Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » avril 30, 2015

BetaNews.Com (15 non lus)

LG G4 vs Samsung Galaxy S6: Which flagship has the better camera?

Publié: avril 30, 2015, 8:53pm CEST par Sead Fadilpašić

Samsung’s Galaxy S6 is a great device, no doubt about it. It has all the elements needed for a great smartphone: a large, high quality display, powerful processor, a great operating system with countless features, and two amazing cameras.

However, the competition out there is merciless. Apple has hit the South Korean giants hard with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models, and now the LG G4 seems to be out for blood, as well.

The G4 hasn’t even been properly unveiled yet, and Forbes has already made a detailed comparison of the cameras on the two smartphone heavyweights, and even though LG has some hardware advantages over the Galaxy S6, the question remains whether or not is it worth extra $$$.

"One aspect of which the company is most proud is the G4’s main lens. Its f/1.8 aperture is currently the brightest on any smartphone and is a massive improvement on the f/2.4 lens found on the current G3 model. Perhaps more importantly it just pips Samsung’s excellent f/1.9 Galaxy S6 camera at the post", says Forbes, later adding that the 0.1 difference might not be "incredibly important", as LG likes to put it.

Manual control over shutter speed, ISO and white balance are also big advantages for the G4.

Still, the automatic snapshots are what will ultimately determine the better camera for most owners. Both Apple and Samsung are extremely good at that, and we will still have to wait and see just how LG’s flagship G4 can compete with the duo.

Startup time, handling of the phone while taking pictures, megapixels; those are all elements making the difference between a good camera and a great camera.

"These early details look very promising, but the Galaxy S6 is a very tough act to follow and it will definitely take more than just an f/1.8 lens to pull it off", Forbes concludes.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Ever wondered how old you look? New tool from Microsoft will hurt your feelings

Publié: avril 30, 2015, 8:45pm CEST par Wayne Williams

Microsoft has created a new website which makes use of its recently released Face detection APIs to guess a user’s age based purely on a photo they submit.

The creators expected around 50 people to be interested in trying out the project, but the site has gone viral, racking up over 35,000 users as of yesterday, and likely hundreds of thousands more today. People want to know how they are perceived by others and a site that promises to predict their age based on an uploaded photo was bound to be a hit. It’s a shame then, that a random number generator could probably produce more accurate results.

I’ve tested several photos of myself, and others, on the site and the ages predicted vary wildly. And I mean wildly. The site guessed I was 35, based on one photo I uploaded, and then 75 based on another. I’m actually 48. Both pictures were taken at the same time, just from a slightly different angle. My advice is if you try it, and you get a flattering result, stop there. The next result will likely not be as kind.

In fairness, it's early days, and Microsoft is still improving the feature, so it will hopefully get better in time. Well it has to really.

A post on the Machine Learning Blog explains how the technology works (or doesn’t) and makes for interesting reading.

You can try it out for yourself now at http://how-old.net. Let me know in the comments how accurate, or otherwise, it is for you.
What Google's looking for in a manager

Publié: avril 30, 2015, 8:09pm CEST par Sead Fadilpašić

Being a manager at a company is a difficult task. You need to help people, motivate them to work, plan their projects, and make decisions. Even though a lot of people dream of becoming a manager, or any sort of boss at a company, not everyone is fit for that kind of pressure and expectation.

But when it comes to Google, being a manager is a completely different experience. The reason? It’s kinda hard to manage people that are most likely a lot smarter than you.

Google’s head of human resources, Laszlo Bock spoke to Quartz’s Max Nisen recently, on the subject of employing and managing people, and he says managing Googlers is a vastly different experience.

Bock says that in most companies you get rewarded and promoted for having better insights than the people you’re surrounded with, as well as being able to play the game of politics. "Everything you experience teaches you that you need to be assertive, and out in front, and making all of the decisions".

At Google, managing doesn’t mean making decisions -- it means getting the maximum out of the team.

