Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » avril 10, 2015

BetaNews.Com (12 non lus)

Microsoft releases new Windows 10 for phones preview to more Lumias, includes Project Spartan and new Outlook Mail

Publié: avril 10, 2015, 8:30pm CEST par Manish Singh

As promised two weeks ago, Microsoft is today releasing the Windows 10 for phones preview build across a larger set of Lumia phones. In a blog post, the company announces that it is seeding out the Build 10051 of the Windows 10 Technical Preview for phones to the Fast ring today. In addition to bringing support for more smartphones, the new build also brings along a number of new features, including Project Spartan, new Outlook Mail and Calendar apps, and more.

First up, let’s talk about the new features. Project Spartan -- the new browser from the Redmond-based company which recently made its way to the Windows 10 technical preview for desktops -- is now making its debut on Windows Phone handsets. “It uses our new rendering engine to give greater interoperability with the modern mobile web, and includes early versions of Reading View and Reading List”, says Gabe Aul, Windows Insider Guru, Microsoft. Project Spartan will not replace Internet Explorer 11 on your phone as the default browser but will exist side-by-side with it.

Microsoft is also introducing a new mail app -- Outlook Mail -- and a new calendar app --Outlook Calendar -- with this new build. The company says that the new versions of these apps sport new user interface and a quick toggle option to freely move between email and calendar without returning to the Start screen.

Furthermore, Outlook Mail also supports swipe gestures -- letting you delete, flag, move and perform other operations with simple swiping across different directions. The company is also bringing support for Office 365, Exchange, Outlook.com, Gmail, Google Calendar, Yahoo!, IMAP, POP and other popular accounts onto the Outlook email. The company notes that with the new build, it is removing ‘Email + accounts’ page as users will now be able to add or remove accounts in Outlook Mail and Outlook Calendar from within these apps.

The new build also brings along new Phone and Messaging apps. The Messaging app has finally received the graphical overhaul that many users have had been requesting for months. In addition, users will also be able to easily switch from a messaging conversation to a voice call with a single-click to the phone icon in the new app bar.

In addition, Microsoft is also introducing a new People app -- which as you may have guessed -- is a universal app and comes with a new visual design. It supports integration across Exchange, Outlook.com, Gmail, and Facebook among other services. There’s a new Maps app as well. It is also a universal app with “best maps, aerial imagery, rich local search data, and voice guided navigation experiences from both Bing Maps and HERE maps, integrated together for the first time into a single app for Windows.”.

In addition, an updated version of the App Switcher app has been included in the new build. “Check out the updated app switcher by pressing and holding the back button on your phone to see your recently used apps. We’ve added support for landscape when invoked from an app being viewed in landscape”.

The company also assures that the new build squashes many of the bugs the company had with the previous build. These fixes include resolution issues in the Cortana icon, keyboard layout, syncing issues and more. But being in the Fast ring, the new build also comes with a number of bugs. You can learn more about them here.

During the initial launch of Windows 10 for phones in Feburary, the build was only made available to Lumia 630, Lumia 638, Lumia 635, Lumia 730, Lumia 636 and Lumia 830. Today, the company is making the following handsets eligible to test out the latest build. Lumia 1020, Lumia 1320, Lumia 1520, Lumia 520, Lumia 525, Lumia 526, Lumia 530, Lumia 530 Dual Sim, Lumia 535, Lumia 620, Lumia 625, Lumia 630, Lumia 630 Dual Sim, Lumia 635, Lumia 636, Lumia 638, Lumia 720, Lumia 730, Lumia 730 Dual SIM, Lumia 735, Lumia 810, Lumia 820, Lumia 822, Lumia 830, Lumia 920, Lumia 925, Lumia 928, Microsoft Lumia 430, Microsoft Lumia 435, Microsoft Lumia 435 Dual SIM, Microsoft Lumia 435 Dual SIM DTV, Microsoft Lumia 532, Microsoft Lumia 532 Dual SIM, Microsoft Lumia 640 Dual SIM, and Microsoft Lumia 535 Dual SIM.

The Lumia handsets that haven’t made the cut this time are the Lumia Icon, Lumia 930 and Lumia 640XL. The company says that it has a bunch of issues to resolve before it could release a Windows 10 for phones build for the aforementioned three smartphones.

To snag the update, you will need to join the Windows Insider Program. If you’re already a member and have the Windows 10 Technical Preview installed on it, go to Settings apps > Update & recovery > Phone update > and check for updates.

