Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » décembre 18, 2014

BetaNews.Com (21 non lus)

Hulu and FX agree to deal for more content on the streaming service

Publié: décembre 18, 2014, 10:39pm CET par Alan Buckingham

If you subscribe to Hulu, and many cord-cutters, along with some who aren't, do, then you know that it has become a haven for content of all sorts. Care to watch last night's episode of The Blacklist? You can do that, along with countless other shows. The service has also been working on original content in an effort to rival the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Now the Twentieth Century Fox TV Distribution for FX network is signing what Hulu terms a "landmark deal" to bring more of its original content to the service.

"We worked closely with our partners at Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution to bring this new kind of agreement to Hulu. The deal not only makes the library of premium, critically acclaimed FX Networks’ Original Series available to stream to our Hulu subscribers, but – through this new, multi-year agreement – Hulu subscribers will also have exclusive access to full seasons of new series from FX Productions (FXP) coming soon to FX and FXX", says Hulu's Craig Erwich.

Shows include Tyrant, The Strain, Married and You're the Worst. Before you go looking for them, the shows aren't there quite yet. But Hulu promises full runs of season one of each will be available in advance of season two, which comes in 2015. Other shows of various genres will be coming as well.

"This new partnership is more than just a licensing agreement with FX Productions. It is a groundbreaking deal that represents our commitment to our partners at FX Networks, as well as our commitment to always providing premium, in demand content to our loyal viewers", Erwich states.

So, prepare for some new content coming your way soon. You can also likely expect more of these deals on the way as online viewing gains momentum.
How colleges and universities embrace technology

Publié: décembre 18, 2014, 7:17pm CET par Meghan Belnap

Digital technologies have changed the way that college students and prospective students do everything from applying to school and enrolling in courses, to participating in class and taking exams.

If you are a prospective student yourself and you would like to know what the term "digital school" actually means, it is important to have a basic understanding of how new distance technologies and platforms have changed the ways that the modern day student learns.

Here are some of the major ways that colleges and universities have adapted with new technologies.

Colleges Now Offer Online Academic Counseling

Counseling is extremely important for students who need help choosing a major or as a declared major selecting the right courses to stay on path as they earn their degree.

Many colleges do not have flexible scheduling options to meet with a counselor face-to-face, but technology has made it possible to make online academic counseling appointments and to use conference software programs to discuss everything on a digital platform. Now there’s greater flexibility for students who work and have other obligations.

Apply and Enroll Online

Applying to school can now be done from the comfort of your own home. No more paper applications or submitting documents via fax or the mail.

Now, you can fill out the Federal Application for Financial Student Aid through the official site and select your school code. You can also visit the admissions department of your school online and provide your information. The financial aid department and the admissions department will communicate with one another and you will be advised when you can enroll by using the student services website. What is great is that technology has made everything integrated so admission and enrollment is quick and easy.

Traditional and Online Colleges Have Online Class Options

It is not only the national online colleges that offer online course options now that distance education platforms have matured. Now, students have the option to enroll in courses with a community college, a state university, or a purely online school when they want to study and attend school online.

The platform still gives students the tools they need to see lectures, message fellow students, ask instructors questions and take quizzes or exams. Students can earn their bachelor’s degree online or even take masters courses.

Offering Mobile Access to Student Texts

Mobile smart devices have changed the way that students get their information and stay entertained. Tablets, smartphones and other mobile-ready devices can be used for more than just making calls and playing downloaded games.

Colleges have been tapping into the power of mobile apps by giving students access to textbooks through digital download. These digital books cost less by giving students access for only the term or the semester.

Technological advances have not only changed the way students get their education, they have also created new challenges for professors in almost all settings. The need for student and instructor training for digital platforms has never been greater.

Be sure that you are prepared for a digital school atmosphere, even if you are attending on-campus classes.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Is it a drone? Is it a race car? Amazon Prime Now promises 1 hour delivery

Publié: décembre 18, 2014, 6:49pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Amazon has been toying with delivery ideas for sometime now. The company has talked of same day service, there were rumors of it creating its own FedEx-like fleet, then there was the Jeff Bezos appearance on 60 Minutes -- you know, where he showed off a video of drone delivery.

The online retailer is finally beginning to realize this dream and make it reality. Amazon today is announcing Prime Now. It’s a delivery service for "essential items" and it promises one hour service. Yes, you read that correctly.

While some items listed in this announcement are household necessities, such as paper towels and toothpaste, others don't seem to be. Toys, for example, don't seem to fit the bill, unless you have an angry toddler. Books also seem to be something most can wait a couple of days on.

"There are times when you can’t make it to the store and other times when you simply don’t want to go. There are so many reasons to skip the trip and now Prime members in Manhattan can get the items they need delivered in an hour or less,” says Dave Clark, Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations. “We’ve long felt that Amazon Prime is the best deal in the history of shopping and now it has gotten even better. Prime members in Manhattan are going to love this service and we cannot wait to roll out Prime Now to additional cities in 2015".

Before you get too excited, as you'll have noticed in the above statement the initial launch is in Manhattan, and it will be available between the hours of 6am and midnight. The actual delivery window is two hours, but you can pay $7.99 for one hour. This is open to Prime customers, so there is also the annual fee, but that gives you much more than just this.

Image Credit: Minerva Studio / Shutterstock
Americans are using social media to enhance Chanukkah and Christmas

Publié: décembre 18, 2014, 6:38pm CET par Brian Fagioli
In the grand scheme of things, America is a very young nation. Still, we Americans have deep-rooted traditions that are carried over from our ancestors of the old-world. This is most apparent during the holidays -- in November and December -- as the country transforms for Christmas and Chanukkah. Even people that aren't of the Christian or Jewish variety are welcome to participate.