"You realize that you have a lot less levers, control and power than you do at a lot of other companies. You don’t decide who to hire, or how big a bonus somebody gets, you don’t decide who gets promoted".

You need to motivate them without the leverage of power.

"You’re forced to figure out how to add value without relying on power, and you do that by influencing, by giving people the opportunity to learn, and giving people more freedom".

Master this skill, and you will be a great Google manager.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Dell Wireless Dock available today

Publié: avril 30, 2015, 7:13pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

Laptop computers are great, as they allow the user to be portable. Want to surf the web in Starbucks? You got it. Need to take notes in class? Go for it, bro. Unfortunately, some people -- myself included -- prefer working with a huge monitor, mouse and keyboard. Traditional docking stations are a good solution, but they can take up significant desk space. Plus, depending on the unit, docking and undocking can be a tedious affair.

There has to be a better way, right? The Dell Wireless Dock may be what you are looking for. While not the first such Intel WiGig solution, fans of Dell quality will want to take notice. If you have a compatible Intel-powered laptop or tablet, you can dock your machine -- sans wires -- for increased productivity.

"The cables and large docking station may be gone, but your productivity certainly is not. The Wireless Dock allows you to work more efficiently by powering up to two external displays (VGA, HDMI and mDP), keyboard, mouse, audio and other peripherals. The dock is equipped with two USB ports in front and three in the back to provide you the flexibility to work with as many devices as you need to manage your busy work flow", says Dell.

The manufacturer also says, "the new Dell wireless docking solution is designed for laptops, Ultrabooks, and 2 in 1 devices with 5th generation Intel Core vPro processors enabled with Intel Tri-Band Wireless-AC 17256. The Dell Wireless Dock is compatible with the Dell Latitude 7000 Series and Latitude 5000 Series with an optional installed Intel Tri-Band Wireless-AC 17256 available only at the time of purchase".

What makes this particularly cool is that you do not even need to have the computer on your desk -- it can communicate from a nearby bag, drawer or shelf. This saves room, while also protecting the computer from things like coffee spills.

I had the pleasure of experiencing Intel WiGig technology on a dock from a different manufacturer and it worked flawlessly. Intel's technology has no issue wirelessly streaming 1080p video without a stutter. It is a really impressive thing to use. Keep in mind, you can use Dell's dock with computers from other manufacturers too.

If you own a machine that is compatible with Intel WiGig you can buy the Dell Wireless Dock here. Unfortunately, pricing is not yet live, but should be available later in the day.
Are you a Bitcoin early adopter? Here's how you can minimize risk

Publié: avril 30, 2015, 4:36pm CEST par Tim Wheatcroft

Bitcoin has significantly shifted from being a commodity traded by investors towards being used as an actual currency used to pay for goods and services. Exponentially growing transactions in the past year as well as increased involvement from businesses and government figures suggest that cryptocurrency adoption will only continue. The British Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, stated his desire for the UK to become a "global center of innovation for financial technology" before the end of 2015, and has taken steps to both regulate Bitcoin exchanges as well as provide guidelines for organizations who deal in the currency. On the business side, the number of merchants accepting Bitcoin have already hit 100,000 this year -- this number is expected to reach 140,000 by the end of this year.

It is common knowledge that there are clear business benefits and opportunities to utilizing Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. For example, any existing market currency can be converted to a cryptocurrency through the use of online portals. Once held, cryptocurrencies can be stored in an electronic "wallet" without the need for a bank account. If a company manages most of its assets in bitcoin, this will naturally result in a reduction of third-party costs, and represent an alternative to managing multi-currency risk -- however, this option is not without its own risks.

You will need to consider the following if you are looking into Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies:

Price risk: because there are no derivatives markets to support cryptocurrencies, companies accepting Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies will experience price volatility on a daily basis with no means to protect against extreme losses in value of their holdings.

