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BetaNews.Com (6 non lus)

Alex Jones invades Google

Publié: octobre 24, 2015, 10:26pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

Google offers some wonderful products, such as Gmail, YouTube and Maps. Unfortunately, even though the services don't cost money, you pay for them through advertising and by handing the company your information. In other words, the search-giant is constantly tracking your activities.

Alex Jones of infowars.com is a controversial figure; some call him a conspiracy theorist. While I do not take everything he says at face value, I do appreciate his reporting and patriotic love for the American people. Whether right or wrong, Jones is very critical of Google and what he perceives as privacy-invading business practices. To prove a point about how Google is invading our lives, he decided to invade a public Google Fiber event. It did not go well.

As you can see in the video below, Alex politely entered the event with a camera man. Unfortunately, Google immediately told him that his video recording was prohibited. Jones used this as an opportunity to point out the hypocrisy of banning his filming while the search-giant had cameras of its own at the event -- including webcams on the laptops. A posted sign explicitly states that Google is recording everything. If Google is filming everyone, why can't Alex film too?

Do you think Alex Jones was out of line in the way that he behaved? Was Google wrong to ban his filming? Tell me in the comments.
Chattanooga, Tennessee gets first 10 gigabit residential internet service courtesy of EPB

Publié: octobre 24, 2015, 8:19pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

Looking to move to a new area? You may wish to add another location to your list of possibilities. Kansas may have Google, but not to be outdone Tennessee is going one better on the search giant, specifically if you live in the area of Chattanooga, a town situated near the Great Smokey Mountains.

The first ever 10 gigabit residential internet service has now been rolled out, appropriately installed for someone who has a pressing need for such massive bandwidth.

"Dr. Jim Busch, a radiologist and entrepreneur in Chattanooga, has become the first person in the world to have a 10 gigabit-per-second (10 Gig) residential Internet connection installed in his home. Dr. Busch, who is president of Diagnostic Radiology Consultants (DRC), has a frequent need to download and upload massive diagnostic image files whether he is at home or the office", announces provider EPB.

The service utilizes Alcatel-Lucent's TWDM-PON technology and is a real residential service, unlike a point-to-point commercial installation.

"In my field, fiber optic speeds save lives,” Dr. Busch says. “Instead of waiting as much as a week or more to get results because radiologists would have to physically go to each location, our patients can get their results in hours or even minutes. When something is seriously wrong catching it as early as possible can be the difference between life and death".

The availability spans an area covering 600 square miles and costs $299 per month. Installation is free and there is no contract or cancelation fee. EPB is quite proud of this roll out, with president Harold DePrienst stating "We can’t wait to see how Dr. Busch and other enterprising individuals are going to use our new 10 Gig service to push the boundaries in ventures ranging from healthcare and 3D printing to film production and software development".

Photo Credit: Sashkin/Shutterstock
Could a new Twitter campaign weed out fake reviews on TripAdvisor?

Publié: octobre 24, 2015, 5:33pm CEST par Mark Wilson

TripAdvisor quickly became one of the most useful websites, and subsequently the most useful apps, to have been developed in recent times. But it also has a dark side. Like any site that allows users to leave reviews, TripAdvisor suffers with the problem of fakes. A new Twitter campaign hopes to help cut down the number of fraudulent reviews.

Fake reviews are not a problem that is specific to TripAdvisor -- Amazon has gone as far as suing people it believes to be fabricating reviews -- but a group of people have joined forces to try to do something about it. Concerned that there are a huge number of reviews written by people who have not actually visited the establishment they are reviewing, the #noreceiptnoreview campaign proposes that people should only be permitted to share their reviews upon the production of receipt.

It's a campaign that has the backing of diners, writers, and restaurant critics, as well as those who run hotels and restaurants. It is a bid to stem the tide of maliciously negative reviews that may be posted by rival businesses or people with an axe to grind. Of course, it would not be a complete solution to the problem; there would be nothing to stop someone from eating at a restaurant to obtain a receipt, and then writing a deliberating scathing review.

But supporters say that it is a start. One of the backers is Jay Rayner -- food writer for the Observer -- who says:

TripAdvisor have admitted they have a problem with fake reviews, and if you have a business model that functions on trust, then you need to do something to protect that. At the moment I only use TripAdvisor to get a list of places in a particular town I'm going to -- I ignore the rankings.

There have been suggestions that TripAdvisor should introduce a user verification system similar to that used by Twitter and Facebook, but this would potentially mean that reviewer would feel less inclined to speak their mind. The idea of requiring a scanned receipt before posting a review is not a perfect solution -- and there are many ways to play the system -- but it could be a step in the right direction.

Speaking to the Guardian, a TripAdvisor spokesperson said the company was not keen on the idea -- but that's not necessarily the point. The point is that people are talking about the problem and trying to come up with a possible solution; that's something that should benefit everyone.

Photo credit: Bloomua / Shutterstock.com
The Xbox app for Windows 10 gets additional social features

Publié: octobre 24, 2015, 1:06pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

The Xbox One is no longer new, but Windows 10 still has that shiny feel. The two were made to go together, along with Windows Phone, in an effort to bring a more unified feel to the platform. You may or may not think Microsoft succeeded in this, but the effort was there.