Lately however, Americans are using social media to enhance the holidays. In other words, even though old-world traditions like Christmas trees and Menorahs remain, modern services like Twitter and Facebook are being leveraged too. A new survey from Ebates.com shows us how much so.

"When it comes to how Americans use social media during the holiday season, more than half of the country (57 percent) say they wish friends and family happy holidays via social media. Another 4 in 10 (40 percent) share photos/videos of their loved ones while 1 in 5 (22 percent) post pictures of the gifts they received. Additional popular uses of social media during the holidays include sharing gift ideas (18 percent), going to a favorite brand's social media site to get deals or gift ideas (18 percent), and sharing selfies (17 percent)", says Ebates.

The company further explains, "nearly 3 in 4 (70 percent) Americans credit social media for making the holiday season easier for them. Top reasons consumers indicate how social media simplifies their holidays include feeling connected with friends and family who are all around the world (39 percent) and being inspired by different holiday decorations and photos that are shared (28 percent). Other popular ways social media makes the holidays easier are getting gift ideas from other friends/social media pages of brands (27 percent), previewing holiday shopping deals advertised through social media (26 percent), and seeing where friends and family are traveling to stay updated on their holiday plans (23 percent)".

Ebates shares the top social media networks for holiday posting. As seen below, Facebook is, by far, the most popular for such.
1. Facebook -- 63 percent
2. Twitter -- 19 percent
3. Instagram -- 18 percent
4. YouTube -- 14 percent
5. Pinterest -- 13 percent
So, have you been using social media to enhance your holiday? If so, tell me how in the comments. You can see an example of my holiday begging on Twitter below -- hopefully Mr. Buffett comes through for me.

If any anonymous billionaires want to buy me the 2 items on my @Amazon wishlist, please do! [t.co] @IntelUSA @WarrenBuffett

— Brian Fagioli (@brianfagioli) December 18, 2014

Photo Credit: jennylipets / Shutterstock
Nokia isn't totally abandoning HERE on Windows Phone, but Android and iOS will be its priority

Publié: décembre 18, 2014, 5:54pm CET par Wayne Williams

Nokia’s HERE suite of driving and navigation apps first made its appearance on Windows Phone, and although it’s now being developed for other platforms, for many it remains best associated with Microsoft’s mobile operating system.

However, now that Nokia is no longer tied to Windows Phone, the Finnish company’s interest in developing for that platform is waning, and it will in future be focusing on Android and iOS -- which have a much larger user base.

Talking to Finnish publication DigiToday, Udo Szabo, Director of Product Marketing at HERE, said:

When we did Nokia phones, our goal was slightly different. Now we are developing applications on the basis of a realistic market. Microsoft will pay our maps license fees and is responsible for application development.

That suggests Nokia has handed over development of the Windows Phone version of HERE to Microsoft, but it turns out that’s not (entirely) the case. Nokia has since released a statement clarifying its role in HERE development on Windows Phone, stating:

We have noticed some discussions in the blogosphere about HERE on Windows Phone. We want to clarify that we are committed to providing great products and consumer experiences for Windows based phones. We will continue to support our HERE apps to ensure that they will be compatible with future versions of Windows.

Notice Nokia didn’t say it would be developing the apps, only that it would continue to support them. In other words, keep them ticking over (and keep its options open).

Exactly what all this will mean for HERE on Windows Phone is uncertain, but I’ll guess we’ll find out in due course.

Nokia has already brought HERE to Android, and the iOS version is expected to arrive in early 2015.

Photo Credit: Sabphoto/Shutterstock
Who's afraid of the big bad bot?

Publié: décembre 18, 2014, 4:45pm CET par Ian Barker

Web security specialist Incapsula has released its 2014 annual Bot Study which reveals that 56 percent of website traffic is accounted for by bots.

That's down from 61.5 percent on last year's study, however the number of 'bad' bots posing as humans has increased significantly.

The number of impersonator bots has risen by 15 percent in the two years since Incapsula began its annual study and by 10 percent in 2014. These include DDoS bots, bots masked by proxies and bots that are trying to avoid security measures by using false identities.

The overall decline in bot traffic is, says Incapsula, mainly down to the drop in bots associated with RSS. Google stopped crawling RSS feeds some time ago as its place has increasinngly been taken by social media.

Interestingly it's smaller websites that receive the most bot traffic, reaching 80 percent this year for those with fewer than 1,000 daily visitors. Large sites by contrast -- those receiving more than 100,000 daily visitors -- receive only 56.2 percent bot visits.

The proportion of bad bots stays pretty much the same, however, product evangelist Igal Zeifman writing on the Incapsula blog says, "...the average percentage of bad bots consistently hovers around the 30 percent mark, regardless of website size or popularity. In absolute terms, Incapsula can state that malicious bot traffic grows in an almost exact proportion to a site’s human traffic".

You can see a summary of the report in infographic form below and find out more in Incapsula's blog.

Image credit: Gunnar Assmy /Shutterstock
Here are Samsung's predictions for 2015

Publié: décembre 18, 2014, 4:34pm CET par Darren Allan

As the end of every year rolls around, we get the inevitable tech predictions of what will happen next year, and Samsung has produced its own list of trends which it sees dominating in 2015 (and indeed beyond).

Samsung makes five predictions in total, and the first is that wearable tech will create a "new era of power dressing" for business leaders. So we’re talking smart shoulder pads, right? Wrong. This simply refers to the fact that business folks will use wearables to become more organized and productive, starting with smartwatches.