Take the new build out on a whirl over the weekend, and let us know how you like it.
Linux Mint Debian Edition 2 'Betsy' is here -- will you download MATE or Cinnamon?

Publié: avril 10, 2015, 7:03pm CEST par Brian Fagioli
It is my favorite day of the week -- Friday. I've got my comfortable jeans on, while relaxing and listening to Rebecca Black on repeat (which seat should I take?). While the proximity to the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) makes this working day a treat, there are often additional things to brighten it up too, such as Linux distros.

Yes, a new version of a Linux-based operating system on a Friday is awesome, as I can play with it during the entire weekend for fun. Today, Linux Mint Debian Edition 2, dubbed "Betsy", sees a release. The big dilemma for me and my fellow Linux nerds will be deciding on the preferred desktop environment. Will you choose MATE or Cinnamon for LMDE 2?

"LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition) is a very exciting distribution, targeted at experienced users, which provides the same environment as Linux Mint but uses Debian as its package base, instead of Ubuntu. LMDE is less mainstream than Linux Mint, it has a much smaller user base, it is not compatible with PPAs, and it lacks a few features. That makes it a bit harder to use and harder to find help for, so it is not recommended for novice users", says Clement Lefebvre.

Lefebvre further explains, "LMDE is however slightly faster than Linux Mint and it runs newer packages. Life on the LMDE side can be exciting. There are no point releases in LMDE 2, except for bug fixes and security fixes base packages stay the same, but Mint and desktop components are updated continuously. When ready, newly developed features get directly into LMDE 2, whereas they are staged for inclusion on the next upcoming Linux Mint 17.x point release. Consequently, Linux Mint users only run new features when a new point release comes out and they opt-in to upgrade to it. LMDE 2 users don’t have that choice, but they also don’t have to wait for new packages to mature and they usually get to run them first. It's more risky, but more exciting".

LMDE is a bit problematic, as it is hard to determine who it is for. Clem explains that there is risk in running the operating system, but promises excitement. For many, the risk of something going wrong or losing data is hardly exciting. That's not to say something will go wrong, but the potential for it should scare you away. Hell, there are already known issues.

Quite frankly, if you are planning to use your computer for actual work, and you value dependability, you should stick with the Ubuntu-based Linux Mint 17.1.

If you are a person who enjoys tinkering with Linux and can afford to have something break, LMDE 2 is perfect for you. It should be fun to experience the semi-rolling operating system; constant upgrades are super cool, reliability be damned.

If you want to download the operating system, you can use the torrent links below. I highly recommend the Cinnamon desktop environment, but MATE is nice too. Hell, play with them both.

Have fun, Linux fans!

MATE:
- 32-bit
- 64-bit
Cinnamon:
- 32-bit
- 64-bit
Apple thinks Apple Watch customers are completely stupid

Publié: avril 10, 2015, 6:48pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Today Apple started taking orders for Apple Watch, and the world is agog. It's online only this time around, so there are no amusing articles about nutters camping outside Apple stores for six months living on noodles and coffee just to be first through the door -- people are, in many cases, buying blind. We've already baulked at the price of the Apple Watch Edition, but today Apple released details of its AppleCare+ extended warranties and, my god, do they make for interesting reading.

There has already been much said about the pricing of the various Apple Watch models -- not least the Apple Watch Edition -- and Apple is sure to make quite a markup on the precious metal version. Not content with raking in the cash through its sales of wrist-bound hardware, Apple is trying to squeeze every last possible cent from its customers. If something goes wrong with your Apple Watch, even if you are covered by the extended warranty, it's going to cost you a pretty penny to get things fixed. If you were foolish (er... lucky) enough to invest in the Edition, the costs are absolutely astronomical.

AppleCare+ for the Apple Watch Sport will set you back $49 for a year. Quite reasonable. The warranty covers not just the Watch, but also the battery, and the magnetic charging cable and power adapter. Lovely! But that's not the end of the story. Should you be unfortunate enough to need to send back your Apple Watch Sport for repair, you'll need to pay a $69 service fee plus tax. Part of the point of buying a warranty is to gain peace of mind against accidental damage -- dropping your device, smashing the screen, and so on -- but the warranty only includes provision for two incidents. After this you'll have to pay for out of warranty repair, or stump up another AppleCare+ fee.

If you've opted for the middle of the road Apple Watch, you'll have to pay a little more: AppleCare+ (for the same hardware, remember, albeit a different chassis) will cost you $69 and any repairs incur a $79 plus tax fee. The policy has all of the same features and caveats as the policy for the Apple Watch Sport, but there's a slight premium to pay.

