Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » août 4, 2015

BetaNews.Com (18 non lus)

New Windows 10 preview builds on the way -- time to opt back into Insider updates!

Publié: août 4, 2015, 10:48pm CEST par Mark Wilson

It's now a week since the launch of Windows 10, and if you've missed looking out for the release of new preview builds there's some good news for you. Microsoft disabled preview builds in the immediate run-up to the release of Windows 10, but now you can opt back in.

What does this mean? Now that Windows Insiders have the option of accessing updates from the Fast and Slow rings once again, it's safe to assume that new preview builds are on the way. With the widely-held belief that Windows 10 Service Release 1 is imminent, this is perhaps not entirely surprising -- we may even get a glimpse of Windows 10s first major update.

As reported by WinSuperSite, Microsoft has just made it possible to gain early access to new builds of Windows 10 once again. All you need to do is head to Settings, click Update & security, and click the Advanced options link in the Windows Update section. Under the Get Insider builds heading you can choose between joining the Fast or Slow ring. Should you change your mind, you can always hit the Stop Insider builds button.

There's no word on exactly when a new build might be released, but Gabe Aul suggested on Twitter that there won’t be long to wait:

@elcoxx We'll start delivering builds again before too long, but for now 10240 is the build to be on.

— Gabriel Aul (@GabeAul) August 4, 2015

As before, any builds that hit the Slow ring are going to be more stable than those on the Fast ring, but neither sets of builds are really designed for use on mission-critical computers. If your computer is essential for work, it might be a good idea to stick with the Slow ring, or not bother with Insider builds at all. If you like living on the edge, however... it's an entirely different story.

Photo credit: Anton Watman / Shutterstock
SysAdmin Appreciation Day: Did you appreciate your admins in the right way?

Publié: août 4, 2015, 8:14pm CEST par Kornelius Brunner
You may be wondering -- what exactly is System Administrator Appreciation Day? For the past 15 years, the last Friday of July has been a day dedicated to those who make everyone else’s job easier by making sure IT needs are met and everything is running smoothly.

Yes, System Administrators (SysAdmins) install and maintain everything from LANs to WANs and the Internet and intranet -- but you probably know them as the first person to call when your computer freezes or you can’t access your email.

Daily Challenges

While BYOD and the increased availability of productivity applications are meant to make employee’s lives easier, all these additional endpoints need to be monitored for uptime and security purposes -- meaning more work for the SysAdmin.

Although today’s technology has its challenges, it’s usually the users who make SysAdmin’s jobs most challenging. Since most companies have employees with different levels of IT proficiency, they often get urgent requests that can be fixed with a simple solution like restarting a computer or adding new batteries. I have to admit, I’ve asked these types of questions before, and chances are -- so have you!

However, despite our daily questions, SysAdmins don’t get the credit they deserve. If everything is running smoothly -- we often don’t spare them a thought. However, if dangerous malware or spyware makes its way on to the network, it can obliterate a whole system. Or if your PC fails to function for a considerable amount of time, it inhibits productivity. Without the intervention of the SysAdmin, downtime can result in significant financial damage for the company.

What SysAdmins Really Want

While cake and cards are great, what they really want are the tools to make their lives easier. An IT management tool is an example of a solution that reduces workload and will surely keep SysAdmins happy all year round. Here are just some of benefits of using an IT management tool:
- Monitor devices proactively -- With IT management tools, parts of a system like online state, disk health, CPU and memory usage are automatically checked and the admin is notified when a certain threshold is exceeded. Proactive alerts means issues can be fixed fast, and often before it’s able to impact performance quality -- giving SysAdmins peace of mind.
- View all deployed assets within seconds -- As discussed above, more and more devices are being hooked up to a network, and SysAdmins need visibility into these endpoints. With an IT management tool, a user can generate reports on all hardware and software, as well as show what version software is and when it was installed or last modified. These reports make it easy for SysAdmins to keep track of hardware and eliminate the inherent risk of using out-of-date software -- especially when employees often ignore those pesky pop ups that ask if you want to install the latest version.
- Protect devices against malicious software -- With anti-Malware tools SysAdmins can rest easy knowing there are automatic scans in place, which look for threats such as viruses, Trojans, rootkits and spyware 24/7. And, if something unusual is detected, it will be quarantined and the right people will be alerted immediately.
Don’t wait until next year -- run and thank your SysAdmin and take a second to watch this fun video by ITbrain that shows how not to show SysAdmins your support.

