Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » décembre 3, 2015

BetaNews.Com (23 non lus)

Follow the Inca trail and make the trek to Machu Picchu with Google

Publié: décembre 3, 2015, 11:36pm CET par Alan Buckingham

machu-picchu

The ruins of Machu Picchu are perhaps the most familiar and enduring reminder of the once mighty Inca empire. Thought to have been built in the 1400's, the city is a spectacular site thanks to its location high atop a peak in the Andes mountains. Reaching it is part of the adventure.

It is, no doubt, on many bucket lists, but the journey is not for everyone. Now Google has partnered with Peruvian Ministry of Culture to bring you this fantastic location that few will ever see in person.

"Gazing at the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu more than 2,400 meters above sea level, the site below is a lasting tribute to the power of the Inca Empire. It’s still unclear how the structure composed of behemoth stones was so precisely built without the use of mortar or modern day machinery, but its walls, terraces and stairways weave effortlessly into the mountainside and natural landscape", says Google's Daniel Filip, Google Maps Tech Lead.

You'll be able wonder throughout the complex from the plaza to the temple. "Whether you visit Machu Picchu via a train or hike up the Inca Trail, we'd be honored to be your virtual guide through this sacred space", Filip concludes.

Over 50 percent of devices in US classrooms are Chromebooks [Infographic]

Publié: décembre 3, 2015, 10:02pm CET par Mark Wilson

toshiba-chromebook

Chromebooks are viewed by many people as the Windows Phone of laptops, paling into insignificance when compared to Windows machines and MacBooks. But the cheap and cheerful nature of (most) Chromebooks has seen the share of certain markets rocket -- particularly in the classroom.

Back in 2012, less than one percent of devices in US schools was a Chromebook -- now the Google-powered laptops account for more than half of the market. Google's interest in education is not new, but the inroads it has managed to make in such a short space of time has caught many people off guard.

A new report from Futuresource Consulting shows that Chromebooks have accelerated past Windows and OS X laptops in US classrooms. In Q3 2015, Chromebooks accounted for 53 percent of devices bought by schools, with both Apple and Microsoft's share falling to 24 percent apiece -- down from 52 and 43 percent respectively three years ago.

Director of product management for Android and Chrome in business and education, Rajen Sheth says:

It's been amazing to us to see that growth happen just in that short amount of time. If you look at the overall market for devices in education, it's actually expanded a lot and Chromebooks have actually taken a lot of the expansion.

Cost will certainly have played a large part in Google's success this year, but the company has also been actively pushing for greater involvement in the education sector. Google Apps for Education has proved highly popular -- if slightly controversial at times -- and the appeal of an OS and software from the same stable is understandably appealing.

Chromebook has not proved as successful outside of the US -- something Futuresource Consulting puts down to reduced connectivity in other parts of the world -- so this will be Google's focus for 2016 and beyond.

chromebook_infographic

Patent troll claims HTTPS ownership, lawsuits ensue

Publié: décembre 3, 2015, 9:24pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

Ah, don’t you love the smell of patent trolls in the morning?

In the latest news regarding these wonderful creatures, it was unveiled this week that a Texas company called CryptoPeak Solutions has sued basically everyone, everywhere, for using the HTTPS protocol.

Yes, they’re claiming ownership of HTTPS. The patent, called "Auto-escrowable and auto-certifiable cryptosystems", reads as follows:

A method is provided for an escrow cryptosystem that is overhead-free, does not require a cryptographic tamper-proof hardware implementation (i.e., can be done in software), is publicly verifiable, and cannot be used subliminally to enable a shadow public key system. A shadow public key system is an unescrowed public key system that is publicly displayed in a covert fashion. The key generated by the method are auto-recoverable and auto-certifiable (abbrev. ARC). The ARC Cryptosystem is based on a key generation mechanism that outputs a public/private key pair, and a certificate of proof that the key was generated according to the algorithm. Each generated public/private key pair can be verified efficiently to be escrowed properly by anyone. The verification procedure does not use the private key. Hence, the general public has an efficient way of making sure that any given individual’s private key is escrowed properly, and the trusted authorities will be able to access the private key if needed. Since the verification can be performed by anyone, there is no need for a special trusted entity, known in the art as a "trusted third party". The cryptosystem is overhead free since there is no additional protocol interaction between the user who generates his or her own key, and the certification authority or the escrow authorities, in comparison to what is required to submit the public key itself in regular certified public key systems. Furthermore, the system is designed so that its internals can be made publicly scrutinizable (e.g., it can be distributed in source code form). This differs from many schemes which require that the escrowing device be tamper-proof hardware.