Liquidity risk: due to the lack of market infrastructure supporting cryptocurrencies, trading tends to be of relatively smaller quantities than corporates would need to transact on a daily basis. As a result, exchanging large amounts of Bitcoins, for example, may incur large bid/ask spreads. This often results in a loss of value or the need to spread out transactions over periods of time, incurring more costs and increasing price exposure.

Counterparty risk: payment systems using Bitcoin are not regulated nor do they provide any guarantees. If a $100M payment "doesn’t go through" then what is the recourse and to whom? Even if the result is positive, treasurers need payments to go through immediately and be certain of their outcome

If the benefits of cryptocurrencies outweigh the risks for your organization, you can take the following measures to minimize said risks:

Minimise your Bitcoin holdings: Be effective with your cryptocurrency management and only hold the quantity of Bitcoins needed to meet forecasted Bitcoin obligations. Holding more will expose your company to unnecessary "Virtual Currency" (VX) risk.

Diversify by using multiple counterparties: Given the lack of central bank backing and protection against counterparty risk, should anything go wrong with your Bitcoin wallet, payments or exchange provider, you may risk losing everything. If you have large cryptocurrency transfers to make, consider spreading the risk by using multiple counterparties.

Stay current on regulations: Given how new Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies are, the regulatory landscape is still only taking shape. In the US, Bitcoins have been designated a commodity, so any price fluctuations while you hold Bitcoins generates capital gains and losses. Other markets have their own unique nuances, so stay informed.

Establish strong audit and controls: One of cryptocurrencies’ biggest benefits and challenges is the level of anonymity and lack of audit trail it provides. For example, any payments made with Bitcoin are irreversible. To counter this, you need to ensure that your organization's internal processes and audit trails are more detailed than for regular payments.

While Bitcoin remains unstable, its increasing acceptance in the business world will only help overcome the pains of early adoption. It is inevitable that Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies will continue to evolve and develop into a legitimate financial tool. Until then, exercise caution in all your Bitcoin dealings.

Photo credit: Lightboxx / Shutterstock

Tim Wheatcroft is director of corporate communications at kyriba. He has spent more than 15 years in the PR trenches on both sides of the Atlantic, having started his career in London before moving to San Diego in 2001. He has worked on a diverse range of technology and consumer campaigns, ranging from start-ups to major global players. Tim’s PR experience ranges from the world’s largest technology firm to a chain of hamburger restaurants, both of which have their unique benefits.
Why backups are shifting to the cloud

Publié: avril 30, 2015, 4:11pm CEST par Ian Barker

A backup and recovery solution is essential for enterprises if they're to safeguard their critical data. Yet whilst they may take care of their servers, according to a new infographic from private cloud company SingleHop they're less concerned about endpoint data.

Only 50 percent of companies have endpoint backups in place and this leads 16 percent of end users to do their own backups using a non-approved solution.

This seems short sighted given that system downtime is a major cost, loss of mission critical data costs in excess of $70,000 per hour on average and even losing non-critical data can cost $42,000 per hour.

Organizations encounter unplanned downtime 13 times a year on average and targeted attacks are a major threat with 50 percent aimed at larger enterprises and 31 percent at those with fewer than 250 employees.

No surprise then that data loss is a major concern for management and that they're increasingly turning to the cloud as a solution. 64 percent already store data in the cloud and 78 percent plan on changing their protection product in the next two years.

There are more interesting statistics on the effects of downtime in the full infographic below.

Photo credit: LilKar/Shutterstock
Tor blocks third-party tracking, debuts security slider

Publié: avril 30, 2015, 4:08pm CEST par Mike Williams

Privacy software Tor has been updated to version 4.5 with a stack of new and enhanced features.

Improved website isolation stops most third-party tracking by social networking buttons, adverts and "mashup" content.

A new Security Level option allows users to disable vulnerable browser features (JavaScript, remote JAR files, more) simply by dragging a slider.

Tor now uses Disconnect as its default search provider, delivering Google search results with using Captchas or collecting your IP address.

Windows setup changes see the Tor package now signed with a hardware signing token, while the installer has a new option to add Tor Browser to the Start Menu/ Applications view (this is on by default, but you can disable it if necessary).