Kornelius Brunner is Head of Product Management, ITbrain
Clean up after a Windows 10 upgrade and regain loads of disk space

Publié: août 4, 2015, 8:13pm CEST par Wayne Williams

Windows 10 itself has moderate hard drive requirements -- around 16 GB for the 32-bit OS, and 20 GB for 64-bit version -- but the upgrade process can leave behind loads of temporary files that can really impact on your free space.

Browse the root of your system drive, and you’ll probably find two sizable directories -- $Windows.~BT, and $Windows.~WS, as well as a Windows.old directory created during the upgrade. Wondering if you can, or should remove these? It’s a question of lot of people are currently wondering.

While you can just delete large folders, the best way to regain space is by using the built in Disk Cleanup tool.

Click Start and type 'Disk Cleanup'. Right-click the application that appears, and select 'Run as administrator'. Select the drive you want to clean up -- this should be your system drive -- and click OK.

The tool will calculate how much space can be saved and then present you with a list of items that can be cleaned, including some very large ones.

In the list you’ll see 'Temporary Windows installation files' and 'Previous Windows installations'. Checking those will free up a ton of space -- 22.19GB in my case. Of course removing 'Previous Windows installations' will prevent you rolling back your system to the OS you had before Windows 10, so make sure you’re happy with the new operating system before doing so.

The 'Temporary Windows installation files' entry will clean out everything in the $Windows.~BT folder, but not in the $Windows.~WS directory. The latter folder is created when the installation files for Windows 10 are downloaded as a result of reserving your upgrade through the Get Windows 10 tool. At the moment, Disk Cleanup doesn’t target this particular folder.

$Windows.~WS is also used during a restore process and Microsoft says you should keep it in case it’s needed (the software giant also recommends keeping Windows.old for the same reason), however, you can delete it manually, and won’t experience any day-to-day problems if you do so.

Really, when cleaning up after an upgrade, you have to decide how badly you need the space you’ll save. If you have a very large system drive, it may be worth leaving those folders untouched, as they’ll come in handy in the event of problems. If space is a premium, remove them. It’s unlikely you’ll miss them, and you can always download and create your own installation media should you need to.

Photo credit: Sakhal / Shutterstock
New OnePlus smartphone to launch around Christmas

Publié: août 4, 2015, 7:51pm CEST par David Curry

With the OnePlus 2 officially announced, the Shenzhen-based startup is starting work on its third smartphone, set for launch near Christmas. OnePlus CEO Carl Pei confirmed plans to launch the smartphone around that time in an interview with USA Today.

Pei said it may or may not be higher spec than the OnePlus 2, and did not branch off into any more details. Rumors of the OnePlus Mini, Plus and Ultra have all been published, but we have yet to see any concrete proof of a size change.

Considering the OnePlus 2 features a 5.5-inch display, we might see OnePlus try for a 6-inch phablet. A 4.7-inch smaller device could be in the works as well, to compete with the HTC One M9 and iPhone 6.

In the interview, Pei also spoke about the lack of NFC on OnePlus:

"I think the entire issue of NFC is overblown. Very few people are using NFC, so we cut it. It’s as simple as that. I know that Android Pay is coming but all that is in the future. It (NFC) is going to gain widespread adoption in stores 12-18 months from now. By that time people will have moved on to the next device".

This is an interesting take on features. Where Samsung and HTC are rushing to add things like NFC and waterproofing, OnePlus is considering what customers want right now. It also goes against OnePlus’ experimental crowd, who want to use all of the new features on Android.

Pei also thinks OnePlus will be one of the three main smartphone providers in five years. He claims Samsung and Apple will remain in the industry, alongside OnePlus. This is optimistic, considering neighboring mobile giant Xiaomi’s massive hold on the Chinese market.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Microsoft announces Windows 10-optimized PC accessories

Publié: août 4, 2015, 7:05pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

Windows 10 is off to a very successful start. All around the world, users of Windows 7 and 8 are upgrading to the new version at a furious pace. This is a very smart move, as for the first time ever, a major update to Microsoft's operating system is being offered to the masses at no charge.

While Windows 10 should run absolutely fine on existing computers and current accessories, that doesn't mean there can't be improvements. Today, Microsoft announces updates to its well-respected line of mice and keyboards, with a focus on Windows 10. Will you upgrade your keyboard and mouse to its new offerings?

