Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » novembre 21, 2014

BetaNews.Com (15 non lus)

Businesses are failing to take security seriously enough

Publié: novembre 21, 2014, 7:14pm CET par Darren Allan

Companies are still failing to properly protect themselves from potential attacks and hackers, with security not being given enough weight of consideration -- and indeed, many firms haven’t even covered the fundamentals of keeping intruders out of their networks and data.

This is according to Neira Jones, a security expert who chairs the Global Advisory Board for the Centre for Strategic Cybercrime & Security Science, who criticized businesses for failing to "fix the basics" of protecting data, and lacking sufficient "cyber-security awareness programs".

She told Computing: "If you’re a large organization you’ll have resources and you’ll have departments and there may be cyber security, but at the end of the day, you’re not in the business of security. So awareness programs are a low priority and security isn’t understood; staff at large have a day job to do and they don’t feel that’s part of their responsibility".

She also noted that because staff are relatively uneducated and don’t think much about company security in general, more sophisticated phishing emails are having more success, because they aren’t so readily identifiable as suspect or potentially malicious messages.

Jones observed that spam mail containing links leading to malicious code is on the increase, as are phishing mails in general – which is unsurprising if they are finding greater levels of success. A recent survey from HP’s TippingPoint network security division revealed that 69 percent of IT professionals have to deal with phishing attacks at least once a week, and the main targets are customer and financial data.

She observed: "Criminals are becoming a lot more effective at delivering their payloads. A phishing campaign of only 10 emails has more than a 90 percent chance of getting a click and when you get users who are unaware, that’s an explosion waiting to happen".

We’ve always insisted that staff training is a massive part of security, and the more educated your employees are on malware and security risks, the better, for obvious reasons. Security is everyone’s job, not just the IT department’s.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Ho! Ho! Ho! Google Claus gifting 1TB of Drive storage to new Chromebook buyers

Publié: novembre 21, 2014, 6:57pm CET par Brian Fagioli

Santa Claus is a great man; he delivers gifts to all of us as a reward for being good. While people have tried to trick me into thinking he isn't real, I refuse to fall for it. Of course he is real! Who else is putting presents under my tree? My mom? I think I would have caught her by now.

As great as Santa Claus is, apparently, Google is looking to get into the gifting game too. You see, the search-giant is giving away 1TB of Google Drive storage for two years. Hell, for many, that is better than a crappy wooden train from Santa Claus! To score the free storage, you only need to buy a new Chromebook.

"Chromebooks make day-to-day computing fast, simple and secure, whether you’re searching for a great pumpkin pie recipe or sharing a family photo from Google Drive. And now, as a bonus for the holiday season, new Chromebook buyers can get 1TB of Google Drive storage for two years -- a $240 value -- absolutely free", says Alex Vogenthaler, Group Product Manager, Google.

Vogenthaler further explains, "that's enough space to keep more than 100,000 awkward holiday sweater pics safe and shareable in Drive. With that much free storage, you can use your Chromebook for work, play and pretty much everything else you'll do this holiday season".

If you want the free storage, all you have to do is buy a Chromebook before January 1, 2015. This makes it absolutely perfect for the holiday season. Whether you give a Chromebook to a friend or family member as a gift, or Santa puts one under your tree, you can rest easy knowing that you will have plenty of storage space for all of your holiday photos and more.

Will you buy a Chromebook this holiday season? Tell me in the comments.

Photo Credit: Ollyy / Shutterstock
Vintager 2014 lets you transform digital snaps into photos of yesteryear

Publié: novembre 21, 2014, 5:56pm CET par Nick Peers

There’s something to be said for the way old printed photos age over time, as they turn yellow or sepia, coloring our own perception of the past. With the rise of digital, of course, all that has come to an end, with photos promising to remain as color-sharp, bright and vibrant as the day they were originally shot.

If you wonder how those photos might look in the future had they been shot on film and left to fade over time, there’s no need to wait if you’re a Windows user. Simply install Vintager 2014 and you can see how they might have looked 20, 30 or even 40 years hence.

As its name implies, Vintager 2014 is all about the artificial aging of your digital photo collection. Filter-based image-editing tools are nothing new -- pretty much any image editor (free or paid-for) worth its salt will give you a range of filters you can apply to your photos to add various effects, but Vintager is fun because it’s so simple to use, and because it concentrates on providing effects that will help transport your digital snaps to another age.

It’s incredibly simple to use: load your photo, pick a preset filter (16 are available, with such memory evoking names as Lotus, Blossom and Pine), apply some additional tweaks, and hey presto, a photo that looks like it might have been taken decades ago, not last week.