Wearables will become the norm in offices through 2015, and while Samsung certainly has a vested interest in this happening, this is what a lot of analysts are predicting -- and particularly the rise of the smartwatch, which has hitherto seen relatively little adoption compared to fitness wristbands (the main wearable of the moment).

Roger Enright, product director, IT & Mobile Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland, commented: "2014 has been the year that the wearables market has really exploded and broken into the mainstream consciousness. Our own research, commissioned this September with the Centre for Retail Research, estimates that the value of the market in the UK alone will hit £313.6 million by the end of 2014, with total Christmas sales expected to rise by 182 percent (£67.64 million) to £104.7 million compared to 2013 totaling 1,028,800 million units".

Prediction number two ties in with the first, and contends that wearables and apps will allow us to pinpoint "power hours", or the times in our working day when we function most productively -- and business folks will begin to use this to their advantage.

Samsung’s trend number three is that retail shops will adopt virtual reality tech and innovative display solutions, to make their stores (and thus overheads) as small as possible. Expect interactive wall displays, VR gear which can give customers tours of larger items such as cars, and pop-up stores with click-and-collect facilities.

Prediction number four is that smart home systems will become more widely adopted, as home automation gadgets become more widely available and easy to use (with better software and cross-platform functionality).

And finally, Samsung reckons that every child born next year will learn a new subject as a core skill at school -- coding will become as important as reading and writing. The company notes that 90 percent of all jobs which are filled next year will require at least some computer skills, and the EC reckons there will be 900,000 ICT job vacancies come 2020.

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

Photo Credit: wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock
Self service platform helps cut online help desk requests

Publié: décembre 18, 2014, 3:20pm CET par Ian Barker

Ask anyone who has worked on a help desk and they'll tell you that a lot of their time is spent on solving the same problems.

In order to reduce the help desk workload for online businesses and allow users to solve straightforward issues themselves, contextual answer specialist AnswerDash has announced the integration of its technology with Zendesk.

The integration makes it easy for websites to display help content from Zendesk Help Center as contextual Q&A that appear on relevant objects on a web page. The effect is that website users have access to Help Center content wherever they have questions, with just a click of the mouse and without having to type search queries. Links from revealed content connect users back to Help Center, making it easy to directly access full Help Center articles.

"For most online businesses, 80 percent of support ticket volume is due to just 20 percent of the most frequently-asked questions, leading to customer service agent fatigue and inability for support teams to cost-effectively scale," says Jake Wobbrock, CEO and co-founder of AnswerDash. "Our integration with Zendesk helps transform traditional assisted customer service into highly-efficient customer self-service, reducing the number of help tickets and enabling support teams to scale".

AnswerDash's self-service technologies allow users to get answers to their commonly asked questions in the context of existing webpages, without having to visit separate knowledge bases. Customer service staff can sync their Zendesk articles to AnswerDash and syncing take place every 10 minutes to ensure the most recent content is available.

Any new questions raised via AnswerDash are automatically raised as Zendesk tickets and the answers linked back as they're solved.

You can find out more and try out how it works for yourself on the AnswerDash website.

Image Credit: lucadp / Shutterstock
Ad slip-up reveals Apple Pay is about to expand to Europe, Middle East, India and Africa

Publié: décembre 18, 2014, 2:46pm CET par Mark Wilson

Oops! Less than a month ago, Microsoft accidentally let it slip that it was about to acquire email firm Acompli. Not to be outdone, Apple has now let a cat out of the bag a little early as well. A job ad spotted by iClarified shows that the company's Apple Pay service is set to expand outside of the US.

While rolling out outside of the States is not exactly surprising, Apple has given no hints about the timescale it is working to. More and more companies are signing up to get involved with Apple's contactless payment system, and a European launch was all but inevitable -- and now we know for sure.

With growing support from banks, it's looking as though 2015 could be a big year for Apple Pay. The ad posting has now been taken down, but the text was captured by iClarified for posterity. The advertised job is for a support intern to help with business development and contract negotiations.

Apple Pay is a new and exciting area in Apple that is set to expand across Europe, Middle East, India and Africa. Apple Pay will change the way consumers pay with breakthrough contactless payment technology and unique security features built right into their iPhone 6 or Apple Watch to pay in an easy, secure, and private way. The new London-based Apple Pay team will work to drive the roll-out of this technology across EMEIA by working with a variety of internal and external partners, including teams in the US where the product will first launch and the EMEIA organization, as well as Issuers, payment networks and merchants across Europe.

So we're still none the wiser about when we might see Apple Pay spreading through EMEIA, but it certainly seems as though we're edging closer to a wider rollout.

Photo credit: AVN Photo Lab/ Shutterstock
Microsoft introduces Nokia Lumia 638 Windows Phone in India

Publié: décembre 18, 2014, 2:27pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

With Windows Phone still struggling to gain considerable traction, Microsoft is trying to boost its operating system's market share by focusing on the low-end of the market, which has real potential of attracting consumers, especially those in emerging markets. And, so far this year, Microsoft has introduced quite a few affordable Windows Phones, with the latest of the bunch being the still-Nokia-branded Lumia 638.

Lumia 638 is a new Windows Phone 8.1 handset that is designed for India. It is touted to be one of the most affordable smartphones with 4G connectivity available in this Asian market, which is sure to attract the attention of price-conscious local buyers. What else does it have to offer?

As its name suggests, Lumia 638 appears to be a variation of Lumia 635, which Nokia introduced in early-May. That is likely why Microsoft launched it bearing Nokia's branding, as it is basically a model developed under Nokia.