"Following the launch of Windows 10 last week, we're excited to announce new and updated PC accessories that take advantage of the latest Windows 10 features and functionality. Don't forget to download our Mouse and Keyboard Center to further customize your keyboard and mouse settings and take advantage of all Windows has to offers", says Brandon LeBlanc, Microsoft.

LeBlanc further explains, "the Sculpt Comfort Desktop and Sculpt Comfort Mouse will be available via Microsoft Stores, MicrosoftStore.com on July 29. The Wireless Desktop/Keyboard 850 will be available via Microsoft Stores, MicrosoftStore.com on September 23. The Wireless Desktop 3050 and 5050 will be available via Microsoft Stores, MicrosoftStore.com on October 7, 2015".

You can see a video highlighting these new accessories in the video below.

Security-minded individuals will particularly love the Wireless Desktop 900, Wireless Desktop 850, Wireless Desktop 3050 and Wireless Comfort Desktop 5050 as the keyboards feature AES encryption. Businesses working with sensitive data in particular should take special notice, as this can potentially protect against keyloggers.

If you just need a mouse, the Bluetooth Mobile Mouse 3600 looks like a winner, as it has a 4-way scroll wheel -- a much appreciated feature for Excel users. It looks very comfortable too.

You can see images of the new hardware and associated prices below. Which will you buy? Tell me in the comments.

Wireless Desktop 900 ($49.95)

Bluetooth Mobile Mouse 3600 ($29.95)

Sculpt Comfort Desktop ($79.95)

Wireless Desktop 850 and Keyboard 850 ($39.95)

Wireless Desktop 3050 ($59.95)

Wireless Comfort Desktop 5050 ($69.95)
Siri might be able to transcribe your voicemails in iOS 10

Publié: août 4, 2015, 6:49pm CEST par Nabil Ansari

The future is here. Apple is now preparing to launch a voicemail service that will use Siri to transcribe your messages. And since we all know what a pain it is to listen to those voicemails again, you will then receive a message from iCloud of the transcribed voicemail, although this is due in 2016.

Here’s the theory that Apple is using: people like to leave voicemails because it is much easier to leave an oral message as opposed to typing it all out in a text message. But, on the other hand, people don’t like to receive voicemails because it is much easier to read a message, than go through all the voicemails someone has left.

Plus, older people prefer to leave and listen to voicemails.

So, it doesn’t matter whether you are a baby boomer, or the Gen Y, you will love this new service from Apple.

So, all of that juicy info begs the question -- how does this new voicemail thing works?

Let me tell you.

Consider that your friend is calling you and you are unable to take a call. So, instead of letting that call go, Siri will answer it. It will relay the information about where you are and why you cannot pick up the phone right now. But here’s the best part, once your friend ends the call, you will receive a transcription of that voicemail.

As of now, this new Siri voicemail service is being tested by Apple employees. It is predicted that if the service is improved and is deemed reliable enough, 2016 will be the year when it will be launched, possibly along with the new iOS 10 update.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Bringing the power of analytics to performance management

Publié: août 4, 2015, 5:11pm CEST par Ian Barker

Smooth management of IT systems relies on being able to spot issues early and resolve them before they have a major impact on performance.

Infrastructure analytics specialist Virtual Instruments is launching a new version of its VirtualWisdom solution, a vendor-agnostic platform that ensures performance for enterprise applications spanning physical, virtual and cloud computing environments.

VirtualWisdom4.3 offers new software probes that support Microsoft Hyper-V and IBM PowerVM. It's also introduced a flexible cloud delivery model, moving a customer's platform appliance and data analytics to the cloud, as well as new hardware probes for NAS and fibre over Ethernet (FCoE).

By correlating and analyzing millions of data points across the entire infrastructure, VirtualWisdom 4.3 provides business leaders, IT operations and application teams with definitive answers to optimize their systems. As a result, IT teams can spend less time troubleshooting and more time focusing on the business, enabling greater cross-department collaboration and increasing the value that IT delivers.