The tool also includes some additional tweaks: depth of field lets you darken or lighten the edges of your photo to heighten the effect further, and you can frame your photo too. Additional buttons reveal cropping, rotating and flipping tools, plus the ability to adjust brightness and contrast and even resize your image if required.

It’s all very simple, and if you’re looking for an advanced tool with fine control over the filter effects you’ll be left disappointed, but if you want to quickly add a nostalgic touch to modern-day photos, Vintager 2014 won’t disappoint.

Vintager 2014 is available now as a freeware download for PCs running Windows XP or later.
Alienware Alpha is the next-gen console ready to take on PS4 and Xbox One

Publié: novembre 21, 2014, 4:36pm CET par Mark Wilson

It must be coming up to Christmas; Alienware, the game-focused arm of Dell, is beginning to ship its new gaming console. The Alienware Alpha is described as the world's first PC gaming console, and it has been designed to blend the power of a gaming rig with the ease of use of a console. With prices starting at $549, gamers have the ability to customize their hardware to suit their needs. The Alpha runs Windows 8.1, and it includes either 4GB or 8GB of RAM, as well as a USB adapted Xbox 360 controller.

The price of the console is bumped up for anyone opting to increase the size of the hard drive or speed of the processor, but the aim here is to blow the Xbox One and PS4 out of the water with raw power.

In all there are four models available. Moving up from the base model involves increasing the hard drive capacity from 500GB to 1TB, and doubling the RAM from 4GB to 8GB while retaining the same 2.9GHz i3-4130T Dual-Core CPU -- this will set you back $699. Pop in a 3GHz Intel Core i5-4590T Quad-Core processor and the price increases to $799, while upgrading to a 2TB hard drive and 3GHz Intel Core i7-4765T Quad-Core processor bumps it up to $899. In all models, graphics are catered for by an NVIDIA GeForce GTX GPU 2GB GDDR5 card. Frank Azor, General Manager of Alienware, said:

We've been working hard this past year to break the mold and develop a system that finally brings hundreds of Steam games, including some really fun indie titles, to TVs. The team and I are excited to finally deliver our vision for big screen gaming and give our fans a console that delivers true next-gen performance with the flexibility to choose how, what and where they want to play.

Alienware is keen to tempt gamers away from the competition, and early adopters placing orders will be treated to a batch of free games including Awesomenauts and Magicka.

Like the Xbox One and PS4, the Alienware Alpha is more than just a console, and the Alpha UI can be used to access movie and music libraries. While this side of things can be controlled using the Xbox 360 controller, the fact that the console is powered by Windows 8.1 means that it functions as a desktop PC with a keyboard and mouse, as well as being an entertainment device for the living room. Find out more and customize your console at the Alienware Alpha website.
Best Windows 8 apps this week

Publié: novembre 21, 2014, 4:26pm CET par Martin Brinkmann
One-hundred and eight in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps and games released for Windows 8 in the last seven days.

Microsoft revealed its Black Friday deals earlier this week. Starting November 27 customers from the US and Canada will be able to save up to $150 on a Surface Pro 3 or a Surface 2 purchase with deals available on Microsoft's official store, Microsoft retail stores and participating stores such as Best Buy.

This week has seen the release of several great applications. Toca Boo is a great game for children for example in which you try to scare family members (in a friendly manner).

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.
- Dragon's Lair, an iconic arcade game for $4.99
- Nightmares from the Deep 2: The Siren's Call, an adventure game for $3.49
- Pettson's Inventions 2, a game for children for $1.49
- Caillou House of Puzzles, a puzzle game for$3.49
- CleverToDo, a to-do list application for $1.99
- Odysseus: Long Way Home (full), an adventure game for $1.99
Best app of the week

Toca Boo

Toca Boo is a game for children in which you try to scare family members.

This is done by finding hiding locations before family members spot you. When they walk by you afterwards you come out and surprise them.

The house offers different hiding locations, from cupboards and beds to curtains or tables.

You can interact with select elements as well, blow out a candle, turn out a light or open a door which may scare the other family members as well.

Other apps

Defend Your Life!

Defend Your Life! is a tower defense game with an interesting scenario. Instead of fighting against aliens or zombies, you defend your body against attacks such as the flu virus or bacteria.

Battles take place in different parts of the body and increase in difficulty with each map.

It is your task to place defense systems on the board and use power ups to defeat attacking viruses and bacteria.

You earn special coins after each map which you can spend on upgrades that improve your attack power or range, or the special abilities that you have at your disposal.

Visuals are well done and the game is challenging enough to keep you entertained for a long while.

