Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » avril 17, 2015

BetaNews.Com (14 non lus)

Microsoft Open Technologies is closing -- is that good or bad news for open source?

Publié: avril 17, 2015, 6:58pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

Microsoft is a company that can do no wrong lately. It is wisely focusing on devices and services -- its cross-platform support is a total 180 degree turn from years past. Hell, the company is even embracing open source lately, showing that it is listening to customers and taking advantage of industry trends.

When Microsoft Open Technologies was founded as a subsidiary of Microsoft -- under Steve Ballmer's reign -- many in the open source community hailed it as a major win, and it was. Today, however, the subsidiary is shutting down and being folded into Microsoft. While some will view this as a loss for open source, I disagree; Microsoft has evolved so much under Satya Nadella, that a separate subsidiary is simply no longer needed.

"During its operation, MS Open Tech has helped connect Microsoft with a number of open source communities. MS Open Tech’s projects have made it easier for Linux, Java, and other developers to use Azure, through SDKs, tools plug-ins, and integration with technologies such as Chef, Puppet, and Docker. We’ve helped bring Microsoft’s services and APIs to iOS and Android. We've contributed to open source projects such as Apache Cordova, Cocos2d-x, OpenJDK, and dash.js. We’ve brought Office 365 to the Moodle learning platform. And we’ve helped connect the Open Web by collaborating with the industry on standards for HTML5, HTTP/2, and WebRTC/ORTC", says Jean Paoli, President, Microsoft Open Technologies.

Paoli further explains, "open source has become a key part of Microsoft's culture. Microsoft’s investments in open source ecosystems and non-Microsoft technologies are stronger than ever, and as we build applications, services, and tools for other platforms, our engineers are more involved in open source projects every day. Today, Microsoft engineers participate in nearly 2,000 open source projects on GitHub and CodePlex combined. Through open source collaborations, Microsoft has brought first-class support for Linux to Azure, worked with Docker to integrate it with Azure and Windows, built Azure HDInsight on Apache Hadoop and Linux, and delivered developer tools for Android and iOS, and for Node.js and Python. And Microsoft is actively building open source communities of its own".

This does not mean that MS Open Tech employees need to update their resumes; quite the contrary. These employees will be welcomed at Microsoft under a new division called "Microsoft Open Technology Programs Office". I expect these people to be open source advocates (stealthy ninjas), and hopefully influence positive change from the inside out.

Some cynics will claim this announcement is nothing more than a positive spin on negative news, and sure, it could be. With that said, Microsoft would be foolish to abandon its focus on open source and risk damaging its ever-improving image while it is on such a roll. MS Open Tech has done some wonderful work and Microsoft is not likely to move away from that.

A Microsoft spokesperson answers the following BetaNews questions regarding the announcement.

BetaNews: Has Microsoft shut down the project?

Microsoft: Microsoft Open Technologies, Inc., (MS Open Tech) has operated as an innovative subsidiary of Microsoft. The MS Open Tech team will now move back to Microsoft to help open source and open standards activities including the creation of the Microsoft Open Technology Programs Office.

BN: Does this change Microsoft's stance on open source?

MS: No. Open source is a key business strategy across the company, and Microsoft Corp’s investments with open source ecosystems and non-Microsoft technologies are stronger and broader than ever.

Photo Credit: Elnur/Shutterstock
Office Universal apps preview coming to Windows 10 for phones very soon

Publié: avril 17, 2015, 6:49pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Microsoft comes under fire quite often for seeming to favor Android and iOS over its own mobile platforms. Apple and Google's mobile operating system have been first in line for all manner of Microsoft apps and services, and it was much the same story with the mobile versions of Office.

Today Microsoft is taking steps to allay the concerns of Windows Phone users -- you have not been forgotten! Specifically, the company says that the preview version of Office Universal apps will, or at least should, be made available for Windows 10 for phones by the end of the month.

Microsoft has been careful not to pin down a precise date, but if all goes to plan, we should see the apps being made available for download within a couple of weeks. It is described as the 'rounding out' of the Office line-up with a focus being placed on ensuring that the suite is available on as many platforms as possible.