"Successful performance management centers on being proactive, and the new components of VirtualWisdom4.3 enable our customers to get ahead of looming performance issues," says Barry Cooks, senior vice president of products, engineering and support at Virtual Instruments. "Heterogeneous, multi-vendor IT infrastructures are the norm in enterprise IT, and our engineering team is committed to bringing our customers a solution that solves performance problems throughout the entire infrastructure ecosystem. Multi-hypervisor support, expanded analytics and our cloud delivery option combine to make VirtualWisdom4.3 a critical platform for a greater range of enterprises that are recognizing the role IPM can play in driving a business toward its higher level goals".

VirtualWisdom 4.3 is available now, to find out more visit the Virtual Instruments website.

Image Credit: alexmillos / Shutterstock
Microsoft Surface 3 and Surface Pro 3 now come with Windows 10 preinstalled

Publié: août 4, 2015, 4:10pm CEST par Wayne Williams

If you’ve been thinking of buying either Surface 3, or Surface Pro 3, but have been waiting for Windows 10 to arrive, now is the time to get your wallet out.

Microsoft has started shipping both of its slates with Windows 10 preinstalled. Surface 3 comes with Windows 10, while Surface Pro 3 has Windows 10 Pro onboard.

Surface 3 comes in a choice of configurations -- 64GB with 2GB RAM, and 128GB with 4GB RAM. There are Wi-Fi only, and Wi-Fi + 4G LTE models offered, although the LTE ones aren’t currently available.

Surface Pro 3 is offered in even more variations -- 64GB with 4GB RAM and Intel Core i3 1.5GHz processor, 128GB with 4GB RAM and Intel Core i5 1.9GHz processor, 256GB with 8GB RAM and Intel Core i5 1.5GHz processor, 256GB with 8GB RAM and Intel Core i7 1.7GHz processor, and 512GB with 8GB RAM and Intel Core i7 1.7GHz processor.

If you buy a Surface Pro 3 today, you can enjoy a sizeable discount as there is currently $150 off the price of select models. The 256GB Core i5 is $1149 down from $1299, the 256GB Core i7 is now £1399 down from $1549, and the 512GB Core i7 will set you back $1799, instead of $1949.
Microsoft selects Interana to improve Bing performance

Publié: août 4, 2015, 4:10pm CEST par Ian Barker

Bing is the second largest search engine in the US and in order to maintain its position the team behind it needs to make constant improvements and for that they need insights into how it gets used.

Microsoft has chosen behavioral analytics solution Interana to analyze the massive volumes of clickstream event data generated daily on Bing.

"Interana and Microsoft share a common vision of innovation. During the proof of concept, Interana met the challenge of delivering the insights we needed from our massive volumes of event data," says Craig Miller, group engineering manager for Bing Experiences. "Interana's scale is impressive. It took only minutes to get answers to questions, opening new possibilities as to what we can do with analytics at interactive speeds. We look forward to continuing to work with the team".

The Bing team will use Interana to analyze experiments at interactive speeds for tasks like A/B testing, trend analysis, automated reporting, ad hoc exploration and discovery, and knowledge sharing. Interana's behavior-based tools will allow Bing to quickly work through a variety of testing, optimize its search engine, and measure how new and current features perform with users. Bing will also enable new data producers and consumers by allowing non-technical team members to access their data via Interana’s end-to-end self-service experience.

"Bing and Interana illustrate how a business can draw actionable insights quickly from massive amounts of data," says Ann Johnson, co-founder and CEO of Interana. "Interana helps organizations like Bing better understand their customers and business. We do this with a solution that’s sophisticated enough to provide insights for seasoned data scientists and simple enough to produce value for business users".

Interana's scalability and performance will enable Bing to interactively analyze the growing amounts of event data generated by searches to better understand users' preferences and accelerate its speed of innovation.
Control your PC with a webcam via Camera Mouse 2015

Publié: août 4, 2015, 4:09pm CEST par Mike Williams

Some Windows applications are keyboard-oriented, others built for touch, but the vast majority are still designed to be controlled by a mouse. And that’s a problem if you don’t have reliable control of a hand.

Camera Mouse is a free tool for Windows XP+ which allows users to control their mouse with head movements, instead. It’s been around for years, but developer Boston College has recently released an update with a couple of new features.

Setup is quick and easy. Launch the program, click a feature on your face -- an eye, maybe the tip of your nose -- and that’s essentially it. Move your head gently and the mouse pointer should move, too.

Hover a mouse cursor over an area and the program simulates a click. Double-clicking is almost as easy (single-click a special button and the next click counts as a double), but there’s no right-click or drag support.

