Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » novembre 27, 2014

BetaNews.Com (14 non lus)

Europe votes in favor of splitting up Google and other online companies

Publié: novembre 27, 2014, 11:50pm CET par Mark Wilson

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have voted overwhelmingly in favor of breaking up big online companies like Google. While Google is not specifically mentioned, the MEPs aim of "unbundling search engines from other commercial services" to increase competition would clearly impact on the search giant if the resolution is approved by the European Commission.

It's all part of a bid to not help the growth of the EU's digital single market, but also to help boost competitiveness. All very reminiscent of the anti-trust lawsuits that have plagued Microsoft. The vote itself was fairly decisive. 384 voted in favor of the proposed resolution, 174 against, and 56 abstained from voting.

There is concern that large, dominant companies such as Google are overshadowing smaller, emerging firms. While search is one of Google's primary businesses, there is concern that there is "abuse in the marketing of interlinked services by operators of search engines". MEPs are calling upon the European Commission to promote non-discriminatory searches: "indexation, evaluation, presentation and ranking by search engines must be unbiased and transparent".

The power of the search engine is noted, as MEPs highlight the fact that companies are in the habit of exploiting for commercial gain information gathered through searches. The solution? Splitting up large businesses like Google, ultimately "unbundling search engines from other commercial services". There was also a nod to net neutrality as politicians said that "all internet traffic should be treated equally, without discrimination, restriction or interference".

The resolution's aim is not just to help the European economy, but to help get a better deal for customers. The European Parliament believes that problems such as "market fragmentation, lack of interoperability as well as regional and demographic inequalities in access to the technology" currently stand in the way of progress, suggesting that encouraging a more competitive environment would at least help to overcome these obstacles.

Google has not commented on the vote, but the company is not likely to be happy about what might be to come. The Commission will give the company a chance to respond before deciding what action to take.

Photo credit: iQoncept / Shutterstock
UK High Court orders ISPs to block a further 53 piracy sites

Publié: novembre 27, 2014, 8:33pm CET par Wayne Williams

If you live in the UK it’s getting ever harder to access pirated music and movies on the web. After years of trying to defeat pirates in various ways, including suing downloaders, representatives of rights holders have found that the easiest and most effective solution is to take their complaints to the high court and ask for the infringing sites to be blocked.

The process, which started with the banning of The Pirate Bay in 2012, is now so straightforward for the likes of the Motion Picture Association and BPI (British Phonographic Industry), that whole batches of sites are getting outlawed at a time. Yesterday there were 40 copyright infringing sites blocked in the UK, today that number more than doubles to 93.

53 new services, including the likes of Rapid Moviez, Torrentz, Sumotorrent, IP Torrents and BitSoup, will soon be inaccessible to customers of the UK's top six ISPs -- BT, EE, TalkTalk, O2, Sky, and Virgin Media. Visitors to any of the blocked services will see a message from their ISP explaining that their chosen site is not available due to an order from the High Court.

"Securing court orders requiring ISPs to block access to illegal websites is an accepted and legitimate measure to tackle online copyright infringement", Chris Marcich, president of the MPA's European division said, following the latest ruling.

"It carefully targets sites whose sole purpose is to make money off the back of other people's content while paying nothing back into the legitimate economy".

There are plenty of workarounds available of course, including VPNs and proxies, so the latest move will have little impact on seasoned downloaders, but the aim is to try and make life difficult for more casual pirates, in the hope they will opt for legal means of accessing movies or music instead.

Photo Credit: iQoncept /Shutterstock
Google can count many blessings this Thanksgiving

Publié: novembre 27, 2014, 6:23pm CET par Joe Wilcox

While I keep the list short this year, it wouldn't be U.S. Thanksgiving without my writing about gratitude, and why some tech company's executives, employees, and partners should prostrate and pray "Thanks".