Writing on the Office Blog, general manager for the Office marketing team Jared Spataro said:

Our Office Universal apps are designed for on-the-go productivity. They’re touch-first, built for tablets and phones, and optimized for viewing, quick edits, notes and mark-up. On a tablet, the Universal apps are fast, fluid, and streamlined for an immersive, hands-on experience. They’re fantastic for reading and perfect for touch- and pen-based content creation. On a phone, the Universal apps adapt to the smaller form factor. Commands and controls are moved to the bottom of the screen so you can triage your work and make edits one-handed with your thumb.

We've seen a huge shift in Microsoft interest in mobile recently, and just the other day the Bing app was updated to make it more suitable for single-handed use; now it looks as though Office is following suit.
Reflector 2 adds Android mirroring, Google Cast support

Publié: avril 17, 2015, 6:47pm CEST par Mike Williams

Squirrels has announced Reflector 2.0 with new support for mirroring connections from Google Cast-enabled Chromebooks and Android devices.

As before, the program can mirror iPads and iPhones to Windows or Mac, and users are able to connect both iOS and Android devices simultaneously.

Screen recording now covers multiple devices, and adds the option to include a voiceover.

Improved device management starts with new security options to deny or allow connections before they’re shown. Intelligent layouts automatically position multiple devices to make best use of any space, and you can set preferences for screens individually.

A new Reflector Director enables remote management of any iPhone or iPad, hiding or emphasizing devices, changing frames or toggling full screen mode.

Conveniently, support for AirPlay and Google Cast means Reflector works with many mobile devices right away, nothing else to install. And if your Android phone/ tablet isn’t Cast-enabled then installing the free Google Chromecast app means you’ll still be able to mirror.

A 7-day trial of Reflector 2.0 is available now. It’s full-featured, but displays a watermark until you purchase a license.
Does it boil? Samsung Galaxy S6 and Apple iPhone 6 in hot water

Publié: avril 17, 2015, 6:41pm CEST par Darren Allan

The Galaxy S6 has been subjected to a number of different stress tests since it hit shelves, including full-on bend tests, and simple drop tests -- plus being run over by a car in one case, which it survived and still remained usable.

And here’s another -- this time, the Galaxy S6’s foe is boiling water, which it’s being dipped into alongside an iPhone 6. So which handset will be able to stand the boiling heat for longest?

That’s the question the below video answers (spotted by Uber Gizmo). Click play and watch to find out…

The iPhone 6 only lasted 10 seconds before the screen started to rapidly dim, and then the lights went completely out at about the 13 second mark. The Galaxy S6 continued to boil away until 55 seconds, when it shut down the stopwatch timer, with a warning about overheating the device (unsurprisingly) -- but it still kept going for not far off another minute before appearing to give up.

The end result was a pair of wrecked phones (again, unsurprisingly), though oddly enough the Apple logo does come back on the iPhone 6 display post-test, briefly, before the handset goes completely dead again.

So, if you do happen to drop your Galaxy S6 in boiling water somehow, as long as you can fish it out without too much delay, it should be okay. Not that this is remotely likely to happen -- but it does go to show just how tough a phone the S6 is, particularly when you consider that it (or the iPhone) is not waterproof like, say, the Xperia Z3

https://youtu.be/OI2gJtcfQ6M

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Google cleans up URLs in mobile search results with breadcrumbs

Publié: avril 17, 2015, 4:49pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Google is revamping the way URLs appear in search results on mobile devices. Smaller screens have a tendency to truncate lengthier URLs, and even when this doesn’t happen diminutive screen size can make addresses difficult to read.

To combat this problem, the search giant is introducing a new breadcrumb trail presentation with a view to making the information easy to absorb at a glance. But what does this change actually mean?

What may previously have been displayed as the undeniably unwieldy http://www.google.com/about/company/history is reduced to the far more digestible Google > about > company > history. The move comes as a result of adding support for schema.org structured data as this allows for the easy display of a site name rather than the domain name. It also takes care of the URL conversion process into the more easily readable.

Introducing the change, Google says:

Today we’re updating the algorithms that display URLs in the search results to better reflect the names of websites, using the real-world name of the site instead of the domain name, and the URL structure of the sites in a breadcrumbs-like format.

The company has updated its help pages for developers looking to correctly implement breadcrumb formatting and the site name feature. Breadcrumbing is now rolling out globally, while site name support is limited to the US for now.