A host of settings allow you to fine-tune camera control, the clicking process and other details. You could have the program automatically locate the corner of your eye, for instance, avoiding the need for that first click. Increasing the dwell time makes it less likely you’ll click something by accident, and you can set Windows to use a single-click to open an item, avoiding many double-click hassles entirely.

Camera Mouse 2015 extends this configurability a little further, with customisable function keys for various actions. It now works correctly with Windows Text Sizes of up to 200 percent, and of course the program runs under Windows 10.

The lack of right-click support is a problem, but tools like ClickAid can help with that, and overall Camera Mouse 2015 is still a great product: easy to use, but also configurable enough to suit most people’s needs. Check it out.
Web isolation platform adds threat intelligence to improve accuracy

Publié: août 4, 2015, 2:49pm CEST par Ian Barker

We reported on the Menlo Security Web Isolation Platform, which aims to eliminate threats before they reach the desktop, earlier this year.

Now Menlo Security is beefing up its offering, announcing a partnership with threat intelligence specialist Webroot. The link up will deliver granular threat intelligence for the Web Isolation Platform through integration with Webroot's BrightCloud Web Classification Service.

"Webroot has the most comprehensive and effective Web classification service in the market," says Poornima DeBolle, chief product officer at Menlo Security. "Integrating Webroot's BrightCloud Web Classification Service with our Web Isolation Platform enables us to give our customers comprehensive control, security and visibility for their organization's Web activity".

For most enterprises, restricting access to unproductive and known-malicious websites is a best practice for preventing productivity loss and reducing risk. However, according to Menlo's recent Vulnerability Report, more than 20 percent of the top million websites are running vulnerable software and are therefore open to compromise by attackers. As a result, even those sites considered to be 'safe' may be compromised and used to serve malware at any time.

The Menlo Security Isolation Platform provides an extra level of security that prevents any malware from reaching user devices via compromised or malicious sites. By isolating and executing all web content in the public or private cloud and delivering only safe, malware-free information to the user's device, the Menlo platform eliminates the risk of malware.

Adding classification data and threat intelligence from Webroot lets administrators of the Menlo Security Web Isolation Platform establish policies that selectively allow, block or isolate websites based on category. The classification data from Webroot also augments the logs and reports provided by the Web Isolation Service, enabling administrators to track and analyze all web usage.

Webroot Web Classification is available now as part of the Web Isolation Service, visit the Menlo Security website for more information.

Image Credit: Maxx-Studio / Shutterstock
Why can't Amazon Echo handle this seemingly basic feature?

Publié: août 4, 2015, 2:10pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

Since receiving Amazon Echo, Alexa, the name Amazon gives these devices, and I have grown to know one another. We mostly get along, but occasionally argue. It (she?) has learned my habits, but began playing the news the other night while I was watching TV, rather annoyingly. I'm looking forward to testing its home automation features with Nest thermostat and GE Link bulb in the near future. Hopefully Alexa won't decide I no longer need heat or lights!

But what can't Echo do? That's an open-ended question with many answers, depending on what the user wants. However, I'm only asking for one small thing, at least for now.

So here's an open letter to Amazon:

Dear Amazon,

I love my Fire TV, it's been a great device and it handles every task flawlessly. It obviously takes care of Prime TV, but Hulu, Sling and more work just as well. It will even play games and the controller is very nice. The Bluetooth remote and voice search are also excellent. It's a job well done.

As for your Echo, it's also well done. While bordering on the creepy side, it does what I ask...usually. The response time is tremendous and the answers are accurate, though sometimes it simply refuses my request, but I can live with that.

But, here's the thing Amazon -- why can't Echo control Fire TV? This seems a basic concept that anyone would have thought of. Echo allures us to the opportunity of no remote, but fails to get us there..

Thanks for your time,

Alan

For now there is a workaround, though it's a bit convoluted. It involves lots of steps and utilizes IFTTT and Dropbox, which makes it a bit non-user friendly.

Will Amazon add this feature? Most likely, as it seems unavoidable. It's just question of why it wasn't there at launch. Other features are certainly on the horizon as well, but so far the company remains mum on all of this.
Slack shows off beta Windows Phone app

Publié: août 4, 2015, 1:48pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

There is nothing more frustrating about Windows Phone than finding out that one of the services that I have to use on a daily basis does not have an app in Store, nor is there a third-party offering available. The poor developer support is one of the main reasons why I switched to iPhone 6 Plus late last year, after using Windows Phones exclusively for nearly two years straight.