But then things get really silly.

Anyone who has parted with up to $17,000 for an Apple Watch Edition has already paid through the nose. But Apple's not going to cut any slack when it comes to extended warranties. AppleCare+ for the Apple Watch Edition is $1,500 - regardless of the version you have opted for. Admittedly, this does buy two years' of extended coverage, but here's the killer: if you send back your Apple Watch Edition for repair, there is a $1,000 plus tax service fee. And again, you're only buying coverage for up to two incidents of accidental damage, despite the fact the warranty is for twice as long.

Let's just put this into context. If you manage to smash the screen of your gold Apple Watch Edition or cause some form of internal damage, you'll have to pay $921 (taking tax out of the equation for now) more to get it fixed than if you have precisely the same problem with an Apple Watch Sport. If the thing dies for some reason, it will cost you the thick end of $1,000 to get a replacement for your Apple Watch Edition, compared to $69 for an Apple Watch Sport. Apple has given itself a license to print money. Nice work if you can get it.

Of course, the warranty covers other things. You might, somehow, manage to completely crush your gold Edition. Perhaps you decided to wear it to work for your job as a house builder and dropped a brick on it, or it got run over by a backhoe. Then you get a good deal. You've paid your $1,500 and for just $1,000 plus tax more, you can bag yourself a replacement -- obviously a lot cheaper than buying afresh. But what sort of markup is being made on a gold Apple Watch Edition?

If you were wondering what the cost of out-of-warranty repairs is, MacRumors has the answer: $229 for Sport, $329 for Watch and $2,800 for Edition. Do you risk it, or hand over the cash?

Photo credit: komar_off / Shutterstock
The best and cheapest ways to watch Game of Thrones

Publié: avril 10, 2015, 3:03pm CEST par Wayne Williams

Sunday is a massive day for Game of Thrones fans as that’s when the long awaited season 5 begins. During the Apple Watch 'Spring Forward' event, Tim Cook announced HBO NOW, a new and exclusive premium streaming service for Apple TV. The service, naturally, was perfectly timed to ride the latest wave of GoT hype.

But HBO NOW on Apple TV (or iOS) is hardly the only way to catch up on the world’s most pirated TV show. There’s, well, piracy for starters, and for more law abiding TV watchers, other options like Sling TV. If you're not already sorted for watching the show this weekend, here are some of the options available for you (and we'll also tell you how to get a free Game of Thrones game for Android and iOS).

HBO NOW on an Apple device (or through Optimum Online)

This is the obvious choice for Apple device owners. HBO NOW offers more than 2,000 shows online and includes every episode of every season of HBO programming, including of course, Game of Thrones. It costs $14.99 a month (first month is free) and can be watched on Apple TV or an iOS device. If you want to watch GoT on a big screen (and you really should) you can pick up an Apple TV for $69. HBO NOW is also available on the Optimum Online service (so not actually an Apple-exclusive service after all, Tim Cook).

HBO for Sling TV on Fire TV and Fire TV Stick

If you own Amazon's Fire TV or Fire TV Stick, download the Sling TV app and subscribe to Sling TV’s base package. From there you can add the HBO package, which has live streaming of HBO programs (including Game of Thrones) and on-demand content for a total monthly price of $35.

If you don't already own Fire TV or Fire TV Stick, you can buy them for $99 or $39 respectively, However, Amazon is currently running a special offer. Sign up to Sling TV and prepay for three months of the service and you'll receive a code that can be used to give you $50 dollars off either device. That will bring the price of Fire TV down to $49, or you can get the Fire TV Stick for free.

You can also get Sling TV for other devices, including Roku, iOS, Android, Mac and PC.

HBO GO on Fire TV and Fire TV Stick

Have a cable subscription that includes HBO already? Download the HBO GO app and watch the Game of Thrones premiere as it airs. The HBO GO app is free, but you'll need a cable subscription that includes HBO, which could be quite costly.

Sky Atlantic on NOW TV

If you're in the UK, then Sky Atlantic is where to watch the new Game of Thrones. You don't have to be a Sky subscriber though as you can watch GoT through NOW TV. You can buy a NOW TV box for £19.99 (with an included three month Entertainment Pass so you can access Sky Atlantic). You can also watch NOW TV through other devices including Chromecast, Roku, PS3/PS4, Xbox One, PC, tablets and so on. No contract is required, it's just £6.99 a month.