Now the company is enhancing the beta for its Xbox Windows 10 app with a nod towards social sharing features that allow the user to bring more friends to the fun and games.

The big new feature, and most requested according to Microsoft, is the ability to find and add Facebook friends. "In addition, voiceover recording functionality has been added to Game DVR, and the Store in the Xbox beta app will allow you to search for and purchase Xbox One games -- including Games with Gold and Deals with Gold promotions, and Xbox One 25-digit codes will be redeemable within the app", Microsoft states.

The beta version of this is out now for those who want to take it for a test drive. You can find the app and more information here.
Mozilla offers $1 million to support open source and free software movement

Publié: octobre 24, 2015, 11:05am CEST par Mark Wilson
Mozilla is starting an open source-supporting award program with an initial allocation of $1 million. The company has long been a proponent of open source software, and now wants to give something back to the community on which it so heavily relies.

The Mozilla Open Source Support (MOSS) is described as a way of both giving back to the community, but also giving forward to up and coming projects that could benefit others. A key feature of the program is a focus on improving the security of open source software, and Mozilla is looking to identify up to ten projects to help fund by the middle of December.

The company has revealed a list of open source software that it itself relies on, and says that it is now time to "formalize a systematic way to provide a new level of support to this community". Details of MOSS have been added to the Mozilla Wiki and 'Mozillians' are invited to contribute to the program by suggesting terms.

Introducing the new program, Mozilla's Mitchell Baker said:

The Mozilla Open Source Support program will also encompass a component supporting increased attention to the security of open source and free software programs. Our initial allocation for Mozilla Open Source Support is one million US dollars. As we develop this program we will determine future allocations.

Projects are free to apply for an award from Mozilla, and the following criteria have been set out:
- Awards should be jointly submitted by the leader of a project and an established Mozillian who will champion the grant.
- The Mozillian may be (but does not need to be) a project contributor to the project they are championing.
- The Mozillian must vouch for the usefulness of the software, commit to monitoring the project, and report on the effectiveness of the grant after the money is spent. They will also work with the application evaluation committee to help them assess the appropriateness of the grant to the needs of the project.
- The money must be used to benefit the project, but it does not have to be used on things which themselves would directly benefit Mozilla.
- Grant requests should be for the amount of financial support that helps accomplish a clear and current project goal. Projects that don’t have a need for funds at this time can be considered when such a need arises. A $10,000 grant request is just as valid as a $50,000 or $100,000 request. A previous award proposal, successful or unsuccessful, does not disqualify a project from applying again.
- The project’s home can be anywhere in the world where we can make payment without undue burden. We have a reasonably strong preference for funding legal organizations rather than individuals representing projects, although exceptional circumstances could lead to some flexibility.
Photo credit: Lightboxx / Shutterstock
You don't need to read this review -- buy Chromecast 2015 instead

Publié: octobre 24, 2015, 12:14am CEST par Joe Wilcox

This is one of the easiest reviews to write—and the shortest, too. If you own an Android or iOS device, buy the new Chromecast. Nothing more needs to be said, but I am obliged because you do want to know why. Right?

Google opened up the streaming stick category with launch of the original Chromecast, in July 2013. Release of its successor, on Sept. 29, 2015, makes an already compelling platform better. I see two benefits that matter: WiFi AC support and the hanging dongle design. Wireless update primps the device for faster routers, like Google's own OnHub. The other is more crucial. Some people needing or wanting to plug into one of a TV's rear HDMI ports may find the original Chromecast won't fit. The new design, puck hanging from HDMI cable, solves that problem.

These two benefits are reason enough for existing Chromecast owners to upgrade—and easy for me to suggest, given the price. Like the original, the streaming device sells for $35. For less than the cost of pizza and beers for your movie or TV watching crew, you can buy the new Chromecast.

That said, if you're super satisfied with the one you've got, the original is good, too—and I don't need tell you why. You know. The platform of supported apps is enormous. Apple TV can't compete, and I refer to the new model about to release. Look at the list of castable apps for yourself. Simple rule, and granted not universally, if you can run the entertainment app on Android or iOS device you probably can cast it.

That's the simplicity of the Chromecast platform. Your familiar mobile, from which you may engage other people or information while watching the boob tube, is the remote control. That experience isn't much changed from the original. There's a new Chromecast app, which works pretty much the same with newer or older device.

The app's big benefits are the attractive (and more useful) design, ease of setting up a new Chromecast, and the robust but sometimes puzzling search feature. In concept, you can search for content across connected apps and services on your device. For example, search for “X-Files”, and the Chromecast app will direct you to the series on Hulu and Netflix, also. If not installed, you will be prompted to download.

Search for “Outlander”, however, and the series shows up on Google Play but not the Starz app, which can cast the series. Uh-oh. But the related content revealed on YouTube is impressive, and will be more useful when the Red subscription service launches on October 28th. YouTube Red is a $9.99 per month sub that includes Google Music and broadcasts without advertising. That's right—ad-free, baby.

Like the original, Chromecast 2—2015 or, ah, puck, if you prefer—draws power from a TV's USB port or electrical outlet. I use the former, without any hardship. There isn't much else to report. The overall user experience between models isn't much changed. For the price, 35 bucks, the two aforementioned big benefits, and three color choices there isn't much to say but "buy it".

Photo Credit: Joe Wilcox