Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » janvier 26, 2015

BetaNews.Com (11 non lus)

Facebook is weak and utterly wrong to censor 'offensive' pages in Turkey

Publié: janvier 26, 2015, 8:31pm CET par Mark Wilson

Mark Zuckerberg is a hypocrite. For all of his spiel about being a proponent of free speech, ultimately he is a man all too willing to bow to the demands of a country. Turkey took umbrage at the existence of pages that insulted or offended the Prophet Mohammad and threatened to completely ban Facebook in the country if they were not blocked.

Facebook has now decided to comply with the Turkish demands. Zuckerberg would have us believe that "we never let one country or group of people dictate what people can share across the world", but this is clearly not the case when it comes to upsetting the Islamic faith. This latest move is a political one and shows a lack of strength and conviction.

In Turkey, President Tayyip Erdogan is looking to enforce an Islamic agenda, and the majority of the country is Muslim. Prosecutor Harun Ceylan requested the order to ban Facebook through Golbasi Duty Magistrate Court. A "valid legal request" led to one page being blocked, but now it seems that Facebook is willing to further comply with demands from Turkey.

It's a decision that must, at least in part, be driven by money. Turkey is far from being an insignificant country -- boasting millions of social network users -- and Facebook will be keen to keep as many people happy so that advertisers have more potential customers to target their goods at.

There is no just law that protects against offense. Offense is something that is taken, not given. Facebook users should be free, the world over, to question, mock, ridicule and -- in some cases -- offend. If Facebook decided to block any and all content that was deemed offensive by someone, somewhere in the world, there would be next to nothing left to look at!

While money is almost certainly a key factor in Facebook's decision, the fact that it is the Islamic faith that’s central to the story is probably more important. Islam is the untouchable religion. Express doubt about other religions and you might raise a few eyebrows and rub a few people up the wrong way, but it won't usually result in death or threats from an entire country. Can you imagine the Pope contacting Zuckerberg to block pages that 'insult' (and I use quotation marks because I find the idea of one's beliefs being insulted laughable) Catholicism? It's incredibly unlikely, but Zuckerberg would almost certainly shrug it off and do nothing of the sort.

But when Islam is involved it's a completely different story. Zuckerberg shows himself to be weak, two-faced and hypocritical. He has said that Facebook complies with laws around the world, and the Turkish Penal Code says:

Any person who openly provokes a group of people belonging to different social class, religion, race, sect, or coming from another origin, to be rancorous or hostile against another group, is punished with imprisonment from one year to three years in case of such act causes risk from the aspect of public safety.

And

Any person who openly disrespects the religious belief of a group is punished with imprisonment from six months to one year if such act causes potential risk for public peace.

But both of these articles are open to interpretation. They are worded in such a way to give more leverage to those of a religious bent, but it should be questioned. 'Disrespect' is an all but meaningless term and also a dangerous one in this context.

After the Charlie Hebdo killings Zuckerberg made it sound as though Facebook was going to stand firm and defend users' rights to express their beliefs. It seems this only applies in certain cases and bowing to Turkey undermines any political guff spouted about supporting freedom of speech. You disappoint me, Zuckerberg.

Photo credit: patrice6000 / Shutterstock
Get Cortana working in Windows 10 in the UK, and other non-US countries

Publié: janvier 26, 2015, 5:03pm CET par Wayne Williams

One of the biggest new features in the latest build of Windows 10 is Cortana. Microsoft is bringing its virtual assistant to the desktop, and if you install Build 9926 you can see what she’s capable of right now. Well, you can if you’re in the US at least.

If you live outside of America, in the UK for example, if you summon Cortana you’ll be told she’s "not available to help in your region", which is a bit rubbish. Fortunately, there are ways around this silly restriction.

All you need to do is switch regions. Click the Start button and go to Settings. Click on Time & Language, then click on Region & Language, and set your Country or Region to United States. Change the language to English (United States).