Get the Game of Thrones, A Telltale Game Series (Episode 1) for free

Amazon Appstore, customers can download Game Of Thrones, A Telltale Games Series, Episode 1: Iron from Ice for free ($4.99 value) on their Fire TV, Fire tablets and Android devices. And, also for a limited time, enjoy a 25 percent discount on the Season Pass of the game ($3.75 value). Download the Amazon Appstore at amazon.com/androidapp. iOS owners needn't feel left out, as IGN currently has Episode 1 of Telltale's adventure as its free iOS game of the month. Grab the code for it here.

How will you be watching Game of Thrones this year?
MariaDB improves security and performance for cloud databases

Publié: avril 10, 2015, 3:03pm CEST par Ian Barker

Open source database solutions specialist MariaDB is launching the latest version of its MariaDB Enterprise product offering high availability, scalability and security capabilities for enterprises.

It's aimed at meeting the requirements of web scale businesses for performance, scalability, disaster recovery and business continuity, along with database solutions that support flexibility including interoperability across SQL and NoSQL.

"Enterprises are facing massive volumes of data they need to process and manage effectively and securely. In the SaaS scenario in particular, databases have to be capable of responding to huge spikes in demand while ensuring high availability. E-commerce providers for example need their database to be equipped with the latest in performance, agility and security," says Patrik Sallner, CEO of MariaDB. "We recognize the tremendous value the open-source community and cutting-edge companies like Google bring in delivering that innovation. At MariaDB we see our role as curating, further evolving and hardening what the community has contributed to deliver a truly enterprise-grade product and service".

MariaDB Enterprise is offered as a subscription service and is made up of server binaries based on the leading open-source MariaDB community server. It also has a selection of tools, connectors and subscription services to address the needs of mission-critical applications. Users have the option to deploy MariaDB MaxScale, a database-aware proxy platform that provides capabilities such as load balancing and firewall protection without the need to modify existing applications.

New MaxScale features in this release include advanced security protection against SQL injection attacks, enhanced scalability, support for industry-standard monitoring with a Nagios Plugin architecture, and improved security and systems maintenance with timely alerts from MariaDB Enterprise Notification Services.

You can find out more about MariaDB Enterprise on the company's website and there's also a YouTube video explaining how it works with IBM's POWER8 processor technology.

Image Credit: wavebreakmedia / Shutterstock
Best Windows apps this week

Publié: avril 10, 2015, 2:48pm CEST par Martin Brinkmann
One-hundred and twenty six in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps and games released for Windows in the past seven days.

Microsoft is bringing music and video to Windows 10's Store which users of the operating system can buy and rent directly once it becomes available.

The company is also reportedly planning to release major updates to Windows 10 in 2016.

This week saw the release of several high profile apps and games such as The Machine, a simple but highly addictive action game in which you control a drop of ink in a machine.

As always, if I missed an app or game that has been released this week that you believe is particularly good, let me know in the comments below or notify me via email instead.

Discounts This Week

The following applications and games are discounted by at least 50 percent this week.
- 4 Elements II Special Edition, a puzzle game for $1.49
- Dragon Portals, a match-3 type puzzle game for $0.99
- Reading Trainer, improve your reading speed app for $1.49
- MathBoard, match tutor application for school aged children for $2.49
- Daddy was a Thief, an action game for $0.99
- CanyonCapers, an arcade platform game for $1.49
- Time Mysteries 2: The ancient Spectres, an adventure game for $2.99
App of the week

The Machine

The Machine is a platform game in which you move an ink droplet through a machine.

Jumping is the only option you have in the game to move forward. It is a simple game mechanic but the layout and items in each level make this a tricky affair.

There are spikes and chainsaws that you need to avoid, rotating machinery to jump on to and chasms to fall into.

Add to that a time limit to get maximum points and several other game modes like the unforgiving arcade mode in which you try to climb as high as possible before the chainsaws get you, and you get a wonderful game that will keep you entertained for a long while.

Other apps

Mocky ($7.99, free trial available)

Mocky is a wireframing tool to create and save mockups and wireframes on Windows.

The main interface displays all available shapes on the left and the mockup on the right of it.

Shapes are added via drag and drop, and can be customized once they are on the page. It is, for instance, possible to lock them in place, change textual contents or duplicate them easily there.

Mockups can be exported as pdf, png and jpg files and saved in the application's native file format.

dvx - Divide et Impera

Divide and Conquer is an abstract area control game in which you try to control more areas on the board than your opponent in the end.

You move items around on the board which give you control over areas that no enemy item is adjacent to.