Photo credit: vesna cvorovic / Shutterstock
US electronic voting machines incredibly easy to hack

Publié: avril 17, 2015, 3:19pm CEST par Barclay Ballard

Electronic voting machines used for US elections between 2002 and 2014 would have been extremely easy to hack, according to reports.

The AVS WinVote machines were used during three presidential campaigns in the state of Virginia and would receive an "F-minus" for security, with many using "abcde" or "admin" as passwords.

Jeremy Epstein, of non-profit organization SRI International, who served on the Virginia state legislative commission and has been investigating the machines for some time, is relieved that they have now been decertified.

"The vulnerabilities were so severe, and so trivial to exploit, that anyone with even a modicum of training could have succeeded", he explained. "They didn’t need to be in the polling place -- within a few hundred feet (e.g., in the parking lot) is easy, and within a half mile with a rudimentary antenna built using a Pringles can. Further, there are no logs or other records that would indicate if such a thing ever happened, so if an election was hacked any time in the past, we will never know".

In an interview with the Guardian, Epstein also explained that his conversations with Brit Williams, the original certifier of the voting machines, had been equally concerning.

"I said, 'How did you do a penetration test?' and he said, 'I don’t know how to do something like that'".

The Virginia Technology Agency today published a report condemning the WinVote machines, which have also been used for elections in Mississippi and Pennsylvania. It found that the machines ran a version of the Windows operating system that had not been updated since 2004, leaving them susceptible to relatively simple malware and hacking attempts.

The news comes at a time when the UK is preparing for its own vote, with the general election scheduled for next month. Although electronic voting, or e-voting will not be available this year, it is reported to be in place for the 2020 election.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Security professionals worry about technology sprawl as threats evolve

Publié: avril 17, 2015, 2:59pm CEST par Ian Barker

A new study of nearly 14,000 information security professionals worldwide shows that two-thirds of respondents are concerned about the addition of multiple security technologies, often referred to as sprawl.

The Global Information Security Workforce Study (GISWS) produced by (ISC)² a not-for-profit membership body of certified information and software security professionals worldwide, is largest study of the information security profession ever conducted.

"Many of the facets discovered in this year’s workforce study demonstrate that aspects of the information security program are being carried out in IT departments and other business units -- positioning IT as a force multiplier," says David Shearer, executive director of (ISC)². "Cloud adoption rates and projected increases in spending on security tools and technologies are further increasing the need for IT and security departments to function collaboratively. Year after year, the study has shown a workforce shortage; but now, we're finding that the shortage is being compounded with issues that are becoming more prevalent, such as configuration mistakes and oversights that can be detrimental to the security posture of global businesses".

Among the findings of the study are that phishing is the top threat technique employed by hackers, cited by 54 percent of respondents, and that the estimated time to fix an attack following a system or data compromise is getting longer. An average attack takes between two and seven days to fix according to 44 percent.

It also shows that respondents think additional training and education are needed most in the areas of cloud computing (57 percent), BYOD and incidence response (both 47 percent). Respondents felt that when it comes to retaining information security professionals, support for training and professional security certifications is essential. Lack of in-house skills is cited by 49 percent as the reason for turning to outsourcing.

There's much more detail in the full report which can be downloaded from the (ISC)² website and there will be a session discussing the findings at the RSA Conference on Monday April 20.

Image credit: fotogestoeber / Shutterstock
Best Windows apps this week

Publié: avril 17, 2015, 2:00pm CEST par Martin Brinkmann
One-hundred and twenty seven in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps and games released for Windows in the past seven days.

This week saw the release of several high profile apps and games such as the latest addition to the Halo franchise, Halo: Spartan Strike, and the relaxing Game Over.

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.
- Rayman Jungle Run, a jump and run game for $1.49
- Tile rider, an adventure game for $1.49
- Einstein Brain Trainer, a puzzle game for $2.99
- Dactyfun, a learning game for children for $0.99
- Nightmares from the Deep 3: Davy Jones (Full), an adventure game for $1.99
- Eternal Journey, an adventure game for $0.99
Best app of the week

Halo: Spartan Strike ($5.99, no free trial)

Halo: Spartan Strike is a top-down shooter in the Halo universe. Play as the Spartan in 30 missions to defend Earth against Promethean and Covenant enemies.

The game introduces new weaponry and armor abilities, vehicular combat and weekly challenges that allow you to climb the leaderboard.

You can play the game using keyboard and mouse, an Xbox controller or using a touch-based virtual stick.

