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BetaNews.Com (5 non lus)

Google Maps finds its way to a 10th birthday celebration

Publié: février 8, 2015, 11:30pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Google Maps has become the standard for many smartphone users as stand-alone GPS devices get replaced. That doesn't mean it's the best, but it is certainly at or near the top of the list. Apple found out just how difficult this type of program can be to pull off, then invited the search giant back to its mobile platform.

Now the mapping program is celebrating its 10th birthday -- they grow up so fast. "If you hopped in your DeLorean for a trip back to before 2005, you’d remember the days when we were all dependent on paper maps, print-outs, post-its and sometimes even a compass for directions! Getting from point A to B is something we do all day, every day—from finding the fastest way to get to work, to dropping the kids off on a carpool route, to meeting friends for drinks at a new spot—so it should be as easy as possible", the Maps team states.

Google claims that it strives to provide the most useful and accurate maps available. That's rather necessary to prevent users from becoming completely disoriented.

Nothing is perfect of course, you won't be relying on it in the middle of a hike in a large national park, but for driving it certainly gets the job done.
How to automatically bypass Windows 10's login screen

Publié: février 8, 2015, 8:42pm CET par Mark Wilson

Like every version of Windows before it, Windows 10 has its share of standout features, and a few niggles here and there. If you're working with the Technical Preview, you may have seen our earlier guide to removing the desktop watermark. But this is not the only thing that can be irritating, you may be frustrated by the requirement to enter your password to login every time you power up.

As with previous versions of Windows, you can configure Windows 10 so that you are logged into your account automatically. This is great if you are the only person using your computer as it shaves valuable seconds off the startup process. If you're sick of typing your password, here's how to bypass Windows 10's login screen and log into your account automatically.

Unlike some tweaks, this particular tip does not require you to delve into the registry or fiddle with key system files. There is a built in feature that can be used to automatically log into a particular user account, but it's pretty well hidden -- you'd be forgiven for not spotting it on your travels through the operating system.

Hit the Start button, or press the Windows key, type netplwiz and then click the entry at the top of the list of search results. If you're feeling old-school, press the Windows key and R to bring up the Run dialog and execute the same command.

In the list of usernames that's displayed, select the entry for your account (if you see more than one that appears to be yours, opt for the one that's an Administrator). Uncheck the option labelled 'Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer'.

When prompted, enter your password -- for what will be the last time -- confirm it, and then click OK. That's it. Once you restart your computer, you'll be automatically logged into your chosen account. Simple!

Photo credit: Nata-Lia / Shutterstock
Waiting to take screenshots on Xbox One? The feature is coming soon

Publié: février 8, 2015, 6:06pm CET par Mark Wilson

Taking a screenshot of your gaming prowess on your Xbox One will soon be as simple as screenshotting your desktop on your computer. It's a feature that has been requested for a long time, and promised for almost as long. Now head of Xbox Phil Spencer reveals that work is well under way and the ability to take screenshots should be coming to gamers soon.

The ability to record in-game video is nothing new, but the simple option to grab a screenshot is something that Xbox One owners are still waiting for -- although PS4 owners have enjoed this abilty for a while. With access to development software, Phil Spencer tweeted, er, a screenshot, of the screenshot feature in action.

This is something that's certain to generate a lot of interest, but Spencer has given no indication of when the feature will be ready for primetime. He generated a good deal of interest by tweeting the image which shows that one button press will be used to record video, and another to grab an image of what's onscreen -- great for sharing proof of a high score, or keeping a record of a great move you managed to pull off.

Nice to finally be doing this on my Xbox One dev kit. pic.twitter.com/AgDDWr3ExJ

— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) February 6, 2015

In response to queries from Xboxers on Twitter, Spencer went on to say that things are still being debugged at the moment, and that the Xbox team would reveal more in due course:

@hybriddialek Team will do a proper intro to the feature when it's ready for preview. UI and activation is all debug right now.

— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) February 6, 2015

Gamers have been patient so far, and it looks like there's a bit more of a wait to endure.

Photo credit: 360b / Shutterstock
Inateck Surface Pro 3 felt sleeve tablet case [Review]

Publié: février 8, 2015, 1:23pm CET par Mark Wilson

If you've dropped a few hundred dollars on a Surface Pro -- or even if you're one of the crazy few to have put your faith in Windows RT -- you want to protect your investment. One of the delights of the Surface Pro is that it is pleasingly svelte, even with the keyboard cover connected. So while you'll undoubtedly want to keep your Surface safe and secure, you probably don’t want to wrap it in armor casing that triples its size and weight.

Filling the gap in the market between full-blown laptop case and simple slip cases comes the Inateck Surface Pro 3 felt sleeve. Described variously as a Surface Case Cover, Laptop Bag, Felt Sleeve, Surface Pro 3 Sleeve Case Protection, and a Surface Pro 3 Sleeve, the felt case provides a surprisingly protective home for your tablet, and packs a few pleasing extras.

The case is made of the same soft, thick felt throughout, meaning the screen of your Surface will be secured against scratches whether you have a keyboard cover connected or not. This is not a case that's going to withstand drops from a great height onto concrete, but there's ample cushioning to protect against bumps, scrapes and knocks. This is referred to as a Surface Pro 3 case, but it suits the smaller Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2 just as well -- there's just a little more breathing room with the smaller versions.