Lumia 638's most important specs are: 4.5-inch IPS display with a resolution of 480 by 854 (it has soft navigation buttons); 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor; 1 GB of RAM; 1,830 mAh battery; 5 MP main camera without flash; 8 GB of internal storage; microSD card slot (128 GB cards are supported); 4G LTE; Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n; physical dimensions of 129.5 x 66.7 x 9.2 mm and weight of 134 grams.

The most-obvious missing hardware component is the front-facing camera, which makes it a poor choice for video chats (and selfies). It also lacks NFC, which, given the increasing popularity of mobile payments, cripples it somewhat. Both are weaknesses shared with Lumia 635.

"Given the increasing demand for Lumia smartphones in India, and with more and more consumers choosing to shop online, we are very excited to announce availability of the Lumia 638 exclusively on our store", says Microsoft India's Ram Narayan. "The Lumia 638 is the first product to be available exclusively on the Microsoft Brand Store".

Seemingly the only differences between it and Lumia 635, other than the aforementioned availability details, are the color options -- the former only comes in matte black and white, while the latter can also be had in other colors -- and a free data offer for buyers using Airtel's Post-paid in Bengaluru -- they get 5 GB of data on 4G for the first two months after activation. This offer is only good until March 31, 2015.

Microsoft's (and Nokia's) strategy of focusing on low-end smartphones seems to be paying off, at least to some extent, given that the most popular Windows Phones around are easily affordable models, like Lumia 520. In India, Lumia 638 can be had for INR 8,299 during pre-orders (which is about $132), which should help with volumes (normally, it costs INR 9,499, which equates to about $150). However, there are still issues to sort out, as Windows Phone's market share has declined quarter-over-quarter, reaching just 3.0 percent in Q3 2014.

Canon i-SENSYS MF229dw: A great value multifunction printer for home and small business [review]

Publié: décembre 18, 2014, 1:41pm CET par Wayne Williams

canon-mf229-front

There’s no shortage of cut-price mono laser printers on the market, but the multifunction Canon i-SENSYS MF229dw is the perfect example of why it’s worth paying a little extra to get a printer that can do everything you’d want it to, and more besides.

Obviously it’s a mono printer, so the one thing it can’t do is output color pages, but aside from that it can print single and double-sided, scan (in 24-bit color), copy pages, and fax documents. It’s a wireless printer, and you can send photos and documents to print directly from iOS and Android devices.

Setting it up is very easy, you just remove all the orange tape and tabs, install the software, power it up and then use the touch sensitive panel on the front to configure everything and connect it to your wireless network (Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n). This last step is done through the panel, but the process is quick and painless. You can also connect the printer via a wired network (10/100 Base-T Ethernet). You have to choose one or the other networked methods, not both, and wired LAN is the default.

The angle of the operation panel on the front can be adjusted to suit, and once it’s all up and running, you can use the touch screen to copy, scan and fax documents, access the address book, and adjust various settings.

Text is output at 600 x 600 dpi, and is pin sharp. The quality of photos is similarly impressive at up to 1200 x 1200 dpi with image refinement.

Canon quotes printing speeds at 27 pages a minute, and outputting a 27 page single-sided document took exactly that. Printing the same document in duplex took one minute and 45 seconds. The Quick First Print feature reduces the waiting time for the initial page, which is a great addition.

The scanner has an optical resolution of 600 dpi and this can be stretched to 9600 dpi with enhancement. You have the choice of flatbed and a 50 sheet Duplex Automatic Document Feeder (DADF), and the flatbed can expand to take thicker material, such as books and brochures. Quality is very good, and A4 photos took on average 7 seconds to scan in full color at 300 dpi, and 17 seconds at 600 dpi.

The MF229dw works well as a photocopier, and can enlarge and reduce documents (arrange multiple documents on one sheet, for example), copy one sided documents on to both sides of the paper, and collate your copies. There is a choice of copy modes -- Text, Text/Photo, Text/Photo+, and Photo. Copying an A4 photo in Text/Photo took 9 seconds, and 15 seconds in Photo. The difference in quality between modes is very noticeable.

Faxing is still a thing for some businesses, and the MF229dw’s Super G3 fax can send a page every three seconds, and store up to 256 pages in memory. There are four one-touch dials and 100 coded dials.

There’s very little to dislike about the MF229dw. It’s a tad on the chunky side perhaps, Gigabit networking would be good and 256MB memory isn’t exactly generous, but those are minor complaints. It’s a very capable multi-function model that offers superb print and scan quality, and which I can definitely recommend without reservation.

If you’re looking for a new, stylish and versatile office printer, the MF229dw should be near the top of your list.

It’s available from Ebuyer for £241, including delivery.

