've all witnessed the trials and tribulations suffered by the folks behind the Pirate Bay. Others have been more fortunate, though the outcome for the site has been the same -- a takedown. Some give up, while others move on and fight to survive.

Popcorn Time falls into that latter category. The company has so far thwarted efforts to remove it from the internet, but recently faced yet another hurdle. The site's domain name was taken down -- a common problem to the folks at the Pirate Bay. No problem, just get a new one. Move along, nothing to see here.

"Because of some sort of legal investigation taking place in Belgium against us, our domain was removed. Just like that, without any notice.
This action was taken deliberately to harm our project. To take down Popcorn Time once again", the service says in a statement received by BetaNews.

However the service has moved on -- Time4Popcorn is now [popcorn-time.se], just as other services have moved along to stay one step ahead. It's all a game, but one played for keeps. We'll see who wins this time, but for the moment, it's the feds turn to make a move on the chess board.

Image Credit: ktsdesign / Shutterstock

Security alert: Google drops SSL 3.0 after POODLE attack discovery

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 2:13am CEST par Mark Wilson

Google drops SSL 3.0 after POODLE attack discovery

Google's security team has discovered a vulnerability in SSL 3.0 which can be exploited to steal secure cookies and other data. The 15 year old technology is still used as a fallback when connection problems occur as it helps maintain backward compatibility, but the security problems mean that Google will start to phase out support. Details of the exploit have been published and Chrome has today been tweaked to disable SSL 3.0 fallback.

Bodo Möller from Google's security team points out that this move will "break some sites" and that they will need to be updated. This does present some compatibility issues, and the advice is to support TLS_FALLBACK_SCSV instead, at least for the time being.

Google explains that SSL 3.0 is an insecure, obsolete protocol that has since been superseded. But even when servers support the more secure TLS 1.0, TLS 1.1 or TLS 1.2, the "protocol downgrade dance" that takes place between servers and clients can be exploited using a POODLE (Padding Oracle On Downgraded Legacy Encryption) attack. Clients and servers will automatically attempt to establish a connection using the most secure protocol supported by each, but should a problem arise the next most secure option will be used, and so on.

An attacker can force this protocol downgrade to take place by preventing the initial connection from taking place, triggering repeated attempts with increasingly less secure protocols. The encryption used in SSL 3.0 is fairly easily cracked and a relatively simple main-in-the-middle attack can then be used to intercept and decrypt secure cookies.

The full effect of the discovery is not yet known, but the fact that such a widely-used -- even if obsolete -- protocol is involved means that large numbers of sites are going to be involved, although it has been suggested that it is older versions of Internet Explorer that are worst affected. Google's security advisory includes advice for system admins looking to ensure the security of their servers.

Photo credit: KPG_Payless / Shutterstock

YouTube creators hit by 'Microstopped' take down requests -- Microsoft already fixing it

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 2:06am CEST par Brian Fagioli

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Creating content for YouTube is actually very hard and takes a long time to edit and upload. Even a simple-looking unboxing video can take hours from start to finish -- sometimes longer if you cut yourself opening the box and have to treat a wound. It is very disappointing to have your content removed for copyright issues, when you haven't actually violated anything. Even worse, it can be an impossibility to successfully dispute the bogus claim.

Today, many YouTube content creators were inconvenienced and upset by take down requests from an apparently overzealous company called "Marketly", acting on Microsoft's behalf. You see, all of the videos were Windows related, but not all of the removals were warranted. Of course, like all controversies, it has already been given a name and hashtag of #Microstopped.

YouTube personality Chris Pirillo was impacted by this take down, and was actually the first person to use the 'Microstopped' naming. "I think this was an oversight. I'd wager that Marketly was hired to take care of a legitimate problem and it was executed incorrectly. I am more than confident it has nothing to do with censorship and that Microsoft supports the tech community on YouTube even if we don't always see eye-to-eye on legitimate topics", says Pirillo.

A Microsoft spokesperson tells BetaNews, "while we are still investigating the recent YouTube takedown notices, it appears some of these videos were inadvertently targeted for removal because there were stolen product keys embedded in the comments section of the videos. Our intention was not to target legitimate YouTube content and we are sorry for the impact this has had. We have already taken steps to reinstate legitimate video content and are working towards a better solution to targeting stolen IP while respecting legitimate content".

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In other words, Microsoft is not a bad-guy. The company is not actively waging a war against YouTube creators, but instead trying to protect itself, and legit videos got in the crossfire. Not only is the company admitting to the error, but already working to reinstate the accidentally removed videos.

Of course, removing videos based on the content of comments is a bad idea, as the creator of the video has no control over what people write (other than to remove commenting altogether). Think about it -- rivals could post Windows keys on each others video comments to get the other in trouble. Hopefully Microsoft sees why this was a bad idea and never targets based on comments again.

Were any of your videos impacted? Tell me in the comments.

Photo Credit: Piotr Marcinski/Shutterstock

Is Microsoft trying to confuse users by having Bing look like Google?

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 1:52am CEST par Dilraj Singh

BING V GOOGLE 2

Microsoft has been tweaking Bing's design for a while now. The latest design makes it seem that it wants Bing to be indistinguishable from Google. If you have Bing as the default on your browser (or accidentally clicked a Microsoft prompt to do so), and are not very tech-savvy, you may not even realize that you're using Bing -- especially if you think any type of internet search is "Googling."

Notice how each have a minimalist search bar at the top with options for different searches at the bottom with "Web" highlighted with a colored bar.

And while this may be a bit extreme of an accusation, I can't find a better explanation. If you click on any of the other Bing searches (images, maps), you will find a completely new black bar at the top and not the "Google-esque" options under the search bar. It does not make any sense as to why the web search would get a style different than the rest of the Bing experience, and why that style is so similar to Google's own.

Further, Bing even recently released "Now Playing" movie features, which are a direct copy of Google's. And worse, it's an inferior copy.

Notice how Google provides more functionality (you can flip through the week or times of the day) and a cleaner design.

A lot of people like to quote Steve Jobs quoting Picasso with "Good artists copy, great artists steal", and that is actually good advice. A good artist will imitate a source of inspiration to create something successful, a better one will create something that will make you forget the source; Bing is a horrible artist in this analogy. Microsoft could have created something that reminds me of how good the source is, but instead makes it clear that its search engine is a copy.

Bing does do some things better, such as how it now shows the full lyrics of a song in a search. These are the type of features I want to see, but unfortunately, most of what it does seems very reactionary to Google.

Google releases hilarious Android 5.0 teaser video -- there can only be one L

Publié: octobre 15, 2014, 1:05am CEST par Brian Fagioli

lolli

A company's "cool-factor" can vary wildly, but one has not yet lost its magic -- Google. Sure, privacy advocates decry the search-giant's long reach into the lives of many, but that is what makes the company's products so endearing -- Google needs that data to know you. It is the customized and tailored experiences that create a bond between the user and Google.

The biggest bond, however, is Android; the mobile operating system has been wildly popular, bringing Linux to a user base that no one thought possible. People are fans of Android, unlike any other operating system before it. Hell, people collect plastic figures of the mascot; that is dedication. We should soon be experiencing the final version of Android 5.0, which will have an "L" code name. Will it be lollipop? Lemon meringue? Well, today Google releases a cool video, which has fun with the Android 5.0 name.

Google mentions the following names in the video:

Lemon Meringue Pie
Lava Cake
Lady Finger
Lemon Drop
Oreo (as a joke)

While I like all the proposed names in the video, I would guess that none of them will actually be the chosen one. Like I said, Google loves to be a "cool" company, and probably wants to surprise the world. When the company chose "KitKat" for the last code name, it blindsided everyone. This time, I am going to guess "Laffy Taffy", a candy that I enjoyed much as a child, but wouldn't dare eat now as I would surely lose the fillings in my teeth.

Watch the video below and tell me in the comments -- what do you think Google will name Android 5.0?

Photo credit: Voyagerix / Shutterstock

Security firms have created the next dot com bubble by 'scaring their customers'

Publié: octobre 14, 2014, 10:50pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Security firms 'scaring their customers' has created the next dot com bubble

There are too many security firms offering insufficient security. At least that's what Ilia Kolochenko, CEO and founder of High-Tech Bridge thinks. He points to the splitting of Symantec as proof that security companies are struggling, and suggests that the emergence of so many firms competing for attention is the start of a new dot com bubble that could burst at any moment.

Security is important to both home computer users and enterprise businesses. There is a huge amount of money to be made in the field, so it is perhaps little wonder that the number of companies muscling in on the market is on the increase. Kolochenko says that at the end of the century a lot of tech companies sprang up overnight and "most of these businesses were designed to create artificial problems or boost non-existent demand in order to make quick money. They didn't actually solve any real problems". There is a danger that the same could happen in the security world.

Kolochenko thinks we find ourselves in a precarious situation that is on the verge on imploding. He suggests that security firms themselves are to blame:

Some information security companies today solve problems and mitigate risks that probably have the very lowest priority in the business risk list. In order to sell their solutions they create artificial demand, quite often misleading or even scaring their customers with false threats or non-existent risks.

More than ever is now being spent on security, and yet there are still large-scale, well-publicized security breaches. Part of the problem stems from customers relying in third-party security solutions that are not ideally suited for them. Companies are spending money on security, but not the right kind of security. This is something that hackers use to their advantage:

Hacking is about business, money and profit. Black hats will not spend their money and time developing expensive custom-made 0-day attacks when companies have pedestrian vulnerabilities and don’t install patches in a timely fashion.

Spending money on the wrong kinds of security and continuing to fall victim to security breaches could well lead to companies rethinking spending and cutting back in this area. Kolochenko suggests that the swarm of security firms that have developed in recent years could tumble like a house of cards if this happens. The outfits whose current success rides on continuing to create false threats will die out, leaving behind only the genuinely innovative.

Photo credit: klublu / Shutterstock

Google says American teens love voice search -- some use it in the bathroom

Publié: octobre 14, 2014, 7:04pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

mantalkvoicesearch

Google voice search is awesome; I use it every day in the car or at home. If I want to know the weather, I just ask and it tells me. It helps me find the phone numbers for my favorite pizzerias and Chinese food restaurants, and when I am lost, I just say "take me home" and it does!

Like I said, it is awesome, but apparently, teens are using it more than adults. According to a new Google study, 55 percent of teens in the USA are using voice search; these young people are often the barometers of the next big thing. The search giant should be elated that this important demographic is embracing voice search; however, the study does not only include Google, but also Apple's Siri and Microsoft's Cortana.

"Voice search is a key feature of the Google app that's becoming ever more important as people spend more time on their mobile phones. We wanted to learn more about how people of all ages use Google hands-free on their phones. We found that for teens, voice search comes as naturally as checking social media and they're getting very creative about how (and where) they use it. The study gives us great ideas about new ways we could help people -- maybe even help them find their keys and other elusive objects", says Scott Huffman, Google's Vice President for Conversational Search.

The search giant explains, "when asked to 'pick one thing you wish you could ask your phone to do for you', 45 percent of American teens selected 'send me a pizza'. More pragmatic adults wished they could ask their phone to 'tell me where my keys are', though 'send me a pizza' was also popular among 36 percent of adults. A nearly equal number of teens and adults (34 percent and 33 percent, respectively) want their smartphones to one day tell them where to find their TV's remote control. With Oct. 31 just a few weeks away, 16 percent of teens wish their phone could tell them what costume to wear on Halloween".

Google shares the following statistics:

40 percent use voice search to ask for directions.
39 percent use the feature to dictate a text message.
32 percent do so to make a phone call.
23 percent of adult Americans use voice search "when I'm cooking".
51 percent of teens (and 32 percent of adults) use voice search "just for fun".
27 percent use voice search to check the weather.

Clearly, voice search is here to stay and becoming more popular all the time. However, there will always be situations where it is not appropriate in public, such as verbally asking your phone "find me the nearest proctologist" or "where can I get an escort" -- some things will likely remain entered with a keyboard. According to Google, however, 22 percent of teens are even using voice search in the bathroom, and quite frankly, that is probably the best place to ask private questions.

Do you use voice search? Tell me about it in the comments.

Google Mobile Voice Study Infographic

Photo credit: leungchopan / Shutterstock

Yovo: Snapchat plus screenshot protection

Publié: octobre 14, 2014, 4:18pm CEST par Mike Williams

yovo

If you’d like to share personal photos, but only briefly, then a service like SnapShot can help. Images are visible for only a set period of time before they disappear forever. (In theory, anyway.)

Yovo for iOS is based around the same idea. Take an image, add a caption or blur, set an expiry time and select your recipients. But it also includes "D-fence", a clever technology which prevents users taking clear screenshots.

This works by using a series of bars to obscure most of your image. The app moves these bars across the picture so quickly that your eyes just see the original image, with maybe a little flicker. But if anyone takes a screenshot, they’ll get mostly bars and very little image: not much use at all.

This doesn’t offer any guarantees, of course. A recipient could take several screenshots, or maybe just use another device to video the screen.

Right now Yovo can only share images between iOS devices, too, although apparently an Android build is coming soon.

If you need to securely share more than just pictures, you might be interested in CONTENTGUARD, an iOS and Android app from the same company.

This supports sharing images (PNG, JPG) and documents (PDF, DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPTX) with your choice of recipients, again for a specified amount of time only -- anything from one minute to a month.

Your files are encrypted and sent directly to your recipients, who must verify their identities before they’re able to view them.

There’s no "D-fence" screen protection here, just an option to warn you "if the recipient tries to take an unauthorized screen capture". Still, CONTENTGUARD is an interesting free app which has plenty to offer both home and business users.

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Public cloud security flaws: who’s viewing your files?

Publié: octobre 14, 2014, 4:04pm CEST par Markus Rex

Cloud spy

Secure cloud storage is a challenge facing many professionals today, especially small and mid-sized businesses. It’s clear that the cloud is going to stick around for a long time, and so everyone is looking for a way to get on board with it while still protecting their professional data.

But, the unfortunate truth about public cloud storage is that you can’t control who handles your data or how it is protected. If you choose the wrong service, your company files are exposed to the dangers of hackers, data leaks, seizure, and nosy cloud employees. It’s difficult to know who is looking at your data, but if you know the risks and costs that come with different services and cloud functions, you can better protect your privacy.

Do You Trust Cloud Employees?

If you are using a public cloud, that means you are placing your files in the hands of any personnel hired by that company to process data and shift it to the appropriate spaces. You can encrypt your files, but do you know that they stay encrypted once they get where you send them? Most public cloud companies claim to offer a "no-knowledge" environment for your data which means they can’t see anything you send, but that has been proven false in several cases.

The most notable of these cases is when you share your data through the cloud service -- cloud employees act as third party verification to be sure that all of the credentials are valid before sending the file to your intended recipient. If they choose, they can view the unencrypted data before it is re-encrypted and sent to the intended viewer. There have not been any proven cases of this, but the risk is enough to make professionals think twice about these services.

Where Can Hackers Get In?

The frustrating truth is that hackers find new ways around great security measures all the time, and defense against hackers will always be a step behind. Even if the public cloud company you work with has some of the best available security around, your data is still in danger when it is being moved around. Encryption is good protection against this unless your credentials have been stolen, but when your files are in between locations being uploaded or downloaded they can be attacked by a man in the middle approach. Many companies prefer to simply store their files on company servers on site so that they never travel outside of the firewalls they have in place. There is much less chance of a hacker gaining access to your files if you control who can access them and how, as well as where they are located.

Will Your Files be Seized?

Many public cloud companies have the best intentions when storing and moving your files, but they can’t control what other powerful parties may do. In the Microsoft case, the storage company was unwilling to turn over customer data to the government, but they were legally compelled to do so even though the servers were in Ireland. They may want to guarantee that your files will be completely protected, but it simply isn’t possible

Keep Others Out of Your Files with a Private Cloud

The best way to avoid nosy file peeking, high risk of hacker attacks, and uncontrolled seizure of your data is to maintain your own private cloud on your company’s premises. Then you are in charge of who sees your files and when, and they need never leave the protection of your own IT department and firewalls unless you deem it appropriate.

Image Credit: kurhan/Shutterstock

Organizations struggle to balance security with systems integration

Publié: octobre 14, 2014, 3:04pm CEST par Ian Barker

scales of justice

Many organizations are failing to meet data security and governance requirements according to a new Ovum survey sponsored by data flow specialist Axway.

The results reveal that 23 percent have failed a security audit in the past three years and 17 percent lack confidence in their ability to pass one today. It also puts the average cost of a data breach at $350 per record.

The report also highlights the growing complexity of governance and integration challenges facing organizations. With the EU soon to impose data protection legislation reforms, businesses need to ensure they have a 360-degree view of their data or face risks to their economic position and reputation.

"Ovum's findings shine a light on the challenges most organizations have in meeting today's increasing data security and compliance requirements, as well as the risks of failing to instil effective data flow governance," says Dean Hidalgo, executive vice president, global marketing, Axway. "With proven MFT and API management technologies, either on-premise or in the cloud, and by designing a more unified and comprehensive integration strategy, organizations can govern the flow of data across internal and external sources".

The study identifies key priorities for chief information officers, chief information security officers and chief risk officers. Business continuity and disaster recovery is seen as the top priority (87 percent), followed by protecting against cyber threats (85 percent), managing insider threats (84 percent) and compliance monitoring (83 percent).

More worrying is that many organizations struggle to balance security requirements with other strategies. Also more enterprise assets are likely to be exposed to external sources, such as partners, customers and third-party developers, with 78 percent of organizations either having an API program in place or planning to implement one in the next few years. File transfer solutions are also a concern with reliability, monitoring and compliance among the top issues.

"As the volume and speed of business continues to grow, organizations face greater risk of exposing sensitive data. Moreover, stringent regulatory mandates call for transparent audit trails and a high level of visibility into and control over the flow of sensitive data. Therefore, enterprises can no longer afford to implement infrastructure and governance solutions in isolation," says Saurabh Sharma, Senior Analyst, Ovum. "Traditional approaches to managing business interactions are not suitable for meeting these complex requirements and significantly increase the chance of a data breach and compliance failure".

A whitepaper of the results is available to download from the Axway website there will also be a webinar on the topic tomorrow (15 October) with Axway and Ovum experts. Meantime you can see an overview of the results in infographic form below.

Axway Ovum Governance, Risk and Compliance Infographic by Axway.

Photo Credit: tlegend/Shutterstock

SyncBack 7 adds cloud backup support

Publié: octobre 14, 2014, 3:03pm CEST par Mike Williams

SyncBack

2BrightSparks has unveiled SyncBackSE 7 ($39.95) and SyncBackPro 7 ($54.95), a major update for its powerful backup and file sync application.

The Pro build now supports cloud backup to Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, Box, and Glacier via S3.

SyncBackPro and SE 7 also work with SyncBack Touch, allowing them to remotely access a Windows/ OS X/ Android device’s file system for backup or syncing.

New Pro and SE support for sending a Pushover message if a backup fails means you can receive notifications on iOS, Android and OS X devices, as well as other PCs.

Smarter FTP handling means the programs can now resume uploads or downloads if the connection is lost and the profile restarted.

All builds support a system where profiles can be monitored and stopped from other processes.

The Pro and SE versions also gain something called "Runtime Intelligence". Sounds great, but it actually just means they have the ability to collect data on how the software is used, and send it back to the developers.

These kind of technologies always raise privacy concerns, but this looks relatively harmless. The data collected is fairly anonymous (no emails, passwords, file or folders names or anything similar), Runtime Intelligence is turned off by default, and the setting can be viewed or toggled from the Help menu, so we don’t think it should be a major concern.

More welcome additions include the ability to export Differences from the Differences window, and use filters to choose exactly which files you’d like to verify.

Other highlights include 20 percent improvement in scan performance with the default filters; a manifest update for Windows 8.1 compatibility; Microsoft Exchange support for sending and receiving email; improved high DPI support, the ability to back up selected email folders only, and the option to search the online knowledge base from SyncBack’s main Help menu.

Fully functional 30-day trials of SyncBackSE 7 and SyncBackPro 7 are available now.

Vertu unveils new smartphone for Bentley owners and enthusiasts

Publié: octobre 14, 2014, 1:32pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Vertu for Bentley lifestyle

Most people who own expensive smartphones have the latest Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy S or Galaxy Note device, which, at launch, costs at least $650 off-contract. Even though they are unattainable to the average buyer, tens of millions of consumers can still afford to get them. And that creates a problem for the elitist one percenters of the world, who are faced with an unusual dilemma: own a smartphone that even their chauffeurs may afford or turn to a proper luxury device.

For those who can pay €12,500 for a smartphone and just so happen to be Bentley owners or enthusiasts, renowned luxury smartphone manufacturer Vertu has unveiled Vertu for Bentley. It is the first device to come out of the new five-year partnership with the high-end British car maker. Luckily, for that much money, it certainly is special.

Only 2,000 Vertu for Bentley units will be made, which means that the chances of ever running into another user are pretty slim. The smartphone is adorned with Bentley and Vertu logos, a theme continues on the pouch. Here is what Vertu has to say about it:

The unmistakable Vertu for Bentley has a knurled, Grade 5 titanium casing and a sleek quilted trim to match Bentley styling. With a Grade 5 titanium, engine-turned back plate, echoing Bentley’s instrument panel, this edition also carries a forged metal winged Bentley badge and contains exclusive Bentley content. The fine attention to detail is carried through to the screws, modelled on the air vents of Bentley’s automobiles. It’s wrapped in diamond-stitched, quilted calf leather, crafted by one of Europe’s oldest tanneries using traditional methods.

Vertu for Bentley

For Vertu for Bentley, Vertu has also teamed up with Bang & Olufsen for sound tuning and Hasselblad for tweaking the 13 MP camera on the back. The two brands are well known when it comes to audio and photography, respectively. Speaking of the main camera, it's protected by a "virtually scratch-proof sapphire crystal", much like Apple's new iPhones. The ringtones and alert sounds are created by London Symphony Orchestra, in case you are wondering.

Of course, one of the signature traits of Vertu devices is the 24-hour concierge service, a 12-month subscription which provides users with a "dedicated personal lifestyle manager" and worldwide "team assistance". There is also "Life", for invitations, exclusive access to events and such, and "Certainty", which is a dedicated smartphone and data support service.

What about the other specs? Vertu for Bentley has a 4.7-inch display with a resolution of 1,080 by 1,920, is powered by a 2.3 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 coupled with a 2,275 mAh battery, has a 2.1 MP secondary camera, comes with 64 GB of internal storage; is compatible with Qi wireless chargers out-of-the-box, supports 4G LTE, has NFC, and features Bluetooth 4.0 LE, as its most-important features. Oh, and it runs Android 4.4 KitKat, with a custom skin on top, which provides access to Google Play.

Why hackers love the holiday season [Q&A]

Publié: octobre 14, 2014, 12:41pm CEST par Ian Barker

Credit card gift bow

Recent high profile security breaches involving retailers like Target and Neiman Marcus mean that people are increasingly aware they may be vulnerable when shopping online. Yet many don't fully understand the landscape that lies behind hacking and why it’s such a lucrative business.

With Christmas and its associated e-commerce peak fast approaching we spoke to Kelly Yee, Vice President of secure email provider Penango who has a wealth of security systems experience in both the public and private sectors. Here are her views on how hackers work and how we can guard against becoming victims over the holiday season.

BN: Most people realize that today’s hackers are motivated by financial gain, but how do they turn stolen data into money?

KY: In the case of stolen identities, an attacker may sell a bulk package of stolen identities to the highest bidder who will pay what they think the information is worth. Selling large amounts of data in the black market is a sophisticated enterprise and has become the new "it" product to sell on the black market.

BN: Hacking seems to be changing from a solitary activity into a serious business. Is there such a thing as a 'typical hacker' and if so what is he or she like?

KY: Today one rarely sees a waitress stealing someone's credit card information and going to Bloomingdale's to buy new clothes anymore. Instead what is more likely to happen is an attack involving tens of thousands of consumers' credit card information from a business being stolen and then sold to the highest bidder on the black market. There is rarely a typical attacker and that is why it is so hard to place a face to them or stereotype them.

BN: Are some companies less vulnerable to attack than others?

KY: Unfortunately, no. As consumers, we do not know what kind of internal security measures a company has and it's unlikely that a company would be willing to share this, as attackers would love to get their hands on this kind of information. For businesses keen to beef up their security, they should investigate what their potential partners are doing to secure their data. For instance, if a company is choosing an online portal to process orders that company should definitely inquire about the security measures that portal has in place for data at rest and in transit.

BN: Is there any way for consumers to know that a particular site is visible to attack?

KY: There are small precautions users can take to help reduce the use of sites that are prone to attacks. For example, consumers should utilize sites that have "https:" as they add a protocol encryption layer (TLS/SSL) for http:.

However, even a trusted website can be attacked. Take the Heartbleed bug infiltration of TLS/ SSL. What's more, the way companies store their customers' data is what is really prone to attack. This storage system, has nothing to do with a company's website.

The bottom line is, it is very hard to know which particular website, let alone which company's security and data retention measures are prone to attack.

BN: How can individuals and companies protect themselves?

KY: As a consumer, first check your credit card statements at least once a month. This only takes a few minutes and users can generally recognize a transaction that is not familiar. Also credit card companies are fairly easy to work with if there is any suspicious activity, and they remove the charge quickly.

Second credit card companies are federally required to have policies in place to help their users when an attack happens. For this reason, consumers should opt to use their credit card over their debit card where they can.

Third, some people prefer to use cash to protect themselves from attackers altogether. However, doing this may affect individuals in other ways: one can easily lose money and returns may be harder without a card receipt. Also some credit card companies have extended warranties or return policies, so consumers should take advantage of those benefits.

Companies should ensure their data is protected at rest and in transit. Using a secure gateway for data is the first step, but what about the data at rest or stored in the company's database? Penango offers a solution to this by providing true end-to-end (at rest and in transit) authenticated and encrypted email. Even if an email is compromised, Penango can prevent an attacker from reading your messages. This is just a first step, so companies should also make sure that the have a security policy from everything to credit card information down to daily emails.

Image Credit: billdayone / Shutterstock

Apple iPhone 6 Plus: Beautifully made, but expensive [Review]

Publié: octobre 14, 2014, 12:23pm CEST par Sandra Vogel

iPhone 6 plus

Here it is, then, the iPhone 6 Plus. Apple's biggest handset to date, and a competitor for all those phablets that some people swear are the perfect device for them. It's big, it's bold, it's beautifully made. Does it do enough to justify its exorbitant price? My review sample came from Three in the UK, from whom you can get the iPhone 6 Plus in any of its three colors -- gold, silver or gray -- in its 16GB variant starting from £44 a month. At that price there's a £99 up-front price for the handset.

Other operators also sell it, of course, and if you want to go SIM free you are looking at £619/$749 for the 16GB version, £699/$849 for the 64GB and £789/$949 for the 128GB. That's a lot of money, and there are plenty of other large-screened handsets that will cost you much less.

The iPhone 6 Plus has a 5.5in screen and is the absolute epitome of all things iPhone. It is lovely. Given the choice between it and a new iPhone 6, I'd take the bigger beast and live with the fact that it is more difficult to pocket and impossible to reach across for one-handed use, because it is, well, a fantastic handset.

Rather than its size, I'd probably find it more difficult to live with Apple's insistence on not catering for memory expansion, to be honest. A screen approaching 6in in size and one which is as bright, sharp and eminently watchable as this one, lends itself to lots of use, some of it media hungry, and none more so than gaming and video viewing. I was sent a 64GB iPhone 6 Plus by Three, and this had 54.5GB free right out of the box. That would probably be enough for my needs, but on a 16GB version you are likely to be left with 11-12GB.

So, onto the screen. As with the iPhone 6, you get the option to select either 'standard' or 'zoomed' display. The latter makes icons and text larger, so tired eyes can see more easily, but you do lose the full-fat, six-icons-high display if you opt for that. With a screen resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels there's nothing ground breaking here, but the 401ppi pixel density makes for high quality, clear text, and the screen is very bright -- one of the things Apple shouts about.

The screen is thin too -- and that's really important as it helps the iPhone 6 Plus stay at an impressive 7.1mm in terms of its thickness -- a mere shade more than the 6.9mm of the iPhone 6. The thin chassis really helps with handling -- it just feels manageable, while the 172g weight is not too much, and somehow feels right. You have to handle the phone to really understand that point.

Talking of the build, Apple has done a fantastic job on that front. The front curves into the handset's edges neatly and the four corners are rounded. The sides are made from the same aluminum plate as the back, and the smooth, cool to touch finish is rather nice in the hand -- though it is more slippy to hold than rubberized finishes.

If there is one downside in terms of aesthetics for me, it's the look of the back where the camera lens protrudes a little -- just as it does on the iPhone 6. The power button is on the right side, volume buttons on the left, and a mute switch next to them. Headset and lightning connectors are on the bottom along with the speaker grille.

In this location it is easy to cover the grille when working in widescreen mode, which is a pity. The speaker, incidentally, produces better quality sound than the iPhone 6, but I still recommend headphones for the best experience.

I'm not a big fan of Apple's characteristic thick top and bottom screen bezels. They make this handset a lot larger than it might otherwise be -- I'll do just one comparison -- the LG G3 has a 5.5in display (it is higher resolution than the iPhone 6's at 2,560 x 1,440 pixels, but that's not the point I am making here). This sits in a tight chassis measuring 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9mm. The iPhone 6 Plus by contrast is 158.1mm tall and 77.8mm wide, though thinner as I've already noted at 7.1mm. The plus comes if you like to hold your phone in widescreen mode -- say for gaming or video watching -- as clearly you've space beyond the screen edges for a comfy grip.

You'd never know that the front button incorporated fingerprint recognition by looking at it. Touch ID worked beautifully efficiently for me, too.

iphone

There are plenty of features in iOS 8 to justify an upgrade from the previous OS version. Yes, you can now add external keyboards, though Apple itself has added some extra features in widescreen typing mode, and as with the iPhone 6 there's 'reachability' -- double tap the home button and whatever you are doing squishes into the bottom half of the screen. It didn't help me as much here as on the iPhone 6, as I simply can't stretch across the screen's width one-handed, so pulling things down vertically is not much help.

It is nice to see 802.11ac Wi-Fi support, and Apple has included a barometer among its activity tracking features so that you can feed data into the built-in Health app. There's AirDrop too, of course. Don't get excited that NFC is here, though -- it is only available for use by Americans with Apple Pay. You also get screen rotation here, including the home screen.

The two cameras are the same basic resolution as on the iPhone 6 -- 8 megapixels at the back and 1.2 megapixels at the front. It does add optical image stabilization which you won't find on the iPhone 6, and both time lapse and slo-mo modes enhance what you can get out of the 1080p video mode. I was pleased with sample shots.

All this would not matter much if the iPhone 6 Plus were unimpressive in raw performance terms, and thankfully it shines here. The A8 1.4GHz dual-core processor was not troubled by my requests -- there was no stutter, stammers or instances of slow running to bother me.

iphone 6 plus back

Battery life is another crucial aspect of any handset, and the iPhone 6 Plus seems to do a good job here. Apple says it is good for 80 hours of audio, 16 days on standby, and 12 hours of internet use on both 4G and 3G. (The smaller iPhone 6 is quoted by Apple as good for 50 hours, 10 days, and 10 hours respectively).

I have found over the few days I've had the iPhone 6 Plus on test that it is possible to get two days out of its 2,915mAh battery, which puts it in the upper echelons of handset performance, and easily makes it better than the experience I had with the iPhone 6.

What about that iPhone 6 Plus 'bendgate' thing? Well, I found my review unit to be pretty solid. If you put a handset this large in your back pocket and then bend your buttocks into it with sitting, well, that's your call. I'd call it reckless behavior with any handset.

Verdict

I was impressed with the iPhone 6, and I am again impressed with the iPhone 6 Plus which knocks the smaller phone into a cocked hat in terms of battery life. It is capable, beautifully made, and iOS 8 is a nice step forward.

On the other hand, though, the 6 Plus is very expensive, and it suffers in my overall view from the lack of memory expansion as well as for being pricey.

Good Points

Beautiful build quality
Efficient fingerprint login
Good battery life
Great display

Bad Points

Relatively expensive
No memory expansion

Specifications

Manufacturer and Model	Apple iPhone 6 Plus
Network	4G
Processor	A8 1.4GHz dual-core with M8 motion coprocessor
Ram	1GB
Memory	64GB (54.5GB accessible) also available in 16GB and 128GB
Memory expansion	None
Display	5.5in, 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, 401ppi
Main camera	8 megapixel
Front camera	1.2 megapixel
NFC	Yes (Apple Pay only)
Wi-Fi	Yes
GPS	Yes
FM radio	No
Battery	2915 mAh
Size	77.8 x 7.1 x 158.1mm (WxDxH)
Weight	172g
OS	iOS 8

Dropbox passwords held to ransom after third-party leak

Publié: octobre 14, 2014, 10:59am CEST par Ian Barker

Cloud box

Hackers claim to have stolen the login details of almost seven million Dropbox users. Having released a teaser file on Pastebin with details of around 400 accounts they’re offering to release more in exchange for a Bitcoin ransom.

Like the Snapchat photo leak it seems that this information has come from insecure third-party services rather than from Dropbox itself.

In a post on the Dropbox blog the company's Anton Mityagin says, "Recent news articles claiming that Dropbox was hacked aren't true. Your stuff is safe. The usernames and passwords referenced in these articles were stolen from unrelated services, not Dropbox. Attackers then used these stolen credentials to try to log in to sites across the internet, including Dropbox. We have measures in place to detect suspicious login activity and we automatically reset passwords when it happens".

A later list of passwords posted yesterday are, says Dropbox, not associated with its services. It appears that the breach doesn't stem from services using the service’s API -- as with Snapchat -- but from simple poor user practice in reusing passwords across multiple sites. Once again a third-party is the weak link here though there's a new twist in the form of the hackers trying to make a quick profit from the information via Bitcoin.

It's not currently clear which site or service is the source of the breach, which potentially means that other services are at risk too. Dropbox says the initially posted batch of 400 credentials have now been reset. It also recommends that users enable two-factor authentication on their accounts to add an extra layer of protection.

This is the second bad news for Dropbox this week after it confirmed the existence of a bug that was deleting user files.

Image Credit: alexmillos / Shutterstock

Firefox 33 reveals performance tweaks, search improvements, more robust session restore

Publié: octobre 14, 2014, 10:50am CEST par Nick Peers

firefox33

Mozilla has released Firefox 33.0 FINAL for desktop, with Firefox for Android 33.0 due to follow in the coming days.

Like the previous release, the desktop build of Firefox 33 boasts no major new features, but its Android counterpart gains vastly improved tab management tools as well as the ability to send videos to both Chromecast and Roku devices.

Firefox 33 FINAL opens by enabling Off Thread Main Compositing on Windows by default: OMTC basically moves a process called "composition" to its own, secondary thread. Composition is the flattening of several web layers to a single final frame.

The reasoning behind this move is to make Firefox more responsive -- in the case of Windows, OMTC should help prevent the browser completely grinding to a halt when the main thread is being overwhelmed by sluggish processes, but its implementation across other platforms should see other gains made in the longer term, such as smoother panning and zooming on mobile platforms.

The new release also promises a better search experience, particularly when typing search terms directly into the location bar rather than the search box. Also added are search suggestions on both about:home and about:newtab pages.

The session restore feature, which helps bring back a user’s previous browsing session after a crash or restart, has also been made more robust in Firefox 33. This has been achieved through implementing smart backups and making better use of available backups when attempting to avoid or minimize data loss on the browser restart.

Version 33 also adds sandboxed support for the OpenH264 standard for WebRTC. There’s also a new Content Security Policy backend and support for connecting to the HTTP proxy over HTTPS.

Developers are once again well catered for in version 33, with a new Cubic-bezier curves editor implemented alongside a new sidebar that conveniently displays all @media rule shortcuts for the current stylesheet. Users also gain the ability to display which elements have event listeners attached to them via an 'ev' icon among other new features.

The Android build -- due to be updated in the next few days -- is packed with useful new features. There’s a new option for undoing closed tabs alongside the ability to list recently closed tabs and close all tabs at once. There’s also a new switch-to-tab option when opening new or private tabs.

Users also gain the ability to clear data when quitting, while Firefox for Android 33 will also support sending video from the browser to a Roku or Chromecast device.

Firefox 33.0 FINAL for Windows, Mac and Linux is available now as a free, open-source download. Firefox 33.0 for Android should be available shortly.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware improves multitasking, adds keyboard navigation support

Publié: octobre 14, 2014, 10:08am CEST par Mike Williams

Malwarebytes

Malwarebytes Corporation has released Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 2.03, a significant update for its anti-malware tool.

A new option to run scans at a lower priority (Settings > Advanced Settings > "Reduce priority…") may reduce their impact on other applications. This is a good idea in principle, although we noticed it had no effect whatsoever on our test system, with both process and I/O priorities remained stubbornly unchanged.

There’s extended support for navigating the interface by keyboard. This doesn’t work well everywhere, but it can still be useful, and suggests to us that MBAM’s redesigned interface -- due early next year in version 2.10 -- will arrive with strong keyboard navigation support built in.

Accessibility is further improved with new support for JAWS and Windows Narrator screenreaders.

A series of minor tweaks address some small but common annoyances. There should be no prompt for a system restart after updating to a new version of Anti-Malware; updates work even when the Scan tab is waiting for a user action; the logs now properly record all scans, and also record failed update checks.

Technical enhancements see Chameleon better able to bypass active infections and get Anti-Malware running, while there’s better support for scanning Bitlocker and TrueCrypt-encrypted drives during a rootkit scan (no more false flagging, hopefully).

If you’re a long-term user, though, the best part of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 2.03 is probably that it fixes several major bugs, including hangs, program and blue-screen crashes, and assorted interface annoyances. If the program hasn’t updated itself already, go grab your copy right away.

Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus heading to 36 more countries by the end of the month

Publié: octobre 14, 2014, 9:21am CEST par Darren Allan

iphone 6 sizes

Apple is boasting that it is conducting its fastest ever rollout of a smartphone, with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus set to arrive in 36 more countries during October.

That will mean the devices are available in a total of 69 countries come the end of October -- though consumers are still having a tough time getting hold of the phablet version, with the maximum three to four week wait listed at Apple's UK online store currently.

By the end of 2014, Apple plans to have its new smartphones on sale in a total of 115 countries (although quite how those phablet stocks will hold up is another thing).

Want to know exactly which countries are getting the iPhone 6 models, and when, during October? Then here's the full breakdown:

17 October: China, India and Monaco
23 October: Israel
24 October: Czech Republic, French West Indies, Greenland, Malta, Poland, Reunion Island and South Africa
30 October: Bahrain and Kuwait
31 October: Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Guam, Hungary, Iceland, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Macau, Macedonia, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, South Korea, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine and Thailand

Apple is all set to unveil new iPads later this week, on 16 October to be precise. The iPad Air 2 and refreshed iPad mini are expected to come with a fingerprint sensor (although it isn't clear if both tablets will have it at this point), and a gold color option.

Verizon Fios soars to the top of Netflix monthly ISP report

Publié: octobre 14, 2014, 4:50am CEST par Alan Buckingham

TV cat Netflix

Each and every month video provider Netflix issues a report on ISPs and makes no bones about who's good and who isn't. Honestly, the company has no choice -- its business rides on these speeds and it is not shy about reporting them.

September has been released, and there are some surprises and some not shocking disappointments. First, Verizon Fios flew to the top, averaging 3.17 MB per download. Not bad at all for the customers out there.

However, Comcast, which held Netflix hostage, more or less, still can't seem to get quite up to the task of getting this job done, even with the extra influx of income. The cable provider ranked just sixth, with 2.92 MB -- not terrible, but when you're getting money to provide this, then come on.

Netflix points out that "The Netflix ISP Speed Index is based on data from the more than 50 million Netflix members worldwide who view over 1 billion hours of TV shows and movies streaming from Netflix each month. The listed speeds reflect the average performance during prime time of all Netflix streams on each ISP's network and are an indicator of the performance typically experienced across all users on an ISP network. A faster network generally means a better picture quality, quicker start times and fewer interruptions".

Clearwire came in dead last in the US, while Canada was topped by Bell, and Eastlink was the bottom of the barrel in the great white north.

Each month seems an adventure for Netflix, but I suppose that's what makes things interesting for us, though not for the viewers. We'll see what October brings.

Want the Windows 10 look? Install the Windows 10 UX Pack or Windows 10 Transformation Pack

Publié: octobre 14, 2014, 3:13am CEST par Nick Peers

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WindowsX has released the Windows 10 UX Pack 1.0 and Windows 10 Transformation Pack 1.0, tools that skin Windows and -- in the case of the Transformation Pack -- patch system files to provide a look and feel that’s close to the current preview version of Windows 10.

Of the two, the UX Pack is the preferred choice for those running Windows 7 or later, as it makes changes without patching system files; however, the Transformation Pack does work with Vista and XP as well as later versions of Windows.

The setup is the same for both Windows 10 UX Pack and Windows 10 Transformation Pack: take a System Restore point, then download the zip file before extracting and launching the setup program.

You'll be given a number of choices – the defaults should be fine for most people, but experienced users or those running earlier versions of Windows should explore what’s on offer in order to see what tweaks they can perform.

Then it’s simply a case of clicking Install, sitting back and waiting for the program to weave its magic. This involves applying new themes, wallpapers icons, fonts and sounds, plus adding certain free tools to emulate parts of Windows 10, such as the new Start menu.

It's this Start menu that will probably attract most people – particularly those running Windows 8 or 8.1 – to these Packs, as it allows you to see how the new Start menu is likely to behave should it stay in its current form as Windows 10 moves through its development cycle.

Both tools also make it possible to undo all your changes and return to your existing settings – something we suspect most people will do once they've had a play -- simply be re-running the setup file again and choosing Uninstall.

And that's the beauty of either Windows 10 Transformation Pack: no need to find a spare partition or virtual machine to try out the Windows 10 Technical Preview if all you want is a quick flavor of how things may look. Just install either and in a few minutes -- even less with the UX Pack -- you’re up and running.

Both Windows 10 UX Pack 1.0 (Windows 7 or later) and Windows 10 Transformation Pack 1.0(Windows XP or later) are available now as a freeware downloads.

WordPress sites are a massive draw for hackers

Publié: octobre 14, 2014, 1:04am CEST par Dan Raywood

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According to research by Imperva, WordPress websites were attacked 24.1 percent more often than websites running on all other CMS platforms combined.

WordPress websites suffer 60 percent more XSS incidents than all other CMS platforms, and the research found that while WordPress is more likely to suffer fewer numbers of incidents for each attack type, it also suffers a higher traffic volume for each attack type.

Almost 75 million websites work on the WordPress content management system (CMS) and it seems that WordPress might be a victim of its own popularity. "We believe that popularity and a hacker’s focus go hand-in-hand," Imperva said in its report. "When an application or a platform becomes popular, hackers realize that the ROI from hacking into these platforms or applications will be fruitful, so they spend more time researching and exploiting these applications, either to steal data from them, or to use the hacked systems as zombies in a botnet".

The research also found that 48.1 percent of all attack campaigns target retail applications, while websites that have log-in functionality, and hence contain consumer specific information, suffer 59 percent of all attacks, and 63 percent of all SQL Injection attacks.

Amichai Shulman, chief technology officer at Imperva, said: "Looking at other sources of attacks, we were also interested to find that infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) providers are on the rise as attacker infrastructure. For example, 20 percent of all known vulnerability exploitation attempts have originated from Amazon Web Services. They aren’t alone; with this phenomenon on the rise, other IaaS providers have to worry about their servers being compromised. Attackers don’t discriminate when it comes to where a data center lives".

Ilia Kolochenko, CEO and founder of High-Tech Bridge, said: "For upwards of a decade, the major CMS platforms such as Joomla and WordPress have been deeply researched by both black and white hat hackers (some well-known CMS even changed names during their development). Today it would be fair to say that the vast majority of data breaches are directly or indirectly related to vulnerable web applications and compromised websites".

Dan Raywood is editor of The IT Security Guru

Google lists the top 10 Halloween costumes -- who or what are you dressing up as?

Publié: octobre 13, 2014, 10:22pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

pumpkinkid

October is one of my favorite months; I get to wear a hoodie, drink pumpkin spice lattes (PSLs) from Starbucks and enjoy Halloween. Sure, I am far too old to trick or treat, but that does not mean that I can't get into the holiday spirit. I go pumpkin picking, carve jack-o'-lanterns, and give out candy to kids that come to my door.

When I was a young man, I did dress up for Halloween, but we were usually too poor to actually buy costumes. I recall one year that I dressed up as a SilverHawk, a popular cartoon in the 80s. My mom put aluminum foil on my head and sent me out with a pillow case for candy. In hindsight, I probably looked insane, but in my mind, I was a SilverHawk. Today, Google announces the top 10 Halloween costumes as per search trends.

"Are you an Elsa, Olaf or Anna? Judging by the top trending searches for Halloween costumes on Google, you’re going to see a lot of each on the streets this October 31. The characters from Disney’s animated blockbuster make up three of the top five trending costumes this year. While last year's list featured popular choices from TV (Breaking Bad) and the viral video 'What Does The Fox Say', movie-themed costumes are dominating this year. Maleficent and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costumes round out the top five. Costumes from Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America and The Avengers take places 6 through 8, while video-game Assassin's Creed and pet costume were the only non-movie themed costumes trend to make the Top 10", says Danielle Bowers, Data and Trends Manager, Google.

Halloween Blog Post Costume Trends Infographic

Bowers further explains, "Halloween is one of those holidays filled with the do-it-yourself spirit, particularly if the DIY costume and general Halloween trends on Google Search are any indication. But nowhere is the the DIY Halloween spirit more alive than on YouTube. Last year, nearly one out of three Halloween costume searches on YouTube were for DIY costumes. Searches for DIY costumes on YouTube grew more than 200 percent in 2013 compared to the previous year".

pump

So apparently, my mom's use of aluminum foil is not so crazy, as people are still going the do-it-yourself route. This is not surprising as the economy continues to create difficult financial circumstances for many. Quite frankly, buying a costume that gets worn one day and then discarded, is not a smart use of money.

Believe it or not though, dog costumes are trending 15 percent higher than last year. I wish I could make fun of these people, but I am one of them -- we dress our dog up every year and enter her into the local Petco costume contest. Hell, she actually won last year! Is it silly? Sure, but the family enjoys it and the dogs usually go home with some free treats.

Who or what are you dressing as this year? Tell me in the comments.

Photo credit: My Good Images / Shutterstock

1 million people are trying Windows 10 Technical Preview, and a new build is on its way

Publié: octobre 13, 2014, 8:55pm CEST par Wayne Williams

windows 10

Microsoft released the Windows 10 Technical Preview a fortnight ago, inviting testers to participate in the Windows Insider Program and help the company build a better operating system.

In two weeks, over a million people have apparently signed up to try out the new OS, and according to Microsoft, the tech giant has received over 200,000 pieces of user-initiated feedback to date via the built-in Windows Feedback app. You can see a rough breakdown of the top feedback received so far here. Microsoft also revealed some genuinely interesting information regarding how people are running the OS.

While the obvious way to test the software is in a virtual environment like VirtualBox (see our guide to setting it up here), it transpires this accounts for only 36 percent of installations. 64 percent of users have the Technical Preview running on an actual physical PC, which is good news for Microsoft, because its means those people are likely to spend longer using the operating system.

Equally interesting -- and far more surprising -- is 68 percent of users are launching in excess of seven apps a day. That seems like a lot, but even more shocking is the fact that 25 percent of users are launching more than 26 apps per day, and 5 percent are launching an amazingly specific 68 apps a day.

Microsoft is keen to let users know that it is poring over the feedback it’s receiving, and taking notes. Joe Belfiore, the software giant's Operating Systems Group corporate vice president, describes the process thusly: "What we’re doing is almost like building a plane while flying it with you as our co-engineers. (And yes, that means sometimes the ride will get bumpier!)"

Going forward, it will be Gabriel Aul, head of Microsoft’s Data & Fundamentals Team, who will be providing Windows Insider Program updates (it’s his team which is looking at the feedback and telemetry data Microsoft is receiving) and he’ll be alerting users to new builds via Twitter. It’s worth following him as, according to Belfiore, a new build of the fledgling operating system is "coming soon".

Acer Chromebox CXI -- small package, largely satisfying [Review]

Publié: octobre 13, 2014, 8:43pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

sidecxiandroid

Everybody has different needs, so it is impossible to say one operating system is better than another. Sure, you can state which OS is best for you, but someone else may have a difference in opinion. In other words, whether you think Windows, OS X, Chrome OS or any Linux distro is the best operating system, you are right.

While I prefer Windows for heavy lifting, I use my Chromebook regularly for light use, such as writing, and trips to Starbucks. Unfortunately, Chrome OS has become synonymous with low-cost and portability, causing people to discount it for home desktop use. Actually, there is a segment of Chrome devices called Chromeboxes that are designed for the desktop and can excel at many things. Today, I am looking at the Acer Chromebox CXI (4GKM) to see how it performs as a home desktop PC.

Specs

Operating System: Chrome OS
Processor: Intel Celeron 2957U Dual-core (2 Core) 1.40 GHz
Memory: 4 GB, DDR3L SDRAM
Storage: 16 GB SSD
Maximum Power Supply Wattage 65 W
Height 6.5 inch
Width 1.3 inch
Depth 5.1 inch

Unboxing

Impressions

CXI_rear The overall packaging is surprisingly heavy, but that is not the fault of the Chromebox. No, the heft is due to the keyboard and mouse which are included in the box. Yes, a keyboard and mouse are included, but they are of average quality. Don't get me wrong, the keyboard and mouse are totally usable, but you may choose to upgrade them.

The actual computer, the Chromebox CXI, is very light and attractive. Acer gives you a few different ways to position it on your desk. You can lay it flat (horizontally) or stand it up (vertically); for the latter, a base is included which will make it less likely to topple over. In my testing though, even without the base, it is not at risk from tumbling, but why not use the base, right?

The coolest option however, is the included VESA mount, which allows you to attach it to the rear of a monitor (or television). This essentially converts your monitor into an all in one PC. This will keep the Cheomebox secure, while also freeing up the most desk space. The downside though, is that you must reach around to turn it on or access the front USB ports.

front Speaking of USB ports, there are 4 total and all of them are the 3.0 variety -- 2.0 is nowhere to be found (woo hoo!). Two of the ports are on the front -- ideal for flash drives -- and the other two are on the rear and is designed for a USB keyboard and mouse. Of course, a webcam is also a smart addition.

Also on the rear is both HDMI and DisplayPort, which gives you good compatibility with multiple monitors. Rounding out the rest of the rear is a power port, Kensington lock slot, headphone/microphone port and a gigabit Ethernet jack.

While Ethernet is on-board, wireless connectivity is also present -- both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Unfortunately, 802.11AC is not included, only 802.11a/b/g/n. However, 802.11N is perfectly fine, since Chrome OS is about connecting to the internet and not other computers on a network. The good news, however, is that it can make use of the 5GHz band.

Bluetooth is very useful for connecting keyboards, mice and audio devices to Chrome OS. I am currently in love with the Logitech K480 Bluetooth keyboard and that is what I have been using with the Acer Chromebox CXI. If you want to play some tunes from Google Play Music All Access, just pair some Bluetooth headphones and you will be off to the races.

Performance is extremely good, but take note that I am reviewing the 4GB model. Acer also sells a CXI with 2GB of RAM, however I would urge you to avoid it. Chrome OS loves RAM, and 4GB is the bare minimum for a good experience. Can you get by with 2GB? Sure, but I think you will regret it.

Whether I was watching Netflix or 1080p YouTube videos, there was never any lag or hiccups; performance is solid. The processor is extremely capable and should offer a great experience for many years.

Octane

The only negative aspect, and it is small, is that the Acer Chromebox CXI is not fanless. The small fan inside that keeps it cool is audible, although not so much as to be distracting. After a while, you get used to it, and if you are listening to music or watching a movie, it cannot be heard at all.

Conclusion

Overall, the little box has a lot of power and should meet the needs of many home users. Hell, many business users may find the Chromebox CXI useful too. If you live in the browser, like many people nowadays, Chrome OS is a great choice -- there are a lot of useful web apps. For example, Pixlr is great for editing images, Microsoft Office Online is a very capable web-based office suite and the all-new Hangouts app is a great way to stay in touch with friends or family. The platform has a ton of potential and will only get better with every passing day.

If you are very mobile and prefer to work on the go, a Chromebook is probably a smarter choice. However, if you are like me and prefer to work at a desk with a large monitor, keyboard and mouse, the Chromebox CXI is a very good choice and I highly recommend it. Just make sure you buy the 4GB model.

IBM's Power8 servers are less than meets the eye

Publié: octobre 13, 2014, 8:17pm CEST par Robert X. Cringely

ibm-nvidia

Two weeks ago IBM told the IT world it was taking on Intel in the battle for server chips with new Power8 processors incorporating advanced interconnection and GPU technology from NVIDIA. This followed an announcement earlier in the year that Google was using Power8 processors in some of its homemade servers. All this bodes well for IBM’s chip unit, right?

Not so fast.

Some product announcements are more real than others. While it’s true that IBM announced the imminent availability of its first servers equipped with optional Graphical Processing Units (GPUs), most of the other products announced are up to two years in the future. The real sizzle here is the NVlink and CAPi stuff that won’t really ship until 2016. So it is marketing a 2016 line of Power8 vaporware against a 2014 Intel spec. No wonder it looks so good!