Slip your Surface into the sexy, felty folds.

In front of the main tablet compartment is another smaller compartment, accessible through a narrower slit. This is ideal for small items such a notebooks, pens, and other relatively flat bits and pieces that you might want to take on the road with you. A flap Velcros in place to keep the contents of these two compartments secure.

Flip to the rear and you'll find two more little compartments. These are just the right size for slipping in a phone or MP3 player, but it's important to remember that there's nothing to keep the contents in place if you turn the case upside down.

Extra pockets provide storage for extras you might need to carry.

The case is not without its problems, however. Like all cases of its ilk it suffers with a lack of storage for the bulky charger that's so essential to extended periods of work. With this in mind, you might want to consider this a case you would use only for short trips out with your Surface -- if you're planning a full day away from home working around the clock, you'll need to carry the charger separately, or look to a different case.

On top of this, if you're the type of person who eschews the Surface's trackpad in favor of a mouse, you may be disappointed to find that there's not really room to carry such a peripheral in the case. You could slip a mouse into one of the various pouches, but this would ruin the sleek lines and run the risk of damage. To help overcome this, Inateck includes a small mouse-sized secondary pouch made of the same felt as the main case. This is a nice touch, but at the same time, it's slightly annoying to have to carry something extra.

The matching mouse case is a nice touch, but something extra to carry.

For all the talk of Surface, there's nothing to stop you from using the case to house other tablets. The 33.5cm (13.1 inches) by 23cm (9 inches) dimensions are quite accommodating, but there are also specific versions available for 15 inch Macbooks, iPad Airs and iPad minis.

There's an MSRP of $38.99, but at the moment it is possible to buy the sleeve with a $22 discount. Hit the Inateck website to order yours.
Korora 21 Darla is finally here -- Linux fans, download the 'Fedora Remix' now!

Publié: février 8, 2015, 5:50am CET par Brian Fagioli
There are so many Linux-based operating systems nowadays, that it can be maddening to try and settle on one. For many home users, sticking with Ubuntu or Mint is probably for the best. Why? These distributions are beginner-friendly while also be powerful for experts too. In other words, you can grow with them without fear of hitting a ceiling.

My personal favorite is Fedora, because it is powerful and stable, while offering frequent updates to various packages and the actual kernel too. Even Linus Torvalds, the father of Linux, uses Fedora. The problem with this operating system, however, is that it is not beginner friendly. This is because Fedora is so strictly focused on being entirely free; not in price, but in licensing and other things. A beginner may face trouble getting media to play; a non-starter to say the least. Korora is designed to fix this dilemma. It is essentially a "remixed" Fedora, which makes it better for beginners by including things -- repositories, codecs, proprietary software -- that is not normally included. Heck, Fedora experts may even prefer it, as it can be tiring to frequently configure vanilla Fedora installs.

"It has taken a few weeks longer than we had hoped, but we're finally happy to announce that the final release of version 21 (codename 'Darla') is now available for download (we strongly recommend using BitTorrent). The 21 beta was quite successful and we were able to make some minor changes to help improve the overall experience. Users who are currently on the beta need not re-install, updates are provided via the package manager. Users who are on 20 may consider upgrading, however this is not necessary as version 20 is supported for another 6 months or so", says Chris Smart of the Korora team.

Chris further says, "thanks to our continued support from core contributors Maik Adamietz (DarkEra) and Jim Dean (ozjd) we have been able to retain our Xfce and Cinnamon editions for another cycle. Unfortunately, due to the lack of any active maintainers we have decided to drop the MATE edition. It has been almost a year since our last release and we have spent a lot of time developing some new core technologies which lay the groundwork for some exciting features in the future".

Yes, you have read this correctly; the team has dropped the MATE desktop environment. Quite frankly, this is not a huge loss, as Xfce 4.10.1 remains, and is a better choice for less powerful systems anyway. Fedora purists will want to stick with GNOME, which is updated to 3.14, as that is the official DE of the operating system. KDE 4.14.3 and Cinnamon 2.4 are great choices too, but the true Fedora experience is GNOME.

As with Fedora 21, Smart lists the following major improvements.
- Changes to Ruby 2.1 include the default values of keyword arguments can now be omitted, suffixes for integer and float literals, and def-expr now returns the symbol of its name. To Ruby 2.1's core are new methods, the RGenGC generational garbage collector, new environment variables, bignum performance improvements, standard library updates, and plenty of other changes.
- OpenCL support has been added through enabling the OpenCL/Clover state tracker within Mesa by default, shipping POCL for OpenCL support on CPUs, and packaging other OpenCL-related open-source Linux codes.
- Terminal has a set of additional features, including: support for transparent backgrounds, automatic title updates to help you identify different terminals and a simple toggle for disabling shortcuts in the Terminal.
So the question you may be wondering is, why does anyone use Fedora instead of Korora? A few reasons. Developers may want to work within the constraints of a conventional Fedora install, plus some Linux purists don't want the non-free additions. Most importantly, however, is that Korora will always come down the road from the official Fedora release. So while users of the normal OS are enjoying the benefits of a new Fedora release, a Korora user would have to wait longer.

If you want to try this great Linux distribution, you can download it here. Tell me how you like it in the comments below.

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