However, in the case of some services, at least there is hope. Slack, the communication tool that we use at BetaNews, does not currently have a Windows Phone client, but the company behind the service is actively working on one, showing off an early build on Twitter.

Slack has not said much about its Windows Phone client, but there are a couple of interesting pieces of information that were also revealed. First off, the app is currently not designed as an Universal App, being optimized only for smartphones.

Those who were hoping to use Slack on a Windows tablet will have to make do with the desktop client, which is already available for Windows 7 and newer versions of the operating system, including Windows 10. Also, it does not look like Slack is building the app to be fully compatible with the upcoming Windows 10 Mobile.

Slack is not looking for any external testers, hence why I said above that the app is in an early development phase. Slack, however, says that when external testers will be needed, it will announce so on Twitter.

Obviously, there is no word on when Slack for Windows Phone will be released. Keep in mind that Slack told us about its plans to create a Windows Phone app back in March, which suggests that a release on Windows Phone is not a priority.

@rubemlrm oh, you mean this one? pic.twitter.com/zeSWfMLB09

— Slack (@SlackHQ) July 30, 2015

Slack can also be accessed through a browser, but, as is the case with lots of other web clients, it is better suited to PCs than smartphones. Of course both Android and iOS get proper mobile clients, which work great based on my experience.
Monetizing mobile apps without harming the user experience [Q&A]

Publié: août 4, 2015, 12:55pm CEST par Ian Barker

In the past making money from a mobile app has usually involved signing up to an advertisement network and allowing the app to display banner ads.

The problem with this is that it doesn't make for a particularly good user experience and may actually turn people off using the app. For some time now the buzz around the industry has been about 'native' ads within apps. But exactly what is a native ad and what are the benefits? We spoke to Yannis Dosios, VP of Yahoo Publisher Services to find out.

BN: What is a native ad and how do they differ from more traditional options?

YD: At Yahoo, we believe advertising doesn't have to compromise how users enjoy an app, and that advertisements should, and can, complement the user experience. This is why Yahoo introduced native advertisements inside its own mobile applications. What makes these advertisements native is how seamlessly they are integrated into the user experience. For example, users scrolling through the Yahoo Finance application articles see a native advertisement after every few pieces of content. This ad has the same look and feel, and layout as the other content sections, while clearly denoting that this content is sponsored.
What we have found is that these native ads deliver significantly higher revenue and eCPMs (revenue per thousand impressions) than the traditional banner or full-screen interstitial advertisements. We also have found that these ads perform well for advertisers, delivering superior click-through rates and post-click conversion rates. Users notice and engage with these advertisements.

BN: Yahoo announced back in February that it was launching native ads following its acquisition of Flurry. What success has this brought?

YD: The Yahoo Mobile Developer Suite is helping mobile developers measure, advertise, monetize and enhance their apps. We've seen a lot of early success with Gemini, Yahoo's native advertising solution. According to a recent Flurry from Yahoo survey, nearly half of mobile app publishers already have or are planning to introduce native ads, and that number is growing rapidly. We’ve seen publishers express that revenue and control of the user experience are most important to them right now. It's a rapidly evolving space, and we're excited to be a leading player in it.

BN: Is Yahoo competing directly with other mobile ad networks?

YD: With its Yahoo Mobile Developer Suite, Yahoo offers mobile developers a comprehensive solution for acquiring, engaging and monetizing users, and for deeply measuring and optimizing their mobile applications. In particular, with Yahoo App Marketing, developers can use just one platform to gain exposure to an enormous audience of highly engaged and active users across desktop, mobile and social. With Yahoo App Publishing, developers can maximize their advertising revenues through a combination of well-integrated Gemini native, video and search ad units, extensive and unique data from both Yahoo, Tumblr and Flurry, and a powerful ad selection algorithm that leverages this unique data. And with Flurry Analytics and Explorer, developers can instantly measure their application performance and identify problem and opportunity areas to maximize performance.

BN: Are search ads as important for mobile apps as they are for the desktop?

YD: Search ads are certainly also important in mobile. But the search context and experience are also very different in mobile. Flurry data shows that about 88 percent of time spent on mobile devices is spent inside mobile applications, so it makes sense that mobile searches also get initiated directly from those applications. This is why Yahoo offers a Search-in-Apps service, which enables app developers to introduce search capability from within their apps. For example a user of the Pinger messaging application can easily search for movie times for the movie that they have just chatted about with their friends, all without leaving the Pinger application. This is an exciting space with lots of room for innovation.