Let's start off with Google, which continues a great run that started with Larry Page's return as CEO in April 2011. If he's not all smiles this Turkey Day, someone should slap that man aside the head. I could tick off a hundred things for which he should give thanks. For brevity's sake, so you can get back to the big game and bigger bird, I select some things that might not come to mind.

Unlike previous years, I present the list in no order of importance, favoring writing flow instead.

1. Chromebooks in Education

Sometimes, the blessings are so many, they are too many to count. The success of Google, and its hardware partners, selling Chromebooks to schools cannot be overstated. Shortlist:

Late 2013, tech writers sniffing for ad-generating pageviews misrepresented NPD data about sales through commercial channels, applying them to all, resulting in the misguided "2014 is year of the Chromebook meme". Companies can't pay for marketing like this, and they shouldn't unless they want troubles from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission about misrepresentative advertising. But the free press can mislead any `ol way it wants.

Microsoft responded to the "year of" meme by subsidizing cheap, as in $199, Windows laptops. They brought down average selling prices while failing to substantially lift sales. The subsidy program is largely lose-lose for Microsoft and its partners, well, except for those selling Chromebooks. Oh, yeah, that's all the majors—even long-time loyalist HP. Uh-oh.

Chromebooks in K-12 schools ensure that the next generation of computer users will start out on Google Apps and Gmail and not Microsoft Office and Outlook. Software developers seek to lock `em young to load them for the future. These kids will Google for a lifetime.

Meanwhile, Adobe released Photoshop to the Web and nicely available for Chromebook, removing one of the major barriers to adoption. Mix that with Office 365, and many businesses -- let alone schools -- have more reasons to switch. Mmm, maybe those drunk-on-NPD-data bloggers will prove to be prescient and 2015 will be year of the Chromebook.

2. Tablet Woes

iPad sales are slowing. That is the big takeaway from Apple's calendar Q3 results, and now IDC forecasts first-time, full-year shipment declines. What's bad for Apple is good for Google. As tablet sales slow overall, Android more likely benefits than iOS.

The fruit-logo company is unlikely to shift a majority of iPad sales to iPhone. By contrast, growing phablet interest, particularly in emerging markets, means more Android adoption. That's great for advancing the platform and wooing even more developers to it. What's bad for tablets is worse for iOS than Android, and Google gratitude is required.

3. Google Search Traitors

So-o-o-o, Mozilla is giving up Google for Yahoo, as Firefox's default search engine. Meanwhile, there are unconfirmed rumors that Apple may switch Safari when its search contract expires next year. Hells, bells, what idiots! Unbundling Google Search from Firefox and Safari can only help Page and company.

Look at iOS. Siri sucks more since the switch to Bing last year. Choosing Yahoo or Bing is essentially the same, given that Microsoft provides the tech behind both. Any way that competing browsers look less appealing to Chrome, or other operating systems to Chrome OS, the better for Google.

Sure, the company loses some revenue from the search deals. But, think! Many people will switch back to what they know, and Google will no longer have to pay for their right to choose its search engine. Win-win, baby!

Then there is Europe. Google can claim to be a lot less-threatening monopoly if search competition increases in the browser market. Apple and Mozilla lawyers should be telling top execs to stay off that reset bottom. Keep goddamn Google Search in place until the European Union's Competition Commission issues a ruling demanding every one of Big G's services be unbundled from search. Switching now can only mean trouble for competitors.

4. Search Loyalists

While Europe obsesses about the "right to be forgetten", millions of people want to be remembered by Google. That's the point of apps like Inbox and Now, which capitalize on what Big G learns about your search and other online habits and makes all contextually relevant to you.

The year 2014 is a great one for Google Search loyalists, and the information giant rewards them handsomely on Android or iOS. As for Windows Phone, what's that mafia movie line? "You're dead to me". There are no Google apps for you, baby.

I have in the past screamed to the mountaintops about the importance of contextual cloud computing and how Google gets it. Apple sure as hell doesn't. Look at the mess Siri still is and OS X's wobbly cloud sync, even on Yosemite. Say, Apple, good isn't good enough when standing before greatness.