According to Ars Technica, AT&T, Costo, Expedia, GoPro, GroupOn, Netflix, Pinterest, Target and Yahoo are just some of the companies being sued for patent infringement. All lawsuits include almost identical language: "Defendant has committed direct infringement by its actions that comprise using one or more websites that utilize Elliptic Curve Cryptography ('ECC') Cipher Suites for the Transport Layer Security ('TLS') protocol (the 'Accused Instrumentalities')".

Some companies are willing to fight the lawsuit, while others have decided to settle it outside the courthouse.

Image Credit:Nixx Photography/Shutterstock

Facebook's Live Video is no longer a celebrity-only feature

Publié: décembre 3, 2015, 9:13pm CET par Mark Wilson

facebook_live_video

The ability to broadcast live video on Facebook is something that has previously only been available to celebrities. It's not being made available to everyone -- yet -- but a handful of lucky users are being given the chance to try it out ahead of a wider rollout.

Starting today, some US iPhone users will be able to live broadcast to their friends and family. This is Facebook's bid to take on Twitter's Periscope, but the social network has more to announce. On top of Live Video, photo collages are also being unveiled as a new way to show off your snaps.

Live Video is treated as another form of status update, and can be up and running very quickly. After adding a description and choosing who your audience will be, you are ready to start broadcasting. Viewing numbers are displayed in real time, and viewers are free to post comments. Broadcasters have the option of retaining the video at the end of the show, giving others the opportunity to watch later, or removing it. Facebook has given no indication of when Live Video will spread to Android and the web, but it is on the cards.

The new photo collage option provides a simple way to display groups of related photos together. Rather than a dull slideshow, or a series of individual images, collages are animated photo and video displays that can be auto-generated and then be customized. Again, it's iPhone users who get the first look today, but Android users will also get a chance to try it out soon.

Tablets are doing worse than laptops

Publié: décembre 3, 2015, 8:27pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

laptop tablet

Notebooks still have a straw to hold on to, while tablets seem to have broken theirs and continue to sink, according to a forecast by global market research firm TrendForce.

TrendForce says total notebook shipments will drop 6.4 per cent for 2015, to about 164.4 million units. The company’s analyst Anita Wang believes shipments will recover in 2016, mostly because of branded vendors, such as Xiaomi and Huawei entering the market.

"We estimate that total notebook shipments for 2016 will increase a little by one percent year on year to 165 million units", she said.

On the other hand, tablets continue to sink. The devices which are still limited to browsing and entertainment, have very little to offer in terms of functionality, and are thus being replaced by smartphones, which grow in size with each passing year.

TrendForce has lowered its tablet shipment forecast for 2015 to 163.4 million units, representing a year-on-year decline of 14.9 percent. "Our estimation indicates that a total of 153.4 million tablets will be shipped in 2016, down 6.1 percent year on year".

The share of 7-inch models in the global tablet market has contracted from 57 percent in 2014 to the estimated 50 percent this year. With large smartphones moving into their territory, tablet vendors in response have rolled out products of even larger sizes with the intention of expanding into the notebook market.

TrendForce projects that tablets sized 10-inches and above will account for almost 30 percent of the global tablet market in 2016, a significant increase from the estimated 18 per cent of this year. The two things driving most of the sales will be narrow bezel design and a full-HD resolution.

Photo Credit: CLIPAREA l Custom media/Shutterstock

Windows 10 Mobile now available for Xiaomi Mi 4

Publié: décembre 3, 2015, 7:57pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Windows 10 Mobile Xiaomi Mi 4

Now that Windows 10 Mobile is ready for prime time, having launched alongside Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL earlier this month, Xiaomi has released a fresh build for its Mi 4 smartphone. The device received support for Windows 10 Mobile earlier this year, with a developer preview arriving in June.

The Windows 10 Mobile build that was just released is only for the 4G LTE version of the smartphone. And, also, Xiaomi warns that there might be "some unpredicted bugs still".

To install Windows 10 Mobile on their device, Mi 4 users will have to get Xiaomi's dedicated ROM flashing tool and, of course, the ROM itself, which can be downloaded by following the link in the first paragraph. Xiaomi has also provided a step-by-step guide, which you can find here.

Mi 4 users should be able to experience Windows 10 Mobile in all its glory, but we are wondering how many users will actually be willing to give up on MIUI to test Microsoft's new smartphone operating system.

Those who are willing to go through with it should know that, in case they wish to go back to MIUI, they will be able to do so easily by downloading and installing the official firmware that Xiaomi makes available on its site.

Amazon takes its Fire tablets to China, adds new features

Publié: décembre 3, 2015, 7:52pm CET par Alan Buckingham

amazon-image-1

Amazon recently released its latest tablets, the Fire 10 and Fire 8, as well as a smaller $50 model, all of which sold very well over the big shopping days from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday. These were among several Amazon products that did well over that period.