WolframAlpha

The official Wolfram Alpha application for Windows 8 is available for $2.99. There is no free trial available unfortunately but you get a similar experience to what Wolfram Alpha is offering on the web.

Enter a query into the search form and receive results immediately. A wide range of subjects is supported, from Math and Geography to People and Sports.

KingRunner

The game is only available in French which is kinda odd considering that it is also available in non-French speaking Windows Store regions.

It is a running game in which you control the runner with the keyboard or by touch.

The visuals are quite different from regular running games and the game itself is fun to play even if you don't understand a word of French.

Word Drop

Use the available letters to build words on the board. You do so by linking adjacent letters until you have constructed a word.

Additional letters are then dropped from the top of the board which you use to create additional words.

What is interesting about Word Drop is that it offers four different game modes.

Some letters are removed in blocker mode for example, while you have to find a word in search mode on the board.

There is also a stress free mode which you can play for as along as you like.

Crime Squad India

This game works only with touch devices or devices that support tilt operations.

It is a driving game in which you solve cases by driving to specific locations on the map.

Basilic

Basilic is an OCR application for recipes. Take a photo of a recipe (on a can, in a magazine, in a store..) and the app will turn the photo into text again that you can print out or use in other ways.

It works best if only the recipe ingredients and instructions are on the photo as you may end up with additional information that you don't need.

The app ships with options to edit the text before you save it.

Reckless Jack

Reckless Jack is without doubt one of the hardest running games that I have ever played.

The main reason for this is that there is so much going on that it is difficult to keep on running and avoiding crashing into one of the many objects that litter the street.

You control Jack with the WASD keys on the keyboard or by touch so that you can change lanes, jump or slide whenever necessary.

It is incredibly difficult and can be a frustrating experience because of this. If you are looking for a challenge, this may be it though.

Super Bunny World

Inspired by Super Mario World, this game is only playable on touch devices.

It features 16-bit graphics and sound effects, and provides the usual platform gaming experience.

Avoid enemy creatures in the level, collect coins, and jump over obstacles such as water.

Call of Duty Heroes

This is an official game by Activision that can be best described as a real-time strategy game with action elements.

There are two core parts: the base building part in which you expand your base and the action part in which you attack or defend in real-time.

The game walks you through the base building and attacking part in a tutorial of sorts.

Build resource buildings, training and recruitment facilities and defense systems in the simulation part.

Everything can (and needs to be) upgraded. A training compound that is upgraded to level 2 can train juggernauts for example instead of regular soldiers.

Other features include heroes from the Call of Duty franchise, player versus player and survival missions, as well as options to team up with friends.

The attack part supports mouse and touch controls. You place troops and devices on the map to attack or defend, and can use special attacks such as a helicopter with machine gun directly as well.

The game is free to play but contains in-app payments to speed up recruitment or buildings.
HBO GO reaches the living room via Xbox One

Publié: novembre 21, 2014, 4:15pm CET par Alan Buckingham

HBO GO has been in the news lately, especially when the HBO network announced that it will be discontinuing its paid cable/satellite service restriction and turn it into a stand-alone service. It's also now making inroads into the living room -- perhaps in preparation for that big move next year. To that end, the network is moving into the Xbox One ecosystem.

Larry Hryb, better known to most folks as Major Nelson, announces the release -- "HBO GO is arriving on Xbox One in the US, bringing along every episode from every season of your favorite HBO shows. With HBO GO, subscribers can watch the latest episodes from shows like 'True Detective', 'Game of Thrones' and 'Girls', along with your favorite hits like 'Entourage' and 'The Sopranos', HBO GO on Xbox One features Kinect voice and gesture control so you can easily search the entire catalog via gestures or voice commands".

The Kinect integration seems to be a key feature, as it will allow for easy control and work with the rest of the new Xbox One controls. That makes entertainment almost a home automation thing.

For now, customers will still have to verify a TV subscription, as that won't change until 2015. But it's one more selling point that Microsoft has added to an already large entertainment field. The console has certainly become as much about that as it is about gaming. We'll see where it heads next.
The rising importance of big data to big business

Publié: novembre 21, 2014, 4:05pm CET par Ian Barker

Analysis of large volumes of information is increasingly used by businesses to gain an advantage. A new infographic produced by big data specialist Datameer looks at how it’s being used to gain a competitive edge.

Among the highlights are that the global Hadoop Market is projected to be worth $50.2 billion by the year 2020, a huge increase from the $1.5 billion it was worth in 2012.

North America is currently the biggest investor in big data at 37.8 percent, though Asia/Pacific businesses plan to increase their investing by 106.6 percent, bringing them to a close second. Looking at usage by industry, financial services lead the way, followed by technology and communications companies.