Technical Specifications

General

Device Type	Fax / copier / printer / scanner
Fax Type	Plain paper
Printing Technology	Laser - monochrome
Monthly Duty Cycle (max)	10000 pages
Display	6 lines
Display Features	Touch screen
PC Connection Availability	Yes
PC Connection	LAN, Wi-Fi(n), USB 2.0
Memory

Standard Memory	256 MB
Copying

Max Copying Speed	Up to 27 ppm
Max Copying Resolution	Up to 600 x 600 dpi
Grey Scale Half-Tones	256
Max Document Enlargement	400%
Max Document Reduction	25%
Maximum Copies	99
Exposure Modes	Text, photo, text and photo
Automatic Duplexing	Yes
Copying Features	Toner Save, 2 on 1, 4 on 1, ID Card Copy
Printing

Max Printing Resolution	Up to 1200 x 1200 dpi
Max Printing Speed	Up to 27 ppm
Printer Drivers / Emulations	UFRII LT
Image Enhancement Technology	Automatic Image Refinement
Automatic Duplexing	Yes
First Print Out Time B/W	6 sec
Scanning

Automatic Duplexing	Yes
Optical Resolution	600 x 600 dpi
Interpolated Resolution	9600 x 9600 dpi
Color Depth	24 bit
Fax Machine

Compatibility	Super G3
Max Transmission Speed	33.6 Kbps
Fax Resolutions	200 x 400 dpi, 200 x 200 dpi, 200 x 100 dpi
Total Memory Capacity	Up to 256 pages
PC Faxing	Yes
Fax Machine Features

Error Correction Mode (ECM)	Yes
One Touch Dialing	4 station(s)
Speed Dialing	104 station(s)
Broadcast Transmission	114 stations
Features	Fax forwarding, Distinctive Ring Pattern Detection (DRPD), automatic redialing, remote reception, Dual Access, fax activity reports
Document & Media Handling

Min Original Size	127 x 140 mm
Max Original Size	A4 (210 x 297 mm), Legal (216 x 356 mm)
Original Type	Sheets
Document Feeder Capacity	50 sheets
Min Media Size	76.2 x 127 mm
Max Media Size	A4/Legal
Min Media Weight	60 g/m2
Max Media Weight	163 g/m2
Supported Media Type	Transparencies, envelopes, plain paper, labels, recycled paper, heavy-weight paper
Supported Media Sizes	ANSI A (Letter) (216 x 279 mm), Legal (216 x 356 mm), Executive (184 x 267 mm), A4 (210 x 297 mm), A5 (148 x 210 mm), B5 (176 x 250 mm), Statement (139.7 x 215.9 mm), 76.2 x 127 mm, Oficio (216 x 343 mm)
Supported Envelope Sizes	International DL (110 x 220 mm), Com-10 (105 x 241 mm), International C5 (162 x 229 mm), Monarch (98.4 x 190.5 mm)
Standard Media Capacity	250 sheets
Bypass Feeder Capacity	1 sheets
Output Trays Capacity	100 sheets
Document & Media Handling Details	Input tray - 250 sheets size: 76.2 x 210 mm - Legal (216 x 356 mm)/A4 (210 x 297 mm) weight: 60 g/m2 - 163 g/m2 ï¿½ Bypass tray - 1 sheets size: 76.2 x 127 mm - Legal (216 x 356 mm)/A4 (210 x 297 mm) weight: 60 g/m2 - 163 g/m2 ï¿½ Output tray - 100 sheets ï¿½ ADF - 50 sheets size: 127 x 140 mm - Legal (216 x 356 mm)/A4 (210 x 297 mm)
Speed Details	Printing : up to 27 ppm ( A4 ) - B/W ï¿½ Copying : up to 27 ppm ( A4 ) - B/W
Connections

Interfaces	1 x USB 2.0 - 4 PIN USB Type B ï¿½ 1 x LAN - RJ-45
Operating System Support	MS Windows XP, Linux, MS Windows Server 2003, MS Windows 7, MS Windows Vista, MS Windows Server 2008, MS Windows Server 2008 R2, Apple Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later, MS Windows Server 2012, Windows 8, Android, iOS, Windows 8.1, MS Windows Server 2012 R2
Software Included	Drivers & Utilities, Presto! PageManager, Canon MF Toolbox
Power

Voltage Required	AC 230 V ( 50/60Hz )
Power Consumption Operational	1300 Watt
Power Consumption Standby	5.8 Watt
Power Consumption Sleep	1.7 Watt
Miscellaneous

First Copy Out Time B/W	9 sec
Consumables Included	1 x Cartridge ( black ) - up to 1700 pages
Dimensions & Weight

Width	39 cm
Depth	44.8 cm
Height	36 cm
Weight	13.1 kg
Environmental Parameters

Sound Emission	43 dB (idle) / 51 dB (operating)
Humidity Range Operating	20 - 80% (non-condensing)

Secret CoolReaper backdoor for hackers discovered in Chinese Android phones

Publié: décembre 18, 2014, 1:31pm CET par Mark Wilson
China's monitoring and control of how its citizens access the internet is something that has been going on for some time. Now there is something new for Chinese smartphone owners to worry about. Security researchers at Palo Alto Networks have discovered a backdoor built into millions of handsets produced by Coolpad.

Known as CoolReaper, the backdoor potentially places more than 10 million smartphone owners at risk. The security firm conducted investigations after users complained on message boards about suspicious activity on their handsets. After downloading multiple copies of the stock ROM used on Chinese CoolPad phone, it was found that "the majority of the ROMs contained the CoolReaper backdoor".

A total of 77 ROMs were downloaded, and 64 of them were found to include the backdoor. Unit 42 has published a paper that details the capability of the malware, but users have reported the installation of unauthorized software and popup ads. Interestingly, it is reported that CoolPad deleted message board posts that made reference to these problems. At the moment there is no evidence that CoolPad devices sold outside of China and Taiwan are affected, but this will be off little comfort for those who may be at risk.

What CoolReaper is capable of is concerning, as the research paper explains:
- Download, install, or activate any Android application without user consent or notification
- Clear user data, uninstall existing applications, or disable system applications
- Notify users of a fake Over-the-air (OTA) update that doesn’t update the device, but installs unwanted applications
- Send or insert arbitrary SMS or MMS messages into the phone
- Dial arbitrary phone numbers
- Upload information about device, its location, application usage, calling and SMS history to a Coolpad server
The paper says:

In November a white-hat security researcher identified a vulnerability in the back-end control system for CoolReaper, which allowed him to see how Coolpad controls the backdoor.