This new technology won’t contribute to earnings until 2016, if then.

Worse still, the Power8 chips rely on a manufacturing process that’s behind Intel from a division IBM was trying to pay to give away (without success) only a few weeks before. And that Google announcement of Power8 servers didn’t actually say the search giant would be building the boxes in large numbers, just that it was testing them. Google could be doing that just to get better pricing from Intel.

This is IBM marketingspeak making the best of a bad situation. It’s clever leveraging of technology that is otherwise becoming rapidly obsolete. If IBM wants Power to remain competitive it’ll have to either spend billions to upgrade its Fishkill, NY chip foundry or take the chips to someplace like TSMC which will require major reengineering because TSMC can’t support IBM’s unique -- and orphaned -- copper and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology.

IBM is right that GPUs will play an important part in cloud computing as cloud vendors add that capability to their server farms. First to do so was Amazon Web Services with its so-called Graphical Cloud. Other vendors have followed with the eventual goal that we’ll be able to play advanced video games and use graphically-intensive applications like Adobe Photoshop purely from the cloud on any device we like. It’s perfectly logical for IBM to want to play a role in this transition, but so far those existing graphical clouds all use Intel and Intel-compatible servers. IBM is out of the Intel server business, having just sold that division to Lenovo in China for $2.1 billion.

Key to understanding how little there is to this announcement is IBM’s claim that the new servers it is shipping at the end of this month have a price-performance rating up to 20 percent higher than competing Intel-based servers. While 20 percent is not to be sneezed-at, it probably isn’t enough to justify switching vendors or platforms for any big customers. If the price-performance were, say, double that might be significant, but 20 percent -- especially 20 percent that isn’t really explained since IBM hasn’t revealed prices yet -- is just noise.

Those who adopt these new IBM servers will have to switch to Ubuntu Linux, for example. Industry stalwart Red Hat doesn’t yet support the platform, nor does IBM’s own AIX. Switch vendor, switch operating system and maybe gain 20 percent won’t cut it with most IT customers.

And we’ve been here before.

From Wikipedia: "The PowerPC Reference Platform (PReP) was a standard system architecture for PowerPC based computer systems developed at the same time as the PowerPC processor architecture. Published by IBM in 1994, it allowed hardware vendors to build a machine that could run various operating systems, including Windows NT, OS/2, Solaris, Taligent and AIX".

PReP and its associated OSF/1 operating system were an earlier IBM attempt to compete with and pressure Intel. Intel kept improving its products and made some pricing adjustments, destroying PReP. Linux basically killed OSF/1 and every other form of Unix, too. OSF/1 came out in 1992. PReP came out in 1994. By 1998 both were forgotten and are now footnotes in Wikipedia.

IBM’s OpenPower is likely to suffer the same fate.

Microsoft rocks the vote -- Bing Elections helps voters stay informed

Publié: octobre 13, 2014, 5:01pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

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One of the greatest benefits of living in a free country such as the USA is the ability to vote. Even in this country, we aren't far removed from a time where women and non-whites were not allowed to vote -- an embarrassment. With that said, a bigger embarrassment is people that do not vote at all. Don't get me wrong, people have the right not to vote, and it is sometimes discouraging to always choose the lesser of two evils, but when you think of the people that fought and died for your right to vote, it is almost a slap in their face to not do it.

If you don't feel you have enough knowledge about the candidates, that is understandable; there are far too many distractions, such as Walking Dead, Twitter and working very long hours. Between work and media consumption, there just is not enough time to research election details. Today, Microsoft wants to make it easier for people to learn about the election with the all-new Bing Elections; a one-stop hub of information.

"As the U.S. approaches one of the most hotly contested political seasons in years, Bing has launched a new election experience at Bing.com/election that helps you get 360-degree view -- from local to national -- into Elections 2014. Bing brings you the latest news from the right, left and center perspectives, up-to-date predictions across governor and national congressional races, a personalized Voter Guide that includes side by side comparisons of candidates’ positions as well as a tracker to find the nearest polling sites in your area", says Derrick Connell, Corporate Vice President, Bing.

Connell further explains, "Politics aside, our goal with Bing Elections and the personalized Voter Guide is to arm voters so they can make decisions based on the most comprehensive and best information available. Whether it's the senate race at the national level or a proposition affecting your city, we're hoping to give you the confidence to make the most out of your vote".

What makes this especially cool is that Microsoft is not pushing an agenda or either side of the aisle. Bing is all about information, and Elections is simply a new way of providing unbiased information to potential voters. My favorite aspect in this regard is "My Ballot" which cuts out the noise and provides the user with information that pertains to them. For example, I live in New York, so I would care about New York candidates -- having to wade through state election information for places like Wyoming or Alaska, which arguably doesn't apply to me, is simply a distraction.

Bing explains My Ballot by saying, "based on your location Bing will display everything that will appear on your ballot as well as the location of the nearest voting station in your area. You can compare candidates, dig into propositions and even see predictions from Bing as to which candidate has a higher chance of winning the elections". Very cool.

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Regardless of how you vote -- Democrat, Republican, or something else -- being informed is key to making your vote count. Sure, you can vote for whoever is the tallest, most attractive or who you would most likely want to have a beer with, but wouldn't you rather vote for the candidate that most matches your ideals and beliefs? If so, check out Bing Elections here.

Cloud burst: Dropbox confirms bug deleted user files

Publié: octobre 13, 2014, 4:41pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Dropbox confirms bug deleted user files There have been various headlines recently about cloud security breaches -- including the celebrity 'event' that shall not be named -- and the latest problem to hit the cloud affects Dropbox users.

This time around it's not a security problem, but it does involve losing control of one's files. A problem with the Selective Sync feature of some older versions of the Dropbox desktop app meant that files were deleted rather than synced. It's a problem that Dropbox users have been complaining about for a little while but the cloud storage provider has now confirmed the bug and issued assurances that the problem has been addressed.

The problem seems to arise when the Dropbox application shut down or restarted whilst Selective Sync settings were being applied, but steps have been taken to wipe out the issue. Dropbox has confirmed that the problem stems from older versions of the desktop sync app.

Users on Hacker News quote Dropbox support as saying that "older versions of the Dropbox client had introduced an issue" that led to the deletion of files. The cloud storage company goes on to explain that it has "patched our desktop client so this issue doesn't exist in Dropbox anymore", "made sure all our users are running an updated version of the Dropbox client", and "retired all affected versions of the Dropbox client so no one can use them".

Steps have been taken to recover files that were deleted, but there is no word yet on the number of files that could not be recovered by Dropbox. One user, Michael Armogan, received an email from the company that includes an apology and the news that the problem has been fixed:

We're reaching out to let you know about a Selective Sync issue that affected a small number of Dropbox users. Unfortunately, some of your files were deleted when the Dropbox desktop application was shut down or restarted while you were applying Selective Sync settings.

Our team worked hard to restore files that were deleted from your account. You can see which of your files were affected and whether or not we've been able to restore them on this personalized web page.

We're very sorry about what happened. There's nothing more important to us than making sure your information is safe and always available. Our team has fixed the issue and put additional tests in place to prevent this from happening in the future.

For some Dropbox users, email such as this will be the first they knew of the file deletion problem.

Were you affected by the Dropbox file deletion problem? Did you lose many files or were they successfully restored for you?

Microsoft releases a new keyboard for Android Wear watches

Publié: octobre 13, 2014, 4:15pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

MS keyboard

Google's Android Wear is still getting started, having a smattering of devices such as the LG G Watch and Motorola's Moto 360. The wrist wear brings the mobile platform to a small screen, and it's received a lot of attention since the launch.

Microsoft has a history of supporting Android, releasing all of its apps to the rival devices, despite Google's failure to reciprocate. Last month the the company released OneNote for watches and now the software giant is working on Android Wear again, offering a new analog keyboard app for the tiny items.

The company describes it as "a custom keyboard for the Android Wear platform that lets users enter text by drawing handwritten letters on the watch face".

Because it's so early in development, this is not yet a store app, so you'll need to sideload the prototype keyboard. Microsoft points out that "It has been tested only on the Samsung Gear Live (square, 320x320 pixels) and the Moto 360 (round, 320x290 pixels). The 280x280 resolution or upcoming round watches are not supported at this time".

Microsoft also answers a question it claims it was receiving from early testers -- "a number of readers have asked us whether this method is identical to Palm’s Graffiti. It is not. The key difference is that we let users write normal English letters, whereas Graffiti requires users to learn a custom gesture for each character".

There are a few things you'll need to note about this offering -- first, it's only a prototype for now. Second, it's only available for square screens and the Moto 360 (which has a bug) right now. Bear it mind it's only version 0.1, so don't expect miracles from the app. The keyboard will work with a 320x320 screen resolution. You can grab it by following this link. It comes as a ZIP file and installation instructions are included under a file named HowToInstall.txt. The download is just over 5MB. You can also get more information by visiting Microsoft Research.

100,000 mostly dull photos leak online -- behind the 'Snappening' hype

Publié: octobre 13, 2014, 3:35pm CEST par Ian Barker

SnapChat

After all of the recent stories related to the Fappening you could be forgiven for thinking that stories about leaks of nude photos were becoming passé.

That didn't stop the media going into overdrive at the weekend when news emerged of 100,000 (or 200,000 depending on where you read the story) images from disposable message service Snapchat being leaked online.

What got the tabloids hot under the collar was the fact that Snapchat is popular with users under the age of consent. "Thousands of kids, some as young as 10, could have nude photos posted online" shrilled the Mirror. "Naked 'Snapchat images' put online by hackers" the Metro shrieked.

In the cold light of a Monday morning, however, things look a little bit different. So, here's what’s really happened.

First of all, yes there has been a leak of photos. These didn't originate from Snapchat itself but from the SnapSaved.com website, a service that allows Snapchat users to save images that have supposedly been destroyed.

Snapchat is keen to distance itself from the leak saying in a statement, "We can confirm that Snapchat's servers were never breached and were not the source of these leaks. Snapchatters were victimized by their use of third-party apps to send and receive Snaps, a practice that we expressly prohibit in our Terms of Use precisely because they compromise our users' security. We vigilantly monitor the App Store and Google Play for illegal third-party apps and have succeeded in getting many of these removed".

Which is fine except that SnapSaved isn't an app it's a website. There are though apps which offer the same sort of service, similarly named but also not implicated, SnapSave being one of them.

The SnapSaved site is currently offline but has posted a statement on its Facebook page confirming it was hacked and saying, "We had a misconfiguration in our Apache server. Snapchat has not been hacked, and these images do not originate from their database".

That accounts for the leak, but what has been leaked doesn't seem to be the 100,000 plus naked teen images of the tabloids' wet dreams either. According to comments from users on 4chan and Reddit where the photos were leaked most are of everyday activities like displaying a new hairdo or preparing a meal. There may be a small percentage of nudes but certainly not hundreds of thousands.

The other scary suggestion in early stories was that the images were indexed, allowing hackers to link them to user names. Thus leaving the way open for embarrassment at best and blackmail at worst. It seems that this isn't quite true either. Whilst there is a database it's missing its index making it a mass of un-sorted data from which it would be difficult to connect images and users.

So what have we learned? First Snapchat isn't at fault though it does have form for losing data. Second third-parties are often the weakest link when it comes to security, Snapchat makes its users feel secure by claiming images are deleted after 10 seconds but you've no way of knowing if the recipient is using a site or app to capture them. Third the majority of these leaked photos are pretty innocent stuff. Fourth the pictures aren't easily linked to users.

Finally, and you knew this anyway, it isn't a good idea to send naked photos of yourself winging around the internet.

Six ways consumer software can revolutionize your IT

Publié: octobre 13, 2014, 3:06pm CEST par Himanshu Sareen

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Not too long ago, the phrase "consumer-friendly" was something of a scarlet letter as it applied to business technology. Consumer tech was always viewed as dumbed-down and less capable than anything used in the enterprise setting, so it was practically unthinkable to bring consumer-grade software into the workplace.

Fast-forward to today, and platforms like Salesforce and Yammer and Workday are consistently demonstrating that consumer-level accessibility doesn’t require a decrease in technological capability. We can have our cake and eat it too. Here are six ways you can consumerize your own IT -- without dumbing it down.

1. Make it look good

Smart devices have changed the way we look at software, not just from a device standpoint -- but from an interface standpoint as well. Gone are the days where cluttered screens and clunky user experiences pass as acceptable. If it’s not user-friendly, it’s not optimal.

One of the most important ways that consumer tech has affected the enterprise is that users now understand what an elegant, intuitive UI looks like. By focusing on quality UX and clean, user-friendly design, you can make your software much more accessible and productive -- without alienating your power users.

2. Do something different

As recent platforms like Asana, Box and Domo show, the enterprise can benefit immensely from trends in consumer software. But copy-pasting features from the latest popular apps won’t cut it. It’s more important to look at how these trends are connecting people with their peers, their data, and their work -- and then move on from there.

By distilling recent consumer trends down to the intrinsic value they provide, you can innovate your own IT in a way that streamlines your workflows without dumbing them down in terms of function or depth.

3. Put security first

One of the main concerns toward consumerization is that it might compromise security in favor of access and convenience. Sure, cloud data might be easier to handle, but it can also pose a larger risk for your business. Likewise, "Bring Your Own Device" policies have been somewhat difficult to adopt in large part because of the security holes they can poke in an enterprise software infrastructure.

Because of the urgency and reality of these security concerns, it’s important to make sure that whenever you attempt to consumerize your software, you’re keeping your own system integrity as the top priority. While you shouldn’t let these concerns hinder your technological ambitions, it’s best to view security as a prerequisite for an effective enterprise platform.

4. Put the "Consumer" in "Consumerization"

People find it less jarring to bring their own personal devices to work than it is to switch constantly between work and personal devices. By opening up your IT to the possibilities of BYOD, you’ll start seeing some instant benefits, among which are increased productivity and improved morale within your teams. By allowing employees to use their platforms of choice, you accommodate for their preferred workflows and, in general, will find that your employees are using more up-to-date technologies than you might have otherwise been able to provide.

The important thing to note about BYOD policies is that they require trade-offs. Even though they can increase workflows and decrease costs, they also require increased security efforts and demand platform flexibility. Make sure to keep these points in mind when approaching any kind of BYOD policy.

5. Make integration integral

While it’s great to have a sense of specialization in software, the newest wave of workplace IT is seeking to knock down the barriers between different software programs. The popular new communication platform Slack, for instance, might look like a simple chat tool for smaller teams, but its real strength comes in its platform integration. By allowing users to send anything from Google Drive files, to comments from Twitter, all the way to in-line Soundcloud links, Slack can simplify employee workflows in a way that doesn’t compromise the integrity of the software on an individual level.

6. Bring the team together

One of the most important parts of an efficient workflow is smooth interaction between team members. Some of the most successful new workplace programs have been platforms like Chatter and Yammer, which strive to increase productivity by making business a more social space. While they might have their roots in consumer-aimed social networks like Facebook, these programs show how much room for innovation is still left when it comes to improving collaboration in the workplace.

Regardless of whether or not BYOD or social platforms are right for your particular business, the consumerization trend has a wealth of ideas to offer for anyone hoping to improve their enterprise technology. By prioritizing employee workflows over raw specs, any business can use consumerization to cut the fat, streamline their processes, and increase accessibility without sacrificing usability.

Himanshu Sareen is the Founder and CEO of Icreon Tech, a leading IT consultancy working with some of the world’s largest and most influential brands including National Geographic Channel, Fox, PepsiCo, Nokia Siemens Networks and more. He founded Icreon in 2000 and grew the company through a mix of acquisitions and organic growth, and is responsible for the company’s strategic and overall business development. Himanshu is part of the Owners and Presidents Program of Harvard Business School. He received his MBA in international business from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade.

Samsung's new Wi-Fi technology enables 4.6Gbps transfer speeds

Publié: octobre 13, 2014, 2:08pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

speed fast highway

It is only natural for Wi-Fi transfer speeds to increase as we are getting closer to the Internet of Things (IoT). The new technology era will see virtually every single thing we can imagine being designed, from the start, to go online. That requires technologies which can cope with the extra load. But since what we have now is seemingly not good enough, Samsung, being heavily invested in IoT, has decided to take matters into its own hands.

As it works towards bringing its Smart Home concept to fruition, which is an integral part of its IoT plans, Samsung announces today that the new Wi-Fi technology it has developed, formally known as 802.11ad, will enable transfer speeds of up to 4.6 Gbs (575 MBps). In plain English it means that a 1 GB file will be downloaded in less than two seconds.

For 802.11ad, Samsung uses neither the 2.4 GHz nor the 5 GHz band, which are used in most routers and devices today, as the technology (which has also been known as WiGig) relies on the 60 Ghz band. And there is a reason why no device that we have in our households today is leveraging this spectrum, other than it being unlicensed at the time of writing this article.

"Until now, there have been significant challenges in commercially adopting 60 GHz Wi-Fi technology, as millimeter waves that travel by line-of-sight has weak penetration properties and is susceptible to path loss, resulting in poor signal and data performance", says Samsung. "By leveraging millimeter-wave circuit design and high performance modem technologies and by developing wide-coverage beam-forming antenna, Samsung was able to successfully achieve the highest quality, commercially viable 60 GHz Wi-Fi technology".

Samsung says that it has also developed "the world's first micro beam-forming control technology that optimizes the communications module in less than 1/3,000 seconds" and "the world's first method that allows multiple devices to connect simultaneously to a network". These will ensure that 802.11ad is ready to be used in routers and IoT devices and deliver a seamless experience for users.

Today, the best consumers can get is 802.11ac, which enables transfer speeds of up to 1734 Mbps -- in its current implementation, which no client device fully supports yet -- using fast routers such as ASUS' RT-AC87U. Samsung's 802.11ad is roughly 2.7 times faster, by comparison.

Photo Credit: Dudarev Mikhail/Shutterstock

Windows 10: How to quickly switch between the Start menu and Start screen

Publié: octobre 13, 2014, 1:07pm CEST par Wayne Williams

Toggle

The main highlight in the Windows 10 Technical Preview is unquestionably the new Start menu. It is the perfect blend of the old and the new, mixing the Windows 7 Start menu with Windows 8's tiled Start screen.

If, however, you’re a Windows 8.x user who has become accustomed to working in the Start screen, you may not want to take the 'backward step' of returning to a Start menu. (My colleague Mark Wilson certainly feels your pain). The good news is Windows 10 lets you choose between the Start menu and Start screen, although switching backwards and forwards between the two modes is rather cumbersome. Fortunately, there’s a simple solution.

At the moment, the way to get the Start screen back is by right-clicking the taskbar and selecting Properties, then clicking the Start Menu tab and checking or unchecking "Use the Start menu instead of the Start screen". You then need to log out and log back in again to make the changes.

That is, obviously, a far from ideal situation, but thankfully a TenForums user has created a script which adds a Toggle Start Menu/Screen option to the desktop context menu. The process of installing it very simple, just grab the file from here, and unzip it. Move the Toggle_Start_Menu_or_Start_Screen.vbs file into C:\Windows then double-click the Add_Toggle_Start_Menu_or_Start_Screen_to_Context_Menu.reg file and approve the changes to the Windows registry.

Once installed, all you have to do is right-click the desktop and select the option to switch between the Start menu and Start screen. The beauty of this solution is you don’t need to log out and log back in to make the change, it just works.

There is another script available if you want to remove the toggle.

It’s a simple, and elegant solution and hopefully Microsoft will implement something similar in the finished Windows 10 release.

Microsoft app lets you adjust Pen pressure sensitivity on Surface Pro 3

Publié: octobre 13, 2014, 12:40pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Surface Pro 3 Photoshop

Microsoft Surface Pro 3 is one of the greatest tablets for content creators. It can run full-blown software like AutoCAD, Lightroom, Office and Photoshop because Windows 8.1 runs the show, it rivals ultrabooks in the speed department, can double as a laptop with a Type Cover attached, offers good battery life thanks to efficient processors and, on top of all this, ships with a neat stylus as well, out-of-the-box, which Microsoft calls Surface Pen.

Surface Pen is a precise input tool, which comes in handy when users want to draw, sketch or take notes, for instance. Still, for those who would like to make the stylus even more precise in operation can turn to Microsoft's new app, Surface Hub, to adjust pressure sensitivity, among other things.

The functionality that Surface Hub offers was enabled last Monday by a firmware upgrade that Microsoft released for Surface Pro 3. Its description says that it introduces support for "additional upcoming configuration options for Surface Pro 3".

The available options in Surface Hub include altering the Surface Pen pressure sensitivity, which can be done using a dedicated slider (the pressure sensitivity can also be reset to the factory default setup, in case any issues arise after the adjustment), and changing the top Surface Pen button to open either the Modern UI or desktop version of OneNote.

The app can also be used to give Microsoft feedback on how likely they are to "recommend the Surface device to a friend or a colleague", much like Nokia has been doing with Lumia devices, and explain their reasoning. If they so choose, Microsoft can be allowed to contact them regarding their feedback.

Surface Hub

Adjusting the pressure sensitivity will come in handy when working in software like Photoshop and OneNote, where the amount of pressure that is applied dictates how thick or thin a line or writing is, for instance. For the Surface Pro 3, Surface Pen has 256 pressure sensitivity levels, while with prior iterations it offers four times as many, 1,024 to be exact. Users can test the impact of the change right away, in a dedicated "Ink Test" box.

Surface Hub is available to download from Windows Store. At the time of writing this article, it has a three-star rating.

Free tablets for UK pensioners as Argos promotes digital skills

Publié: octobre 13, 2014, 11:38am CEST par Ian Barker

Argos digital skills workshop

We're increasingly becoming a digital society, yet almost one in five people in the UK lack digital skills and 52 percent of those are aged over 65.

In an effort to provide practical skills and access to technology, catalog retailer Argos has partnered with digital skills charity Go ON UK to offer workshops to 10,000 adults.

The workshops will take place at 120 of the company's stores and will cost £20 per head. In return attendees will receive a Proscan 7-inch 8GB tablet and a voucher to get free TalkTalk broadband for a year. Specially-trained store staff will help participants learn the basics of how to use a tablet, connect to and surf the internet, use a search engine, set up email, stay safe online and more.

John Walden, Chief Executive of Home Retail Group, which owns Argos, says, "The digital revolution continues apace, however, millions remain on the side-lines. Argos Internet Workshops have been developed to help people overcome the barriers of access and affordability and improve their knowledge, understanding and confidence in digital technology. The internet is becoming increasingly essential in day-to-day life, and offers a world of new possibilities that we believe everyone should be able to access".

Research earlier this year from communications regulator OFCOM shows that there's a big increase in over 65s going online and more people are using tablets to do so. This is partly down to technologies like Skype that enable communication between generations.

"Access, affordability and skills have all been cited as key barriers to bringing people online and this fantastic initiative from Argos is exactly the type of program we need to help people become more confident with technology," says Baroness Lane-Fox, Chair of Go ON UK.

The workshops will run from 25 October through to January next year. People interested in participating can call 0345 600 4408 or visit their nearest Argos store for more information.

Image Credit: Home Retail Group

Jony Ive accuses Xiaomi and others of copying Apple

Publié: octobre 13, 2014, 10:39am CEST par Aatif Sulleyman

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Apple may still be the number one brand in the world, but it's no longer head, shoulders and torso above the competition.

The likes of HTC and Sony have caught up with (and arguably surpassed) the firm in the smartphone market, while Lenovo and Microsoft are absolutely hounding the iPad and MacBook with their terrific Yoga and Surface products.

Unfortunately for Apple, the strain is beginning to show. The excruciatingly hip company is no longer trying to maintain its old aura of effortless brilliance, as head of design Jony Ive has demonstrated.

The man who is revered in design circles across the globe -- and well-known for his calm, quiet demeanor -- became a little tetchy when asked about so-called copycats at the Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit this week.

After being quizzed on some of Chinese firm Xiaomi's products which, admittedly, do look a lot like Apple's iPhones, Ive simply replied, "I don't see it as flattery. I actually see it as theft".

"When you're doing something for the first time, for example with the phone, and you don't know it's going to work, and you spend seven or eight years working on something, and then it's copied -- I have to be honest, the first thing I think isn't 'Ooh, that was flattering.' All those weekends I could have had at home with my lovely family but didn't, but the flattery made up for it," he added, sarcastically.

Xiaomi, which only launched in 2011, has made great market share gains over the past year or so, and grabbed many a headline when it picked up former Android head of product management Hugo Barra a year ago.

This is of course not the first time Apple and somebody connected with Google have clashed over accusations of theft. Late former Apple CEO Steve Jobs once famously raved, "I'm going to destroy Android, because it's a stolen product," because he believed that Google chairman Eric Schmidt had engaged in foul play.

"I'm willing to go thermonuclear war on this," Jobs continued. "I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple $40 billion [£24 billion] in the bank, to right this wrong".

Image credit: Flickr (dannyjackie)

British criminals are remotely wiping mobile devices while in police custody

Publié: octobre 13, 2014, 8:23am CEST par Jamie Hinks

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Offenders are using software to remotely wipe tablets and smartphones confiscated by the police so they cannot be used as evidence in criminal cases.

Police forces in Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Durham all admitted to the BBC that seized devices have been remotely "wiped" of all data to prevent it being used as evidence in court.

Dorset has been the worst affected with six occurrences in one year and the police in the county were at pains to point out that they don’t have the foggiest how users are doing so.

"There were six incidents, but we don't know how people wiped them," the Dorset police spokesperson told the BBC. "We have cases where phones get seized, and they are not necessarily taken from an arrested person -- but we don't know the details of these cases as there is not a reason to keep records of this".

Derbyshire police also confirmed that a device has been wiped remotely whilst in police custody in relation to a romance fraud case, however, this didn’t impact the investigation and a conviction was secured.

Cleveland police, on the other hand, was another left befuddled by a device and it admitted it was unclear "whether it was wiped prior to coming into police hands". It’s also not apparent if it affected the investigation because the force doesn’t know what was on the phone.

Forces in Cambridgeshire, Durham and Nottingham have also all seen one case each and it’s thought that offenders are able to wipe devices remotely if the police force in question leaves the power on due to the fact it still has a signal.

"If a device has a signal, in theory it is possible to wipe it remotely," Ken Munro, a digital forensics expert with Pen Test Partners told the BBC.

Munro analyses scores of devices for corporate clients and advises anyone seizing a device to put it inside a radio-frequency shielded bag to prevent the signal getting through and if that isn’t available then a microwave oven provides a shield.

Apple iOS and Google Android devices can be easily wiped remotely by using the Find My Device or WheresMyDroid services just so long as there is an Internet connection and the device has battery power, thus showing how easy it is for offenders to destroy evidence.

Image Credit: Flickr (heather buckley)

The battle to wipe out revenge porn continues

Publié: octobre 12, 2014, 11:36pm CEST par Mark Wilson

The battle to wipe out revenge porn continues

In the wake of the Fappening, online porn and nudity has been thrust into the public consciousness once again. But porn is about much more than titillating celebrity photos -- even if research shows that we're finding it easier to waste our time online when we should be getting on with work. Revenge porn is on the rise, and steps are being taken to try to thwart its progress. As the Fappening showed us, taking saucy pictures of oneself or partner is far from uncommon. This is fun and exciting in the middle of a relationship, but if that relationship should break down, there's no knowing what could happen to those pictures and videos.

Disgruntled partners may decide to get revenge on their former lovers by sharing those intimate photos and movies online, or it may be obtained by a third party and used as a tool for bribery. Many US states have outlawed the practice, and now the UK is following suit.

New legislation is due to be introduced that will criminalize revenge porn, opening up guilty parties to a potential two year imprisonment. Some have argued that existing blackmail and obscenity laws should be enough, but by explicitly singling out revenge porn as a specific, individual crime, potential loopholes are closed. While revenge porn is most prevalent online, the new laws will also cover printed material.

The law specifically applies to photos and videos that feature people in sexual poses, engaged in sex acts, or displaying their genitals, and it will cover files that are shared by email in addition to those posted online. The Guardian quotes justice secretary Chris Grayling as saying:

The fact that there are individuals who are cruelly distributing intimate pictures of their former partners without their consent is almost beyond belief. We want those who fall victim to this type of disgusting behaviour to know that we are on their side and will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice.

It is legislation that will be welcomed by privacy advocates who have been disturbed by the number of instances of revenge porn being posted to the likes of Facebook and Twitter.

Photo credit: Gustavo Frazao / Shutterstock

Run multiple programs in one desktop window with TaskSpace

Publié: octobre 12, 2014, 11:25pm CEST par Mike Williams

TaskSpace200-175 Running multiple PC programs side-by-side isn’t difficult, but can require a little preparation as you move, resize and reorganise each window.

TaskSpace offers an interesting alternative, running multiple programs in a single desktop window, and so making them much easier to manage.

Suppose you’re running Firefox, checking figures on a website, doing some maths on Windows Calculator, and making notes in Notepad. Normally you’d have to arrange each program separately, and they’d add three buttons to your taskbar, along with three thumbnails to Alt+Tab.

Here, all you have to do is drag and drop each program window onto TaskSpace. They’re automatically arranged to fit the space, and then run inside the TaskSpace window. You can use the single TaskSpace taskbar button to access your programs, and Alt+Tab similarly has just one thumbnail to cover every TaskSpace application.

Right-clicking a window title bar when you’re done provides an option to detach that application and run it individually again.

We found this doesn’t always work. Dragging and dropping some programs had no effect; sometimes running TaskSpace as an administrator helped, sometimes it didn’t.

For others, TaskSpace displayed rather technical alerts, for example recommending we "set the environment variable QT_USE_NATIVE_WINDOWS=1" to support VLC Media Player. (It offered to open the correct Windows dialog, but the instruction is still going to baffle many users.)

Even if a program did appear in the window, it wasn’t always usable. Paint.NET docked correctly, but refused to display a File > Open dialog.

The automatic window rearrangement was a problem, too, regularly repositioning windows in a way that we didn’t expect. The title bar right-click menu has an option to turn this off, fortunately.

TaskSpace ran perfectly with other applications, though, so results depend very much on your target software. Fortunately, as it’s free and portable, there’s no penalty in trying the program out, so if you’re interested in the core idea, just grab a copy and see how it works for you.

ChrisPC DNS Switch 2.0 brings a new Pro edition

Publié: octobre 11, 2014, 9:36pm CEST par Mike Williams

DNS-Switch-200-175 (1) ChrisPC has released ChrisPC DNS Switch 2.0, a significant update for its free DNS selection tool.

The core DNS list has been updated, and in a click or two can set your PC to use OpenDNS, Google Public DNS, Comodo Secure DNS, Norton, Yandex, BlockAid, DynDNS and many more. There are 34 servers in total and you can add another 15.

The program now has an option to set automatic DNS for a particular network adapter (that is, it’ll grab them from your router via DHCP).

In addition, ChrisPC DNS Switch 2.0 also brings a $12.99 Pro edition. This gives much more flexibility, as you can freely edit the DNS list, or add as many other servers as you need (including importing them from a text file). The Pro version also comes with free technical support and allows commercial use.

Unfortunately, the Pro edition also brings a nag screen to the Free build. If you close the program window -- or just leave it open for a while -- a pop-up window appears, prompting you to upgrade. That seems a little aggressive to us, and we suspect it’s more likely to drive users away than prompt them to spend their cash.

Still, if you're looking for a no-strings free DNS switcher then there are other options available.

NirSoft's QuickSetDNS is short on features and only comes with a single built-in server (Google DNS), but you can add as many others as you need.

DNS Angel is compact, portable, and focuses on child protection, allowing you to select various family-friendly servers (Norton, OpenDNS, MetaCert) with a click.

DNS Jumper provides a wider range of starting servers, and can be freely extended just by editing an INI file, while DNS Changer can set custom DNS servers for each Windows user account.

ChrisPC DNS Switch 2.0 is a capable program in itself, though, so if you’d like to see whether you can live with the new nag screen, downloads are available now.

Pale Moon 25.0 released, moves further away from Firefox, drops Windows XP support

Publié: octobre 11, 2014, 12:56pm CEST par Nick Peers

palemoon24-200x175 Moonchild Productions has released a major update to its Firefox browser variant for Windows with the release of Pale Moon 25.0 and Pale Moon x64 25.0, which sees the browser drop support for Windows XP.

Version 25.0 sees the version number jump for the first time since the browser forked away from its Firefox parent due to major changes in the way the browser identifies itself.

Pale Moon 25.0 debuts a new browser GUID (Globally Unique IDentifier) to properly differentiate itself from Firefox, plus solve a number of what Moonchild terms as "development issues" that were holding the browser back. Unfortunately, the new GUID creates implications for a number of Firefox add-ons that hard-code the Firefox GUID into them, including AdBlock Plus.

Despite reaching out to add-on developers with this proposed change almost two months ago, Moonchild has received little response so far in terms of add-ons being updated to work with the browser. Users can see which add-ons are currently affected on the Pale Moon website.

Despite this, the new build does support extensions with both Pale Moon and Firefox GUIDs built-in, using the Pale Moon GUID (if it exists) to determine compatibility with the browser.

The new build also disables Firefox Compatibility mode by default as a result of issues with the browser being identified as Firefox 24.0 and deemed "too old" by certain websites. Users are requested to contact site owners directly if they come across sites that cannot identify the browser and refuse to work with it.

Other changes in version 25 include an updated sync implementation that is sadly not backwards compatible with previous builds -- users will need to set up and start again from scratch. The new function also no longer syncs add-ons by default.

The update also contains a detailed list of further improvements, fixes and changes, which also include a number of Android-specific updates as Moonchild readies an Android build of Pale Moon (click here to access the public beta). These can be read in full on the Pale Moon user forum.

Pale Moon 25.0, Pale Moon x64 25.0, Pale Moon Portable 25.0 and Pale Moon Portable x64 25.0 are all available now as open source, free downloads for PCs running Windows Vista or later.

Kmart has a blue light special on malware -- system breach exposes credit card numbers

Publié: octobre 11, 2014, 2:31am CEST par Brian Fagioli

kmart

As someone who grew up in a lower middle class family in the suburbs known as Long Island, there were two places I spent a lot of time shopping with my mom -- Cheap Johns and Kmart. While the former has since gone out of business, the latter still stands. Actually, the fact that it is still operating is surprising -- don't get me wrong, it is an OK store, but Walmart has lower prices and better selection, even if the overall experience is poor. Once Walmart opened in my area, many people ditched Kmart -- the store famous for its "blue light specials". Heck, if someone wants to step up to a nicer store than Walmart, they'll likely head to Target nowadays -- sorry, Kmart.

Unfortunately for Kmart, it now shares something other than low-prices with Target -- malware and data breaches. Yes, today Kmart announces that its payment systems were breached, and debit and credit card numbers have been stolen. Should we be worried?

"On Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014 our IT team detected that our Kmart store payment data system had been breached and immediately launched a full investigation working with a leading IT security firm. The security experts report that beginning in early September, the payment data systems at Kmart stores were purposely infected with a new form of malware (similar to a computer virus). This resulted in debit and credit card numbers being compromised", says Alasdair James, President and Chief Member Officer, Kmart.

James further explains, "based on the forensic investigation to date, no personal information, no debit card PIN numbers, no email addresses and no social security numbers were obtained by those criminally responsible. There is also no evidence that kmart.com customers were impacted. This data breach has been contained and the malware has been removed. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our members and customers".

While Kmart deserves kudos for disclosing the breach so quickly, I fear the company is acting too fast by trying to quell fears already. If you read closely, James says "based on the forensic investigation to date" -- to date? Well, you only discovered it yesterday, so I am sure there are still opportunities for more discoveries. In other words, while things like pin numbers and social security numbers appear unaffected today, tomorrow may tell a different story.

For now, Kmart is promising complimentary credit monitoring protection for any shopper that used a credit or debit card in the store. It is probably overkill for the company to start offering credit monitoring if nothing other than card numbers were stolen. However, the gesture is appreciated even if it is nothing more than the historically expected response in such a circumstance.

Have you shopped at Kmart lately? Tell me in the comments.

Photo credit: Ken Wolter / Shutterstock

Netflix officially comes to Ubuntu Linux by way of Google's Chrome browser

Publié: octobre 11, 2014, 1:36am CEST par Brian Fagioli

netflixhappy

As a Linux user, I understand the pain of using it exclusively on the desktop. Sure, you may find that a Linux distribution does everything you want, until it doesn't. Life is known to throw curve-balls, and new needs and wants often come along to spoil the party. Oh, a new obscure piece of hardware has been released? Sorry, no Linux support. Oh you want to watch Netflix? Sorry buddy, Linux is not welcome -- or is it?

Actually, starting today, Netflix is now compatible with Linux; well technically, only Ubuntu and only on the Chrome browser. Still, the open source desktop community is in need of a win, so I'll chalk it up as one. Despite the narrow availability, Netflix is here -- fire up that System76 laptop and get watching!

"Thanks to recent efforts at Netflix and Canonical, Ubuntu now supports watching Netflix with Chrome version 37. Chrome is available to all Ubuntu users with up-to-date installations of Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, 14.04 LTS and later. Netflix subscribers who already use Ubuntu can now watch simply by installing the Chrome browser", says Canonical.

The company further explains, "Netflix gives Ubuntu users the ability to watch TV shows and movies from many devices. Now Ubuntu users are able to easily join the millions of Netflix members worldwide in streaming their favorite content directly to their Ubuntu desktop. Head over to Netflix to start your free trial subscription today".

While Ubuntu is a fine distro, I prefer Fedora with the Firefox browser -- if I am going to use Linux, I am going to try and be as open source as possible. Unfortunately, Chrome is not open source, even though it is based on the Chromium project. If you already use Ubuntu and Chrome, hey, more power to you; however, many die-hard Linux enthusiasts will likely decry the need of a specific distro and specific closed source browser. Think about it, such practices seem to contrast the traditional open source and free ideology; but hey, at least you can watch re-runs of Malcom in the Middle, right?

Photo credit: g-stockstudio / Shutterstock

Windows 10 Technical Preview feedback: what users want to change

Publié: octobre 10, 2014, 5:56pm CEST par Mark Wilson

what users want to change

Microsoft is encouraging people who have downloaded the Windows 10 Technical Preview to provide feedback on the embryonic operating system. The Start menu is something that users have been begging for, and changes to the Command Prompt have been a very long time coming, but just what do testers think of Windows 10 so far? There's still quite some time to go until Windows 10 is released giving Microsoft lots of opportunity to respond to user feedback. This is what Microsoft is all about these days after all.

With help from one of the readers of his Supersite for Windows, Paul Thurrott has pulled together a list of the top ten requests that have been received so far. The methodology may not be entirely scientific, but it does give an interesting insight into how Windows 10 has been received and what people would like to see changed.

The (frankly stupid) dedicated search and taskview buttons top the list of pet peeves. Actually, this is only true when the numbers relating to both buttons are combined, but as both are equally irritating, equally immovable, and equally unhideable, it makes sense to group them together. Next in line appears to come from the aesthetes. There is apparently a general feeling that having the Start menu simply pop into view is not good enough -- testers would prefer there to be an animation effect of some sort. There's a bit of a niggle that Windows 10 users are encouraged into using a Microsoft account rather than a local one, but as this is central to the idea of syncing Windows 10 between computers, requests to make local accounts "easier" to implement are likely to fall on deaf ears.

A reasonable proportion of people giving feedback have suggested that File Explorer should have tabs. This is something that crops up time and time again, and there are a number of third-party tools that can bring this feature to existing versions of Windows. This is not a new request, but it is one that Microsoft has managed to ignore for years. Will the company listen this time around? The inability to activate the Charms bar with the mouse -- something that is probably just a quirk of the preview -- comes in at number 5, followed by a request for a "beautiful boot screen".

Next up is another complaint about the Start menu, this time pointing out that it is not possible to select multiple tiles when the Ctrl key is held down. The mish-mash of desktop vs modern is raised at number 8. The existence of the Control Panel and PC Settings is causing frustration, with many people suggesting that Microsoft should finalize transitioning to the latter. Rounding off the top ten are two more cosmetic requests: that icons should be updated, and that virtual desktops should be able to have different background images.

What's interesting about this list is just how conservative it is (no mention of Cortana? Seriously?). Whether this is an indication that Windows users are not actually all that demanding, or that only a certain type of user is providing feedback is not clear. It seems that only a relatively small number of people have taken the step of giving feedback. Of course it is very early days for the preview at the moment and as time goes by, more and more users should start to try out the preview, and Microsoft may well find that it is inundated with feedback.

The question is, how will it respond?

SAP and Birst team up to deliver cloud analytics for the enterprise

Publié: octobre 10, 2014, 3:06pm CEST par Ian Barker

Enterprise data

Enterprise software specialist SAP has announced a partnership with business intelligence company Birst to deliver faster analytics on the SAP HANA cloud platform.

The tie up will allow organizations to use a single cloud platform which can deliver instant analytics giving managers the ability to more quickly turn insight into action. It brings together SAP's next-generation cloud platform and Birst's comprehensive two-tier data architecture to provide instant access to business data.

"Driving better business execution and enabling each and every organization to become data-driven is only achievable when leaders come together to innovate and achieve something that solves real business problems, and that is exactly what Birst and SAP plan to do," says Brad Peters, chairman and chief product officer at Birst. "The real opportunity in BI lies in our ability to push data to the front lines, empowering every person to make every decision better. Together, SAP and Birst will give customers instant access to data and allow people to turn insight into action -- that's something today's businesses have been waiting for and we are thrilled to be delivering it".

The SAP HANA Cloud Platform is based on a breakthrough in-memory technology and offers an open platform for customers and developers to build, extend and run applications in the cloud.

Birst's patented analytics engine aims to build a user-ready data store in SAP HANA that can deliver visual discovery, dashboards and enterprise reports across a single business model, accelerated by SAP HANA. By combining the two this solution is designed to offer instant analytics across on-premise and cloud data sources from large-scale data source vendors.

More information about the collaboration and how it will help enterprises to make more effective use of their business data is available on the Birst website.

Image Credit: Dmitriy Shironosov/Shutterstock

Chrome 39 Beta brings new developer features

Publié: octobre 10, 2014, 2:56pm CEST par Mike Williams

chrome Google has released Google Chrome 39 Beta to the Beta channel with some major developer-oriented additions.

Web Animations support has been enhanced with a playback control. This supports methods like play(), pause(), and reverse(), as well as adding the ability to jump to a specific point in a timeline, greatly expanding its usefulness.

Chrome 39 now supports ECMAScript 6 Generators, special functions which create iterators that pause their execution after yielding a value, and resume again when they’re next invoked. All of which means they make life easier when developing asynchronous code, cutting down on design and debugging hassles.

There’s also early support for Web Manifests, a central file for storing metadata associated with a web application (name, display mode, orientation, opening URL, links to icons). A code sample is available now, but the specification is still just a draft so expect the low-level details to change soon.

Support for the Beacon API allows web pages to send data to a server without slowing down page navigation.

Finally, in another step towards high DPI support, scroll offsets (scrollTop, scrollLeft) now return high-precision fractional values.

Google Chrome 39 Beta is available now for Windows, Mac and Linux. The final release should be available in November, but of course if you need something stable then there’s always Chrome 38.

Best Windows 8 apps this week

Publié: octobre 10, 2014, 2:53pm CEST par Martin Brinkmann

One-hundred and two in a series. Two weeks to go and we have reached the two-year milestone.

Last week was rather slow in terms of new apps and games that found their way into store and this week continues the trend. The popular VLC Media Player app for Windows 8 was updated this week introducing support for Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. The developers resolved several crash issues on top of that which should improve the stability of the app significantly. Then again, still no sign of a Windows RT version.

Project Spark, which has been available as a limited beta version for some time, has been launched officially by Microsoft offering new content and a retail version. According to Microsoft, more than 70,000 game levels have been created in the beta period alone.

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

This week's selection of apps and games that have been discounted by at least 50 percent.

Pac-Man Championship Edition DX+, a Pac-Man game for $4.99
School Binder, a note taking and organization app for $0.99
Mobu -- Financial Management, a finance app for $1.99
Learning Games for Kids, an educational game for kids for $1.99
WeatherFlow, a weather forecast app for $0.99
Daddy Was a Thief, an action game for $0.99

App of the week

None this week

Other apps

Disney's Cars: Fast as Lighting

The official Cars game for Windows 8. It is a racing game in which you can pick a racer from 20 different characters including Lightning McQueen or Francesco Bernoulli.

Controls are rather basic for a racing game. You can touch or hold down the left-mouse button on the gas pedal to accelerate the car and use various touch-optimized gestures such as swiping up to complete stunts in the game.

One interesting feature of the game is the option to customize tracks and cars, for instance by adding roller coasters or rocky loops to tracks.

The game is a high quality game, featuring great graphics and quality voice acting.

Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter

Microsoft's Wireless Display Adapter is a new device that you can use to cast the screen of your laptop, tablet or smartphone to a monitor or HDTV.

It is different from Google's Chromecast in several aspects including that it does not require an Internet connection and that it does not restrict what can be shared.

The official application for the device offers customization options and firmware updates. You can use it to check if a new firmware has been released, and if that is the case, download it to your device to update the adapter.

Waterbox

The game requires an accelerometer and while you can start the game anyway, you cannot play it without one as it is essential.

You use the screen rotation to control rings in water that you need to get on the sticks placed in each level. To do so you use a pump to make the rings fly in the tank and tilt the screen to control the trajectory of the rings.

The game is fun to play and can become quite challenging in later stages.

Diamond Blitz

This is not another match-3 game even though it may sound and look like one at first glance.

You need to create diamonds by connecting rectangles of the same color.

Rectangles can have up to four different colors and you are only allowed to connect them if their colors match.

That sounds easy at first but once you got some displayed on the map it becomes increasingly difficult to place new ones on it.

It is possible to move placed rectangles again if you are stuck or find a better location for one that yields more points.

You generate the most points by creating pure diamonds consisting of a central uni-colored rectangle and four matching side rectangles that match that color.

Secret of Olympus 2 ($3.49, free trial available)

Secret of Olympus 2 is a beautifully designed match-3 game that may not introduce new features to the game type but adds variants to it that set it apart from other games of its type.

You need to complete a task in each level to get to the next. This ranges from reaching a score threshold before the time runs out, through clearing all marked fields, to unlocking areas with keys.

Toca Town ($2.99, no free trial)

Explore six different locations in Toca Town and play with 21 different Toca Boca characters.

It is a game for children that features a kid-friendly interface and visuals, no third-party advertising or in-app purchases.

Super Paint

Super Paint is a finger painting application for Windows. It can be used with the mouse as well but it has been designed with touch-devices in mind.

The app is easy to use but offers lots of options to explore. If you look at the interface you will notice that it features lots of icons

Elakiddo Paint

This is an image coloring application for children. Pick an image of interest, birds, fish, animals and dinos are available, and select colors to add to the black and white image.

Symantec to follow HP and eBay and split in two

Publié: octobre 10, 2014, 2:40pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Symantec to follow HP and eBay and split in two

There must be something in the air at the moment -- everyone seems to be splitting up. eBay and PayPal decided that it would be better to go it alone, and then HP announced it would be splitting into consumer and enterprise companies. Symantec now reveals that it plans to divide into two independent companies, one focusing on security, and the other on storage.

President and CEO, Michael A. Brown, says that the two markets face their own sets of unique challenges and by splitting in two, each business will have the flexibility needed to respond accordingly.

It means that the storage and security arms of Symantec will be able to operate entirely independently of each other, each able to work with a simpler framework. The split could also mean that one or both of the newly formed businesses are more attractive to other companies who might be interested in a takeover bid.

Brown said: "As the security and storage industries continue to change at an accelerating pace, Symantec's security and IM businesses each face unique market opportunities and challenges. It has become clear that winning in both security and information management requires distinct strategies, focused investments and go-to market innovation. Separating Symantec into two, independent publicly traded companies will provide each business the flexibility and focus to drive growth and enhance shareholder value".

The security business is what Symantec is best known for, and in 2014 it brought in $4.2 billion for the company. The backup and storage side of the company -- or the Information Management Business as Symantec refers to it -- has not fared quite so well, but the hope will be that things will improve with the renewed focus. Once the restructuring is complete, Brown will remain in his position as president and CEO of Symantec, while the new information management business will be headed by John Gannon.

Photo credit: Gil C / Shutterstock

Flashback Friday: How two Stanford University whiz kids accidentally built Google

Publié: octobre 10, 2014, 2:31pm CEST par Aatif Sulleyman

sergey_brin_larry_page_contentfullwidth

Second in a series. Google is everywhere. It's behind the world's most popular mobile operating system and map, one of the most successful email services ever, and has even expanded into the finance, wearables and transport sectors. What's more, it probably still serves as your browser home page (or just a means of finding out whether you're connected to the Internet or not).

The still-relatively-young company has come a hell of a long way since its inception in the late 90s, and looks well capable of dominating each and every avenue it decides to enter. However, the company had very humble, and indeed slightly odd, beginnings.

Back in 1995, Sergey Brin and Larry Page met each other for the first time and, plainly, they didn't exactly get off on the right foot. At the time, Brin was a 21-year-old second-year student at Stanford University, showing prospective new first-years around the campus. Page was 22, and had just graduated from the University of Michigan. "I thought he was pretty obnoxious," Page said of Brin to Wired in 2005. "He had really strong opinions about things, and I guess I did, too".

Page enrolled a short while later and chose to base his dissertation on the World Wide Web; specifically on how the various pages of the Internet are interlinked. He called the project 'BackRub', and his first task was to build an effective web crawler to get things moving along.

Brin, a math prodigy who had never quite settled on a single assignment, was drawn to Page's project and decided to get involved. "I talked to lots of research groups and this was the most exciting project," he said of his move.

The duo then successfully managed to develop an algorithm -- named 'PageRank' -- that was able to analyze backlinks and thus rank webpages by importance and popularity. All they had to do was feed the system a URL and wait for it to return a list of webpages, with the most important featured at the top. It was only then that they realized what they had created: an Internet search engine that was even more accurate than AltaVista.

In August 1996, Page and Brin released the first version of their newly-created tool to Stanford University students and it was an instant hit. Without enough money to purchase computing resources that would enable them to maintain the rapidly-expanding system, they borrowed bits and pieces from various Stanford computer departments, and turned Page's dorm room into their own lab. Brin's bedroom became an office.

Astonishingly, by autumn 1996, BackRub had grown to such an extent that it frequently brought down Stanford University's Internet connection. The powers that were didn't come down hard on the boys though.

Despite their successes, Page and Brin were initially unwilling to start up their own business. The former's father, a professor, passed away during Page's first year at Stanford, and he reportedly intended to complete his PhD in his honor. Brin, by his own admission, was also reluctant to leave the safety of Stanford.

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"Look, if this Google thing pans out, then great. If not, you can return to graduate school and finish your thesis," is what his adviser told him, according to Brin, to which he apparently replied, "Yeah, okay, why not? I'll just give it a try".

Somewhat frustratingly, the story of how the company got its name isn't particularly clear. Google's website simply says that it is "a play on the word 'googol', a mathematical term for the number represented by the numeral 1 followed by 100 zeros," and "reflects Larry and Sergey's mission to organize a seemingly infinite amount of information on the web".

google_logos_original The googol link is unmissable. However, whether Page or Brin came up with 'Google' is debatable. It has been suggested that, while searching for an unregistered domain, a friend of Page spelled 'googol' incorrectly, and Page like the result. The story alleging that the company's first investor, Andy Bechtolsheim, misspelt 'googol' on a substantial check is also in circulation.

The rest, as they say, is history. The google.com domain was eventually registered on 15 September 1997, the company picked up its first employee (Craig Silverstein) in September 1998 and filed its first patent a year later. After a couple of stints at a garage -- textbook startup -- in Menlo Park and an office complex in Palo Alto, the company finally settled down in Mountain View in 2003 and has remained there ever since.

Google is now worth an estimated $107.43 billion. Well done lads.

You can read about how Microsoft began here.

Image credits: Bilan, meltyBuzz

Is it the end of the line for the password?

Publié: octobre 10, 2014, 1:15pm CEST par Ian Barker

passwords

In an era of increasing security threats the password is often the weakest link that allows attackers a way into a system posing as a legitimate user.

A new infographic from security company Ping Identity looks at the problem of poor passwords and how in the future they may give way to more sophisticated forms of authentication.

Whether they're obtained by keylogging or through social engineering, 40 percent of the entire internet population has been a victim of stolen passwords at some point. The graphic shows that despite the fact over 90 percent of passwords are vulnerable to hacking, 54 percent of Americans trust systems that rely on passwords alone.

It also reveals the top 10 silly places where people store their passwords, including writing them on the keyboard in permanent marker and attaching them to the screen on a sticky note.

More secure alternatives to simple passwords include password managers that can create long and complex logins. In addition biometrics such as fingerprint and facial recognition are likely to become more common. Behavioral patterns are a possible measure too, using gyroscopic identification of the device's movement, as well as device-based authentication linking the computer with a mobile device to verify identity.

You can see the full infographic below.

