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Turn videos into self-playing EXEs with Audio/Video to EXE

Publié: mars 7, 2015, 7:23pm CET par Mike Williams

When creating media files to share with others, it's normally best to save them in a standard format, maybe MP3 or MP4, something you know just about everything in the world can play.

Audio/Video to EXE is a free tool which does something a little different, converting almost any audio or video format into a stand-alone executable. Launch the file and it just plays your media, no other player or codecs required.

One major issue with this idea is it takes something you could previously play anywhere, and makes it PC-only, which doesn't seem like a smart move. But if you know your audience, that might not be such a problem. And in some situations it might be a plus to convert a media file into a format which others can’t easily edit (although it can still be done, so don’t think this offers any great protection).

The program is portable, with no setup or configuration required, so running a conversion is extremely simple. Click File > Open, choose your target audio or video file; click Converter > Create EXE, select a destination folder, and that’s it: you’re finished.

The good news is this all worked as advertised on our test PC, turning various media files into stand-alone executables which all played correctly.

The main problem is this free build doesn't have a player console, navigation bar, menu or anything else (the Pro version gives you more features for around $12).

If you're creating the files for your own benefit then you can control playback from the keyboard (press space to pause/ resume, use the right/ left cursor keys to go forward/ back), but people who don’t realize this will only be able to sit back and watch.

The program window doesn't even disappear when it’s finished playing; you're left to press Esc or close it manually.

Audio/Video to EXE’s player is about as basic as you can get, then, but at least that keeps it easy to use. If you like the core idea then it’s worth a try.
Sony will only update Xperia Z series Android phones to Lollipop

Publié: mars 7, 2015, 6:46pm CET par Mark Wilson

There is one complaint that is constantly levelled at the Android ecosystem, and that’s the notion that it's a platform that has become very fragmented. For all of Google's bluster about Lollipop, only a tiny proportion of handsets are actually running the latest version of the operating system. This is something that doesn't show signs of changing soon.

Sony has revealed news that will undoubtedly upset many smartphone owners -- only the Xperia Z series is in line for an Android 5.0 upgrade. No Lollipop for the Xperia T2 Ultra, the Xperia M2 Aqua or anything from the E series. A perfect demonstration of why fragmentation is so prevalent. Anyone with a non-Z series Xperia is stuck with KitKat, Jelly Bean or whatever version of Android they may have.

Of course, there will almost certainly be hacked versions of Lollipop available for the eager to install, but for the most part anyone with a slightly older handset is going to miss out on Android 5.0. In fact, it's not really fair to refer to the handsets missing out on the upgrade as "older"; many of those missing out are current generation. But this does make clear that Sony is only really interested in its Z series -- everyone else can just go and whistle.

The news came on Twitter via the official Sony Xperia account:

@roi_rdzdal Hi Roi. The Android 5.0 Lollipop update is only going to be available for the Xperia Z series, we do apologise.

— Sony Xperia (@sonyxperia) March 6, 2015

Predictably, this did not go down well with Sony's followers. Cries of "unfair!" and proclamations of future Sony boycotts followed.

Sony -- just like any other manufacturer -- is free to decide which handsets will receive updates of any sort, but limiting operating system upgrades to a single phone range isn’t doing anyone any favors. It perpetuates the problem of fragmentation, and creates a disillusioned user base. Sony may backtrack on the announcement, but for now the company is sticking to its guns.

Photo credit: gourmetphotography / Shutterstock
Did you miss MWC? Microsoft has a highlight reel to catch you up

Publié: mars 7, 2015, 2:58pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Mobile World Congress has wrapped up in Barcelona, Spain and now we're left to sort through the torrent of information that came out of the event. There were countless announcements made for all manner of mobile news, with new phones taking center stage in the midst of the chaos. Microsoft was prominent at the event, with several things to reveal.

There was the unveiling of the Lumia 640XL, a mid-range device that qualifies as a "phablet" with its 5.7 inch screen. It even comes with a 13 MP rear camera, a feature that the Lumia line is famous for. It's a step up from the Lumia 640, which is a scaled down version. The screen is still large at 5 inches, while the rear camera is a solid 8MP. Both phones are expected to be available soon via AT&T.