Google gets sync and context better than anyone. Now improvements, tightening contextual integration across properties anchored to search, and the exiting Inbox app give Google loyalists many reasons to give thanks this holiday.

5. Late-year Black Friday

Lastly, Holiday 2014 shopping starts late, less than 30 days before Christmas. That means more contextual search and banner ads from sellers, and more searches from buyers. Google grubs both ends of the query troth.

Google Now, coupled with location-aware mobile search, is gravy dripping from the Thanksgiving table onto the shopping spree. The closer Christmas comes, the farther buyers and sellers will go for deals. If they aren't given online, someone will look for them there. Google's search monopoly, averaging about 70 percent share across the planet, benefits big time. The smiles aren't just for Thanksgiving, but from here all the way to December 25th.

Photo Credit: Jeff Cameron Collingwood/Shutterstock
When iPads fall, Windows tablets rise

Publié: novembre 27, 2014, 6:03pm CET par Barclay Ballard

The tablet market could be slowing down after years of growth, according to industry estimates, with Apple's iPad set to be hardest hit.

Research firm IDC projects that total tablet shipments globally are set to increase by only 7.2 percent this year, compared with 52.5 percent growth in 2013.

The downturn is said to reflect a growing reliance on PCs and smartphones, with most consumers and businesses still preferring to run the full-version of software packages on PCs.

Tablet owners are also keeping a hold of their devices for longer than expected, with many consumers keeping their tablet for three years or more. With the majority of new apps compatible with older hardware, there is often little reason to upgrade.

The IDC figures also take into account hybrid tablet devices that can function as laptops by adding an external keyboard. Shipments of these devices are only expected to grow by four percent.

Shipments of Apple’s iPad are actually set to fall this year, with predictions suggesting a 12.7 percent decrease in the number of units when compared with 2013. Apple CEO Tim Cook is looking to reverse this trend, with industry sources indicating that an enterprise partnership with IBM could be in the works to provide businesses with cloud-optimized mobile devices.

Compounding Apple's woes, shipments of Windows tablets are expected to grow by 67.3 per cent next year, totaling 10.9 million units, with Android shipments also increasing, this time by 16 percent.

IDC predicts that the market slowdown will continue until 2018, but did admit that there were a number of industry unknowns that could yet have an unforeseen impact on tablet sales.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Black Friday deals -- get a discounted Roku device

Publié: novembre 27, 2014, 5:09pm CET par Alan Buckingham

We've reached that time of the year when merchants offer deals and people are hungrily shopping. If you still read a newspaper then today's edition is likely a bit heavy, laden with ads for Black Friday sales, some of which are already underway.

Roku is also getting in on the action, offering some nice discounts on its TV devices, both set-top box and stick. Bringing streaming online media to your living room, the company is offering some good deals and throwing in a bonus to go along with your purchase. And you don't need to leave home and fight angry shoppers for it.

The Roku LT box has been reduced from $39.99 to $29.99, while the streaming stick also gets a $10 discount, dropping the price to $39.99. Both are good deals for yourself or a gift for another person.

To go along with this deal, purchasers will get 60 days of free Rdio Unlimited. That's a $20 value, and provides streaming access to millions of songs right from your new device.

Customers in Canada also get a deal -- the same Rdio Unlimited offer, accompanied by a $25 Cineplex store credit. If you're in UK then you'll have to settle for just the Rdio deal, sorry.

This offer ends on December 1st, so you'll need to act this weekend if you want to take advantage of the deal. If you're in US then you'll need to decide between the two devices, otherwise you won't get the discount or the music deal.
Got Bitcoin? This Thanksgiving, donate some to the American Red Cross

Publié: novembre 27, 2014, 4:38pm CET par Brian Fagioli

Thursday is finally here -- Happy Thanksgiving y'all! Later today, I, like many other Americans, will be eating a beautiful turkey dinner with friends and family. As is a tradition on Long Island, I drove to 711 this morning at 7 am to get a copy of our local paper, Newsday, to get all of the Black Friday circulars. While I am not planning to do any shopping today or tomorrow, I still enjoy looking through the advertisements.

