Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » décembre 8, 2015

BetaNews.Com (30 non lus)

Twitter tinkers with time

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 11:31pm CET par Mark Wilson

time_spiral

Twitter's timeline is getting a makeover. Not content with presenting tweets in an ordered, chronological fashion (well, reverse-chronological if you want to be pedantic), Twitter is experimenting with the order which tweets are displayed.

It's something that Facebook has been doing for a while, but now Twitter has jumped on the bandwagon using new methods to "surface the best content" for users. At the moment, this is just an experiment, but it's entirely possible that the re-ordering will become the norm in the not-too-distant future. So what's the deal?

In an email to Vice, a spokesperson for Twitter confirmed the move, saying it is running "an experiment. We're continuing to explore ways to surface the best content for people using Twitter". Many would argue that the very point of Twitter is its potential to keep people up to date with instant, timely information. On the face of it, changing the chronology of the timeline flies in the face of this, but there are also potential benefits.

Twitter has already experimented with the "While You Were Away" feature, and in many ways the timeline re-ordering is something of an extension of this idea. It's not something that will be to everyone's taste, but it does open up the possibility of grouping together related tweets outside of the confines of hashtags and trending topics.

What's your preference when it comes to consuming social media? Would you like to see things in the order in which they happened, or would you rather a more 'curated' option.

Photo credit: dani3315 / Shutterstock

Pixel C arrives at Google Store

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 9:21pm CET par Joe Wilcox

Today, Google started selling its first homegrown tablet, Pixel C. You can buy one directly from the company—until they sell out! Google typically struggles stocking new devices, like Nexus smartphones and the Chromebook Pixel. On November 30th, I asked: "Where is Pixel C?", which was promised to arrive before the holidays. Now we know.

I hope to have the 10.2-inch tablet in possession within a few days and will subsequently post first-impression and full reviews. If you can't wait for that, and shouldn't, larger tech news sites already have their takes online. Search for the name, and you will find them. Don't wait on me, if you're thinking about one for Christmas!

Pixel C inherits design ethic from the touchscreen Chromebook that Google also makes. That heritage is more than about looks but establishing a base reference design for other Android tablet manufacturers and stable platform for applications development. Like Nexus devices,

Pixel C runs the newest Android version (Marshmallow), which Google updates about every six weeks. If larger screen tabs are the future, the ecosystem needs something built on stock Android. Nice as those Samsung Galaxy tabs are, they're still skinned by TouchWiz UI and no reference for other manufacturers. Google is right to provide a baseline for Android the tablet platform.

The tab arrives as Apple and Microsoft push the motif as PC replacement with iPad Pro and Surface Pro 4/Surface Book, respectively. Whether or not Pixel C can replace a laptop is questionable in my logistical thinking. Rather, it's just another contextual cloud computing device which role changes based on need. I can imagine throwing the beauty in my camera bag, for example. That's much more tenable with a 10.2 inch tab than Apple and Microsoft monsters—12.9 inches and 13.5 inches, respectively.

Google's business is all about context: What you want, where you want, when you need it. The concept is core to search and advertising, and everything Google—and parent company Alphabet—wraps round it. No rival executes better delivering contextually useful products and services.

I will use the new tablet alongside Chromebook Pixel LS, which remains my everyday, all-day PC. Pixel C will open up a wellspring of Android apps to contextually complement the laptop and seamlessly sync with Google's own apps and services across both devices and Nexus 6P. "How well?" is the question, and my review(s) will answer.

If you're thinking about buying Pixel C, Google sells two configs, which are differentiated by storage—32GB ($499) and 64GB ($599). A magnetically-attachable keyboard also is available, for $149. With tax and free shipping, expect to pay about $800 for the 64GB kit.

Specs: 10.2-inch LTPS LCS touchscreen (2560 x 1800 resolution, 308 pixels per inch, 500 nit brightness); Nvidia Tegra XI 64-bit processor; 256-core Maxwell graphics chip; 3GB RAM; 32GB or 64GB storage; 8-megapixel rear and 2MP front cameras; flanking stereo speakers; four microphones; USB Type-C; WiFi AC; Bluetooth 4.1 + HS; six sensors (accelerometer, ambient light, compass, gyroscope, hall, proximity); and Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Measures 242 x 179 x 7 mm and weighs 517 kg. The enclosure is made of anodized aluminum.

Pixel C is gorgeously styled. But is it as functional as beautiful? My review will answer.