Microsoft was of course not the sole focus of the show -- almost every hardware maker was at the venue to discuss its offerings, including the big Samsung reveal of the latest version of its top-selling Galaxy line, the S6, to name just one. However, if you're interested in what Microsoft had to say then look no further than the highlight video the company released. See the best of the show in a svelte one minute and 15 seconds.

Image Credit: peresanz / Shutterstock
Down but not out, VBA malware makes a comeback in Microsoft Office

Publié: mars 7, 2015, 5:07am CET par Alan Buckingham

While malware for Microsoft's Office platform has been around just about as long as the suite, we've heard less about it in recent times. That is changing though as new threats surface, altering the landscape a bit. The latest problems are really just a new iteration of the older ones, utilizing a tried and true attack vector.

That line of attack comes from the code itself, using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). Security firm Sophos is reporting a rise in incidents of this across various parts of the suite. The code is unfortunately open to these flaws.

Sophos reports "Visual Basic code is easy to write, flexible and easy to refactor. Similar functionality can often be expressed in many different ways which gives malware authors more options for producing distinct, workable versions of their software than they have with exploits".

Over the past six months security researchers have found an increase in the rate of these attacks, claiming that the code is hidden inside of seemingly innocent documents. Office versions ranging from 1997 to 2003 are the main target, it would appear, with Word leading the charge. However both Word and Excel 2007 are vulnerable, though both seem less targeted. Consider that Word 1997-2003 accounts for 83 percent of the malware, while 2007 tallies only six percent.

Sophos points out that "Only when the Office file is opened (rather than when it is received) do they reveal what malware they are actually using in the attack". In many cases the security firm claims the malware is "Dridex", which accounts for about 70 percent of the VBA attacks.

The bottom line seems like a broken record. Simply do not click attachments in emails, even if you think you know where they came from -- the sender, even if it's a friend or colleague, could simply be the previous victim.

Photo Credit: Sergey Nivens / Shutterstock
Have we seen the rise and fall of the cable and satellite industry?

Publié: mars 7, 2015, 2:41am CET par Alan Buckingham

There's a fair chance that most every house built 30 years ago had cable installed in it. Not long afterwards satellite began to take off, and continued to eat into the market of companies like Comcast, CableVision and others. That's a logical progression, as new options give people better choices and channel numbers increased, along with premium options.

But that trend is now on the downside. According to a 2014 report in USA Today cord-cutters (those with neither cable nor satellite) rose from 4.5 percent in 2010 to 6.5 percent as of that time. Meanwhile, the same month saw a study from Leichtman Research Group reveal that the top nine cable companies lost a total of 510,000 subscribers in the second quarter of 2014. Satellite fared little better, shedding 78,000 customers.

The news wasn't all bad when 2014 is taken as a whole, but the gains were minimal. "Over the past year, the top pay-TV providers actually had a small net gain of about 20,000 subscribers, compared to a cumulative net loss of about 70,000 subscribers over the prior year", stated Bruce Leichtman of LRG at the time of the report.

Obviously cord cutting continues to enjoy gains, which is good news for companies like Roku, Amazon, Netflix, Hulu and new kid on the block Sling TV. The latter should likely scare providers the most as it brings something previously not available -- live sports with several ESPN networks and Universal Sports Network.

Using a combination of the above services a customer can chop a $100 per month bill in half -- more depending on services chosen. The savings comes largely from the lack of hundreds of channels, many of which most users will never watch. For years people asked for a-la-carte TV and providers ignored the plea. Now they are finding what happens when you don't listen to the user base.

So where is the industry headed? The writing on the wall seems pretty clear -- companies like Comcast are destined to end up as ISPs only. It's not happening overnight, of course. The user base is still too large and it will take time. But the snowball seems to be picking up momentum on its trip down the hill. The only question seems to be "when will it reach the bottom?"

Now it's up to you to chime in and let us know your feelings. There are many cord-cutters in our audience, but we'd love hear from both sides.

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