While I am a huge proponent of capitalism and spending for the economy, it makes me sad to see so much commercialism on a family-focused holiday. Truth be told, one of my family members is in the hospital this week, and I have been visiting every day, but it is very sad to see the lonely sick people who have nobody visiting. While today is a day to be thankful for what you have, I hope you also take the time to reflect on what others don't have. Many of you, our readers, are very tech-oriented and probably own some Bitcoin. If you are feeling generous today, and want to help others, the American Red Cross is now accepting the virtual-currency for donations.

"The Red Cross is one of the largest and most recognized humanitarian organizations. The organization has multiple and varying ways for individuals to donate, but this will be the first time they will be accepting bitcoin donations using BitPay. BitPay also enables bitcoin donors to donate varying amounts, including small donations, opening up a new way to give for people who may be on limited budgets", says BitPay.

Jennifer Niyangoda, executive director of Corporate and Foundation Programs at American Red Cross explains: "the Red Cross is thrilled to partner with BitPay to offer a different way for generous donors to support our humanitarian mission. This gives a new generation of supporters the opportunity to help people in need".

This is the front page of the paper on Thanksgiving. We can do better, America! (Photo Credit: Brian Fagioli)

What is particularly cool, is that BitPay is not charging the Red Cross any processing fees. In other words, 100 percent of your donation goes directly to the organization. If you do decide to donate, you can do so here.

If you can't afford to donate anything, or simply don't have any Bitcoin, no worries; that is understandable. Doing a good deed doesn't have to cost anything -- just pick up the phone and call a lonely relative; you will probably fill their heart with joy.

Photo Credit: Amanda Haddox / Shutterstock
What you should know about the E-Label Act

Publié: novembre 27, 2014, 3:34pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

The FCC label on radio-equipped devices sold in US has been mandatory since 1973. By now, we have gotten used to seeing it, no doubt because there is usually nothing that we can do to hide it. But, as technology evolves, its physical presence is bound to cause some serious problems (not to mention that it spoils the look of some gorgeous devices).

However, in mid-July, a new bill, called the E-Label Act, was introduced to give companies that operate in US the option to feature an electronic FCC label on their radio-equipped products. And, after passing through Senate and Congress, President Obama just signed it. Here is what you should know about it.

First off, it should be mentioned that the electronic labeling is not something new in US. "The rules already permit devices approved as software-defined radios and modular transmitters to display compliance information electronically through a display where available", says the FCC.

"The Commission has already permitted e-labeling for a small subset of devices", said FCC commissioner Michael O'Rielly in late-April 2014. "In 2001, the Commission’s rules authorizing software defined radios (SDR) permitted the voluntary use of e-labeling by device manufacturers".

Interestingly, the FCC has introduced electronic labeling guidance that explains what should be displayed, how the information should be accessed and what other things are required, before the E-Label Act was even signed. (The last bit usually means that if a device makes use of an electronic FCC label it also has a removable, physical label on it -- some of us may have seen this already.)

The FCC said, when the guidance was published in mid-July 2014, that its electronic labeling guidance targets "devices that have an integrated display or devices that are subject to rules for software-defined radios or modular transmitters and are used in a host device that has an integrated display".

Notice the difference -- the E-Label Act adds devices with an integrated display into the mix. To consumers, the most prominent beneficiaries of this change will be smartphones, of course. However, the biggest beneficiaries will be much, much smaller devices, that will only grow in numbers with the move towards the Internet of Things. As the E-Label Act notes, "As devices become smaller, compliance with physical label requirements can become more difficult and costly".