Each item has a level associated with it which drops by one whenever it is moved.

One level, the second to last one, can capture enemy items of any strength while the last cannot be moved at all any more.

You can play the game against the computer or in hot-seat mode against human opponents.

Screenshare ($0.99, free trial available)

Share screenshots using Windows's built-in share functionality. The application integrates into the Share menu of the operating system.

When you select it, it creates a screenshot, uploads it to OneDrive automatically and provides you with a link to it that you can share online with others.

Splattershmup

Splattershmup is a twinstick arena shoot'em up game in which you face an endless stream of enemy space ships.

The game supports gamepad as well as mouse and keyboard controls. One interesting aspect of it is that you create art while you are playing the game.

This is done by collecting color capsules that enemy ships drop when they are destroyed. Your ship picks them up and uses them to draw lines while you are moving around in the arena.

Artwork can be saved to disk, shared on Facebook or uploaded to Imgur from within the game.

Tripwolf

The Tripwolf community application offers access to a selection of travel guides with maps.

Each guide is available as a preview for one hour after which it needs to be bought using in-app purchases.

The app features a trip planner to plan journeys and offers tips for each of the supported locations that include hotels, sights and restaurants among other places of interest.

Rally Point 4

Pick one of the available cars and try to beat the rally course before the time runs out.

The game features several courses and cars, some of which you need to unlock before they become available.

Rally Point 4 looks and plays great but lacks diversity as there are no other cars you can race against.

Skype Translator Preview

Preview the integration of real-time voice translations in Skype. When you use Skype's translator functionality one-to-one voice or video charts are automatically translated as you speak.

The app provides options to read translations or listen to them, and supports all core features of Skype on Windows.

The preview supports voice translations between English and Spanish only at this point in time. Chat messages on the other hand are translated in over 40 languages by it.
Dell releases Linux-based XPS 13 Developer Edition ultrabook

Publié: avril 10, 2015, 1:48pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

So, you want to run Linux on a cutting-edge ultrabook. Chances are you want to get a laptop with Windows on it, format the entire drive, and then install your favorite distribution. But be ready to also waste lots of time trying to get everything working as it should. Even today, you have to be prepared for debugging, installing drivers, making configurations and other things before you pull the plug.

Or, if you want a great Linux-based ultrabook that just works out-of-the-box you should first take a look at Dell's new XPS 13 Developer Edition. It comes with Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (Long-Term Support), and dedicated support from a team of Linux enthusiasts, so if anything goes awry you'll get someone who knows their stuff at the other end of the line. And it's available now.

But, based on everything that I have read so far, you likely won't need it, because Dell went to great lengths to ensure that the software on its Linux-based Developer Edition offerings is tailored to the hardware. The only thing that you'll have to consider is cost.

The new XPS 13 Developer Edition can be had from Dell's site at a price as low as $949. At the other end of the scale is a $1849 build. No matter the model, XPS 13 Developer Edition looks as great as its Windows-toting sibling, which is considered to be one of the best-looking ultrabooks on the market today.

So, what do you get for the money? Well, the base model packs a 13.3-inch display -- non-touch -- with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080. It's powered by a fifth-generation Intel Core i5-5200 U processor running at up to 2.7 GHz, HD Graphics 5500 graphics, 8 GB of RAM and a 52WHr battery.

There are also stereo speakers, a 720p webcam and Wi-Fi 802.11n/ac on board, as well as a full-size backlit keyboard, SD card reader and two USB 3.0 ports. You also get a one-year warranty with "ProSupport with Next Business Day Onsite Service". Warranty can be extended to up to four years, and there is also an optional accidental damage coverage, which can span over the same period as the warranty.

The most-expensive model swaps the Core i5 processor for a Core i7-5500U processor running at up to 3 GHz, upgrades the display to a touch panel with a resolution of 3,200 x 1,800, and quadruples the amount of internal storage at 512 GB. The display is rated at 400 nits of brightness, with viewing angles of up to 170 degrees.

The model with the base display comes in at 2.6 lbs (1.18kg) and 11.98 x 7.88 x 0.33-0.6 inches (304 x 200 x 9-15 mm), while the touch panel adds 0.2 lbs (2.8 lbs total weight).