Now when you click on Cortana she’ll be happy to help. Sign in with your Microsoft account if you haven’t already.

Tell Cortana what you’d like her to call you, and listen to how she says your name. If it’s not right, you can tell Cortana this and speak your name correctly into the microphone. Once that’s set up, you’re ready to start using the feature.

You can type something into the search box, or click the microphone icon to ask a question. When summoned Cortana will present you with the news and weather and you can customize this by clicking the three dots to the right of each section.

To customize Cortana's abilities, click the hamburger button at the top left. Go to Settings. This is where you can turn the assistant on or off, change your name, and enable the "Hey Cortana" feature. You can manage Search, including General Cortana & Search Settings, from here too.
Unlock Windows 10's hidden secrets

Publié: janvier 26, 2015, 3:58pm CET par Wayne Williams

Microsoft released Build 9926 of the Windows 10 Technical Preview on Friday, and so far we’re liking what we see. There are a few issues with it, naturally, but it’s definitely a giant leap in the right direction (for the most part anyway).

There are several hidden features available, but not activated, in this new build, which are well worth exploring and so we’ve put together this handy guide explaining how to get them all working.

Firstly, there’s the redesigned system tray clock and calendar. My colleague Mark Wilson explained how to get this up and running in his Windows 10 hands on. The process is easy enough, you just need to open the registry editor, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\ Windows\CurrentVersion\ImmersiveShell and create a new DWORD (32-bit) value called "UseWin32TrayClockExperience".

There’s also a hidden logon screen you can activate by navigating to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ Authentication\LogonUI\TestHooks. Double-click "Threshold" and change the value to "1". Changing it back to "0" will undo the switch.

The new build makes big changes to the Start menu with the introduction of the Continuum mode. If you prefer the way the old menu worked in the previous builds, you can switch back to that style with another registry tweak. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft>Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced, create a new DWORD (32-bit) value called "EnableXamlStartMenu" then restart Explorer.

File Explorer can open with one of two views -- "This PC" or "Quick Access". The former shows your drives and library folders, while the latter displays frequent folders and recent files. Quick Access is the default but you can change this by opening File Explorer Options, selecting the General tab, and choosing "This PC" next to "Open File Explorer to". You can also perform a simple registry tweak. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced and change the "LaunchTo" DWORD value to "1" (for This PC) or 2 (for Quick Access).

Cortana is now built into the desktop and resides on the taskbar. You can control her using your voice (provided you have a microphone plugged in) by clicking on the microphone button, but there’s also a hands free "Hey Cortana" function. This isn’t turned on by default, but is easily activated. Click on the Cortana icon on the taskbar and then click the hamburger button at the top left and select Settings. Turn "Let Cortana respond when you say 'Hey Cortana'" to on.

Finally, the search bar on the taskbar takes up a lot of space, but is easily disabled. Just click the taskbar, go to Search select “Disabled”. You can just display the search icon if you prefer.

Have you uncovered any hidden secrets in this new build? If so, share them in the comments below.
How hackers can infiltrate a network and remain undiscovered

Publié: janvier 26, 2015, 3:34pm CET par Ian Barker

In 2014 we saw many data breaches which were often due to a direct attack on a company’s network in which human error played a part.

Big data security specialist Exabeam has produced an infographic showing how hackers can penetrate a network and remain difficult to spot.

It points out that 76 percent of breaches involved stolen user credentials. Using stolen identities hackers can penetrate a system and will then look to elevate their access privileges to allow them access to sensitive information.

Because they're using valid credentials these attacks often remain below the radar. This allows hackers to remain on the system for a long time, 200 days according to some sources.

Exabeam uses SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) technology to digitally monitor user behavior, and take human error out of the equation.

You can view the full infographic below.

