Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » août 2, 2015

BetaNews.Com (7 non lus)

Free up space in Windows 10 by removing unwanted core apps

Publié: août 2, 2015, 6:25pm CEST par Wayne Williams

Windows 10, like previous versions of Microsoft’s operating system, comes with a selection of bundled programs -- or apps these days -- which you probably have no need for.

Uninstalling apps is a pretty straightforward process, you can do this through the Start menu, but removing core applications isn’t as easy. The uninstall option is not available, meaning you’re stuck with a bunch of apps you don’t want. You can however, remove these using PowerShell.

Open the Start menu, and type 'PowerShell'. Launch it by hitting enter. Run the 'Get-AppxPackage -User username' command (replacing 'username' with your actual Windows 10 username). This will display all of the installed applications.

Locate an app you want to remove and copy the actual PackageFullName for it.

Run the 'Remove-AppxPackage PackageFullName' command. If you want to remove the People app from Windows 10, for example, you’d run 'Remove-AppxPackage Microsoft.People_1.10241.0.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe'.

You should exercise a degree of caution (and common sense) when removing core apps as some may be important to the system’s integrity. If you don't know what an app is, or does, then leave it alone! It likely won't be taking up much space, and it's better to be safe than sorry.

Photo credit: Sakhal / Shutterstock
Recover webmail logons with SterJo Mail Password

Publié: août 2, 2015, 6:23pm CEST par Mike Williams

SterJo Software has released SterJo Mail Password, a free Windows tool which recovers and displays webmail account details for Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL, GMX, Zoho and one or two more.

There’s no hacking or brute forcing involved. The program simply checks the credentials stored by your Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Opera setups, so if these aren’t saved locally then it won’t show anything at all.

Mail Passwords is supremely easy to use. Unzip the download, run MailPasswords.exe, click the Unlock icon on the toolbar (or select File > Show Mail Passwords), your system is scanned and the mail service, user name and password are displayed for any local accounts.

Right-click an account and you'll find options to copy the user name, password, or all of its details to the clipboard (there’s no direct "save everything to a file" option, unfortunately).

This worked well for us, and is a quick way to recover forgotten passwords.

It could also be used by snoopers to grab someone else's logons, though, which is why it's generally a bad idea to allow browsers to store passwords locally. If others have access to your PC, download the program and run it and see what they might be able to find.

SterJo Mail Password is a free tool available for Windows XP and later.
Warning: NVIDIA Shield Android tablets can catch fire -- company issues recall

Publié: août 2, 2015, 6:07pm CEST par Brian Fagioli
One of the worst tragedies a person can experience is a home fire. If the flames themselves don't destroy your belongings, the smoke, and water from hoses probably will. In other words, it is a very serious thing and should not be taken lightly.

Sadly, Nvidia's Shield tablets are a fire-hazard. If you own one of the affected tablets you should stop using it immediately. Do not charge it and do not power it on other than to verify if it is affected. Not sure if yours is impacted? Read on to learn more.

"NVIDIA today announced a voluntary recall of its SHIELD 8-inch tablets sold between July 2014 and July 2015, which the company will replace. NVIDIA has determined that the battery in these tablets can overheat, posing a fire hazard. The recall does not affect any other NVIDIA products", says NVIDIA.

To check and see if your tablet is recalled, the company tells owners to "visit www.nvidia.com/support/tabletrecall for information on how to obtain a replacement device. NVIDIA is also asking consumers to stop using the recalled tablet, except as needed to participate in the recall and back up data. Consumers will receive a replacement tablet after registering to participate in the recall".

NVIDIA shares the following steps to see if your tablet is a fire risk.
Step 1: Please update your tablet to the latest software:

Ensure you’re running the latest software, which you can check by following these instructions:
- From the Home screen, select the Apps icon
- Select the Settings icon
- Scroll down, select About tablet
- Select System Updates
Verify that your tablet has the latest software dated July 1, 2015, or newer. See image at right. You may need to repeat this step more than once if your system is out of date.

Step 2: How can I tell if my unit is affected by the recall?:

The recall applies only to tablets with a certain battery type. Once you’ve verified that you’re running the latest software, identify your unit’s battery type by following these instructions:
- From the Home screen in Android, select the Apps icon
- Select the Settings icon
- Scroll down, select About tablet
- Select Status
- Under the “Battery” category, you’ll see Y01 or B01
- If B01, your unit is NOT affected by this recall
- If Y01, your unit needs to be replaced. Please select Y01 to launch the recall application on the device
Is your NVIDIA Shield tablet affected? Tell us in the comments.

Photo Credit: Hluboki Dzianis/Shutterstock
Windows 10 gets enterprise services courtesy of HP

Publié: août 2, 2015, 5:19pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

Windows 10 has been officially out for less than a week and the news it has generated doesn't seem to stop. From download numbers to new devices, things keep pouring in. Now HP is heading in a different direction, one aimed at businesses.

HP is announcing a full suite of products geared towards the enterprise market. "HP, a Preferred Provider of Microsoft cloud productivity and mobility solutions, now offers the most comprehensive portfolio of services available for the Microsoft enterprise ecosystem which includes Enterprise Services for Office 365, Readiness Workshop for Office 365, Enterprise Mobility Suite, Skype for Business and the new Windows 10 enterprise suite of services", the company states in the announcement.

Included in this release are HP Test Drive services for Windows 10, HP Transformation Services for Windows 10, HP Roadmap Service and HP WebApp Accelerator for Internet Explorer 11.