Apple releases iOS 9.2, OS X 10.11.2 El Capitan, watchOS 2.1 -- here's what's new

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 8:01pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

MacBook-ElCapitan-Homescree2n

Apple must believe that all good things come in threes, because it just released new updates for its three major operating systems, bringing iOS 9.2, OS X 10.11.2 El Capitan and watchOS 2.1 to its users.

The updates are quite extensive, packing lots of bug fixes, performance and stability improvements, and new functionality. Most changes are brought by iOS 9.2 and watch OS 2.1, while OS X 10.11.2 El Capitan is more focused in the areas it is designed to improve upon.

To name just a few of the changes listed by Apple for iOS 9.2, we now have the ability to create a new playlist when adding a song to a playlist in Apple Music, a new Top Stories section in the News app, support for Mail Drop in the Mail app, support for 3D Touch in the iBooks app, improvements to the stability of Safari and Podcasts, and bug fixes for Live Photos, Contacts, Calendar, Camera and Health apps.

On the OS X 10.11.2 El Capitan side of things, Apple claims to have improved the reliability of Wi-Fi, Handoff and AirDrop, fixed issues with Bluetooth, Mail and importing photos, and improved iCloud Photo Sharing for Live Photos.

As far as Apple Watch users are concerned, watchOS 2.1 brings with it support for new languages (and the right-to-left user interface, to match that), new complications for Islamic and Hebrew calendars, and bug fixes for Calendar and Power Reserve, to name some of the changes.

All three updates are available now for all the usual suspects: iPhones, iPads, iPod touch devices, Macs and Apple Watch.

Apple releases Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader for iPhone and iPad

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 7:38pm CET par Brian Fagioli

cableapplight

My iPhone 6s Plus is a wonderful smartphone -- long battery life, great performance, and strong security. One of the biggest benefits, however, is the class-leading camera, which takes amazing photos. While I use the iPhone for day-to-day shots, I also own a fairly nice camera (Nikon 1 S2) that I use for more serious work. The problem, you see, is that the camera does not have built-in Wi-Fi, so uploading and sharing the photos means carrying my laptop.

Today, this changes, as Apple releases the Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader for iPhone and iPad. I can now connect the storage card from my camera to my iPhone for easy backup and sharing. I totally need this, and I bet many of you do too.

"After you insert the SD card into the reader, your iPad or iPhone automatically opens the Photos app, which organizes your photos into Moments, Collections, and Years. And when you use iCloud Photo Library, all your full-resolution photos and videos are stored safely in iCloud and automatically added to the Photos app on all your devices. With iCloud Photo Sharing, you can share your photos and videos with just the people you choose", says Apple.

The company further says, "the Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader supports standard photo formats, including JPEG and RAW, along with SD and HD video formats, including H.264 and MPEG-4. It supports data transfer at up to USB 3 speeds on iPad Pro, and up to USB 2 speeds on all other iPad and iPhone models".

In typical Apple fashion, this dongle seems a bit expensive at $29, but in reality, the price is pretty reasonable. It looks well made and is USB 3.0 capable for the iPad Pro and future potential USB 3.0-capable devices too. Quite frankly, for a photographer, having the ability to travel without a laptop is priceless -- even at twice the price, Apple would likely sell a ton.

sdapplight2

Unfortunately, it does not accept microSD cards, so you will need a full-size SD adapter to utilize this new product. With that said, most small cards ship with the adapter, so unless you lost it, you probably will be OK. Believe it or not, my Nikon 1 S2 uses the micro variant, so yes, some cameras do use them.

Want to buy the Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader for iPhone and iPad? You can get it here. Will you buy it? Tell me in the comments.

Apple CEO Tim Cook starts conversation on cerebral palsy with a simple 'Hi'

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 7:10pm CET par Brian Fagioli

timcookface

As we come to the end of 2015, I begin reflecting on the year. While a lot of my memories are tech related, the truly important reflections involve friends and family. Ultimately, technology should be a part of our lives, not the entirety of our lives.

Apple is a company that I greatly respect, as it seemingly understands this concept. Regardless of your opinion of its products, it is undeniable that its devices and services are improving people's lives daily. A huge factor in its focus on users and society is the leadership of Tim Cook -- a person I greatly admire. His sincerity regarding equal rights is heartwarming, and throughout 2015 he has shown deep commitment. Today, Cook, with the help of Siri, is starting a conversation on cerebral palsy.

In the video below, Cook reaffirms Apple's commitment to equality and inclusion. The Apple CEO asks Siri the best way to start a conversation with someone that has a disability. The female voice assistant explains that you should just say "hi".