Ping-Post-Password-640

Photo Credit: JMiks/Shutterstock

Sony Xperia Z3v launches at Verizon

Publié: octobre 10, 2014, 1:13pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Sony Mobile Communications Xperia Z3v

For a well-known and longstanding smartphone manufacturer, Sony has an unusual strategy in the US. Its presence is limited, and few of its devices make it in the country officially. And when they do, they are about to be superseded. Proof is Xperia Z2. Unveiled at CES 2014 in January, it went on sale shortly after, but only made it to the US in late-July. Its successor, Xperia Z3, was announced at IFA 2014, early last month, and went on sale just weeks later.

However, Xperia Z3 must be the smartphone that breaks the pattern for Sony, and finally show us that the Japanese maker can get its US strategy right, as it will soon be available at two of the largest mobile operators in the country. Yes, while it is still a hot device! After T-Mobile, Verizon was just revealed to also carry Xperia Z3, albeit in a slightly tweaked version called Xperia Z3v. Here are the details.

Xperia Z3v will be available at Verizon two weeks from now, starting October 23. It will be sold through both the mobile operator's online and brick and mortar stores, for a price of $199.99 on a two-year contract. Basically, it will cost as much as rival flagships like Apple iPhone 6, HTC One (M8) and Samsung Galaxy S5, at Verizon.

To sweeten the deal, those who purchase Xperia Z3v "can also get $200 off a Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet". The off-contract price of the slate at Verizon is $599.99, while on a two-year contract it costs $499.99. Post-discount, it would run you $399.99 or $299.99, respectively. It is a good deal, if you are also set on getting Xperia Z2 Tablet from Verizon, but do not mind that the smaller Xperia Z3 Tablet is already on its way.

Alongside Xperia Z3v, Verizon will carry a bunch of accessories that are designed to play well with the device: SmartWatch 3 (Android Wear-based smartwatch which costs $249.99), CPW5 Wireless Portable Power Supply (Qi-based portable charger which costs $59.99), DualShock 4 Wireless Controller, and GCM10 Game Control Mount (the last two are meant to turn Xperia Z3v into a PlayStation 4 remote controller; they cost $59.99 and $39.99, respectively).

On top of what the standard model offers, Xperia Z3v adds Qi wireless charging and more internal storage (32 GB instead of 16 GB). It retains the microSD card slot. For the other hardware specifications, read our coverage of Xperia Z3.

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact: Small and perfectly formed [Review]

Publié: octobre 10, 2014, 11:57am CEST par Sandra Vogel

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There's a trend these days for handset makers to stick everything but the kitchen sink in their flagship phones and make those phones large, then make their smaller phones a bit less feature rich. This can backfire. We've previously reported about 'mini' versions of handsets not selling as well as the full-fat ones.

Sony doesn't do that. The Xperia Z1 Compact was a small version of a full-fat handset, and the Xperia Z3 Compact is the 4.6in companion to the full-blown 5.2in Xperia Z3. In case you are wondering, there wasn't a Z2 Compact.

The front and back of this phone are both made from tempered glass. The back is the design feature I like least. It does help the Xperia Z3 Compact stand out from the crowd, and it is tough, but it is also very slippy in the hands. If you are a butterfingers like me that could be a worry. It is also, like the front, prone to fingerprints. I was forever cleaning it.

Sandwiched in between the two glass slabs, the edges of the phone are made from a semi-translucent material. The four corners have a buffer which should help protect the handset if it does slip through your fingers.

The back isn't removable. This is a Sony trademark that helps the Xperia Z3 Compact achieve its waterproofing credentials. It is compliant with IP65 and IP68 -- if you keep the side panels closed it'll take immersion in 1.5m of fresh water for up to 30 minutes, according to Sony.

There are two of those side panels -- both on the left edge. One is marked microSD and as well as catering for removable memory it protects the microUSB charge connector. The other panel is not marked, but you need to lift this to insert your nano-SIM. The headset port, on the top edge, doesn't need a cover as it is sealed internally.

As usual Sony has made its power button an aluminum circle sitting on the right edge. This really stands out against the colored chassis (black in my case though white, red and a fantastic turquoise blue are also available). Also on the right edge are a camera shortcut button and volume rocker. I don't really like the dock connector that is on the left edge because it disrupts the tidy lines, but this is pretty much a standard feature on Sony handsets. The optional dock holds your phone in widescreen mode while charging.

I've already noted that the Xperia Z3 Compact has a 4.6in screen. While the upper and lower screen bezels are quite deep, the tall left and right ones are narrow, so that the handset width is about as slight as it could be. In fact, this phone is the same size as the 4.3in Xperia Z1 Compact, though a little slimmer and lighter.

The resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels does not break any new ground -- in fact it matches that of the Xperia Z1 Compact, and the result is that its 319ppi is slightly lower than 342ppi of the earlier phone. But Sony throws a lot of tech at the screen.

Sony says the Xperia Z3 Compact has its brightest ever display. Then there's Sony's Triluminos technology which gives good color depth while X-Reality helps optimize contrast and sharpness. There's a new addition to Sony's screen technology too – Live Color LED is part of the Triluminos system and is another tweaker for color intensity. You can turn off X-Reality or switch into Super-vivid mode which really makes colors stand out. You can also set the white balance using red, green and blue sliders.

Xperia Z3 1

While I found the screen too small for comfortable video viewing the quality is undeniably very good. Sound quality is disappointing through the twin speakers that sit on the front of the phone, and their positioning means you can easily cover them with fingers when gaming in widescreen mode. Use high quality headphones, though, and sound quality is very good.

Technically there's not much to grumble about here -- the Snapdragon 801 quad-core CPU runs at 2.5GHz, and with 2GB of RAM speed was not an issue for me during testing. Video ran smoothly, and the camera fires up from lockdown via the side button almost instantly. With a second tap of that side button to grab a shot I reckon this is the fastest quick-fire camera I have seen.

Xperia Z3 2

The main camera shoots to 20.7 megapixels -- the same as the predecessor handset -- and there are plenty of features to fiddle around with. Still, it is annoying that Sony's Superior Auto mode for taking photos restricts the max resolution to 8 megapixels. Video mode has a fair few tweaks too -- including the ability to capture 4k video.

There's 16GB of built-in storage, with 11.57GB free out of the box and you can add up to 128GB more via microSD.

Battery life is impressive. There are various power saving modes including Stamina and Ultra Stamina as well as a special low battery mode and a system which only turns Wi-Fi on when you are near a saved network. Stamina mode allows you to decide which apps can be active and which aren't, so you can personalize things to your liking. Alongside the power management modes, I am a big fan of the way the battery life indicator on the notification bar tells you what percentage of power remains.

Sony has skinned Android 4.4.4 with its now familiar overlay, and as usual crams the Xperia Z3 Compact with apps. Some – though not all – are from Sony's own stable, including Music Unlimited, the PlayStation app, Sony Select for apps and games, the Xperia Lounge, Lifelog for use with the Sony SmartBand, and What's New to tell you about Sony's latest apps and content. A newcomer to the Sony stable is the ability, due to launch in November, to use the Xperia Z3 Compact as a wireless display for the PlayStation 4.

Verdict

The biggest fans of the Xperia Z3 Compact are likely to be those who are already Sony fans, but you can ignore all the Sony tie-ins and still get a lot from this handset. The camera is easy to use and has lots of customizability, the screen is great for everything from looking at photos and web pages to watching movies and YouTube, there's lots of power and battery life is excellent. I'd have liked to see the screen resolution taken up a notch, but overall this is a pleasingly powerful hand-friendly phone.

Good Points

Powerful
Impressive battery life
Vibrant screen
Fast and easy to use camera

Bad Points

Screen could use more pixels
Sony app bloat

Specifications

Manufacturer and Model	Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
Network	4G
Processor	2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801
Ram	2GB
Memory	16GB (11.57GB accessible)
Memory expansion	microSD
Display	4.6in, 1,280 x 720 pixels, 319ppi
Main camera	20.7 megapixel
Front camera	2.2 megapixel
NFC	Yes
Wi-Fi	Yes
GPS	Yes
FM radio	Yes
Battery	2,600 mAh
Size	64.9 x 8.6 x 127mm (WxDxH)
Weight	129g
OS	Android 4.4.4

To stop data theft, pull the plug

Publié: octobre 10, 2014, 8:43am CEST par Robert X. Cringely

Back in the 1980s, when I was the networking editor at InfoWorld, one of my jobs was to write profiles of corporate networks. One of those profiles was of the Adolph Coors Brewing Company of Golden, Colorado, now known as Molson Coors Brewing. I visited the company’s one brewery at the time, interviewed the head of IT and the top network guy, then asked for a copy of the very impressive network map they had on the wall.

"Sorry, we can’t give you that," they said. "It’s private".

"But we always print a map of the company network," I explained.

"Fine, then make one up".

And so I invented my own map for the Coors network.

There’s a lesson here, trust me.

Back then there was no commercial Internet. The Coors network, like every other corporate computer network, was built from leased data lines connecting the brewery with sales offices and distribution centers in every state except Indiana at the time. Such networks were expensive to build and the people who ran them were quite proud.

Today we just find a local Internet Service Provider (ISP) and connect to the Internet, a much simpler thing. If we want secure communications we build Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) that encrypt the data before sending it across the public Internet and decrypt it at the other end. We do this because it is easy and because it is cheap.

IT used to cost a lot more than it does today and cheap Internet service helps make that possible.

Cheap Internet service also made possible every major corporate security breach including the big retail hacks and data theft at Target and Home Depot as well as the big JP Morgan Chase hack revealed just last week that compromised the banking information of at least 89 million customers.

How cheap is IT, really, if it compromises customer data? Not cheap at all.

Last year’s Target hack alone cost the company more than $1 billion, estimated Forrester Research. The comparably-sized Home Depot hack will probably cost about the same. JP Morgan Chase is likely to face even higher costs.

Here’s the simple truth: it makes no sense, none, nada, for a bank to send financial transactions over the public Internet. It makes no sense for a bank or any other company to build gateways between their private networks and the public Internet. If a company PC connects to both the corporate network and the Internet, then the corporate network is vulnerable.

At Target and Home Depot the point-of-sale (cash register) systems were compromised, customer data was gathered and sent back to the bad guys via Internet. Had there been no Internet connection the bad guys could never have received their stolen data.

Taking a bank or retail network back to circa 1989 would go a long way toward ending the current rash of data breaches. It would be expensive, sure, but not as expensive as losing all the money that Target and others have recently done.

This is the simple answer, yet few companies seem to be doing it. The reason for that, I believe, is that professional IT management in the old sense no longer exists at most companies. And public companies especially are so trained to cut IT costs that they’ll continue to do so even as their outfits lose billions to hackers. Besides, those losses tend to be charged to other divisions, not IT.

Back at Coors they loved that I designed my own incorrect network map because it would be that much harder for an outsider to gain access to their network and steal data. IT people thought about such things even then. Until we re-learn this lesson there will always be network hacks.

Some corporate and government data simply doesn’t belong on the Internet. Why is that so hard to understand?

How many times a day does the average person check their phone? 221, apparently

Publié: octobre 10, 2014, 8:40am CEST par Darren Allan

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A new piece of research has looked into the amount of times that British smartphone users check their handset and carry out a task on it every day -- and the answer is 221 times, on average. Which begs the question: how many times a does a true smartphone addict check their device?

At any rate, the survey of 2,000 UK smartphone users, courtesy of Tecmark, found that most folks first look at their phone at 7:30 in the morning, to check emails and then the Facebook app (no surprise there). Early morning tasks which are still carried out in bed by many are reading recent news updates, and looking at the weather forecast -- as well as sending a couple of texts.

Online banking and checking train times are also popular tasks for earlier in the day.

The survey noted that the average smartphone owner uses their device for three hours and sixteen minutes per day -- which is quite a staggering figure when you add that up over the week. Indeed it's almost a full 24 hour day, and well over a day when sleeping time is taken into account.

Many of those surveyed confessed that they picked up and used their phone without even realizing -- indeed two-thirds of respondents said they found themselves firing up and browsing through Facebook without even thinking about it.

Four in ten folks admitted that they'd feel "lost" without their phone.

It's certainly the primary gadget in people's lives now, with the desktop or laptop computer only being used for 140 tasks per day on average, over a third less than the smartphone.

Richard Heyes, Managing Director for Tecmark, commented: "More than 1,500 times a week is a lot of times to pick up a small gadget like a mobile phone and demonstrates perfectly just how ingrained in our daily lives our smartphones have become. For most of us, it's now second nature. And certainly we're not surprised to see this huge reliance on our handheld devices. But many people may not realize just how many times a day they check their phone or carry out a simple task on it".

He added: "It's so much easier checking your phone for Facebook updates rather than waiting for a desktop or laptop computer to load -- we don't have that much time in the mornings".

Skype for Mac 7.0 and Skype for Windows 7.0 Preview sport radical new look

Publié: octobre 10, 2014, 7:47am CEST par Nick Peers

Skype

Microsoft has released Skype for Mac 7.0 and Skype for Windows 7.0 Beta, unveiling a major redesign of its Skype desktop client in the process.

Version 7.0’s new design mirrors closely that found on Skype’s mobile platforms, and is designed to provide users with a more unified experience across all devices they use it on.

The most visible change is that photos now appear inline as large thumbnails as soon as they’ve been sent. The Windows version also increases the spacing between contacts and chats, and offers message previews for unread chats to make following multiple conversations simpler.

Users should also notice that certain file types -- specifically Office documents and PDF files -- are now displayed using file icons to make them simpler to pick out when scrolling through a chat history.

Skype also introduces a new dual-paned view that allows users to continue using the IM feature while engaged in a voice or video call, making it easier to share photos and other files during the call. Mac users can access this view via a single click.

Finally, the group video chat feature -- recently made available for free to all Skype users -- has also been redesigned to make it easier to use.

Skype for Mac 7.0 and Skype for Windows 7.0 Beta are both available now as freeware downloads. Also available are Skype for iPhone, Skype for iPad, Skype for Android and Skype for Windows 8.

Google's new Hangouts Chrome app delivers the chat experience we've been waiting for

Publié: octobre 10, 2014, 2:06am CEST par Dilraj Singh

chrome-hangouts

I recently vented my frustration at Hangouts and Google, but today I am extremely elated. Google has released a true Chrome desktop application for Chrome. It runs outside your browser, and you get a pin-able icon in your app drawer so you are not forced to open up Chrome.

But most of this could be handled by the Hangouts extension they had previously, so what's the difference? This one doesn't suck. It actually takes advantage of being outside of the browser and has a great workflow.

The new desktop app is based on the experience of circles, not unlike Facebook's chat heads on mobile. If you start a new chat or receive a message, a new circle appears to house the conversation, complete with an indicator for number of unread messages. Check out Google's video below to see a run through.

Google got the little things right this time. The circles occupy very little space, which is important as they stay above all your other windows -- but are still easily accessible. A chat bubble that appears next to the circle when you receive a message, giving you an opportunity to view the message for a moment. Hovering over a circle also gives you a preview of the last message. The actual Hangouts chat window that opens up when you click a circle goes away right when you click on anything else on your desktop. The new Google Hangouts Chrome app is there when you want it, but blends into the background for when you don’t.

There are little annoyances. For example, the message indicator stops at '2+.' I have no idea if I got three messages to read, or 35. I can't put the chat bubble in the top right corner. The chat window 'action buttons' to minimize, close, or pop out don’t make much sense now that is part of a new interface. But little things like these are forgiven on the first version of a project -- I do expect them to get fixed eventually so hopefully Google does not set its sights on a brand new Hangouts project in the meantime.

You can download it here.

Lenovo unveils Yoga 3 Pro, ThinkPad YOGA 14, Yoga Tablet 2 and Tablet 2 Pro

Publié: octobre 9, 2014, 9:15pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

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There are quite a few computer manufacturers nowadays, and many of them release products of varying quality. However, there is one that seems to consistently produce computers that are extremely well-built and functional -- Lenovo. Not only do the manufacturer's laptops and tablets have great build-quality, but the designs seem well thought-out and innovative.

One of my favorite product lines from Lenovo is Yoga -- multi-mode computers that can be transformed into different form factors. Today, the company unveils the Yoga 3 Pro, ThinkPad YOGA 14, Yoga Tablet 2 and Yoga Tablet 2 Pro.

"The new ThinkPad YOGA 14 is Lenovo's first business convertible in a 14-in screen size, giving users more screen real estate to work in any of its four modes. Thin and light, it features the convenient Lift n' Lock keyboard of the original ThinkPad YOGA, large storage of 1 TB HDD with 16GB SSD Cache, NVIDIA GeForce 840 graphics, an Intel Core i5 processor and long battery life. Business users will enjoy its one cable docking ability, full HDMI connection, high speed WiFi 4.0 and host of Lenovo service and support options including Accidental Damage Protection, Extended Warranty and Priority Technical Support. The ThinkPad YOGA 14 is available in black", says Lenovo.

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Lenovo describes the Yoga 3 Pro by saying, "with a QHD+ 3200x1800 display, this bright and clear screen looks amazing whatever the task -- editing images in Laptop mode, video chatting in Stand mode, watching movies in Tent mode or online shopping in Tablet mode. Built with durable Gorilla Glass, this screen is designed to hold up to wherever users go. While videos look stunning, the YOGA 3 Pro makes them sound just as spectacular with premium JBL speakers with Waves Audio, which automatically adjusts the audio in each of the four modes so that when the speakers are not facing the user, the audio still sounds crisp and clear".

While the Yoga 14 is powered by a Core i5, the Yoga 3 has the all-new Core M mobile processor, which should deliver amazing battery life. A 256GB SSD is standard, so boot-up times and overall performance should be very snappy.

convertable tablet

Besides these new multi-mode laptops, Lenovo is also rolling out new Windows (x86 and not RT) and Android tablets -- Yoga Tablet 2 and Tablet 2 Pro -- in various configurations. Since the tablets are powered by Intel Atom x86 processors, both operating systems are possible.

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The most intriguing addition to the second-generation Yoga Tablet line is a fourth multi-mode use, called "Hang". You can still hold it in tablet mode, prop it up for movie watching or position it for typing, but now you can also hang it on a wall. It's a strange concept, but there may be some good situations where it may be beneficial.

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"The YOGA Tablet 2 comes in three screen sizes and two operating systems so users can choose the model that’s right for them. For those who like the familiarity and productivity of Windows, Lenovo offers the YOGA Tablet 2 with Windows in Ebony-colored 8-in and 10-in models. They come with Microsoft Office 365 preloaded (1-year subscription) and with optional 4G on the 10-in model.For those who prefer Android, Lenovo created the YOGA Tablet 2 in 8 and 10-inches as well as the new YOGA Tablet 2 Pro in 13-in running Android 4.4 Kit Kat in Platinum", says Lenovo

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The manufacturer further explains, "the YOGA Tablet 2 Pro has as its star feature a built-in Pico projector. The projector lets users turn inside walls into an instant TV or movie screen. Lenovo paired this premium technology for great video with unbelievable sound by giving the tablet a JBL sound system with a subwoofer. These exceptional features along with a host of other technologies make the YOGA Tablet 2 Pro like no other tablet".

Wow a 13 inch tablet that has an integrated subwoofer and Pico projector? Lenovo has created a seriously impressive tablet that is chock full of features. At $499, it seems very reasonably priced.

Which one of Lenovo's new products has you most excited? Tell me in the comments.

How to protect your business from Internet phone hackers

Publié: octobre 9, 2014, 8:40pm CEST par Paul Cooper

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Once considered an alternative telephony solution, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is now a mainstream technology used by an increasing number of businesses due to its superior features and competitive pricing.

However, with VoIP technology comes a far bigger price for your business to pay should your phone solution remain vulnerable to potential security risks from clever Internet hackers.

During the course of a telephone call, sensitive information is often divulged either in spoken voice or in the key tones, known as DTMF tones, used to signal key presses.

This can apply to large corporations through to small businesses including accountants, lawyers, GPs, hospitals, scientific and engineering firms.

Security problems are not only relevant to businesses that take payments over the phone as most businesses accumulate a raft of confidential information about their customers, employees, products, research and financial status.

If I were to ask any business owner whether they would be concerned about a phone discussion on any of these areas being tapped into, the obvious answer would be 'yes!'

The fact of the matter is, VoIP phone calls can be at high risk to interception making organizations vulnerable to attacks that are not even traceable, yet the whole network can be exposed.

Many business owners do not fully appreciate this risk, having been sold a telephone solution that at first seemed cheaper and superior, but often doesn't have the necessary encryption required to protect from cybercrime.

What's changed?

Until recently, security for VoIP wasn't high on the agenda due to the fact that most IP voice traffic remained on local and wide area enterprise networks, which were considered more or less secure and protected from public Internet.

Increasingly, VoIP technology is being used to make and receive telephone calls via external IP networks, which must be considered open or public.

The majority of VoIP traffic over the Internet is unencrypted making it easier for anyone with network access to listen-in on conversations. Eavesdropping on phone calls has become a very real business threat with a tool now widely available on the Internet to make it simple for anyone with a little bit of know-how to start capturing voice information.

To put this into context, it could be a member of staff eavesdropping on a call between the Managing Director and Financial Director discussing restructuring and redundancies through to an experienced cybercriminal listening to a credit card number being given over the phone.

Many tactics can be employed to intercept phone calls and there are too many to list here. Today, private lines should not automatically be assumed as secure as they are not typically protected by strong encryption.

Safeguard your business

Now more than ever, it's vital to ensure your preferred telephony supplier has the necessary systems in place to counteract cybercrime.

What to look out for:

Question your telephony provider about their Secure Internet Protocol (SIP) trunking services. A good system should automatically disable non-secure components and protocols so calls are always encrypted.
Businesses involved in the transmission or the recording of calls need to ensure their VoIP telephony system is protected as defined by ISO270021. Many regulators or corporate quality procedures now require phone calls to be recorded, which leaves the storage of sensitive information accessible.
If cardholder payments are made via the phone, businesses need to ensure they adhere to the Payment Card industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). It is important the connection provided by your VoIP telephony company is encrypted to protect cardholder data.
Check if your provider uses Transport Layer Security (TLS) to provide privacy and data integrity between two communicating applications. The protocol allows client/server applications to communicate in a way that is designed to prevent eavesdropping or tampering.
Consider adopting direct access circuits that offer no public access and are for use only with your voice traffic. This will ensure your VoIP telephone system is immune from remote access attempts or a cyber criminal's bid to make your service unusable, often referred to as a DDOS or Distributed Denial of Service attack.

There is no question about the benefits of VoIP as a telephone system. It makes perfect business sense to make use of a technology that offers free or very low cost telephone calls, providing that technology is secure. Irrespective of business size or sector, business owners must be aware of the risks presented by today's tech savvy cyber world to guarantee the protection of their company, employees and customers.

At Cyber Security Expo stand A16, Adam Crisp, CTO of Voip.co.uk, will be available with his team to answer all of your telecommunications questions. Voip.co.uk is also launching SIP Encrypt to the security market and is offering significant discounts to Cyber Security Expo visitors. Register for IP EXPO now!

Microsoft: Surface is here to stay

Publié: octobre 9, 2014, 6:40pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Surface is here to stay

In a post on the Surface blog, Microsoft has moved to assure businesses that the Surface line is here to stay. We've already heard that the Surface Pro 3 is a success -- although there are no figures to back up this claim -- but Microsoft's failure to launch a third generation RT-based version of the Surface, as well as the disappearance of the long-rumored Surface Mini, raised fears that the line of tablets may not be long for this world. Microsoft is keen to allay these concerns, pointing out not only that Surface is here to stay, but also that it is particularly suitable for businesses.

The post points out that the Surface Pro 3 is a device that's "great for getting things done". There's almost an air of desperation to the blog post in which Microsoft extols the virtue Surface and confirms its commitment to the brand. The selling point is still that the device is a laptop and tablet in one, and post author Brian Hall, General Manager for Surface, is quick to mention a number of big names who have adopted Surface Pro 3.

There is a lot of trumpet-blowing from Hall, but it's not long before the big guns are wheeled out n the form of a statement from CEO Satya Nadella:

We believe a strength of the Microsoft platform for enterprise is the rich ecosystem of hardware and applications developed by our partners, the community at large, and some of our own teams at Microsoft. In particular with Microsoft Surface Pro 3 we are now offering an enterprise-class device that can deliver great end user productivity. Microsoft is putting its full and sustained support behind the ongoing Surface program as one of a number of great hardware choices for businesses large and small.

Microsoft is turning its attention more and more to the enterprise side of its business, and this is just the latest example of this focus. The company is keen to sell the idea of the Windows ecosystem, much as Apple managed with iOS and OS X, and this is a theme that was underlined with the recent launch of Windows 10 Technical Preview. Windows 10, despite being around a year away, is referred to in the blog post, reassuring potential buyers that Surface Pro 3 will be upgradable to the latest version of Microsoft's operating system. It's not clear whether this, coupled with the money-saving Surface Laptop Replacement Bundle will be enough to boost sales of Surface Pro 3, but Microsoft will certainly be hoping so.

Photo credit: Muamu / Shutterstock

New public cloud backup cuts the cost of protecting data

Publié: octobre 9, 2014, 5:00pm CEST par Ian Barker

cloud computing backup

Backups have traditionally involved removable media, whether tape or disk, to allow copies of essential information to be held off site for safety.

The cloud has changed all that but companies still have concerns about security and retention of data, as well as expense. A new product released today by Druva is aimed at delivering a long-term storage solution with less complexity and lower cost.

Druva Phoenix offers a practical alternative to the traditional server backup model requiring backup to secondary storage, tape and then long-term offsite archiving. Phoenix unifies hot, warm and cold backup and archiving processes and administration, offers unlimited retention, and can perform backups and restores up to 20 times faster than other solutions. The company also reckons it can achieve 70 percent cost savings over traditional backup solutions.

"The traditional backup-to-tape-to-archive process is expensive, resource-intensive and subject to error, with 75 percent of organizations experiencing tape failure in the last year. The cloud is clearly a better choice, but current cloud-based solutions have serious limitations ranging from slow speeds and limited data retention to failure to utilize the distributed nature of the cloud to perform large-scale backups," says Jaspreet Singh, CEO of Druva. "By leveraging the technology we developed for our inSync endpoint backup platform as well as our five years of experience with the AWS public cloud, Phoenix offers a truly disruptive alternative that eliminates tape and makes the cloud a viable choice for server backup for the first time".

Key features of the product include unified backup and archiving with ever-incremental backups that remove the need for companies to perform periodic full backups. All processes are centrally managed from a single console to reduce IT overhead.

Storage is optimized so that organizations can store limitless recovery points and archive and retain their data for as long as required -- decades if necessary -- to meet regulatory and compliance rules.

Phoenix delivers direct-to-cloud backup and restore speeds of 100Mbps -- 20 times faster than other solutions -- utilizing the latest in object storage coupled with parallel data transfers. Sites with large data sets, limited bandwidth or demanding recovery time objectives can utilize Phoenix CloudCache, an on-site soft appliance that provides hot LAN-speed backups and restores via local caching. Transfers to the cloud are then staggered to free up real-time bandwidth.

Phoenix uses Amazon Web Services to ensure customer data is maintained in a secure public cloud infrastructure and protected by a full range of system certifications.

For more information and to sign up for a free trial you can visit the Druva website.

Photo Credit: Andreas Weitzmann/Shutterstock

Mobile devices now outnumber people across the globe

Publié: octobre 9, 2014, 4:49pm CEST par Darren Allan

people crowd

There are now more mobile devices than people in the world, according to the latest statistic released by GSMA Intelligence.

According to the stats, there are now 7.229 billion mobile connections across the globe -- a growth of 6.1 percent year-on-year -- compared to a world population of 7.197 billion (going by the US Census Bureau's world population clock).

Note that the stats also include machine-to-machine (M2M) mobile connections, mind you -- and some folks have multiple phones. The actual number of unique mobile subscribers is 3.6 billion across the world.

In other words, half the world's population still don't have a mobile phone.

Kevin Kimberlin, chairman of Spencer Trask, commented: "In the evolution of our wireless world, we'll never again see such a crystal clear punctuation point for mobile progress!"

But he warned: "Don't be fooled by this 100 percent crossover point. Since many of us have two or more devices, this active user number obscures a harsh reality. Over half of the people in the world are not so fortunate. They still don't have a mobile phone. So we have more work to do".

Spencer Trask helped fund startup Millicom, which is teaming up with Facebook and Internet.org to help bring mobiles to the half of the world which isn't yet connected.

Kimberlin added: "So while we toast this mobile evolution milestone, let's redouble our efforts to connect the rest of the world".

Photo Credit: photobank.kiev.ua/Shutterstock

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The Thing from the Internet -- and why we’re scared of it

Publié: octobre 9, 2014, 4:12pm CEST par Ian Barker

Monster and PC

According to a new survey UK consumers increasingly fear the pace of change they face and are particularly cynical about the need for connected, "Internet of Things" devices.

According to the survey of over 1,600 consumers by UK-based audit and accounting specialist KPMG, more than half of people (58 percent) resent the idea that computers seem to run their lives. Also 70 percent suggest that with the marketplace flooded by inter-connected devices, it's too easy for things to go wrong. The survey reveals a hankering for a return to 'simple' technology. Many, for example, mainly want their phone to make calls (54 percent) and the majority think that more advanced internet-based products such as smart fridges which self-order food or cookers reminding owners about recipes aren't needed.

Asked about the reasons for their worries respondents cited difficulties in keeping personal information private, with 56 percent of those polled concerned about a 'Big Brother' effect occurring as a result of internet enabled products and the pace at which they are being produced and implemented. In a work environment, more than a third (36 percent) fear that employers are monitoring their every action.

Wil Rockall, a director in KPMG's Cyber Security practice, says, "It is clear that consumers are struggling with a desire to use connected devices as a route towards an easier life, but they remain wary of the rise of the machine. They still support innovation, recognizing that in the right environment having the latest technology is key -- nearly 60 percent acknowledge that technology makes us more effective at our job".

Indeed, respondents are quick to recognize that inter-connected devices can bring some benefits, with 48 percent welcoming the idea that smart meters can save energy and money, for example. Four in 10 also suggest that health monitors which issue warnings about impending illness are a good idea and 46 percent want to use security systems to monitor their property whilst away from home.

"Security and privacy are high on the list of worries for the consumer with 62 percent believing that there is insufficient concern about it," adds Mark Thompson, a senior manager in KPMG's Cyber Security practice. "The fact remains that where once an Englishman's home was considered to be his castle the advent of the Internet of Things means that fortress walls can be breached more easily. There are also so many opportunities for the latest technologies to provide value and enhance our lives but we are failing to take advantage of them and we will continue in that vein until consumers can be convinced that always-connected devices are safe and worthwhile".

Image Credit: Julien Tromeur / Shutterstock

The internet is a massive waste of time

Publié: octobre 9, 2014, 3:26pm CEST par Mark Wilson

The internet is a massive waste of time

Over the last couple of decades the internet has revolutionized how we work, how we shop, how we communicate, and how we consume media. In most regards it has made life quicker and easier, but it has also brought challenges and side-effects. Technology may have made many tasks simpler, but it has also increased distractions and shepherded in more ways to procrastinate. You've probably noticed that while you can get many things done faster than ever, you spend a great deal of time doing nothing of worth.

In fact, rather than saving money, the widespread adoption of technology could be costing business dearly. Research shows that nearly two-thirds of employees spend work hours browsing sites unrelated to work -- a surprising 3 percent of them spending more than 10 hours a week actively avoiding work online. All of these wasted man hours add up, resulting in an average cost of almost $3,000 for employee each year.

But it's not just websites that are a distraction. Research found that just 14 percent of emails are crucial to work, and 62 percent of people found that dealing with unnecessary messages was one of the down sides of using email as a means of communication. A surprising finding is that, on average, workers spend 4 hours -- or half the working day -- handling emails.

Check out the infographic below to see how technology is wasting time, as well as how it can help.

Photo credit: Filipe Frazao / Shutterstock

Imgur reinvents the GIF with Project GIFV

Publié: octobre 9, 2014, 3:03pm CEST par Wayne Williams

gif video

The GIF was first introduced to the world by CompuServe in 1987 and despite all of the technological advancements that have occurred since then -- including the creation of the web itself -- the ancient graphics format remains as popular today as ever.

With Project GIFV, Imgur has taken what’s great about animated GIFs, but modernized the format. The platform-wide upgrade will automatically convert uploaded GIF files into MP4 video on-the-fly. The resulting .gifv will offer better quality in a smaller file size and load much faster. But that's not all.

As a result of this upgrade, users will be able to upload much larger animated files to the image site. Imgur currently limits GIFs to 5MB in size, but will shortly begin accepting ones up 50MB. You can see what the difference will be like by comparing this 5MB GIF with this 50MB GIFV.

Imgur says the new format will work everywhere and fully animate on sites like Facebook and Twitter. That image above is a JPG because WordPress doesn't currently accept the new format for security reasons, but that should change in time. Imgur plans to submit a specification to the relevant standards organizations before the close of the year.

"It’s a little known fact, but the GIF format was never intended for animation in the first place," says Tim Hwang, Head of Special Initiatives, Imgur. "With Project GIFV, Imgur is reimagining the looping GIF video with all the richness it deserves as a key piece of internet culture".

Apple remains the most valuable brand in the world

Publié: octobre 9, 2014, 2:08pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Apple remains the most valuable brand in the world Continuing its run at the top of the charts, Apple is revealed as the most valuable brand in the world. With a massive 21 percent increase over the last 12 months, Apple is now valued at just under $119 billion -- almost double that of Microsoft which finds itself in fifth place with a value of just over $61 billion.

The top 100 rankings have been published by Interbrand, and a number of familiar names from the world of tech are to be found in the top 20. Google's value jumped by 15 percent from last year to $107 billion, and the search giant remains in second position.

Apple's valuation is, as the Guardian points out, more than the GDP of countries such as Morocco. This will come as slightly better news to the company than the revelation that it is the top phishing target. The position of the ten most valuable brands remains largely unchanged; the same names jostle for attention at the top of the table. Facebook rocketed up the charts from 52 in 2013 to 29 this year, and managed to increase in value by 86 percent to $14.4 billion.

Despite dropping in value by 8 percent since 2013, IBM holds onto its fourth position slot, followed by Microsoft whose 5 percent boost sees it hanging onto its position from the previous year. Samsung's success with the likes of the Galaxy Note and S5 pushed its value up 15 percent to $45.4 billion. Intel will be disappointed to find that a drop in value of 8 percent (continuing the previous year's 5 percent drop) to $34 billion sees it slipping out of the top ten into twelfth place.

Looking further down the list, Amazon is to be found at 15, enjoying a 25 percent increase in value and jumping up four slots from 2013. eBay continues to increase in value, raising by 9 percent to $14.3 billion, but remain at position 28. The growing importance of Chinese brands -- particularly when it comes to smartphones -- is shown by Huawei's entry into the top 100, making its first appearance at slot 94 with a value of $4.3 billion. Fortunes are less favorable for Nokia which continues to plummet in value losing 44 percent of its value (following a 65 percent drop last year) and sliding from 57 to 98 in the chart.

Photo credit: Everything / Shutterstock

Rise of Macs: Apple is the fifth-largest PC maker

Publié: octobre 9, 2014, 1:30pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Apple Mac Laptop MacBook The PC market is not what it once used to be. Both shipments and sales are in the proverbial toilet. Old devices are still adequate years down the road, and more than capable of running newer versions of Windows, if users wish to upgrade -- many don't. Other types of devices, like tablets, can do the basic tasks just as well, if not better than the PC, and, for many in emerging markets, smartphones are what they buy these days to connect them to the Internet.

There are other changes afoot as well. Thanks to the increasing popularity of its Macs, Apple, once known as a niche vendor with a limited appeal, now ranks as the fifth-largest PC maker worldwide, according to a new report from research firm IDC. How did it get here? Well, blame the lower prices, among other things.

"[Apple's] steady growth, along with recent price cuts and improved demand in mature markets, has helped it to consistently outgrow the market", overtaking Windows PC maker ASUS to claim the fifth place. The company is still behind Lenovo, HP, Dell and Acer, which occupy the first four spots in that order. The ranking is based on the number of PCs shipped in Q3 2014, which, while we're at it, decreased by 1.7 percent compared to the same period from last year.

While shipments were declining, Apple moved more Macs (4.98 million) than a year prior (4.57 million), increasing its market share, to 6.3 percent from 5.7 percent, in the process. All other makers in the top five posted higher shipments and market shares. Leader Lenovo shipped 15.7 million PCs, for a market share of 20 percent. HP followed closely, with 14.7 million units and 18.8 percent market share, while Dell came in a distant third, with 10.4 million units and 13.3 percent market share. Acer ranked well below it, with 6.63 million units and 8.4 percent market share.

Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker, October 8, 2014

Even though shipments declined year-over-year worldwide, in the US they rose, to 17.33 million units from 16.62 million units. That's a 4.3 percent growth, which is nothing to be sneezed at really. The increase was aided by what IDC calls "portables"; desktops did not follow the same ascending path, however, as they decreased in volume year-over-year.

"PC shipment growth in the United States remained slightly faster than most other regions in the third quarter and overall the U.S. PC market came in right on forecast with 4.3 percent year-on-year growth", says IDC Personal Computer senior research analyst Rajani Singh. "Solid back-to-school sales, a strong performance from key vendors, the continued acceptance of Chromebooks, some commercial uptick from Windows XP to Windows 7 migration, and the slowdown in tablet sales are among the factors that helped the PC market to continue on its positive growth rate trajectory. Moving forward, we expect a healthy holiday season, hence the U.S. PC market may maintain a positive growth rate. However, low demand for large commercial refreshes, combined with competition from 2-in-1 systems, may limit the growth potential".

In the US, HP leads the pack, followed by Dell, Apple, Lenovo and Acer. HP and Dell are competing closely, with the former moving 4.8 million units (27.7 percent market share) and the latter 4.16 million units (24 percent market share). Apple shipped 2.26 million Macs (13 percent market share), slightly more than Lenovo's 1.85 million units (10.7 percent market share). Acer came in fifth place thanks to 1 million units shipped (5.9 percent market share).

Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker, October 8, 2014

The data includes only shipments of "Desktops, Portables, Ultraslim Notebooks, Chromebooks, and Workstations", according to IDC. Tablets were not taken into account; otherwise, we would see a totally different hierarchy.

Photo Credit: sukiyaki/Shutterstock

Inserting images into Gmail could be so much better

Publié: octobre 9, 2014, 11:44am CEST par Dilraj Singh

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When Google first launched the new compact compose window in Gmail, many of you might have noticed something annoying about inserting images.

One of the greatest Gmail features has been drag and drop. But if you drag an image into the compose window it is inserted inline. This is less than optimal for two reasons. One, if you want to write an email and insert many images, you probably don't want them inline as it ruins the reading experience. Two, inline images are very static and you can't manipulate them: you can't zoom in or see the pictures in a full window view, and you also can't easily save them to either Google Drive or your computer as you can with attachments.

Google recently fixed the second problem. Inline images now also have the Google Drive viewer. To trigger the view, just click on the image. Also, there are convenient buttons to download or save to Google Drive that pop-up once you place your mouse cursor on the image. But not everyone you send a message to has Gmail, so an inferior experience with inline images may still surface.

For the first problem there has always been a partial fix, which has never been widely publicized. If you drop an image on to the gray bar on the bottom of the compose window, it will attach it, rather than inserting it inline. The gray bar does say "Drop to Attach", but that is less obvious than the much larger "Drop Files Here" message that shows up in your compose window.

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A dialog pop-up when you try to drop an image asking you if you would prefer it attached would be much appreciated; or Google could just design a more obvious workflow. The easiest fix would be to simply let users treat images as normal files and to default to attach.

Do you have to send a lot of pictures through email? Do you like the current workflow, or do you want to see change?

Image Credit: racorn / Shutterstock

Apple is the top target for phishing attacks

Publié: octobre 9, 2014, 11:00am CEST par Barclay Ballard

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Apple is now the most-phished brand according to the latest report from the Anti-Phishing Work Group (APWG).

Based on data from the first half of 2014, 17.7 percent of all phishing attacks were aimed at the Cupertino-based firm, with PayPal in second and Chinese shopping site Taobao claiming third place.

In an interview with TechNewsWorld, the APWG's Rod Rasmussen claimed that the ability to access various information streams with an Apple ID is the reason for the increased number of attacks.

"They can be used to lock a user out of their phone and ransom it back to them for money," Rasmussen said. "There are lots of different attack vectors, which adds up to why Apple is being phished as heavily as it is".

Rasmussen also speculated that the recent nude celebrity photo leaks were probably the result of hacking Apple IDs.

The report also indicates that a wider variety of companies are now being targeted by phishing attacks. APWG found that 756 institutions had been targeted by phishers in the first half of the year, with almost half of those not experiencing phishing in the previous six months.

It is likely that phishers are selecting new targets in the hope of finding vulnerable new user bases that are not ready to defend themselves.

It can require multiple defensive strategies in order to prevent phishing attacks, with the combination of behavioral analysis and big data proving particularly effective.

Idan Tendler, CEO of Fortscale said that intruders often reveal themselves through their malicious behavior. "The only way to identify these suspicious users is by profiling their behavior, by analyzing system logs that document their behavior," he said.

By creating normal behavior profiles, companies can more easily identify intruders within their network and ultimately reduce the number of successful phishing attacks.

How to manage the perfect BYOD rollout

Publié: octobre 9, 2014, 9:08am CEST par Phil Keeley

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BYOD was once a buzzword coined to describe the increase of end-user owned devices entering the workplace and accessing corporate networks and applications. However, there are now a lot more smart mobile devices on the network which are running more bandwidth-intensive applications, than ever before. This is only set to increase according to IDC who predict that 79 percent of mobile devices in the enterprise will be "employee liable" by 2017.

Having a BYOD strategy is too invaluable to be cast aside, yet it still presents a number of challenges to IT managers, who need to ensure the security and integrity of their corporate resources and data. But at the same time they need to allow multiple users, including guests and employees, the flexibility they demand for using different devices, whether corporate-issued or part of the BYOD trend.

The perfect BYOD rollout needs to simplify the process of enabling the visibility and control required to tackle mobility management. By taking the following steps into account, IT managers can best prepare for the influx of devices entering their workplace.

Devices need to be enterprise ready -- Enterprise-class access needs to be delivered to both managed and unmanaged devices. The first step for a network administrator is to figure out how to securely connect and monitor all devices, including consumer-grade, to ensure they are working at full performance.
Your network solution must be service-aware -- The next challenge is to manage usage on the network. Enabling BYOD and company issued consumer devices in the workplace will mean that employees will want to use their own device to connect to network resources and services, such as printing and projecting. It is important to have a truly service-aware network solution which can scale up and down at any time, depending on the number of devices interacting with resources.
Prepare for expansion -- As many of the devices entering the network are designed for consumer use at home, high battery life is a priority ahead of the need for strong Wi-Fi transmission. This is unlikely to change in the near future and so enterprises need to take the high-density deployment and troubleshooting into account to ensure they have the adequate functionality to deal with the ever-expanding load on this struggling spectrum.
Accommodate the next big trend -- The recent launch of the Apple iWatch is yet another example of wearable technology hitting the mainstream. Although this presents interesting opportunities for IT managers and employees alike, it also increases the types of devices that enterprises need to prepare for Wear Your Own Device will undoubtedly become commonplace in the next few years and so the Wi-Fi network needs to be prepared.

Employees will want to continue to bring their own devices into the workplace and so IT managers need to ensure they prepare for this, future-proofing their Wi-Fi and mobile device management strategy.

The lesson we've all learned in the last four years is that mobile will continue to evolve and adapt and while we are delivering better results, more productive user experiences and adding to the bottom line, when it comes to infrastructure there are still areas that need to be addressed.

Phil Keeley is principal SE at Aerohive Networks

At IP EXPO Europe's Theatre: Wireless & Mobile on Wednesday 8th at 11:00am, Phil Keeley, will be discussing what's next for BYOD. The seminar will also cover what the new 802.11ac standard (Gigabit Wi-Fi) really means for organizations and how they should approach adoption of next-generation mobile networking. Aerohive is also exhibiting at stand D10. Register for IP EXPO now!

Robust mobile monitoring is imperative for mobile app owners and developers

Publié: octobre 9, 2014, 5:21am CEST par Jyoti Bansal

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As enterprises move more and more of their mission-critical workloads to mobile applications, the need greatly increases for a solution that collects mobile application behavioral analytics and continuously manages the performance of mobile applications in real time.

Beyond the application’s performance, information about real-users’ behavior and interactions with an application can be tremendously valuable. Each user’s click deploys millions of lines of code, and with real-user monitoring capabilities, those clicks and code can be used to trace a plethora of information about that user.

Mobile Behavioral Analytics. With mobile analytics capabilities, mobile developers can measure and benchmark business information, such as the average dollar value of a mobile shopping cart or behavioral patterns such as the frequency of customers adding items to the shopping cart, all in real time.

Mobile Business Transaction Correlation. Mobile developers should get beyond the idea that backend services are a black box full of performance delays. Mobile monitoring solutions can now deliver deep metrics that allow mobile developers and IT operations to drill down into individual lines of code across every hop in a business-critical transaction; collaborate to resolve performance issues faster than ever before; and together win customer satisfaction.

Mobile Crash Analytics. Crash analytics allow mobile developers to quickly identify unique and recurring crashes for specific devices, operating systems, or carrier types, and fix them before they do serious damage to their ratings in the app stores, or to their operations in the case of enterprise apps. Retaining that crash data allows mobile developers to “flashback” to learn from historical trends and patterns.

If you don’t know what your mobile users are doing or know at what point and why your mobile app is crashing, you’re essentially flying blind in this brave new mobile world. Customers have no patience for poor mobile experiences. Not only does it hurt revenue, it also hurts brand perception. With such rich mobile app performance management capabilities available in the market today, there is no reason businesses should leave their brand experience to chance. And with mobile crash analytics, you can quickly pinpoint and fix the cause of a crash before it impacts users.

If you’re a mobile application owner or developer, real-user mobile monitoring makes it significantly easier for you to stay on top of mobile commerce, mobile app adoption, usage patterns, and performance. In short, it takes the guesswork out of delivering superior mobile experiences, whether it’s the latest game or a business enterprise app.

Jyoti is the Founder and CEO of AppDynamics. Jyoti is a Silicon Valley leader, product visionary and innovator, he founded AppDynamics in 2008 with the vision of 'Application Intelligence" and helping modern businesses embark on their journey of digital transformation with a disruptive approach to managing their software-define business. Under Jyoti’s leadership, AppDynamics has rapidly become one of the fastest growing enterprise software companies with 450 employees and 1300 enterprise customers.

HTC exposes the Desire Eye Android smartphone and RE camera -- sadly, no Nexus 9

Publié: octobre 9, 2014, 3:33am CEST par Brian Fagioli

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HTC knows how to make a great smartphone. The HTC One M7 and M8 are very popular for having solid build quality and best in class speakers. Unfortunately, while the phones are great, the camera has been lackluster. Don't get me wrong, the photo quality is passable but has lacked compared to other flagships, such as Apple's iPhone and the Galaxy S5.

Today, HTC takes the smartphone world by storm with the selfie-focused HTC Desire Eye and a dedicated action camera, called "Re". Believe it or not, the manufacturer is actually releasing a standalone camera that can interact with both Android and iOS devices. Unfortunately, the Nexus 9 that the Android community has been waiting for was a no-show.

The HTC Desire Eye is your run-of-the-mill rectangular Android smartphone except for one stand-out feature -- a 13MP front camera. Yes, the focus here is on selfies, and the front-shooter should, in theory, produce best-in-class selfies. Hell, besides a high-megapixel count, there is even a flash on the face. Clearly, this phone is meant for the Instagram generation.

The Desire Eye is not made of metal like the M8, and surprisingly, I think this is a good thing. The soft plastic felt wonderful in my hand and seemed quite durable. No, I don't mean it is necessarily rugged and can taken a beating, but you may be able to forgo a case and not get tons of scratches.

It will ship running Android 4.4.4 and will be powered by the Snapdragon 800 -- an aging, yet capable processor. The 5.2 inch screen looked gorgeous, despite being "only" 1080p. Unfortunately, it will only be available on AT&T -- for now.

As cool as that smartphone is, it was not the star of the show. Actually, the RE camera was most impressive, despite its asthma-inhaler appearance. At $199, it features a 16-megapixel Sony sensor. Many consumers will wonder why they need a standalone camera when their smartphone already has one. This is a valid argument, but I think there is a place for the RE in the homes and hearts of some consumers.

It connects by Bluetooth to your smartphone on first pairing, but the HTC representative tells me it uses Wi-Fi direct on subsequent connections. Because it can be controlled by a smartphone from a distance, you can easily position it in an optimal location while standing a distance, out of the way. HTC uses the example of a father at a daughter's dance recital; the father is stuck in the back row, but he has placed the RE camera in the front -- quite genius.

The other great thing is that it can take time-lapse photos without being linked to a smartphone. In other words, you can set up a camera looking at a busy city street or sunset and leave entirely, to return and view the creation. Of course, you will want to be sure you leave it in a safe or secure place to avoid thievery!

HTC even has a bunch of accessories ready for it:

You can mount it to a bicycle or baby stroller. A mother can track her baby's facial gestures or mood by pointing it at the baby, or she can position it facing outward to see what the baby sees. The bicycle mount should produce neat action shots.

Vacationers and beach-goers will appreciate that it also will work underwater with a rating of IPx7 -- an available accessory will boost this to IPx8. An HTC representative tells me that chlorinated water is not suggested, despite the fact that the demo video shows it being used in the pool. It is only to be used in fresh or salt water.

It will come bundled with an 8GB microSD card -- yes, a card and not onboard storage. So, if you were to add a 128GB card, you would have to remove the included 8GB. Quite frankly, I would prefer to see HTC not include any memory and reduce the overall price. An 8GB card will not last long and I foresee many consumers upgrading immediately -- the 8GB card will be wasted.

Are you excited by HTC's new products? Tell me about it in the comments.

UK crime chief wants even more powers to snoop NSA-style

Publié: octobre 9, 2014, 1:49am CEST par Mark Wilson

UK crime chief calls for even more powers to snoop NSA-style

It has been said that we are living in a post-NSA world. What this really amounts to is that we are now slightly more aware of the level of snooping that has been going on in the background for many years. There has been widespread outrage at the revelations made by Edward Snowden, and there have been similar concerns raised outside of the US. In the UK, the FBI-like National Crime Agency, wants greater powers to monitor emails and phone calls -- and it wants the public to agree to this.

Director General of the NCA, Keith Bristow, spoke with the Guardian and said that the biggest threats to public safety are to be found online. He said that more powers to monitor online data is needed, and suggested that public resistance to this was down to the fact that he had thus far failed to properly explain why such powers are needed.

Bristow seems to be under the impression that if he takes the time to explain why he and his agency need greater powers of surveillance it will be possible to "win public consent" for such powers. On the face of it, this sounds rather more transparent than the beyond-the-scenes surveillance that has been carried out by the NSA, but can it really mean "open" monitoring? The NCS's "snoopers' charter" is unpopular -- there is possibly even less public support for it than there has been for the NSA's activities.

The agency head explains that the public must "consent to losing some freedoms in return for greater safety and security". Of course, it is extremely unlikely that there would be a public vote on whether or not additional monitoring powers should be enforced -- it's just not the sort of things on which there is public consultation. Of course, with the general election just around the corner in May, this is the sort of thing that is likely to feature on the manifestos that are trumpeted over the coming months.

Bristow says that "if we seek to operate outside of what the public consent to, that, for me, by definition, is not policing by consent. The consent is expressed through legislation". It goes without saying that the public has little if any sway in deciding what legislation is put in place, but individual political parties could use the weight of public opinion about privacy and online surveillance to win a few votes. Striking the balance between policing the internet in the interest of public safety, and maintaining the level of privacy that internet users reasonably expect is a tricky one.

But with surveillance now in the public consciousness more than ever before, Bristow and the NCA will have an uphill battle to convince people that indiscriminate mass monitoring is in their interest. Fighting terrorism, paedophiles, organized crime and the like may be valid arguments to some extent, but they certainly aren’t going to win over everyone. And if these problems are seen as sufficiently great to consider mass surveillance programs, it's difficult to see how public opinion will have much bearing on what happens. The idea of watching the many to catch the few -- which many have interpreted as implying everyone is assumed guilty until proven otherwise -- is only going to hold up for so long, no matter how well or how many times it is explained.

Photo credit: Mega Pixel / Shutterstock

Google Hangouts is great, but will it ever be finished?

Publié: octobre 8, 2014, 9:35pm CEST par Dilraj Singh

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A year ago Google released project Babel. The search giant shared with us a grand vision of a unified and improved messaging and video platform. This vision started becoming reality with Google Hangouts. But in classic Google fashion, it was never finished.

Before Hangouts, there was Google Talk. And it was great. It was simple, and to the point. You could use it in third-party applications, it worked in your Gmail, and complaints were hard to come by. However, Google had been working on Google+ and that also had a chat -- one that was not compatible with Talk. So, Google promised unification; and when the users of Talk looked at their perfectly working service, and then back at Google skeptically, Google promised an unrivaled experience across platforms.

And that is when Hangouts was released. It was there (optionally) in your Gmail, it was in your Google+ (well, for a significantly smaller population), and it was on your phone. It was also in your Chrome. And this is where the head-scratching starts. Google released a Hangouts extension for the Chrome store that put Hangouts on your desktop, and outside of Chrome. But Google also announced Chrome apps "for your Desktop". These apps run in a window outside of the browser, and Google nudged developers toward them. Google itself even made a Keep desktop app, but not one for Hangouts.