"HP’s unique relationship with Microsoft allows us to offer Windows 10 in a controlled manner integrated into the client’s world -- giving both IT and the User the chance to experience the new operating system", says Eric Harmon, Senior Vice President of Global Practices and Transformation at HP Enterprise Services. "IT & developers get to validate the application portfolio in advance – lowering the cost & risk of a large scale migration, and the user sees innovation and a more personal computing experience".

As for HP Test Drive Services for Windows 10, HP Roadmap Service for Windows 10 and HP WebApp Accelerator Service for IE11 they are all available now. If you want HP Transformation Services for Windows 10 then you will have a wait, as it launches October 1st. You can find out more here.

Photo credit: Anton Watman / Shutterstock
Samsung slashes Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge price by €100

Publié: août 2, 2015, 3:51pm CEST par Manish Singh

Struggling to return strong profits, Samsung has slashed the retail price of its flagship smartphones -- the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge -- by €100. After the deduction, the revised cost of the 32GB variant Galaxy S6 is €599, whereas its Galaxy S6 Edge counterpart will slightly break the bank at €699. The smartphones were launched just four months ago.

For now, the price reduction only seems to be visible in Netherlands, but as Samsung pointed out earlier during its quarterly earnings call, it will be “adjusting the price" of the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge everywhere. The company is also rumored to launch two new smartphones, namely the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and the Galaxy Note 5 in the coming days.

Earlier this week, the South Korean technology conglomerate posted its second quarter earnings. The company reported that its net profit had fell eight percent year-on-year to KRW 5.75 trillion (equivalent to $4.93 billion). Even on sales, the company was down seven percent from last year.

Samsung notes that this year’s smartphones made only “marginal” impact on its profits. The company also says that it will be “adjusting the price” of both smartphones while also introducing new smartphones at its Unpacked event in New York City on August 13.

As I had noted earlier this year, Samsung, the biggest Android player, has repeatedly overpriced its smartphones. The company’s absurd pricing has made it irrelevant in the cut-throat smartphone market which is floor-to-ceiling packed with emerging players such as Xiaomi, and OnePlus who are selling flagship-stature smartphones at almost half of Samsung’s offerings.
Sound problems in Windows 10? Here are some workarounds

Publié: août 2, 2015, 1:20pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Windows 10 is now available to all. During the testing period, numerous preview builds were released, each bringing its own set of problems. This post was originally written to help fix audio problems in build 10041, but the suggestions still work in the final release.

If you have problems with the installation of a Realtek driver, don’t get the full audio experience with VIA HD Audio, or have issues with Conexant audio, there's a workaround for you to try.

Let's take a look at these three issues in reverse order. A problem with Conexant audio means that you may hear no sound in Windows 10 even though everything appears to be working correctly. While this is being investigated, Microsoft suggests running msconfig.exe and heading to the Boot tab. Click the Advanced options button, check the Maximum memory box and set the value to 3072.

If you have VIA HD Audio and find that you can only hear sound from certain apps, there's a different workaround for you. Open Playback Devices, right click the audio output device and set it as the default device. With this done, select the device, hit Properties, move to the Enhancements tab and check the Disable all enhancements option.

Finally, if you are plagued with a problematic Realtek audio driver installation -- specifically a 0x000005b4 error -- you can try a workaround published in the Stone Support Library. There's a guide to using Group Policy Editor to give the driver longer to install, or you can download a registry file to put the new settings in place with a couple of clicks. Once this has been done, you can then re-attempt the driver installation.

Photo credit: LDDesign / Shutterstock
The insane popularity of proxy site Unblocked shows the futility of web restrictions

Publié: août 2, 2015, 12:16pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Few people like to be told what to do, and this is certainly the case online. If you're told that you're not allowed to visit a certain website, it is only human that you question why -- it may well increase your desire to visit said site. Around the world, governments have taken it upon themselves to try to police the internet. It's something many would describe as an exercise in futility, and it seems they are correct.

The implementation of restrictions on access to certain websites can be seen in many countries, but it is something that the UK government has shown itself to be particularly keen on. So how successful have initiatives to blocks access to the likes of the Pirate Bay, KickAssTorrents et al actually been? Not very. One site that helps users to get around web restrictions is proving more popular than both Skype and Spotify.

You would think that Microsoft's messaging tool and the streaming music website would account for a fairly hefty chunk of web traffic. But in the UK they are both less popular than Unblocked, a site designed to help people bypass web blocks and get to restricted sites. The UK's Conservative government has taken it upon itself to restrict access not only to sites that might provide links to copyrighted software, movies etc, but also to sites that feature hardcore pornography.

But where there's a will there's a way, and people will always find a way to circumvent any access restrictions that may be put in place. This is where Unblocked is really coming into its own. As reported by TorrentFreak, the site is now the 192nd most popular site in the UK. That's a lot of people looking to get around government restrictions.

The top 200 websites are littered with streaming porn sites, as well as big-hitters like Google, The Guardian, and so on. Getting so far up the chart is not easy, and it just goes to show the level of interest people have in accessing blocked content, and the futility in attempting to block it in the first place.

Censorship of the internet has always been a divisive issue. There are those who argue that any form of restriction amounts to censorship, while others say it is only right that certain content is subject to policing. But the global nature of the internet means that any country's restrictions can be bypassed using services like Unblocked. Short of closing down individual sites, it's time to realize that time and resources pumped into trying to control what people can see online is being wasted. It's time for a rethink.

Photo credit: auremar / Shutterstock