Photo credit: Adchariyaphoto/Shutterstock
What you need to know about T-Mobile's new Score program

Publié: janvier 26, 2015, 3:28pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

T-Mobile wants nothing to do with subsidies, but it is willing to trim the cost for a price. Normally, if you want to buy a new phone from the magenta carrier you will have to pay full price, either outright or through financing. Except that now T-Mobile has a new program, called Score, which was just introduced to allow its customers to get smartphones at lower prices. Is Score a good choice for you?

For just $5 per month, T-Mobile customers who sign up for Score will be able to take advantage of lower prices when purchasing a new smartphone from the carrier, in either six months or a year after joining the program.

For those who are Score users for six months, T-Mobile will give them the option to get a new budget smartphone for free. T-Mobile says that can be a device like Alcatel OneTouch Evolve 2, for instance.

That device normally costs $80. Six months of Score only cost $30. So, in the end, you can save $50 through the program, so there is a clear benefit in joining it.

If you can wait a year to get a new smartphone through Score, T-Mobile will give you the option to get yourself a proper, flagship smartphone at a higher discount. (In fact, T-Mobile claims that, after a year, all of the smartphones it sells are eligible to Score pricing, not just the cheap stuff.)

For instance, a Google Nexus 6 that normally costs $649.99 can be had for just $499. A Samsung Galaxy Note 4 that usually goes for $749.76 can be bought for only $599. So, basically, you can save about $90, after you factor in the $60 you will have paid for a year of Score.

T-Mobile is opening Score to all of its customers, no matter if they're pre-paid or post-paid customers, if they pay in full outright or finance their purchases. I'm calling it the un-subsidy.

Photo Credit: D. Hammonds/Shutterstock
What retailers need to do to take advantage of the Internet of Things

Publié: janvier 26, 2015, 3:05pm CET par Ben Muzzell

If you have ever visited your local electrical retail chain only to discover that you know more than the salespeople do, get ready for a whole new era of dissatisfaction.

Internet of Things buzz at the Consumer Electronics Show reached fever pitch this month. Smart home and wearable gadgets like thermostats, kettles and watches represent the first new product categories technology retailers have seen in years. Interested customers will expect retail staff to be knowledgeable experts, able to educate us and answer questions that guide us through purchasing decisions. Their managers will expect them to have sufficient knowledge to make the sale. But, while buyers nowadays are arming themselves with highly detailed product information found online to ask ever-more complex questions, busy sales staff often only seem knowledgeable about a few characteristics of each of a store’s wide product offering.

Because smart home gadgets are entirely new product sets that don’t solve familiar consumer problems but which tantalize with unimagined new possibilities, consumers will need educating and convincing about key benefits. Put simply, IoT is a harder sell than a washing machine. This means salespeople have a crucial role in the segment reaching its promised heights.

But the parlous state of retail training plus the quickening pace at which these new devices are being launched poses a big risk to IoT uptake.

According to a recent report by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES), 45 percent of retail employees already receive no training whatsoever.

Retailers run on tight margins, so it is not hard to see why training often takes a back seat. Those companies which do try educating staff typically rely on old-fashioned techniques that won’t equip salesforces with the knowledge needed to sell the Internet of Things with confidence.

For the devices unveiled in Las Vegas to really take off, retailers will need to reboot their training strategy for a new age, with these principles in mind:

1. Be micro

Today, retail staff training often means employees traveling to a hotel or supplier headquarters, where, locked in a room together, they receive a day-long indoctrination in every aspect of a product’s operation, or are burdened with a huge handbook to read from start to finish.

The problem is, this is no longer the way people consume information effectively. Humans today are conditioned to read and digest in short bursts. Training delivered in lengthy sessions, whether in-person or in-text, will not arm staff to understand the smart home. Always-on and constantly-connected; this is how we now read our news, browse our social networks and educate ourselves -- and that is how training should be delivered.

This goes especially for technology retail salespeople. A young gadget enthusiast who reads tech blogs, participates in forums and follows Pinterest boards on the bus to work is highly engaged in a uniquely modern modality -- she can’t be expected to fully take in hours-long monologues from training managers. So bosses should craft training content that fits the audience.