Unification was the theme of Babel, and was specifically aimed at Google+. If you have used the video call in Gmail or Google+ you will be familiar with the popup window that houses the call. There is an option in that window to chat with the members of the call. But this option doesn’t open a Hangouts dialog, it opens a blank, antique looking chat interface.

Imagine this: I am chatting with my friend in Hangouts in Gmail. She types, "Hey, I want to show you something real quick", so I click on the video button and we start a video hangout. Now, imagine she wants to send me a link, or just write something while we talk. Would we want a completely new chat window, or would we want to see the conversation we were just having? Google seems to say we would want a new, blank chat window.

hangoutsc Google seems like it just doesn’t care about these seemingly little things. For example the bazillion emoticons Google paraded so proudly aren't even bug free; the recent tab doesn't remember the ones I use most, doesn't sync across devices, and is sometimes just blank. Oh, and the new emoticons are obviously not present in the weird chat dialog that accompanies Hangout video calls.

Google did a lot of things right with Hangouts, but some things just seem like easily fixed oversights. Here's a bonus bug: in Google+ you can expand the Hangouts window so far up that you can't see the controls anymore. Resizing the chat window is a great, and relatively-unique, feature, Google just can't get it to be perfect.

You ever get a disappointed feeling, when watching team like the New York Jets, and think to yourself, I could run this better? Well, that’s how I feel looking at Hangouts. I certainly couldn't make it worse.

I am using this as just an example of a Google-wide problem. Googlers are so focused on 'the next big thing,' that they can't seem to get themselves to finish what they have already started. Even the Google redesign that spanned Gmail, Drive, Search, and more hasn't been finished. For example go create a new label in Gmail, you won't find a nice button like the UI would suggest, but a bland link. Developers can attest to many services, such as the App Engine, still stuck in the old UI. I could go on and on, but I think you get the point.

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Google nurtures wonderful ideas, I wish it would just see them through all the way to the end.

BlackBerry's desperate attempts to revitalize the company are doomed to fail

Publié: octobre 8, 2014, 7:55pm CEST par Russel Cooke

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The age of the "crackberry" is past, and although BlackBerry is still alive and developing new products, the company hasn’t had a great decade.

Since the introduction of the iPhone, BlackBerry’s fortunes have plummeted. Recent failed or unimpressive efforts have included rebranding the company after its signature phone, which meant changing the name from the odd-sounding RIM to the recognizable BlackBerry name we have all loved and parodied. The company also released two touchscreen-only phones, ditching its physical keyboards in an effort that was ultimately unsuccessful.

But despite almost-negligible sales numbers, BlackBerry still exists. The reborn company is still trying to deliver another hit, and has tried again to disrupt the market with a new flagship phone. It’s a doozy.

The new BlackBerry Passport is, fittingly, the same size as your actual passport: a 4.5-inch, perfectly square screen with a physically keyboard stuck to the bottom edge. Your 1:1 Instagram photos will fit perfectly edge-to-edge (to-edge-to-edge) on this screen, assuming you were to use this professional business phone for such silly endeavors.

The size and sleek look is perhaps a nod to the high-productivity government- and business-sector personnel that got the company started so many years ago. However, the daring risk might be the width, even in this age of massive iPhones and even bigger Samsungs. One reviewer noted that by forcing the use of two hands, the “Passport forces me to risk my safety just to send an important text”. However, that being said, the physical keyboard is still prized by some die-hard BlackBerry fans and an important part of the phone company’s identity.

In the same review, Gizmodo said that despite decent technological specs and a nice screen, the phone was ultimately just “not enough,” that it was a good effort, but the phone’s strangeness wasn’t justified by any substantial innovation. Not good enough to save a brand: innovation can’t be imitated. Innovation often looks weird, but looking weird alone is not innovation. It takes a bit more than that to revolutionize and disrupt a market, and though the phone has some neat tricks, it’s nothing that amazing, and hardly groundbreaking.

Tech companies have a mixed reputation when it comes to rebranding. Some, like industry sweetheart Apple, have done it seemingly without effort: Apple Computer, with the launch of the iPhone, became simply Apple, and never looked back. It seems natural now, and indeed made sense at the time.

But one only needs to look at Myspace to see where this can go wrong. This was probably the chief inspiration for RIM’s rebranding itself to BlackBerry. Unfortunately, this fruit fell a bit too far from the tree, and the rebranding might have been more effective at the height of its popularity instead of a decade later. Done too late or ineffectively, rebranding can look desperate, fraught, and like a final hail-Mary pass at salvaging a doomed effort.

At the end of 2013 BlackBerry accounted for less than 1 percent of US smartphone sales, and posted similar numbers in other markets like China, Europe, and Japan, the sole exception being, strangely, the UK, where it accounts for about three times that proportion. Still not a very big deal.

It seems that the move has been made chiefly out of desperation: never a good sign. The Canadian company’s financial troubles have forced its hand, basically mandating drastic decisions like this strange, attention-grabbing phone. It’s hard to say what place there is in the modern market for the company that ostensibly developed the smartphone in the first place. The Passport seems unlikely to revitalize the company on its own. What else will it take?

Russel Cooke is a business consultant specializing in Customer Relationship Management. In his free time, he contributes predominantly business-related articles, something he enjoys doing tremendously. You can follow Russel on Twitter @RusselCooke2.

Internet and inequality: The digital divide gets personal

Publié: octobre 8, 2014, 7:35pm CEST par John Dilley

Inequality Wealth Poor Disparity

Access to fast, reliable Internet empowers people to learn for themselves. It gives them the means to solve their own problems. It eliminates one of the obstacles that stands in the way of the oppressed knowing how others have freed themselves in the past. Unfortunately, we found that low-income areas with the most to gain from access to the world’s knowledge, continue to lag behind in Internet speeds.

On average, states whose populations are made up of people with lower incomes living in rural areas are likely to have the slowest Internet speeds. In order to gain a greater understanding of the role of wealth in regards to Internet speeds, we compared average Internet speeds for all 50 states with several financial factors.

The only economic factors we found that show any significant relationship with Internet speed were the ones that indicate wealth on a personal level. There was no significant relationship between Internet speed and a state’s Total GDP, its tax rates, or its unemployment rates.

The average Internet speed in a state is related to the average wealth of the people in that state, not to the wealth of the state itself (as shown in the chart below).

High Correlations with Population Distribution Found

One other place where we did see a significant correlation was the percentage of a state’s population living in a metropolitan area. We found that correlation to be 0.50. That relationship was also reflected in the 0.51 correlation we found between Internet speeds and population density.

This makes sense. It is more efficient to provide Internet to many people at once, than it is one at a time. It costs nearly the same total dollar amount to build the infrastructure of a broadband line whether it delivers Internet to one house or to a high-rise apartment building. But, with the apartment building, you get to charge everyone for the service. With the house you've only gained one customer. Under this paradigm, any savvy business owner would roll out their best services to metropolitan areas first.

The divide in economics and slow Internet access likely compounds problems that states like Wyoming and Montana have; 66 percent of the Montana population lives in rural areas, and they have the second slowest average Internet speeds. That combination is difficult to overcome.

Financial indicators correlated with average Internet speeds by state

Tough Questions Are Ahead for Rural and Low Income Communities

While seeing sub-par Internet speeds in places with poor and rural populations makes sense, it also raises questions about the future for such areas:

If there is little business incentive for corporations to service these areas, then should the government provide the infrastructure?
If so, then with which funds?
If not, then are governments forsaking their people to involuntary ignorance?

These types of questions are already being debated in municipalities weighing the pros and cons of publicly-funded Internet. They will likely be answered differently depending on the values of each individual community.

Worldwide Correlations Are Stronger

The puzzle of high-speed Internet access and the role it plays in human advancement extends beyond the United States. In fact, the personal wealth correlation is even stronger on a global scale.

For the 125 countries on which we have data, we found a correlation of 0.79 between the percentage of the population with a broadband subscription and the GDP per capita. We also found a correlation of 0.78 between the percentage of the population using the Internet and GDP per capita. These finding coincide with the information we previously found about the digital divide and GDP.

The likely explanation for these huge correlations internationally as opposed to the smaller correlations from state to state is that there is such a huge variation in both categories from nation to nation. The variation of GDP per capita across the nations for which we have data was over $100,000, while the same variation across the states was just under $40,000. There was a similarly gargantuan gap in the variations in the percentages of populations using the Internet. That variation across our international data set was 94.91 percent, but it was only 24 percent across our state data.

Improving Internet Speed Is Important

It seems fitting that the population element plays a large role in the data. A population is made up of individual people. The importance of research like this lies in the effect it can have on individual people.

The Internet has the opportunity to be the great equalizer in our world. It creates a gateway to an enlightened global society and, as we've shown before, it relates to people's intelligence and happiness. Unfortunately, individual financial factors seem to limit Internet access and speed.

As communities across America decide whether they should publicly fund Internet infrastructure, they have the opportunity to make a statement about the importance of high-speed Internet. By understanding the cultural environment of the Internet, we can all work to remove the barriers that keep people from accessing the wealth of knowledge the Internet provides. Just as knowledge is power, enlightenment is empowerment.

This article first appeared at Internet and Inequality -- The Digital Divide Gets Personal

John Dilley John continually offers unique insights and a fresh point of view. Along with writing, John has a passion for music. He is the lead vocalist and secondary guitarist for The Family Gallows in Salt Lake City.

Photo Credit: kentoh/Shutterstock

.com and .net? Fuhgeddaboudit! Register a .nyc domain name instead

Publié: octobre 8, 2014, 6:11pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

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Back in the day, people thought they could get rich from .com domain names. As a teen, I remember spending hours trying to register the names of popular companies in hopes of squatting and reselling. Unfortunately, I never found anything good, and never flipped a domain for millions.

What's really sad is when a website has to choose something like .org because the .com they want is taken. It is hard to take a website seriously when it isn't an organization and uses .org. Well, if you own a business in New York City and the .com domain you desire is taken, you may be able to register .nyc instead.

"Residents living in New York City now have a place online to call home with the newest domain name extension, .NYC, now available for public registration. With the availability of the new, geo-specific generic top level domains (gTLD), small business owners in New York City have a unique opportunity to own a piece of the Web that quickly and efficiently tells their location", says GoDaddy.

GoDaddy Senior Vice President and General Manager Mike McLaughlin explains, "New York City is home to some of the most expensive real estate in the country. The 21st century real estate boom will also be online, with .NYC playing a key role in that boom. The .NYC extension gives anyone in New York City a chance to display their New York pride online. With the domain name extension just launching, there are a tremendous number of quality names available for any New Yorker to purchase".

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Unfortunately, the .nyc domain is limited to New York City residents and businesses -- specifically the five boroughs. As a Long Islander I am unfortunately not eligible. This is disappointing, as Long Island is often considered an honorary member of NYC, but oh well.

At $24.99, all business owners in the five boroughs should rush to register before it is too late. Hell, even if you do not need a website now, you never know what the future holds.

Will you register a .nyc? Tell me in the comments.

Photo credit: ChameleonsEye / Shutterstock

Brave the sands and visit the Arabian desert with Google Street View

Publié: octobre 8, 2014, 6:07pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

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There seems to be no place the intrepid Google Street View team will not go. From oceans to canyons, the team has tackled everything. The latest location is the sands of the United Arab Emirates, a rather desolate place for any person.

You won't need to ride a camel to make your trip to the Liwa Desert, as you can see it all from the comfort of your seat. Google has already braved sand storms and unbearable heat to bring you the images.

"On your virtual trip through the desert, you’ll find sand dunes that reach an astounding height of 25-40 meters. These rolling sandy hills were home to early settlers back in the Late Stone Age, making Liwa one of the oldest sites in the United Arab Emirates", says Najeeb Jarrar, Product Marketing Manager for the Middle East and North Africa.

The desert is also home to the largest oasis on the Arabian peninsula. Needless to say the camera crew made their way to this, as well.

How Google manages to collect these images is an interesting story in itself. "To bring this stunning desert to Street View, we fashioned the Trekker to rest on a camel, which gathered imagery as it walked. Using camels for the collection allowed us to collect authentic imagery and minimize our disruption of this fragile environment".

Head over to Google to begin your exploration of the area. It won't even cost you any travel expenses.

XYplorer Free provides you with a multi-paned, multi-tabbed alternative to Windows Explorer

Publié: octobre 8, 2014, 6:00pm CEST par Nick Peers

XYplorer Free

If there’s one thing that hasn’t changed in Windows it’s the fact that -- even now, almost 20 years after Windows 95 was released -- Windows Explorer still requires you to open separate windows for each folder you wish to access.

Navigating folders using multiple windows can be a nightmare, but if you’re running out of patience, it’s time to make the switch to a Windows Explorer replacement called XYplorer Free.

Windows Explorer replacements aren’t exactly thin on the ground, but typically fall into one of two categories: the first offers a multi-paned approach, giving you access to two or more folders from a single window. The second is inspired by modern-day web browsers, placing each separate folder path in its own tab, making it easy to switch between them.

XYplorer Free takes the best of both worlds, offering two multi-tabbed panes, plus throws in a traditional file tree to the left for even more flexibility when navigating. Now copying and moving files between far-flung locations on your computer just got a whole lot easier, particularly as XYplorer remembers your previous settings.

Each pane offers lots of juicy goodies too, incorporating functionality such as breadcrumbs, thumbnails, visible sort headers and more -- some of these features have made their way into the improved File Explorer found in Windows 8.1, but not all. One handy new feature even allows you to color-code your tabs for even easier identification.

Other useful tools include a batch rename function (with preview), the ability to calculate folder sizes, a Panes menu that makes it easy to transfer files from one pane to the other, directory print option, duplicate file finder, customizable interface, info panel, quick file compare tool and more powerful search tools. The list is almost endless.

Better still, XYplorer Free doesn’t automatically toss Windows Explorer to one side -- although it ships with an installer, everything’s self-contained inside its own folder, allowing you to store it on your portable thumb drive. That allows you to run it alongside Windows Explorer should you wish to, although if you want to replace Explorer completely, you can do so via XYplorer’s Tools > Configuration > Shell Integration menu.

A commercial version is also available with even more features, including the ability to queue up file operations. But for most people, the Free edition has all the time-saving functionality you need. Five minutes with this, and you won’t want to go back.

XYplorer Free 14.50 is available now as a freeware download for PCs running Windows 2000 or later. A trial version of XYplorer 14.50, offering additional features, is also available.

Updating your backup approach -- from physical servers to virtualized environments

Publié: octobre 8, 2014, 5:48pm CEST par Bill Andrews

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Backup is often at the bottom of the list for IT teams -- an afterthought even -- but having an effective backup and disaster recovery plan in place means considering backup as an important piece of the IT strategy. Over the past two decades, IT departments have hosted dedicated physical servers per application, but as companies move to virtual environments, backup approaches must evolve too.

For most IT departments, the rotation for physical servers is: do a full backup of email and databases Monday -- Thursday; move to disk only the changed unstructured data files (incrementals) on Monday- Thursday; and then on Friday do a full backup of all data in the environment.

In some cases, IT departments perform changed-block backups, but the vast majority is a full file incremental during the week with a full backup on Friday. In the physical server world, you back up the data only. In some cases, you may do a complete image-based backup for bare metal restores but the vast majority of backup is data only.

For more than 20 years, IT departments have only had to worry about one thing when backing up their systems: data. As we move into an increasingly VM-dominated data center, there are many factors that need to be considered.

The move to a virtual environment and what it means: IT data centers are rapidly moving to a virtualized server world using VMWare, Hyper-V, and other hypervisors. While virtual servers still use direct attached storage, network attached storage, or storage area network storage, the backup application no longer backs up just the data -- now it backs up the entire virtual machine (VM).

This includes the guest operating system, the application, all associated system files, and the data. When you're backing up more than just data and preparing it for a recovery point at a later time in the event of a disaster, the way you think about backup needs to change too.

In the past, if a primary server failed for any reason, you would obtain a new server, load the server software or copy an image onto the server, and then restore the most recent data backups to ensure that the most up-to-date data is on the system. In the virtual world, VM backups are typically written to disk. Since the VM is sitting on backup disk, you can simply boot it from the backup system.

If the primary systems fail, you can boot a VM off the backup system and users can continue to work directly off the backup system. Once the hypervisor is used to make the primary systems operational, the user activity is transparently moved back to the primary systems through a VM instant recovery, allowing your recovery time to be minutes versus hours.

If a third-party auditor is auditing your business continuity, you can boot a VM of the backup system in order to demonstrate that you have a working copy of the entire VM, including data. In the past, it was almost impossible to show an auditor that you could recover from a failure. In the VM world, you can simply boot the VM off the backup disk, show the auditor that it is running, and the audit is complete through a "verified" or "sure backup".

Since VMs are sitting in the backup system, you can also boot the VM, apply a patch, and perform tests in a "virtual lab" before rolling it out in the primary virtualized environment to minimize risk.

The critical role VMs play in a DR-plagued landscape:

Backing up VMs changes how you recover, how you pass internal audits, and how you test outside of the production environment. Changing backing up just the data to backing up the entire VM also changes your backup infrastructure and process. With the need to boot VMs for instant recoveries, boot VMs for auditors, boot VMs to test software changes and updates outside of production, and the need to perform weekly synthetic fulls, disk is required in the virtualized backup world as you cannot boot from tape and you cannot easily read/write with tape.

For disaster recovery instead of building servers, loading system/application and then recovering the data all you have to do is simply boot the VM as the VM has everything needed, including data, to make the replacement systems production-ready.

In virtualized environments, the changed storage blocks are tracked by the hypervisor via changed block tracking (CBT). The backup application picks up the changed blocks and copies them to the backup storage target. Unlike traditional physical server backup where a full backup is performed every Friday night, in the virtualized world each backup is the changed blocks only. There are backup window benefits to only backing up changed blocks but there is also risk to keeping only changed block backups. If you retain too many CBT backups, the time to restore is painful. In addition, if a block is damaged or corrupted anywhere in the chain, reconstituting a full backup will fail. To overcome this, IT must create a full backup, sometimes called a "synthetic full" backup, at least once a week.

With the need to boot VMs for instant recoveries, boot VMs for auditors, boot VMs to test software changes and updates outside of production, and the need to perform weekly synthetic fulls, disk is required in the virtualized backup world as you cannot boot from tape and you cannot easily read/write with tape.

With CBT, most VM backup applications with a weekly synthetic full will see a storage reduction of 2:1 to as much as 6:1. As the retention period grows, so does the disk storage. With retention periods of four to six copies or greater, the amount of disk storage required becomes quite costly very quickly. Therefore, for four to six copies of retention or less, straight disk can be used. With a larger number of copies, disk-based backup appliances with data deduplication are required. Data deduplication appliances can raise the rate of deduplication in a virtualized environment to as much as 20:1. As a result, far less disk is used, and the cost to store a larger number of copies for retention is far less using dedicated appliances with data deduplication versus using straight disk.

Using a disk appliance with data deduplication requires a high-speed disk cache in order to store full version VMs in order to be able to boot for many scenarios or to be able to easily perform a synthetic full backup. There are two types of disk-based backup appliances.

The first deduplicates the data inline, which means deduplication occurs on the way to disk and therefore only stores deduplicated data. In order to be able to boot a VM, you need to put a straight disk storage cache in front of the appliance in order to have full VMs ready to boot and then have the longer-term deduplicated storage in the appliance.
The second type of appliance has both built in to a single integrated appliance. These appliances have a disk cache or "landing zone" in order to maintain the most recent VMs in their full form ready to be booted or restored and then store all the deduplicated data behind that.

Over the years, backup has changed from backing up data to backing up complete virtualized machines with a critical acknowledgment of how DR affects it data center infrastructure. All in all, the move from physical servers to virtualized environments is changing how you prepare, set up, and store backups.

Why not find out more by visiting ExaGrid at IP EXPO Europe 2014 on STAND E18 or joining one of ExaGrid's seminar sessions, and see Andy Palmer, VP of International Sales and Graham Woods, VP of International Systems Engineering explain the importance of the right backup architecture to achieving stress-free backup and recovery, and how a scale-out GRID architecture with landing zone can solve your biggest backup challenges.

Bill Andrews is CEO at ExaGrid

ExaGrid will be exhibiting at IP EXPO Europe on 8-9 October 2014, STAND E18, Excel, London E16 1XL.

Seminar sessions:

Wednesday 08th October, 14:20 -- 14:50

Theatre: Enterprise Storage & Data Management

Thursday 09th October, 15:00 -- 15:30

Theatre: Backup & Recovery

Stop poking us! Cops say Facebook arguments hinder crime solving

Publié: octobre 8, 2014, 4:17pm CEST par Claire Woffenden

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Petty Facebook rows are preventing police from "reducing and detecting crime", according to a policing team in Wiltshire, UK.

A sergeant for the neighborhood policing teams of Wootton Bassett, Malmesbury and Cricklade has urged people not to call for help with Facebook incidents and rows unless it relates to domestic disputes/crimes or other serious issues.

Sergeant Martin Alvis, writing on the Malmesbury Police Facebook page, advised: "Please do not call us for Facebook incidents where you or someone else has had a falling out and then written something in the heat of the moment".

"If you dislike someone enough to report them to the Police why would you have them as a friend on FB? If you don’t like a person, if you don’t know a person or they are not your friend why would you have them on your FB?"

Sergeant Alvis made the comments after "spending three hours" reviewing crime and anti-social behavior reports for the areas that he covers.

He added: "We can deal with and will deal with evidence on FB relating to domestic disputes/crimes or other serious matters. I am talking here about matters that do not need the police and can be controlled by the click of a button and some common sense. Help begins with you, so press the unfriend button and have nothing more to do with the person. Then we can direct more of our resources to reducing and detecting crime, using your taxes to the community’s best advantage".

Photo credit: Tashatuvango/Shutterstock

HERE beta officially available for Samsung Galaxy smartphones

Publié: octobre 8, 2014, 4:02pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

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Today, Nokia officially brings HERE to Samsung Galaxy smartphones, expanding the reach of its powerful mapping software outside of Windows Phones and handsets that bear the Nokia branding. For the time being, the app is exclusively available in the South Korean maker's app store for Galaxy devices, but, later, it will make its way to other Android smartphones as well.

The HERE app may currently be labeled as a beta, but it does not skimp on features. It arrives with pretty much all the major features that Windows Phone users are enjoying from the HERE suite, which says a lot about Nokia's plans post-Lumia. Let's take a look.

Naturally, HERE can display information in multiple views, like Map and Satellite, and show traffic and transit data. Live traffic information is provided for more than 40 countries, while public transportation is covered in more than 750 cities from more than 40 countries.

It also gives users the option to download entire regions, countries and even continents' maps for offline use. Up to 200 country maps can be downloaded on the device, with the only limitation being the amount of available storage. The whole USA map takes up more than 4,700 MB, for instance. That is a lot, but the ability to know where you are and how to get to the destination, without having to connect to the Internet, will more than make up for it, based on my experience with the software. Offline maps are also touted to be faster than their online counterparts. Also, if there is an update, you can get it on your device as soon as it is offered.

Speaking of destinations, you can get turn-by-turn directions, when using navigation, in nearly 100 countries, using your choice of roads (paved, unpaved, free, with tolls, and so on) and navigator (man or woman, with voices available in a generous number of languages). You can also easily search for points of interest, which will help you get right where you want to go.

While relying on HERE, all my trips have been mostly uneventful. That's probably the best thing about the software. Unlike Google Maps, it works anywhere, even on top of a mountain without cellular coverage, and it has all the right features to ensure that you find your destination and get there in time. The only downside that I have noticed is that it may not be updated to take into account all the most-recent roadworks.

HERE is available to download from Samsung Galaxy Apps. It works on Galaxy smartphones with at least 1 GB of RAM and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and newer.

The Star Wars approach to business agility

Publié: octobre 8, 2014, 2:56pm CEST par Paul Cooper

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Business agility is the "ability of a business system to rapidly respond to change by adapting its initial stable configuration". So far, so Wikipedia -- and I'm pretty bored already. But what if we can look at the concept from a slightly more interesting angle, and work out some business agility tips you can use? Star Wars, anyone?

There are few examples of non-agile organization greater than the Galactic Empire. It's huge, sprawling and paralyzed by bureaucracy. It loves enormous, costly prestige projects and is controlled top-down by what can only be described as the Universe's worst micro-manager. And in the end, it's defeated by a bunch of what are basically teenagers. Remind you of anyone? Let's take a look at what we can learn about business strategy through the medium of Star Wars. I can at least promise that it's not nothing.

Work in small increments

There's a lot we could learn from the Empire's failed attempt at building a planet-destroying laser space station, known as the Death Star. There are few projects that suffer from slowpoke business strategies more than infrastructure projects, and this is possibly the biggest infrastructure project ever imagined. If you're building a space station the size of a small moon, you have a lot of teams butting heads, I can tell you.

That's why the agile process could have come in handy, if Emperor Palpatine had got his head around the startup mentality. The agile process is completely different from the traditional or waterfall process for developing projects or software, not just slightly different.

Working in smaller increments is a big part of the agile process, and it can take some time to adjust to, especially if you've been doing traditional business analysis for some time.

For instance, don't peg all your success on completing your moon-sized battle station without putting some smaller, more achievable goals in place along the way. Why not set out some realistic time-based goals and have several teams working towards those over allotted periods? After all, some more agile organization might just come and make your enormous costly prestige project somewhat... redundant.

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Hold agile meetings, with no strangling

In many businesses, meetings are a source of serious wheel-spin. They start late, run long, don't achieve much in between and have poor follow-up. The Galactic Empire holds some of the worst meetings we've ever seen. They're full of people failing to listen to each other’s opinions, butting heads and failing to use time effectively. Also, one guy gets strangled using the power of the force. Extremely non-agile.

Make sure to time-box the meeting overall (for example, set a time limit of 45 minutes), individual agenda items and especially presentations. Get people used to the fact that you will guillotine anything which runs over -- be ruthless, but you know -- not force-strangling ruthless.

Frame the purpose of the meeting as a question: for instance, "how do we best ...?" -- don't just waltz into a room and declare that you've disbanded the Galactic Senate.

Deftly-facilitated individual meetings and a well-designed portfolio of recurring meetings are essential. Their absence means every hot-potato issue which comes up has to be handled through ad-hoc meetings, which is what typically tips most organizations into meetings overload in the first place. The key is little and often -- but most importantly, regular.

Ask the tough questions early

Sometimes it's not easy to ask the tough questions. For instance:

How much experience does your team have?
Have you ever built a project of this kind before?
Do you foresee any problems with employing two analysts and over thirty developers?
Does your project contain a small exhaust vent that could allow a well-placed missile to turn it into a supernova of plasma and twisted metal?

You want to get all the skeletons out of the closet and into the open as early as possible in any project, before it's too late. What's the single most important thing this project needs to do? Anything keeping you up at night? Everyone clear on what success looks like?

Check out the Agile Inception Deck for ten questions you'd be crazy not to ask before beginning an agile project. Something the Emperor would have done well to consider.

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Let teams work independently

The Galactic Empire isn't known for giving its employees a lot of leeway. Maybe if there'd been more freedom to operate effectively and ask the right questions, they could be happily demolishing unruly planets left, right and center. But no: the Emperor and his lackey Darth Vader go around ordering people to do this, commanding them to do that, strangling them and worse when they don't obey. This isn't how you should run your agile business.

Teams work best when they can take initiative, solve their own problems, and think for themselves. They can't and won't do that if they are highly dependent on you.

It might seem intuitive, but as a team leader, the best thing you can hope for is that you make yourself obsolete.

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Switch off your targeting computer

Everyone remembers the scene where Luke Skywalker is flying down the Death Star trench, and the voice of the deceased Obi-Wan Kenobi tells him to switch off his targeting computer. He has to learn to trust his instincts, and the force and whatever. Agile business processes can be a bit like that.

Start with the minimum of requirements, and anticipate changes. Iterate your project over and over, and automate as much as possible. This is about responding to change rather than slavishly following a plan. It's about recognizing the limits of planning in a turbulent environment. So you might have set yourself targets to guide you to where you want to be, but somewhere along the line you might have to switch off your targeting computer. All we can say is that when that moment comes, we hope the force is with you.

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How to enable the notifications center in Windows 10 Technical Preview

Publié: octobre 8, 2014, 2:06pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

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When Microsoft took the lid off Windows 10 in late-September, the software giant showcased some of the new features that its new tiled operating system offers in the Technical Preview build. Chief among them was the revival of the Start menu, but virtual desktops, a beefed-up Command Prompt, and Task View were also demoed during the presentation. However, even though it has been an oft-requested addition, there was no mention of a notifications center being baked-into Windows 10.

That was a major disappointment in my book, as a notifications center is a must-have feature for any modern operating system, let alone one that is supposed to run on desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones (perhaps, even wearables). But, rest assured, Windows 10 does come with a notifications center. Microsoft may not yet want us to see it, but it can be enabled. And here is how.

A Twitter user who goes by the name Adrian has created a hack for Windows 10 Technical Preview which exposes the notifications center in the early preview build, working on both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the tiled OS. Here is how you can leverage it.

First and foremost, you have to download the zip file linked above, in order to extract the necessary files. The extraction will create a folder called "notificationcenter". Depending on your Windows 10 Technical Preview version, you then have to copy the "notificationact.dll" file from either the "x64" or "x86" folder, found in "notificationcenter", to a folder called "stuff" on the root of the "C" drive.

Then, to trigger the notifications center, simply open "notification.exe", from the "x64" or "x86" folder which matches your Windows 10 Technical Preview version. Doing so, on my Oracle VirtualBox virtual machine, a window called "Notifications" pops up in the lower-left corner of the screen.

As you can see in the screenshot that is posted at the top of the article, the notifications center is virtually unusable right now. There is no settings menu and no button which reveals/hides it, even though notifications do show up, which means that you will have to trigger the aforementioned executable every time you wish to see it in action. Also, trying to clear notifications results in a crash of the notifications center.

There is much to be done to make the notifications center usable in Windows 10, judging by what its Technical Preview installment offers right now, but Microsoft should be commended for finally giving us a feature that has been missing for ages. This should certainly make notifications impossible to miss in Windows 10, which is something that I have been waiting for since Windows 8 came along.

Big data helps with detection of cyber attacks

Publié: octobre 8, 2014, 1:20pm CEST par Ian Barker

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The main problem that organizations face when combating cyber attacks is that they don't know what to look for and find it difficult to interpret all the data they get from their networks.

Big data analytics company Exabeam has a new product that can cut through the forest of data to make it easier to detect attacks and insider threats in real time using existing security information and event management (SIEM) details.

What Exabeam does is to add a layer of user behavior intelligence on top of existing SIEM and log management data to give IT security teams a complete view of the attack chain. This helps to spotlight valid attack indicators which currently risk getting lost in a sea of security noise.

According to research from Verizon 76 percent of network intrusions in 2013 used authorized credentials to impersonate legitimate users. This is something existing SIEM technologies struggle to detect, Exabeam provides access to real-time data which makes it easier to spot suspicious behavior.

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"For too long, security teams couldn’t get ahead of hackers because they didn't know what to look for, had too many security alerts to process and didn’t get the complete picture of what was happening in their network," says Nir Polak, Exabeam's CEO and co-founder. "Exabeam fundamentally changes the way that cyberattacks are managed by addressing these challenges in an automated way and giving security teams the intelligence they need in real time. The future of cyberattack management starts with Exabeam, and the future is now".

Capabilities of the Exabeam platform include extraction and enrichment of existing log feeds, such as Windows, Unix, VPN and security events. It also allows tracking of all user activities regardless of the IP, devices and accounts used.

It uses machine learning to carry out behavioral analysis to automatically and continuously learn user and peer group behavior. By applying risk scoring it can assess the importance of a threat taking into account user access, assets exposed and threat intelligence.

You can find out more and request a demo of the product on the Exabeam website.

Photo credit: Tashatuvango/Shutterstock

Lack of modern technology on the menu means UK restaurants are letting diners down

Publié: octobre 8, 2014, 12:36pm CEST par Aatif Sulleyman

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While new technologies have transformed a number of sectors, including healthcare, sport and finance, it seems that at least one industry is lagging behind. A new report commissioned by Berland and released by Velocity has revealed that UK restaurants are missing out on a collective £5.6 billion per year in revenue, due to their relative ignorance of modern tech.

According to the results, UK diners typically have to wait 11 minutes to pay in restaurants. This adds up to a staggering month of thumb-twiddling over the course of a lifetime, says Velocity. 76 percent of diners also said that inefficient service is a huge downside of eating out, and can have a more negative effect on the overall experience than receiving the wrong food order (48 percent).

What's more, 59 percent of participants involved in the survey said that quick service is more important than variety of food (49 percent) and ambiance (23 percent).

From a business perspective, 50 percent of respondents said that they would eat out at least once more each week if they could pay for food through mobile restaurant apps, and 64 percent said that they would use restaurant loyalty schemes if they came bundled into an app. Just 20 percent currently make use of such promotions.

"New technology is increasingly empowering consumers to take control, enhancing our experiences with immediate gratification. We are already seeing this in the transport, hotel and home entertainment sectors... but these advances aren't happening in a meaningful way in the UK dining sector yet," said Alex Macdonald, Velocity's co-founder.

"These technological advances have the potential to transform the dining sector resulting in quicker bill payment, personalized service and increased customer loyalty and sales, a rare win-win for both consumers and restaurants".

We recently caught up with Bradley Duke, the UK MD of Zapper, a company that allows consumers to quickly pay for restaurant bills using QR codes.

"The key to restaurants actually saving money through technology is making operations run more efficiently," said Duke. "Empowering a customer to pay on their own terms with a smartphone means that not only are they getting a great experience but waiters are freed up to handle more covers in one evening and provide better service -- rather than standing around with a card reader.

"The reason restaurants are slow to embrace modern technology is often the high barriers to entry. If you need to set up a whole new POS and there's little benefit then you're simply not going to. Besides just saving money, technology well-used can actually build revenues by driving footfall and promoting loyalty".

Having seen the app in action at a branch of the Burger and Lobster restaurant chain in London, it's a wonder such software isn't already in widespread use.

Image credit: BGR

Professionals believe their Java apps are secure despite relying on third-party code

Publié: octobre 8, 2014, 11:50am CEST par Ian Barker

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Almost two-thirds of senior IT professionals say that their enterprise Java applications contain 50 percent or more third-party code.

These are findings from application security company Waratek based on a survey of attendees at last week's JavaOne conference. However, despite recent high profile vulnerabilities in third-party code, like Shellshock and Heartbleed, nearly 80 percent of respondents still believe their java apps are secure.

"It's a well-known fact that custom developed Java applications are largely constructed with third party software libraries that provide no assurances of security or timely vulnerability mitigation," says Brian Maccaba, CEO of Waratek. "What we found surprising was the high degree of confidence that software developers have in the security of Java applications that use open source components, especially given the widespread threats posed by the recent 'Shellshock' and 'Heartbleed' software flaws".

Further results from the survey show that of those polled 33 percent believe their Java applications are very secure, 46 percent somewhat secure and 13 percent not very secure. When asked about the proportion of third-party or open source code used in their applications, 27 percent say it makes up more than two-thirds of applications, 30 percent say it's more than half and 16 percent more than a quarter with only 19 percent saying less than that.

When asked about the most important considerations when moving Java applications to the public cloud, 71 percent cited security, 54 percent stability and up time, and 28 percent portability and migration. Almost half (46 percent) of respondents said the ability to run Java applications in a secure container would accelerate their plans to move to the public cloud.

You can find out more about Waratek's Application Security for Java platform on the company’s website.

Image Credit: isak55 / Shutterstock

iPhone 6 users encounter a painful new problem -- hairgate

Publié: octobre 8, 2014, 9:16am CEST par Darren Allan

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Apple has had more than its fair share of problems with the new iPhones (and its fresh operating system, iOS 8) but it seems that one "gate" type scandal isn't enough for Cupertino this time around.

Following "bendgate" -- the allegation that the iPhone 6 can be bent too easily by, for example, sitting down for long periods while it's in a tight pocket -- we now have "hairgate".

Apple's new iPhone 6 isn't causing folks to pull their hair out with frustration, it is just simply and literally pulling people's hair out -- or that's the allegation. Apparently, the thin seam between the display glass and aluminum body is snagging on long hairs (and beard hairs, too) when people are making phone calls, and being yanked out when the handset is moved away from the caller's face.

Twitter is predictably alive with #hairgate chatter, and of course the obligatory jokes ("the new iPhone 6 not only has NFC, but it doubles as a shaver").

Edgar Alvarez tweeted: "#HairGate is very real. Have experienced it a few times myself with the iPhone 6. Didn't know that was a thing until today".

And Steven ‏(@Airwaysfoodie) observed: "The iPhone 6 turns out to be a great anti hipster weapon. Bends in tight hipster jeans AND pulls out ugly hipster beards! Love it!"

Others doubt whether this is a real issue, while slipping a gag in at the same time, of course. Jen Dudley-Nicholson noted: "Two weeks in and I have yet to experience iPhone 6 #Hairgate. Perhaps it's a bald-faced lie?"

Have you experienced hair loss at the hands of your new Apple smartphone? We're just waiting for Samsung to get going on a new trolling Galaxy phone advert now...

Photo credit: Alan Poulson Photography / Shutterstock

Twitter walks the walk -- sues the United States Government

Publié: octobre 8, 2014, 4:35am CEST par Brian Fagioli

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I am a very patriotic American; my love for my country is unending and unwavering. However, nothing is perfect and no entity is without mistake, including the United States Government. Sure, there are times when being transparent is not possible, such as telegraphing military movements -- soldiers should never be put at risk. With that said, American citizens arguably deserve full transparency on other things, such as government requests that can impact their privacy.

Twitter is trying to be as open and transparent as possible; however, the US government is blocking that desire. Previously, the company talked the talk, saying "we are weighing our legal options to provide more transparency to our users". Today, the social network walks the walk and sues the government, fighting for the right to be open with its users -- free from government intervention.

"It's our belief that we are entitled under the First Amendment to respond to our users' concerns and to the statements of U.S. government officials by providing information about the scope of U.S. government surveillance -- including what types of legal process have not been received. We should be free to do this in a meaningful way, rather than in broad, inexact ranges", says Twitter.

The social network further explains, "today, we have filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to publish our full Transparency Report, and asking the court to declare these restrictions on our ability to speak about government surveillance as unconstitutional under the First Amendment. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is already considering the constitutionality of the non-disclosure provisions of the NSL law later this week".

This turn of events both breaks my heart and makes me proud. Of course, I wish the government was not fighting Twitter on being open, but I am glad to live in a country where a company has the right to fight. Again, no government is perfect, but at least America allows its citizens to strive for perfection.

Is Twitter right to sue the USA government? Tell me in the comments.

Photo credit: Nejron Photo / Shutterstock

Microsoft wants you to go on a movie date with Bing

Publié: octobre 8, 2014, 2:17am CEST par Brian Fagioli

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Going to the movies is one of my favorite things; however, the crowd can make or break an experience. A film is art and deserves respect, regardless of the nature of the content. Whether I am seeing a slapstick comedy, cartoon or serious drama, I demand silence and for children to be kept under control. Sure, I am sounding a bit cranky, but the reality is, movies are very expensive and I am not interested in overhearing phone calls and having kids run up and down the aisles.

Seeing a film aside, finding one to see can be quite the ordeal too, especially when out with a group of friends. No one can ever decide on a theater, film or showtime, so the end result if everyone on their smartphones arguing as they look for movie times. Today, Microsoft announces a new way to find movie times using Bing. While it may not settle an argument over what movie to see, it should at least help the situation.

"Finding show times and theater for a movie you want to see is easy on Bing. Simply type in the movie and voila, we will display the information right in the search results. But what about those times when you don’t know which movie you want to see? Or those times when you have no idea which movies are even out?", says the Bing Team.

The team further explains, "today were making that part much easier with a carousel experience that will dynamically display all of the movies playing in your area. If one looks interesting, simply click on the thumbnail and Bing will refresh the results while maintaining the carousel at the top of the screen. You can use the arrows to browse all the movies in your area".

I decided to test the new feature and did a Bing search for "movie times". Sure enough, the carousel view worked as promised:

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If you are away from home and using a smartphone, simply visit m.bing.com to quickly access the search engine. Besides "movie times", you can also search for "show times" and "showtimes" to get the results. As great as this is, it is more impressive to see how fast and furious Microsoft is lately at adding features to Bing. If you haven't tried the search engine in a while, you might want to give it ago; you may be pleasantly surprised.

Photo credit: CREATISTA / Shutterstock

Microsoft signs pledge to protect student privacy

Publié: octobre 7, 2014, 8:19pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Microsoft signs pledge to protect student privacy

There are few companies who fail to find themselves under the privacy microscope at some point, but Microsoft is one that is the center of attention more than many. Whilst taking steps to allay fear about a keylogger in Windows 10, the company has signed the Student Privacy Pledge, joining big names from the world of education such as Follett, Learnmetrics, and Knovation. The pledge means that Microsoft will use personal information about students to help better tailor learning packages, but it won't be used for advertising, or sold to third parties.

Anthony Salcito, Microsoft's Vice President for Worldwide Education, announced the move at the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) and the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) launched the pledge to help protect students.

Salcito explains:

Student data should be used to improve education and help kids learn, not for other commercial purposes, like targeting kids with advertising. We’re proud to be among the companies announcing today a clear and public commitment to protect the privacy and security of information about school children.

The use of technology in the classroom is something that has been broadly welcomed, as has input and financial support from the likes of Microsoft. But privacy concerns always go hand in hand with any use of technology, particularly when children are involved. Even something as simple as using email to communicate information to or about students is something that is fraught with privacy concerns.

The pledge means that those who sign up to it will:

Not sell student information

Not behaviorally target advertising

Use data for authorized education purposes only

Not change privacy policies without notice and choice

Enforce strict limits on data retention

Support parental access to, and correction of errors in, their children’s information

Provide comprehensive security standards

Be transparent about collection and use of data

It already has the backing of not only big-name companies, but also politicians and schools around the US. Mark Schneiderman, senior director of education policy at SIIA, said: "We introduce this Pledge as a clear industry commitment to safeguard the privacy and security of all student personal information. Current law provides extensive restrictions on the use of student information, and this industry pledge will build on and detail that protection to promote even greater confidence in the appropriate use of student data".

Photo credit: racorn / Shutterstock

Auslogics Registry Cleaner 4 rolls out new search filter, promises improved scan algorithms

Publié: octobre 7, 2014, 7:02pm CEST par Nick Peers

Auslogics Registry Cleaner

Australian developer Auslogics had rolled out a number of minor -- but interesting -- updates to its system tools collection. Chief among these is a major new version of its Registry cleaning tool with the release of Auslogics Registry Cleaner 4.0, which gains a new search feature for custom removal of Registry entries.

Users can now click the Search button, type a keyword and wait for the program to search the Registry for keys matching the keywords, These can then be reviewed and selectively deleted.

Like the main scan function, backups are taken by default, while users can also search the web for more information on specific keys by selecting them and clicking the Google it button.

Version 4.0 also promises an improved Registry scanner thanks to better algorithms for searching the main scan categories.

The update also tweaks the user interface, improves Windows 8.1 compatibility, fixes all known bugs and makes enhancements to the Registry scan and repair results page, which is displayed in the user’s browser.

Other Auslogics apps get minor updates too: Auslogics Duplicate File Finder 4.0.2.0 gains a few improvements to its internal libraries and program stability. This builds on the recent 4.0 release that added a duplicate preview feature and a more advanced search tool for precise searches.

The same minor improvements can be found in Auslogics BoostSpeed 7.3.2.0, which again follows a recent major update (7.3) that added in the functionality found in the latest version of Auslogics Duplicate File Finder.

Auslogics Registry Cleaner 4.0 and companion Auslogics Registry Defrag 7.5.4.0 are both available as freeware downloads for PCs running Windows XP SP3 or later, as is Auslogics Duplicate File Finder 4.0.2.0. Finally, Auslogics BoostSpeed 7.3.2.0 is available as a free trial download, and can be purchased for just $19.95, a saving of 60 percent on the MSRP.

Do you do a dirty job? Take Samsung's Galaxy Tab Active into the trenches

Publié: octobre 7, 2014, 6:58pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

Front-C-Pen-with-case_3

While many people into technology spend their days languishing on the couch or vegetating in an office chair, others live active lifestyles. In fact, many people would identify themselves as being "extreme" by doing activities such as skydiving, rock climbing and parkour. However, people also work extreme jobs, like working in the sewers, construction or law enforcement.

If you are somebody doing an extreme or hardcore job, the average tablet won't cut it for you. Extreme people need extreme technology and today, Samsung announces the availability of its hardcore Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 8 inch tablet. It is a slate designed for people that work dirty jobs and need it to take a beating. However, it may meet the needs of people that have extreme hobbies too.

"The Galaxy Tab Active is a ruggedized tablet that is built enterprise-ready, productivity-ready and solutions-ready to meet the everyday demands and security needs of business users. It is especially effective for use in rough workplaces that involve proximate outdoor use thanks to a bundled protective case, water/dust resistance, an 8 inch daylight-readable LCD screen and long battery life with a user-replaceable battery", says Samsung.

The manufacturer explains that it "engaged in a series of advisory group workshops with Fortune 500 companies in order to learn what business leaders wanted from a mobile device. Companies spanning across 12 different industries were represented including retail, logistics and transportation businesses. Samsung combined the results from the workshops with its own market insight for the creation of the Galaxy Tab Active".

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Samsung touts the following features:

Anti-shock protection, including increased durability for drops of up to 1.2m/4ft when bundled with protective case and elastic material cover for the 8-inch display.
IP67 certified to tolerate temporary submersion underwater and prevent entry of dust or debris.
Citrix Ready and SAP-certified for SAP's Work Manager and CRM Service Manager applications. Additional ISV certification announcements are planned in the near future.
A removable battery, ensuring business continuity with up to 10 hours of extra continuous operation and easy replacement.
A convenient POGO charging connector, providing a durable charging solution for multiple devices and preventing micro-USB connector damage.
An integrated C-Pen technology system for handwriting and note-taking that offers an alternative input device for professionals who may have to wear protective gloves.
NFC-enabled to allow for easy data exchange with other devices.
Defense-grade, comprehensive mobile security through Samsung Knox keeping applications and data safe.

If you do a dirty job, this is clearly a great choice for a tablet. At $699 it is very expensive; however, you get what you pay for. A less expensive non-rugged tablet could get ruined quickly; lost data and broken hardware is not a way to save money.

What type of dirty job do you do? Tell me in the comments.

Untwist your panties -- Windows 10's 'keylogger' is nothing to worry about

Publié: octobre 7, 2014, 6:18pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Untwist your panties -- Windows 10's 'keylogger' is nothing to worry about

As we all know, Windows 10 Technical Preview is out there and ready for anyone with the time and inclination to try out. Much has been made of the return of the Start menu as well as the new features such as virtual desktops, but over the last couple of days the rumor grapevine has been working overtime.

The big news is that Windows 10 includes a keylogger so that Microsoft can spy on your every action, tracking your every keystroke as you enter usernames, passwords, and bank details. Well, that's not strictly true... despite what some sites would have you believe. So, what then? Windows 10 doesn't include a keylogger? It's not quite that simple.

Check out the Privacy Statements for Windows Technical Preview and you'll see that Microsoft is very upfront about what is going on. Just read the two opening sentences: "Thank you for choosing to participate in the pre-release program for our next version of Windows! The purpose of the program is to enable you to provide usage data and feedback to Microsoft while trying out Microsoft’s pre-release software and services".

So right from the start it is made clear that by using the Technical Preview you'll be providing Microsoft with usage data. But just what does this mean? Handily enough, the privacy statements page breaks it down for us:

install the Program, we may collect information about your device and applications and use it for purposes such as determining or improving compatibility,

use voice input features like speech-to-text, we may collect voice information and use it for purposes such as improving speech processing,

open a file, we may collect information about the file, the application used to open the file, and how long it takes any use it for purposes such as improving performance, or

enter text, we may collect typed characters and use them for purposes such as improving autocomplete and spellcheck features.

Hold on a minute! What's that last one? "We may collect typed characters"? This is the clause that has upset a lot of people who interpret this as an admission that there is a keylogger built in to Windows 10. We're getting into semantics here, but Windows 10 does not include a keylogger -- at least not in the traditional sense of the word. Microsoft is very open about the fact that data will be collected. It’s very much the point of the preview, after all. Despite my 'meh' reaction to Windows 10 Technical Preview, it's important to remember a few things.

To start with, this is not even a beta release. The preview exists so that Microsoft can not only showcase what's coming up, but also so real-world usage scenarios can be tested. To do this, Microsoft needs data -- lots of data. You might think it unreasonable that Microsoft should collect data entered via the keyboard, but in taking part in the preview program, this is what you have signed up for. Even before downloading the Technical Preview, Microsoft suggests that you "see our privacy statement to learn how we will collect data about your installation and use of the preview to help us improve our products and services".

It's made clear that this is a preview that's suitable if "you're a PC expert or an IT pro" -- it is not something for everyone. Microsoft also points out that you should only be using the TP (oh yes) if you "aren't installing it on your everyday computer". If you fall into these camps, you really should be aware of what a keylogger is, and how you should approach and use pre-release software like this.

How many keyloggers include a description of how collected data will be used? "Microsoft uses data we collect from the Program to operate, improve and personalize the Program and other Microsoft products and services. Some data is stored on your device and some data is transmitted to Microsoft. Microsoft shares some data with our partners to improve how their products and services work with Microsoft’s products and services. We use your contact information to communicate with you, for example, to inform you about the Program, updates, and related products and services. We use information about your preferences to configure Program features. For example, we use information we learn about your interests to help make the ads we show you more relevant, and we use your voice data to improve speech recognition".

The suggestion implicit in referring to a keylogger in Windows 10 is that Microsoft is being underhand. It absolutely is not. Data collection is made explicitly clear right from the beginning. If you've approached the Technical Preview correctly you would be well aware of the logging -- the recent headlines will not have been news. Complaints come from people who do not read small print -- although here it is not "small print", what is going on is made abundantly clear from the very start.

We contacted Microsoft for further clarification about how data is collected and a spokesperson said:

With Windows 10, we’re kicking off the largest ever open collaborative development effort that will change the way we build and deliver Windows. Users who join the Windows Insider Program and opt-in to the Windows 10 Technical Preview are choosing to provide data and feedback that will help shape the best Windows experience for our customers. As always, we remain committed to helping protect our customers’ personal information and ensuring safeguards are in place for the collection and storing of that data. As we get closer to a final product, we will continue to share information through our terms of service and privacy statement about how customer data is collected and used, as well as what choices and controls are available.

Remember, this is Microsoft. It's one of the biggest companies in the world, with millions of pairs of eyes watching its every move -- many of them connected to people ready to pounce the moment a foot is placed out of line. There is nothing untoward going on here. Data collection is to be expected, it is necessary. Microsoft is under far too much scrutiny for even consider misusing collected data in any way, despite what some people have suggested.

I'm all for laying into Microsoft -- but only when it's justified. Cut the company some slack. Move on... there's nothing to see here.

Photo credit: Sergey Nivens / Shutterstock

How US organizations are losing the cyber war

Publié: octobre 7, 2014, 5:32pm CEST par Ian Barker

Cloud missiles

Cyber crime, hacking and data breaches have seldom been out of the news in 2014, but just how well are organizations coping with it?

Not very well, according to a new infographic released by security solutions company CSO that's based on the results of a survey of over 500 private and public sector executives and security experts.

Among the findings are that 77 percent of organizations have reported a security breach in the past year, with an average of 135 incidents per organization. Yet only 38 percent have a system to prioritize security spending based on risk and business impact.

Of those that detected an incident, 69 percent said they weren’t able to estimate the cost. Those that did, put the average annual loss to cyber incidents at $415,000. However, 19 percent of US companies put losses at between $50,000 and $1 million.

Among the major concerns are that most organizations don't take a strategic approach to security, supply chain risks that aren’t adequately assessed or understood, and inadequate mobile device security.

The report finds that effectively fighting cyber crime requires collaboration in order to share experience and knowledge of threats. It also needs strategic spending, particularly on security training for employees.

You can view more detail in the complete infographic below.

Cyberwar_640

Image Credit: Oleksiy Mark / Shutterstock

Kaspersky and INTERPOL issue global alert: ATMs spitting out millions without cards

Publié: octobre 7, 2014, 5:22pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

ATM

ATMs (automated teller machines) are everywhere and we all use them regularly. That has always made them a target for bad guys -- a card reader can steal all sorts of information. But in the wake of things like the Target and Home Depot breaches things have risen to a new level. So high, in fact, that security company Kaspersky and law enforcement organization INTERPOL have issued a warning.

It seems that ATMs are pouring out money to criminals who are not even using any sort of credit or debit card. While this isn't a problem for any particular individual, it is a major one for the banks, which makes it everyone's worry.

This is apparently a global problem, which explains the involvement by INTERPOL. It all stems from a recent investigation conducted by Kaspersky.

"Kaspersky Lab’s experts performed a forensic investigation into cyber-criminal attacks targeting multiple ATMs around the world. During the course of this investigation, the company’s researchers discovered a piece of malware infecting ATMs that allowed attackers to empty the cash machines via direct manipulation, stealing millions of dollars", the security company states.