A lite version is not offered currently and since there is no trial, it is not possible to test the game as of now before buying it.

Other apps

Tinymals

Tinymals resembles Microsoft's Kinectimals in many regards.You hatch a baby dragon, panda or griffin at the start and need to take care of it afterwards.

This includes feeding, playing, teaching tricks and petting it.

The game is optimized for touch devices and while it is possible to play it on a device without touch, it does not work as well.

You will notice lags and that clicks are not detected properly in the game if you use mouse and keyboard controls.

WiFiSD8

The app adds support for WiFi-enabled SD cards to Windows. When you start WiFiSD8 it displays a dialog to find a compatible SD card by hostname.

Once found, it allows you to browser the contents of the card and batch download photos to your Windows device.

Traktor Beta

The application connects to your Trakt account which allows you to keep track of TV shows and movies.

Data is synced automatically between the web version and the Windows apps, and you should see your shows and movies in the app right after signing in.

While most functionality requires an account, search is available for unregistered users as well.

Features like adding a show to the watchlist or collection are reserved for registered users.

The app lacks the calendar feature of the web service currently which means that you cannot use it to keep track of upcoming shows this way.

Checkpoint Champion

Checkpoint Champion is a challenge-based driving game in which you need to complete objectives in a certain period of time.

This involves reaching certain checkpoints placed in the level most of the time.

You get one to three stars in the end depending on how fast you reached the last checkpoint and these are used in the game to unlock new challenges including online challenges that require an account.

New cars are unlocked when you complete certain challenges in specific ways, for instance by completing a challenge with a limited number of turns.

The game plays better with touch than it does with the keyboard, as keyboard users use the left and right arrow keys to steer their vehicle but also to use the turbo.

You-Doo

You-Doo is a task planner at its core that supports to-do lists, tasks scheduling and reminders.

What makes it kinda interesting is that you may add location-based information to tasks to receive notifications based on your current location.

For instance, you will only receive notifications to clean the bathroom when you are running the app at home while you won't receive it when you are at work.

A paid Pro version is provided that adds data synchronization, cloud storage, task sharing and direct syncing of tasks with your calendar to the app.

Game Over

Game Over plays a little bit like the classic Marble Madness game only that you are not controlling a ball and that jumping is an option.

The main idea remains the same however: reach the level exit without falling into the abyss or dying in other ways.

The game rewards you for completing a level as rapidly as possible but won't punish you if you take your time and explore it instead.

Gem Crush Legends

Gem Crush Legends is an addictive puzzle game in which you try to complete certain tasks by removing gems from the board.

All adjacent gems of the same color as the gem you clicked on are removed from the board. Depending on how many, this might create special gems in the process that create massive explosions when combined with gems of the same color.
Zuckerberg says Internet.org is not anti-net neutrality... but it is

Publié: avril 17, 2015, 12:57pm CEST par Mark Wilson

A few days ago Mark Zuckerberg conducted a Q&A on Facebook. Despite tens of thousands of comments, very little of interest came out of the session -- he works 50-60 hours a week, likes Oculus (surprise, surprise), and he stands behind his Internet.org project which is providing internet access to people all over the world, including those in remote and developing locations. As is to be expected from a Q&A session, Zuckerberg also found that he had criticism levelled at him in addition to questions, including criticisms of his beloved Internet.org.

Some people pointed out that even in the US there is still a digital divide, while others complained that Internet.org goes against the principles of net neutrality. This obviously struck a nerve because the Facebook founder felt the need to defend the program and express his support for net neutrality. My colleague Manish Singh wrote about this, but is Zuckerberg right? Can Internet.org and net neutrality really live happily side by side?

On Thursday, Zuckerberg used an article in the Hindustan Times to defend Internet.org. This made sense because the program is currently rolling out to India and it's understandable that he would want to appease his current target audience. Now he has published the very same text as a post on his Facebook page, which is indicative of one of two things. Either Zuckerberg is so keen that the image of Internet.org is not besmirched that he is willing to bring the story to a wider audience before it spirals out of control, or it could be that he was so genuinely hurt or taken aback by the criticism of his baby that he thought he'd use his position to very publicly defend it.

But does it stand up to scrutiny?