There are two reasons why someone in the market for a Linux ultrabook might not be interested in XPS 13 Developer Edition. First is the relatively-high asking price, when compared to the myriad of ultrabooks available on the market today. And, second, is Ubuntu; hey, some people might not like Canonical's distribution (or Canonical for that matter). Personally, I'd love to have one of these any day of the week -- if I would need Linux, of course -- instead of slapping Linux on a vanilla Windows ultrabook or equivalent MacBook.
Silently uninstall multiple programs with Bulk Crap Remover

Publié: avril 10, 2015, 10:38am CEST par Mike Williams

Uninstalling one Windows program is easy, but stripping out several can get a little tedious, as you sit around and wait for each uninstaller to finish.

Bulk Crap Uninstaller is a smart alternative to Windows’ own "Programs and Features" applet, a simpler and quicker way to remove multiple programs with their own uninstaller.

Bulk Crap Uninstaller’s first advantage is its detailed view of your installed software. As well as the basics -- program name, install date, version, size -- you’ll see its "About" URL, whether it’s 32 or 64-bit, its storage folder, Registry key, uninstaller type, product code, uninstall commands and more.

Right-clicking an application displays options to open its web page, view its storage location or launch its "Configure" dialog (that’s the "Change" option in the standard Windows applet).

If you’d like to uninstall one or more programs, then just select as many as you like. When you’re ready, click "Uninstall" to remove them as normal, or "Quietly uninstall" to remove them without seeing any further uninstaller prompts. (The "Quietly" option isn’t available for every application but Bulk Crap Uninstaller can just run a regular uninstall instead.)

Bulk Crap Uninstaller relies on an application’s own uninstall option, and can’t remove troublesome programs itself, or clean up your system after removing something. If you need that, try Revo Uninstaller.

The program does offer some useful extras, though -- the ability to multi-select programs and run silent uninstalls -- and if that’s all you’re after then it’s worth a try.
The majority of Brits are worried about online security

Publié: avril 10, 2015, 8:37am CEST par Sead Fadilpašić

For every ten British adults, seven are seriously concerned about the privacy of their online data and fear it might get stolen by hackers, a new study has revealed.

The study, conducted by international internet-based market research firm YouGov, surveyed more than 2,000 British adults and found that 72 percent are concerned about their private online information, while 32 percent are willing to pay someone to keep their data safe.

Also, 29 percent thought it was their responsibility to safeguard their online information.

"Gone are the days when consumers took a back seat in protecting their data online", The Guardian quotes chief executive of security firm CloudMask, Wael Aggan. "High-profile data breaches, including celebrities’ nude photographs being pasted over the internet, credit card details being hacked and governments gaining permission to access Google and Microsoft customer data is forcing consumers to take more control of their privacy".

YouGov’s survey also found that 70 percent of people signing up for different online services give away information like address and date of birth, which are often considered part of the secret personal information used to verify a person’s identity for banking and other secure services.

Still, more than half of those surveyed said that they wouldn’t pay to be protected, and 61 percent believe whoever they’re signing up to should keep their data safe.

"Consumers are becoming much more aware of the need to protect their personal data online and even though this survey shows they might be prepared to pay to do that, it is still ultimately the responsibility of the businesses who hold that data to make sure they follow the laws around data protection", said Garreth Cameron from the information commissioner’s office.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Need more tunes on your Android device? Amazon Prime Music channels arrive

Publié: avril 10, 2015, 5:56am CEST par Alan Buckingham

There's no shortage of ways to turn your phone or tablet into an MP3 player. The days of dedicated devices like the iPod have waned, and most of us simply use a smartphone as the substitute that replaces that bygone era. With a multitude of services at our disposal we can have an endless supply of music on hand as we work and travel, or just relax on the couch.

Amazon is never far from any new trend and it has brought music streaming to its Prime customers to compliment the other benefits that go along with the service. Now the retailer announces that Android customers will have access to the many playlists available through Prime Music on their devices.

You'll find access to all sorts of playlists from genres like the 80's to dedicated artist compilations like The Foo Fighters, Bob Marley, Death Cab for Cutie, Dave Matthews, Paul Simon and countless others.

"There are hundreds of Prime Stations—customers just need to find a genre or artist they like and hit play to hear a continuous stream of music that can also be paused, replayed, or skipped without any restriction. As customers listen and give songs a thumbs up or thumbs down each station will adapt to their music tastes", Amazon told us in a statement.

The app itself if free in the Google Play store. Amazon Prime, however, is not. You'll need to pay out $99 per year, though you get more than just music with your membership, as there's free two day shipping, streaming video and other benefits.