In other words, a person with cerebral palsy, or any other disability or difference, doesn't need special treatment -- just chat them up like you would anybody else. It's a simple message; and that is what makes the video and message so refreshing and powerful. Cook is the perfect person to deliver such an important message.

The Cerebral Palsy Foundation explains, "it's a joy to have Tim Cook add his voice (and Siri's) to our campaign. Tim's combination of keen mind and kind heart is displayed every time that he communicates his vision to the world. We’re thrilled that his outreach now includes the 'Just Say Hi' campaign".

Screenshot from 2015-12-08 12-51-11

Hopefully Cook has inspired you to make a donation to the foundation, which you can do here. As you can see above, I donated $5 -- it was totally easy. With that said, it is not only about money. If you can't afford to give, it is OK. A smile is free, as is treating others with respect. The next time you see someone that's different from you, don't be scared -- just say "hi".

Photo credit:Marco Prati / Shutterstock

Eric Schmidt's desire to bring a 'spell-check for hate' to the web is virtual fascism

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 7:10pm CET par Mark Wilson

eric_schmidt

In a thought-piece for the New York Times, Google's Eric Schmidt proposes a way to "build a better web". The catalyst for his re-envisioning of web is -- predictably -- terrorism generally, and IS/ISIS/ISIL/Daesh specifically. His proposal for tackling are, frankly, little short of deluded.

On the one hand he decries "authoritarian governments" for employing censorship, and then in the next breath calls for the likes of Islamic State to be targeted so their videos can be removed. The problem is -- well, there are several really -- that this is somewhat fascistic. And that’s before we start to question whether Schmidt understands the meaning of the word 'hypocrite'.

Schmidt shoots himself in the foot when trying to explain his thinking, immediately unravelling any argument he may have had. His article reads almost like Mein Kampf: "it's important that we use connectivity to promote the values that bring out the best in people". No, Eric. What's important is that people are free to use this connectivity as they want, not to have values imposed on them through it.

He goes on to fret that if left unmanaged by citizens, government, and tech companies, "the internet could become a vehicle for further disaggregation of poorly built societies, and the empowerment of the wrong people, and the wrong voices". Just who is it that decide who are the 'wrong people' with the 'wrong voices' in your New World Order, eh, Eric?

He witters on and on, seemingly oblivious to the irony the echoes through saying "authoritarian governments tell their citizens that censorship is necessary for stability. It's our responsibility to demonstrate that stability and free expression go hand in hand", and then immediately follow it up with "we should target social accounts for terrorist groups like Islamic State, and remove videos before they spread, or help those countering terrorist messages to find their voice". So censorship is bad, unless you're censoring views that oppose yours, right, Eric?

Schmidt does not put forward any new or compelling arguments to support his ideas. It's a well-worn path that has been trodden endlessly:

As with all great advances in technology, expanded Web access has also brought with it some serious challenges, like threats to free speech, qualms about surveillance and fears of online terrorist activity. For all the good people can do with new tools and new inventions, there will always be someone who will seek to do harm. Ever since there's been fire, there's been arson.

The analogy Schmidt tries to draw here is interesting in that it actually runs counter to what he proposes for the web. Indeed, arson has existed for (just about) as long as fire (it's unlikely, however, that the first discovers used it as a weapon of wilful destruction of property). But just has no effective method of countering arson has ever been determined, attempts to prevent the use of the web for evil are doomed to failure. Punishments may act as deterrents, but they will never eliminate a crime. Never.

Schmidt's choice of words is also quite telling: "for all the good people can do". Concepts of good and bad are just that. Concepts. It's almost too easy to single out the likes of ISIS as bastions of evil, illustrating why 'something needs to be done'. But 'good' and 'bad' are often highly subjective. In suggesting that some views and opinions are worthy of -- nay, deserve -- silencing, is extremely worrying. The web is a tool for everyone, not just those who hold the same views and ideologies as oneself, or even the majority.

Setting up a system -- be it automated or manual -- by which objectionable content can be killed would set an extremely dangerous precedent. The aim of such a system might be a stop the spread of 'dangerous' propaganda, but choosing who is able to say what, when, and how is a force of propaganda in itself: propaganda by elimination. Silence your opponents, and there is only your voice left to be heard.

The proposal is to develop "spell-checkers for hate and harassment", but what on Earth does this actually mean? Let Schmidt enlighten you:

Intuition, compassion, creativity -- these are the tools that we will use to combat terror and violence online, to drown out the hate with a broadly shared humanity that only the web makes possible. It's up to us to make sure that when the young girl reading this in Indonesia on her tablet moves from this page, the web that awaits her is a safe and vibrant place, free from coercion and conformity.

