Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » octobre 13, 2014

BetaNews.Com (15 non lus)

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

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.

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".

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

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
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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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)

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
British criminals are remotely wiping mobile devices while in police custody

Publié: octobre 13, 2014, 8:23am CEST par Jamie Hinks

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)

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