Tor Circuit handling has been enhanced. You can now view the current Circuit on the onion menu, or request a new one, and the browser should no longer change Circuits while you’re actively using a site (something which used to cause all kinds of odd problems).

The full changelog is here if you need it, otherwise Tor 4.5 is available now.
Windows 10 is undeniably impressive, but can it win you over?

Publié: avril 30, 2015, 2:06pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

I was sold on Windows 10 before I could even try the first Technical Preview. Now, after seeing the latest slew of changes unveiled at Build 2015, it is clearer than ever that Microsoft is on the right path and that Windows 10 will be the most impressive release yet. There is no doubt in my mind about it.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Microsoft expects Windows 10 to attract one billion users within the first two to three years of its release. The timer starts this summer. It may sound like an empty claim, but when you look at everything that has been done so far to make Windows 10 so exciting, and consider the huge unlocked potential, it certainly sounds plausible. While I am no fortune-teller, I can’t see Microsoft getting anything important wrong. And that’s something I haven’t felt in ages in regards to the software giant.

Microsoft got the first step towards the mass-adoption of Windows 10 right from the get-go. The new operating system will be available as a free upgrade to those rocking Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1. Even though pirates will not be upgraded to a legitimate license, they will also be able to follow this upgrade path. Since pirates will always exist, Microsoft might as well allow them to move to a release that’s actually relevant to its future.

While the free upgrade may not translate to license revenue gains in the first year, it is best to have as many users as possible on the latest release and reap the rewards over time. Think about it: what is the first thing that developers are looking for before committing to Windows? The answer is simple: critical mass. Windows 10 is primed to offer them just that.

This is something that could have a major impact over whether top developers will treat Windows 10 as the third-major mobile platform, and whether Windows software developers will want to bother with Windows Store. Let’s take them one at a time.

Realistically speaking, Windows is not consistently a third choice now for most popular mobile app developers, even though Windows Phone and Windows 8.x take third place on the podium in the smartphone and tablet markets, respectively. A major developer’s release schedule has iOS and Android at the top of the list, and Windows in the maybe-but-hopefully-not category, that is put somewhere out of sight.

Given a considerable installed user base, those developers will have no good reason not to support Windows 10, even if it’s their third choice. I don’t think it could attract every top developer in Windows Store -- because that is not realistic -- but most will be tempted.

Benefiting both developers and users, Windows Store will open up to subscriptions and introduce the ability to pay with for things through the phone bill. Both of these things will contribute towards increasing revenues from the app store.

Also, Microsoft is facilitating the launch of major titles by making it easy for developers to port their existing Android and/or iOS apps to Windows 10. This adds to the appeal of releasing apps on Windows 10, as developers will not have to treat Windows 10 as a completely separate entity, but rather as an add-on to their existing Android and/or iOS apps. Resource requirements for such a move are thus minimized.

It is not all rainbows and unicorns though. I see a problem here, one that BlackBerry has been dealing with ever since it introduced an Android runtime to its mobile operating system. Put simple, Microsoft basically risks sending the wrong message to developers. The announcement can be interpreted as "don’t bother creating Windows apps, keep on prioritizing Android and iOS, it will be easy to port your titles to Windows 10".

Windows 10 is certainly primed to be the third mobile platform, in developers’ eyes, but it is also primed to remain that way for the foreseeable future. Put differently, what’s the benefit in prioritizing native Windows 10 development, unless revenue goes through the roof and users are demanding it? It’s a question that I’m sure many existing developers are already trying to answer. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some re-thinking their strategy.

To round up the Windows Store talk, let’s speak about how Windows Store is designed to attract Windows software developers. I am making a distinction between apps and software, discussing apps in relation to mobile and software in relation to desktop-grade software, like the Windows version of Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, VMware, etc. You get the gist.