The research paper gives a detailed breakdown of the findings and warns:

The known impact of CoolReaper thus far is limited to China and Taiwan, but Coolpad’s position in the market and global expansion plans mean this backdoor presents a threat to Android users all over the world.

While CoolPad is only the sixth largest smartphone manufacturer in the world -- with a global share of 3.7 percent of the market -- it is ranked as the third largest manufacturer in China. The company is gradually expanding into the US and Europe so interest in this backdoor is only going to increase.

So far it's hard to say much about the source of the backdoor. Researchers have determined that it has been around since at least October 2013, but it's not clear whether or not there is a connection to the Chinese government.

Photo credit: lculig / Shutterstock
Install, update and manage your software with NeoSetup

Publié: décembre 18, 2014, 1:17pm CET par Mike Williams

Keeping Windows software up-to-date can be complicated. There are settings to be configured, maybe several update processes to be left running, troubleshooting rules to follow if they don’t work. And of course if an application can’t check for updates itself, you’ll have to do it manually.

NeoSetup is an application manager which simplifies this process by installing and updating many applications for you.

Launch the program and it displays the current status of all supported applications. These include Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Skype, Thunderbird, QuickTime, VLC Media Player, iTunes, GIMP, Irfan View, Paint.NET, Adobe Reader, OpenOffice, Dropbox, Google Drive, CCleaner, TeamViewer, 7-Zip, WinRAR, Notepad++, Evernote and Google Earth.

Any outdated applications are displayed at the top of the list. If you’re missing a patch, click the Install button and NeoSetup immediately downloads the new version and installs it -- silently, where possible -- in the background.

If you don’t have one or more of the programs, maybe because you’re just setting up a new PC, then again NeoSetup can help. Check the boxes for anything you’d like, click Install, and just watch as each application is downloaded and installed. Again, these are silent installations so you won’t see any setup programs, and it even claims to "suppress all types of browser toolbars, third-party apps and offers that are displayed by application setups".

This all worked just fine for us, although we did notice that multiple programs were downloaded one after the other, never in parallel. Most of the supported applications are small, and typically you’ll only download a single update at a time anyway, but being able to run more could notably improve performance in some situations.

By default NeoSetup checks for new application updates every day, and launches along with Windows to tell you about them. But if that’s a problem then you can turn this off, or set update checks to run hourly or weekly.

There’s also a convenient News tab which lists recent updates, and displays links to descriptions of the original programs.

While testing, we encountered an annoying problem on one PC. NeoSetup would correctly install an update, but then failed to spot when it finished, and so remained unavailable until we closed the process manually.

We have no idea how widespread this issue might be, though, and if you can avoid it then NeoSetup has many pluses: no adware, wide software support, silent updating, and the News feature to track recent releases. Worth a look.
Online freedom is declining

Publié: décembre 18, 2014, 1:09pm CET par Darren Allan

A new report from Freedom House, a watchdog dedicated to promoting the cause of freedom across the globe, has been published with some interesting observations on how free various nations are in terms of their internet access.

The Freedom on the Net 2014 report, spotted by Mashable, involved evaluating some 65 countries, and the bad news is that over half of them, 36 to be precise, actually dipped in their levels of online freedom between May 2013 and 2014.

The report also observed an overall increase in pressure from governments on independent news websites -- the sites which have heretofore been among the few uncensored sources of news in some countries. And more people have been arrested and/or prosecuted for digital activities than ever before.

Freedom House noted: "Dozens of citizen journalists were attacked while reporting on conflict in Syria and anti-government protests in Egypt, Turkey and Ukraine. Other governments stepped up licensing and regulation for web platforms".

Arrests due to online messages concerning political or social issues were found in 38 of the 65 studied countries, and this was most prevalent in the Middle East and North Africa, where detentions of citizens occurred in 10 of the 11 nations examined.

Freedom House also found that 41 of the countries had passed legislation (or at least proposed it) to penalize "legitimate forms of speech online", and to expand government surveillance powers (no surprise there).

The report observed an increase in sophisticated, targeted malware attacks on human rights groups and critics of governments, with such attacks being seen in half of the nations evaluated.

It makes for pretty bleak reading in many respects, though on a more positive note, Freedom House did state: "Despite overall declines in global internet freedom, pushback by civil society was amplified this year by reactions to the NSA surveillance revelations. Awareness of the threats to fundamental rights expanded beyond civil society, as ordinary users around the world became more engaged in securing their privacy and freedom of expression online".

"In select cases, long-running internet freedom campaigns finally garnered the necessary momentum to succeed", added Freedom House.

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

Photo Credit: Nomad_Soul/Shutterstock
Control your PC remotely with DisplayFusion 7

Publié: décembre 18, 2014, 11:15am CET par Mike Williams

Binary Fortress Software has released DisplayFusion 7.0, a major update for its comprehensive multi-monitor management tool for Windows.

The commercial editions now support remote controlling your system from iOS or Android devices. You can move windows around, change wallpapers, enable/ disable monitors or use hundreds of other options, and if that’s not enough it’s also possible to call your own custom C# or VB.net functions from the program.

A new "Splits and Padding" window makes it easy to divide a single monitor into several smaller virtual monitors.

There are five new screen savers, all of which can be set to run at the login screen (when no-one is logged in).

All editions now include many extra wallpaper providers, including Facebook, Google+, Imgur, Instagram, NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day, Pixabay and Smugmug.