The malware results from the bad guys being able to physically access the machines and insert a CD that contains the malware, which is dubbed Tyupkin. The ATM is then rebooted and under the control of the attacker.

"To make the scam harder to spot, Tyupkin malware only accepts commands at specific times on Sunday and Monday nights. During those hours the attackers are able to steal money from the infected machine", Kaspersky points out.

With the machine under control, the criminal can enter a unique digital code which can be used the make the withdrawal, and the code changes with each session. The code comes via a mobile phone from the person in control of the malware and is capable of generating the PIN. In other words, this is being done by gangs, not individual attackers.

The scam has been caught on video, as many ATMs have cameras. Kaspersky has turned this over to law enforcement and also alerted banks of the steps needed to prevent this type of attack.

Image Credit: Tomislav Pinter / Shutterstock

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If Samsung stumbles, will Android fall down?

Publié: octobre 7, 2014, 5:09pm CEST par Joe Wilcox

tipping fall down

The world's largest smartphone manufacturer is troubled. Overnight, Samsung warned that its third-quarter operating profit could fall as much as 61.8 percent because of weakness in its largest division, mobile, from which phones account for about 60 percent of company profits. Smartphone shipments are up slightly, but the money they generate is down substantially.

For Google, the news is a mixed blessing. In April 2012, I warned that "Google has lost control of Android" -- Samsung's dominance with customized versions of the mobile operating system being major reason. Big G effectively responded by separating core apps and services from Android, spreading them out across versions, and better unifying the user experience. Still, Samsung's TouchWiz UI is the main way tens of millions of people experience Android every day. The South Korean company's problems could eventually be good for Google, but will they benefit Android or pull it down?

I rarely quote from press releases, but Samsung's statement is too chilling to ignore:

3Q earnings is expected to decrease substantially quarter-on-quarter as a result of declines in the mobile business due to intensified smartphone competition...Smartphone shipments increased marginally amid intense competition. However, the operating margin declined due to marketing expenses related to aggressive promotions and lowered ASP (average selling price) driven by reduced proportional shipments of high-end models coupled with price decreases for older smartphone models.

Third quarter global phone sales or shipment data isn't yet available from major analysts, but Samsung's retreat is obvious from past stats. For example, during Q2, Samsung smartphone shipments fell 7 points to 24.9 percent year over year, according to IDC. Apple ranked second with 11.7 percent share. Samsung shipments topped 74 million smartphones -- or more than twice Apple (35.1 million).

The Chinese Connection

Meanwhile, the "Other" category, which includes some Chinese name and white-box manufacturers, rose by about the same number -- 40.7 percent to 46.7 percent -- while Huawei and Lenovo both gained share. I single out smartphones, which is fastest-growing and now largest handset segment. In home market China, Xiaomi smartphone share surged ahead of Samsung -- 14 percent to 12 percent, according to Canalys.

"As the death of the feature phone approaches more rapidly than before, it is the Chinese vendors that are ready to usher emerging market consumers into smartphones", Melissa Chau, IDC senior research manager, said in July. "The offer of smartphones at a much better value than the top global players but with a stronger build quality and larger scale than local competitors gives these vendors a precarious competitive advantage".

Despite Q2 signs of Samsung's misfortunes, Android smartphone share rose to 84.7 percent from 79.6 percent year over year, according to IDC, again based on shipments. So what's bad for the South Korean manufacturer isn't necessarily bad for Android, right? That's the question public company earnings announcements will answer during the next couple of weeks.

Apple's New Crop

More broadly, the question everyone should ask: How resurgent is Apple, and what does the answer mean for the broader smartphone market? During the first weekend of sales, new iPhone models topped 10 million -- in three days 55 percent of Samsung Galaxy S5 in three months (18 million, second quarter, IDC). Apple's margins are higher, and the company refuses to lower prices even to compete in emerging markets. Apple is, so far, impervious to price wars that damage Samsung profits.

Based on early, unqualified analyst estimates, Apple sold in the last two weeks of Q3 more iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models than Samsung did the Galaxy S5 in all second quarter. Rumors resounded for months ahead of Apple's September 9 product launch (store sales started 10 days later). Samsung's warning could mean more than emerging market competition, but sales slowdown of its flagship because of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus rumors and also anticipation of Galaxy Note 4.

Did rumors stall smartphone sales for other vendors? Samsung is unique for delivering pre-guidance weeks ahead of official earnings. But as the largest smartphone manufacturer, Samsung is the canary in the coal mine. The profit decline signals something.

Loser's Dilemma

I strongly suspect Apple will sharply surprise critics and pundits when announcing earnings on October 20 and as analysts tabulate third-quarter device data. Resurgent Apple is bad for Android.

Mindshare is as important as market share for platforms around which third parties build other stuff. Profits trickle down, or they appear to -- and either matters to developers and add-on manufacturers. Then there are all the obvious disadvantages associated with real or even perceived weakness. Samsung signals weakened position, and who really wants to associate with a loser?

If Samsung can't sustain smartphone profits, it can't invest as much in marketing and future product development, which is bad for Android -- at least in the short term. Measured by market share, the second- and third-ranked Android manufacturers are, combined, about even with Apple. So Samsung's decline, by any measure, can't be good for Android.

I rarely violate Betteridge's Law of Headlines, by asking yes or no question. But I see no answer today, just speculation, until the numbers are in and we see where sales went and who profited most.

Photo Credit: nasirkhan/Shutterstock

New dedicated tool makes for easier Spark monitoring

Publié: octobre 7, 2014, 4:17pm CEST par Ian Barker

The Apache Spark framework is a popular add on to Hadoop for handling big data, particularly for building machine learning algorithms.

Until now though it's been hard to effectively monitor Spark performance. That's about to change as Brooklyn-based performance management company Sematext is launching its SPM for Spark.

The tool monitors key metrics for all Spark components -- master, workers, driver, and executor. It also includes alerting, anomaly detection, custom dashboards, log correlation and event graphing. SPM for Spark can be installed on premises or used from the cloud.

"Spark usage has been going through the roof," says Otis Gospodnetic, Sematext’s founder and CEO. "And engineers and DevOps folks handling Spark have not had a good monitoring tool at their disposal. By releasing the first Spark monitoring product to market with SPM, we have just filled a big hole in the Spark ecosystem".

SPM works seamlessly with centralized logging, log management and analytics solution Logsene, to provide a single pane of glass for performance monitoring, centralized log management, alerts, anomalies, custom events, and custom key performance indicators.

John Tripier, Alliance and Ecosystems lead at Databricks says, "One of the critical factors in the success of Spark has been the large developer community contributing to it, and the growing number of applications using Spark. We're very excited to have Sematext join this community and contribute their expertise with a comprehensive monitoring solution like SPM".

You can find out more about SPM for Spark's features with a downloadable datasheet or sign up for a free trial on the Sematext website.

Image Credit: alphaspirit / Shutterstock

New partnership makes it easier for merchants to accept bitcoin payments

Publié: octobre 7, 2014, 3:06pm CEST par Ian Barker

Bitcoin mobile

Whilst virtual currency bitcoin has soared in popularity in recent times it still isn't an option when it comes to buying goods and services from many mainstream merchants.

That could be about to change thanks to a new partnership between SaaS mobile marketing and customer service provider Acromobile and ecommerce platform Bitnet.

Acromobile Payments will integrate the Bitnet platform to make bitcoin acceptance available to any merchant in a fully integrated order-to-bitcoin-to-cash solution with easy integration into existing CRM and ERP systems.

"Bitcoin is tailor-made for the Internet," says Alain Gendre, VP of Alliances at Bitnet. "No fraud, no risk, no borders, and lower fees than the most common current payment methods. And bitcoin acceptance is only going to grow; we’re seeing merchants who are early adopters of bitcoin reporting that they’ve increased sales and added a new base of customers. We're excited to partner with Acromobile in providing merchants with the ability to accept bitcoin payments".

Black Friday in 2013 saw total bitcoin transaction volume exceed $487 million, making it the fifth largest payment network on the day behind only Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and China UnionPay, and ahead of Discover and PayPal. It's clear therefore that accepting bitcoin payments has benefits for retailers.

"With companies like Dell and eBay already accepting Bitcoin, the demand from B2B and B2C merchants is really accelerating," says Jason Masciarelli, founder of Acromobile. "With Bitnet we are able to deliver an integrated CRM and commerce platform to unlock the bitcoin opportunity for merchants with no risk and have them get paid in their local currency".

Acromobile Payments includes CRM features for easy management of customer profiles, orders, invoices, and transactions to monitor payment status and history. The request payment feature enables merchants to quickly send payment requests to customers. It's mobile-optimized too, allowing customers to pay with bitcoin from any iOS or Android device.

The bitcoin-enabled software is currently available to merchants by invitation and is scheduled to be generally available by the end of next year. To find out more and request an invitation visit the Acromobile website.

Photo Credit: igor.stevanovic/Shutterstock

Right to Be Forgotten hits social networks hardest [Infographic]

Publié: octobre 7, 2014, 3:00pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Right to Be Forgotten hits social networks hardest

The "right to be forgotten" is something that was expected to take Europe by storm. A court ruling gave people the right to get in touch with search engines like Google and Bing to ask that results relating to them be removed -- assuming they are "inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant". One of the services that popped up after the ruling was Forget.me, making it simple to submit removal requests.

Three months down the line, we have access to the first set of figures relating to requests, and they show that social networks are the most affected type of website.

Looking at more than 10,000 removal requests, more than a fifth of the URLs that people have complained about have been on social networks. 21.3 percent of complaints relate to Facebook, Google, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn, but just 8.4 percent of these complaints resulted in a URL being delisted. There were a very small number of complaints about Wikipedia -- just 20 in fact -- and none of them were upheld.

The infographic from Reputation VIP below also shows how press websites and blogs got off very lightly.

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Opera Mini comes to Samsung’s Tizen-based Gear S smartwatch

Publié: octobre 7, 2014, 2:17pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

watchopera While I do sometimes wear a watch, it is not for telling time. No, I strictly wear a timepiece as jewelry -- a gold Michael Kors watch on my left wrist to complement the gold bracelet on my right. It's funny, even when wearing a watch, I reach into my pocket to check my phone for the time.

A smartwatch may be the thing to change this for me, as it allows you to have a computing experience without pulling out a smartphone; however, many of them are fairly limited. Today, Opera brings its Mini browser to Samsung’s Tizen-based Gear S smartwatch, enabling a full web-browsing experience on your wrist.

"Opera Mini includes many touch-friendly features that become extra handy on a smartwatch. For example, the website shortcuts on Opera Mini’s Speed Dial appear as large buttons, enabling Gear S users to reach their favorite sites in a single tap. You can easily navigate the web on your Samsung Gear S. To zoom, double-tap with a finger, or, to get a more precise view, just pinch to zoom. A gentle swipe with your finger will take you forward and back", says Opera.

The company further explains, "the Smart Page feature displays links based on the sites you visit most frequently; a number of suggested links are also displayed by category. You can even add your social-media networks to the Smart Page, for more convenient access to your newsfeeds. You can easily save webpages for offline reading, too, which is perfect for maps that you might need for a hike or run in an area with sketchy internet coverage".

Would you want to do all of your web surfing on a tiny watch screen? Of course not. However, it is very much appreciated, as there will definitely be times when its existence will lend to convenience.

Sometimes you are in a situation where pulling out a phone is not appropriate. With Opera mini on your wrist, you can easily access your favorite websites for football scores or tech news without being easily noticed. Hell, a Samsung Gear S may be in my future!

Root already available for Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Publié: octobre 7, 2014, 1:46pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 N910 Black

Galaxy Note 4 is not yet available in most markets across the globe, as Samsung has opted for a staggered launch. However, despite the limited market availability, a well-known Android modding enthusiast has already achieved root access for the phablet.

Chainfire, the developer behind dedicated modding tools like SuperSU, has announced on his Google+ page that a number of Galaxy Note 4 models, based on Samsung's own Exynos chip as well as Qualcomm's Snapdragon 805 processor, are now supported by CF-Auto-Root. The software has been designed to automatically enable root access on Android devices.

The first Galaxy Note 4 models to be supported by CF-Auto-Root, namely SM-N910C, SM-N910U and SM-N9106W, are meant for Asian markets. The first is the Thailand version (based on Exynos), the second is the Hong Kong version (features the same chip), while the third version is meant for China (it is powered by a Snapdragon 805).

It's great news if you are a user of one of the aforementioned models, as you are able to root your new phablet, by following these instructions. But, what does this mean for prospective Galaxy Note 4 users in other markets?

Well, they will have to wait for Chainfire to get his hands on the files that he needs -- namely, the stock Galaxy Note 4 recoveries for currently-unsupported models -- to add new models to the rooting tool.

If you are on the fence about this kind of modding, take a look at my articles which detail the benefits and downsides to rooting Android; they apply to Galaxy Note 4 as well.

Atongm Bluetooth Virtual Laser Keyboard: Lets you type on any flat surface [Review]

Publié: octobre 7, 2014, 1:29pm CEST par Wayne Williams

atongm

Tablets are fantastic for casual tasks such as checking email, browsing the web, watching movies and playing games, but they’re not so good for doing work on because the virtual keyboard takes up so much of the screen space, and it’s difficult to touch type on.

If you want to boost your productivity, you need to consider buying a keyboard for your device. There are plenty of good ones to choose from, but that adds yet another thing to carry around with you. The Atongm Bluetooth Virtual Laser Keyboard is a tiny solution (36x18x74 mm, approx. 40g) which gives you back your screen space and turns any surface -- such as a table in a coffee shop -- into a keyboard.

Place the device on a flat surface, flick the switch on the back to On and it projects the red outline of the keyboard in front of it -- at a distance of around 10cm away. The keyboard is the same width as an iPad, at 24.1cm wide. When you’re not typing anything the brightness of the outline reduces to save battery life.

Next connect it to your tablet, phone or computer. It’s compatible with Windows (XP and up), Mac OS X, iPhone and iPad, Android 3.1 and up, and Windows Phone 7/8, and connects to devices via either USB (cable supplied) or Bluetooth. When pairing it via Bluetooth, you need to press and hold FN+B on the projected keyboard to make it discoverable.

So what’s it like typing on a table? Well it certainly does take some getting used to, but actually it’s not bad. Even though the laser keyboard claims to detect up to 400 characters per minute, you probably won’t type as many words using it as you would on a regular keyboard, but it accurately identifies all the key presses you make. The mistakes that appeared in documents were mine, not the keyboard’s.

So you can be certain your taps are being registered, the device beeps at you as you type. This is helpful to begin with, but after a while gets on your nerves (or it did in my case anyway). Fortunately you can turn the audio feedback off or on again by pressing FN+P. Pressing FN+left or right adjusts the volume.

There is of course an obvious problem with a laser keyboard like this. If you’re in a dark(ish) room, you can see the keyboard perfectly without problems (it offers contrast up to 1800 lux), but if you’re outside in bright sunlight the projection from the red laser diode is pretty much invisible. Pressing FN+up or down will adjust the brightness to suit your environment.

There is the danger something like this could be viewed as a gimmick, rather than a proper keyboard, but once you get used to it, it’s actually a very good compromise.

The Atongm Bluetooth Virtual Laser Keyboard costs $67.11 (with free shipping) from GearBest.

Microsoft reveals new, cheaper Office 365 subscriptions for SMBs

Publié: octobre 7, 2014, 12:20pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Microsoft reveals new, cheaper Office 365 subscriptions for SMBs

Microsoft is introducing new, cheaper Office 365 subscriptions to businesses in a bid to encourage small businesses into using its office suite. The cost of an Office 365 Personal subscription remains at $6.99 but small to medium-sized businesses -- those with fewer than 300 employees -- are now able to snap up a subscription for just $5 per user per month (which doesn’t match the $1 offer from GoDaddy).

Before you get too excited about this, there is something of a catch. Firstly, there is a commitment to subscribe for a year, and the cheapest package, Office 365 Business Essentials, does not allow for Office's apps -- Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and so on -- to be installed. Opt for the cheap subscription and you're stuck with Office Online.

The subscription still includes 1TB of storage, and 50GB inboxes, but smartphone and tablet versions of the suite are also eschewed at this price. If the idea of signing up for an entire year seems like too much, a monthly, rolling subscription costs $6 per user per month. For businesses willing to pay a little more -- but, again, commit to a year-long subscription -- there is Office 365 Business. For $8.25 you get what most users would expect -- a fully installable version of Office 365 that each user can install on up to five PCs or Macs.

This subscription also provides access to the tablet and smartphone versions of Office, but it does drop a couple of features. Gone are the 50GB inboxes, online meetings, and social networking feature. There is a free trial available, and to drop the annual commitment, the price jumps to $10 per month. Rounding off the new selection of subscriptions is Office 365 Business Premium which costs $12.50 per user per month with an annual commitment, or $15 for businesses who prefer to take things on a month-to-month basis. This most expensive package combines all of the elements of the Business Essentials and Business.

The switch in focus on online-only tools at the cheaper end of the market is an interesting move, perhaps aimed directly at taking on Google Docs. All three new packages recognize the fact that employees work on multiple devices, and Microsoft has taken steps to provide a cross-device Office at an accessible price. Check out the details at the Office 365 for Business page.

Cloud-based management allows parental control of multiple devices

Publié: octobre 7, 2014, 11:03am CEST par Ian Barker

Parental Control

As we saw last week, parental control products are a bit of a mixed bag and are only part of a protection strategy that includes effective education.

If you have several different devices in the family you may also end up using multiple products to protect them. That is unless you use the latest version of Remo Software's MORE which offers cloud-based management across multiple platforms.

MORE lets users manage and control Windows, Mac, Android and iOS systems and promises to add several internet of things devices in the near future. It gives parents more control over children's device use and also provides home users the ability to manage health technologies and other IoT devices used by their family members.

Version 1.25 of MORE allows the software to be installed on every family member's device and a customized level of control to be set for each via an easy-to-use web console. It's possible to block apps like Facebook and Twitter, allow full access to apps or set time limits. With a single click, administrators can perform device maintenance tasks such as cleanups and can also update device settings at any time, either from the web console or via an app on a mobile device.

It can remotely track devices via GPS, take pictures using the built-in camera, sound a panic alarm or remotely wipe data from lost or stolen devices.

"The 1.25 version of Remo MORE provides families and small to midsized businesses with everything they need to control device usage, ensure security and perform cleanup and maintenance tasks," says Omer Faiyaz, Remo Software’s founder and CEO. "Now parents have the tools necessary to protect kids online and set limits on app usage, and this is just the beginning -- by early 2015, Remo MORE will even allow users to manage IoT devices like health technologies, lighting, switches, appliances and more".

You can get more information on the Remo Software website and try out the software on two devices for free.

Photo Credit: wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock

Why I have grown to hate steamgames.com

Publié: octobre 7, 2014, 10:57am CEST par Robert X. Cringely

A son of mine, I’m not saying which one, borrowed from my desk a credit card and -- quick like a bunny -- bought over $200 worth of in-game weapons, tools, etc. for the Steam game platform from steamgames.com, which is owned by Valve Corp. Needless to say, the kid is busted, but the more important point for this column is how easily he, for a time, got away with his crime.

I would have thought that vendors like steamgames.com would not want children to be buying game stuff without the consent of their parents, yet they made it so easy -- too easy.

When I use a credit card to buy something online it seems like they always ask for a billing address or at least a billing zip code, but not at store.steampowered.com. My kid didn’t know the billing address for the credit card because it isn’t our home address and isn’t (or wasn’t, I should say) even in California. It was a business credit card and the business was based in another state.

I asked about this when I checked with the bank to see who had been using my card and they told me all those security functions like asking for the billing zip code and the security number on the back aren’t required by the bank or the credit card issuer at all, but by the merchant, to minimize fraud.

In light of this, it only makes sense that steamgames.com wants kids like mine to buy stuff using whatever means they have available. Maybe their parents won’t notice.

Under US law, since my son is under 18, I can probably call and get the charges reversed. I’ll try that tomorrow. But in a culture where bad guys seem to lurk everywhere trying to steal our identities and worse, it’s pretty disgusting to see a company (Valve Corp.) that doesn’t appear to give a damn.

What do you think?

The Internet of Things will kill someone before 2015

Publié: octobre 7, 2014, 8:37am CEST par Barclay Ballard

Horrified

The world's first death caused by the Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to occur before the end of the year, according to a report by The European Police Office (Europol).

The greatest risk is likely to come from hackers targeting crucial health and safety equipment as more and more devices become susceptible to remote hacking.

As an increasing number of devices become connected, hackers may begin selecting targets based on monetary gain or inflicting personal harm. According to Russia Today, Internet connected medical devices are predicted to be the source of the first IoT murder, with heart implants, insulin pumps and numerous other devices susceptible.

Outside of medical devices, web connected homes and cars could also prove a threat to the user's personal safety if hacked. Europol has claimed that such an attack is becoming inevitable, with reports of IoT vulnerabilities already surfacing.

The Independent claims that as many as 300 monitors used to analyze high-risk pregnancies in the US have been slowed down due to malware. Former US vice-president Dick Cheney also disabled the wireless connectivity of his implanted defibrillator as a result of health concerns.

While a relatively small part of the technology industry, the Internet of Things market is expected to experience massive growth over the next few years. There are currently 10 billion Internet-enabled devices in existence, with smart home appliances such as the Nest thermostat currently among the most popular.

As the number of connected devices grows, the potential for crime also increases. Last week, Europol held a conference investigating the key policies that European police agencies could implement to combat this new form of cybercrime.

Photo Credit: Ipatov/Shutterstock

Logitech protection [+] power case -- protect your Galaxy S5 or iPhone 5s while boosting the battery

Publié: octobre 7, 2014, 3:42am CEST par Brian Fagioli

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Whenever I am going out for a day trip, like walking through Manhattan, the inevitable usually happens -- my smartphone battery dies. This seems to be quite the common problem, as Starbucks and similar places are overrun with people desperate for electricity. Yes, I can carry a USB energy bank for charging, but it is bulky and not ideal. Quite frankly, you may get weird looks with a giant bulge in your front pocket -- it is more of a backpack accessory.

What is really cool, however, is protective cases that doubles as a battery extender. Sure, they can add bulk, but that is to be expected. Today, Logitech announces the Logitech protection [+] power case, designed for the Apple iPhone 5, iPhone 5s and Samsung Galaxy S5.

"Protection [+] power extends the lineup of cases we introduced earlier this year and plays double duty for people looking for more battery power while they're on the go. We designed the case to fit today’s incredibly active, yet connected, lifestyle. For the iPhone, it includes a built-in 1800 mAh battery that doubles the charge of your iPhone. And, it increases the battery life of the Samsung Galaxy S5 by 80 percent, with a battery capacity of 2300 mAh", says Logitech.

The manufacturer further explains, "The case also exceeds the U.S. Military drop-test standard (MIL-STD 810 G) for 'rugged' devices, protecting your phone from drops up to 1.2 meters high. The case's impact channels and a layer of thermoplastic rubber help to absorb shocks, and a raised bezel to protect your screen’s sensitive surface".

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I know what you are thinking; why release a new accessory for the iPhone 5 and 5s now that the 6 and 6 Plus are for sale. Well, don't forget that not everybody has to have the latest and greatest; the iPhone 5s is a wildly popular phone and there will be millions in use for years to come. Hell, Apple is still selling it and many consumers prefer the smaller screen. Logitech is smart to focus on this group of consumers.

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The Galaxy S5 is still a flagship consumer smartphone that is rather rugged in its own right. Coupled with this case, it should be extremely hard to destroy. In my testing, the S5 has rather good battery life too, so I expect the Logitech protection [+] power to make it the ultimate all-day smartphone when away from an outlet.

Logitech says, "the case also integrates a hidden metal plate that makes your phone readily compatible with all Logitech smartphone car mounts, including the +trip air vent mount and +drive windshield/dashboard mount, for easier navigation". It is very cool that this new case works with existing accessories.

Do you own an Apple iPhone 5, iPhone 5s or Samsung Galaxy S5? Would you buy this $99 case? Tell me in the comments.

OpenClonk 5.0 adds Worlds League, new scenarios, music, more

Publié: octobre 7, 2014, 2:38am CEST par Mike Williams

OpenClonk

OpenClock.org has announced the release of OpenClonk 5, a major new version of its open source Worms/ Settlers/ Minecraft/ Terraria- like action game.

The new release adds two missions targeted at new players, two more "which can provide a challenge for the more experienced Clonkers”, and “an action-packed, cooperative scenario where you defend against waves of attackers".

OpenClonk 5 has started the process of connecting its missions with a common storyline: "the hero is sent all over the world of OpenClonk in a great endeavour to kill the evil king". This only applies to five missions right now, but more are on the way.

Reinforcing this campaign-type approach, scenarios now have “achievements” which you can win by finishing them at a higher difficulty level, or uncovering secrets.

A new Worlds League system allows you to "compete online for ranks and play against the best of the best", while "if you prefer cooperative play, the settlement and adventure league are also soon to be opened".

New objects add a twist to some scenarios. Go underwater and you’ll now find coral and fish ("both peaceful and evil", apparently), while the Worlds folder scenarios now allow you to expand your settlements by building basements.

All of this is now accompanied by music, including three original pieces. These sound good to us, but if they're not to your taste then you can toggle music on and off by pressing F3.

OpenClonk 5 is available now for Windows, Mac and Linux.

Go from fartsy to artsy and trade the gas for class with eBay Live Auctions

Publié: octobre 7, 2014, 2:12am CEST par Brian Fagioli

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The allure of art greatly escapes me. Don't get me wrong, I see beauty in paintings and sculptures, but I'd be just as happy with a cheap reprint as the original. Hell, I can see the Mona Lisa on my iPad while laying on my couch, why bother going to an art gallery or art auction? It seems like a waste of money. When I watch Pawn Stars, I yell at the TV when Rick buys art for thousands -- "Dude, save your money!"

Well apparently, having an understanding and appreciation of art is a sign of class, which I am told I am lacking. In fancy social situations, I picture myself like Rodney Dangerfield in Caddyshack -- "whoa, did somebody step on a duck?" Yes, I am more "fartsy" than artsy and I have no business being at an art auction. Today however, eBay brings the art auction to your computer by launching Live Auctions. Yes, you can bid on classy art while sitting on the toilet -- finally.

"eBay's live auctions provide virtual entrance to auction house salerooms from anywhere in the world, and eBay’s 149 million active buyers now have the same access to auction merchandise as those bidding in person on the auction room floor. Inventory is sold directly by hundreds of world class traditional auction houses, including premier partners such as Doyle New York, Freeman's, Garth's Auctions and Swann Auction Galleries. All items are backed by the eBay Money Back Guarantee", says eBay.

The online auction site further explains, "eBay has also partnered with the iconic international art business and auctioneer, Sotheby's, to be the anchor tenant of the new live auctions experience. In the coming months, eBay will begin to offer a number of live auctions that are taking place at Sotheby's headquarters in New York. The Sotheby's auctions will present 18 collecting categories. The two companies are exploring themed and time-based sales, as well as live auctions from Sotheby's other global salesrooms".

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The question is, does eBay's Live Auctions expose more people to art, or cheapen the experience for true art collectors? While art is the centerpiece of an art auction, it is not the entirety. You see, many people go for the experience of it, without an intention to bid. If eBay's endeavor is a success, it could cause a decline in "proper" art auctions. In other words, is it really classy to bid for fine art on eBay?

Are you a fan of art? Tell me about it in the comments.

Photo credit: Shots Studio / Shutterstock

Plex arrives on Xbox One and 360, brings your media with it

Publié: octobre 6, 2014, 6:57pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

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Retrieving media from a computer or home server and reproducing it in your home theater has becoming a growing need among people. Plex offers what is, perhaps, the simplest solution for accomplishing this task. It does so by simply working across almost every known platform, including mobile devices and set-top boxes.

One place where the end-user app has been surprisingly missing is Microsoft's gaming consoles. You'd think Plex would have arrived there long ago -- certainly before places like Roku and Fire TV. Well, that problem is now solved, or at least half of it is.

Today Plex announces that it is now offering its app on Xbox One. As for 360 users, you'll have to wait a bit, but it should be too long.

"Each of these apps has been crafted to feel right at home on the Xbox, complete with voice and gesture control, and you are going to love them. They’ll be available for free for Plex Pass members on Tuesday Oct 7th for the Xbox One, and shortly after that for the Xbox 360", the company states.

No specific date is given for Xbox 360, but "imminent" seems implied. This good news for those using the consoles for more than just games -- which may include a growing number of users.

Blender gains new effects, tools and radial Pie menu feature

Publié: octobre 6, 2014, 6:44pm CEST par Nick Peers

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Non-profit organization The Blender Foundation has released Blender 2.72, an update to its cross-platform, open-source 3D graphics tool. The new build finally debuts a long-anticipated "Pie menus" feature.

Also improved are the Cycles Render tools, animation editor UI improvements, a new "Face split by edges" modeling tool and new Sun Beams compositing effect.

Version 2.72, also available in 64-bit and portable form on Windows, opens with the debut of a long-awaited new UI feature: support for "Pie menus". These spread menu items radially around the mouse. The new feature is accompanied by redesigned tooltips, while the BI render preview now behaves in a similar fashion to the Cycle’s.

Two new modeling tools have been added: "Face split by edges", which allows users to split faces by loose wire edges, and Editmesh Intersect, which makes it possible to quickly cut up geometry in Edit mode.

In addition, a number of new sculpting and painting tools have also been implemented in Blender 2.72, including Sharpen, Fill, Mask, Brush Opacity Control and Mask Pressure support, accompanied by 16 new blend modes.

A new Compositing effect is Sun Beams, which is designed to simulate the effect of bright light being scattered in a medium.

Game developers also gain a number of minor new tools, including Property Sensor evaluation types, Mouse actuator, X-Ray and BGE debug API. Users are warned a number of compatibility issues have been introduced with these changes.

The Cycle Render tools gain a number of new and improved features. First, Basic Volume Rendering is now officially available on GPU, with experimental support also added for Subsurface Scattering and Correlated Multi Jitter sampling.

The tools also gain improved volume rendering, shading and enjoy a performance tweak. A Quick Smoke node setup has been added along with other improvements to nodes, baking and the OSL, which has been updated.

Other new features and changes have been implemented to the Freestyle line rendering engine, 3D View tools, FBX plug-ins and more -- a full set of feature highlights are available at the Blender.org website. The update is also rounded off by the usual vast number of fully documented bug fixes.

Blender 2.72 is available now as a free, open-source download for Windows, Mac and Linux. Also available for Windows users are Blender 2.72 (64-bit) and Blender Portable 2.71a – the latter is likely to be updated to version 2.72 in the next few days.

My Family Tree 4 extends GEDCOM support

Publié: octobre 6, 2014, 6:41pm CEST par Mike Williams

My Family Tree

Chronoplex Software has updated its free genealogy tool My Family Tree to version 4.0 with various small improvements.

The program’s relationship calculator -- which displays the connection between any two individuals in the tree -- now supports marriage (in law) and step relationships.

There’s improved automatic detection of legacy GEDCOM character encodings. Select a file and you’ll be told what its CHAR tag states and which encoding My Family Tree thinks it is, while as before you can choose a custom encoding if you prefer.

The program now also includes support for the GEDCOM submission and submitter records. If they’re available (and they’re often not) these might identify the individual or organization which provided records within a file, along with other file metadata.

Elsewhere, My Family Tree 4.0 is now faster to start, and features improved navigation workflow.

On balance this seems a fairly minor update to us, although the additional relationship support is welcome.

We’re unsure about the GEDCOM changes, too. Previously My Family Tree has always imported everything we threw at it, but this time it failed once with an "unknown load error". A file-specific issue, or the program? We’re not sure.

Still, if you can avoid any import problems then My Family Tree 4.0 is an excellent genealogy tool for Windows XP+, packed with essential features. If you’re looking for something more than an online tree maker then it’s a must-see.

Top lessons you can learn from the 'App Masters'

Publié: octobre 6, 2014, 5:00pm CEST par Bryan Kirschner

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Everyone understands how important apps can be for engaging and empowering customers, employees and partners, but less well known is the difficulty of delivering apps that meet the promises and expectations of the companies that design them.

Many enterprises are struggling to build apps on time, on budget, or with the intended business impact. Our latest research shows the extent to which global businesses are failing to meet their expectations when deploying apps. A quarter failed to meet their timeline, a fifth overran on their budget, and a similar proportion delivered fewer apps than planned. In total, almost half (45 percent) of all businesses failed in some way to meet the criteria for success in the following areas: app quality and performance, business impact, number of apps delivered, project cost and time of development.

By contrast, companies who have truly mastered app development -- the businesses that exceed their expectations on every criterion for success -- account for only eight percent of the total. It's an elite club of businesses that we call the 'App Masters'. What's fascinating about this select group of enterprises is not so much that they are successful at designing and deploying apps -- it is how their approach to their IT organization differs from the rest of the pack, and how they outperform their competitors across a whole range of business metrics.

The business impact of App Success

Being successful at apps is about so much more than the application itself, important as that might be. The bigger picture is that enterprises that successfully deploy apps are simply better at using technology to drive business results than their industry peers.

Out of our survey of 800 global businesses, we found that those with the strongest capabilities to deploy apps, operate APIs, and use data analytics far outperformed their respective sectors across a range of business metrics: revenue, market share, margin, customer satisfaction, and launching new products and services. When it came to the proportion of businesses that strongly outperformed their industry average in the last year, the digital leaders enjoyed a clear advantage over the digital laggards in every business criterion.

When it comes to application development, successful companies all share a set of common IT and business patterns. Enterprises that are struggling with application delivery are making their own mistakes because they have not grasped what the App Masters have realized: that success depends on taking an 'outside-in' approach to IT.

Outside-in IT

Enterprises that are successful with apps are distinguished by the way their IT departments have shifted away from traditional patterns of resourcing and development. These App Masters have moved beyond the "build versus buy" dilemma to a position where they see IT as an ecosystem orchestrator, rather than merely the platform for developing technologies. They understand that legacy systems are a stumbling block to delivering great digital and mobile experiences for their employees, customers and partners -- instead, they need to exploit external resources and technology partners wherever it gives them the edge. This is the "outside-in" approach to IT that differentiates the leaders from the laggards.

The cloud is a classic example of outside-in IT and provides a great illustration of how App Masters' approach differs from the rest. Eighty-five percent of App Masters have replaced legacy components with public or private cloud alternatives, and on average these enterprises have moved 80 percent of their architecture to Infrastructure-as-a-Service and 80 percent of their application development to Platform-as-a-Service. In stark contrast, 'app challenged' enterprises have moved an average of only 44 percent of their architecture to Infrastructure- and Platform-as-a-Service.

Of course, cloud adoption is not in itself the reason for success. Rather, it demonstrates that these companies have identified the strategic value of these resources -- the technical and design expertise that it brings, but also how it enables them to work more effectively with outside partners. By contrast, the app-challenged tend to see cost, time-to-market and reduced IT management as the primary reasons for adopting cloud technologies.

Partnering for success

Just six percent of 'app challenged' enterprises say that they proactively look for external resources instead of prioritizing the use of internal resources. By comparison, one third of the most successful enterprises work predominantly or exclusively with outside infrastructure partners to develop and build their apps, more than double the average of all companies. This contrast is all the more striking because 'app masters' are more likely to see their existing internal expertise as a net asset for building and deploying apps than the 'app challenged.' App masters are choosing a strategic decision to leverage the best resources, whether they are within or beyond the walls of the firm.

The lesson for aspirant App Masters is clear: identify the external partners who have the pedigree and ability to help you design and deliver apps successfully and make sure that your IT infrastructure is geared toward supporting these partnerships. For this to work effectively, it is crucial that enterprises can provide partners with maximum access to the business data on which these apps are based, so it is no surprise that the most successful companies are those deploying application programming interfaces (APIs) and data analytics.

As demand grows for contextually-aware, highly personalized, predictive apps, delivered on tight timeframes to an ever-growing range of devices, the application architecture has to move beyond the integration-server / application-server model that has characterized much of the last decade of web application development.

Instead, organizations need to adopt an architecture that fully supports four types of API communication: app-to-client, app-to-backend, app-to-app and, finally, the exploded app built from micro-service APIs. This architecture not only enables apps to be built in an agile fashion, deployed at scale and compatible with future devices; it means that apps can also be easily connected to every other application inside and outside the enterprise. This facilitates a flow of relevant data between apps and analytics systems, increasing the intelligence and performance of these applications in real-time.

Having advocated the outside-in approach, let me strenuously deny that I am calling on enterprises to outsource everything app-related. Enterprises that try to spend their way towards better app development are not likely to meet with success. In fact, existing internal technology infrastructure and expertise can be a significant benefit. The key for enterprises is to establish where they can benefit from using external resources, and making sure that they have technology in place to facilitate that relationship with partners. Only then can they start to become masters of their apps and, consequently, masters of their business.

Prelert cuts big data down to size for real-time analysis

Publié: octobre 6, 2014, 3:53pm CEST par Ian Barker

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Identifying complex anomalies that show up the presence of a persistent threat or pinpoint the cause of network and IT performance problems is the sort of thing big data analysis was made for.

The problem though is that big data is often just too big. This means it's usually necessary to transfer the information before doing any work on it which makes real-time analysis impossible and means valuable insights aren't available when they're most needed.

Prelert, a specialist in anomaly detection, has a solution in the form of its new Stats Reduce feature that can dramatically shrink data transfer sizes by up to 40 times. This cuts the time it takes to transfer data but retains its integrity to ensure accurate results.

It works by using the statistical aggregation functions already available in platforms like Splunk and Elasticsearch. The software has been rigorously tested against real world data sets and proven to deliver the same results whether working on the raw or aggregated data.

"Prelert is committed to providing the most accurate and robust insight into data in real-time, no matter how large or complex," says Stephen Dodson Ph.D, Prelert's CTO. "The scale of modern environments presents challenges that require careful selection of methods and techniques, and we built our technology to align with these environments from the start. With Stats Reduce, the aggregation techniques we developed allow massive volumes of data to be analyzed in a distributed manner, enabling real-time multidimensional anomaly detection on Big Data".

Stats Reduce is available from today in the latest version of Prelert's Anomaly Detective and will be rolled out to other big data platforms later this year. The company will be demonstrating it at the Splunk Worldwide Users' Conference this week in Las Vegas.

Photo Credit: Arkady/Shutterstock

Security risk is the main reason for banning BYOPC

Publié: octobre 6, 2014, 2:30pm CEST par Ian Barker

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According to a survey of IT decision makers commissioned by efficiency software specialist 1E and carried out by Vanson Bourne 86 percent of companies that ban employees from using their own PCs do so because of security concerns.

To address these fears 1E is launching its new MyWorkNow solution, a client-hosted virtual desktop (CHVD) to offer a fast, low-cost way of mobilizing workforces using their own PCs.

The virtual desktop runs locally on the host PC and by using the enterprise's chosen desktop management framework, such as Microsoft's System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM), MyWorkNow eliminates the need for additional hardware and central infrastructure.

It allows enterprise security to be delivered to any PC or Mac with 4GB or more of RAM. Using a FastBoot technology it streams the MyWorkNow desktop in real time as the machine starts up, allowing fast access to the corporate desktop and offline capability if required.

MyWorkNow delivers secure authentication and a 256 AES encrypted local image on a user's own hardware. There’s a remote wipe functionality, which enables an IT department to immediately deactivate MyWorkNow on a user's PC if it's lost or the employee leaves. It also provides default client security, which controls employee opportunities to copy or paste in or out, file drag or drop, or copy intellectual property to a USB drive. Thus ensuring that corporate data is encrypted and secured at the user endpoint.

Other findings of the survey include that more than a quarter of respondents currently don't have a formal policy in place for personal desktop/laptop PC use. More than a third of IT decision-makers prohibit BYOPC because of the associated needs to support and track software usage on personal devices. Yet 11 percent reported that despite the business not allowing it, employees used their own PCs to access work anyway. 84 percent of IT decision-makers allow email access from personal devices, while only 52 percent allow access to hosted applications.

"Employees and organizations will both benefit from the BYOPC movement as evidenced by the Vanson Bourne survey," says Sumir Karayi, CEO of 1E. "MyWorkNow addresses the security concerns that have historically been the deterrent for adopting a BYOPC policy. Not only does it help IT departments sleep better at night knowing they have full control, but it also enables them to run IT for less".

To find out more you can register for a joint Forrester/1E webinar to be held on on Oct 16 or visit the 1E website.

Photo Credit: auremar/Shutterstock

MIT wants to use your Tweets to solve society's problems

Publié: octobre 6, 2014, 1:20pm CEST par Zak Thomas

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Twitter is handing MIT full access to its real-time public stream and archive, as well as $10 million over five years to help with its research into social patterns across the media. The data MIT gathers from a variety of media platforms will be used to reveal interaction patterns and shared interests between users, while it develops new collaborative tools and mobile apps for public communication and social organization.

Dick Costolo, CEO of Twitter said: "With this investment, Twitter is seizing the opportunity to go deeper into research to understand the role Twitter and other platforms play in the way people communicate, the effect that rapid and fluid communication can have and apply those findings to complex societal issues".

But this isn't the first time Twitter has handed over user data to researchers; earlier in 2014 it handed eight years of data over to the science community. In 2012 Twitter also teamed up with UK business intelligence and analysis outfit Datasift to carry out market research.

MIT say the main goal for its new Twitter funded Laboratory for Social Machines (LSM) will be to create new platforms for individuals and institutions to take action on pressing societal problems. Although funded by Twitter, MIT say LSM will have "complete operational and academic independence". Despite the funding from Twitter, LSM's research will be across many social media and mass media platforms.

"The Laboratory for Social Machines will experiment in areas of public communication and social organization where humans and machines collaborate on problems that can't be solved manually or through automation alone," said Deb Roy, Twitter's chief media scientist and an associate professor at MIT who will lead LSM. "Social feedback loops based on analysis of public media and data can be an effective catalyst for increasing accountability and transparency -- creating mutual visibility among institutions and individuals".

Image Credit: Flickr (Scott Beale)

Using mobile messaging to deliver better customer service

Publié: octobre 6, 2014, 12:09pm CEST par Ian Barker

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As mobile devices become almost ubiquitous, their attractiveness as a channel for businesses to interact with their customers becomes greater.

According to last year's ICMI mobile customer service strategy survey, 68 percent of experts believe mobile can improve the customer experience. To help companies take advantage of the opportunities mobile offers, enterprise mobile specialist OpenMarket is launching its latest Mobile Engagement Platform. It's a SaaS-based solution, allowing enterprises to easily create and deploy smart, interactive mobile engagement services worldwide with connectivity to over 200 countries.

The platform can integrate with existing CRM systems, using current customer data to create automated, personal and real-time mobile interactions with customers. Key features include the ability to deliver customer alerts to send up-to-date information about orders, deliveries and appointments as well as targeting special offers. Two-way messaging allows businesses to gather feedback and conduct surveys. It can also be used for technical support to offer real-time issue and resolution tracking.

"Customer service is a key differentiator for major enterprises," says Jay Emmet, General Manager at OpenMarket. "Consumers want to communicate with customer service on their preferred channel, which is mobile, and get quick resolution of their issues. They do not want to wait on hold after navigating an IVR system. Enterprises decision-makers should be leveraging the mobile channel as much as possible to accomplish this goal. By implementing two-way SMS communication through OpenMarket’s Mobile Engagement Platform, enterprises can provide a better customer experience that closely aligns with the increasing consumer demand for mobile messaging interactions".

You can find out more on the OpenMarket website and there's a free whitepaper on how mobile can be used to transform the customer experience. The company's solutions will also be on display at the Gartner Symposium/ITExpo being held in Orlando this week.

Image Credit: Art Allianz / Shutterstock

Who would pay more than $60,000 for an iPhone 6 prototype?

Publié: octobre 6, 2014, 12:04pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

iPhone 6 prototype

People do crazy things to get their hands on a new iPhone. They queue for days in a row, travel to another country or pay absurd amounts on black market imports. Still, none of those things is as expensive as the iPhone 6 prototype that is listed on eBay, for which some folks will go as far as paying over $60,000. That's just crazy.

At the time of writing this article, the latest bid for the iPhone 6 prototype -- a 64 GB model -- is $61,100. For the money, you get a hugely overpriced smartphone which may not even be legit. Normally, you would pay $750, off-contract, for a 64 GB iPhone 6, in Silver -- the same color as the prototype -- that is. But, wait, there is more.

Apparently, the seller, who insists that this "is the real deal", got the iPhone 6 prototype by accident, after a Verizon contract renewal. What's more, it does not even run iOS 8, which is what every new iPhone ships with, and there are no FCC markings on the back. If that is not a clear warning sign, I do not know what is.

Even if it's not a fake, you will be unable to use it as you would virtually any other iPhone. It's a brick, and an expensive one at that. That's because, instead of iOS 8, you will allegedly find development software running on the device, because, you know, it is a prototype, which has probably been used during the late development phase of iPhone 6.

Because of its origin, Apple and Verizon may want it back, even if it was indeed sent by mistake -- which seems unlikely, but not impossible -- and someone actually paid for it. That's a huge risk to take, as it might cost the buyer whatever was paid for the iPhone 6 prototype plus any legal fees, in case it gets to court.

There are some upsides, however. The seller says that the winner of the auction will receive the complete package "as well as all the paperwork", and, in case it is "DOA" (dead on arrival), a return is possible. Still, there is no guarantee you will not find yourself in trouble after getting it.

Windows 10 is coming, but do we still need Microsoft's operating system?

Publié: octobre 6, 2014, 11:17am CEST par Alan Buckingham

broken-windows

For the past couple of months I have been working from my porch -- I enjoy the outdoors when weather permits. In doing so, I have adopted a Chromebook, which gets me by quite well, but leaves me in a quandary -- do we still need Windows? The answer to that question is quite a bit more complicated than it seems.

Most people will jump up and yell "yes" -- or Microsoft hopes they will. But it really comes down to usage, and for many people out there the operating system is no longer the be all-end all of computing.

This is why Chromebooks are growing and Microsoft is appropriately concerned. The rival platform will not overtake Windows anytime soon, but it also isn't going away, and it's eating into the business of Satya Nadella's company.

Now the software giant has unveiled Windows 10, and apparently in an effort to distance itself from version 8.x, has skipped right over the number nine. The new build is still in early stages, simply a technical preview, but here's the question -- do we need it? Or, more accurately, do most people need it?

Get Rid of Windows

The average user checks email and browses websites -- a cheap Chromebook can get them by just fine. For word processing chores there is Google Docs, but Microsoft has also released a Word app for Chrome -- I am writing this from it, as a matter of fact.

Image editing, at least on a basic level, can also be carried out by online apps -- I use Pixlr, but everyone will have his or her own preference. Many fine online editors exist.

The Chrome OS also has a bit of resemblance to Windows, so users will be in, mostly, friendly territory. The taskbar and system tray should look familiar, and the usual things are contained in each. Like Windows (now) there's no Start menu, but in its place is a launcher button that gives access to apps -- which is more than Windows 8.x provides to customers.

Keep Windows

While for many, including myself as a writer, the Windows platform seems a relic, there are needs for it, but they have become specialized. Let's not take away from those folks who point to the specific needs that some people have.

Both coding and video editing spring to mind, though many actually use a Mac for the latter. Business also has a need for Windows, as many company-specific apps are utilized in the enterprise environment. Professions such as engineering, architecture and graphic are also likely will keep Windows going.

There are other specialized applications -- genealogy, for instance. I use Family Tree Maker which, while having some online features, requires one of my Windows PCs up in the office. That is, of course, just one example, but it illustrates the dividing line between those who do and don't need the Microsoft operating system.

There are many other examples, I'm sure. Many of you will point them out to me in comments, I would imagine. But you get the point -- you don't need a canon to kill a fly. Many users can get by without the old platform.

Do What's Best for You

In the end there is no definitive answer. It simply comes down to personal needs. However, it is becoming clear that the majority of people in the real world don't need Microsoft's operating system. Most could get by with a Chromebook, or even an iPad or Nexus 7. Windows is becoming a specialized tool that likely will slowly fall further out of favor as those other platforms continue to improve and add features.

This is not a future that Microsoft wants to face, but it is slowly becoming reality and the company must learn to move on with other aspects of its business. In other words, the short answer to my question for most users is "no". The weather has cooled in my area, and I've moved inside once again, but I haven't moved back to Windows.

Image Credit: Tomas Skopal / Shutterstock

Apple Watch not cool enough? How about a Samsung Gear Live running Windows 95?

Publié: octobre 6, 2014, 9:31am CEST par Wayne Williams

Windows 95 watch

Apple Watch could well be the device that brings wearables into the mainstream, but if you’re not a fan of Apple products, there are plenty of Android smartwatches to choose from, and if you want to really stand out from the crowd, how about a watch that runs Windows 95?

Microsoft’s veteran operating system will turn twenty next year, and enterprising Samsung Gear Live owner Corbin Davenport has managed to blend old and new, getting Windows 95 running on Android Wear.

In a new video posted on YouTube, Davenport shows off the OS running under aDosBox. He chose that because "faster emulators, like DosBox Turbo, don’t seem to work properly on Android Wear".

Although you would expect using the Start menu to be rather fiddly on the Gear Live’s small screen, it proves not to be too bad, although no doubt Davenport has had some practice.

While it’s undeniably cool (in a geeky way), the Windows 95 smartwatch is sadly not very practical as the OS is very slow and runs out of RAM after opening applications. It’s not possible to add more RAM either, because "this port of DosBox doesn’t have an accessible config file".

Although it’s more a proof of concept at the moment, rather than a practical product, there’s no doubt it could be made much better in future -- maybe in time for that 20th anniversary.

Would you wear a watch running Windows 95?

Logitech Bluetooth Multi-Device Keyboard K480 [Review]

Publié: octobre 6, 2014, 9:31am CEST par Brian Fagioli

topk480

Nowadays, all major operating systems are great. Regardless of your preference, it cannot be denied that Windows, OS X, iOS, Android and many Linux distributions are amazing feats of technology. It is not uncommon for me and many others to use multiple operating systems every day. While Windows is what I use mostly for getting work done, Android is my smartphone OS of choice, and the iPad is my bedtime entertainment computer. It is not necessary to live on a desert island-like environment from only one company exclusively.

Bluetooth keyboards have made typing on devices convenient; however, there is an annoying aspect -- pairing. If you use a Bluetooth keyboard with only one device, you should have no issue. Unfortunately, if you want to share it between multiple devices and operating systems, you have to re-pair it every time you switch. This becomes a tedious affair, turning convenience into a hassle. Luckily, Logitech has released a product, that should alleviate this nuisance -- the Bluetooth Multi-Device Keyboard K480.

System Requirements

PC: Windows 7, Windows 8 or later
Mac: Mac OS X or later
Chrome OS
iPad or iPhone: iOS 5 or later
Android tablet or smartphone: Android 3.2 or later.

Dimensions

Height: 20 mm (0.79 inches)
Width: 299 mm (11.77 inches)
Depth: 195 mm (7.68 inches)
Weight: 820 g (1.81 pounds)

Unboxing

Impressions

Upon removing it from the box, the first thing I noticed was the heft. While a heavy peripheral is not ideal for portability, it is preferred for home use. A desktop keyboard in particular should be heavy, so it does not slide on your desk. Logitech couples heft and rubber feet to prevent slippage and it works well. Don't forget, you can insert tablets into the top, so heft is good in that regard too; you don't want it to tip over.

k480rear

On the face is the actual keyboard; you know, the part with the keys. Traditionally, I have used and preferred square keys on my keyboards. Interestingly, Logitech uses round keys here, and I like them quite a bit. I expected to have a learning curve with the round keys, but this was not necessary. Actually, since good typists aim for the center of the key, the shape should not matter.

kbkeysk480

Quite frankly typing is a dream, as the keys are very stiff and exact; there is no mushiness to be found and they have relatively low movement. By movement, I mean they do not shake too much left and right or up and down. A good test for this is to shake a keyboard; if you hear the keys moving a lot, it may indicate poor quality. On the Logitech K480, little noise is heard when shaken.

k480sekect

The real magic of this keyboard, however, is that it can pair with three different devices, or three different operating systems. Depending on your needs, there are a couple of good usage cases.

The main focus of the Logitech K480 is multiple devices (as the name implies). In other words, it is designed for the consumer that needs a keyboard for a tablet, desktop and smartphone. On the left, there is a handy selector wheel, which allows you to switch between three devices on the fly. You can pair with Windows, OS X, Chrome OS, Android and iOS. Yes, traditional Linux distributions work too, despite the omission from the specifications. Sadly, in my testing, Windows Phone is incompatible (Nokia Lumia Icon with latest developer OS).

To pair, you put the selector wheel on the number you desire, and hold down one of the pairing buttons. Yes, I said "buttons", with an "s", as there is two of them. Why, you ask? One of them is for Apple devices and the other is for everything else. This is so the keyboard can map keys as they should for the appropriate OS -- quite smart, Logitech!

tabletk480

A good example of how this can be beneficial, is text messaging. Let's say you are doing work on your Windows desktop, like editing an Excel sheet. All of a sudden, your Android phone chimes, and you get a text message. Rather than reply using the tiny smartphone on-screen keyboard, you can stick it in the top slot to prop it up, switch the selector to the number that is paired with your phone, and write a text message with a full keyboard. Once the text is sent, you switch the dial to Windows, and get back to your Excel sheet.

keys2k480

Besides multiple devices, you can even use it with one computer having multiple operating systems. For example, I have a self-built desktop tower running Windows 10, OS X 10.9 and Fedora 20. All three operating systems support a Bluetooth keyboard, but normal keyboards only support one OS at a time. So, if I was working in Windows 10 and needed to switch to OS X, using a traditional Bluetooth keyboard, I would have to pair over and over again, after each operating system boot. This is very tedious, and has caused me to either use wired keyboards, or wireless RF keyboards that use a USB dongle.

desktopk4802

With the K480, I can assign Windows to number 1, OS X to number 2 and Linux to number 3. Every time I boot into the respective operating system, I just turn the dial and it works instantly; no fooling around with settings needed.