Microsoft will be doing something that I proposed over a year ago, and that is getting desktop software (or, legacy apps, as Microsoft has referred to them) in Windows Store. Think about this for a minute: you will be able to get major software like Adobe Photoshop up and running in just a few clicks, from the same place where you will find Facebook or Twitter. There are lots of benefits to this approach, which I detailed in the article linked above.

Windows software developers should want to be part of the Windows Store crowd. The added convenience and security blankets offered here are the main reasons to consider such a move, not to even mention the increased exposure. The current software distribution model is fundamentally broken in today’s era, as, among other things, it exposes users to malware, security risks from running older releases and so on. Windows Store can fix that.

I am not entirely sure how Windows software available in Windows Store will work with Continuum mode, which lets Windows 10 users leverage their smartphones and the usual (compatible) peripherals to enable a PC-like experience. Will such software, designed for the x86 architecture, be available to those rocking ARM-based devices? I’m reaching out to Microsoft for clarification.

Speaking of Continuum mode, it is one of the most intriguing additions to Windows 10 for phones. It will require a mouse, keyboard and monitor, all compatible of course, to work, but can you imagine just how useful it can be at times?

It wouldn’t make sense to repurpose a Windows 10 smartphone as a PC replacement, but, when all the right tools are available, why bother editing something on that tiny screen when you can do it much faster and much more comfortably in Continuum mode?

I wish that Microsoft would copy the Continuity and Handoff page from Apple’s playbook, and introduce something similar in Windows 10, so there’s even more cohesion between all the form factors it supports, but even so Continuum can be mighty useful on its own.

I am somewhat skeptical of its immediate practical application though. You can’t escape the hardware compatibility requirement. Outside of friendly environments, where users are likely to have appropriate hardware, where can Continuum be of real use?

A subset of Windows 10 users will most certainly see it as an extremely cool feature to have right away. There is real potential here, but the smartphone hardware needs to be designed around it, so that it can be pitched as a tangible benefit. We’ll just have to wait for the first Windows 10 smartphones to see what it’s like, and, of course, grab compatible hardware.

Another big step forward in Windows 10 is Microsoft Edge. Previously known as Project Spartan, the new browser will offer a consistent user experience across all form factors, it looks modern, supports modern technologies, and, for power users, works with Chrome and Firefox extensions.

Developers will, of course, have to port their extensions to work on Microsoft Edge, but it is, nonetheless, a fantastic feature with great potential. Microsoft wants to get rid of Internet Explorer, and convince Chrome, Internet Explorer and Firefox users to switch, and the potential unlocked by such extensions will only help smoothen the transition. It’s not the only thing that matters when making such decisions, naturally, but it is a key factor for many of us power users.

Fundamentally, Windows 10 has changed for the better. But it is also changing on the outside, in ways that users will interact with frequently. The latest build introduces a new lockscreen option which enables users to view more information, Cortana gets a new user interface, the Start menu receives some tweaks of its own, and, for the nostalgic crowd, transparency -- Aero-like --makes a comeback. All the right Windows features are there, it’s just gaining a bit more polish.

There are some unbelievably cool things unveiled at Build, such as Windows Holographic, but for the bulk of Windows users, what is truly relevant are the new additions aimed at typical desktops, laptops, smartphones and tablets introduced by Windows 10. And, more so than before, is it an appealing upgrade. For those getting a new device, choosing Windows 10 is a no-brainer. That is, if they want to invest in Windows going forward.

Photo Credit: Andresr/Shutterstock
You can now tweet playable MS-DOS games

Publié: avril 30, 2015, 1:37pm CEST par Wayne Williams

Using Twitter used to just involve writing something under 140 characters in length, but over time the service has evolved, and you can now include photos, animated Gifs, short videos, files and more with your tweets. And if that’s not enough, how about embedding fully playable DOS games?

The Internet Archive lets visitors play classic console and arcade games directly on its site, and it recently added 2,600 playable DOS games too. It’s those games that can be embedded on Twitter.

Adding games to your tweets is just a matter of finding the one you want on Internet Archive, and including the URL in your message.