The most popular use of big data is to analyze customer behavior, with 48 percent of users. It allows businesses to look at the customer journey, reduce churn rates, increase revenue and improve existing products.

Operational analytics is carried out by 21 percent of companies to improve supply chain efficiency and help with IT analytics and network planning.

You can see the full infographic below (click to view a larger version) and read more on Datameer's blog.

Photo Credit: Maksim Kabakou/Shutterstock
Android 5.0 Lollipop encryption severely impacts performance

Publié: novembre 21, 2014, 3:52pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Encrypting your device may make it more secure, but it also makes it slower due to the added overhead. This is not much of a problem on a fast PC or laptop, as its hardware is able to cope with the extra load. It, however, is a major reason for concern on Android 5.0 Lollipop devices, such as Google's new Nexus 6. Android 5.0 Lollipop is at fault here.

Anandtech has discovered that the difference in performance can be as high as 80.7 percent, and as low as 50.5 percent, between Nexus 6 with encryption turned on and with the feature disabled. Meanwhile, those who update to Android 5.0 Lollipop on Nexus 5 will also notice a notable difference in performance, albeit not as big, even with encryption disabled.

Based on the test results published by Anandtech, the update to Android 5.0 Lollipop on Nexus 5 comes with a performance penalty as high as 45.4 percent, and as low as 1.3 percent, without factoring in the performance hit that comes when enabling encryption.

Luckily, encryption is not enforced by default, even if you make a clean install using a factory image. If you have upgraded to Android 5.0 Lollipop on a pre-Nexus 6 device, then using encryption is your call. On my Nexus 7 I have not noticed a major change, although it does not seem to run smoother either.

In both cases (Nexus 6 with and without encryption, and Nexus 5 without encryption), we are talking about storage performance. Random read, random write and sequently read speeds were used to test the performance penalty.

There are two aspects to Android 5.0 Lollipop worth detailing. The first is that it seems to make even powerful devices such as Nexus 5 slower compared to Android 4.4 KitKat. This likely explains why we are seeing Nexus 7 users complaining about their devices being slower following the update. Google should address this as soon as possible, in the next over-the-air update.

However (and this is the second issue), encryption is enforced out-of-the-box on Nexus 6. Anandtech had to ask Motorola for a Nexus 6 unit with encryption disabled to do the test. Virtually all users will not have that option. I sense that this policy will also apply to all future devices that come with Android 5.0 Lollipop out-of-the-box, unless vendors have anything to say about it.

Google is not doing its users any favors by making their devices seemingly more secure, but much slower. It should also figure out a way to encrypt users' devices with a smaller impact on performance, as, right now, the way encryption is done spoils the user experience. And, as more devices running Android 5.0 Lollipop are launched, the issue will only grow bigger. There may be a way around this, and that is to use storage with encryption support (like lots of SSDs do today). However, as Anandtech points out, the current eMMC chips do not.

Photo Credit: Quka/Shutterstock
How the Internet of Things will change the world

Publié: novembre 21, 2014, 2:15pm CET par Gavin Wheeldon
The definition of the Internet of Things is "intelligent interactivity between humans and things to exchange information and knowledge for new value creation". Try saying that after a glass of wine! There’s been a lot of talk about the IoT in the business world, and with good reason. It’s chock full of potential to improve performance, reduce costs, drive innovation and create new revenue streams. Of course, we’ve now reached the point where the talk is turning into action -- technology is adapting and businesses are planning IoT strategies.

Forrester Consulting say: "We are at the tipping point for broader IoT adoption with 53 percent of organizations planning to implement an IoT solution in the next 24 months. Organizations in Asia Pacific and Latin America are more aggressive with 69 and 60 percent respectively, planning to implement over the same time period".

Internet of Things in action

The Internet of Things is exciting to talk about, but as is often the case with technological advancements on the cusp of becoming mainstream, it’s hard for us right now to imagine day to day practicalities. So let us help you visualize how the Internet of Things will make a difference:

1) Transport and Mobility: In downtown San Francisco, 20-30 percent of all traffic congestion is caused by people hunting for a parking space. This congestion could be reduced in an IoT-enabled city, as wireless sensors in the parking lot could direct connected cars to an available space and initiate payment. If needed, the smart car could use the parking details to call a mobile mechanic to change the oil whilst the driver is away for the afternoon.

A connected transport system means that traffic can be effectively routed when there is a change in conditions. Users of public transport services such as buses, trains and trams could be instantly notified with service updates and receive relevant information about their journey. The IoT could also make a huge difference in the packing and shipping industries, making monitoring and logistics seamless.