The best training materials will not only be delivered online but will match the rhythm of modern content consumption, presented in small, sequential chunks that can be comprehended individually but which, taken as a whole, add up to super-knowledge.

2. Be frequent

The pace of change is accelerating. Not only is new hardware being debuted every week – Internet of Things devices typically also come with mobile apps that, themselves, undergo constant update, whilst many gadgets now also update their own firmware remotely. All of this can improve the consumer experience – and means even the products staff have been trained in change before their very eyes.

Retail training is typically delivered infrequently, in big, unwieldy blocks. But this does not match the rhythm with which developers ship their products -- constant iteration. A staff training session about internet-connectable lightbulbs delivered once every half-year is likely quickly out-of-date.

As OEMs refresh their offerings with new key benefits every day, salespeople must be kept constantly informed about changes, so they can communicate all the latest and best selling points to buyers. So it is vital that retail chains deliver small, frequent training updates to staff on a super-regular basis.

3. Be smart

If smart home gadgets pile up, unsold, in the corner of your local electrical store, will it be because the products are substandard, or because your staff didn’t know enough to sell them? Who knows -- if a tree falls in the woods and no-one is around to see it, did it really make a sound?

Knowledge is power. Knowing which staff have which product competencies will allow retail managers to identify any linkages between training deficiencies and sales patterns. A modern training system should allow staff to complete simple product awareness tests that indicate abilities to managers.

When training is effectively delivered in a particular product category to a particular staff cohort, retail stores should record the event. If, when looked back on, this data shows underperforming sales despite sufficient training, retailers can justifiably point the finger back at OEMs, and adjust stock levels accordingly.

This kind of processing will allow both maker and seller to intelligently identify reasons behind smart home sales flow -- or lack of.

4. Be practical

Doing is learning. Customers want to buy their products from staff with thorough understanding -- and a passion for the product.

Technology retailers should already be employing curious gadget heads who soak up all the latest information about newly-stocked items.

Today, stores should be encouraging staff to go home to test the heck out of all the latest Internet security cameras, fitness trackers and smart locks, becoming category experts and sharing their findings with colleagues.

Ben Muzzell is co-founder of Looop

Image Credit: PlusONE / Shutterstock

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Facebook Lite officially available for low-end Android devices

Publié: janvier 26, 2015, 2:32pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Facebook is not exactly the lightest mobile app around. In fact, it is one of the worst offenders, no matter if we are talking about Android or iOS. It uses plenty of resources, both in terms of data and processing power. We may have gotten used to it by now, but these are major pain points in developing and emerging markets, where more and more potential users are going online for the first time.

There, lots of consumers are rocking low-spec Android devices and small cellular data plans, and the standard Facebook flavor is not a great match for them. So, the social network has finally released a lighter version of its Android app, called Facebook Lite, which promises to address those shortcomings. Let's take a look at it.

Right from the start, I should point out that, because Facebook Lite is designed for developing and emerging markets, it is not available through Google Play in mature markets, like, say, UK. This is a bit of a disappointment, as I am sure there are many who wouldn't mind using it instead of the standard app.

So, what can you do with Facebook Lite (assuming that you can install it)? Well, the app has all the right features given its focus. On top of seeing updates from friends, you will be able to share your own, interact, chat via the built-in Facebook Messenger, and receive notifications, among other things.

Facebook claims that the app will load quickly, use little cellular data and work fine on 2G cellular networks and in areas with spotty coverage. While I am not able to download it from Google Play in my region, Google Play says that the APK comes in at under 500 KB (252 KB to be exact), so at least Facebook Lite will take little space on your smartphone.

Dare I say surprisingly, in comparison with other apps Facebook has, the vast majority of ratings for Facebook Lite are five-star. Only a seventh of all ratings, at the moment, are four-star. Its overall rating is 4.6 stars.