Games in the archive include Cannon Fodder 2, Boulder Dash, Duke Nukem 3D, Wolfenstein 3D, Street Fighter II, Prince of Persia, Championship Manager, The Incredible Machine, Hexen, Sim City, and Wing Commander Academy.

The full list of games is here, and you can sort it by views (popularity), title, date, and creator.

The games all run in DOSBox, but sadly not all of them will function as they should, so you might want to experiment with a game, before tweeting it to your followers.

Playing Street Fighter II in a tweet is pretty cool! [t.co]

— Wayne Williams (@Waynewill1) April 30, 2015
Generate gorgeous math-based art with Spirograph

Publié: avril 30, 2015, 12:56pm CEST par Mike Williams

Spirograph is a classic geometric drawing toy, developed 50 years ago and still popular today.

Normally it involves using multiple gears to draw intricate patterns on sheets of paper, but if that sounds like too much hassle then you could just download the open source (and entirely unofficial) Spirograph for your PC.

The program is implausibly tiny -- a 97.1KB download? really? -- and so it’s no surprise that the interface is, well, basic: a blank work area and a panel crammed with buttons, boxes, and seed values.

It’s not exactly clear how to get started, but opening an example offers some clues. Try "ThreeCurves" and three tabs appear, showing that the design is comprised of three separate elements. Each of these has its own separate starting values which you can view by clicking that tab.

These values can be freely tweaked to change the pattern. Increasing “Stator Radius” by just a point or two can have dramatic effects, so that’s a good place to begin.

Once you’ve played around with the examples, you’ll be ready to create something new of your own. Click File > New to clear any existing design, then the Add button and an initial pattern appears. Tweak this as before, then click Add to overlay another pattern. Set new color and opacity values, maybe experiment with Fill Modes, or use the Animate feature to show your design being drawn from scratch.

When you’re happy, patterns can be copied to the clipboard, or saved as images in various formats (PNG, GIF, TIFF, BMP and JPG).

Spirograph could be easier to learn. And it’ll probably have to be renamed once the trademark holders notice its existence. But if you enjoy fractal explorers and similar math-based pattern generators then it should keep you entertained for an hour or two.
Unpatched PDF readers leave US private PCs open to attack

Publié: avril 30, 2015, 12:18pm CEST par Ian Barker

Adobe Reader 10 has 39 vulnerabilities and is unpatched on 65 percent of private PCs in the US, whilst Adobe Reader 11 with a 55 percent market share has 40 vulnerabilities and remains unpatched on 18 percent of machines.

This is one of the findings of the latest Secunia country report. Additional findings show that 14 percent of PC users in the US (up from 12.9 percent last quarter) have an unpatched operating system, and that Oracle Java once again tops the list of applications exposing PCs to security risks.

Other applications in the vulnerability top 10 include Apple QuickTime, Microsoft Internet Explorer and uTorrent for Windows. Also one in 20 programs on the average US PC have reached end-of-life, meaning they are no longer supported by the vendor and don't receive security updates. Adobe Flash Player, one of the end-of-life applications, is still installed on no less than 78 percent of the PCs surveyed.

"It is worrying that, with such a high market share, one in five US users fail to patch their Adobe PDF reader," says Kasper Lindgaard, Director of Research and Security at Secunia. "Considering the fact that PDF documents is a prominent attack vector used by hackers to gain entry into IT systems, users put themselves and any system they are connected to at risk, by neglecting the security risk the popular reader represents when not maintained. It is paramount that users remember to patch their PDF readers, and that corporate IT teams have procedures in place to update all PDF readers on devices that are in any way connected to the company infrastructure".

More interesting findings are that the average PC user in the US has 76 programs installed from 27 different vendors. 42 percent of these programs are from Microsoft while the rest come from other companies. Whilst there's a single update mechanism for the Microsoft programs this means that users may have to master up to 26 other, different update processes to keep their machine secure. Little wonder that a popular social engineering trick for malware is to pose as an update for a video player or similar.