Now the company is updating the software across the entire line, bringing several enhancements to the tablets. It's also putting a device on sale in China for the first time, so there's plenty of news out of the Washington-based company.

In the new update Amazon promises Blue Shade, which allows for easier reading at night. Once enabled users can choose the brightness level that's best for them. It's simple to enable and disable with just a click of a quick setting button.

An improved activity center brings more control to parents. This is geared towards folks with kids who have outgrown FreeTime. It allows adults to still keep an eye on the children without restricting them too much. "When Activity Center is enabled, parents can visit a customized, secure page on their smartphone, tablet, or computer to review how much time their kids spend playing games, watching videos, and reading", Amazon says. But, speaking of FreeTime, the web browser in it is becoming more kid-friendly. All sites available are curated by Amazon to ensure that they meet general parental standards.

Lastly, Amazon is launching its tablet in China. "We’ve already sold millions of Fire tablets since launch, and we’re excited to now make it available to customers in China", says Neil Lindsay, Vice President of Amazon Devices. "With millions of readers already using Kindle e-readers in China, we’re excited to now offer another incredibly affordable option, particularly for customers learning to read English. With tools and features like Word Wise and Blue Shade, plus a large selection of Chinese and English content, we think readers will love the new Fire tablet".

This is the $50 model and it will retail for RMB 499 Yuan in this Asian market. It will also give access to a tremendous amount of books and even provide English learning skills.

Server shipments, vendor revenue go up in Q3 2015

Publié: décembre 3, 2015, 7:46pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

Servers

In the third quarter of 2015, worldwide server shipments grew 9.2 percent from the third quarter of 2014, while vendor revenue increased 7.5 percent year over year, Gartner has reported.

From the regional standpoint, Asia/Pacific grew the most in shipments, with a 23.8 percent increase. The region also posted the highest vendor revenue growth at 25.4 percent for the period.

HP continued to lead the worldwide server market based on revenue. The company posted just over $3.7 billion in server vendor revenue for a total market share of 27.3 percent for the third quarter of 2015.

All of the top five global vendors had revenue increases for the third quarter of 2015, except for IBM with a decline of 42.8 percent. IBM’s decline is due primarily to its sale of its x86 server business to Lenovo.

Beyond that, IBM’s server revenue fell 3.1 percent for the RISC segment, but grew 15 percent for mainframes to post a 5.1 percent total growth in the third quarter for the server businesses that it retained.

In server shipments, HP remained the worldwide leader in the third quarter of 2015 with a year-over-year shipment increase of 7.7 percent. HP’s worldwide server shipment market share was 22.2 percent, virtually the same share as in the third quarter of 2014.

All of the top five vendors in server shipments worldwide produced shipment increases in the third quarter of 2015, with Lenovo recording the largest growth of 183.2 percent.

In EMEA, server shipments totaled 533 million units and grew 1.4 percent (see Table 4) in the third quarter of 2015. Server revenue totaled $3.0 billion, an increase of 3.7 percent (see Table 3).

In shipment terms, HP saw its share increase in the third quarter of 2015 and managed to maintain first place. Dell held second place as its share of shipments also increased year over year thanks to executing well as a privately held company.

HP, Dell and Cisco have all benefitted from Lenovo taking over IBM’s x86 server business. Lenovo moved to third place, but its market share remained below that of IBM’s x86 business of a year ago.

In revenue terms, HP and IBM were the only top five server vendors to exhibit a decline in the third quarter of 2015. IBM lost two positions year over year, while Cisco narrowly moved ahead of IBM. Cisco benefitted from continued demand for blade servers, while IBM’s mainframe refresh slowed during the quarter.

Photo Credit: lucadp/Shutterstock

Apple becomes open source champion with Swift programming language

Publié: décembre 3, 2015, 6:46pm CET par Brian Fagioli

open source keyboard button

One by one, companies are starting to embrace open source more and more. Microsoft has been a proponent of Linux and other open source solutions, surprising many in those communities.

Now, it is Apple's turn. Today, the company run by Tim Cook announces that its Swift programming language is now open source. No, this is not Apple's first embrace of open source, but it could be one of its most significant.

"Swift is now open source! We are excited by this new chapter in the story of Swift. After Apple unveiled the Swift programming language, it quickly became one of the fastest growing languages in history. Swift makes it easy to write software that is incredibly fast and safe by design. Now that Swift is open source, you can help make the best general purpose programming language available everywhere", says Apple.

The company further says, "for students, learning Swift has been a great introduction to modern programming concepts and best practices. And because it is now open, their Swift skills will be able to be applied to an even broader range of platforms, from mobile devices to the desktop to the cloud".

Whether you like it or not, folks, Apple's operating systems are here to stay. Both iOS and OS X are wonderful, and consumers enjoy them. True, Android might have bigger market share than iOS in the mobile space, but Apple gets the grand share of profits. Meanwhile, Mac sales continue to grow.