Now, the big question is, of course, "When will we see more companies using e-labels on their devices?". Well, that is up to the FCC now. The commission has nine months to "promulgate regulations or take other appropriate action, as necessary, to allow manufacturers of radiofrequency devices with display the option to use electronic labeling for the equipment in place of affixing physical labels to the equipment".

That likely means that the earliest that we could see companies taking advantage of the E-Label Act is well-into next year. The next, for instance, iPhones could ship without the FCC logo on the back.

The screenshot at the top of the article (taken on my 2013 Google Nexus 7, running Android 5.0 Lollipop -- which was released in November 2014) gives us an idea of how the electronic label might look. I should point out that in the case of the second-generation Nexus 7 it is not quite easy to find. Whether the placement of the e-label will be different or not, in practice, remains to be seen. I am sure that, except for the FCC, not many of us will mind it if we cannot easily find that info.
It's time for enterprises to get crazy with communication

Publié: novembre 27, 2014, 3:23pm CET par Jacob Petterson

It’s been a long time coming. Fifteen years after VoIP proved its cost benefits, ten years after 'telephony' reinvented itself as unified communications and five years since the whole lot became 'just another app', we’re finally witnessing the consumerization and democratization of enterprise-class, personal communications and messaging by going ‘over-the-top’.

In the telecoms world, the OTT (over-the-top) acronym is well understood, if not a little overused. Traditional telecom providers have been forced into developing innovative services that move above their traditional infrastructure markets of lines and minutes, in order to compete with the innovative OTT services provided by the likes of Google, Facebook and Skype that capture the user so effectively and give them an experience they just can’t do without.

Now enterprise IT teams are getting in on the OTT act: To deliver business services with the kind of brilliant experience that consumers take for granted in their personal lives; to provide the kinds of communications tools to enterprise users whose reputation and user-base will grow within the business and to make unified communications (UC) really work.

In the past, UC has not had a great rep -- far too many organizations would tell you from experience that it was a poisoned chalice. The problems with UC’s promised benefits were that they could only materialize if you a) mostly stuck with one vendor everywhere and paid the price they asked you to pay and b) users actually used it.

In hindsight, we now know that the first was impossible to live with and the second impossible to enforce.

Many vendors maintained high margins through proprietary systems and expensive desktop hardware, leaving enterprises to really struggle to drive end-user adoption and deliver RoI. Thankfully, today’s outlook is very different as the consumerization of IT and availability of enterprise-ready cloud services have tipped the balance back in favor of IT teams and users alike.

Listen to the consumer inside every business user

The rise of the tech-savvy, mobile, enterprise consumer and the dramatic uptake of services such as Skype, FaceTime and WhatsApp shows there’s huge demand for great communication services.

BYOD has progressed to Bring Your Own App, and there’s the obvious opportunity for enterprises to grasp the agility and potential cost savings proffered by tablets, mobile OS’s and the vibrant developer ecosystem that surrounds them.

Then, there’s the emergence of genuine, enterprise-grade cloud solutions for voice, video and messaging. Cloud services that are genuinely flexible and on demand, subscription or PAYG based and you don’t need to know whose hardware, or whose call control, makes it work. It just does.

Whilst not every enterprise is going to leap over to a pure cloud solution, they have served to shape perceptions of the value offered by traditional suppliers past and teach IT teams the art of the possible: They’re glimpsing ways to be a better service provider to their enterprise users.

For business communications there is really nothing more important; fail to deliver the right user experience, and forget any promised benefits of productivity or cost savings.

Users have got to want to use the communications tools you give them. They are crying out for services to match the mobile and app experiences they have in their personal lives, at work. And importantly, they want to do it on any device they choose, in a secure and compliant manner.

Find your inner service provider

IT teams need to turn themselves into the enterprise equivalent of an OTT service provider to rival the likes of WhatsApp and Snapchat. To deliver what employees want, need and will use as a go-to communications service, they need to go above traditional business communications – in the same way that traditional telecom providers are doing.

This is about giving the end-user the experience and choice they want, but without losing control over security, policy and cost.