2) Healthcare and Smart Homes: Due to our aging population, it’s estimated that 40 million people age 65 and over will be living alone in the US, Canada and Europe. The IoT means that elderly people will be able to retain their independence and live at home for longer, whilst their families can be instantly reassured of their safety and wellbeing. This can be achieved by having wireless sensors throughout the house, which monitor things like activity levels, sleeping patterns and medication schedules. Alerts can be automatically sent to healthcare services and family members if there is cause for concern.

Better connectivity in hospitals means that patient care can be vastly improved, as doctors will be able to view test results and notes instantly using their own devices or even bio wearables. Cleaners can be alerted when an area needs attending to, improving hygiene standards throughout the building. Equipment can monitored and therefore allocated to the correct department according to demand.

3) Smart Buildings and Mobility: Energy used by commercial and industrial buildings in the US create almost half of all greenhouse gas emissions for the whole country. With this in mind, businesses are under pressure to improve energy efficiency of their buildings. The IoT could help to achieve this using sensors which automate usage of lighting, water and gas according to the number of people in the building and their precise location, as well as the weather conditions.

4) Cities and Industry: Smart Cities can significantly reduce their impact on the environment by making services more efficient. Resources like electricity, water and gas could be distributed according to use and maintenance services can be alerted instantly if there are any problems on the network. Connected cars could also alert maintenance services when they pass a pothole, or a streetlight that needs fixing. The alert would automatically be sent to a staff member closest to the problem that needs attention, saving time and money spent on fuel.

How can the Internet of Things make money?

The key to answering this all-important question is this -- streamlining. The IoT is a catalyst for making services smarter, better and more efficient, therefore saving people time and money.

To illustrate, it’s been said in an article by telecomreseller.com that the IoT could generate:
- $100 billion by reducing energy consumption in public buildings and therefore lowering operating costs.
- $108 billion in the gas and water monitoring industries, simply by reducing meter reading costs, improving accuracy and providing real time updates on use and status.
- $42 billion with the introduction of smart parking, identifying availability of spaces and introducing demand-based pricing.
Gavin Wheeldon is CEO of Purple WiFi.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Samsung U28D590D: An affordable UHD 4K 28-inch monitor [Review]

Publié: novembre 21, 2014, 1:03pm CET par Wayne Williams
4K displays are becoming much more common, giving buyers a far greater range of choices. The Samsung Series 5 UHD LED Monitor (U28D590D) does a good job of balancing quality with affordability -- just £419.99 from Ebuyer.com including VAT and delivery -- and takes seconds to setup.

The 28-inch LED edge-lit screen offers a native resolution of 3840×2160 pixels, and the monitor sports a black plastic casing with a glossy bezel and an aluminum T-shape stand. Putting it together is just a matter of screwing the neck to the stand (using two pre-installed screws) and then sliding the screen into the neck.

The last monitor I looked at, AOC’s Q2770PQU, lets you adjust the height and tilt, and even spin it from horizontal to vertical. With Samsung’s offering you’re limited to a bit of backward and forward tilt. Depending what you use the display for that’s likely going to be enough flexibility, although another downside is it’s not the most stable of stands. Give it a sharp tap on the top and it will wobble like mad, although it’s not going to fall over.

From a design point of view, the U28D590D is about as simple as they come. There are no buttons or ports anywhere to be found on the front or sides, just a small blue LED at the bottom right to tell you when the screen is on standby or working (depending on your preference). Everything else is on the rear, and again there’s not much to report. In the center of the back are two HDMI 1.4 sockets and a Display Port 1.2 input. On the right of those are DC 14V power and 3.5mm headphone sockets (there are no built-in speakers sadly).

The screen doesn’t contain the power circuitry, so that means you’ll have to find a hiding place for the external power brick.

The only button is on the back towards the bottom left (or the right, as you look at the screen). This is a multi-directional JOG controller which lets you turn the screen on or off, and access the settings. Clicking it displays a small menu on the right side. From here you can go up to select the Menu, right to access PIP/PBP (Picture-In-Picture and Picture-By-Picture), down to power off, or left to switch between sources. It’s very intuitive, and I like this approach a lot although I appreciate some people prefer dedicated buttons. From the menu you can access Picture and Screen settings, and open Options (Language, Display Time and Transparency) and Settings (Eco Saving, PC/AV mode, Source Detection, Key Repeat Time, Off Timer, and LED Status). There’s also an Information option which will let you see at a glance the source you’re using, resolution, and refresh rate.