BN: What trends are you seeing in the mobile advertising market?

YD: This is a fast changing market, but the main trends I would call out are:
1. Growing interest of brands in spending more on mobile -- in recognition of the very rapid increase in mobile usage.
2. Increased advertiser focus on measurement and impact assessment from mobile campaigns.
3. Growing importance of data and programmatic for more precise and better optimized advertising campaigns.
4. Rapid growth of native and video ad formats.

BN: Native ads are obviously good for the end user but what benefits do they offer advertisers?

YD: What's special about native ads is that they appear to be meeting the needs of all three key parties: they monetize well for developers, they perform for advertisers, and they are accepted and even liked by users. In particular, a recent Yahoo/Ipsos Consumer Perceptions study showed that 60 percent of consumers have said they feel positive about native ads. And 80 percent of advertisers say they will invest in Native in 2015. This, combined with the superior monetization performance of native advertisements over other ad formats makes native advertising a very compelling ad format.

Photo Credit: 3Dstock / Shutterstock
Enterprises should adapt to Windows 10, not work around it

Publié: août 4, 2015, 12:52pm CEST par Jes Breslaw

Microsoft’s move to continuous updates is a fundamental change. Most significantly, those components traditionally shipped as part of a major release will now be available as independent apps.

This means innovations within these apps can be made available when they are ready, not held up for the next big operating systems (OS) update.

At first glance the decision for Windows to move towards a model of continuous delivery will delight customers and enthuse developers to put innovation at the heart of what they do.

Microsoft is talking the continuous delivery talk. However, for enterprises not ready to transition to this new model, due to the perceived risks around destabilizing their platforms with endless updates, there will still be a branched version available which only updates features every five years.

However, by taking the branch option these cautious organizations will largely fail to benefit from the huge investment Microsoft is making in innovation. Enterprises should be moving their own Windows applications to continuous delivery, and through their own continuous integration and testing, ensure updates are successful.

This requires development and testing environments that can be provisioned at speed, and with quality data. In a world where evolution is a rapid and constant ascent, rather than the stepped jumps of days past, enterprises must adapt to take advantage of the investment technologists are making.

The likes of Apple and Android OS are already steaming ahead with a continuous delivery model. Organizations need to accept Microsoft’s latest change and jump in with both feet to avoid missing the boat.

Jes Breslaw is director of marketing and strategy at Delphix.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.

Photo Credit: Maksim Kabakou/Shutterstock
New intelligence tool aims to make enterprises smarter

Publié: août 4, 2015, 12:02pm CEST par Ian Barker

Businesses are constantly on the look out for information to support their decision making processes. But they need to understand industry and market trends as well as what’s happening internally.

Today enterprise services platform and marketplace provider blur Group is launching an online business intelligence tool that provides a comprehensive industry overview on specific trends in business services -- including insights into geographical focus, technology and more.

Called blur Data it’s designed for anyone in the business services industry searching for insights to support forecasting and budgeting. It combines insights from blur Group's established global marketplace with analytics gleaned from external data across search engines and social media to offer a one-stop source of information.

"Imagine having immediate access to trending technologies and global, up-to-date statistics to inform your upcoming budget projections. We believe blur Data will become a key strategic tool for buyers of business services when it comes to making informed pricing, forecasting and procurement decisions." says Philip Letts, blur Group's CEO. "This product launch comes at an exciting time for the Group, which is attracting more enterprise level buyers and service providers than before. We remain committed to our goal of attracting large enterprise customers to the platform and this launch will position us even better to service their needs".

Offered as a standalone product from blur's Enterprise Services Platform, blur Data will be available to customers for $39 per user per month. More details can be found on the blur Group website.

Image Credit: Mopic / Shutterstock
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook is a Windows 10-powered Chromebook killer

Publié: août 4, 2015, 11:17am CEST par Brian Fagioli

When Google's Chromebooks came onto the retail scene, consumers were dubious, and rightfully so. After all, for the most part, the operating system appeared to be nothing more than a web browser. While Chrome OS is actually a full-fledged Linux distribution, the focus is on the web browser, so consumers aren't far off -- perception is everything.