Photo Credit: CREATISTA/Shutterstock
Epson Expression Home XP-420 Small-in-One printer is inexpensive, functional and cute

Publié: avril 10, 2015, 3:52am CEST par Brian Fagioli
The reports of the printer's death have been greatly exaggerated. True, both business and home users are printing less nowadays, but there are still many situations where a paper copy is needed. Businesses in particular often have requirements where a hard copy must be kept. Not to mention, All-in-One variants are even more useful, as scanning and copying are great values too.

While it isn't easy to get me excited about an All-in-One printer/scanner/copier, Epson has managed to do just that. How? With a name. The company is calling the Expression Home XP-420 a Small-in-One. Get it? "Small" instead of "all"? I found the name to be quite clever, as it takes up very little room. Upon further investigation, I was impressed with the low cost and impressive features of this wireless printer.

"The Expression Home XP-420 offers a large, high-resolution 2.5-inch color LCD and touch panel, plus built-in memory card slots, for easy PC-free photo and document printing, scanning and copying. The Expression XP-420 also enables users to edit, scan and share photos directly to Facebook or other popular cloud services all in one single workflow", says Epson America, Inc.

Carrie Brown, Group Product Manager, Consumer Ink Jets, Epson America, Inc. explains, "designed with a new suite of features and mobile functionality, the Expression Home XP-420 printer caters to a range of printing, scanning, copying and creative needs for today’s connected homes, as well as individuals on-the-go. With such a compact footprint, the XP-420 makes a great addition for families and individuals who require a high-quality, affordable printing solution to fit within smaller environments such as a home office, wall shelving, living room or a dorm room".

Epson lists the following specs.

Printing Technology: 4-color (CMYK) drop-on-demand MicroPiezo inkjet technology

Minimum Ink Droplet Size: 3 picoliters

Maximum Print Resolution: 5760 x 1440 optimized dpi

ISO Print Speed:
- Black: 9.0 ISO ppm
- Color: 4.5 ISO ppm
Copy Quality:
- Color
- Black / White
- Draft
- Normal
Copy Quantity: 1 - 99 (PC-free)

Maximum Copy Size: 8.5 inch x 11 inch

Scanner Type: Color flatbed

Photoelectric Device: Color CIS line sensor

Optical Resolution: 1200 dpi

Hardware Resolution: 2400 dpi

Maximum Resolution: 10,200 x 14,040 dpi interpolated

Scanner Bit Depth: 48-bit color / 24-bit output

Ink Type: DURABrite Ultra pigment ink (smudge, fade, and water resistant)

Ink Palette: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black

Ink Cartridge Configuration: 4 individual ink cartridges

Fade Resistance / Print Longevity: Up to 118 years¹

Replacement Ink Cartridges:
- 220 Standard-capacity Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
  (Yield, ISO pages — Black: 175, Color: 165)
- 220XL High-capacity Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
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Newest Apple reviews are rotten

Publié: avril 10, 2015, 2:20am CEST par Joe Wilcox

I typically don't pull together review roundups, but bloggers and journalists with early access to Apple Watch and 12-inch MacBook beat the products senseless. Not even Wall Street Journal gives glowing look at the laptop; the pummeling is among the most brutal. Meanwhile, The Verge repeatedly gut-punches the smartwatch. Two themes rise from the many reviews, even those trying to cover up pooh with perfume: The devices are beautiful, but performance is a lumbering beast.

Welcome to the Tim Cook and Jony Ive era of putting form before function, and to a fault. Apple's CEO and design chief may not be the dynamic duo shareholders hoped for. The first truly new products to emerge under Cook's stewardship receive a collective meh, which should scare any intelligent buyer witless. Because if the past means anything, the carefully chosen coven of early reviewers embrace newfangled Apple things like the Devil clings to sinners. But not this week.

Note: Normally I would only write from first-hand experience using a product. But BetaNews did not receive review units, and obviously we couldn't buy what isn't yet available for sale (Tomorrow MacBook arrives in stores and Apple Watch preorders begin). But given tone of these early reviews, it's in the best interest of our readers to give fair warning.

Apple Watch

Let's begin with The Verge's "Apple Watch Review", an unobtrusive headline from Nilay Patel, who writes:

The Apple Watch, as I reviewed it for the past week and a half, is kind of slow. There’s no getting around it, no way to talk about all of its interface ideas and obvious potential and hints of genius without noting that sometimes it stutters loading notifications. Sometimes pulling location information and data from your iPhone over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi takes a long time. Sometimes apps take forever to load, and sometimes third-party apps never really load at all. Sometimes it’s just unresponsive for a few seconds while it thinks and then it comes back...