Unlike UC solutions of the past, an OTT model can offer compatibility with any vendor and many-vendor, on premise and cloud. Cisco in your datacenter, Lync messaging in the cloud, and MobileIron securing devices? Sure! Who cares? It should just work. And any other combination thereof for that matter. Over the top.

The important bit is that it must work with a consistent user experience, on every device and OS out there. Plus, with the management tools and systems that allow enterprise IT teams to innovate, implement and deliver.

Enterprise OTT promises to brush away both of those old impediments of UC -- the right experience for the users, and for the teams delivering that experience. The RoI comes back to the promises initially made by UC vendors all that time ago: Productivity and cost savings. Except this time you’re unifying your users’ communications, rather than forking out for unified communications.

Is enterprise OTT simply UC reborn? Well, yes and no. Yes, it would be a simple way to anticipate the benefits that it will make in the market. But as I said before, UC has also become something of a pseudonym for proprietary, expensive and clunky. And the OTT market is working hard to be the antidote to that; an infrastructure agnostic, user-led approach to unifying communications.

It’s a whole different attitude for enterprise IT. If you can find it in yourself to embrace the service provider within you then you can recapture the imagination and cooperation of an increasingly savvy and cynical user-base, by innovating and delivering services that they will use and enjoy using, and that you control.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
PowerArchiver 2015 adds new Explorer preview extension, tweaks user interface

Publié: novembre 27, 2014, 1:56pm CET par Nick Peers

ConeXware has unveiled a huge update to its Windows archiving software in the form of PowerArchiver 2015 v15.0. The paid-for tool offers support for a wide range of archiving formats presented in a user-friendly interface.

Version 15 focuses on delivering a large number of shell extension updates -- including new PowerArchiver Mini tool -- as well as interface changes, support for new formats, new skinning system and improvements to various supplementary apps.

The headline new feature in PowerArchiver 2015 is the new PowerArchiver Mini shell extension, which extends key parts of the program to Windows Explorer via its Preview window. This allows users to not just preview archives, but also open individual files and extract archive contents.

Other shell extension additions include a Windows Explorer Tool tip providing archive properties, a preview extension for PowerArchiver itself and the promise of improved format detection and support across all shell extensions.

The main program adds full support for the ZIP/ZIPX XZ format, plus improves support for other formats, including ISO, RAR and WIM. Files can now be copied and pasted to and from the PowerArchiver main interface.

A new skinning system -- with six skins included -- makes it easier to change the look and feel of the program, while PowerArchiver 2015 also implements the Office 2013 File menu alongside a new View tab on the program’s ribbon interface.

PowerArchiver can now be configured to always sit on top of other windows, and a Join Tool has been added to the Converter tool allowing users to combine several archives into a single file.

The update also comes with the promise of numerous updates and enhancements to its companion apps, including Encryption Suite, PowerArchiver Backup, PowerArchiver FTP and PowerArchiver Cloud.

PowerArchiver 2015 v15.0 is available now as a free trial download for PCs running Windows 2000 or later. The full version comes in a number of editions, with prices starting from $22.95 for the Standard edition.
Xshell is a one-stop SSH, SFTP terminal emulator

Publié: novembre 27, 2014, 11:54am CET par Mike Williams

Most internet resources are accessed through a web interface, which means they’re normally very easy to use. You might have menus, text prompts, graphics, maybe wizards to walk you through whatever you’re trying to achieve.

For more low-level control, though -- micro-managing your own web space, maybe setting up a remote server -- you might still need a terminal emulator like the free-for-personal-use Xshell 5.

The program supports all the standards you’re likely to need. It’s an SSH, SFTP, TELNET, RLOGIN and SERIAL terminal emulator; SSH1/SSH2, password, MIT Kerberos and DSA/RSA public key support cover your authentication needs; UTF-8 support means you’re able to view multiple language on a single screen; there’s X11 forwarding, ZMODEM/ SFTP/ ASCII file transfer, Javascript, Python and VB Scripting support, and the list goes on.