The two HDMI 1.4 ports support 3840×2160 at 30 frames per second, which looks pretty damn good. But if you want to really get the most out of the screen, then you’ll need to make use of DisplayPort which supports 3840×2160 at 60fps, and offers a stunning gaming experience, provided you have a powerful enough graphics card. The screen comes with a Game Mode which improves the picture as you play, albeit fairly subtly.

The U28D590D has a TN (Twisted Nematic) Panel, so it delivers very fast response times (1ms), again making it great for gaming. Sure, this panel doesn’t offer as good color reproduction as an IPS screen, but Samsung attempts to make up for the panel’s "shortcomings" (if you can truly call them that), with its MagicBright and MagicAngle functions which can be enabled and configured in the menu. The latter option offers two lean back modes, a standing mode, a side mode, a group view, and a custom setting.

Can you see a difference when comparing the TN panel with a new IPS display? Yes, but only if you’re looking for it and even then the difference is minimal. I found the test panel’s uniformity to be pretty good, although the brightness did drop off a little towards the left hand edge of the panel, and the color temperature cooled a bit towards the right, but unless you’re very picky, you certainly won’t be disappointed with the U28D590D’s screen. Not for the money anyway.

A lot of the time you probably won’t get the most from the screen’s capabilities (when you’re emailing, or browsing the web for example), but when you do, the picture quality will definitely blow you away. YouTube offers a growing number of videos in 4K resolution, but watching something like TimeScapes is definitely recommended if you want to see exactly what this screen is capable of.

I’d have liked to see a greater selection of inputs (VGA and DVI) and with it sitting in the middle of my multi-monitor setup (flanked by 22 and 20 inch displays) I can’t help but think it would look great wall mounted, but there’s no option for that. A more flexible stand would be great (though I’d take VESA mounting capabilities), and speakers and USB ports would be welcome as well, but those are pretty minor quibbles.

If you’re looking for a 4K screen (and once you go 4K you can’t go back -- trust me) then this is an excellent, and affordable choice. Highly recommended.

You can buy it direct from Ebuyer.com for £419.99.

Specifications

Display
- Screen Size 70.8cm (28")
- Aspect Ratio[B2B] 16:09
- Panel Type TN
- BLU Type[B2B] LED
- Brightness 370cd/m2
- Contrast Ratio 1000:1 (Typical)
- Dynamic Contrast Ratio Mega ∞
- Resolution 3840x2160
- Response Time 1ms (GTG)
- Viewing Angle (H/V)[B2B] 170°/160°
- Color Support 1B
General Features
- Embedded Function Eco Saving, Samsung MagicAngle, Samsung MagicBright3, Off Timer, Image Size, UHD Upscale, PIP 2.0, PBP
- Additional PC S/W Easy Setting Box
- OS Compatibility Windows, Mac
- Windows Certification Windows 8.1
Interface
- Display Port 1
- HDMI 2
- Headphone 1
Power
- Power Supply AC100-240V (50/60Hz)
- Power Consumption 32W (Energy Star current test condition)
- Power Consumption (DPMS) (W)[B2B] 0.3W (Typical)
- Power Consumption (Stand-by) 0.3W (Typical)
- Type External Adaptor
Dimensions
- Set Dimension with Stand (WxHxD) 660.9x486.3x169.4 (mm)
- Set Dimension without Stand (WxHxD) 660.9x410.0x64.7 (mm)
- Package Dimension (WxHxD) 794x452x109 (mm)
Weight
- Set Weight with Stand 5.65 Kg
- Set Weight without Stand 5.05 Kg
- Package Weight 7.4 Kg
Included
- Cables HDMI Cable, DP Cable
- Others Install CD (Manual), Quick Setup Guide
Cloud-based software is a major revenue source for service providers

Publié: novembre 21, 2014, 12:35pm CET par Ian Barker

Communication service providers (CSPs) have spent the last few years investing heavily in cloud software provision to expand their business.

A new report by Israel-based Allot Communications shows that this is paying off as software as a service is now a major revenue source for CSPs.

The most innovative CSPs surveyed have addressed enterprise CIO concerns around security and performance by responding with specific cloud-based visibility, control, quality of service (QoS) and security managed service offerings.

Of those surveyed 47 percent offer hosting services, and 42 percent have specifically developed cloud applications aimed at SMBs. 45 percent offer public cloud applications and services for enterprises, ranging from basic email and storage to sophisticated CRM and ERP solutions. . Microsoft’s Office 365 is the most popular cloud office suite, well ahead of Google, and is offered by 33 percent of surveyed CSPs.