Unless, of course, that coercion is executed by 'good' governments with a view to encouraging people to conform to a nice, Western philosophy. That's just fine by Schmidt. I've already argued that ISIS and terror attacks should not be used as scapegoats for placing restrictions on the internet, but that is exactly what people are trying to do. It's fascism and authoritarianism wrapped up in attractive packaging.

Not in my name, Eric.

Photo credit: Frederic Legrand - COMEO / Shutterstock

Why not use open source encryption?

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 5:49pm CET par Ebba Blitz

Data Encryption

There’s a lot of talk about encryption these days. Often the issue arises when moving data to the cloud, using solutions like Dropbox or Box. We start to wonder if our information will be safe if it’s no longer stored locally on computers in our offices. We are confident that Dropbox and Box store everything in a secure way -- we have little reason to believe that they don’t, right?

Next, we think, "OK, what happens when information leaves or enters the cloud? Is our communication safe? Maybe that information should be encrypted, too". Actually, there’s no question about it. Data should be encrypted when it moves in and out of a network and when it’s stored in the cloud.

Endpoint encryption: protection from human error

Where is data most vulnerable? It is at the endpoints. Without endpoint encryption on ultra notebooks, laptops and desktops, data is vulnerable. This is where you naturally store the user names and passwords to cloud apps and communication -- critical and confidential information that must be kept secure.

For some reason people seem to underestimate the importance of the human factor when it comes to IT security. Recent findings show that more than six out of ten data breaches emanate from a lost or stolen laptop. If you lose your laptop, then you most certainly are losing confidential information as well. We can’t always prevent the loss of a laptop, but we can prevent unauthorized access to what’s stored on our laptops.

Open source: "you get what you pay for"

So, how do I secure my laptop? When browsing the Internet for security software you will most certainly find some open source software that looks interesting -- and perhaps it may be even more appealing because it is free. But don’t be fooled by low or no cost -- because the costs associated with frequently unsupported "as is" free applications and poorly tested open source software can also be quite high.

Open source can create a false sense of security. Using open source means being dependent on something that might not work in the end, when you most need it.

"One of the challenges with using open source is the potential of introducing vulnerabilities that can cause exploits down the road", says Len Carella, Vice President of Corporate Infrastructure for iCIMS, a provider of SaaS solutions for talent acquisition. "There is no guarantee you’ll receive timely support on technical issues that may arise. What originally may look attractive based on price may end up being very costly to your business in the long run".

Are you hanging on to the TrueCrypt encryption system?

The TrueCrypt story is a good example of what happens when a team decides to no longer develop its product and patch security holes. In May 2014, the TrueCrypt website announced that the project was no longer being maintained and recommended that users find alternative solutions.

Why is this sound advice? Critical security flaws have been revealed. Attackers could leverage the flaws to ultimately have free access to your "protected" data. Malware could be downloaded, unwanted surveillance could take place, a PC could be ruined -- there is virtually no end to the damage a hacker could do once flaws have been exposed but not patched.

Customers are often not on top of the latest IT security issues with the products they use. If a bug is found, it's safe to assume it will not be patched when the developers are gone -- no matter how serious the flaw is. Do users simply not understand the risk of using unsupported software? Or are they simply misled by the "price" of a free product?

Another problem with using open source is the fact that you are not sure who is behind the software and that there could potentially be back doors you are not aware of, but who knows?

Self-installation of laptop encryption can be quite difficult if you don’t have the right skills, and many SMBs don’t. Companies without an IT department of their own need someone to help them when problems arise.

In the case of a software/hardware crash or forgotten password, data can become inaccessible, with no assistance available. Who is responsible for retrieving that data when a company is using freeware such as open source? The implication here is that large enterprises remain secure, while SMBs remain vulnerable.

My advice to TrueCrypt users is that it is time to move to another, safer solution to make sure that your information is protected and secure. If you don’t have an IT department of your own, look for an online service provider that can help you. Their technology should be based on a supported software that’s upgraded and updated as new threats are discovered.

And, last but not least, stay away from open source!

Photo credit: Lightspring / Shutterstock

Ebba Blitz is president of Alertsec. Specializing in the fast deployment of IT security and sales, she has been on the board since its inception in 2007 and is responsible for setting up the U.S. West Coast sales office. The encryption company provides computer security through the cloud.

Panda Internet Security 2016: Good protection, small performance impact [Review]

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 5:34pm CET par Ian Barker

Panda Internet Security 2016 1

We already know the importance of defending endpoints to keep business systems secure. The latest release of Panda Internet Security offers protection for PC, Mac, iOS and Android devices, and aims to provide a wide spectrum of security in an easy-to-use package.