Developing iOS apps with Swift instead of Android is the wiser move from a financial perspective. Having Swift as open source is a brilliant move by the venerable Apple which should only promote the language's use by developers and budding students too.

Want to check out the source code? head over to GitHub here.

Photo Credit: rvlsoft/Shutterstock

Data discovery solution made available free on MS Office

Publié: décembre 3, 2015, 4:49pm CET par Ian Barker

Businesses are increasingly keen to unlock the insights contained within their data. But the tools to do this are often expensive and complex, putting them beyond the reach of smaller organizations.

Analytics specialist BeyondCore has announced a collaboration with Microsoft to make its data discovery solution available to Office users for free.

The new BeyondCore Analyst for Office provides single‐click analysis and detailed story‐based explanations of insights directly integrated into the familiar Office suite. It allows business users to analyze all data, without the need to formulate sophisticated questions or design complex queries, cut through the clutter to identify and act on the most relevant, statistically‐validated patterns, and visualize, understand, share and act on the results.

"Microsoft Office is the preferred analytics environment for most businesspeople. We congratulate BeyondCore on the way its Analyst for Office is empowering many more people around the world to extract powerful insights from big data," says Kirk Koenigsbauer, Microsoft corporate vice president, Office 365 Client Apps and Services.

There are limits to the free version of course, it lets users conduct up to ten analyses a month on smaller datasets in Excel or Microsoft SQL Server. Users can upgrade to paid versions of BeyondCore Analyst for Office to conduct more analyses, analyze larger datasets or access Big Data sources such as Hadoop.

Users can also try BeyondCore's enterprise solutions for 15 days free. This offers additional features including the ability to schedule analyses to automatically run each day, week or month, secure collaboration, audit and monitoring capabilities, and predictive and prescriptive analysis.

"BeyondCore's mission has always been to dramatically simplify the complexity of analytics, making it instantly available for business users," says BeyondCore Founder and CEO Arijit Sengupta. "But users often feel 'this is too good to be true.' Now with the free version of BeyondCore Analyst for Office, they can just try for themselves and see that analytics has changed forever. After using BeyondCore, users will no longer equate pretty graphs with actionable analysis".

More information can be found on the BeyondCore website. For the remainder of 2015 it's also offering an Implement on Our Dime deal where BeyondCore will conduct the first analysis or schedule the first dynamic dashboard on the clients' data, at no risk.

Image Credit: alphaspirit / Shutterstock

Speccy restores compatibility with Windows 10, supports latest Intel processors

Publié: décembre 3, 2015, 4:47pm CET par Nick Peers

speccy

Piriform has released Speccy 1.29, a new version of its free Windows system information tool. The headline new feature in version 1.29 -- also available as a standalone portable build -- is improved support for the latest generation of Intel processors.

Speccy 1.29 also strengthens hardware detection, restores compatibility with the latest build of Windows 10 and updates its hardware detection algorithm.

Speccy bills itself as a fast, lightweight and advanced system information tool for PCs, providing both an overview and detailed information about the components and peripherals connected to the PC it’s running on.

It includes a feature for saving snapshots of system information (including support for XML and text formats) for sharing with tech support, friends or other interested parties.

The new release is the first for over ten months, and opens by promising better support for Intel’s newest Skylake and Broadwell processors. It’s also updated to restore compatibility with the latest build (10586) of Windows 10 -- prior versions were removed by Windows during the upgrade process due to compatibility issues.

The new build also claims to improve the detection of peripherals and network adapters thanks to an updated hardware detection algorithm.

There’s also the promise of improved localization and language support.

Speccy 1.29 is rounded off with the customary bug fixes and tweaks to the GUI. It, along with Speccy Portable 1.29, is available now as a free (for personal use) download for PCs running Windows XP or later. Commercial licenses are also available.

New privacy platform protects enterprise communication

Publié: décembre 3, 2015, 4:04pm CET par Ian Barker

mobile cloud enterprise

Enterprise customers are increasingly concerned about the security of their mobile communications, as well as the ability to deliver auditing and compliance information.

Silent Circle, the Swiss company behind the privacy focused Blackphone, is launching its Enterprise Privacy Platform a set of secure software, services and devices designed to deliver privacy to business and government organizations of all sizes.

Features of the platform include a new Silent Manager which gives designated administrators a simple and easy way to oversee their organization's use of the Silent Circle platform through a web-based interface. It provides overviews of current users, groups, and plans, as well as a news feed showing relevant information like updates to Silent Circle apps.

The company's Silent Phone app, which encrypts VoIP and messaging services for any iOS or Android device, is now available in two subscription levels -- Basic and Plus. Silent Phone Basic allows unlimited member-to-member encrypted voice calling and text messaging for an annual membership fee of $5. Silent Phone Plus provides full functionality to include conference calling, file transfers, attachments, voice mail and direct customer support for $9.95 per month.