There is one difference between the Hindustan Times article and the post on Facebook: the Times article has a headline. While Zuckerberg's Facebook posts takes a little while to get to the point, the article in the Times makes it clear right from the start: "Net neutrality and universal connectivity must co-exist".

It's an interesting idea, but -- at least on the face of it -- the two ideas oppose each other. The principles of net neutrality suggest that all internet traffic should be treated equally and that no company should be able to pay to give its traffic higher priority. Internet.org does not directly contradict these principles, but it does stray into something of a gray area. The idea driving the net neutrality movement is that we should avoid the creation of a two-tier internet where those willing or able to pay are given priority service, or a better service. But for all its good intentions, this is very much what Internet.org is doing.

It is hard to argue against the well-meaning push to bring internet access to areas where it is not currently available, but it is not providing unfettered access to the internet. Zuckerberg says:

To give more people access to the internet, it is useful to offer some service for free. If someone can’t afford to pay for connectivity, it is always better to have some access than none at all.

This is very much a two-tier internet, There's the internet that most people get to use, and the oh-sod-it-that'll-do internet that's available for free. If that's not a two-tier, divided internet, I don’t know what is.

Yes, it's great that people in developing countries are being given the opportunity to access the internet, but let's not pretend that this is an opportunity of equals. Really, if a country or region is being provided with access to some sites and services, why not provide access to everything the internet has to offer. Who decides what is opened up to users of Internet.org? Zuckerberg says:

By partnering with mobile operators and governments in different countries, Internet.org offers free access in local languages to basic internet services in areas like jobs, health, education and messaging.

Why only basic internet services? This is against the idea of net neutrality. Facebook and Internet.org partners are standing as gatekeepers to the internet for people in developing countries. The zero-rating of some services and sites (making them free to certain users) -- while inherently philanthropic in nature -- is absolutely running against the grain of net neutrality. It is not a level playing field, it is not equal access.

Yes, some access is better than no access, but there is no reason that some access shouldn't be expanded to full access. That's equality. That's net neutrality.

And then there is the problem of hardware. Bringing the internet to remote or poor parts of the world is great, but it's not much use if no one -- or only a small percentage -- living in these areas own devices that can be used to get online. But that's a whole different conversation.

And, ultimately, that's what matters. Conversations. People are now talking about not only net neutrality, but also the rights of people to be able to access the internet. People care, and that’s heartwarming.

Photo credit: cigdem / Shutterstock
Google Chrome on Windows XP support extends until the end of 2015

Publié: avril 17, 2015, 12:32pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Believe it or not, a year has passed since Microsoft stopped supporting Windows XP. And even though the 13 year-old operating system no longer receives security updates -- at least not officially -- it is still being used by roughly 17 percent of Windows users. For some companies it is reason enough to continue to support Windows XP today, even though its maker has long left it for dead. And Google is one of them.

Six months after Windows XP support ended, Google announced that its Chrome browser would continue to be supported on the OS with "regular updates and security patches until at least April 2015". That was done in order to give its users more time to finish migrating to a newer Windows release, one that would, hopefully, be officially supported by Microsoft for many more years to come. Obviously, that hasn't gone as expected. But instead of pulling the plug, Google is now giving Chrome users on Windows XP another reprieve.

Google will continue to support Chrome on Windows XP "through the end of 2015", giving its users nearly nine more months to abandon ship (or so it would seem). This time, the search giant does not give us a reason why it's doing this. However, the door was left open the last time, as implied in the statement quoted in part in the paragraph above.

But it doesn't take long to realize that Chrome has too big a market share on Windows XP -- which ultimately translates into revenue -- for Google to end support and have its users embrace a rival's browser.

As you may know, no modern version of Internet Explorer is available for Windows XP, nor are any patches offered for ones that are. Internet Explorer 8 is the last release that Microsoft had in mind for its Windows XP users, and it came six years ago.

However, Mozilla has no plans to end Firefox support for Windows XP, and Opera still lists Windows XP as a supported OS for its browser. Given that Google's main rivals are still in the game, the search giant is enticed to keep going.

Photo Credit: Andy Dean Photography/Shutterstock
Red Canary seeks to bring simpler endpoint security to businesses

Publié: avril 17, 2015, 12:30pm CEST par Ian Barker

The endpoint is the most vulnerable link in enterprise security, constantly under attack and prone to human error. Yet the security products designed to protect it are subject to high levels of false positives.