Facebook Lite is available to download from Google Play.
Turkey to Facebook: ban pages that insult the Prophet Mohammad or we'll block you

Publié: janvier 26, 2015, 2:30pm CET par Mark Wilson

Over the weekend a court in Turkey told Facebook to block several pages that had been deemed to insult the Prophet Mohammad. A court order was delivered to the social network with the threat that if Facebook failed to comply, the site would be completely blocked in Turkey.

Turkey's banging of the religious insults drum comes just weeks after satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo was targeted for featuring a cartoon that mocked the prophet. At the time Mark Zuckerberg spoke out in support of the #JeSuisCharlie campaign that followed the tragedy, saying that Facebook had previously refused to ban content about the prophet, but it's not clear whether Turkey's threat could make things different this time.

Turkey is just the latest voice to speak up in the on-going freedom of speech debate, and it will be interesting to see how Facebook reacts. The social network frequently finds itself on the receiving ends of requests to block or remove content, and it has previously refused to block violent videos. Speaking out after the killings in France, Zuckerberg told of receiving death threats for failing to block Prophet Mohammad-related content considered offensive.

We stood up for this because different voices -- even if they're sometimes offensive -- can make the world a better and more interesting place.

Facebook has always been a place where people across the world share their views and ideas. We follow the laws in each country, but we never let one country or group of people dictate what people can share across the world.

Zuckerberg has said that he wouldn’t bow to pressure from extremist groups, but it remains to be seen what the reaction to court orders from a largely Muslim country will be. Turkey has a history of blocking access to sites, including Twitter and YouTube so it is not possible to dismiss the court orders as an empty threat. For all of Zuckerberg's pro-freedom of speech blusterings, Facebook does have a track record of complying with many data removal requests.

Update

The BBC is reporting that Facebook has agreed to block the pages in question in Turkey.

Photo credit: kentoh / Shutterstock
Build the perfect portable toolkit with SyMenu

Publié: janvier 26, 2015, 1:46pm CET par Mike Williams

If you regularly work on other people’s PCs then it can be wise to bring along some software of your own.

Add portable Firefox and GIMP to a USB stick, say, and you won’t need to rely on the host PC’s browser or graphics editor any more. Your favorite applications will be available wherever you are, with your own settings, and a relatively private history (it won’t be as easy for the PC owner to see the sites you’ve accessed).

Organizing and launching these applications can be a problem, as they won’t be indexed on the host’s Start Menu or Start Screen -- but that’s where SyMenu comes in. This free launcher provides an easy way to arrange all your applications, files and folders, and access them whenever you like.

SyMenu works immediately as a portable Start Menu, no configuration or setup required. Launch it, press Ctrl+F1 at any point and a pop-up menu appears, giving speedy access to your host system’s Start Menu applications, Control Panel applets, folders, recent documents and more. If you’re working on a Windows 8 PC which doesn’t have a Start menu then this could be helpful, all on its own.

You can also extend the menu by dragging and dropping applications, documents, folders, URLs and more.

Alternatively, a Batch Import tool will crawl entire folder trees to add the items of your choice (every EXE file in your USB stick’s NirSoft folder, say).

If you don’t have all the portable programs you need, no problem. SyMenu integrates with PortableApps.com and its PAF Suite, listing applications like 7-Zip, AbiWord, Autoruns, Dia, DOSBox, FileZilla, Firefox, GIMP, KeePass, OpenOffice, VLC Media Player and more. Select what you like and the program can install them to your USB stick (or anywhere else) with a click.

Programs may be organized in whatever hierarchy you like, or you can just use the built-in Search tool to find what you need. Click in the Search box (or press Ctrl+Shift+F1), start typing, and any matches appear immediately -- even if they’re applications on the host system.

This would be amazing in itself, but where SyMenu really scores is with its configuration options. You can have selected portable applications launched by custom mouse gestures, or when SyMenu starts, or closes, on all or just certain computers. You’re able to customize home drives and paths, working folders, assign a different user profile or AppData folder. An "Extension Manager" temporarily replaces file associations to use particular SyMenu apps, restoring the originals later. And you can also customize hotkeys, icons, themes and more.