Committing to technology that’s a little slow to respond to you is dicey at best, especially when it’s supposed to step in for your phone. If the Watch is slow, I’m going to pull out my phone. But if I keep pulling out my phone, I’ll never use the Watch. So I have resolved to wait it out.

This theme returns again and again throughout the review. The form and user interface are gorgeous. Performance is ugly.

Patel isn't the only pro blogger with that opinion. Joshua Topolsky, writing for Bloomberg warns: "What hinders many of the experiences is that the watch must pull information from the phone, leaving you with a spinning wheel that indicates data loading, rather than a quick hit of info".

"In an attempt to do everything in the first generation, the Apple Watch still leaves plenty to be desired", Scot Stein writes for CNET. "Short battery life compared with other watches and higher prices are the biggest flags for now".

From the New York Times we get "Apple Watch Review: Bliss, but Only After a Steep Learning Curve", by Farhad Manjoo:

The Apple Watch is far from perfect, and, starting at $350 and going all the way up to $17,000, it isn’t cheap. Though it looks quite smart, with a selection of stylish leather and metallic bands that make for a sharp departure from most wearable devices, the Apple Watch works like a first-generation device, with all the limitations and flaws you’d expect of brand-new technology. What’s more, unlike previous breakthrough Apple products, the Watch’s software requires a learning curve that may deter some people. There’s a good chance it will not work perfectly for most consumers right out of the box.

Only after using the watch for three "often confusing and frustrating" days, did he get beyond the learning curve. Remember: This guy is a professional tech writer, who should be more adept at using such a device than typical consumers. Oh dear.

There are a few exceptions. David Pogue, who used to write for the Times but deserted for plushier job for Yahoo Tech, is in the inner circle of perfectly-picked reviewers ripe to taste sweetness in all things Apple. From his headline, you know what to expect: "The Apple Watch: Half Computer, Half Jewelry, Mostly Magical". The review is so chock full of explanations about what the watch does and marketing fluff is so thick -- "Apple Watch is light-years better than any of the feeble, clunky efforts that have come before it" -- who other than fanboys can take it seriously?

More from the inner circle: The re/code review is the typically expected lovefest. When aren't they?

MacBook

The Wall Street Journal chimes in with a theme adopted by several reviewers. In "Apple MacBook Review: The Laptop of the Future Isn’t Ready for the Present" Joanne Stern writes:

You won’t find it in Apple’s advertisements, but the new MacBook is a time machine. It’s much simpler than Doc Brown’s DeLorean: All you have to do is look at it to observe the future -- the future of the laptop, that is...But as ahead of its time as the MacBook is, there’s a slight problem: You have to use it right now...

You also can’t leave the charger (and its ridiculously short cord) at home. Not only will no one else have a USB Type-C power cable you can borrow -- at least not until the year 2018 -- but you really need a charger with this machine. I was consistently disappointed with the new MacBook’s battery life.

Dieter Bohn's review for The Verge continues this theme:

This new MacBook is the future. All laptops are going to be like this someday: with ridiculously good screens, no fans, lasting all day...The problem with the future is that it isn't here yet. Instead we live in the now, and the now doesn't have the ecosystem of adapters and wireless peripherals I need to use this laptop with its single port. The now doesn't have the right processor to power through the apps I need without ruining battery life. And right now, this laptop is far from cheap at $1,299.

Christina Warren writes for Mashable:

Yes, there are compromises -- and no, this is not the notebook for every user. But make no mistake, the new MacBook represents the new direction for laptops...The most important thing about the new MacBook, to me, isn't necessarily what it is now, but what it represents. In five years, the sea of MacBook Airs and MacBook Air-style machines we see now at Starbucks will be replaced by machines that look more like the new MacBook. This is the future.

Most people live in the present -- hence, major reason why the new MacBook is not for every user.

Many of the reviews are almost apologetic. The first-lookers love the laptop's design but not its single USB Type-C port, paltry-performance, and so-so battery life.

Finally, from ArsTechnica is a first-take that requires almost nothing more than the headline: "The 2015 MacBook previews a future that’s not quite here". Andrew Cunningham writes: "The new MacBook feels like a first-generation product -- a very good first-generation product, but a first-generation product nevertheless. It has some promise and a couple of major shortcomings, and you don't need to be the first person who takes the leap into the Brave New Future it represents"

For some people, the future starts April 10, when they queue up to buy MacBook or preorder Apple Watch. If that's you, please consider this: Meh means something coming from the reviewer rabble that normally can't gush enough praise for Apple.

Photo Credit: NinaMalyna/Shutterstock