Conclusion

When you have such a unique keyboard, there can be a fear that the company might neglect the actual typing experience and build quality. In other words, the multi-device aspect alone would sell keyboards, even if the overall experience was only average. However, in true Logitech fashion, the entire package is great. Whether or not you need the multi-device feature, it can't hurt to buy this model -- typing on it is wonderful and it is built like a tank.

At $49.99, it is a great Bluetooth keyboard first -- the awesome multi-device feature is secondary. The Logitech Bluetooth Multi-Device Keyboard K480 is highly recommended.

Tesco hudl2: A cheap Android tablet that'll please the whole family [Hands on]

Publié: octobre 6, 2014, 9:17am CEST par Aatif Sulleyman

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Tesco has launched the successor to the one of 2013's standout budget consumer tech products. The hudl2 tablet has arrived in the UK, and it's well worth taking notice of.

Featuring a decent 8.3in, 1,920 x 1,200 pixel resolution screen, a 1.83GHz Intel Atom quad-core processor and 16GB of internal storage (which can be boosted to 48GB), its specifications don't exactly make the mind boggle.

Eight hours of battery life and a pretty meager pair of cameras (a 5-megapixel snapper on the back and a 1.2-megapixel one on the front) don't exactly make for much better reading. Tesco clearly hasn't taken notice of the meteoric rise of the selfie, and this made me feel a little bit sad. However, the hudl2 is clearly not built for hipsters or posers.

It's a pretty simple-looking slate that isn't exactly going to pip the iPad to any design awards. Jony Ive, your job's safe for now. The rubberized casing feels good in the hand but unfortunately brings a distinctly budget look and feel to the device. The fact that it's available in eight different colors (blue, orange, black, red, turquoise, white, purple and pink) will certainly add to its market appeal though.

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A customized version of Android 4.4.2 KitKat is the operating system of choice, which means that apps will not be difficult to come by. A 'T' icon sits on the top left corner of the home screen, and links to a variety of Tesco's own apps and services, encouraging shoppers to part with their precious cash.

One of the most frequently used words at the launch was 'accessibility'. Tesco isn't beating around the bush -- this is a family-friendly device. One of the features Tesco is most proud of with the hudl2 is the parental filter software. With this, users will be able to create up to seven different profiles on a single hudl2 tablet, complete with various age and suitability restrictions. Developed in conjunction with TheParentZone, online safety is clearly high on Tesco's agenda, which will -- at the very least -- reassure plenty.

As a device, it's unremarkable. The safety features will certainly attract protective parents but, as Tesco admitted during the launch show, "We don't think we have it right". Not yet, anyway. There's a handful of nifty entertainment features too, such as Dolby-optimized audio and a range of special offers on blinkbox credit, which can be used on films, books and music.

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Where the hudl2 comes into its own is in the value stakes. Hitting the shelves on 9 October for £129, this is a gadget you can realistically purchase along with your weekly shopping (definitely a "big shop" though). Tantalizingly, if you play your Clubcard points game right, you could even pick up this little baby for as little as £65, which is frankly bonkers.

If you fancy a decent, cheap as chips Android tablet that you can happily share with the family, go for it. Be warned though, its predecessor wasn't exactly renowned for being long-lasting. Whether it reaches the same heights of popularity of the original hudl remains to be seen.

HP to split into Consumer HP and Enterprise HP

Publié: octobre 5, 2014, 10:15pm CEST par Mark Wilson

HP to split into Consumer HP and Enterprise HP

HP is on the verge of splitting into two companies. Consumer HP will focus on personal computers and printers, while Enterprise HP's focus will be corporate services and hardware. It's a move that has been talked about for some time now, and it comes just days after eBay Inc revealed that it plans to separate its eBay and PayPal businesses. HP and its investors will be pinning their hopes on the companies performing better as separate entities than as a whole. Similar splits have proved successful as it allows for a more efficient management of resources and a better concentration of efforts.

As part of the split, current CEO Meg Whitman will become chairman of Consumer HP, as well as CEO of Enterprise HP. Consumer HP will gain Dion Weisler as its CEO, while director Patricia Russo will step into the role of chairman of Enterprise HP. Whitman has been widely credited with turning around the fortunes of HP, so all eyes will be on her to see if this latest move proves fruitful.

As reported by the Wall Street Journal, HP talked about the possibility of a division back in 2011, but this amounted to nothing. Following the departure of Chief Executive Léo Apotheker it was decided to keep the business running as a single unit, and a restructuring operation followed in 2012. The company remains one of the biggest shippers of PCs, second only to Lenovo.

HP had previously been expected to ditch its consumer arm to focus on the generally more profitable enterprise business. It remains to be seen whether the previous amalgamation of the money-making printer division with the less profitable PC side of the business manages to hold its own as Consumer HP. Shareholders had previously expressed reluctance to accept a switch to focusing on enterprise ventures, so keeping both sides of HP operational is clearly a bid to keep as many people happy as possible, whilst simultaneously propelling the company forward.

Photo credit: Dragan Jovanovic / Shutterstock

HP to split into HP Inc and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise

Publié: octobre 5, 2014, 10:15pm CEST par Mark Wilson

HP to split into Consumer HP and Enterprise HP

HP is on the verge of splitting into two companies. Consumer HP (or plain HP Inc) will focus on personal computers and printers, while the focus of Enterprise HP (or Hewlett-Packard Enterprise) will be corporate services and hardware. It's a move that has been talked about for some time now, and it comes just days after eBay Inc revealed that it plans to separate its eBay and PayPal businesses. HP and its investors will be pinning their hopes on the companies performing better as separate entities than as a whole. Similar splits have proved successful as it allows for a more efficient management of resources and a better concentration of efforts.

As part of the split, current CEO Meg Whitman will become chairman of HP Inc, as well as CEO of Hewlett-Packard Enterprise. HP Inc will gain Dion Weisler as its CEO, while director Patricia Russo will step into the role of chairman of Hewlett-Packard Enterprise. Whitman has been widely credited with turning around the fortunes of HP, so all eyes will be on her to see if this latest move proves fruitful.

HP had previously been expected to ditch its consumer arm to focus on the generally more profitable enterprise business. It remains to be seen whether the previous amalgamation of the money-making printer division with the less profitable PC side of the business manages to hold its own as HP Inc. Shareholders had previously expressed reluctance to accept a switch to focusing on enterprise ventures, so keeping both sides of HP operational is clearly a bid to keep as many people happy as possible, whilst simultaneously propelling the company forward.

Photo credit: Dragan Jovanovic / Shutterstock

Braven BRV-1 brings a rugged, waterproof approach to Bluetooth speakers [Review]

Publié: octobre 5, 2014, 3:51pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

braven-brv-1

Bluetooth speakers are a dime a dozen these days, as they are convenient and, depending on brand model, can offer very good sound quality. With that in mind, brands set out to separate themselves in a very competitive marketplace by offering certain stand-out feature that get them noticed. That's the case with the Braven BRV-1.

The company touts several interesting features on this model. Some do exist on rival models, but it's enough to set the little speaker apart from others.

The Features

The most prominent draw here is that the speaker is waterproof. This means it actually be submersible, which is different from many that claim water resistant, and can be submerged one meter for up to 30 minutes. I didn't have the nerve to test this claim, however.

All of the plugs are hidden behind a twist-off cap on the back of the speaker. Included is a micro USB port for charging the device, a full size USB port which allows it to be used to charge a phone or tablet -- this makes it a 1,400 mAh emergency battery -- and an audio in jack. There is also a reset button and charging light indicators.

The battery claims to provide up to 12 hours of playback time and top has playback buttons and a power on/off button, as well as the sync control button. It can even take calls, allowing for hands-free use. A shock absorbent exterior, which is rubberized, is shock resistant, and a couple simple drop tests we conducted proved that it is indeed pretty durable.

braven-brv-1-back

The Audio

The sound is not the biggest or the best around, though for most people it will be considered just fine. Braven claims three watts of audio output per channel. The company also claims three watts of audio output per channel with a 70mm passive subwoofer.

Despite it now being as powerful as some speakers on the market, it has good sound that will satisfy the average listener without complaints, and volume up and down buttons on the top are easily accessible.

Conclusion

The Braven BRV-1 comes with an audio jack cord for a wired connection, USB to micro USB charging cable and a leash for easily carrying it around.

The Braven website lists an MSRP of $99.99, but if you look around, you can find it a bit cheaper at other online retailers, though it can be ordered direct from the company store, as well.

For outdoor use, this type of Bluetooth speaker is ideal. Unless you're in a noisy environment then the power should suit you fine, and durability can't really be questioned. Sound quality is adequate for most people.

Amazon begins slow roll out of new Fire OS 4 update to its 3rd gen Kindle Fire tablets

Publié: octobre 5, 2014, 2:14am CEST par Alan Buckingham

kindle-fire-message Amazon just recently announced the launch of new Kindle Fire tablets and Kindle readers. The new tablets will come with version 4 of Fire OS, known as "Sangria" already installed, but it seems last years models will also be shown some love.

Those who turned on their devices today found a surprise -- a letter from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos overlaying the home screen. The announcement is fairly short, but lets customers know that their device will be updated in the coming weeks and also provides a "Learn more" link for the curious.

The online retailer has already detailed information on Sangria, doing so along with the new devices announcement that took place just a couple of weeks ago.

"When we think about Fire OS, we start with what matters to customer -- ease of use and performance,” said Dave Limp, Senior Vice President, Amazon Devices at the time. “Fire OS 4 improves in both of these areas, and deeply integrates software, content, and the Cloud to deliver services that are only available from Amazon, including Family Library, Firefly, and free cloud storage for photos".

Fire OS 4 is based on Android KitKat, though it's a highly customized version of the Google platform, and bares little resemblance to what many Android users expect.

At the time, the company did allude to the fact this would find it's way to the third generation tablets, though didn't state a time-frame. We still don't have one that's concrete, but "coming weeks" is a start, and also could indicate a gradual roll out.

The curmudgeon's guide to Microsoft's embryonic Windows 10

Publié: octobre 4, 2014, 11:16pm CEST par Mark Wilson

The curmudgeon's guide to Microsoft's embryonic Windows 10

It's only a matter of days since Microsoft officially revealed the Windows 10 Technical Preview. This was a revelation with a lot riding on it but it was really something of a tease -- Microsoft didn’t give too much away. We rushed to grab the download, and Wayne showed how to get it up and running in VirtualBox (interestingly, I had to opt for VMware Player, as VirtualBox refused to install the 64-bit version of Windows 10 on my Surface Pro. It ran away from the ISO as though it was infected with ebola). I've had a few days to play about with this release -- I've stuck with a virtual machine for now rather than going all-in with dual-boot -- and I've already had a chance to write a little about the Start menu and the command prompt, but now it's time to delve a little deeper and see what else there is to discover.

Spoiler alert: despite the headline, and indeed my reputation, I don’t hate Windows 10. It just about goes without saying that I'm not head-over-heels in love with it, and there's a great deal I dislike about it, but it does feel... well, just 'nice' really. It's comfortable, familiar, and feels a bit snappier than Windows 8 -- even when running in a virtual machine.

Start as you mean to go on

There's no getting away from the fact that the most immediate and noticeable change in Windows 10 is the Start menu. The Start screen now takes more of a backseat by default and it has been replaced with a somewhat familiar Start menu. As this is one of the first things encountered, it seems like a sensible place to start. If you were hoping for a return to the Start menu of yore, prepare to be disappointed. Rather than reinstating the Start menu from Windows 7, Microsoft has instead created a bizarre amalgam of the Start screen and Start menu. It's a Start menu with Live Tiles. To many people this simply is not going to make sense. The right hand port of the Start menu looks just like a miniature version of the Start screen.

Windows 10's Start menu both pleases and appalls

It is possible to remove the right hand section that is populated with Live Tiles to produce something that looks more like the Start menu of old. But don’t be fooled; this is not what it appears. Gone (still) are the fly-out menus that made the Start menu so quick and easy to navigate, replaced instead by a version that re-uses space. You're initially presented with a list of recently used apps, and when you click All Apps (yep -- it's Apps, regardless of modern or desktop status), this list is replaced by the folders of the Start menu. Submenu (like Start All > Apps > Microsoft Office 2013) still don't fly out, but expand in place.

This might seem like a sensible use of space, there is a serious downside. Should you accidentally select the wrong folder, you then need to use the scrollbar (a scrollbar in the Start menu?) to access the right one. It all just seems awkward and I sincerely hope that there are some improvements made here.

Edit: Comments have questioned my references to fly-out menus. Readers have correctly pointed out that these were also not present in Windows 7 -- well... not quite, at least. I blame a slightly failing memeory and the fact that I tweaked my Windows 7 Start menu to display elements such as Control Panel, My Documents, etc as menus rather than links. Excuses aside, I stand by my ascertion that the Start menu is awkward, clumsy, and will fail to please many of those who missed it so desperately in Windows 8.

One of the finest new additions to the Start menu is the permanent power buttons. It’s now much easier and natural to restart and shut down. But overall, the Start menu disappoints, and this sets something of a trend for Windows 10.

More new features

I've already talked about the Command Prompt where there are number of 'experimental' features to play with. It's interesting that such an old feature of Windows is not only still present, but that it has received such attention. With the ability to copy and paste, new window resizing and transparency options, and more besides, it could almost be argued that the Command Prompt has been given more of a makeover than the Start menu. More Microsoft weirdness.

Lots of attention has been lavished on the Command Prompt for some reason

Talking of weirdness, let's look in the taskbar. Next to the Start button, there are two new buttons, the first of which features a magnifying glass. No prizes for guessing that this is a search tool. A dedicated search button. In the taskbar. Forget the fact that whether you are using the Start screen or the Start menu and you could just hit the Windows keys to 'Search everywhere', Microsoft felt the need to add another way to access search. One that is not only right next to the Start button but also cannot be removed or even moved. Don’t like the search button? Tough. You're stuck with it. It will just sit there, glaring at you as it wastes space.

Close, but no cigar

Of slightly more use is the Task View button. On the face of it this is little more than an Alt-tab style task switcher (which it is), but it also gives you access to one of the biggest features of Windows 10 -- virtual desktops.

Virtual desktops -- they're here, but they feel rushed

Virtual desktops have been around for a long time as third party add-ons for Windows, and Microsoft has finally cottoned on to the idea that people find them useful. So now you can set up one desktop for folders and another for apps. Or you can set one for personal and one for business. And so on. At this stage, it's a basic tool. Switching between desktops is a little awkward. You can use keyboard shortcuts or the dedicated Task View button. But there's no overview icon visible at all times that lets you know how many desktops you've set up, or lets you quickly jump to a particular desktop that houses a particular window. It feels like a token effort. Microsoft decided the virtual desktops were needed. Bugger it… that'll do.

Cleaning windows

It looks as if Windows 10 borrows from OS X in a number of areas. This is no bad thing, and contributes partly to the operating system feeling just that little bit nicer than Windows 8 -- although it's hard to say just why it does. Little touches such as tweaks to window shadows, coupled with a slightly more muted palette, give a more professional look to things.

Windows 10 feels neater and snappier than Windows 8

Managing the arrangement of windows has been made a little easier with simple changes to snapping. The screen is now divided up in to four quadrants rather than the previous two panes and this is something that will prove particularly useful on larger monitors.

I've made no secret of the fact that I'm not a fan of Modern apps. I hate, loathe, detest, and abhor them. But if you do feel inclined to use them -- and the Store app is one that just about everyone will have to visit at some point -- there is a slightly less jarring experience. Modern apps can be run in windowed mode, expanding on the ideas brought into Windows 8.1 Update, and allowing for windows to be resized just like any other. A small touch, but one that is likely to please.

Redefined direction

The decision to put such a focus on the touch capabilities of Windows 8 was a mistake. While touch devices are increasingly popular, non-touch computers are still very much the norm. In bringing the desktop back into sharper focus, we see Microsoft admitting that it jumped the gun and tried to push users into a new way of working too quickly. But if Windows 8 was too much of a departure from the norm, Windows 10 sees Microsoft treading water. Yes, this is an early build, but we can’t pretend that Microsoft hasn’t been working on this for quite some time. The company knows that people are expecting something great and, at the moment, Windows 10 is not great. It's OK, but it's certainly not great.

It's fair to say that Microsoft is pitching Windows 10 at Windows 7 users who did not see the point in jumping to Windows 8. Despite protestations to the contrary, this is not a ground-breaking operating system. It's better than Windows 8.x, that's for sure, and there is rather less of jarring jump for anyone who is making the move from Windows 7. It is difficult to understand quite why the Windows 9 moniker was skipped. The decision to just miss out a version number is obviously going to raise questions, and Microsoft has itself implied that this is just too big a release to have a single digital number increase. Is this justified? At this stage, it's a resounding no. There's nothing particularly wrong with Windows 10, but it's not mind-blowing by any stretch of the imagination.

Rather than wheeling in a raft of new features, Microsoft has chosen to focus on making refinements to what was already there while ushering in a couple of headline-grabbers. Far from justifying a jump from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 as a name, what we seeing at the moment would just about warrant being called Windows 8.2 or Windows 8.1 Update 2. There have been suggestions that the version number came about simply because of potential confusion if other software performs a search for Windows 9*, but this could almost certainly have been worked around.

Of course the comeback to any criticism levelled at Windows 10 is that it is the Technical Preview. Windows 10 will not be released until the second half of 2015, which means we could still have a year to wait -- and an awful lot can happen in 12 months. We're already at build number 9841, and it's fairly safe to assume that we're working up to 10,000 to be the final build. Considering Windows 8.1 Update is build number 9600, we've already jumped 241 to get to where we are with the Technical Preview. If 10,000 is the gold number for the Windows 10 gold master, there are only another 159 builds to go. Considering how little has been achieved so far, it's unlikely there will be any major surprises pulled out of the bag.

Baby steps

But Windows 10 is undoubtedly an improvement over Windows 8.x. In many ways it could, maybe should, be seen as what Windows 8 should have been -- or at least what one of the updates should have made it. As there are definite improvements over both Windows 7 and Windows 8, it's difficult to be too hard on what we find in Windows 10 at this stage, but feelings of disappointment and being underwhelmed abound. A switch in focus to the desktop is very welcome, but after spending a few days working with Windows 10, I can't help but feel it's nothing more than a bit of spit and polish, with an element of style over substance thrown in for good measure.

There is no hint of how this will translate into a cross-device operating system. It has been suggested that Windows 10 will be the OS for desktop, laptop, touch, mobile, and console. For now it feels very much like a desktop operating system and it's difficult to see many changes that will be of interest to users of touch driven computers.

It seems obvious to say that this feels like a work in progress, but Microsoft took the decision to make this release public. Considering the number of complaints there have been about Windows 8, we really should have come further by now. Microsoft has had a long time to work on the successor to Windows 8, and this is what it has come up with; it's disappointing to say the least. We need to see a lot of progress over the coming year -- which will require a massive acceleration in development based on what we've seen so far -- or Windows 10 will fall just as flat as Windows 8, and that would be a huge shame.

Keyboard aficionados gain a smattering of new shortcuts in Windows 10

Publié: octobre 4, 2014, 6:13pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Keyboard aficionados gain a smattering of new shortcuts in Windows 10

While Windows 8 tried to switch the focus to touch input, Windows 10 Technical Preview finds Microsoft seeing sense and realizing that most people still labor away with a mouse and keyboard. Diehard keyboard fans are always keen to learn the latest shortcuts, and the same will be true of Windows 10. We've already seen how Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V can be used to copy and paste at the Command Prompt, but there are a few other new shortcuts to learn. These are largely limited to the new features of Windows 10, and as these are slightly thin on the ground, it's little wonder that there aren’t all that many new keyboard shortcuts to add to your repertoire.

In a post on the Windows blog, Microsoft's Senior Marketing Communications Manager and Chief Windows blogger, Brandon LeBlanc reveals a small number of new shortcuts. While there are -- at this stage at least, very few new keyboard shortcuts, many of them are repurposed from previous versions of Windows anyway, while some are reinstated having been lost in Windows 8.

The existing Windows key + direction arrows shortcut has been expanded so that in addition to left and right snapping, the Up and Down buttons can also be used to snap to upper quadrants of the screen. Alt + Tab is singled out, but while it has been redesigned slightly it functions in much the same way as before. Windows 8 users who missed the Windows key + tab keyboard shortcut will be pleased to find that it makes a return. Hit this keyboard combo to call up the task switcher for accessing not only applications and windows, but also virtual desktops.

Speaking of virtual desktops, you can create a new one by hitting Windows key + Ctrl + D, while a swift hammer blow of death can be dealt with a tap of Windows key + Ctrl + F4. For simple navigation between running virtual desktops, Windows key + Ctrl and the direct keys is the combo you need. If you are taken by the new command prompt, Scott Hanselman has a posted a list of all of the new keyboard shortcuts you can use.

Photo credit: Radu Bercan / Shutterstock

FixWin 2 for Windows 8 solves 50+ PC problems

Publié: octobre 4, 2014, 11:34am CEST par Mike Williams

FixWin 2 for Windows 8

The Windows Club has released FixWin 2.0 for Windows 8, a Windows 8/ 8.1-specific edition of its portable PC troubleshooting tool.

As before, the program lists 50+ common problems and symptoms across a range of categories: "File Explorer", "Internet & Connectivity", "Modern UI" and so on.

Choosing a section displays a range of related issues, from "taskbar jumplist is missing" and "thumbnails not showing in File Explorer" to "cannot connect to internet" and various Windows Store error messages.

Every problem has a "Fix" button, and clicking this should apply a solution.

FixWin 2.0 isn’t always as beginner-friendly as it sounds. The Internet & Connectivity section has an option which reads only "Reset Winsock (Reset Catalog)", for example: we’d guess that many of its target audience won’t have a clear idea of what this involves (we’re not sure about every detail).

The program does at least prompt users to create a restore point before they start, though, which should offer some protection.

But the real benefit here comes in the documentation. Unlike just about every similar tool around, FixWin 2.0 doesn’t hide what it’s doing. The PDF manual lists every Registry key it tweaks, every service it stops/ starts, every DLL it re-registers or folder it deletes.

Scanning the details provides some welcome reassurance about the program’s safety. For the most part it’s not doing anything particularly complex, instead using regular system commands, like "netsh advfirewall reset" to reset the firewall, or running WSReset.exe to reset the Windows store.

The manual does include more advanced options, though. Would you know which DLLs need re-registering to repair Windows Defender, for instance? They’re all listed here. Even if you’re not interested in the program, the manual might be worth a look as a sort-of "Windows 8 tips" list.

FixWin 2.0 for Windows 8 is available now. If you’re using Windows Vista/ 7, grab FixWin 1.2 instead.

Best Windows 8 apps this week

Publié: octobre 4, 2014, 11:31am CEST par Martin Brinkmann

One-Hundred and first in a series. Welcome to this week's selection of the best apps and games that were published to Microsoft's Windows Store.

Big news this week was the release of the Windows 10 Technical Preview. It introduces two changes from an apps point of view that are noteworthy. Apps can be run in windows now and the Start menu displays live tiles.

The week has been rather slow in terms of new apps and games. The app of the week is Dragon Revenge, a fantastic action game in which you take control of a dragon to burn, plunder and punish humans for taking away your gold.

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

This week's selection of apps and games that have been discounted by at least 50 percent.

ilomilo plus, an action game for $2.49.
Myth Defense 2 DF, a tower defense game for $1.49.
House of 1,000 Doors 2, an adventure game for $0.99.
Share to Speech, text to speech application for $1.99.
Supermarket Mania 2 HD (Full), simulation game for $2.99.
Swingworm, an action game for $0.99

App of the week

Dragon Revenge

dragon-revenge

Dragon Revenge is a beautiful game. Play as one of three dragons and exact your revenge on humans who have stolen your gold.

Use your flame breath to burn down settlements and attack human defenders to take back your treasure.

Upgrades are available to improve the dragon's health or fire damage, or add new abilities (such as throwing large rocks from the sky) to the dragon's arsenal.

The first levels act as an introduction but the difficulty level picks up fast from there.

Dragon Revenge is a wonderful game for Windows 8.1.

Other apps

Send Anywhere

send-anywhere

Send Anywhere is a popular service that enables you to send files of any size from one device to another.

The Windows 8.1 application provides you with the means to send and receive files directly from the native app.

To do so select the Send or Receive option in the apps' interface. If you select send, you are free to add as many files or folders as you like.

A key is generated when you do so which you can enter on the web or in one of the official apps to retrieve the files.

The app requires no registration and is free to use.

Monty Python's The Ministry of Silly Walks ($1.29, no free trial)

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The Ministry of Silly Walks is a popular Monty Python sketch about developing silly walks in a British government ministry.

The player's task in the game is to (silly) walk as far as possible in London. It is imperative to avoid obstacles such as mailboxes or pigeons, and collect coins and power ups.

Warlock's Citadel ($3.99, no free trial)

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Warlock's Citadel is a classic action role-playing game with tactical elements.

A princess has been kidnapped and you are the only hero brave enough to enter the dungeon and rescue the damsel in distress.

Play as a warrior, rogue, mage or cleric, or pick a mixed class that you unlock while playing the game.

Use skills and spells to defeat the dungeon's monsters and equip items that you find along the way.

myTube

mytube

The popular Windows Phone application myTube has not seen an official release yet. It is however available as a beta app that interested users can download and install manually on the system.

Note: This is a beta app that is about 70 percent complete at the time of writing. It is not recommended to install it on a main system.

Download the beta app with a click on this link,
Extract the contents of the archive to your system.
Right-click on Add-AppDevPackage.ps1 and select "Run in PowerShell".
Follow the prompts that pop up. If you are asked to register for a developer license use your Microsoft Account to do so.

The core functionality works as far as I can tell. You can browse categories or use the search, view videos in full screen, read YouTube comments or sign-in and access your subscriptions and other personalized data.

Lightweight Twitter client Tweetz Desktop goes open source

Publié: octobre 4, 2014, 12:36am CEST par Mike Williams

Tweetz

Developer Mike Ward has announced that his lightweight Windows 7+ Twitter client Tweetz Desktop is now open source.

The program is essentially a desktop gadget, a simple tool with various timeline views, optional audio alerts for updates, a search tool and a compose window where you can drag and drop images and shorten links.

If you’re interested in the WPF code then it’s now available on GitHub.

If you’re just looking for a simple Twitter client then Tweetz Desktop can still be downloaded from the developer’s site, at least for the moment.

On balance this seems like good news to us. You can install the program without any adware hassles, and while it’s basic right now, there’s a chance others will add more features in future.

Ward is also the developer behind Desk Drive, a neat tool which adds an icon to your system tray whenever you insert a removable drive (just click it to open Explorer at the right location).

He says that Desk Drive will remain closed source because "it still brings in some mad money through the installer", but this "will eventually taper off and when it does it will also be open sourced".

In a terrifying future, Facebook could venture into healthcare

Publié: octobre 3, 2014, 8:57pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Healthcare

Facebook gets bashed about privacy concerns, its real name policy, and the proliferation of ads that litter the social network. It's easy to complain about who has access to your photos and status updates, but how would you feel about handing over your private health details to Zuckerberg's baby?

In a move that will strike fear into users of the social network, Facebook is apparently considering branching out into healthcare by providing what are being described as "support communities". The news comes from Reuters which quotes three sources who requested anonymity.

Turning healthcare into a product would be an interesting move for Facebook, and it's one that is likely to get a mixed reception. On one hand the idea of support communities in which sufferers are able to connect with others in a similar position seems like it could be extremely useful. But on the other, Facebook's checkered privacy history means that many people whom the services might be aimed at would think twice, nay thrice, before handing over even more personal information than they already have.

Would-be users of such a service may have fears calmed slightly by Facebook's very recent softening of its real names policy, but there is a big difference between Facebook-run support pages, and the user-run pages that currently exist. The anonymous source suggests that in addition to the support communities, Facebook is also interested in helping people to improve their lifestyle through "preventative care" applications. If this comes to fruition, the privacy and sharing features of such applications will be what makes or breaks the idea. When it comes to healthcare, privacy is of the utmost importance, and there would be obvious concerns about the influence advertisers could have, and the access they might be given to information.

One possible reason for Facebook's apparent sudden interest in healthcare is the surge in organ donation registrations that followed an initiative back in 2012. Facebook's "organ-donor status" program saw organ donor registration soar by 21 times the usual numbers. Facebook has refused to comment on its future plans, it is not clear whether future health services would be a feature of the Facebook website, or would appear under a completely different name -- much like Instagram. But the real clincher is likely to be the policy adopted with regard to anonymity. Just as the sources for the Reuters' story requested that their names be withheld, people looking for information and support with serious conditions are likely to want the assurance of being able to use a pseudonym to protect their identity.

Photo Credit: Gajus / Shutterstock

Microsoft brings full song lyrics to Bing search results

Publié: octobre 3, 2014, 7:09pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

singmanshower

Believe it or not, I am not the life of the party. Sure, I may seem like a really happening guy, but the truth is, I am quite boring. At a social gathering, I don't really talk or interact, and more often than not, I find myself staring at my smartphone screen in the corner alone. However, there is one thing that gets me going -- karaoke!

Yes, me and many other folks love singing like a fool in front of both strangers and friends. However, unlike many people, I don't drink alcohol before doing it. I even love signing alone at home; if you stand outside my bathroom door, you will hear quite the riveting renditions of Man! I Feel Like a Woman! by Shania Twain or Do You Really Want to Hurt Me by Culture Club when I'm in the shower. Today, Microsoft makes my love for singing easier, by bringing full song lyrics to Bing results.

"Bing has launched a new Lyrics experience that enables you to view full lyrics for your favorite song on the mainline search results page, without having to click through to a third party site or spend time figuring out which blue link on the page will yield good quality lyrics", says The Big Team.

The team further explains, "you can also view the artist, album and other song related information on the snapshot alongside the main search results. We're starting out with over half a million songs, and we expect that list to grow in the coming weeks. So the next time you want to sing along let Bing be your guide".

I decided to try it myself, and sure enough, as seen below, it worked great:

Bing

What are your favorite songs to sing at karaoke or in the shower? Tell me me in the comments.

Photo credit: Di Studio / Shutterstock

Flashback Friday: How two university dropouts created Microsoft

Publié: octobre 3, 2014, 6:30pm CEST par Aatif Sulleyman

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Bill Gates is a legendary figure, and not just in the world of technology. With countless awards and titles attached to his name, he has over the years been consistently recognized as one of the world's wealthiest, most powerful and most influential individuals. Also, anybody who can call themselves a 'philanthropist' in today's world has, more often than not, probably achieved something pretty grand.

However, back in the day, Gates was merely a university dropout with a thirst for hacking computer systems. True, the university was Harvard, but Gates wasn't exactly on course to becoming the multi-billionaire entrepreneur he is today.

As a schoolboy, he and his friend Paul Allen (who was three years his senior) were a pair of whipper-snapping computer geeks, in an age where computers were pretty difficult to come by. According to Microsoft's website, the "two young computer enthusiasts ...[saw] that personal computing [was] a path to the future". If you believe that the storyline was so straightforward, you'll probably also think that the NSA does indeed have our best interests at heart or that the latest iPhone is indeed the best mobile the world has ever seen.

The duo grew up in Seattle and created their first joint-venture in 1972, called Traf-O-Data, which was used for tracking and analyzing traffic. The system was so effective that they even managed to sell a computer to the City of Seattle.

Upon leaving school, Gates and Allen tried to go down the route of most school-leavers: Allen went off to study computer science at the University of Washington and Gates opted for law. Both dropped out of their respective courses, with Allen getting a job at Honeywell in Boston so that he could be closer to his friend (who was still at Harvard at the time). This, however, is when things really started to come together. Believe it or not, Allen and Gates were inspired by an article in a magazine.

After the former showed the latter a piece about Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems' (MITS) Altair 8800 microcomputer in a January 1975 edition of 'Popular Electronics' magazine, the two friends cooked up a plan. Gates rang MITS, saying that Allen and himself would develop a version of the BASIC programming language. Needless to say, MITS was interested and, within eight weeks, Gates and Allen had achieved their goal.

After the pair successfully demonstrated the product to MITS in Albuquerque, the company agreed to start distributing it under the Altair BASIC name. Allen and Gates proceeded to move from Boston to Albuquerque and co-founded an organization called 'Micro-Soft' on 4 April 1975. Where exactly the name came from is a disputed matter.

It is common knowledge that 'Micro' was taken from 'microcomputer' and 'Soft' came from 'software', but whether Gates or Allen conjured up the name is a little bit murky. The most prevalent theory, at least as far as the Internet is concerned, is that of Gates referring to his partnership with Allen as 'Micro-Soft' in a July 1975 letter.

However, this story was debunked by Allen and Gates themselves in a 1995 interview. The duo told Fortune magazine:

Gates: When we signed that first contract with MITS, we referred to ourselves as 'Paul Allen and Bill Gates doing business as Micro-Soft'. I don't remember why we spelled it with a hyphen and a capital 'S'. We put a credit line in the source code of our first product that said, "Micro-Soft BASIC: Bill Gates wrote a lot of stuff; Paul Allen wrote some other stuff." We never officially incorporated until 1981.

Allen: We had talked about a lot of different names back in Boston, and at some point I said, "Well, the totally obvious name would be Microsoft".

Gates: We also had mentioned names like Outcorporated Inc. and Unlimited Ltd., but we were, you know, joking around. We talked a lot about whether we should call it Allen & Gates, but decided that was not a good idea.

Allen: Yeah. Because companies like DEC and IBM weren't named after personalities, they would have a longevity and identity way beyond the founders...

Gates: ...and it seemed like a law firm or like a consulting company to call it Allen & Gates. So we picked Microsoft even before we had a company to name.

microsoft_logo_evolution_contenthalfwidth The company name (complete with hyphen), was registered with the Secretary of State of New Mexico by late November 1976. The following year, Micro-Soft opened its first international office in Japan, and in 1979, it moved its headquarters to Bellevue, Washington, since top programmers were generally unwilling to relocate to Albuquerque.

On 25 June 1981, the company became an incorporated business and changed its name to 'Microsoft Corporation Inc'. It's been through some drastic changes in the 30-odd years since -- Allen was unfortunately diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1982 and has left the company, Gates has taken a backseat role, Steve Ballmer (who Gates met at Harvard) has been and gone and Satya Nadella is now making his mark -- but has established itself as one of the most important companies in the world.

I wonder if Allen & Gates would ever have made it so big?

Windows 10: Command Prompt's experimental new features are genuinely useful

Publié: octobre 3, 2014, 5:49pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Command Prompt's experimental new features are genuinely useful

With the release of Windows 10 Technical Preview you would think that the time would be to look forward rather than backwards. It's a time to embrace the new and exciting, but it's hard not to look back and draw comparisons.

With Windows 10, initial impressions suggest that there may not really have been a need to skip over Windows 9 -- there are no massive surprises to be found. But there are some interesting changes to be discovered in the most surprising of places. In looking backwards, it's hard not to bring MS-DOS to mind, along with its slightly more modern version, the Command Prompt. Forget the redesigned Start menu, virtual desktops and everything else, the Command Prompt is where it's all happening, kids!

Fire up the Command Prompt in Windows 8 (hit the Windows key and R, and then type cmd before pressing Enter), and you'll find that the window remains stubbornly resistant to resizing. The width of the window can be reduced, but there's no way to make it wider. Even if you maximize the window, you're left with a stupidly narrow workspace. This changes in Windows 10. At long last it is possible to resize the Command Prompt window just like any other -- very handy for when you're typing out lengthy commands.

Experimental features of WIndows 10's Command Prompt

Copying and pasting is one of the most basic functions of an operating system, but it's something that has not been supported by the command prompt. If you've found a lengthy command online that you want to try, using Ctrl+C followed by Ctrl+V seems like the sensible thing to do. In Windows 8, rather than giving you the desired command, you'll find that this simply results in ^V appearing at the Command Prompt. In Windows 10, you can copy and paste just like you would with other apps. It just works as it should do. Typos should be all but eliminated!

There's another interesting feature to experiment with -- and, appropriately enough, it can be found in the Experimental settings section. You can adjust the transparency of the Command Prompt window. Right-click the Command Prompt window's title bar, select Properties, and then move to the Experimental tab. Move the Opacity slider to the left to increase the transparency level, and hit OK to apply the setting. This new option provides a handy way of keeping an eye on what’s going on in the background without having to keep minimizing the windows -- and it's especially useful when you've enlarged the Command Prompt window.

Presumably these features are only classed as "experimental" during the Technical Preview phase, so we'll have to see how many of them make it into the final build, and where they will be accessed. With a new windows transparency setting, it will also be interesting to see if Microsoft decides to make this option available to other applications.

Photo credit: Sergii Korolko / Shutterstock

Majority of businesses are not confident about their data security

Publié: octobre 3, 2014, 5:26pm CEST par Darren Allan

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A new piece of research from SafeNet has pointed out some worrying aspects regarding business security, including the fact that the majority of organizations -- some 60 percent of them -- are not confident that their data would be secure if a hacker was to get past their network's perimeter security.

While 74 percent of the thousand IT decision makers questioned said they believed their perimeter security was effective at keeping threats at bay, 41 percent believed that unauthorized users are able to access their networks, figures which don't quite marry up.

44 percent said their company firewall had been breached, or they weren't sure if it had, which isn't exactly a comforting state of affairs.

The upshot of all this is, SafeNet notes, that while businesses are investing IT budgets in perimeter security and the front line of keeping the bad guys out -- 93 percent said their company's investment in perimeter security had stayed the same or increased -- they do so at the expense of defense in depth strategies, and measures like data encryption to ensure that if there is a breach, damage is minimized.

Two-thirds of those surveyed said they would not decrease spending on network perimeter defenses, in favor of other security measures which could give more breadth. When asked to get rid of one way in which sensitive data is protected, most respondents said they'd ditch anomaly detection (49 percent), or data encryption (24 percent), with perimeter security being held as more important (only 15 percent).

It's not too surprising, then, that the majority aren't confident about data security should an attacker get past those hallowed perimeter defenses.

Indeed, a quarter of those surveyed admitted that they wouldn't trust their own personal data to be present on their company network, a telling statistic.

Tsion Gonen, chief strategy officer, SafeNet, commented: "The research findings reveal some interesting contradictions between the perception and the reality of data security. What's worrying is that so many organizations are still putting all of their eggs in one basket when it comes to data security. Perimeter security technologies are just one layer of protection, but too many companies rely on them as the foundation of their data security strategy when, in reality, the perimeter no longer exists".

He continued: "From the sheer volume of data breaches alone, it's clear that if a cybercriminal wants to hack the system or steal data, they will find a way to do so. So companies need to focus on what matters most -- protecting the data. That means building more intelligent security strategies and using defense-in-depth with multi-factor authentication and placing security directly on the data with encryption".

Carbon Copy Cloner 4 makes Mac cloning and imaging easier than ever

Publié: octobre 3, 2014, 4:15pm CEST par Nick Peers

Carbon Copy Cloner 4

Bombich Software has unveiled Carbon Copy Cloner 4.0 for Mac, which it describes as "our biggest update ever". The new build now requires OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) or later.

After 18 months of development, in which Bombich "tore CCC down to studs and completely rebuilt it on top of modern OS X facilities", the new version boasts a brand new user interface, plus a host of new features, including the ability to edit scheduled tasks and a menu bar app.

The brand new user interface aims to simplify the task of cloning and drive imaging while retaining both the look and feel of previous builds while retaining all previous functionality.

The program provides an optional sidebar that allows all key program features -- Disk Center, Scheduled Tasks and Cloning Console -- to be integrated into a single window. Users can select source and destination by dragging disks from the left-hand sidebar or by clicking the appropriate button and choosing from the drop-down menu, where they’ll also find disk imaging options in addition to cloning tools.

A new simple interface mode makes it possible to clone a disk with just three clicks: Source, Destination and Clone. More advanced options are just a click away, however, providing access to all previously available options.

Carbon Copy Cloner 4.0 also adds a number of new features, starting with Task Chaining, which allows users to group multiple tasks together to form more complex backup routines.

A new Task History window provides users with a summary of recently run tasks, including whether or not they were successful. Select one for more details including advice for those tasks that failed due to errors.

The app also adds a new menu bar app for easy access and configuration, plus introduces one-time authentication for administrative users, meaning they’ll no longer be prompted for their password each time a task is run.

A new Task Migration Assistant has been added to help migrate tasks from previous versions of the program, while email notifications have been updated to allow email account settings to be configured just once and then used across multiple tasks. Users also gain new options for customizing their notifications.

Task Scheduling has also been improved: users can now edit scheduled tasks, while a wider range of scheduling options are available, such as limiting tasks to only running on weekdays or weekends. Laptop users will also be pleased to learn that tasks will no longer begin by default when the laptop is running on battery power.

The Disk Center has been updated to provide more useful information, while the SafetyNet feature has also been improved – this creates a bootable clone of the hard drive and also keeps copies of recently deleted and changed files.

Carbon Copy Cloner 4.0 is available now as a 30-day trial download for Macs running OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) or later. The full version can be purchased for $39.99, while registered version 3 users can upgrade for $19.99 by downloading and installing the new build over the top of the existing version (upgrades are free if a license was purchased after June 2).

Roman goblet used to boost optical storage

Publié: octobre 3, 2014, 2:43pm CEST par Claire Woffenden

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Ancient Roman glassware housed in the British Museum is at the heart of new research into expanding the storage capabilities of optical storage devices.

The Lycurgus cup, a goblet made in the 4th century during the Roman Empire, incorporates gold-silver alloyed nanoparticles into glass and changes color from green to red when light passes through it.

Ever since researchers discovered its properties in the 1990s, the cup has been the inspiration for innovative applications of nanotechnology. The latest research from a team at Cambridge University mimics its color effects to form multi-color holograms containing 16 million nanoparticles per square millimeter, which they say could pave the way for smaller optical devices.

According to the researchers, holograms made of tiny particles of silver could double the amount of information that can be stored in digital optical devices, such as sensors, displays and medical imaging devices. Interference caused by the light interacting with the nanoparticles lets the holograms go beyond the normal limits of diffraction, or the way in which waves spread or bend when they encounter an opening or obstacle.

"This technology will lead to a new range of applications in the area of photonics, as conventional optical components simply cannot achieve this kind of functionality," said Yunuen Montelongo, a PhD student from the Department of Engineering at Cambridge.

"The potential of this technology will be realized when they are mass produced and integrated into the next generation of ultra-thin consumer electronics".

The Cambridge researchers say they are also exploring various optical mechanisms involved in the light-matter interaction at nanoscale and that future research will involve the construction of 3D dynamic displays for consumer electronics.

Image Credit: Yunuen Montelongo

Kill the Start menu and get the Start screen back in Windows 10

Publié: octobre 3, 2014, 2:43pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Kill the Start menu and get the start screen back in Windows 10

Since the arrival of Windows 8 there has been a lot of huffing and puffing about the Start screen. Some people love it, but a lot of people yearn for the return of the Start menu. With Windows 10, this is now a reality. If you grab yourself a copy of the Technical Preview you can experience the all-new Start menu for yourself, but you may find that it's not for you.

If you find that you actually miss the Start screen from Windows 8, it's very easy to get it back -- you just need to know where to look.

Getting what you ask for doesn’t always work out as expected, and the new implementation of the Start menu may just not be for you. To get things back to the way they were in Windows 8.x, right-click an empty section of the taskbar and select Properties.

Move to the Start Menu tab and uncheck the box at the top of the window that's labeled "Use the Start menu instead of the Start screen".

Enable the Start screen in Windows 10

Click OK and you'll be prompted to log out of your account to put the new setting in place. Make sure that you've saved any open documents and hit the "Sign out and change settings" button.

Log out to implement changes

When you next sign into your account, you'll be taken to the desktop just as before, but when you hit the Start button, it's the Start screen that will appear rather than the Start menu. Just as in Windows 8.1, you can opt to boot straight to the Start screen if you prefer.

Back to its former glory -- the Start screen in Windows 10

Right-click the taskbar and select Properties before jumping to the Navigation tab. Uncheck the box labeled "When I sign in or close all applications on a screen, go to the desktop instead of Start" and then hit OK.

Job done... Windows 10 in Windows 8 mode!

Logitech reveals the M320 -- a beautiful, battery saving wireless mouse

Publié: octobre 3, 2014, 2:39pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

logitech-m320 Wireless mice are a dime-a-dozen these days, with new ones from all sorts of manufacturers coming along all the time. But when Logitech releases one then notice must be taken, as it and Microsoft are two of the premiere mouse makers on the market.

Today the company announces its latest offering, the M320 wireless mouse, which it touts as both comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. The new peripheral has a lot to be excited about, even if it's just a mouse, or at least that's what the company promises.

Logitech claims the curved design is for a perfect fit in the hand, the optical sensor provides precision, soft rubber grips and a wide scroll wheel to help users navigate better. There is also a wide range of compatibility, with Windows, OS X, Chrome and Linux operating systems all included.

"Thanks to our advanced energy-efficient engineering and the fact that the mouse automatically puts itself to sleep when you are not using it, you can go longer between battery changes. Plus, the Nano receiver gives you the reliability of a cord and the convenience of wireless freedom. With the modern design and several color options, including blue, red, black and gray, this mouse easily fits neatly into any workspace", Logitech says.

Pricing and release date are not mentioned and it seems the product is not yet available on the site, but likely it will be very soon, if not today.

Update: The mouse is now available and come in a choice of four different colors. It is retailing for $29.99 and you get the details by visiting Logitech.

BlackBerry Passport: It's not so hip to be square [Review]

Publié: octobre 3, 2014, 1:07pm CEST par Sandra Vogel

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The BlackBerry Passport is huge by phone standards at 128 x 90mm and 9.3mm thick. It really is the same size as a passport -- and BlackBerry says it was inspired by the passport, which it calls the 'universal symbol of mobility'. Bless. Are there stranger reasons for naming a handset? Did BlackBerry fiddle with the sizing to make it so? Answers on a postcard please...

Design-wise, the BlackBerry Passport looks and feels like a quality piece of kit. It is solidly made, and both its size and robust shell help explain its weight -- 196 grams doesn't sit lightly in the pocket.

The handset houses a huge square screen that measures 4.5in across diagonal corners -- 81mm wide x 81mm tall. In phone terms this is a vast area for viewing content. BlackBerry says this is a gift for mobile professionals who need to read and edit documents, do email, look at websites, read maps and so on.

Certainly the 1,440 x 1,440 pixel resolution, which delivers a massive 453ppi pixel density, is sharp and clear, and I found it an absolute pleasure to read text and work with emails.

However, for more consumer-focused tasks it is less satisfying. YouTube video, for example, is squished somewhat to fit into the 1:1 aspect ratio of the screen.

There's a little bit of geekery here in that you can navigate the screen by stroking the keyboard. This works well enough, though so does a more conventional sweep of the screen itself.

The keyboard holds its own surprises. The three QWERTY rows are augmented when needed by further touch-responsive rows offering a number row, predictive text, or in some cases a full blown set of extras including punctuation marks.

The keys themselves are comfy to use, though they do require two hands all the time. There's also a lot that's hidden from view. Why lift a finger from the keyboard to tap a predicted word when all you have to do is flick up towards it for the word to be inserted in your text?

BlackBerry was always hot on keyboard shortcuts and there are plenty here. Hold down a key to capitalize the letter, double press the spacebar to end a sentence, and there's lots more. There is a learning curve, but typing can be really fast once you are in control.

This is all pretty quirky, and there are definite pros and cons. I found the bigger screen really useful for browsing and writing email, and I got on okay with the keyboard, both for typing and for touch-controls.

But it is impossible to use the Passport one-handed. You need two hands to type, two hands to reach across the screen. Even getting to the right side mounted volume buttons and quick launch for Assistant (see later) will be a stretch for some with one hand. And I found the Passport a complete beast to carry around. I rarely had a large enough pocket, so it lounged in my backpack most of the time, and it was therefore further away than a pocketed handset. No doubt city gents with large-pocketed suits will fare better.

BlackBerry OS has been updated to version 10.3, and while there are some additions to the previous version, the look and feel is very similar. Upgrading BlackBerry fans should not find it difficult to acclimatize.

BlackBerry Hub, for example, is a carryover from earlier versions of the OS. This brings notifications of email, Twitter, SMS and other communications together in one place. I've found it an acquired taste in the past, but business users may warm to its unified approach to comms.

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New features for BlackBerry OS 10.3 include BlackBerry Assistant, BlackBerry Blend and Amazon Appstore installed by default. The Amazon Appstore provides access to a cut down version of the Play store, and is a welcome addition over and above the small BlackBerry World store. It's not Google Play, but it is better than a slap in the face with a wet kipper.

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BlackBerry Assistant is a voice activated assistant which responds to both written and spoken queries. If you type it gives a written response, if you speak it talks back. Assistant searches both on and off device, and it is one of my favorite features of BlackBerry OS 10.3. If you want to send an email to Bob just run the Assistant by long pressing that side key, say 'email Bob' and you are off.

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BlackBerry Blend is designed to let professionals get to files such as documents that are stored on different devices. I couldn't test this, and it is clearly designed for BlackBerry's bigger corporate customers using BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES).

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BlackBerry used to be known for stinting on its camera, but here there's a 13 megapixel main shooter with flash and a 2 megapixel front camera. You can fiddle with the aspect ratio and plump for 4:3, 16:9 or 1:1 -- the latter making use of the square nature of the screen. There's built in photo editing too. That sounds promising, but photos can be on the wishy-washy side.

There's nothing wrong with the speed and efficiency of the BlackBerry Passport. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor supported by 3GB of RAM whizzed along during testing. There's 32GB of built-in storage, of which 7.2GB is used by the operating system and sundries. You can add a microSD card, and this and your nanoSIM sit under a small removable back cover. Battery life is a stunner too – one side effect of the large chassis is plenty of space for a 3450mAh battery. I got two days of life with ease.

Verdict

BlackBerry has given itself an uphill struggle in producing a handset which so squarely (pardon the pun) bucks the handset trend, and in deciding to support Android but not the full Play store. Great battery life, an undeniably good screen and BlackBerry Blend may be enough to sway some business users, but the pull for non-professionals is more difficult to understand.

Good Points

Great screen
Smart keyboard with useful shortcuts
Android app support

Bad Points

Too quirky for many people
Overly large
Well established competitors

Specifications

Manufacturer and Model	BlackBerry Passport
Network	4G
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 2.2GHz quad-core
Ram	3GB
Memory	32GB (24.8GB accessible)
Memory expansion	microSD
Display	4.5in, 1,440 x 1,440, 453ppi
Main camera	13 megapixel
Front camera	2 megapixel
NFC	Yes
Wi-Fi	Yes
GPS	Yes
FM radio	No
Battery	3,450 mAh
Size	90.3 x 9.3 x 128mm (WxDxH)
Weight	196g
OS	BlackBerry OS 10.3

Shellshock -- we ain't seen nothing yet

Publié: octobre 3, 2014, 12:35pm CEST par Ian Barker

Security attack

It's now just over a week since news of the Shellshock bug broke and analysts are still trying to work out just how much of an impact it could have.

Security specialist Incapsula has been tracking the vulnerability to get an idea of its magnitude, looking at the number of sites attacked and the damage caused.

The company says it has so far stopped 310,928 exploit attempts, an average of over 1,800 per hour. A spike in attacks over 27/28 September it says was partly down to attackers moving quickly and partly to businesses testing their own vulnerability.

Of the total traffic around 94 percent was some form of attack in the form of scans, server hijack attempts and DDoS malware seeding. Writing on the Incapsula blog co-founder Marc Gaffan says, "The highjack attempts were the most immediately troubling, comprising about 20 percent of the total. Scans and DDoS malware seeding made up the remaining 70 percent or so. To answer the question of how dangerous the vulnerability is, my experience leads me to believe that this may well be the calm before the storm. This appears as if a lot of criminals are setting the stage for future attacks".

These figures are based on Incapsula's sample of 100,000 websites. If its hourly figure for attacks is extrapolated over the entire web that’s potentially 1.3 billion attacks carried out over the first weekend of the vulnerability.

Gaffan warns, "The sheer volume of attacks and the types of planning Incapsula is seeing -- scans, backdoor insertions, and DDoS groundwork -- on such a large scale means that companies need to work now to fix their vulnerabilities". He goes on to say that the real fallout may still be to come from the numbers of machines that have already been compromised.

The bottom line is that businesses need to stay alert, patch systems and not assume that the danger has passed. You can read more and download the latest threat landscape report on Incapsula's website.