The result is that providing effective protection can be complex and stretch the resources and budget of even quite large organizations.

Denver-based Red Canary, founded by a team with a strong background in security and defense intelligence is offering a four-pronged approach to detecting threats in real time and eliminating false positives.

It uses a combination of behavioral analysis to detect malicious software or activity; anomaly detection to pick up activity such as logons from other locations; binary analysis to look at the reputation of binaries but also their potential for harm; and threat intelligence to protect across the customer base.

Crucially every suspicious event flagged by the company's Threat Detection Engine is then subject to human review. "Businesses have become over reliant on technology to protect their endpoints. This is why Red Canary uses a human analyst team to eliminate false positives," Red Canary's CEO Brian Beyer says. "Smaller companies can't afford the expertise to do this in house".

Combining best of breed technologies and adding human review Red Canary enhances response by detecting threats in hours rather than weeks, by delivering actionable detections, and by providing extensive endpoint visibility.

"Enterprises have to identify assets, know what they're defending and have the right systems in place if their perimeter is breached," adds Beyer. "This means investing in people and giving them the right tools to do the job."

You can find out more about Red Canary's approach to endpoint protection on the company's website.

Image credit: bannosuke / Shutterstock
Huawei P8 vs Samsung Galaxy S6: Which should you choose?

Publié: avril 17, 2015, 8:42am CEST par David Curry

Huawei has officially announced the P8, the flagship for 2015. It is the Chinese company’s attempt to compete with Apple’s iPhone 6 and Samsung’s Galaxy S6, two of the biggest devices this year.

Even though Huawei won out against Samsung last year in China and some other markets, the Galaxy S6 is a formidable smartphone and shows the South Korean giant is back in business -- but which flagship is better?

Design

Both smartphone manufacturers have been on the bottom end of design in the past, but Samsung made great strides with the Galaxy S6 to appeal to a wide variety of customers. The dual-glass back and front, alongside the metallic frame, is a unique design and one that millions seem to love.

The Huawei P8 features a metal unibody similar to the iPhone 6 or HTC One M9, although instead of a curved build the P8 is a rectangular brick. It makes holding the device a bit awkward, something that is not an issue on the Galaxy S6.

It is easy to see the progress Samsung has made in 2015 when it comes to design. It really has knocked it out of the ballpark, where Huawei has stayed timid and not ventured into any unique area -- we would give the design victory to Samsung.

Display

The Huawei P8 features a 5.2-inch 1080 x 1920 IPS display, a rather decent if somewhat underwhelming panel. The Galaxy S6 features a 5-inch 1440 x 2560 AMOLED display, a much higher resolution display with more color saturation, offering deeper blacks.

Samsung builds its own displays and is one of the best in the business. The Galaxy S6 panel has a higher resolution, better color saturation for movies and better color accuracy from the short time playing with the two devices -- it is a definite winner.

Camera

Android has been called out for its poor cameras for years, but both Samsung and Huawei are trying to make a case for their own camera. The P8 features a 13MP rear shooter with optical image stabilization and dual LED flash, compared to the Galaxy S6 with a 16MP sensor, OIS but a single LED flash.

Both cameras have their separate issues, the Galaxy S6 is not great in low light conditions, and the Huawei P8 fails to attain accurate color representation. Both falter when it comes to consistency, something that seems to be ingrained in Android smartphones.

We would give the slight edge to Samsung, but it is not much of an edge.

Under the hood

Both smartphone vendors decided against Qualcomm this year, both utilizing their own semiconductor divisions. The Galaxy S6 and Huawei P8 both feature octa-core processors, although the P8 is a little slower on clock speed.

Other specifications are similar, both run 3GB of RAM and offer between 16 and 64GB of internal storage. Huawei does offer a microSD slot while the Galaxy S6 has a fingerprint sensor, it is up to the consumer to decide which is the more valuable feature.

Performance should be similar regardless, unless Huawei plans to bootload a few gigs of bloatware on the P8 when it launches. Samsung has worked hard on resorting TouchWiz to be operable and offer a good amount of space at launch.