While Chromebooks can be a great option for people with limited computing needs, Windows 10 offers so many more possibilities. Despite limitations, what kept Chromebooks semi-popular, was the low cost. Unfortunately for Google, that benefit is short-lived. Today, Acer announces its Aspire One Cloudbook line. With super-low prices and Windows 10 Home, these are sure to be wildly popular; consumers may forget about Chromebooks altogether.

"The Aspire One Cloudbook 11 and 14 come with a 1-year subscription of Office 365 Personal and up to 1TB OneDrive online storage, making it ready to use out of the box. Acer’s cloud-enabled abApps, including abPhoto, abMusic, abDocs, and abFiles, allow consumers to easily sync their files and documents with their smartphones or tablets, all securely and privately in their own personal cloud. Dual digital microphones with enhanced digital signal processing (DSP) that cancel background noise ensure online calls are heard loud and clear, while also allowing a smooth experience for Cortana, Microsoft’s personal digital assistant", says Acer.

The value-focused manufacturer explains, "the highly-portable Aspire One Cloudbook Series packs everything into a beautiful, clean, and fan-less design just .70 inches (17.9mm) thin; the 11-inch model is just 2.54 lbs. (1.15kg) light and the 14-inch weighs in at only 3.5 lbs. (1.6kg). Sporting a mineral gray cover with a dotted textile pattern that provides good tactile feedback, these notebooks offer full-sized HDMI, USB3.0, USB2.0, and SD Card ports to eliminate the need for additional adapters. A full-sized chiclet keyboard and large touchpad supporting Windows 10 gestures provide a comfortable typing and navigation experience"

Acer shares the specs and pricing below.

As you can see, these are hardly top-of-the-line machines, but they don't have to be. Whether for education of average home use, the specs are more than enough for many. True, you cannot use these Cloudbooks for hardcore gaming or Adobe Photoshop, but with prices under $200, that should not be expected.

Where do I see this being used? The 11 inch models can be great choices for students of all ages -- even into college. At these prices, your kids breaking it is an easier pill to swallow than a more expensive option. They would even be great companion machines for those of us with desktops or larger laptops.

The 14 inch option, however, could be an actual desktop replacement. It would be the perfect laptop for a family on a budget. While the 2GB of RAM found in all of these machines is a bit on the low side, I find Windows 10 to be quite nimble with it. Upgradeability remains to be seen, but I wouldn't hold my breath on adding memory or swapping the SSD.

With a full-sized keyboard and a rather large trackpad, Acer may have winners on its hands. Quite frankly, I expect these svelte and affordable laptops to be extremely popular -- especially with the back-to-school crowd.

Which model will you be buying? Tell me in the comments.

Photo Credit: MidnightBoheme/Shutterstock
Sony unveils Xperia C5 Ultra mid-ranger

Publié: août 4, 2015, 10:09am CEST par David Curry

Sony has announced a slew of smartphones, with the Xperia C5 Ultra one of the more interesting in the range. The 6-inch phablet comes with a duo of 13MP cameras on the front and back of the smartphone, offering a wide angle selfie camera for all those interested.

On top of the selfie camera, the Xperia C5 Ultra offers a 6-inch 1920 x 1080 display, 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek CPU, 2GB of RAM and ARM Mali 760 GPU. The smartphone features 16GB of internal storage, with an optional microSD card slot capable of holding up to 200GB of additional storage.

Design-wise, the Xperia C5 Ultra looks similar to most of the Xperia devices. The edge-to-edge display is a nice touch, along with the rather large front facing sensor with flash.

Android Lollipop 5.0 comes pre-loaded on the Xperia C5 Ultra, underneath Sony’s Xperia UI.

The cameras are the real selling point of the Xperia C5 Ultra. The front camera features a 13MP Exmor RS camera, with a 22mm focal length and soft LED flash. The rear camera has more of the same, but has a 25mm focal length. Neither have optical image stabilization, opting for software stabilization to hold the camera steady.

Phablet devices are popular in South-East Asia, where Sony will sell the Xperia C5 Ultra. The problem with this device is beyond the 13MP selfie camera, which might be seen as more of a gimmick than a real feature, the device is quite bland. Sony hasn’t added water resistant materials to the device, and it lacks the stereo speakers some of the higher end Xperia devices feature.

Sony has not mentioned a price, release date or global availability. We will update the article when Sony makes these details public.

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