Image Credit: Jirsak/Shutterstock

Windows 10 Technical Preview for ARM tablets, smartphones will only come next year

Publié: octobre 3, 2014, 12:33pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Windows 10

When Microsoft took the wraps off Windows 10, the software giant informed us that its latest operating system, which officially launches next year, will run on all sorts of devices, including PCs, smartphones and tablets, and feature a unified app store. Both are firsts, as, so far, there was a Windows to suit everything: one for ARM tablets, one for PCs, one for embedded devices, one for smartphones and so on. Of course, the Server editions will not go away, but that's to be expected.

As a Windows Phone user and watcher, I am particularly interested in seeing Windows 10 in action on smartphones. Microsoft has talked quite a lot about what the new operating system brings on PCs and tablets -- it even released a Technical Preview build for x86 devices -- but kept quiet about its plans for smartphones. Well, that has changed, thanks to Joe Belfiore, the software giant's Operating Systems Group corporate vice president (better known as the head of Windows Phone).

Answering fan questions, Belfiore has revealed on Twitter that Windows 10 Technical Preview will be available for ARM-based devices -- that would be tablets and smartphones, as far as most of us are concerned -- "well into 2015". It is not particularly great news, I know. Microsoft has apparently decided to make the preview build a PC-only affair -- as it is only for x86 devices, as I just mentioned -- in order to "get enterprise/corporate feedback" as quickly as possible; it is the exception to the rule, if you will, as most other types of devices will be getting it later, next year.

It makes sense to give businesses an early look at Windows 10, as quite a lot of them are still running Windows 7 and Windows XP. Getting companies to like the new operating system early is sure to give Microsoft a better chance at upgrading its business customers to Windows 10, assuming its clients like what they're seeing -- by the looks of it, the new operating system has what it takes. The PC version -- because Windows 10, despite its name, will be far different on PCs compared to smartphones -- is much more complex, so it could also use much more testing than the smartphone release, which is more tightly controlled.

What Belfiore's answers, coupled with the lengthy public testing associated with new Windows releases, also tell us is that Windows 10 will not launch anytime soon in 2015. Well into next year suggests a mid 2015 availability, at the earliest, for Windows 10 Technical Preview for ARM-based devices, and an even later release date for the final bits of code. Who knows, it might even be possible to see Windows 10 launching in 2016, or very, very late-2015 at the earliest. Microsoft should really clear this up.

Ransomware is an increasing security concern for IT professionals

Publié: octobre 3, 2014, 12:09pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Ransomware is an increasing security concern for IT professionals

There are always plenty of security concerns causing furrowed brows of IT professionals, but a survey shows that it is ransomware that is causing the biggest headaches at the moment. A survey carried out by Spiceworks and published by Webroot found that 88 percent of professionals had concerns about ransomware, while one third of those questioned had dealt with a ransomware attack first hand. By far the most common strategy for dealing with a device that has been maliciously encrypted is to simply wipe it.

Two-thirds expect the number of attacks to increase in the next year which is particularly concerning when you consider that two thirds of IT professionals know someone who has been affected by ransomware. Despite the threat and attempts to thwart the flow of ransomware with filtering, firewalls, and email scanning, just 44 percent believe their current security set up is "somewhat effective".

Faced with a device that is encrypted by malware and held to ransom, 9 percent of those surveyed would attempt to crack the encryption themselves, while 22 percent would call in encryption experts. The importance of backing up does not seem to have filtered through to the hundreds of people questioned by Spiceworks; while 82 percent of IT professional affected by ransomware would wipe the device in question, just 19 percent would restore data from a backup.

It should come as no surprise that the internet is one of the most common sources of this type of malware, but email and social networks also feature high on the list. A worryingly small 31 percent of IT admins have a specific strategy in place for dealing with ransomware attacks.

INFOGRAPHIC - Webroot - Ransomware Threats Raise Concern among I

How to use virtual desktops in Windows 10

Publié: octobre 3, 2014, 9:27am CEST par Wayne Williams

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While most people will be talking about the return of the Start menu in the next version of Microsoft’s operating system -- and with good reason -- it’s not the only big change in Windows 10.

Windows 8 proved to be something of a productivity killer for many people, but Microsoft is once again catering to the needs of power users, and has finally introduced a feature that has been offered in Linux for many years -- the virtual desktop.

Unless you have a multi-monitor setup it can be easy to run out of screen space. For that reason, Windows 10 provides multiple desktops that you can work in and quickly switch between.

To use this feature, just click the new Task View button on the taskbar. This is located between search and Internet Explorer.

To add a new desktop, all you need to do is click the Plus sign. You create multiple desktops, and switching between them is just a matter of clicking the Task View button again and moving your mouse over the thumbnail of the one you want. Once the workspace is displayed above, click on it (or click the Task View button again) to start using it.

You can also switch between desktops by pressing Ctrl+Win and tapping the left or right keys.

Moving open apps and windows between desktops is very straightforward. Right-click the window to move (in the desktop switcher screen), select "Move to", and then choose the desktop you want.

To close a virtual desktop, hover your mouse over its thumbnail and click on the X that appears.

desktop2

'Bendgate' continues to haunt Apple

Publié: octobre 3, 2014, 8:30am CEST par Darren Allan

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Apple has done a ton of defensive work to put out the fires of bendgate, the latest (compulsory) scandal which arrived with the iPhone 6, but Cupertino is still feeling the heat over the issue despite its best efforts.

Once mud has been slung, it tends to stick, even though Apple has done everything from giving journalists a grand tour around its phone stress testing lab and the rigorous procedures therein, through to releasing figures that point to only nine complaints over bent iPhone 6 models, and highlighting independent testing that shows the HTC One M8 (with its aluminum body) bends just as much as Apple's smartphone.

Despite this, the laughs at Apple's expense continue, with not just Samsung poking fun at the iPhone 6, but also folks pointing out amusingly placed posters in light of the "scandal", and an enterprising firm which has created a special bendgate case.

The posters were highlighted by The Verge, and consist of several very unfortunately placed iPhone 6 adverts, pasted up on huge billboards which are bent to fit into their environment, and of course therefore display a kinked iPhone. Check out the above image which must have left the Apple PR department none too pleased (see the others at The Verge).

And if giant posters of bent handsets weren't enough, then the iPhone 6 BendGate Case produced by Shapeways (spotted by Metro) is sure to get Apple a little, well, bent out of shape.

The case, which comes in a number of bright colors, is pre-bent to fit your kinked iPhone 6 like a glove -- and Shapeways also notes that "this bumper case fixes the leveling issue caused by the camera lens and gives it protection where it's needed!"

The tongue-in-cheek case is apparently in beta and has been priced at €19.07, or if you have a 3D Printer, you can download the thing and print your own. It's the perfect gift for an Android lover to give their iPhone 6 toting friend...

Image Credit: Tom @taknil

UK phone booths become free solar-powered mobile phone chargers

Publié: octobre 3, 2014, 6:14am CEST par Mark Wilson

UK phone boxes become free solar-powered mobile phone chargers

The red telephone booth is one of the most enduring icons of the UK; but as delightful as their housings may be, the humble payphone has had its day. Coin and card-fed phones are on the verge of being consigned to the history books, while the mobile phone goes from strength to strength. But mobile phones, for all their strength in portability, coverage, and flexibility, have their kryptonite: battery life. In keeping with the environmentally-friendly preference for recycling and reusing rather than trashing, unused phone boxes are being given a new lease on life.

Should you find yourself wandering down London's Tottenham Court Road and notice that your battery is getting a little low, there's a green solution popping up. Phone booths that would have otherwise be left to rack and ruin are being converted into solar-powered charging stations that can be used completely free of charge.

Within the newly-painted boxes -- now a lurid green -- are a series of adaptors to suit a variety of different phones. If your handset needs a boost, just wander in, plug in, and charge up. Few people would be foolish enough to walk away from their phone while they charge, so the company behind the venture, Solarbox, has something of a captive audience to whom to show adverts on a vandal-proof tablet. Advertising comes from the likes of Tinder and Uber, but nearly a third of ad space is reserved for local community projects.

For now there is a single solar-powered phonebox, but more are planned. Five more are currently due to open, with number two expected to be unveiled in January.

Photo credit: Tupungato / Shutterstock

Facebook admits it screwed up, but its proposed research guidelines are meaningless

Publié: octobre 3, 2014, 3:49am CEST par Mark Wilson

Facebook commits to changing its user research techniques

Facebook is no stranger to controversy, nor is the social network unfamiliar with upsetting its users. It seems as though Zuckerberg's baby has been hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons lately, and it's not all that long since users vented their fury after it was revealed that their newsfeeds had been manipulated in the name of research. Now the social network says that it was "unprepared for the reaction the paper received when it was published and have taken to heart the comments and criticism" and is now implementing new user research guidelines.

"There are things we should have done differently" may seem like something of a half-hearted admission that mistakes were made, but it's the second semi-apology from Facebook this week. Research into how people use the social network will still continue, but Facebook now says "we want to do it in the most responsible way." So what does this actually mean?

On the face of it, very little. Although Facebook's Chief Technology Officer, Mike Schroepfer, says that researchers will be given clearer guidelines, details are very thin on the ground. There is a promise that any research that involves looking at "deeply personal" content, or includes the study of particular groups of people, then there will be "an enhanced review process before research can begin". There is absolutely no explanation of what this means, no details of what review process -- if any -- has been used up until now, and who will be responsible for conducting the review. A "panel" has been set up to oversee things, but we don’t know whether it is independent, whether its members were elected to post, and so on.

Facebook also promises that its six-week boot camp program will include education about research practices, but without details this is hollow and meaningless. Research will be published online, but one thing is not made clear -- whether users chosen to take part in research will be notified. It's not clear whether users are able to opt out of research, or if individuals are able to request details of the information that has been gathered about them; this in spite of a general trend for web-based firms to become more transparent.

Schroepfer's post ends with the words, "we want to do this research in a way that honors the trust you put in us by using Facebook every day. We will continue to learn and improve as we work toward this goal." It seems there is still a lot to learn.

Photo credit: 1000 Words / Shutterstock

Pebble smartwatch gets a major update, tracks health and fitness

Publié: octobre 3, 2014, 2:46am CEST par Alan Buckingham

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The smartwatch industry continues to grow with the latest offerings from both Google Android Wear and Apple. But Pebble, a former darling of Kickstarter, got off to a fast start and has been continuing to improve things since its launch.

Now the watch maker is adding yet more features to its offering, giving users access to health and fitness monitoring. Thanks to RunKeeper, there was already a bit of this present, but the latest update brings much more along with it.

"Today, we’re announcing a new area of growth for our ecosystem — health and fitness — and releasing a software update that enables non-stop activity tracking and sleep monitoring (thanks to Pebble’s class-leading multi-day battery life)", says Pebble.

Users will still be able to display whatever watchface they wish, and activity tracking will take place in the background as the day goes on. There is more to it than just that, though.

Added is an updated Misfit app that will track activity all day, and Pebble promises that "Jawbone is launching its own activity tracking watchface for Pebble called UP which shows daily and weekly activity progress and automatically syncs with its new UP app for iOS (and coming to Android soon)".

The company is also expanding availability, making its watches available from locations like Fry's and Sam's Club, with Sprint soon joining the party. In addition, the price has been reduced -- you can grab one in the US for only $99. Many online locations also offer free shipping, so it's a good deal for those in the market.

Facebook rolls out mobile Like button to iOS and Android app developers

Publié: octobre 2, 2014, 10:41pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Facebook rolls out mobile Like button to iOS and Android app developers

As any Facebook user knows, 'liking' content online has become almost second nature. Facebook has Likes, Google+ has +1s, and various other variations exist. But it is Facebook's Like button that reigns supreme -- regardless of the privacy concerns it may raise. Today Facebook is expanding its Like feature so that mobile app developers can take advantage of it. Not just content with giving web users the chance to indicate their approval of a particular Facebook post or online article, it is now possible to 'like' any piece of content within a supported app on iOS and Android.

It's a feature that is likely to be picked up very quickly by game developers, so you can expect to see notifications in the near future letting you know that your Facebook friends like level 118 of Candy Crush Saga. The feature was previewed earlier this year, but is now being made available to any developer who wants to use it. Facebook says:

People using a mobile app can directly Like the app's Facebook Page, or any Open Graph object within the app, and share on Facebook. The mobile Like Button works seamlessly with the Facebook account the person is logged into on their device, allowing people to Like any piece of content, while in your native app.

The news comes after Facebook apologized -- sort of -- to LGBT groups for its heavy-handed enforcement of a real name policy, and this is yet another move by the social network that will be met by disdain and rejoicing in just about equal measure. If the suggestion that players may 'like' individual' levels of games seems a little far-fetched, it is precisely what Facebook suggests as a possible use. Developers may, Facebook proposes, want to display a Like button when a certain stage of a game is reached -- essentially giving gamers a means of bragging about their progress.

It's unlikely that we'll see a sudden raft of Like buttons popping up in apps overnight. Facebook points out that developers "will have to submit your implementation for review via the Status and Review tab in the Dev Tool before the Like Button is live in your mobile app".

Photo credit: Happy Art / Shutterstock

Windows 10: Needed, but business model challenges remain

Publié: octobre 2, 2014, 7:40pm CEST par Sameer Singh

This week, Microsoft unveiled a long-awaited update to its operating system -- officially dubbed, Windows 10. Microsoft says that Windows 10 is an attempt to create a single operating system that works across phones, tablets and PCs, without the compromises that were visible in Windows 8. This is certainly a much needed update that should help them retain their core customer base, but it also doesn't do much to cover up their biggest weaknesses.

First, let's point out the obvious. Microsoft's decision to skip a version number is curious. While Microsoft claims it was because Windows 10 was a "leap" forward, it is clearly an attempt to clear away the hostility faced by Windows 8, especially among enterprise users -- Microsoft's most important customers.

While Windows 8 attempted to fuse two entirely different operating systems (and interaction models) together, Windows 10 seems to select the interaction model most suited to the available hardware. As a result, desktop users (and more importantly, enterprise customers) are no longer forced to deal with a touchscreen interface. It is these customers that Windows 10 is targeted at. This is certainly good news, but it only targets users at the very top of the computing pyramid. Of course, this top tier is defensible as long as the tablet's upmarket mobility remains limited. But lower tiers of computing remain a major challenge for Microsoft.

At lower tiers of the computing pyramid (mainly characterized by consumption, not productivity), Microsoft still faces two major business model challenges. The first is that Microsoft's primary monetization model, software licensing, is no longer feasible. Android has become the de-facto standard for mainstream tablets/smartphones and is available for free. In response, Microsoft made Windows free for devices with screen sizes of nine inches or below. This may seem like an arbitrary cut-off, but it highlights a clear delineation between Microsoft's core and non-core markets (as they see them today). Microsoft has been unsuccessful at monetizing consumer services, so the goal of this move may be more subtle.

My guess is that Microsoft is attempting to subsidize Windows at lower tiers in the hope that it helps defend Windows at higher tiers. The thought is that a Windows phone or tablet user may be more inclined to remain within the Windows ecosystem. This brings us to the second challenge -- Windows doesn't really have a cohesive ecosystem. The app ecosystem Windows phones/tablets is sparse and that limits its appeal to a niche, price-sensitive segment and one that is unlikely to be valuable to Microsoft at higher computing tiers. The ecosystem for a Windows PC consists of very few applications or services that are valuable on a smaller Windows-specific device. As a result, the value of staying "within the Windows ecosystem" across computing tiers is very limited. As of today, these challenges don't pose an existential threat to Microsoft but that may not always be the case. To their credit, Microsoft seems to recognize this. Satya Nadella's emphasis on cross-platform productivity suggests as much.

This story was reposted with permission from tech-thoughts.

Sameer Singh is an M&A professional and business strategy consultant focusing on the mobile technology sector. He is founder and editor of tech-thoughts.net.

Roku learns a new trick -- Introduces Screen Mirroring Beta for Android and Windows

Publié: octobre 2, 2014, 6:36pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

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Wirelessly streaming content from a tablet or laptop to a TV is a really cool thing. I regularly use a Chromecast to watch and listen to media, but there is one problem -- it is limited in that it cannot function on its own. A device like the new Microsoft Wireless Display adapter may be a little more useful than a Chromecast, but ultimately, it cannot function on its own either.

It is for this reason that I prefer devices like Amazon's Fire TV and the Roku; they can operate without the need of a source device. Both media boxes are great, but today the latter is gaining new functionality. Roku announces that you can mirror the screen of both Windows and Android devices with Screen Mirroring Beta.

"Today, I'm happy to share that we're rolling out a beta release of a new screen mirroring feature for a select number of Windows 8.1 and Android devices. Available to customers around the world, screen mirroring is a quick, easy way to mirror videos, apps, web sites, and more from your mobile device to a TV via your Roku 3 or Roku Streaming Stick (HDMI Version)", says Lloyd Klarke, Director of Product Management, Roku.

Klarke further explains, "screen mirroring is one of the simplest ways to share any type of content with those around you, and you won't need additional apps or software. All you'll need is a compatible device with mirroring capabilities. Once you turn on mirroring for your phone, tablet or laptop, you can pair with your compatible Roku player and whatever you see on your mobile device is exactly what will be displayed on your TV".

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Unfortunately, this is limited to the Roku 3 Model 4200 and the Roku Streaming Stick HDMI Version Model 3500. I am currently the owner of a Roku 2 XS and as much as I want to try the mirroring, I do not think it will compel me to upgrade. Quite frankly, I am sure many other previous-generation owners will feel the same way. This is not a knock on the company, quite the contrary; Roku boxes are well supported and age well.

Conspicuously absent is both OS X and iOS -- it seems Roku has not invited Apple to this new mirroring party. Given the popularity of devices like the iPhone and iPad, I am sure they will be added eventually, but hey, you never know.

The feature begins rolling out today. Have you tried it yet? Tell me about it in the comments.

Pavlok wristband motivates wearers with an electric shock

Publié: octobre 2, 2014, 5:15pm CEST par Sam Pudwell

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Have you ever needed a helping hand to break a bad habit? Maybe you want to stop hitting that ever-tempting snooze button on the alarm, or have finally convinced yourself that now would be the right time to give up fast food.

Or, you might have set yourself the target of going to the gym every day and just need a little bit of extra motivation every now and then.

Well, the solution to all these problems has now arrived in the shape of a wearable wristband that can be programmed to give the user a quick zap of electricity whenever he or she does something they shouldn't be doing.

The band, called Pavlok, is now up on crowdfunding site Indiegogo and has already raised 125 percent of its $50,000 target with nearly a whole month to go.

According to its website, "Pavlok offers a simple, wearable device that helps consumers form better habits. Using psychologically proven and user-tested algorithms, the Pavlok wristband enforces users' commitments to fitness, productivity and more -- even if that means 'sparking' their commitment by delivering a mild (but jolting) electric shock".

The strength of the electric jolt can be set to anything from 17 to 340 volts and, according to creator Maneesh Sethi, work is being done to open up the platform to developers so that accompanying apps can be made by anyone.

The habit-forming/habit-breaking devices are available for $125 via Indiegogo, with shipments expected to begin in April 2015.

Increase in unpatched browsers and operating systems leads to security concerns

Publié: octobre 2, 2014, 4:03pm CEST par Ian Barker

Patch download

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) in the US and security company Secunia has marked this by issuing its latest Country Report assessing the state of security among PC users.

Key findings include that Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, with a market share of 73 percent, had 218 vulnerabilities with 11 percent of installed programs being unpatched and vulnerable. The percentage of users running unpatched operating systems has increased to 12.6 percent, from 11.1 percent in the previous quarter.

The number of people running unpatched, end of life, programs is also up from 4.9 to 5.7 percent. The most exposed programs over the last quarter were: Oracle Java 7 with 145 vulnerabilities and 42 percent of installations unpatched, Apple QuickTime 7 with 11 vulnerabilities and 33 percent unpatched, and Adobe Reader 10 with 21 vulnerabilities and 23 percent of installed programs unpatched.

Interestingly though it seems that the power to stay safe is often in users' hands. Secunia's Vulnerability Review 2014 finds that 86 percent of vulnerabilities in the top 50 software applications on private PCs had patches available on the day when they were disclosed in 2013.

"It only takes one vulnerability for a hacker to exploit a user’s system. Just one. We are concerned to see such a high share of users with unpatched and End-of-Life browsers and operating systems," says Kasper Lindgaard, Director of Research at Secunia. "We hope that as part of National Cyber Security Awareness month, users will take a moment to make sure their systems are up to date with the most recent program versions and patches".

As part of NCSAM Secunia is encouraging users to download its free Personal Software Inspector to check that their installed versions are up to date and protected against vulnerabilities.

You can access the full US Country Report for Q3 2014 on the Secunia website.

Image Credit: alexskopje / Shutterstock

Microsoft's new Portable Power external charger packs 6,000 mAh battery

Publié: octobre 2, 2014, 3:26pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

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While traveling, my smartphone's always running out of juice sooner than it normally does. This leads to some frustrating moments, like being unable to make calls, open a map or send texts, not to mention having to watch the percentage indicator. Not knowing where someone is, for instance, is never great news in such situations. I know I could use an external battery charger, but I tend to avoid them, and for good reasons.

They generally tend to be bulky, ugly, and almost fragile. Getting the impression that what can only be regarded as a tool is flimsy is not confidence-inspiring -- if it breaks, it's going to be a problem. Microsoft's new Portable Power appears to be different, however. And why wouldn't it be, when it has some Nokia DNA in it?

Portable Power, which bears Microsoft's branding, is basically an evolution of previous Nokia external battery charger designs, and, as such, can be considered a well put-together device that can withstand the test of time. It looks fairly robust from what I'm seeing.

The design is pocket-friendly, which is a major benefit in my book. Its specifications say it measures 99.5 x 43.9 x 25.4 mm and weighs 145 grams. The cable length is 25 cm, which is long enough to charge a smartphone in the same pocket. Since the cable is USB to microUSB (USB-A), it can easily be swapped for a longer one -- given that you probably have one lying around somewhere.

The battery capacity is as important as the build quality and size. Luckily, we are looking at a 6,000 mAh battery in Portable Power, which equates to 22.8 Wh (the voltage is 3.8 V) -- that's more than enough to recharge a Nokia Lumia 930 two times, or nearly charge a Lumia 1520 twice. In fact, you might even charge a smaller tablet and a smartphone (maybe not up to 100 percent, but still enough to last until you come across a wall socket). Oh, have I mentioned it's got two USB ports?

To top up the battery on Portable Power, 250 minutes of charging are required; in 180 minutes it'll reach an 80 percent charge. That means you might want to do it overnight, to have as little downtime as possible. There's a battery level indicator to tell you how much is left. Microsoft says that it will hold a 60 percent charge after the first six months of use.

What's also nice is that Portable Power is rated to work at temperatures between -15 degrees and 55 degrees Celsius (between 5 degrees and 131 degrees Fahrenheit), which is reassuring if want to use it in cold and warm climates alike.

But enough of that already. Let's talk cost. Here is where (most) people will have a problem -- it costs $49 in US or €39 in Europe! It's pricey, yes -- for a similar price you can get something with a battery larger than 10,000 mAh. Still, it is up to you to decide whether it fits your needs. Me? I kinda like it, if you couldn't tell by now. Oh, and it can be had in bright green, bright orange and white!

NoSpyProxy wants to put your data and identity out of reach of the NSA

Publié: octobre 2, 2014, 3:21pm CEST par Ian Barker

Spying

Since the Edward Snowden revelations that governments as well as hackers were likely to be snooping on your internet activity it's been widely assumed that there's no such thing as safe online access.

VPN specialist CyberGhost has other ideas and has been seeking funding via Indiegogo for what it calls a NoSpyProxy. The company's VPN already uses AES256 military-grade encryption to protect passwords, bank accounts and other details as well as obscuring locations and IP addresses. It now aims to make things even more secure by placing the data center hardware under the control of an additional layer of security. This will put CyberGhost in control of the whole process from login through encryption protocol, key management and finally also the server itself.

CyberGhost's NoSpyProxy will be setup and taken care of by its own Certified Security Specialists and will serve to protect people all around the world from mass surveillance, hackers, data and identity theft. It refers to this not as a data center but as a "no-data" center, a new generation of working technical unit that is built to protect people's privacy and security online.

It aims to make this the blueprint for more NoSpy nodes that can be easily rolled out in other countries and regions.

This is obviously a popular idea as the company has managed to reach its $70,000 funding target in just 14 days. "We are so excited that our #NoSpyProxy campaign has reached its initial goal and we managed to draw attention on this important subject of online privacy. We're sure that more victories of privacy will follow, but every citizen has to take responsibility for his own online privacy and personal data by using trustful encryption services," says Robert Knapp, the CEO of CyberGhost VPN.

If you're interested in finding out more and maybe contributing to the funding you can visit the project's Indegogo page.

Photo Credit: auremar/Shutterstock

Gigaset QV830: A super-affordable 8-inch Android tablet [Review]

Publié: octobre 2, 2014, 2:43pm CEST par Wayne Williams

QV830

There are lots of excellent Android tablets around, including the Nexus 7, and the Kindle Fire HDX, but if you can’t afford a top of the range tablet, or are looking for a second device, or one to give as gift, then a budget model may be preferable.

Gigaset (previously Gigaset Siemens), which usually makes home phones, has entered the tablet market with the QV830, an ultra-affordable 8-inch Android tablet with some stylish touches -- it has an anodized aluminum rear casing, for example, rather than being all-plastic as you might expect.

The top and bottom of the device (when viewed in portrait mode) are shiny metal, and the sides are plastic. It looks good. As with other cheaper tablets the controls and ports are at the top end. From left to right they are volume, microUSB 2.0, headphone jack, micro SDHC and on/off.

The Gigaset QV830 is 141 x 200 x 8mm and weighs 351g (the similarly sized iPad mini, by comparison, weighs 331g). You can hold it one-handed, but it’s more comfortable in two.

This is a budget tablet -- it’s currently on sale for just £69.99 -- so you shouldn’t expect too much from the specs, but they’re very reasonable.

It’s powered by a 1.2 GHz Quad Core, Mediatek MT8125, Cortex A7 processor, with 1 GB RAM and 8 GB of storage. The micro SDHC lets you expand storage to up to 32GB. It has a 5 MP auto focus rear camera (with no flash), and a 1.2 MP 720p front shooter. The 3260 mAh battery should deliver up to 8 hours of normal life -- not amazing, but passable -- and promises a standby time of 240 hours. It runs stock Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

The 8-inch screen is reasonable, although it only offers a resolution of 1024 x 768 (half that of the iPad mini), and a pixel density of just 160ppi so it appears quite grainy. The color and contrast are nicely balanced however. The screen is very shiny -- it’s like looking into a mirror -- which makes using it in bright light difficult.

Initial impressions weren’t, in truth, all that favorable. When I turned it on I was greeted with a message telling me a Google app had crashed, and during set up the Google Account Manager also crashed, forcing me to restart from the beginning. I then had to update the touch panel firmware before I could start using the device. The volume was cranked up to the maximum by default and actually made me jump the first time it sounded an alert to let me know a new mail had arrived.

In use though, the tablet was fine. The cameras take decent photos, nothing amazing, and with rather too much noise, but for a quick snap or video chat they are passable. The rear camera has auto-focus rather than fixed focus, so you can take close up shots, and you get HDR and panoramic modes too.

Performance wise the tablet delivered about what I was expecting. Games played well enough, although this is not the tablet you want to use to show off the latest 3D blockbusters, and movies are perfectly watchable.

I found the screen wasn’t all that responsive at times, which was a bit annoying, but making more deliberate swipes and taps solved the problem.

gigaset top

So the Gigaset QV830 isn’t perfect -- it’s not an iPad mini or Kindle Fire HDX rival -- but that doesn’t matter. Gigaset isn’t trying to compete with those. The QV830 is a £70 tablet -- £70! -- and to pull it up for not offering the same quality or performance as far more expensive alternatives would be unfair. For a budget device, it’s great. It’s much, much better than most other low end tablets, and as a starter device, or a second tablet for your kids, it’s hard to beat. The fact it offers an 8-inch screen for that price is a definite plus, and I've found myself using it more than my Nexus 7 recently.

The tablet is currently on sale on the Curry’s website, priced at £69.99, although the offer is only set to run until the 16 October (after which time the price will go up to £99.99) so if you want to snap up an absolute bargain, act fast.

How to create a bootable Windows 10 Technical Preview USB drive

Publié: octobre 2, 2014, 12:53pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

man hand usb flash laptop drive business suit

Microsoft has released Windows 10 Technical Preview, giving early adopters like you and me the opportunity to experience some of the lovely new features that the operating system will bring to the table when it officially launches next year. The highlight is, of course, the new Start menu, but the other changes add up to give us what could very well be the sleek and modern Windows we have all been waiting for: touch-friendly, yet still great with a keyboard and mouse.

This all sounds very intriguing indeed, especially if you have been holding off on upgrades so far. If you want to take the plunge and test Windows 10 Technical Preview directly on your PC, without taking the virtualization route, then you already know that your best install option is a bootable USB drive. Luckily, you came to the right place -- here is everything you need to do.

First Off, the Requirements

In order to create a bootable Windows 10 Technical Preview USB drive you will need to prepare the following, before we can go any further:

Windows 10 Technical Preview ISO, which you can download from here;
Windows 10 Technical Preview product key: NKJFK-GPHP7-G8C3J-P6JXR-HQRJR (taken from the page linked above);
Archiving tool like 7-Zip or WinRAR (either one is fine for the job);
USB drive -- the minimum size is 4 GB for the 32-bit version and 8 GB for the 64-bit version. Also, the faster the USB drive is the less time everything takes;
Windows PC.

Creating the Bootable USB Drive

After you have ticked every item on that list, you will have to install the archiving tool of your choosing (if you do not have one installed already) and then extract the contents of the Windows 10 Technical Preview ISO to a folder on your Windows PC. This option is revealed by right-clicking on the said file. Keep in mind that the partition you will use needs to have enough free space to accommodate the extra content. Also, a backup of the files on the USB drive is recommended.

Afterwards, you will need to attach the USB drive, and follow the next steps to make a bootable Windows 10 Technical Preview USB media:

Open a Command Prompt window. To do this, trigger Run (Windows key + R will do the trick, or you can find it in the Start menu), type "cmd" and then hit the OK button.
Use the "diskpart" command to open the disk partitioning software. Validate the UAC prompt, if asked, to carry on.
Use the "listdisk" command to reveal the list of attached physical storage media. This will show all the HDDs, SSDs, USB drives and so on.
Identify the disk number of the USB drive you are using for this process (look at the size column for easy identification; based on my experience, it is usually listed last).
Use the "select disk X" command to select it, where "X" is the disk number of your USB drive.
Use the "clean" command to erase the contents of the USB drive.
Use the "create partition primary" command to create a primary partition on the USB drive.
Use the "select partition 1" command to select the previously created partition.
Use the "active" command to make said partition appear active, or validated.
Use the "format fs=ntfs quick" command to format the said partition as NTFS, using the Quick routine.
Use the "assign" command to assign a drive letter to the USB drive. Afterwards, it will show up as a drive under My Computer.
Copy the extracted contents of the Windows 10 Technical Preview ISO to the USB drive

If you prefer a visual step-by-step guide, check out the slideshow below.

How to Start the Install?

Now that you have the bootable Windows 10 Technical Preview USB drive ready to go, you are probably wondering what is the next step. Well, to kick off the install you have to boot from that USB drive.

Booting from a USB drive can be enabled by altering the boot order under BIOS settings to have USB at the top, quickly triggering the boot menu after turning on the PC and manually selecting the USB drive, or, if you're lucky, the PC is already set up to boot from a USB drive. Afterwards, with the device attached, you can install Windows 10 as you normally would any other Windows release.

Update: You can also use the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool for this process, as my colleague Brian Fagioli has pointed out on Twitter. It may be designed for Windows 7, but it apparently gets the job done for Windows 10 as well.

Photo Credit: Mario Lopes/Shutterstock

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Thinking of buying a secondhand iPhone? Check if it’s been stolen first

Publié: octobre 2, 2014, 12:06pm CEST par Wayne Williams

activation lock

Apple devices hold their value well, which is good news if you’re thinking of selling an old one. The downside of this is it makes iPhones an attractive target for thieves.

If you’re looking to buy an iPhone, but can’t afford a brand new one -- on contract or off -- then shopping for a used model makes a lot of sense. But how can you know for sure that the device you’ve got your eye on is being offered by the legitimate owner, and not a thief offloading his ill-gotten gains? A new Apple tool can tell you.

The new tool lets you check the activation lock status of the device in question. Just enter the iPhone IMEI or serial number (which are to be found in Settings > General > About) and the page will tell you if that phone has been remotely locked by its real owner.

If the phone is unlocked, you’ll be able to set it up and use it without issue.

There is one glaring problem with this approach of course -- it relies on the seller giving you the IMEI or serial number and there’s no way of knowing (if you’re buying online), whether the details they provide relate to the actual phone in question.

Still, it adds one more barrier for thieves to overcome, which is clearly a good thing.

Thinking of buying a secondhand iPhone? Check if it's been stolen first

Publié: octobre 2, 2014, 12:06pm CEST par Wayne Williams

activation lock

Apple devices hold their value well, which is good news if you’re thinking of selling an old one. The downside of this is it makes iPhones an attractive target for thieves.

If the phone is unlocked, you’ll be able to set it up and use it without issue.

Still, it adds one more barrier for thieves to overcome, which is clearly a good thing.

WebSite X5 Evolution 11 debuts major new features, interface tweaks

Publié: octobre 2, 2014, 11:18am CEST par Nick Peers

WebSite X5 Evolution 11

Incomedia has released major new versions of its wizard-driven web-building tool with the launch of WebSite X5 Free 11.0 and WebSite X5 Evolution 11.0.

Version 11.0 comes with a redesigned user interface and restructured five-step design process as well as enhanced template tools and page creation process alongside other improvements.

The graphic interface has been updated for a "modern and functional" look, according to Incomedia. New button bar layouts give users more flexibility in using available space and allowing the minimum window size to be reduced.

The five-step wizard used to build, populate and export a website has also been revamped, with style definition controls being moved up to the order to step one of the process while a new Statistics, SEO and Code window has been added to step four, where custom code management and optimization tools can be found.

Improvements to template management mean templates are now saved as an integral part of the project file, making it easy to migrate projects to other computers. Custom style tools have also been moved to the graphic template properties where they’re more visible.

The 1,500-strong template library (restricted to 50 templates in the Free version) has also been renewed, allowing it to be updated automatically from the internet when new templates become available.

Page-creation enhancements see the addition of optional objects for inserting into content rather than having to define them using custom HTML code. The ability to define, save and import/export defined cell styles has also been added.

Version 11 also adds support for Web Fonts and integrates a new text editor that helps ensure changes to content style can be applied consistently across the entire web project.

Also added is access to more than 200,000 free pictures when inserting images, new styles for buttons and other graphical objects, more options when creating photo galleries and improvements to the built-in graphics editor.

Users also gain the ability to schedule posts from blogs or RSS feeds, while other improvements make the HTML Editor easier to use and provide SEO optimization for sites.

WebSite X5 Free 11.0 and WebSite X5 Evolution 11.0 are freeware and function-limited demo downloads respectively. Both require PCs running Windows XP or later. Not all improvements above apply to the Free edition. WebSite X5 Evolution 11.0 can be purchased for €69.99.

Hand over your child and get free Wi-Fi

Publié: octobre 2, 2014, 11:02am CEST par Sam Pudwell

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A handful of London residents unwittingly agreed to give up their first-born child when signing in to a public Wi-Fi hot spot as part of an experiment carried out by the Cyber Security Research Institute.

A "Herod clause" was included in the T's and C's, which promised free Wi-Fi if "the recipient agreed to assign their first born child to us for the duration of eternity".

Luckily for the six people who failed to read the small print, security firm F-Secure, who sponsored the experiment, assured everyone that the clause wouldn't be enforced.

In a rather tongue in cheek statement, the Finnish company said, "We have yet to enforce our rights under the terms and conditions but, as this is an experiment, we will be returning the children to their parents. Our legal adviser Mark Deem points out that, while terms and conditions are legally binding, it is contrary to public policy to sell children in return for free services, so the clause would not be enforceable in a court of law".

This experiment does of course carry a serious message regarding the dangers of using public Wi-Fi, as outlined by Troels Oerting, assistant director at Europol, "We have found that the security on many Wi-Fi hotspots is rather low. So because they are not set up in the proper way, the criminals don't even need to set up their own service. They can simply look into the service that is providing the Wi-Fi to get what they want".

The research demonstrates that, along with obviously not reading the terms and conditions, many members of the public simply aren't aware of the security issues that accompany public Wi-Fi. So, although the chances of having to hand over your children are relatively low, you might be giving away your personal information without even realizing.

Netflix signs deal with Adam Sandler -- streaming service to get 4 exclusive films

Publié: octobre 2, 2014, 8:45am CEST par Brian Fagioli

sandler As someone who grew up in the '80s and '90s, I have seen pretty much every Adam Sandler movie. Besides loving his work on Saturday Night Live, I even remember him briefly being on the Cosby Show; one of the greatest sitcoms of all time. Sure, his movies can be stupid, and sometimes flat-out bad, but even his terrible films are funny. Critics universally panned his film Jack and Jill, but it is one of my favorites; Sandler dressed as a woman with fart-humor? I don't care who you are, that is funny right there.

As much as I love his films, I am not a fan of going to the movie theater to see them. I take seeing films seriously; even silly ones, and his films attract an immature crowd that interrupt the experience and ultimately ruin it. Movies are very expensive and I am not a fan of wasting money. Luckily, Netflix announces that it has signed a deal with Adam Sandler that will make it easy to avoid the theater; the streaming service will get 4 exclusive films. Yes, Netflix is partnering with one of Hollywood's biggest actors and cutting the movie theaters out of the equation; this may be an act of war.

"Netflix, the worlds leading Internet TV network, will be the exclusive home of four feature films starring and produced by comic icon Adam Sandler, whose movies have delighted hundreds of millions of fans all over the world. Sandler is a unique and prolific comic voice, whose films have grossed more than $3 billion globally at the box office and made him one of the worlds top movie stars. He is among the few actors in the world whose films consistently rank among the most viewed by Netflix members in the U.S. and across its global territories from Brazil to the U.K.", says Netflix.

Adam Sandler, in his usual wacky way, explains "when these fine people came to me with an offer to make four movies for them, I immediately said yes for one reason and one reason only. Netflix rhymes with Wet Chicks. Let the streaming begin!!!!"

This does not mean that Adam Sandler will never be appearing in movie theaters again; quite the contrary. His existing film commitments that are in production will still be shown at the cinema. The big questions is, what kind of budget will Netflix give to Sandler. While all four of the films have the potential to be great, they could end up being duds. Hell, if they are bad enough, we may even see the term "straight to video", which typically indicates poor quality, being replaced with "straight to Netflix". Fingers crossed for Jack and Jill 2!

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Photo credit: Helga Esteb /Shutterstock

ARM announces mbed -- an Internet of Things (IoT) platform

Publié: octobre 2, 2014, 5:09am CEST par Brian Fagioli

iot

There are a lot of technology buzzwords and phrases being thrown around lately, such as "Cloud" and "Wearables", but the one I see gaining the most traction is "Internet of Things". The concept is pretty simple -- things being connected to the Internet, but what exactly is defined as a "thing". Well, pretty much anything that isn't a traditional computer can qualify. Think outside the box for a moment and imagine things like your bed, a toaster or a vacuum cleaner being connected to the Internet. Maybe an internet-connected bed can upload logs of your sleep patterns, a toaster can tell you that breakfast is ready, or your vacuum might warn you to to clean the filter.

Unfortunately, as cool as this is, it presents a big problem -- who will decide the standards, and how can we be sure that it is all safe? After all, you do not want a vulnerability in an Internet-connected refrigerator compromising your entire network. Have no fear however, ARM has stepped up with its solution -- the mbed platform which focuses on open standards.

"The ARM mbed IoT Device Platform has been built around open standards and will bring Internet protocols, security and standards-based manageability into one integrated solution optimized for energy and cost-constrained devices. It is supported by the established and expanding mbed hardware and software ecosystem that will provide common building blocks for IoT devices and services. This new platform will accelerate the growth of the IoT by enabling innovators to focus on value-add features and differentiation", says ARM.

The company further explains, "the mbed partner ecosystem has been expanded to enable participation by a wide range of silicon, module, original equipment manufacturer (OEM), system integrator, cloud and operator partners. Launch partners for the mbed IoT Device Platform include Atmel, CSR, Ericsson, Farnell, Freescale, IBM, KDDI, Marvell, MegaChips, MultiTech, Nordic Semiconductor, NXP, Renesas, SeeControl, Semtech, Silicon Labs, Stream Technologies, ST, Telenor Connexion, Telefonica, Thundersoft, u-blox, wot.io and Zebra".

The company explains the three facets of the mbed platform:

mbed OS: a free operating system for ARM Cortex-M processor based devices that consolidates the fundamental building blocks of the IoT in one integrated set of software components. It contains security, communication and device management features to enable the development of production-grade, energy-efficient IoT devices. It is available to mbed partners in Q4 2014 for early development, with the first production devices due in 2015.

mbed Device Server: a licensable software product that provides the required server-side technologies to connect and manage devices in a secure way. It also provides a bridge between the protocols designed for use on IoT devices and the APIs that are used by web developers. This simplifies the integration of IoT devices that provide “little data” into cloud frameworks that deploy 'big data' analytics on the aggregated information. Built around open standards, the product scales to handle the connections and management of millions of devices

mbed.org: the focus point for a community of more than 70,000 developers around mbed. The website provides a comprehensive database of hardware development kits, a repository for reusable software components, reference applications, documentation and web-based development tools.

ARM is saying all the right things and has partnered with some significant players. However, if the Internet of Things will be as popular as many believe, there will be a lot of competition. Even if this platform makes sense, the question should be, who put ARM in charge anyway? I'm sure many other companies have their own ideas on how the Internet of Things should be handled. Quite frankly, we will probably see many competing platforms and live in incompatibility hell for years until one platform "wins".

Who do you think should be responsible for governing the Internet of Things? Tell me in the comments.

Photo credit: Scott Bedford/Shutterstock

Facebook apologizes to LGBT community, 'backs down' on real name policy

Publié: octobre 2, 2014, 4:21am CEST par Mark Wilson

Facebook apologizes to LGBT community, 'backs down' on real name policy

Facebook has issued an apology to "drag queens, drag kings", and the LGBT community for forcing users of the social network to reveal their real names or face having their pages suspended. The social network also bowed to pressure, saying that users will not necessarily have to use their real names in rgw future. Chris Cox, Facebook's Chief Product Officer, made a statement in an online post that admits the negative response to the policy "took us off guard". Why the sudden interest in real names? It seems that one person may have been to blame.

Facebook caused something of a storm of controversy recently when it forced many users to reveal their real names. Large groups of people were affected by this, but it was a number of drag artists who were most vocal in their complaints -- numerous petitions and campaigns, including #MyNameIs, started up. While it was drag queens who hit the headlines, Facebook's sudden enforcement of its long-standing real names policy also affected performers such as musicians -- fans and friends were confused when seemingly new people appeared in their friend list. Despite the backlash Facebook faced, the social network stuck to its gun, remaining adamant that the policy was here to stay, and dismissing complaints out of hand.

Cox explains that "an individual" took it upon themselves to report hundreds of Facebook accounts as being fake. Failing to notice the volume of complaints that one person was generating, Facebook dutifully went through its usual protocol of requesting proof of identify from the reported account holders. The statement clarifies that this has been Facebook's policy for the past decade, but in this instance it resulted in alienating huge swathes of users. Cox also goes on to explain that there has never been a 'real name' policy:

Our policy has never been to require everyone on Facebook to use their legal name. The spirit of our policy is that everyone on Facebook uses the authentic name they use in real life.

Sister Roma, one of the account holders affected by the initial clamp-down, is name-checked in the statement. Facebook recognizes that Sister Roma is Sister Roma -- that is how she is known is day to day life, even if that's not her 'real' name.

This policy will remain in place. Cox injects a little spin by saying that the name policy is "part of what made Facebook special in the first place, by differentiating the service from the rest of the internet where pseudonymity, anonymity, or often random names were the social norm" as well as suggesting that it helps to reduce instances of anonymous bullying. There's a promise that improvements will be made to user verification whilst avoiding "opening up Facebook to bad actors".

It remains to be seen how this apology will be taken by those affected, and whether it is seen by the general Facebook populous as going far enough.

Logitech announces the Type+ Protective case with integrated keyboard for iPad Air

Publié: octobre 2, 2014, 1:10am CEST par Brian Fagioli

ipaDplus

When it comes to smartphones, I am generally an Android guy; however, the iPad Air is my favorite casual tablet. While the Surface Pro 3 is my choice for best all-around tablet, there are some places I don't want to bring it, such as the bathroom. Yes, the iPad Air usually is with me when I am sitting on the toilet; sorry if that is TMI (too much information). With that said, the iPad Air can be a great all-purpose tablet too when coupled with a keyboard case; even outside of using the potty.

There are many companies that manufacture iPad keyboard cases, but in my experience, Logitech produces the most reliable and consistent offerings. In other words, the company makes great iPad accessories that consumers can depend on; I've yet to see a lemon. Today, Logitech announces the Type+ Protective case with integrated keyboard for iPad Air and it looks pretty sweet.

"The new Logitech Type+ takes the design of our most popular thin, light and two-sided protection that helps guard your iPad from the accidental bumps, scratches and spills. And now it features an improved Bluetooth keyboard. We've designed the new keyboard to replicate the typing experience and layout you would have on your laptop -- so now you can smoothly transition from one device to another without losing speed or accuracy. We've done this by optimizing the distance between the keys, and adding a dedicated row of iOS shortcuts that put navigation of your iPad at your fingertips without needing to reach out and touch your iPad's screen", says Logitech.

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The manufacturer further explains, "the Logitech Type+ keyboard also has an automatic On/Off feature; when the iPad is positioned upright, the Logitech Type+ automatically turns on, and when it's closed, it automatically turns off. In addition, the auto-wake and auto-sleep feature turns your iPad off when you close the case and wakes it when you open the case so your iPad is ready anytime you need it".

logitechfeat Having the keyboard automatically turn on and off depending on the position of the tablet is huge. I have experienced other keyboard cases that do not offer this, and while it isn't a deal breaker, accidentally hitting keys can be annoying. Not to mention, this auto on/off feature should also conserve battery, as the user can't forget to turn it off when not angled for use. I really like the shape of the keys too, being square and not circular; this is a smart design choice by Logitech.

If you own an iPad Air and need a keyboard case, this is likely the one you want. It is available in orange and black, for a reasonable $99.99. For a single "Benjamin", you can turn your Apple tablet into a mini laptop, while also protecting the screen and body from damage. If you want to pre-order, you can do so here.

Everything you need to know about the Windows 10 Start menu

Publié: octobre 1, 2014, 8:28pm CEST par Wayne Williams

I switched from Windows 7 to Windows 8 from day one, and although I’ve dabbled with Start buttons, Classic Shell being the preferred choice, I learned to live with the Start screen, something that became easier once Microsoft released Windows 8.1 and 8.1 Update. But now that Windows 10 Technical Preview is here, it’s time to once again embrace the Start menu.

Windows 10’s Start menu is the perfect blend of Windows 7 and Windows 8.x. Click the Start button and the menu appears, displaying icons on the left and tiles on the right.

The top of the Start menu shows your user name and clicking on it will let you change your account picture, lock the computer or sign out. The power button to the right lets you put your PC to sleep, shut it down, or restart.

Underneath that are icons for Documents, Pictures, PC Settings, and File Explorer. Icons for your programs appear below those, and by default you see Snipping Tool, Calculator, Sticky Notes, Paint and Games.

Click on All Apps and you can access the bundled windows apps and any you've installed. The calculator app still fills the screen, but at least it now runs windowed and can be resized. Scroll to the bottom of All Apps and there are folders for Windows Accessories, Windows Ease of Access, and Windows System.

Right-click on an app and you can open it, uninstall it, pin to Start or pin to taskbar.

The Search box at the bottom of the menu lets you search your PC and the web.

The tiles on the right side of the Start menu look and work the same as the tiles on the Windows 8.1 Start screen. You can launch an app, or if you right-click its tile you’ll be able to unpin it from Start, pin it to the taskbar, uninstall it, or resize it. There are small, medium, wide and large sizes available (although not all sizes are available for all tiles). Live tiles can be turned on or off.

In the top right corner of the tiled section is a Windows Feedback app you can use to send feedback regarding the new OS to Microsoft.

The tiled area on the right expands or contracts as you add or remove tiles. So if you like apps, it will spread right across the desktop. If you hate having tiles, just unpin every one and it will change to a standard Start menu. To get the tiled section back, just pin any app to Start.

no tiles

You can resize the menu by clicking and dragging on the top edge. Want a long, squat Start menu? No problem!

squat

Right-click on a blank area of the tiled section and you can Personalize the menu or access Properties. The Personalize option lets you change the color of the taskbar, window borders and Start menu. The default choice is Automatic -- Windows will choose whatever goes best with your current setup.

Click Properties and the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window will open. Click the Start Menu tab and you can turn the menu off and go back to working with a Start screen. You can also manage your privacy and fully customize the menu. This last option will let you choose how links, icons and menus look and behave. You can also choose which items to pin to the Start list here. Should you want to revert to the original selection, click the Use Default Settings button.

Right-clicking the Start button will bring up the same context menu found in Windows 8.1, with some minor changes.

It’s all very intuitive, and Microsoft has done a great job of blending both worlds. Having got used to the Start screen in Windows 8.x I wasn’t sure I wanted to go back to a Start menu, but having spent just a short while with the one in Windows 10 I’m ready to make that change.

How to install Windows 10 Technical Preview on Oracle VirtualBox

Publié: octobre 1, 2014, 7:02pm CEST par Wayne Williams

techpreview

Microsoft has just released the Technical Preview of Windows 10. It’s a very early build, so you wouldn’t be advised to run it as your main operating system, and while you could set it to dual boot, running it in a virtualized environment is probably a better idea.

The process is very simple -- all you need is a copy of Oracle VM VirtualBox and the Windows 10 Technical Preview ISO.

To set up Windows 10 in VirtualBox, launch the software and click New in the Manager window. In the Create Virtual Machine dialog box enter "Windows 10" as the name of the operating system. Select the Windows 8.1 as the version. (Choose Windows 8.1 (64bit) if you have a 64-bit ISO) Hit Next.

Set the Memory Size. The recommended figure should be fine. On the following screen choose to "Create a virtual hard drive now" and click Create. Accept VDI (VirtualBox Disk Image) as the hard drive file type. You’ll be asked if you want the new virtual hard drive to be dynamically altered (it will resize as required) or a fixed size. The latter option is faster, so select that.

Click Create and VirtualBox will begin building the drive.

When done, click the Start button in the Manager. In the "Select start-up disk" window, click the folder icon and navigate to the Windows 10 ISO.

select disk

Click Start and Windows 10 should begin to load. Select your language settings, then click the "Install now" button. Accept the license terms. Choose the "Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)" option.

custom install

Click Next, and the installation process will begin, rebooting as necessary.

When it’s done, you’ll be given the option of using express settings, or customizing things. It’s easiest to select the first one. Sign in with your Microsoft account (entering a code as required), and then finalize everything else.

It will start at the desktop, and one of the first things you’ll see is a Welcome to Tech Preview icon. Click this and an Internet Explorer window will open with tips and tricks, access to the technical preview forums and more.

If you want to resize the OS window, click View in VirtualBox and select Fullscreen or Scaled Mode.

The simplest way to shut down Windows 10 when you no longer need it is to click the X in top right corner of VirtualBox and select "Power off the machine".

Troubleshooting

If VirtualBox encounters errors and fails to install Windows 10, the first thing to do is make sure you’re running the very latest version of the virtualization software. I wasn’t and that was the source of my problem.

If that doesn’t fix the issue, go to System Properties on the host (not the virtual) PC, click the Advanced tab and click Settings under Performance. Select the Data Execution Prevention tab and change the setting from "Turn on DEP for essential Windows programs and services only" to "Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select".

OK that, restart your system and this time Windows 10 should install just fine in VirtualBox.

RZA and Boombotix announce Wu-Tang Clan Bluetooth speaker with exclusive music

Publié: octobre 1, 2014, 6:42pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

Wutang-REX-Front

As a Hip-Hop head, I have spent many hours consuming the latest rap tunes. While I am a fan of several artists, none have had an impact as large as the Wu-Tang Clan. Back in 1993, when New York first started getting a taste of the rap group, it was unlike anything fans of the genre had heard. You see, the production by group member RZA was unique and immediately changed the course of Hip-Hop.

Unfortunately, as of late, the Wu-Tang Clan's music has been rather uninspired. RZA's production is lazy and the solo albums from the members have been average at best. Still, the group deserve its props; as a celebration of their 20 year career, RZA has partnered with Boombotix for the Boombot REX 20th Anniversary Wu-Tang Edition speaker.

"Boombotix, a leader in portable audio, partnered with Robert 'RZA' Diggs from the Wu-Tang Clan to release the newest Boombot REX, featuring six songs and two instrumental tracks from the currently unreleased Wu-Tang Clan album, 'A Better Tomorrow'. The collaboration began when RZA approached Boombotix with the idea of embedding music into a Boombot REX. The Boombot REX -- 20th Anniversary Wu-Tang Edition will be released to the public in advance of the general release for 'A Better Tomorrow'", says Boombotix.