Quality of service management for the cloud is lagging behind according to the results. Just 23 percent of CSPs are currently offering QoS and/or visibility solutions for mission-critical applications. 32 percent of CSPs offer some form of cloud-based security service such as anti-DDoS or URL filtering. However, QoS management is more popular when unified communications or Office are involved. With unified communications, 32 percent of CSPs offer QoS management, 48 percent offer it with Office applications and 50 percent with Microsoft Lync .

"Workforce productivity and mobility needs are causing CIOs to re-evaluate their network infrastructure and operations. At the same time, CSPs are responding by evolving their SMB and enterprise cloud services to reach beyond classic connectivity and IT solutions traditionally provided," says Yaniv Sulkes, AVP Marketing at Allot Communications. "The market trends surfaced in our report reflect what we are seeing with our CSP and enterprise customers. CSPs around the globe are increasingly delivering value added digital services that can help enterprises overcome their toughest adoption challenges and achieve the cost and efficiency benefits promised by the cloud".

For more details of the report visit the Allot website.

Photo Credit: Rrraum/Shutterstock
Obama's immigration moves not enough for Silicon Valley

Publié: novembre 21, 2014, 11:46am CET par Ed Oswald

While Republicans are seething over President Barack Obama’s executive orders on immigration, Silicon Valley headhunters and executives seem to think his plan doesn’t go far enough.

The tech sector is one of the less talked about victims of a broken immigration system: one where the United States trains and then loses some of the brightest prospects in tech. Making matters worse, those trying to stay in the country legally face long wait times as backlogs in processing for green cards get ever longer.

Obama briefly touched on the issue in his speech to the nation Thursday night. "I will make it easier and faster for high-skilled immigrants, graduates and entrepreneurs to stay and contribute to our economy, as so many business leaders have proposed," he said.

While the plans laid out do attempt to keep high-skilled workers trained in the US in the country instead of heading back overseas, it did almost nothing to fix the way so called H-1B visas are issued, or offer easier paths for visa holders to stay in the country permanently.

H-1B visas are awarded to workers in a variety of specialized fields including many technology-related professions and require a bachelor’s degree in order to apply.

A maximum of 85,000 visas are awarded every year: 65,000 to those with bachelor’s degrees and an additional 20,000 to those with masters or doctorate degrees. There is no prioritization of these applications however as they are awarded by lottery, and twice that number applied for 2014 alone.

Companies such as Microsoft, IBM, Intel and others have lobbied for more H-1B visa spots complaining that they lose talent due to these quotas. Some go a step further, arguing that these valuable workers should also be fast-tracked for green card applications.

Current H-1B visa holders have no guarantees that they will be able to stay, these people argue. For example, if a visa holder fails to obtain permanent residency status within six years, they must leave the country for one year before applying again for another H-1B visa, although extensions may be possible in some circumstances.

Moreover, if their employment is terminated, in many cases the worker must reapply with the sponsorship of a new employer, and may again be subject to the quotas.

The system is as confusing as it sounds, and headache-inducing for American tech companies attempting to attract top overseas talent. With Obama’s move Thursday, a solution might now be even further off as Republican’s focus now seems to be more of a personal battle with Obama himself rather than addressing the problems of a broken immigration system.

Photo credit: Mykhaylo Palinchak/Shutterstock
Create stylish animated presentations with Notzy

Publié: novembre 21, 2014, 11:45am CET par Mike Williams

Let’s be realistic: presentation software can be dull. Very, very dull. Boring templates, gradient fills with text boxes, images if you’re lucky, step from one page to the next, maybe export as PPT/PPTX.

We didn’t expect much from the free presentation builder Notzy, then -- but the program turned out to be a real surprise.

Right now it’s in beta, but portable: just download, unzip and use the appropriate executable for your Windows version (7 or 8; it’s a .NET thing).

On launch you’re asked to log in, for some reason, but clicking "Anonymous" bypasses that screen and you’re able to choose from 13 prebuilt presentation templates. These are suitably business oriented -- process cycles, pyramids, trees, timelines and so on -- but could be reworked for other purposes, or you can start with a blank template and build whatever you need.

What’s immediately interesting here is these aren’t just dull slideshows, where one page simply moves to the next. Open the Timeline template, say, and it’ll display the entire timeline on one page. Click Play and Notzy then bounces from one area to the next, zooming in and out from date, to text, to date, for a much more interesting and professional look.

It’s all very configurable, too. You might start with the basics, editing text, fonts, colors and so on. But you can also add standard shapes, connectors, containers, videos, and there are even tools to build and edit custom shapes, transitions and animations.

The interface for all this is a little odd, and didn’t always work as expected, but we had the basics figured out in a few minutes.

When you’ve finished, Notzy provides several export options to share your work, although these need to be treated with extreme care.