Silent World offers enhanced security and flexibility on any mobile device (iOS or Android). It extends the reach of Silent Phone's encrypted calling to regular mobile and landline numbers in 439 destinations, allowing for private conversations to effectively anyone in the world -- even to people who don't currently use Silent Phone.

"Building on the momentum of our Blackphone 2 launch, I’m proud to unleash all the work we have done on rebuilding our software and cloud-based Enterprise Privacy Platform," says Bill Conner, President and CEO of Silent Circle. "Our platform delivers unprecedented secure communications with the enterprise management controls necessary for auditing and general oversight. Now governments and global enterprises have a new choice in secure communications that didn't exist before, across any Android or iOS device".

More information can be found on the Silent Circle website and the Silent Phone app is available now on Google Play and the Apple App Store.

Image Credit: Sergey Nivens / Shutterstock

Signal Desktop first beta now available

Publié: décembre 3, 2015, 4:02pm CET par Mike Williams

Signal Desktop

Edward Snowden-endorsed developer Open Whisper Systems has announced the first public beta of Signal Desktop, a secure chat app for Chrome.

The new release enables users of its popular mobile app, Signal Private Messenger, to carry on a conversation across even more devices.

One notable issue with the initial build is it only connects to Android devices, although iOS support is expected in a future release.

As with the mobile version, Signal Desktop is a free app for secure one-to-one or group chats on mobile phones, avoiding SMS fees, and with support for file attachments and media sharing.

That’s nothing unusual, but Signal’s major plus point is its security. End-to-end encryption protects everything you’re doing from snoopers, even Signal’s server doesn’t have access to your communications, and the app is open-source so technical users can review the code to check what’s going on.

The technology is impressive, and endorsements by Bruce Schneier ("I am regularly impressed with the thought and care put into both the security and the usability of this app. It’s my first choice for an encrypted conversation") and Edward Snowden ("Use anything by Open Whisper Systems") don’t hurt, either.

Signal Desktop beta is an open-source secure chat app for Chrome.

Instart Logic and Verisign team up to fight DDoS attacks

Publié: décembre 3, 2015, 2:58pm CET par Ian Barker

DDoS attack start

DDoS activity is at its highest for two years according to Verisign's Q3 2015 DDoS Trends Report, and as the number and sophistication of attacks increases, companies are recognizing the need for better security.

Application delivery specialist Instart Logic has announced a partnership with Verisign to offer customers an advanced DDoS scrubbing capability.

"In an ever changing cyber threat landscape, this technology integration will provide customers the combined benefit of a CDN through Instart Logic's application delivery platform and DDoS protection through Verisign’s DDoS Protection Service," says Ramakant Pandrangi, vice president of technology at Verisign.

The collaboration combines Verisign's DDoS protection services with Instart Logic's cloud security suite to effectively and efficiently combat some of the world’s largest attacks. When a DDoS event is detected, a customer’s internet traffic will be redirected to Verisign's DDoS Protection Services in the cloud, sending attack traffic to Verisign before it can harm their network. The DDoS traffic is then scrubbed through the use of Verisign's Athena mitigation platform and massively-scaled global network designed to handle advanced application and volumetric attacks. Filtered traffic is then sent to the customer’s network, so they can sustain normal business operations.

"Our ability to provide speed, security and scale can only happen with meaningful, strategic partnerships throughout the world that enable us to accelerate our go to market within the various regions," says Samrah Khan, head of business development and partnerships at Instart Logic. "Collaborating with organizations that share our vision allow us to provide more customers with the best solutions for delivering web and mobile applications".

The DDoS scrubbing service is available from today as an add-on to the Instart Logic's cloud security suite. You can find out more on the company's website.

Photo Credit: Duc Dao / Shutterstock

Shutterstock Tab brings beautiful images to every new Chrome tab

Publié: décembre 3, 2015, 2:56pm CET par Mike Williams

Shutterstock Tab

Stock photo vendor Shutterstock has released Shutterstock Tab, a free Chrome extension which displays a gorgeous image as a background for every new Chrome tab.

As a bonus, there’s also a clock, a 5-day weather forecast, and a tiny toolbar with links to recently visited sites.

The images are great, as you’d expect. We regularly got distracted, opening multiple new tabs just to see what would come up next.

If you find a picture you really like, there are links to download it, or browse other images by the same photographer (you’ll need to create a free Shutterstock account first).

The weather forecaster isn’t as successful, because there’s no option to set your current location. Shutterstock Tab tries to establish your location automatically, instead, which means a large number of users will see the wrong report.