However, DisplayFusion Free has some limitations: you can’t use these images on the logon screen, and you’re only able to use a single defined image (the commercial editions can display random images from the same source).

Elsewhere, you get more flexible monitor splitting (asymmetrical, odd-sides, bezel compensation support), extended taskbar jumplist support (URLs, documents, files, folders), there are many new functions and Image Info tags, and the package now has Windows 10 Technical Preview support.

DisplayFusion 7.0 is available now for Windows XP and later.
How the way you work is going to change in 2015 [Q&A]

Publié: décembre 18, 2014, 10:35am CET par Ian Barker

Enterprise computing is more and more centered around the user, but how will this trend affect the workplace and what changes will it make to productivity and the way systems are managed and delivered?

We spoke to Torsten Volk, VP of product management, cloud at business software specialist ASG Software Solutions to find out.

BN: What do you think will be the main trends for IT in the workplace during 2015?

TV: In 2015, the workplace will become more and more end user centric. Business staff, developers and IT operators will receive an individualized user experience that enables them to be more productive. All three of these user groups will be able to receive a more consistent interface from any PC or mobile device, with all the applications, content, services and business data they require. This means, 2015 will be the year where enterprise IT becomes much more independent of the OS and truly focused on delivering a role based and unified user experience.

BN: Are we going to see a continuing shift towards the cloud and SaaS product delivery?

TV: The short answer is 'yes'. In many cases, the economics of delivering software via public cloud cannot be beat. However, we can expect a paradigm shift toward a truly policy driven approach to software delivery. Each placement decision -- physical, virtual, private cloud or public cloud -- comes with different parameters in terms of cost, compliance, security and performance attached to it. The only way to ensure consistent delivery is to introduce a policy engine that 'intelligently' decides where to place an application. The end user should be entirely removed from this decision process.

BN: How can dynamic workspaces make things easier for the user?

TV: Dynamic Hybrid Workspaces go significantly beyond the application centric approach to enterprise computing by offering a truly unified dashboard, where end users no longer have to worry about where their apps, services, data or content are coming from. These placement decisions are made by a policy engine that works its magic in the background. To optimally complete their daily tasks, end users will no longer have to log into multiple applications with different user interfaces. Instead they will receive one unified dashboard with services and apps that exchange content to enable truly business driven computing.

BN: Can this work with a range of different devices in a BYOD environment?

TV: The idea is to provide the same user experience independent of device and operating system. Whether or not content can be accessed will ultimately depend on compliance and security policy. The CFO should not be able to review payroll data on the train, where his iPad might be stolen. Context sensitive computing will become a standard, freeing users from the limitations of individual Operating Systems and providing the ultimate level of control and governance to the IT department.

BN: Will offering users a 'self service' approach to installing apps help reduce support workloads or just add more complication?

TV: The workspace aggregation principle enables end users to request and receive apps without a complex installation procedure. Of course, depending on cost and other considerations, there will be workflows that enable IT or LOB management to approve the delivery of certain costly applications or services. However, the actual delivery will be automated and shift more and more toward virtualized apps and services that can easily scale.

BN: Can using hybrid workspaces help businesses control their software licensing costs?

TV: Yes, the idea is to have one central place -- the workspace -- to monitor user behavior. If certain apps and services are not used, a workflow can be triggered to ask the user whether the license could be returned to the pool. The key is the tight integration with a software asset management solution, to prevent licensing violations before they occur and to enable IT to govern the newly introduce self-service paradigm. Simply letting end users order apps and services in a self-service manner does not work without the right checks and balances in place. Workspaces represent the central hub, where the optimal degree of license control can be applied and enforced.

Photo Credit: wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock
OnePlus is the latest firm to be banned in India

Publié: décembre 18, 2014, 8:52am CET par Fadil Pašić

The High Court in Delhi has temporarily banned the sales of smartphones built by Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus.

The ban comes after Micromax, an Indian consumer electronics company, filed a lawsuit alleging OnePlus violated an exclusivity agreement it signed with Cyanogen.

Cyanogen is an open source operating system for smartphones and tablet computers, based on the Android mobile platform. It is developed as free and open source software based on the official releases of Android by Google, with added original and third-party code.

The Delhi High Court issued a temporary order that restricts OnePlus from importing, marketing and selling Cyanogen-based handsets in India, effective immediately, Live Mint reports.

Micromax was given an exclusive license to integrate and distribute Cyanogen’s technology as a part of its devices in India through an "ambient services and application distributions agreement", which is why it complained that, by launching its phones on 2 December, OnePlus had infringed its exclusive rights.

Micromax claimed that it had "incurred major expenses for creation of a brand exclusivity for providing to Indian customers mobile phones with Cyanogen operating systems" and "it would suffer irreparable harm and loss if the defendants (OnePlus) are permitted to continue with their illegal acts in violation of the agreement between Micromax and Cyanogen".

On the other hand, OnePlus says it had a collaboration agreement and trademark license agreement with Cyanogen since February, and that it got terminated a fortnight before its launch in India.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
OnePlus is the latest smartphone maker to be banned in India

Publié: décembre 18, 2014, 8:52am CET par Fadil Pašić

The High Court in Delhi has temporarily banned the sales of smartphones built by Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus.

The ban comes after Micromax, an Indian consumer electronics company, filed a lawsuit alleging OnePlus violated an exclusivity agreement it signed with Cyanogen.

Cyanogen is an open source operating system for smartphones and tablet computers, based on the Android mobile platform. It is developed as free and open source software based on the official releases of Android by Google, with added original and third-party code.