The "Export as a video" option is currently highlighted as "experimental", and it’s easy to see why. When we tried this, Notzy maximized its own window, and apparently set it to be "always on top". A video conversion dialog was then displayed, but under the main window. Notzy wouldn’t respond until we cleared this, but we couldn’t switch to it, or anything else (wherever we Alt+Tabbed, Notzy’s window would reappear), and we couldn’t close Notzy either, even via Task Manager.

The "Export to PDF" option was less of a disaster, but still not much use. It saved a PDF but this didn’t contain all of our presentation.

Fortunately, there’s an Export to HTML5 option, and that delivered well, producing an HTML page and folder of images which neatly reproduced our presentation.

Alternatively, you can also run the presentation on your desktop with the program’s own player, and this also worked just fine for us.

There are clearly some problems here, in particular with video exporting. But Notzy is still in beta, and the fact that the program site even offers a phone number as a contact point (yes, really) suggests the developer is genuinely interested in feedback. If you’re interested in creating short animated presentations then check it out.
Microsoft agrees a $30m deal with Real Madrid

Publié: novembre 21, 2014, 8:18am CET par Jamie Hinks

Microsoft has agreed a four-year deal with Real Madrid rumored to be worth $30 million that will see the technology giant revolutionize Europe’s most successful club with a "digital transformation".

The new partnership sees Microsoft become the team’s strategic technology partner that involves building a digital platform to boost fan interaction across all devices and various other projects in the coming months.

Real’s new digital platform will allow fans to access experiences, content and exclusive digital services either in the team’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium, at home or at any other location. As well as this there will be a wealth of data on all players, past and present, and the chance to delve into statistics from specific games.

The platform goes deeper than that by providing supporters the chance to access the stadium virtually at any time before, during or after each game, and it is powered by Microsoft’s Power BI for Office 365.

"Today is the start of a long journey that Real Madrid and Microsoft are embarking on together, heading toward the full digital revolution of the club. This new era translates into an unprecedented personalized experience for supporters that will allow millions of fans from all over the planet to enjoy their passion for Real Madrid anywhere, anytime and on any device," stated Orlando Ayala, corporate VP and chairman of emerging markets at Microsoft.

Another strand to the agreement sees Microsoft lay on its devices and services to Real Madrid such as Surface Pro 3 tablets being given to all players and coaching staff. There is also scope for further collaboration on "useful information and knowledge" that could eventually see partnerships on joint research projects with Microsoft Research.

The latest deal between the two comes after an agreement signed by Microsoft with Real Madrid’s foundation last year and it’s still rumored that the company will eventually buy the naming rights to the new Santiago Bernabeu, when it is built.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Diagnose process hangs with WhatIsHang

Publié: novembre 21, 2014, 1:07am CET par Mike Williams

Windows programs can crash sometimes: it’s just a fact of life. Annoying, too, although at least you'll typically see an error message with some kind of clue about the cause.

When a program locks up, it’s a different story. There's no error dialog, no system-level sign of trouble. If you don't have the application window open then you may not notice it’s stopped working at all.

If you're trying to monitor hung applications then Task Manager could be one answer. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to launch it, and check the Details tab. Within a few seconds of a process locking up, it'll be highlighted as "Not Responding".

Alternatively, running NirSoft's WhatIsHang will give you speedy and specific details on failing processes, along with some low-level details to help experts diagnose the problem.

First download WhatIsHang (32-bit). If you have 64-bit Windows, get WhatIsHang (64-bit), too. (Slightly inconveniently, you'll need to use the 32-bit version to detect hangs in 32-bit processes, even if you’re using 64-bit Windows.)

Unzip each download, and launch the appropriate WhatIsHang version for your problem process. Click Options > Always On Top if you’d like WhatIsHang to stay on top of other windows.

Now, if a program hangs, WhatIsHang detects and displays the window title, process name and path, process and thread IDs.

Select that item and press F9 to view more details in the lower pane.

If everything has gone according to plan you’ll see low-level information on whatever the process was doing when disaster struck: the call stack, stack data, loaded modules, a small memory dump and more.

This is aimed very much at Windows experts, and even they won’t understand most of it, but scroll through the wall of text anyway. Sometimes just spotting a particular string, file or function name might give you a clue.

You can also save the report as a text file, and maybe send that to someone you think could help. Just make sure it's a person you trust: there's a small chance the memory dump may contain user names, passwords or other details which shouldn’t be made public.

WhatIsHang (32-bit) and WhatIsHang (64-bit) won't solve your process hangups, then, but like most NirSoft tools, they're tiny, free, and do their best to point you in the right direction. Go take a look.