You may never use most of these, of course, but don’t be put off. Xshell is extremely powerful, but it’s also surprisingly straightforward in operation.

The program opens with a command line, for instance, which actually works as a simple local shell at your Windows user folder (C:\Users\[UserName]). You can browse your system, manipulate files and run many DOS commands as usual. A tabbed interface means you can have several command line sessions open in the same window, and this could make it worth installing the program all on its own.

When you do need to open a new session, a detailed Session Properties helps you configure every aspect of the program: authentication, login scripts, SSH, terminal standards, appearance, logins and more.

But when you just need a quick SSH session, type your host name or IP address in the address bar (mysite.com), Xshell will prompt for a logon and get you connected.

If you’re currently using some other SSH client, then, you’ll quickly feel at home. And while there are plenty of advanced features here, they don’t get in your way.

So you might start by assigning some commonly-used command or string to a button, saving a little typing time.

But if you need more, you can try out the program’s new synchronized input redirection feature. Enter commands in one tab, and they’re simultaneously sent to multiple selected tabs, with the results displayed right away.

Put it all together and Xshell 5 has something to offer everyone, from SSH novice to expert users. Give it a try.
Exclusive: Get AMC Security Premium FREE for 6 months

Publié: novembre 27, 2014, 9:01am CET par Wayne Williams

IObit has an excellent free Android app called AMC Security - Clean & Booster which comes packed with features designed to improve your phone or tablet’s security and boost performance. You can run an all-in-one scan, or access individual features including Antivirus, Privacy Locker, Security Zone, App Manager and Game Speeder. There’s a bunch of additional tools available too, such as Task Killer, Privacy Advisor, Call/SMS Blocker, Battery Saver, Anti-Theft and Cloud backup.

While the free version is very good, there’s a paid edition called AMC Premium available as an in-app purchase which offers some powerful additional features. AMC Premium currently retails for $9.99 a year (although a 7-day trial is available) but BetaNews readers can try it absolutely free for six months.

Premium users get access to all of the following features:

Contacts & SMS Vault -- Allows you to hide SMS/call logs and contacts records.

Customized Scan & Clean -- Schedule when and how often to scan and clean your Android device automatically.

Anti-Phishing -- Offers real-time protection from malicious sites designed to steal your personal information.

Realtime Antivirus Updates -- Ensures you’re always protected from the latest threats.

Scheduled Eraser -- Removes junk at a time that best suits you.

To take advantage of this great free offer and get your free six month version of AMC Security Premium just click here and enter your name and email address. You will be emailed an exclusive code once the giveaway is complete.

To use the code, tap "Get Trial" at the top right, then tap "Here" at the bottom of the Paid page to open a popup. Enter the code and tap "OK".

The six month period starts from when you enter the code.

You have just 72 hours to take advantage of our exclusive offer, so act fast!

Click here to enter your details and take advantage of this exclusive offer.
PlayStation games can run on Android Wear smartwatches

Publié: novembre 27, 2014, 8:44am CET par Barclay Ballard

With the latest smartwatches boasting a significant amount of processing power, it was only a matter of time before fans of classic video games starting emulating older titles to run on them.

Now, one particular retro enthusiast has managed to run PlayStation One games on their Android Wear device.

While the individual responsible for getting the emulation to work, known as EpicLPer, claims that it was a relatively simple process, the watch would have had to have been rooted and several unauthorized apps installed.

With Android Wear boasting a Snapdragon 400 processor and 4GB of internal storage, users simply then have to install a PSOne emulator and their video games of choice.

Other smartwatch owners have also recently shown that Flappy Bird and Minecraft can be played via wearable tech gadgets.

Gamers can also connect a MOGA controller to their Android Wear smartwatch, which judging by the below video, might be a good idea.