Our figures were clearly incorrect, other early reviewers have said the same, and we couldn’t find any way to view the location Shutterstock Tab was using, either.

Apparently Shutterstock is going to provide a manual setup option soon, though, and the forecast can at least be hidden if it’s not working for you.

Shutterstock Tab delivers great photos and worked well for us (apart from the weather). But if you don’t need the clutter, Flickr Tab is a simpler extension, which also supports the usual right-click options for easier image saving.

Google becomes the largest non-power company consumer of renewable energy

Publié: décembre 3, 2015, 1:49pm CET par Alan Buckingham

gigawatts

This week saw the big climate conference in Paris, bringing together numerous world leaders to discuss the changes occurring in our world. What we hope to get is improvement in the increasing amount of climate change, an effort to protect the environment for us and the wildlife that depend on it.

One answer is now coming from Google, which has long been a proponent of the need for change. The search giant has long backed renewable energy and now it claims to be the largest consumer of it. Well, the largest that isn't classified as a power company.

The latest purchase will add 842 megawatts of energy to power Google's massive data centers around the world. "Across three countries, we’re nearly doubling the amount of renewable energy we’ve purchased to date. We’re now up to 2 gigawatts -- the equivalent to taking nearly 1 million cars off the road", says Urs Hölzle, Google's SVP of Technical Infrastructure.

There's more to it, though. The contracts Google has signed range from 10-20 years, so they also serve as a way of backing up the companies for the future. Of course there's also financial gain, as Google will get energy at lower prices and save money for the company in the long run.

Beyond that, Google claims that its data centers are designed to be energy efficient while also driving change in the utility market. Hopefully all of this adds up to a pendulum swing for the environment. We could use it.

Record desktop activity to tiny self-playing EXEs with Screen2SWF

Publié: décembre 3, 2015, 1:37pm CET par Mike Williams

Screen2SWF

Windows screen recorder Screen2SWF, once a $49 commercial product, is now available for free.

With so much freeware competition around already you might be thinking, "so what?", but wait: the program does have some interesting features which help it stand out from the crowd.

A strong capture engine enables the recording of desktop activity, mouse clicks and movements, and audio.

There are a few frame rate options, too (1, 2 or 4fps, or as fast as possible), good news if you’re looking to keep the finished file size to a minimum.

Once you’re set up, recording begins with a click, you can pause or resume it by hitting F9, or finish with F10.

An integrated editor offers various ways to tweak your recording. You can change the start or end points, remove unwanted frames, insert delays, zoom in to a particular area, add an image, a text annotation, and more.

While you can’t add shapes, draw arrows, use a highlighter pen or anything similar, the features you do get are capable enough.

Text annotations aren’t just about setting fonts and colors, for instance: you can add a callout box, set opacity, choose the period they’ll be displayed, even have them smoothly fade in and out.

Unfortunately this is spoiled by various interface issues, in particular with the player bar. You should be able to click and drag to zip through the movie and find an area of interest, for example, just like every other media player out there…

But you can’t. Instead you have to move your bar to the point you think you need to edit, then click to find out, and keep repeating the process until you’re happy.

Things pick up whtn editing is over, as Screen2SWF presents you with a good set of export formats: AVI, MP4, FLV, SWF and a Windows EXE (no separate player required, just run the program).

An "Output Quality" option sets the number of colors in the finished video to anything from 16-bit to grayscale, and gives you an estimate of the finished file size.

The end results can be impressively small, too. We created a 10 second clip of a 1920×1200 desktop, saved it as a self-playing EXE, and the finished file was barely 1MB.

On balance, we probably wouldn’t use Screen2SWF for any complex tasks: its editor is too basic, and the interface is annoying.

The program is good at keeping file sizes to a minimum, though, and the EXE export is also a plus. If you need those features we’d give it a try.

Chimera crypto-ransomware threatens to share your private files online

Publié: décembre 3, 2015, 12:11pm CET par Mark Wilson

chimera_ransomeware

Crypto-ransomware is one of the latest trends in the world of malware. Encrypting and holding files to ransom provides a way to extort money from victims, but a new example takes things one step further.

Chimera not only locks users out of their files until a ransom is paid, but also threatens to release unencrypted copies of the files online if payment is not made. Security company Trend Micro says this is the first instance of this type of threat. Interestingly, Chimera also seems to be part of an affiliate program.

Infected systems display a warning informing victims that their data will be inaccessible until they cough up the ransom. The incentive that said files will be leaked to the internet is an extra encouragement, particularly for anyone with content they would rather not be associated with. Victims are told:

If you don’t pay your private data, which include pictures and videos will be published on the internet in relation to your name.

In addition to trying to extort money from people, Chimera also acts as a recruitment campaign. The warning screen that lets people know that their computer is infected includes a footnote:

Take advantage of our affiliate-program! More information in the source code of this file.