The company further explains, "fans who want to be the first to listen to Wu-Tang's latest music will have to purchase the ultraportable speaker. Additionally, the track 'Big Horn B' is an exclusive to the Boombot REX. With only 3,000 units in circulation, this will be one of the rarest Wu-Tang tracks ever".

Wutang-REX-Rear-Angle

Wow, this is amazing news for fans of Wu-Tang Clan, especially having a song being limited to 3,000 copies. Sure, someone will likely leak the track to the net, but it still makes the speaker highly collectible. Surprisingly, it is only $79.99, which is totally reasonable for a Bluetooth speaker that looks as cool as this and contains exclusive embedded music.

Exclusive music aside, it is a fully-functional Bluetooth speaker, and the company lists the following specs:

In The Box	3ft 1/8-inch Aux & Micro USB Cables
Loudness	94dB@2ft (wired)/90dB@2ft (wireless)
Battery	Rechargeable Lithium Ion
Runtime	8 Hours
Charging	One Hour
Dimensions	85mm(w) x 80mm(h) x 54mm(d)
H2O Resistance	IPX5 (ok in light rain/snow)
Audio Input/Output	2x 1/8 inch/3.5mm female jack
Power	2x3W
Controls	Track Control, Speakerphone, Volume
Indicator	Full Color Hexagonal LED

Unfortunately, the speaker will not start shipping until November, but you can pre-order from the manufacturer here. Please be aware that the manufacturer only has 1,000 available; the other 2,000 will be sold at various Zumies clothing stores.

What is your favorite Wu-Tang Clan song? Tell me in the comments.

Windows 10 Technical Preview is live -- download it now

Publié: octobre 1, 2014, 6:07pm CEST par Wayne Williams

Microsoft surprised everyone yesterday by announcing that the next version of Windows would not be Windows 9, as was widely expected, but Windows 10. The new name makes little sense really, but that doesn't matter because the new operating system looks good, and should please current users of both Windows 7 and 8.x.

Before it launched Windows 8, Microsoft released preview versions of the OS, allowing people to test what was a radically different UI. With Windows 9, the tech giant is taking the same approach, but with one fundamental difference -- it promises to listen to what users think of the OS, and this feedback will help shape the direction of Windows 10. If the company had done that with Windows 8 there's a very good chance things might have worked out differently for the tiled OS. If you're keen to get your hands on the technical preview, the good news is the wait is over and it's now available.

To try out the OS for yourself, just head to http://preview.windows.com and click the Get started button. You'll then be invited to join the Windows Insider Program. This is the only way to try the technical preview, so click on Join now. Sign in to your Microsoft account and accept the terms of use. You'll see a congratulations message. Click the download link and then download the version of the OS you require.

The English 32-bit (x86) version is 3.16GB, the English 64-bit (x64) is 4.10GB. There are are versions for the United Kingdom, and Chinese and Portuguese editions available.

Once your download is complete, burn the ISO file to a DVD or transfer it to a USB flash drive and run the setup.exe. The Product key you require is on the download page.

Microsoft launches Sway -- Office's new idea collection tool

Publié: octobre 1, 2014, 4:06pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Microsoft launches Sway -- Office's new idea collection tool

Having unveiled Windows 10 yesterday, Microsoft today welcomed a new addition to the fold in the form of Sway. This is the latest member of the Office family and it's being billed as a way to "reimagine how your ideas come to life". What does this actually mean? In many ways, Sway is an extension of OneNote. It's a web-based way to collect content, store images and text, add videos, and generally piece together everything you might need for a presentation, project, or idea. Sway is currently a preview product and, in keeping with Microsoft's "mobile-first, cloud-first world" there's a strong focus on cross-platform compatibility and cross-device syncing.

Sway is an interesting blend of existing Microsoft products, but it also brings in some new ideas. It's integrated with OneDrive, and has the note-taking features of OneNote. The various templates that can be used to present the data that is collected gives it something of a feel of PowerPoint, but it could also be used for very simple planning and project management like a cut-down, accessible version of Microsoft Project. It's all web-based and Microsoft is touting it as a "new way for you to create a beautiful, interactive, web-based expression of your ideas".

Take photos on your phone, combine them with content written on your computer, drag and drop some images into place, embed a YouTube video, pull in content from social network; Sway aims to make it possible to collect together information from as many sources as possible to create a "new type of interactive 'document' that will look great on any screen and can be shared to anyone, as effortlessly as sending a link". There are some sample documents on Sway.com that give you an idea of what can be created, but the easiest way to get a feel for it is to see it in action.

Check out the introductory video and you'll find Microsoft highlights the cross-platform capabilities of Sway:

As we are now becoming increasingly used to, Microsoft is inviting feedback about Sway. In the early stages, it is an invite-only preview -- you can request an invite by heading over to the Sway homepage.

Just how effective are parental control products?

Publié: octobre 1, 2014, 3:37pm CEST par Ian Barker

School children laptop

Parents are keen to ensure that their offspring don't access inappropriate material on the web and for that reason most security software providers now offer parental control products, whether as a standalone product or part of an internet security package.

In a study commissioned for a German magazine, AV-Comparatives has looked at the leading products for Windows and mobile platforms to assess which are the most effective.

There is of course no universal standard for what is acceptable content and as the report points out, "Parents need to talk to their children about the potentially dangerous and upsetting things in life, whether or not they use parental control software". It also stresses that the software is only effective if it’s properly configured.

The tests looked at 22 Windows products, five for Android and three for iOS. Using settings based on those suitable for a nine-year-old girl researchers tested them against almost 600 websites on subjects ranging from abortion to weaponry. They also checked whether it was possible to bypass blocks using Google’s cache or translate functions.

Of the Windows products only two, Microsoft Windows Live Family Safety and Telekom Kinderschutz, achieved a 100 percent block of restricted material but at the expense of a high level of false alerts. AVG Family Safety and Norton Family both achieved 99 percent block rates for porn with low levels of false alerts (zero for AVG) but did less well in blocking other material.

For iOS devices the best product was Deutsche Telekom Surfgarten with 100 percent success rates across the board but again a high level of false positives. The parental controls in iOS 7 managed 92 percent porn blocking but only 62 percent overall.

No Android product managed a 100 percent score, the best being BlueCoat K9 with 98 percent porn blocking and 72 percent overall, and Mobicip Safe Browser (97 and 77 percent) but both had low levels of false alerts.

It's clear from the results that no parental control solution is perfect and the report’s authors say, "We strongly advise parents using parental control software to test that it is working as they intend by performing a spot check of whether categories and individual sites are being appropriately blocked/allowed". They also recommend visiting the UK government backed Get Safe Online site which has lots of advice about online risks.

You can download the full report which offers much more detail on each of the products tested from the AV-Comparatives website.

Image Credit: Pressmaster / Shutterstock

NirSoft's OpenSaveFilesView displays recently opened and saved files

Publié: octobre 1, 2014, 3:08pm CEST par Mike Williams

opensavefiles

NirSoft has released OpenSaveFilesView, a tiny portable tool which displays files opened and saved by the standard Windows Open and Save dialogs.

This has various potential applications, from reminding yourself where you saved that document last week, to getting an idea what someone else might be doing on a PC.

The technique has its limitations. The program won’t list files opened by double-clicking in Explorer, say, or via applications which use their own custom Open: it works with the regular dialogs only.

This could still be enough to be useful, though, and OpenSaveFilesView does give plenty of details about each file on the list: Name, Extension, Order (the order that the files were opened for every file extension), Open Time (available only for the last opened file of every file type), File Modified/Created Time, File Size, and File Attributes.

Clicking any of these column headers sorts the report into a more useful order. If you’d like to see which files have been saved recently, for example, just click the "File Created" header.

As ever with NirSoft tools, right-clicking the table displays options to save all or selected items as a text/ HTML report for easy reference later.

OpenSaveFilesView runs on anything from Windows 2000 and up, too, both 32 and 64-bit editions, so should be usable just about anywhere.

The program worked as advertised for us, and is easy enough to use. If you’re after something with more detail, though, try NirSoft’s LastActivityView. It displays the same core information, but adds information like application launch times, network connects/ disconnects, system starts/ shutdowns, and more.

iPhone 6: an honest review

Publié: octobre 1, 2014, 2:36pm CEST par Joe Wilcox

I preordered Apple's new smartphone on September 12, and it wasn't easy. Few months back, I went "Microsoft All-In" for the summer, purchasing the Nokia Lumia Icon on contract from Verizon. So I didn't qualify for the discounted, upgrade price. But when there's a will, there's a way -- and a generous family member helps make something special happen.

My iPhone 6 review begins with such disclaimer. Like iPad Air, I paid for the device. Apple didn't send me a review unit, but I did ask, and I am not on the preferred list of writers who get early access to "iDevices" and who presumably are more likely to rave. Such qualification is necessary, because iPhone 6 is an exceptionally satisfying handset, and I don't want to be mislabeled fanboy for stating such. That's a brash conclusion coming from someone abandoning a competing smartphone with better specs and satisfying user experience.

Why I'm "All Out"

For nearly two years before this summer, Chromebook was my primary -- and often only -- PC. But Microsoft nagged my subconscious. I built my tech writing career covering the company, around which there remains considerable audience. With Windows 8.1's release, new CEO's tenure, cloud offerings' maturity, and Surface Pro 3's launch, Microsoft intrigued all the more. Something else: In early Spring, I developed serious vision problems (by August healing and now mostly resolved), and Microsoft offers exceptionally readable font technology. So I dived all-in, with hopes of staying there.

Let me say this: Surface Pro 3 is excellent -- as far as the hardware goes. The hybrid tablet-PC concept is a winner. But I consistently rammed against a wall: Available apps and the way I want them (in Modern UI). Additionally Windows 8.1 is quirky, and many of the problems are cloud-sync and service related. The experience particularly jarred coming from Chromebook, which management is easy and where sync is smooth. Ongoing software and services usability problems sapped my time and productivity until finally enough was too much.

So, at the end of August, knowing back-to-school would be a good time to sell, I Craigslisted SP3. The device got a good home -- University of California San Diego freshman, giving up just $200 equity before tax on my original purchase price. I took the cash down to DC Computers, which is in my neighborhood, and bought a used 13-inch MacBook Pro Retina Display. At the time, I planned to keep the Icon, and the Mac would be more compatible companion than Chromebook, which better fits "Google All-In".

I really like the Nokia phone. By most measures that matter to me, Windows Phone 8 exceeds its desktop sibling. Performance is smoother, sync surer, user interface more uniform, meaningful apps availability better, and built-ins like Mail superior. Then there is the hardware, where the the camera and videocam are showpieces. But the supporting platform ecosystem is inferior to iOS, which is reason enough to go Apple for computing, mobile, and supporting cloud services.

Perhaps later I will regret not waiting for Windows 10. But I must qualify: OS X Yosemite beta running on my Mac is smoother than Windows 8.1 general release on Surface Pro 3, with no lost productivity from glitches or other annoyances.

How I ordered iPhone 6

Deciding to switch is one thing. Making it happen is another: Because my budget is super tight, I needed to fund my iPhone 6 purchase without paying full, non-contract price -- an option not obviously available for preorders starting September 12. My local Verizon store rep had a solution: Buy a $250 Ellipsis tablet, which 4G LTE line would be eligible for immediate upgrade. Out-of-pocket expense would be $200 less than iPhone 6's full price. Just to make sure there would be no glitches, the rep offered to manually switch the device to a flip phone in Verizon's system, ensuring no last-minute hiccups.

Problem: I don't need another Android tablet and nothing about the Ellipsis piques my interest. My sister came to the rescue. She works for a company that provides tech services to enterprises -- the majority using Microsoft software and services -- and needed an off-contract Verizon phone. She already agreed to buy the Icon, which looked to better sync with her lifestyle, but also wanted a tablet. Sis scooped up the Ellipsis, too, while I agreed to pay the $10 a month service. Her two purchases and sale of an older camera on Craigslist provided just enough funds.

As Midnight PDT approached on September 11, I staked out the Apple and Verizon websites. Around 11:58 pm, refreshing the Verizon page brought up the order option. I chose the 128GB space grey model and had the preorder completed by 12:03 am, even before Apple Store came back on line. The phone arrived early afternoon on September 19, after which I drove down to the carrier store for activation on my line and to square up the other for the tablet, which I mailed with the Nokia smartphone to my sister the next day.

My First Impressions

At a time when 1080p screens with 400 pixels per inch (or more) are the standard among high-end smartphones, Apple's device is little better than 720p (1334 x 750) and 326 ppi, which is same as iPhone 5s. While most newer high-ends pack 5-inch or larger screens, the iOS device is 4.7 inches. When 16-megapixels is increasingly standard for mobile cameras, Apple's handset is 8MP. By these and many other metrics, iPhone 6 offers less than competing handsets -- Nokia Lumia Icon among them.

But by measure of benefits, Apple's smartphone is in many ways superior. As such, this review is organized by them, rather than features. My metaphor for the difference. The sleeve placed around a Starbucks cup is a feature. Protecting your hand from burning is a benefit.

iPhone 6 specs

Aesthetics

The design of both the 6 and 6 Plus is reminiscent of iPhone classic -- the original sold starting in June 2007. Rounded corners and curvy frame are the visible characteristics they share. Other reviewers point to iPod touch similarities, which is true of thinness, but the prominent aesthetic -- rounded corners -- harkens heritage to the original.

The similarities only begin there. iPhone 6 finely balances benefits against features in ways much like the classic. In 2007, Apple stripped back features available on other phones, such as 3G and MMS, to balance others: battery life and responsive interaction of the new sensors and touchscreen.

Balance is the overall design aesthetic and priority placed delivering benefits before the fanciest features. By the specs, iPhone 6 is inferior to the newest handsets from HTC, Motorola, Nokia, and Samsung, among others. Android and Windows Phone fans are quick to point out the lower specs, such as the "Welcome to 2012" meme referring to Google Nexus 4 features.

However, my experience favors Apple's decision to deliver more by giving less. iPhone 6 is extremely enjoyable to use, and joy is a benefit often overlooked in tech design. How you feel using a device matters much more than how you think about features. There, balance -- how all the features fit together to deliver benefits -- and the device's design mean everything.

iPhone 6's design is understated, which is a long-standing Apple aesthetic (see my 2005 BetaNews story). I've seen some complaints online about the plainness and calling the top and bottom back bans ugly. Picky. Picky.

Because of the slick surface, iPhone 6 needs a case for better grip.

Plainness isn't the problem. Apple is sometimes guilty of putting form before function, and this is where aesthetics can undermine usability. How a phone feels and how well it stays in hands and fingers are intertwined benefits. While I find that iPhone 6 feels quite good to hold and can be operated with one hand, the surface is too slick. I can't get good enough grip, and the curved rather than flat frame is one reason why. This is the first iPhone for which I strongly encourage some kind of case. This baby eventually will slip from your hands otherwise, and Apple should be faulted for squandering benefits.

Sight

The screen delivers some of any smartphone's most important benefits. As such, I obviously wondered what the experience would be stepping down from Icon, which 5-inch display is 1920 x 1080 resolution and 441 ppi. Great, surprisingly. iPhone 6's screen is brighter, offers greater contrast, and is more viewable outdoors -- unexpected because the Nokia is quite usable in bright sunlight. These are benefits set against others, such as providing satisfactory battery life.

Nice touch: Standard and Zoom modes. For my ailing, aging eyes Standard is just fine, however.

Pretty much anything viewed on iPhone 6 looks superb. People upgrading from iPhone 3/G/GS or 4/4S might be overwhelmed by the spaciousness, while most 5/5s users will be pleased. If I can go down in screen size and resolution and be satisfied, surely someone moving up will be, too.

That said, my satisfaction somewhat slumped seeing the 6 Plus inside Apple Store. The differences are immediately obvious. The larger phone's screen is crisper, the glass seemingly less reflective, and the desktop so vivid it looks painted on. I actually had to check to ensure I hadn't picked up a dummy phone with paper mockup pasted on.

Some people will wonder why 1080p is Plus-only. Welcome to the Apple way. Since Tim Cook came on as COO and continuing as CEO, the company finely tunes product SKUs, often offering less one place and more somewhere else to maximize margins on the front end of the manufacturing cycle. Later, as the product lifespan extends, Apple iterates, by downstreaming capabilities from costlier iDevices or adding features that match or catch competing devices. Think of it as the "little better" strategy. Apple makes each new device a little better until the next, big release then resets and starts again.

I explained the concept 5 years ago in a post on my personal site: "How Does 'Incremental' Define Apple?" Excerpt:

Apple engages in tried-and-true retail practice. It’s good business. Clothing stores take a similar approach. There are teens who must have the newest wears from Aeropostale, American Eagle, Gap, or Hollister at full price; they can't wait for sales. They want to be cool...

As a product's lifecycle progresses and Apple maximizes margins at the front end, incremental improvements begin. The company typically starts by improving the hardware for the same price. Later, Apple adds better hardware or features and cuts the price. Eventually, Apple retires the product and introduces another 'one more thing'.

iPhone 6 is just that. Plus offers a little better, and 6 will get a little better during the next upgrade cycle. Meanwhile 5s with 16GB storage sells for $99 on-contract, or half what it did before its successor launched.

Sound

iPhone 6 gives great audio -- if you attach headphones or speakers. But the tinny, internal single speaker lacks much, particularly when smartphones like HTC One M8 offer so much more. That said, placement on the bottom frame (in vertical orientation) assures that notifications and phone rings can be heard. On Icon, by comparison, a case can largely silence the back-facing speaker.

iPhone 6 is available in three color motifs, one of which is white and gold.

Connected to headphones, Beats Music or iTunes streaming sounds fantastic. There's an immediacy to fullness and breadth of soundstage that's good to a fault. With quality cans -- Grado RS1e -- I hear imperfections in the encoding, which on some tracks my ears perceive as over-modulation or muffled vocals.

Photography

More megapixels is meaningless, as I have asserted for years. Apple wisely sticks to 8MP, which is the reasonable limit, because cameraphone sensors are tiny (I would prefer 5MP). The greater packed the sensor with pixels, the more artifacts and other aberrations appear in photos. Like iPhone 5s, the 6 offers 1.5 micron pixels, which, among other benefits, let in more light than the standard 1.1 micron pixels, which tightly pack on 16MP phone shooters.

The f/2.2 aperture lens is good choice, and in my testing finely balances with sensor and software. I can't emphasize the importance of the latter and choices made when shooting and post-processing. In 2012, I used the 5MP Samsung Galaxy Nexus to shoot San Diego Comic-Con. One reason: The phone produced surprisingly good photos in low light, mainly because of the superb balance of features and wise settings choices made in auto mode. Something else: Google promised and the smartphone delivered instant-shutter response.

The catchup capability is one of iPhone 6's best photography benefits, particularly in HDR mode. Shutter response is fast. Immediate. But there is more: In my early testing, iPhone 6 smartly chooses aperture, ISO, and shutter speed -- and that's best observed in low-light settings.

Still, something bugs me. Like earlier iPhones and many Androids, the handsome photos are more balanced than realistic. I don't feel the images are what my eyes see. Maybe I need to fiddle the settings some. By comparison, the original Moto X, which shooter is overall inferior, produces color and contrast as I see them -- or what I expect in the images. That's a matter of taste, where I prefer photos that are less-saturated than iPhone 6 produces. Color accuracy is generally spot on, despite my complaints.

Most people are not professional photographers. They wouldn't know f-stop from exposure compensation. Rather than presenting confusing controls and numbers, Apple provides a nifty slider for adjusting exposure -- lightness or darkness the user sees in the screen preview. Just tap the display. Other niceties, many carried forward from iPhone 5s and iOS 7 or long available elsewhere, include auto stabilization, face detection, and panorama mode.

iPhone 6 camera settings resemble those found on its predecessor.

However, optical stabilization is only available on iPhone 6 Plus, which is an instance where "a little better" means a lot. The technology is rather nifty, using the gyroscope in conjunction with the lens, which position changes, to reduce camera shaking that often blurs photos. Getting this benefit means buying a considerably larger and heavier iPhone.

Reality check: Nokia phone cameras are legendary -- and for good reasons. While Icon and iPhone 6 both produce excellent photos, differences matter -- such as optical stabilization on the Lumia, which offers finer control when shooting images, offers via DNG a RAW option, produces superb images despite the 20MP handicap, and provides better post-editing options using Nokia software, such as ability to blur the background (e.g., produce bokeh) after taking the photo. Icon also has a dedicated shutter button. However, the device is a slower shooter compared to iPhone 6 or Google Nexus handsets.

Most people will find iPhone 6 photography to be satisfying if not more. There is no non-pro compact camera with fixed lens -- meaning without telephoto -- that I would recommend over this smartphone. That said, in another form before function move, the handset's body is thinner than the camera can accommodate, such that the lens juts out from the enclosure. It's an unacceptable design compromise that puts the lens at greater risk of damage and is, unfortunately, another reason to buy a back-fitting case. By contrast, Nokia insets the lens on the Icon and 930.

Videography

Apple delivers some nifty tricks shooting videos, and one is desperately-needed catchup: Continuous focus, a feature found on the Icon and Nexus 5, for example. Fixed focus is one of older iPhones' biggest videography handicaps. On the 5 and 5s, you can tap to focus to start but there's trouble if you or the subject moves. In my testing, iPhone 6 adjusts focus as promised. Finally!

Neat trick: Slow-motion at 120 fps or 240 fps, with the latter the default but only 720p. Slo-mo is super fun, but good luck easily exporting clips and keeping the slow speed. I'm struggling to get it right, at this point in the review, and will update later. Meanwhile, phoneArena offers a helpful how-to guide.

The videocam can capture 1080p at 30 or 60 fps, and the latter is beneficial for shooting moving objects or finer-editing later on. Time-lapse videography enables other creative options, and Apple claims something called "Cinematic Video Stabilization", which supposedly lets you GoPro without buying one.

I haven't yet conducted extensive tests of the audio, which for some strange reason is something too often overlooked by phone designers. C`mon, if the video is going to look good, it should sound that way, too. Nokia claims four directional microphones on the Icon (and 930) that can produce some smashing sound shooting vids. If iPhone 6 audio with video is as good as 5s, it's enough.

Some advice: If camera and videography matter most to you, and nothing else, the Icon and near-identical Nokia Lumia 930 are my recommendation, rather than iPhone 6 or any other smartphone (even Nokia's 41-MP shooter). However, as will be explained shortly, considerations like apps availability and supporting ecosystem make Apple's device the better choice for most people. By the way, for anyone wanting 4K video-shooting capability, most major phone makers offer it, including Samsung and Sony. iPhone 6 won't satisfy your 4K dreams.

Longevity

Question everyone should ask about a smartphone: "How long can I use it before the battery dies?" Strangely, I don't have an answer after nearly two weeks using iPhone 6. My best response: Long enough. Time period between charges is so great, I can't keep track.

The iPhone 6 camera lens juts from the body, increasing risk of scratches or damage.

Apple claims 24-hour talk time over 3G, 14 hours watching videos, or 12 hours Internet over LTE or WiFi. I care about shooting photos and videos and uploading them to the cloud, while rumbling across social networks or using mapping programs. These functions are more meaningful measures -- and in my random, incomplete testing I easily get through the day with juice left over.

Responsiveness

Performance is an important benefit, and subjectively either elicits joy or generates frustration -- and the latter emotion is one every manufacturer should avoid. I smile and assume you will, too: iPhone 6 is speedy enough, even short a couple cores compared to most other high-end smartphones. Either scrolling or opening apps and browsers is fluid and fast.

Benchmarks are for geeks hung up comparing features rather than looking at benefits. What matters more: How the device does daily tasks that are most important to you. By that measure, I have no complaints about subjective speed. However, I would say same about iPhone 5s. If you own the device and performance is your major buying criteria, expect to be surprised by the subjective speed sameness.

Sizing up the Digital Lifestyle

Smartphones are not isolated devices. If they were, I would use Nokia Lumia Icon today for photography and videography benefits. Companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft sell lifestyle platforms around which someone builds stuff. Windows Phone is the weakest among the majors -- Android and iOS being the other two. Apps choices aren't as mature, and cloud offerings are comparatively meager. For example, homegrown Apple and Google apps and connected services are absent.

Don't like Internet Explorer on Windows Phone? Suck it up, there's no Chrome for you. But Google's browser is available for iOS. YouTube? Google Now? Google Maps? Nada, nada, nada. But all are available on iOS as well as Android, and, honestly, they look and use better on Apple's platform. Sure, Google sometimes sprinkles more features into Android apps, but in my testing their iOS counterparts give better benefits.

Apple is the Switzerland of mobile apps and cloud computing. I call iOS the "eat your cake and have it, too" platform. You can jump into the Apple lifestyle, while choosing from Google's and Microsoft's too. Meanwhile, the majority of the newest, third-party cloud-connected lifestyle apps are available for Apple's platform first.

Google groupies will wave the comparable number of Android apps and selection. But it's not how many but which ones that matter. Number of apps is a feature, while meaningful selection is a benefit. The most useful Android apps also are available for iOS, or exclusively. These factors greatly influenced my decision to abandon Icon for iPhone 6 -- and I could as easily picked an Android.

Let's cherry-pick pieces from the Apple lifestyle, which would be relevant to any iPhone 6 buying decision:

Command me. iOS gives good speech-to-text capabilities, like Android and Windows Phone, but Siri, still sucks. If she was a living employee, the company would have fired her long ago.

Siri answers correctly: "Who is Cortana?"

Even without Cortana, the Windows Phone 8-packing Icon gives meaningful and helpful answers to voice requests. For example, my 92 year-old father-in-law is at that age where someone thinks lots about the past. So we look together, every day. When I ask Windows Phone for "This day in history", Bing search produces a relevant list, the first link to history.com. If I say exactly the same to Siri, she often brings up the address for a museum in another town.

But I have little praise for Microsoft here. In the past, when Siri couldn't directly answer a question, I relied on the web searches she presented. But with iOS 7 -- and sadly carried forward to iOS 8 -- Bing is the search engine. Sorry, Google delivers more meaningful results.

Griping aside, Siri will get you around town and provide relevant, contextual information -- there Apple Maps is a help rather than hindrance (no more misdirections). She's not as proactive as Google Now, but as such not as snoopy. There's something stalker-like about Big G's app/service that creeps me out.

Call me. iPhone 5s offers HD calling, which T-Mobile supports. Successor 6 serves up Voice over LTE, which on Verizon is oh-so much better. There are two benefits when the feature is enabled in Settings:

CDMA users can call and Internet at the same time (something GSMers have done for ages).
Call quality is crystal clear -- such beautiful voice, the person on the other end sounds like a radio announcer.

Additionally, Apple claims support for "up to 20 LTE bands", WiFi is AC, and WiFi calling is available (from carriers offering it).

Granted, talking is like the last thing many people do on cell phones any more. But those who do will delight in these benefits.

Cover me. As the Switzerland of mobile platforms, iOS offers the best cloud cover of them all. These benefits aren't exclusive to iPhone 6, but I would be remiss ignoring them, since they're core to any digital lifestyle. Simply stated: Connected-apps are aplenty.

For simplicity, let's focus on the Apple Way. New to iOS 8 is iCloud Drive, a feature you shouldn't enable unless using Yosemite beta on a Mac, which I am. Doing so will cause problems accessing stuff stored on iCloud from other devices. The service is almost simple to a fault, because it's not obvious on iOS devices; access is from apps rather than a file manager (which is available on Yosemite or iCloud for Windows).

iPhone 6 tackles areas of differing light and contrast.

iCloud Drive finally catches competitors offering content access anytime, anywhere, and on anything (well, for the latter if an Apple-supported platform). Sync is excellent, in my limited testing. "Set it, and forget it" is the design ethic, an attribute that made the original iPod so compelling. Simple sync is a huge benefit, and it works well with other Apple apps and services, such as calendar, contacts, and mail.

I'm puzzled by Apple selling new iPhones with so much storage while offering so many benefits in the cloud. I'll reason that one out for a future analysis, perhaps.

Share me. With this platform release cycle, Apple introduces a goddam useful feature that surprisingly is overlooked in press coverage and reviews: Family Sharing. Think of it as "fair-use" applied to personal, digital content. I've complained for years about ebooks, music, movies, and the like being tied to a single account and not easily shared. Hey, mom can buy a CD or DVD and let the kids watch or lend it to grandma -- but not her digital downloads. Sharing is a humungous benefit.

According to Apple: "Once you set up Family Sharing, family members get immediate access to each other’s music, movies, TV shows, books, and apps. Download what you want with a tap anytime you like. All without having to share an Apple ID or passwords".

This benefit alone is reason to consider iPhone 6 or another iOS device and Apple's reward to long-time content buyers. Six people can share.

Pay me. I haven't tested Apple Pay yet, because the feature isn't available but supposedly releases this month. iPhone 6 includes a NFC chip for the Touch ID-to-pay system, for which there is surprising support. My bank and credit card are on board, as well as some of my favorite retailers. It's anyone's guess whether or not this thing succeeds, but you will want either of the new iPhones to use it.

One More Thing

As this review approaches 4,000 words, I stop the list of benefits, which could be longer. Instead, I end with surprising admission: If this was "Groundhog Day" or "Edge of Tomorrow", I would reset and not buy iPhone 6. I would purchase 6 Plus instead.

For most Apple customers upgrading from older models, the Plus will be too big. I thought the same applied to me, until handling one in Apple Store. My first impression was fabulous, starting with the screen and how the device felt in the hand -- not too large at all.

But iPhone 6 Plus isn't an option. The device is sold out everywhere. My local Verizon store says none are expected there until late October or sometime in November, which is well outside my 14-day return window. Oh well. I'm satisfied with iPhone 6 and believe that most buyers will be, too. Well, unless they wanted Plus and couldn't find one.

Some commenters will label me a flaming fanboy for liking iPhone 6. I refer them to other commenters calling me anti-Apple. Take your pick, but pay attention this: I am first to concede that by the specs iPhone 6 falls short of most major competing devices, including the Nokia Lumia Icon my sister now loves. Specs don't matter and distract from what does.

A smartphone isn't the sum of its features but balance of benefits. Apple understands this principle and handsomely applies it to iPhone 6. Google gets it, too, which is why Nexus devices are so good. Android's answer to Apple comes soon. Which wins? You tell me.

Editor's Note: I own the space grey iPhone 6 and used it to shoot pics of a borrowed white-and-gold model, which photographs better. That's my cat fiendishly and temporarily placed on the lock screen.

O&O SafeErase 8 gains smart Explorer integration

Publié: octobre 1, 2014, 1:40pm CEST par Mike Williams

safe erase Berlin developer O&O Software has unveiled O&O SafeErase Professional 8 ($29.95), a new edition of its commercial secure deletion tool.

Version 8 delivers enhanced Explorer integration. If you spot files or folders you need to delete permanently, right-click them, select SafeErase, and there’s no waiting for the full program to load: a simple dialog now quickly appears with the core options you need.

The program doesn’t stop there. Right-click, drag and drop files from one folder to another and a "Securely Move" option appears. Choose this and SafeErase copies your files to their new location, then securely wipes the originals.

SafeErase’s scanning function -- where the program highlights potentially sensitive files which could be undeleted -- has been redesigned with a brand new interface.

Elsewhere, improved management of reports and deletion lists simplifies operations, and there are assorted other minor fixes and enhancements on offer.

This didn’t run all entirely smoothly in our first tests. In particular, the scanning module warned that "Mozilla Firefox 32 is not yet supported by this version of OO SafeErase", and for some reason repeated that message five times. It’s good to see O&O Software is paying such close attention to a browser that it’ll check its code with every new browser version, but they really need to do this within days, not weeks.

O&O Software has told us that the issue will be fixed "right away", though, so hopefully it won’t be a problem for long. And elsewhere the program works well, securely wiping everything from individual files to free space, partitions and complete hard drives with the absolute minimum of hassle.

A 30-day trial of O&O SafeErase Professional 8 is available now. Please note, the modules to wipe free space and "entire computer" aren’t available in the trial build.

WordPress and other CMSs are 'inherently insecure'

Publié: octobre 1, 2014, 12:27pm CEST par Mark Wilson

WordPress and other CMSs are 'inherently insecure'

A large proportion of websites are not standalone sites in their own right, but creations based on CMSs such as Drupal, WordPress, and Joomla. This is particularly true for personal blogs, but using a CMS as the basis for a site has been increasingly popular among larger companies. CMSs are used because they allow for articles to be posted easily, make it simple for multiple people to contribute to a site, and allow for different users to be assigned different access rights. They can also be extended through the use of plugins, but these self-same extensions are also a security disaster waiting to happen.

Security experts High-Tech Bridge frequently discover vulnerabilities in extensions and plugins for popular CMSs. It is standard procedure to notify the developer before going public three weeks after the discovery -- this provides an opportunity for the problems to be fixed without alerting others who might exploit it. High-Tech Bridge CEO, Ilia Kolochenko, says that CMS security issues are nothing new:

"For upwards of a decade the major CMS platforms such as Joomla and WordPress have been deeply researched by both black and white hat hackers. In the early days SQL injections and code execution flaws were commonplace. In fact, around 90 percent of websites were vulnerable to critical-risk attacks permitting to take control over the website remotely within a dozen of minutes".

A great deal of work has been put into ensuring that CMSs are secure out of the box, leading Kolochenko to say, "I would say that a popular CMS, such as WordPress or Joomla may be considered secure in default installation if they are properly configured, don’t have third-party code and are up to date".

But therein lies the rub. Start to add extensions into the mix, and it's a very different story. High Tech Bridge points out that many plugins are written by inexperienced coders who lack the skills to ensure security. Of course, there are very few vanilla CMS installations out there in the wild -- few people are able to find a CMS that offers all they need without a little help from third-parties. The security flaw in plugins can be at least as serious as any that may have existed in the CMSs themselves in the past. "By exploiting XSS and SQLi flaws in the plugins, the attacker can get at the admin password same as if he were exploiting these vulnerabilities in the core code of the web application".

With a staggering 33,621 plugins downloaded a total of 749,138,518 times in the case of WordPress, the impact of exploiting security vulnerabilities could be huge.

Photo credit: Ingvar Bjork / Shutterstock

'Grandroid' smartphone designed to meet the needs of the elderly

Publié: octobre 1, 2014, 12:13pm CEST par Ian Barker

Amplicomms-M9000

As increasing numbers of government and other services go online, internet access becomes more important and mobile devices play a big part in that.

Yet according to charity Age UK there are 10.8 million people aged 65 or over in the UK but only three percent of them own a smartphone which could mean they're missing out on 'digital inclusion'. In order to make smartphones more accessible to older users, the new Amplicomms M9000 has all the benefits of an Android touch screen phone but with hardware and software specially adapted for the less technically adept.

Users of the phone can opt to use the standard Android 4.2 operating system or the Amplicomms operating system which features extra-large icons, intuitive menus and large, easy-to-read text along with built-in apps including a music player, calendar, email and internet browser. It's easy to switch between the two operating systems in the phone's menu.

The phone's hardware also has features geared to the needs of elderly users. It has a speaker volume of up to 40Db and a ringer volume of 90Db, it's also hearing aid compatible. On the back is an SOS button which can be programmed to call or text selected numbers in an emergency.

Standard phone features include 300K front and 5MP rear cameras, a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, 256MB of RAM, 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth. It also has dual SIM slots to make it easy to switch networks. The M9000 is available now in the UK from Hearing Direct.com. It's SIM free so you can use any network and costs £139.99.

If you're wondering what your elderly relatives might use a smartphone for there's a handy infographic guide to suitable apps from HomeCare Technologies reproduced below.

Apps-for-older-people-infographic640

Nokia Lumia 830 now available

Publié: octobre 1, 2014, 12:07pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Lumia-830_group3

Nokia Lumia 830 is meant to act as a gap-filler in Microsoft's Windows Phone 8.1 line, slotting in-between the Lumia 930 flagship and the Lumia 735 budget-friendly offering. It's a mid-ranger, in both hardware features and price. It is also the successor to the two year-old Lumia 820, as its name implies.

Microsoft has high hopes for Lumia 830, calling it "the first affordable flagship" and marketing it as cheaper alternative to the likes of Apple iPhone 5s and Samsung Galaxy S5. It's a strategy which could pay off in emerging markets, where consumers want premium devices but cannot afford the cost premiums. We will have to see how the market reacts to Lumia 830, which goes on sale starting this week.

With an MSRP of €330 (around $415), before any taxes and subsidies are applied, Lumia 830 undercuts those two aforementioned rivals by at least $100 at the time of writing this article. Of course, neither is new these days, and one of them has already lost flagship status (iPhone 5s is replaced by iPhone 6) in its maker's lineup.

I should probably mention that the better-specified Lumia 930 -- and, probably better all-around -- is selling for not much more, being available for less than $500 off-contract. In Europe, it can be had for around €450 with taxes, which is just marginally higher than Lumia 830's price, after taxes. Buying a Lumia 930 is a no-brainer, at least in my mind.

Nokia says that Lumia 830 will be available in black, bright green, bright orange and white. There are also some official accessories for it, like a rather lovely-looking flip cover, which is wireless charging-compatible.

Lumia-830-charging-wirelessly

Lumia 830 highlights include: 5-inch IPS display with a resolution of 720 by 1,280; 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor; 1 GB of RAM; 2,200 mAh battery; 10 MP main camera with optical image stabilization and 1080p video recording; 0.9 MP secondary camera capable of recording 720p video; 16 GB of internal storage; microSD card slot; 4G LTE; Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n; NFC; Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 with Lumia Denim firmware. Lumia 830 comes in at 139.4 x 70.7 x 8.5 mm and 150 grams.

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Most businesses waste money on 'shelfware' that’s never used

Publié: octobre 1, 2014, 11:06am CEST par Ian Barker

Boxes shelves

Almost two-thirds of companies plan on freezing or shrinking their software spend and 96 percent of organizations report that they're wasting money on software that is unused.

These are among the findings of a new report by Flexera Software in conjunction with IDC which looks at pricing and licensing. The biggest concern is that almost all businesses have "shelfware" that is never used.

The results show that 39 percent of companies report that 21 percent or more of their software spend is wasted on unused software. Yet at the same time software budgets are expected to remain the same or shrink over the next two years.

"It’s very easy for shelfware to accumulate when organizations don’t proactively implement best practices and technology to track, manage and optimize their software estates," says Amy Konary, Research Vice President -- Software Licensing and Provisioning at IDC. "Enterprises must have the ability to continually identify where software licenses are deployed, how those licenses are being used, and reconcile that data with the complex set of rules contained in the licensing agreements. By having this level of insight, CIO's can begin to identify shelfware, eliminate waste and reallocate their budgets more effectively".

Shrinking budgets are driving a shift in the way software is licensed though. The previously common perpetual software license is now only used for the majority of software by 45 percent of organizations. This is expected to decline to 36 percent over the next one to two years.

Instead businesses are switching to subscription (24 percent) or usage-based (17 percent) models. In response software producers are offering a wider variety of licensing options with only 35 percent saying that the majority of their revenue now comes from perpetual licenses.

"It doesn’t always make sense to pay up front for the full cost for software before the application has proven its value to the organization," says Steve Schmidt, Vice President of Corporate Development at Flexera Software. "In their drive to increase efficiency and cost effectiveness, some organizations prefer to pay for software in ways that allow them to better align their costs to value. That might mean paying over time via a subscription model, or by the features, functionality or capacity that they’re actually using, via a usage-based model".

The full report is available to download from the Flexera website.

Image Credit: Ilyarexi / Shutterstock

Windows 8.x goes back into reverse gear, losing the most usage share yet

Publié: octobre 1, 2014, 10:02am CEST par Wayne Williams

win8 reverse

Windows 10 really can’t come soon enough for Microsoft as its predecessor is continuing to tank. In August the tiled OS actually gained usage share -- according to web analytics firm NetMarketShare -- which was unusual as 8.x had lost users in the previous two months. But any suggestions of a recovery are swiftly crushed looking at September’s figures.

Both Windows 8 and 8.x lost a load of usage share last month, while Windows 7 reached an all-time high. It’s Windows 7 users Microsoft really needs to be aiming for with Windows 10 (and if it can tempt XP users too, so much the better).

In August, Windows 8 managed a 6.28 percent share of the desktop operating system market, but lost 0.69 percent in September. Windows 8.1, an OS which really should be growing, went from an all-time high of 7.09 percent to 6.67 percent, a drop of 0.42 percent. In total, Windows 8.x lost 1.11 percent share.

Windows 7 on the other hand went from 51.21 percent in August to 52.71 percent in September, a gain of 1.5 percent. That’s its highest point ever.

Windows XP, which should be losing share, dropped just 0.02 percent, going from 23.89 percent to 23.87 percent.

So September was another dreadful month for Windows 8.x. It’s no wonder Microsoft decided to skip ahead to Windows 10 in an attempt to really distance its future OS from the current one.

Photo Credit: i3alda/Shutterstock

Watch the Windows 10 presentation

Publié: octobre 1, 2014, 8:40am CEST par Wayne Williams

win10

Microsoft disappointed a lot of people yesterday by not livestreaming its Windows 10 reveal. It was a strange move considering that most tech companies offer a stream these days (and even a bad livestream, as Apple gave us for the iPhone 6 launch, is better than none at all).

The reason why Microsoft didn’t offer a stream is that it wasn’t a product launch as such, or even a presentation aimed at consumers. The company revealed the name -- Windows 10! -- talked about the benefits for the enterprise, and then quickly ran through an early build of the product. But while there was no livestream, the event was recorded, and it’s now available to watch.

Even if you don’t usually bother to watch tech demos, this one is worth your attention. It’s short (under 40 minutes), and you can skip ahead to the action if you prefer. The public demo starts around the ten minute mark.

In the video we get to see the new Start menu in action, windowed apps, Windows 10 snapping, the improved command prompt and more.

The Windows 10 Technical Preview is set to arrive later today, so you’ll soon be able to play with the next version of Microsoft’s OS for yourself.

Need user-friendly bootable recovery media? AOMEI PE Builder Free has your back

Publié: octobre 1, 2014, 7:00am CEST par Nick Peers

AOMEI PE Builder Free

Everyone -- and we mean everyone -- needs some kind of recovery disc. It could be the only thing between you and losing critical data, or a lengthy (and possibly unnecessary) Windows reinstall, for example.

Most PCs ship with some kind of onboard recovery or repair tools, but these are often limited. What’s the solution? If you’re running Windows 7 or 8 (but not, as yet, 8.1), it could well be AOMEI PE Builder Free 1.0.

As its title suggests, AOMEI’s solution is based on Microsoft’s own Windows PE environment, a cut-down (but graphically similar) version of Windows itself. You don’t need to download the hefty Windows Automated Installation Kit either to take advantage of this either; AOMEI grabs everything it needs during the boot disc creation process.

The basic Windows PE environment provides you with a full Windows desktop complete with key Windows tools including critical Control Panels, the command prompt and Internet Explorer for troubleshooting over the web.

But that’s not all: AOMEI PE Builder then adds in two useful AOMEI utilities: Backupper for recovering accessible files by backing them up, and Partition Assistant for more sophisticated partition management (including partition recovery), as well as a handful of portable tools -- including file recovery tool Recuva.

The builder program itself requires Windows 7 or 8 to run -- surprisingly (for now at least) it won’t run on Windows 8.1 -- but the bootable media it creates can then be used on other versions, from XP all the way up to Windows 8.1 and beyond.

Once launched, you’ll be stepped through a wizard putting the components together. You’ll see exactly which portable apps are supplied as standard, but you can also add your own portable apps here too, as well as any specific drivers you might want or need.

Finally, you’ll be prompted to burn a CD, save to USB drive or create an ISO file, and your bootable recovery tool is ready to go on standby.

And should the worst happen and your PC fails to boot, you’ve now got a means of booting into a familiar environment, giving you a great opportunity to troubleshoot your problem, hopefully find a Windows repair or at least recover critical data before taking more drastic steps.

AOMEI PE Builder Free 1.0 is available now as a freeware download. The PE builder tool itself requires Windows 7 or 8 to run, but any bootable media created should work with PCs running other versions of Windows too.

Find a bug in Chrome? You could earn $15,000 and entry into the Google Hall of Fame!

Publié: octobre 1, 2014, 3:31am CEST par Brian Fagioli

trophydoe

There are award shows for everything nowadays, celebrating actors, athletes and more. However, computer nerds do not get the credit they deserve; we should get an award show too, right? Hell, they should give out trophies for fixing family members' computers. I have spent hours at my Uncle Roy's smelly house removing malware, only to leave with not so much as a thank you.

Don't worry though, Google cares about your nerdy endeavors -- if it helps the Chrome browser, that is. You see, the search giant is increasing the maximum bounty for finding bugs in the browser to $15,000. While money is awesome, the recognition may be equally cool, as your name may be added to the Google Hall of Fame!

"We work hard to keep you safe online. In Chrome, for instance, we warn users against malware and phishing and offer rewards for finding security bugs. Due in part to our collaboration with the research community, we’ve squashed more than 700 Chrome security bugs and have rewarded more than $1.25 million through our bug reward program. But as Chrome has become more secure, it’s gotten even harder to find and exploit security bugs", says Tim Willis, Hacker Philanthropist, Chrome Security Team.

Willis further explains, "we're increasing our usual reward pricing range to $500-$15,000 per bug, up from a previous published maximum of $5,000. This is accompanied with a clear breakdown of likely reward amounts by bug type. As always, we reserve the right to reward above these levels for particularly great reports. (For example, last month we awarded $30,000 for a very impressive report.)"

paybugg

While the possibility of earning $15,000 is intriguing, please know that the average home user will not likely collect any money. You see, Google is looking for significant security related bugs. In other words, don't submit a bug report detailing a difficulty printing a selfie on Facebook -- that will not qualify. However, if you do legitimately find a qualifying bug, you can submit it here. Who knows, maybe you will end up on the Google Hall of Fame, which might actually look good on a resume.

Image Credit: BUNDITINAY / Shutterstock

Sorry Linux fans, Windows 10 will continue Microsoft's desktop domination

Publié: octobre 1, 2014, 2:31am CEST par Brian Fagioli

penguinscomplaints

I'll admit, when Windows 8 was first announced, I hated it. Even though I am open-minded about UI changes, the Start Screen rubbed me the wrong way. At the time, I was strictly a keyboard and mouse user, who enjoyed doing things on a large monitor. After months of trying to convince myself that I would eventually like the changes, I gave up and went to Linux full time. I was already a casual user of operating systems based on the open-source kernel, but now I was jumping in head first.

Initially, life was great and I hopped from distribution to distribution trying Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora and many more. What was cool about these Linux-based desktop operating systems, was that I could choose the environment of my liking. In other words, if I didn't like the UI, I could easily switch. This was in stark contrast to Windows, which has a take it or leave it approach. Ultimately, I decided on Fedora and the GNOME 3 environment. This surprised me, because as a lifelong Windows user, I expected to gravitate towards KDE. Over time though, something strange happened -- I went back to Windows 8.

No, I didn't abandon Linux, but I turned to Microsoft's OS for the majority of my computing. The reason is rather simple -- I like quality programs. Don't get me wrong, software like Gimp and LibreOffice are good, but Microsoft Office and Photoshop are better. Plus, with Linux, I would spend more time tinkering and looking for solutions than actually using my computer as a tool. Don't forget, a computer is designed for getting things done -- it is not a religion or philosophy. Let's say Linux was a wrench and Windows was a hammer; many Linux users would try to drive a nail into a piece of wood with a wrench out of disdain for a hammer, and that is just silly.

This is really sad, as I know some very passionate Linux users that thought Linux could grab a huge piece of the desktop pie from Windows. Unfortunately, Microsoft has killed that opportunity with the announcement of Windows 10. You see, the biggest criticisms about Windows 8, which could have driven users towards Linux, are being rectified in the future version of Windows. Microsoft is finally bringing back the Start Menu and allowing Modern apps to run in a windowed mode. People that were considering a switch to Linux because of the lack of familiarity in Windows 8, will now not have to; the experience they desire is on its way back. Hell, $199 laptops don't hurt either!

You know that "take it or leave it" approach that I mentioned earlier? Well, Microsoft seems to be relaxing that stance, as users can choose the touch screen UI or desktop UI -- they aren't forced onto one of the other. You can even adjust the Start Menu to be tall or fat, or have live tiles; it is a very customizable experience. Actually, Linux distros offer too much choice, and ultimately, the small user base is fragmented due to the myriad of available desktop environments.

I still love Linux and I am anticipating Fedora 21; however, me and most of the world are probably more excited about the next version of Windows. The dream of Linux having a bigger piece of the desktop is less likely today than it was yesterday because of Windows 10. Still, Linux is no slouch -- it owns the smartphone market thanks to Android. Quite frankly, the mobile market may be more important anyway.

Image Credit: bouzou / Shutterstock

With Windows 10, Microsoft leaves lots of questions unanswered

Publié: octobre 1, 2014, 12:19am CEST par Mark Wilson

With Windows 10, Microsoft leaves lots of questions unanswered

So… we now know that Windows 9 is by far the least successful version of Windows ever, grossing Microsoft a total of $0. But Microsoft is as keen as ever to look to the future, and it's pinning its hopes on the newly revealed Windows 10. At the unveiling in San Francisco we learned quite a lot about the upcoming version of the successor to Windows 8.1 (yep... it's going to sound weird for a long time), but there were also a lot of unanswered questions. It was interesting to see that the demonstration used build 9841 which we have already seen in leak, and in this regard there were few surprises. Between the release of Windows 10 Technical Preview Microsoft still has a lot of work to do, and a lot of people to convince to upgrade.

What do we not yet know? We don’t have a release date, at least nothing that has been pinned down. We know it will be some time in the second half of 2015 -- if everything goes to plan -- but that's quite a big Window. We also don’t know what costs, if any, might be associated with the operating system. It has been suggested that Microsoft would make Windows 10 available free of charge, but nothing official has been said on this front. We have no idea what sort of upgrade path may be available -- would this be Microsoft's opportunity to usher everyone away from Windows XP once and for all? Simply offer a free upgrade to an operating system that addresses the issues users have raised and the security problems associated with an ancient version of Windows should diminish.

One of the hardest battles Microsoft has is convincing people that it is worth upgrading. In showcasing the early build, a great deal of emphasis was placed on upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 10. A lot of Windows 7 users refused to upgrade to Windows 8 because they didn’t like what they saw. At first glance, Windows 10 is very similar to Windows 8. There are certainly differences there, but taken at face value this is Windows 8 with a few tweaks -- there hasn’t even been a new coat of paint. This is in spite of the fact that Microsoft claims the Windows 10 will be "built from the ground-up".

Why built from the ground up? This is to embrace Microsoft's vision of a "mobile-first, cloud-first world". But the reality is that many people just want an operating system that works on their desktop computer or laptop. They're not necessarily interested in moving from one device to another -- that's quite niche, quite geeky. There's talk of blurring the boundaries betwen desktop Windows and mobile Windows. But who cares? Microsoft is far, far to late to the party with Windows Phone. Mobile users have voted with their cash and shown that iOS and Android are what they want, not a mobile OS offered by Microsoft. So the focus on mobile is curious.

The San Francisco event was, and the Technical Preview is, aimed at enterprise and techy users. But in the home computing market, Microsoft lost a lot of its audience. Gone are the days when every new version of Windows is welcomed with open arms, users are now more discerning, more demanding. People are no longer willing to accept what is handed to them, they expect to be given what they want. This didn’t happen with Windows 8, so it was simply ignored by a lot of would-be upgraders.

Microsoft has, as ever, something of a delicate line to walk. This is a company now obsessed with listening to feedback -- just look to Windows Phone and Xbox One -- but there is a danger in listening to customers too much. Whatever form Windows takes it will, of course, never please everyone, but Microsoft will be understandably keen to satisfy as many people as possible. However users are impatient. Users lose interest. Take too long "getting things right" and there's a strong chance that people will just give up waiting and start looking elsewhere. Rush to hit a deadline and corners will be cut -- we could end up with another Windows 8.

There's a problem of a better cross-device experience, but Apple already has this in the bag. Will people sitting on the fence hold on for (possibly) a year to see if Microsoft can nail it, or jump to the Apple ecosystem which is well-established? The promise that "Windows 10 will run on the broadest amount of devices" is intriguing. When does this happen? Will Windows Phone 8 users be able to upgrade their handsets to Windows 10? Should someone thinking of investing in a new phone hold off until they know whether they have a software upgrade path available to them? With the launch of Windows 10 still some months off, this might seem like jumping the gun but many people hang on to a phone for two years -- and often much longer -- but it's still something to keep in mind.

Upgrade next week only to discover that you've chosen a handset that isn’t getting any Windows 10 love, and you have one less reason to upgrade your desktop operating system. No hints have been made at system requirements, and this is something potential users are going to need to know. There has also been no mention of Cortana, despite the fact many expected the assistant to make an appearance in this version of Windows.

Today's demonstration was very short -- under forty minutes from start to finish. This may have been a very early build, but there really should have been more to show off, more to talk about, more to pique people's interest with. What today showed is that while Microsoft may to be taking steps in the right direction, there's still a long way to go, and the company needs to take care not to get complacent -- users are not going to forget Windows 8 any time soon. Windows 10 needs to impress. We've skipped an entire version number; we need to see something absolutely ground-breaking for that to make any sense.

Photo credit: Sergio Foto / Shutterstock

Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » octobre 2014

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BetaNews.Com (393 non lus)

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