SyMenu really does have something for everyone, then: it’s genuinely useful out of the box, but spend more time with it and you can build the perfect portable working environment. Go grab a copy immediately.
How to remove embarrassing photos from social networks

Publié: janvier 26, 2015, 1:21pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić
Sharing photos and videos online has never been easier. Internet access is available practically anywhere and everywhere, and interconnected wearable and portable devices with photo and video recording options are omnipresent.

In such a world, getting the wrong material posted online can become a huge problem, especially for teenagers unaware of the consequences.

So how big of a problem is it?

In a recent study conducted by Northwestern University, 29 percent of surveyed Facebook users reported losing face from embarrassing content posted online.

And teenagers have been victimized by others, posting unflattering pictures online without their consent. Some even go to the extent of posting "revenge porn" -- posting explicit images and videos of people without their consent.

One in ten former partners have threatened to post such materials online, and according to a McAfee study, 60 percent of those threats have been carried out.

Images posted online are very hard, maybe even impossible, to remove. Embarrassing photos can lead to humiliation, dismissal from work, and loss of self-esteem, among other things.

How to remove your embarrassing photos from Facebook

There are six different options when it comes to removing photos from Facebook.
1. Once the image is opened, press 'Options' and then either 'Report Photo' or 'Remove Tag'.
2. Ask the friend who uploaded the photo to remove it.
3. Send an email to info@support.facebook.com asking for the photo to be removed.
4. File a complaint using the Facebook Intellectual Property Infringement Form.
5. Post in the Help community to receive advice from other users and Facebook staff.
6. File a complaint using the Facebook Terms Violation Reporting Form.
How to remove your embarrassing photos from Instagram

To remove images from Instagram, take one of these three options:
1. To de-tag, select 'Hide from my profile'.
2. Click on 'More options' and choose 'Remove me from photo'.
3. Report the photo as inappropriate
How to remove your embarrassing photos from Twitter

To remove photos from Twitter, visit [https:], select the relevant option and send the report.

For more information on the subject, have a look at the infographic created by WhoIsHostingThis?

Photo Credit: eurobanks/Shutterstock

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
UK government tries sneaking previously rejected snooping laws into Counter Terrorism bill

Publié: janvier 26, 2015, 1:05pm CET par David Curry

The UK government has been trying to impose new surveillance laws on the internet at large, but for the past four years privacy activists have thwarted attempts by Labour and the Conservatives.

In a recent push, the government secretly added 18-pages to the Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill (CTSB), including a mirror image of the Communications Data Bill, rejected in 2012 for the potential of national surveillance on every person.

Currently, the government has to apply for a warrant to see a user’s basic information online, like time, date and IP address, but the new law could make warrantless demands on millions of internet users’ daily activities, including chat logs in games and messaging apps.

Former Metropolitan police chief Lord Blair pushed the new CTSB through the House of Lords, with support from Lord Carlisle, Lord King and Lord West.

The two sides, Labour and the Conservatives, seem to agree on the adoption of massive internet surveillance.

Thankfully various Liberal Democrats and 'Lords' have been against the idea in the past, forcing the Communications Data Bill to be scrapped in 2012.

The underhand tactic shows the amount of hatred for the bill by most people, but the UK government is using the banner of 'freedom of speech' and 'counter-terrorism' to try and impose new surveillance laws across the entire country.

Not only does this go against the whole idea of freedom of speech, it follows from startling reports on the British intelligence agency (GCHQ) hacking and tracking journalists and other media figures, claiming investigative journalists were on the same threat level as terrorists.

Several commentators, including NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, claim the GCHQ is a much larger threat than the NSA, due to the lack of a constitution in the UK to defend people’s rights online.

Essentially, this looks like the first step for the UK government to essentially legalize mass surveillance.

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