The Delhi High Court issued a temporary order that restricts OnePlus from importing, marketing and selling Cyanogen-based handsets in India, effective immediately, Live Mint reports.

Micromax was given an exclusive license to integrate and distribute Cyanogen’s technology as a part of its devices in India through an "ambient services and application distributions agreement", which is why it complained that, by launching its phones on 2 December, OnePlus had infringed its exclusive rights.

Micromax claimed that it had "incurred major expenses for creation of a brand exclusivity for providing to Indian customers mobile phones with Cyanogen operating systems" and "it would suffer irreparable harm and loss if the defendants (OnePlus) are permitted to continue with their illegal acts in violation of the agreement between Micromax and Cyanogen".

On the other hand, OnePlus says it had a collaboration agreement and trademark license agreement with Cyanogen since February, and that it got terminated a fortnight before its launch in India.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Bitdefender releases free CryptoWall Immunizer

Publié: décembre 18, 2014, 8:20am CET par Mike Williams

Bitdefender Labs has announced the availability of Bitdefender CryptoWall Immunizer, a free Windows tool which offers some protection against versions 1 and 2 of the file-encrypting malware.

The program appears to work by setting Windows policies to block programs from running when they’re in the %appdata% or %startup% folders.

The good news is this really will block early versions of the malware, along with any other threats which use the same infection point.

It's also very simple to implement. Launch CryptoWall Immunizer, click the Immunization button, wait until it says "Protection Enabled" and you’re done (there's no need to run the program in the background).

Unfortunately, the technique might also block legitimate programs which have executables in the same folders. They really shouldn't, and the vast majority don’t, but we still found three executables in the %appdata% folder on our test PC, two from currently installed software.

Check your own folders to see if you might run into problems (press Win+R, type %appdata% and press Enter to see where this is on your system). Keep a copy of the program around so that you can undo its immunization later, if necessary (using a previous restore point should have the same effect).

Bitdefender CryptoWall Immunizer is available for download now.
Plex is rolling out to Sony PS3 and PS4 game consoles

Publié: décembre 18, 2014, 3:57am CET par Alan Buckingham

Plex, who makes one of the most popular media server and client software, has never been shy about adapting any platform it can manage to get on. Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Roku, Xbox, even NAS devices. Now the organization reaches out to yet another community.

While jokingly saying at the beginning that it was arriving on Sega Genesis consoles, the real target this time is Sony. Plex is headed for both games consoles available from the currently troubled company -- the PS3 and PS4.

Plex for the PlayStation is launching now in Europe and a good portion of Asia. Customers in the US will need to wait a bit longer. "The US launch will happen in the near future (along with other locations), but we don’t have a date for you yet", the announcement says.

The app will work and look much the same as it does on Xbox One and Vizio TVs, which means it will be elegant and useful. Users will need to set up the server on a computer that's always on, or last on when Plex is needed. However configuration is fairly simple, so most shouldn't have a problem.
Krispy Kreme wants customers to talk to strangers using Google Hangouts on Chromebooks

Publié: décembre 18, 2014, 2:51am CET par Brian Fagioli

As a fat guy, I love doughnuts; it's like its in my DNA. If the detectives on Law and Order took a sample of my blood, and looked under a microscope, they would see sprinkles and frosting swimming around with the platelets and stuff. If they were hunting for a robbery suspect called the Doughnut Bandit, I'd likely be guilty. They could probably follow the trail of powdered sugar from the crime scene to my house.

Truth be told, I do not discriminate either; all doughnut brands are welcome -- Entenmann's, Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme to name a few. Today however, one of those companies, Krispy Kreme, turns to Google for its newest tech need. You see, the doughnut pusher is now using Chromebooks in its stores. The usage is odd though, as the company wants its customers to talk to strangers over Hangouts.

"The Joy Goes Around Holiday campaign is an interactive in-shop experience that allows our guests at participating locations around the world to toast to the holidays through customized Krispy Kreme Hangouts. We are also creating video of customers getting into the holiday spirit that they can then share with others over social media channels", says Lafeea Watson, Public Relations Manager, Krispy Kreme.

Watson further explains, "we decided to use Chromebooks, because they are easy to set up, secure and scalable. They offer remote management via the Chrome management console, which means an IT admin in one office can set them all up regardless of where they were located. That leaves staff in the stores free to focus on serving customers food and beverages instead of doing IT support. We also wanted to make sure the Chromebooks were used just for these Hangouts, and not visiting websites that could be malicious. Chromebooks allows us to control and limit their use. The combination is highly scalable; it can be used in any number of locations to build a collective brand experience. It’s fun to have a face-to-face conversation with someone on the other side of the world with just a few clicks".

OK, so let's review. You walk into a Krispy Kreme to order a sugar-filled treat, and you are probably embarrassed about that. You should be at the gym, but you ended up in a doughnut shop -- sure, fine. So, as you are there, you see a Chromebook. You walk up to it, and you can see a fellow Krispy Kreme customer somewhere across the globe. You smile, say hi, and maybe you both speak the same language. Sadly, you will get a glimpse of your out-of-shape body and round face on the screen. At this point, you probably walk to the counter and order more doughnuts so you can eat your emotions. Yay?

All joking -- or brutal honesty -- aside, for this endeavor, a Chromebook is a smart choice. There is little maintenance and it should prove to be a fairly fool-proof setup. Still, I am not sure that customers will flock to use them for this application.

Do you want to communicate with strangers over Google Hangouts in a doughnut shop? Tell me in the comments.

Photo Credit: bikeriderlondon / Shutterstock