Secunia's country reports for the US and elsewhere are available to download from the company's website.

Image Credit: alexskopje / Shutterstock
Outlook.com API brings add-ons from PayPal, Boomerang, Uber and more

Publié: avril 30, 2015, 11:51am CEST par Mark Wilson

Add-ons are a common feature of traditional, offline applications, but they're becoming increasingly popular in online services. Microsoft is the latest to get in on the action, announcing a batch of new add-ons for Outlook.com, including one from PayPal that makes it easy to make payments via email.

The add-ons were made possible when Microsoft launched the Outlook APIs at Build. They can be used by developers to create plugins with HTML, CSS3, and JavaScript. Microsoft is pushing the "write once, run anywhere" nature of the API that means the same plugin can run in Outlook.com, Outlook Web App and the desktop version of Outlook.

Also showcased was a plugin from Boomerang which can be used to schedule the sending of emails, use your inbox as a reminder tool, and share a calendar with others. An Uber add-on is a rather simpler affair, giving users the ability to set up an Uber ride reminder for calendar events. Microsoft says that the API can be used to create "contextual experiences for Outlook.com and Office 365 users that simplify everyday tasks, helping them get more done without the hassle of switching between multiple applications".

In order to get access to the Outlook API, would-be coders need to sign up for a developer account. With around 400 million active users, Outlook.com is something of an untapped market when it comes to monetization by third parties.
Get Windows 10 for Raspberry Pi 2 now

Publié: avril 30, 2015, 9:36am CEST par Wayne Williams

When the Raspberry Pi Foundation launched its new Raspberry Pi 2, we were impressed to hear it would be able to run Windows 10. Admittedly it isn't the full PC version of the operating system, but rather a special version created especially to run on such devices.

Yesterday, following the keynote at its Build developer conference, Microsoft released a new build of Windows 10 Insider Preview, but that’s not all. It also pushed out a Windows 10 IoT Core Insider Preview with support for Raspberry Pi 2 and Intel’s Minnowboard Max. So if you have either of those devices, you can download and try out the preview right now.

With it being a preview it’s a little limited and rough around the edges at the moment (the full version will be available when Windows 10 launches in the summer). Microsoft describes this release as a "conversation starter".

Steve Teixeira, Director of Program Management for the Internet of Things team in Microsoft's Operating Systems Group, says: "With this Insider Preview release of Windows 10 IoT Core, we’re bringing the power of Windows to Raspberry Pi 2 for the first time. We’re embracing the simple principle of helping Makers and device builders do more by bringing our world-class development tools, the power of the Universal Windows Platform, direct access to hardware capabilities, and the ability to remotely debug, update, and manage the software running on Raspberry Pi 2 devices".

You can find out more about the Windows 10 IoT Core preview here, and download it here (there are full instructions for getting started). You will need access to a PC running Windows 10 to set it up -- running Windows 10 on VirtualBox or another VM won’t work because you need access to the SD card reader. Also, you’ll need to connect your Microsoft account to the program and agree to the terms before you can download the preview.

The image above is what a Raspberry Pi 2 running Windows 10 will boot up to. You can also run the x86 version on your desktop.
Bing predicts where your team will finish in the Premier League

Publié: avril 30, 2015, 9:31am CEST par David Curry

The Premier League is almost over, but the final positions of the 20 teams is still up for debate, with several middle of the pack teams currently tied. Microsoft’s Bing Predicts looks to answer where every team will be come the end of the season.

Using algorithms based on past matches against future opponents, current form, injuries and other factors, Bing Predicts has a good overview of the entire situation, although nothing is for certain.

Chelsea is the obvious favorite to win the Premier League, Bing has them first with 91 points, followed by Arsenal taking second with 84 points. Manchester City comes third with 79 points, and Manchester United holds on to fourth spot with 77 points.

Liverpool comes fifth with 72 points, meaning they will qualify for the UEFA Europa League, but instead of Tottenham, Southampton will claim sixth spot with 68 points and take the other spot in the UEFA Europa League, since Chelsea revokes its own spot for finishing in the top four.