As Trend Micro notes, this "is clearly a way to sift out people with technical skills". The security firm has examined the source code and determined that it does contain contact details and Bitcoin information for payment. There is also a decryption tool which checks to see whether a Bitcoin payment has been made before freeing up files.

Chimera is being described as Ransonware as a Service (RaaS) because of its recruitment drive component, and this could be the direction in which future ransomware is heading.

How effective are parental controls for your child's safety?

Publié: décembre 3, 2015, 11:25am CET par Peter Davidson

children tablets

Children are figuring out how to use the internet at a much younger age than in the past. Kids 1 or 2 years old are exposed to computer devices to help distract them. They quickly learn how to press the right buttons on smartphones, tablets and other devices. It is great that kids are learning to use technology at such a young age, but it also can create nightmares for the adults.

The internet is full of information and entertainment for people of all ages, but not everything found on the internet is appropriate for young children. It is up to the parents to make sure that the kids are not exposed to things they are not prepared to handle or that could put them into a dangerous situation. Parents need to find ways to protect their children when they are not around to monitor it themselves.

The Use of Parental Controls

One of the things that parents are turning to is parental controls. This is software that can prevent a child from different activities when they are on the computer. The controls vary in what they can do. Some of the common things that parental controls can do include:

Limiting the sites that a child can go to -- It is possible to block specific sites or it may be possible to block any site that is not certified for a specific age group.
Limiting the time spent on the computer -- Many parents worry about a child spending too much time on a computer and turn to these controls that will shut the computer down for the child if they reach their limit for the day.
Protection from malicious software -- Antivirus protection not only protects computers from malware, it also offers parental controls that can help protect the child and computer.

Parental controls can do many things, but parents still have to wonder if they are really protecting the child. For many parents, the key is learning how to use the parental controls in the right way.

Using Parental Controls

In order to get the most from parental controls, it is important that parents learn how to use them. This requires a little bit of thought about what they want their children to be exposed to, what the children are capable of doing and how the parent wants to protect themselves and the computers from problems the kids may use.

Watching what kids can see -- Statistics have shown that one out of every 10 kids under the age of 15 is trying to find pornography on the internet. Besides pornography, there are sites that offer violent content or are offering content that is not suitable for a young child. In this case different parental controls may have to be used. A parent may want to use antivirus protection to prevent a child from going to sites that offer this type of content, or they may want to go to sites that offer some content that is suitable and other content that is not and use the controls on that site. A parent needs to put as many controls in place as they can to prevent the child from viewing unwanted content.
Knowing what the child is capable of -- Children that have been exposed to computers from a young age know how to get around many of the systems that are designed to protect them. It is important that the parent makes sure that the controls they choose are not easy to get around for the child. It is also important to monitor the activity of the child on the internet.
Protection -- One of the biggest issues that a child can create when they visit unsafe sites is introducing malicious software to the computer. Malware is preventable, many times through the use of antivirus protection software. Having this software is something that can protect both the child and the parent and is a basic need for any computer device.

If the question that parents have is whether parental controls and antivirus protection work, the answer is yes and no. They can be effective because they have the capability to prevent children from accessing things they should not when they are using a computer. While they are effective as a tool for parents to use, they are not perfect.

Parents need to make sure that the parental controls and antivirus protection is turned on at all times. They need to make sure they are checking the controls and making sure they are suitable for the age of their child. More importantly, they still need to be involved with their children and their computer usage. Doing all of these things will keep children safe. If you have any thoughts or ideas, please take the time to share them with us.

Photo Credit: wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock

Peter Davidson works as a senior business associate helping brands and start ups to make efficient business decisions and plan proper business strategies. He is a big gadget freak who loves to share his views on latest technologies and applications.

iOS 9's adoption rate dwarfs Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Publié: décembre 3, 2015, 9:41am CET par Anthony Spadafora

Samsung Android Galaxy S5 iPhone 5s Apple iOS

This fall we saw the release of iOS 9 from Apple just before the company launched the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

The success of these new models along with an uptick in the adoption rates of iOS 9 showed how quickly Apple users were to upgrade their devices. So far iOS 9 has an adoption rate of 70 percent which is significantly higher when compared to Marshmallow’s adoption rate.

Apple recently posted the numbers of users who have upgraded to iOS 9 using data from its App Store. A mere three weeks after its release, the latest version of iOS has already hit an adoption rate of 50 percent. In contrast, Android 6.0 Marshmallow has an adoption rate of just 10 percent even though it was released two months ago.

Since Apple has tight control on the iPhone and iOS ecosystem, it is able to update a much larger number of phones with few to no issues. Google on the other hand works with a large number of device manufacturers and carriers that feel the need to differentiate their devices by preloading additional apps or even by skinning the latest version of Android. As a result of this, updates -- even incremental ones -- take longer on a majority of Android devices with some phones not receiving updates at all.