Using touch screen controls across the device’s small display means almost half of the game is obscured any time you press a button -- but practicalities normally take a back seat when it comes to retro gaming emulation.

In the past, individuals have modified calculators and even oscilloscopes (basically anything with a screen) in order to play video games.

Of course, a smartphone will offer a better emulation experience than a smartwatch in most cases, but it is still impressive to see how powerful these tiny wearables are becoming.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Does a deleted Microsoft blog post show it's about to buy mobile email firm Acompli?

Publié: novembre 27, 2014, 12:43am CET par Mark Wilson

Web pages can be interesting, transient things; they can be there one minute and gone the next. But while a web page may vanish, that does not mean that all traces of it vanish from the internet. Earlier today an intriguing-looking article popped up in my news reader -- there are many benefits to sticking with RSS feeds: a post on the Microsoft blog with the title "blank post please delete".

Authored by Rajesh Jha, my RSS reader (InoReader) showed that the post's content was very similar to the title -- blank post, please delete. Just a comma added. Interest piqued, I clicked the link to see if there was any more to see. "We're sorry, but we can't find the page you're looking for" announced Chrome. But the URL is curious.

The link took me to a non-existent page on the Official Microsoft Blog formatted to indicate that the post had been made on November 25 -- [blogs.microsoft.com]. But it's those last three words that are particularly fascinating. Microsoft acquires Acompli. Does it? What’s Acompli? Why have I not heard anyone else talking about this?

Acompli, it turns out, is a mobile email app that's available for iOS and Android. An email app with something of a difference as it features an integrated calendar and has been described by the Verge as "the Outlook for iPhone that Microsoft hasn’t yet built". It's easy to see why Microsoft might be interested in acquiring the app and company. A quick look at the Acompli blog revealed nothing, nor did endless web searches.

But this blog post and its intriguing URL did not spring out of nowhere. I contacted Microsoft and -- after something of a delay -- I heard back from a spokesperson who let me know that they were "unable to accommodate [my] request at this time". I've reached out to Acompli as well, and I'm waiting to hear back.

Watch this space. It's not clear if this is a business deal that is yet to happen and someone pushed the button too early, or if something fell through at the last minute. It may amount to nothing -- in which case forget I said anything. But we may soon hear that Microsoft has a new company in its folds -- in which case, you heard it here first!

Photo credit: Ken Wolter / Shutterstock
Now Twitter is going to start monitoring which mobile apps you download

Publié: novembre 27, 2014, 12:36am CET par Mark Wilson

Hate 'em, loathe 'em or abhor 'em, it's hard to avoid ads. You know that you're a consumer. Companies exist because you consume, and you are encouraged to consume more and more. To help lead you to consume, you need to be subjected to advertising -- it's all part of the money-go-round of using the web.

Tailored ads are more likely to bring in cash, and social networks are in the business of gathering information about their users with a view to delivering the most laser-focused targeted advertising possible. The latest venture by Twitter involves keeping tabs on the apps you install on your iOS or Android phone or tablet.

This is not quite how Twitter puts it, of course. Collecting information about "occasionally updating the list of apps installed on your mobile device" is all for your own good: "so we can deliver tailored content that you might be interested in" and "to help build a more personal Twitter experience for you".

The app tracking feature -- known obscurely as your "app graph" -- will not be enabled by default on your mobile device if you have previously opted out of web-based ads, but otherwise it will be ticking away in the background. You will get a little warning. An in-app notification will let you know when the feature rolls out to your account.

Twitter says that the information that is gathered will be used to improve the suggestions it makes about who you might want to follow, adding "especially interesting" to your timeline, and to show you "relevant promoted content" -- or ads, as they are better known. If you'd like to switch off the feature head to the Other section of Settings in Android or the Privacy section of Setting in iOS and disable the Tailor Twitter based on my apps option.

Twitter does not go into detail about just what sort of promoted content you might see, but the chances are that if you have a large number of health and fitness apps installed, you're probably not going to see an influx of McDonald's ads.

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