Tottenham will come seventh with 63 points, meaning it may have a shot at the UEFA Europa League if Arsenal beats Aston Villa in the FA Cup Final.

At the bottom of the table, Sunderland will make it out of relegation with 32 points, moving from its current spot in 18th to 16th. Leicester, Burnley and QPR will be relegated from the Premier League, according to Bing.

Cortana has been right before, predicting the score of the Super Bowl last year. Microsoft’s use of complex algorithms capable of analyzing every small detail makes it hard to go against the judgment, even in a sport with unexpected results at the end of the season.

The full table of predictions can be found below:

Image Credit: Flickr (CFC Unofficial Debs)

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Windows 10 Build 10074 becomes official -- available now from Windows Update

Publié: avril 30, 2015, 1:38am CEST par Brian Fagioli
Today has been a whirlwind day for Microsoft. On the first day of the Build conference, the company stunned the world by announcing tools to easily port both iOS and Android apps to Windows 10. That alone is news worthy, but the company did not stop there. It also announced Continuum for Windows 10 phones, allowing the devices to scale up as desktop PCs. It also revealed the user-facing name for Project Spartan to be "Edge". Phew!

Of course, as many people expected, Microsoft released a new Windows 10 preview build today too. Yes, it is Build 10074 -- the one that leaked -- although now you can get it from Windows Update rather than messy ESD files. The company has revealed changes in the now-official build including additions, fixes and the dreaded known issues.

"Today we have a new build available to both the Fast and Slow ring for Windows Insiders (that means we'll have ISOs available too for those of you who like a clean install.) With this build we continue to evolve the features and design for Windows 10, and you’ll see a lot of subtle changes and improvements, many of which were influenced directly by Windows Insiders. One of those changes is the reintroduction of some Aero Glass elements in the UI, but there are many more things throughout the product as well. We continue to use your feedback directly day to day in how our feature teams operate, and we hope that Windows 10 will be the best version of Windows yet because you had a direct hand in its creation", says Gabe Aul, Windows Guru.

The interface is being tweaked and improved, including the potentionally exciting return of Aero Glass! Aul explains, "we've also heard loud in clear that many Windows Insiders want to see Aero Glass from Windows 7 make a comeback. We've been working out how to satisfy this request, and are trying some things out with this build to see how you like them. We're running a little A/B test with this build. 50 percent of you will normal transparency on the Start menu and taskbar while the other 50 percent will see a blur effect on the Start menu and taskbar (like frosted glass). If Windows Insiders really like the blur effect, we will add it to more areas and even consider making it the default instead of standard transparency".

This "A/B test", as Aul puts it, is quite genious and is a smart move during the preview phase. Many consumers have been clamoring for the return of Aero Glass and it sounds like positive feedback may drive its return. With that said, if you want it to return, make sure your voice is heard in the feedback app.

For an in-depth look at more new features, please check our coverage of the leak here.

Unfortunately, known issues are included in Build 10074, but luckily it is not too bad this time. Microsoft lists the following issues.
- Developers cannot enable Developer Mode in the Settings app for installing and testing apps on this build. We’ll enable this in an upcoming build. In the meantime, you will need enable your device for development using the Group Policy Editor.
- There is an issue in this build preventing some games from playing in full screen mode. We’re working to get a fix out via WU as soon as possible.
- The People app continues to crash. We're planning to release an update for the People app through the Store Beta that fixes this.
Don't worry, besides known issues, there are fixes in the build too, including some major ones from the previous build. Microsoft lists the following fixes.
- You can now launch Win32 (desktop) apps from the Start menu again. Sorry about this bug!
- You should be able to download music in the Xbox Music and Music Preview apps.
- When you minimize an app playing audio, it should continue playing in the background.
If you decide to take Build 10074 for a spin, tell me how you like it in the comments.

Photo Credit: Khosro/Shutterstock