With the release of iOS 9, Apple was able to improve a great deal of the user experience and overall performance of the OS. Though this update was an incremental one that did not drastically change the look and feel of the software, it still had a high adoption rate across both new and older Apple devices.

Photo Credit: Pieter Beens / Shutterstock.com

IFTTT gains support for Honeywell Total Connect Comfort with new channel

Publié: décembre 3, 2015, 6:31am CET par Alan Buckingham

honeywell-thermostat

If This Then That has been popular for a while, allowing users to create all sorts of new and creative functionality to make their lives simpler. In fact, recently the service became compatible with Amazon Echo and we took a look at how to set up a simple recipe that allows users to locate a lost phone -- providing it isn't muted and is within range to hear it ringing.

We're always looking for new and creative ideas to make this even better and one of those is home automation. With that in mind, IFTTT is unveiling its Honeywell Total Connect Comfort channel. Much like Nest, this is a smart thermostat that can be set from an app and done from anywhere in the world.

The new channel includes some pretty cool recipes already. For instance, there's one called "Winter is coming" which allows the user to set an indoor temperature based on that of the outside. For instance if outside drops below 65 F then you can have Honeywell set the inside to 72. You can also set up a temperature at a certain time, or when you arrive home. There's even one that lets you turn on the heat from your Android Wear watch.

IFTTT continues to grow and now customers for the Honeywell thermostat have options as well. We expect more cool recipes will be released.

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AMD unveils FirePro W4300 -- a low-profile CAD beast, capable of both 4K and 5K

Publié: décembre 3, 2015, 2:00am CET par Brian Fagioli

firepro-w4300-with-logofeat If you are a computer builder, you have probably bought a graphics card before. Sure, some people -- like yours truly -- like to utilize on-board graphics when possible to save money, but for the best gaming performance, a dedicated GPU is ideal.

For businesses, however, gaming is not typically a priority. With that said, some companies still have a need for a powerful GPU in a workstation depending on their needs. For instance, if your business works with CAD, it is essential. Today, AMD unveils the FirePro W4300 -- a low-profile beast. It features 4GB of GDDR5 and four mini Display Ports in a svelte package -- perfect for small form factor machines.

"The AMD FirePro W4300 professional graphics card is optimized for the latest CAD applications including Autodesk AutoCAD, Inventor as well as Revit, Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks and CATIA, PTC Creo, Siemens NX, and many more. Engineering professionals can efficiently work with large geometry-intense models and apply GPU-accelerated features in their projects, such as the new Order Independent Transparency (OIT) mode supported in SOLIDWORKS. Users can help increase productivity by visualizing their workflows across up to six displays, and up to 4K and 5K resolution", says Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

Sean Burke, corporate vice president and general manager, Radeon Technologies Group, AMD explains, "we designed the AMD FirePro W4300 specifically for CAD. CAD users rely on AMD FirePro graphics cards to enable their application features to best visualize their designs, and now can continue to do so without having to compromise by using the latest energy efficient, small form factor workstations".

Not only is it available for low-profile workstations, but it only takes up a single slot. This increases the possibility of it fitting in existing workstations. Had it taken up two slots, it might have blocked access to other potentially needed PCIe slots beneath it. The only potential downside, you see, is that the small fan could be noisy under load. You must also make sure that any cards below it do not block the fan.

If you are a CAD professional and excited about this card -- as you should be -- you won't have to wait long. The card is already in mass-production, and should be available in early 2016 -- January, I hope. Pricing is currently unknown.

Will you buy it? Check out the specs below and tell me in the comments.

Memory

4GB GDDR5 memory
128-bit memory interface
Up to 96 GB/s memory bandwidth

Compute Performance

768 stream processors (12 compute units)
1.43 TFLOPS peak single precision floating point performance

Display Outputs

Four Mini-DisplayPort display outputs
DisplayPort 1.2a support, including Adaptive-Sync and HBR2 support
Maximum DisplayPort 1.2a resolution 4096x2160
Maximum DisplayPort 1.1 resolution 2560x1600

API & OS Support

DirectX 11.2 / 12
OpenGL 4.4
OpenCL 2.0
AMD Mantle
Shader Model: 5.0
Microsoft Windows 10, Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 (32- or 64-bit)
Linux (32- or 64-bit)

Cooling/Power/Form Factor

<50W maximum power consumption
Discreet active cooling solution
Half height/half-length single-slot form factor
PCIe 3.0 compliant, x16 bus interface

System Requirements

Available PCIe x16 (single-slot), 3.0 for optimal performance
4GB system memory
Microsoft Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7 or Linux OS (32- or 64-bit)
Internet connection for driver installation