Verdict

The Galaxy S6 takes home the victory today. Even though the Huawei P8 is a thinner and lighter device, the Galaxy S6 packs more pixels, offers a better design and just peaks in the

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Microsoft Studios and 343 Industries release Halo: Spartan Strike for Windows and iOS

Publié: avril 17, 2015, 5:46am CEST par Brian Fagioli

When I was a young man, I loved video games more than anything. Not only did I play the games, but I bought magazines about them and had fun discussing them with friends. Back then -- in the 80s' and 90's -- things were much simpler. You put in your cartridge, started the system and were playing in seconds. Nowadays, however, games take forever to load, are super complicated and offer in-game purchases. It can feel like a huge money-grab. Hell, sometimes you spend more time installing updates than playing the actual games!

When Microsoft Studios and 343 Industries released Halo: Spartan Assault last year, I was in heaven. The game was a throw-back to the glory days of gaming -- pick up and play. You shot stuff and tried not to die; a wonderful concept! Today, the follow-up to that game, Halo: Spartan Strike, sees release. You can download the game now for Windows, Windows Phone, iPad and iPhone. The best part? A paltry $5.99 price tag (and no in-game purchases)!

"Set during the events of Halo 2, Halo: Spartan Strike, is the new on-the-go Spartan adventure within the Halo universe. Crush your enemies using the iconic Warthog or sweep them from the battlefield using the all-new Kestrel VTOL. Take your Spartan skills and delve into 30 challenging missions through cities and jungles using an all new arsenal of weapons, abilities and vehicles against the Covenant and Promethean enemies. You'll also be able to complete weekly challenges to compare performance and take the top position against friends in leaderboards that showcase your Halo gaming skills", says Microsoft.

The company further explains, "also available on iPad, iPhone, and Steam is the Halo: Spartan Bundle. The bundle includes both Halo: Spartan Assault -- the original Halo top-down shooter that plays through the historic first missions of the Spartan Ops program as Commander Palmer -- and Halo: Spartan Strike for $9.99".

I spent the evening playing Halo: Spartan Strike on my Surface Pro 3 and I am happy to report that the sequel is even better than the original. Seriously, the game is bad-ass! While the style and concept is the same, I like the pacing better. Not to mention, the audio is quite remarkable; I suggest playing with headphones for full immersion.

If you are a fan of quality video games, I highly recommend Halo: Spartan Strike. If you missed out on Spartan Assault, the $9.99 bundle is a damn good value. You can download the game for your platform of choice using the links below.

Windows 8.x, Windows Phone 8, iPhone, iPad, and Steam

Tell me how you like the game in the comments below.
Instagram is OK with a little nudity, preferably at a distance

Publié: avril 17, 2015, 3:26am CEST par Mark Wilson

Photo-sharing site Instagram has updated its community guidelines to make it clear what sort of images are acceptable. If you were hoping to use your account to supply your followers with a stream of pornography pics, you're out of luck, sadly. Nudity is -- for the most part -- out (we don’t allow nudity on Instagram), including "close-ups of fully nude buttocks"; distant shot of butts are, seemingly OK, as are close-ups of partially clothed cheeks.

Whether we're talking about Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or any of the other countless social networks out there, users frequently fall foul of acceptable content guidelines. Images of nudity and violence are frequently complained about and Instagram's latest guidelines now make it abundantly clear what’s OK and what's not.

As on Facebook, photographs of breastfeeding mothers have been a breeding ground for arguments. Instagram is keen to nip this in the bud. Photos of "women actively breastfeeding" are permitted as are shots of post-mastectomy scarring. It's hard to imagine that there have been many complaints about photographs of naked sculpture or paintings, but Instagram has now made it clear that such shots are fine. Given the general stance on nudity, it probably goes without saying that "content that show[s] sexual intercourse [and] genitals" are off-limits -- and we're not just talking about photos and videos, but also "digitally-created content."

The nudity of children is something that has to be handled delicately. Here Instagram doesn’t have a hard and fast rule -- images of naked children are not covered by a blanket ban. However, Instagram does say:

For safety reasons, there are times when we may remove images that show nude or partially-nude children. Even when this content is shared with good intentions, it could be used by others in unanticipated ways.

There are a number of other topics that are banned, including "offering sexual services, buying or selling illegal or prescription drugs, as well as promoting recreational drug use". The updated guidelines also warn that "videos of intense, graphic violence" may be removed even if they are newsworthy in an attempt to keep the site suitable for everyone.

Instagram may have made its rules slightly clearer, but it almost certainly won't stop people violating them -- or pushing them to breaking point to test the limits.

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