For businesses looking to help staff protect their BYOD devices or smaller organizations looking for desktop protection, what does it have to offer?

Features

There are the main elements you’d expect to see in any internet security package, namely antivirus and firewall protection. With Panda you also get a Process Monitor which keeps an eye on other software for suspicious activity, and a Safe browsing feature to block suspicious URLs.

In addition there’s USB protection to scan flash drives when they’re attached, and Wi-Fi protection that can warn you if you’re about to access an insecure network. Data Shield can protect selected files and folders by granting programs permission to access them. When you install new software a wizard will prompt you to set what it’s allowed to access, this helps protect against ransomware type malware that seeks to deny access to data.

There’s also Application Control which allows you to control which programs are allowed to run, and parental control allows you to block specific websites or categories for certain users.

The program has a Rescue Kit feature that you can use to create a bootable flash drive to recover an infected system. It lets you run an advanced virus scan too and access Panda’s Cloud Cleaner. A virtual keyboard lets you enter sensitive information like banking passwords on the screen if you’re worried about keyloggers.

There are various licence options allowing you to protect one, three or five devices and there are versions for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS systems. What you don’t get in this version of the product is online backup, encryption, file shredding or system tune-up tools. If you want those you need to spend a bit more on Panda Global Protection.

Panda Internet Security 2016 B

In Use

So, lots of features on offer, but what’s it like to use?

Installation is fast on a Windows PC, taking just a few minutes, and it doesn’t require a reboot. If you have Windows Defender running it automatically gets deactivated as part of the process. Panda does run a scan of your system after installing but this happens in the background and has minimal impact on the system’s performance.

It installs a Panda toolbar to your browser to help protect your surfing. A minor irritant is that it wants to set Yahoo as your default search engine and MyStart as your home page. You can uncheck the boxes to opt out, but whilst this might be acceptable in shareware it doesn’t sit well in a commercial product that you’ve put down hard cash for.

You’re prompted to set up an online account as part of the installation. This lets you review your licence information, see which products you have active and download the software for other devices.

Once up and running, click the subtly panda-shaped taskbar icon and you’re presented with a smart, tiled interface that’s evidently Windows 10 inspired. This is friendly and simple to operate, if you need to dig deeper -- to set firewall rules for example -- there are Settings buttons on screens where more options are available.

In operation Panda is mostly unobtrusive, the firewall pops up asking for a decision occasionally -- such as when a new program tries to connect to the web -- which is not something you see so often with security packages theses days. Otherwise it will only bother you when installing new programs, plugging in flash drives, or if it detects a problem.

The antivirus module lets you perform a full scan of the system, this takes a while but is probably worth doing the first time you use the software. You can also choose to do a Critical Areas scan which looks at memory, Windows folders, etc, or a Custom scan which lets you select what to examine. You have the option to shut down the PC after a scan has finished so you can use it as part of your end of day routine. The Critical Areas scan took around 20 minutes on our Windows 10 test system.

Panda Mobile Security Android The Android app includes a useful Privacy Auditor which tells you which of your apps are allowed to access media files, SMS messages, the device camera and so on, useful for spotting potentially unwanted behaviour. Mobile versions also have anti-theft protection that allows you to lock or wipe the device remotely via your online account.

Conclusion

Panda Internet Security 2016 costs £49.99 to protect three devices for a year, which is on a par with the BullGuard product we looked at a couple of weeks ago. It’s pretty comparable in terms of the features it offers too. It lacks BullGuard’s rating of online search results but that’s not a huge loss. It ranks slightly better in recent independent protection tests too.

As with most consumer-oriented security solutions the scary options are hidden away in the name of ease of use, but they’re available if you need them. Panda Internet Security 2016 delivers a straightforward endpoint solution and won’t significantly harm system performance.

Pros

Fast installation
Minimal system impact
Clean interface

Cons

Unwanted options on installation
Slightly intrusive firewall

Company	Release Price	Review
Panda Security	£49.99	7/10

Ashampoo releases Burning Studio 16

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 5:25pm CET par Mike Williams

Burning Studio 16

Ashampoo has announced the release of Ashampoo Burning Suite 16 ($59.99), and its more limited free version, Ashampoo Burning Suite 2016.

The new edition does a better job of finding song covers, even when there are no tags available, and can optionally blend multiple covers together into a single photo mosaic.

Simplified disc spanning -- with new error recovery -- and enhanced M-DISC support makes the program a smarter choice for backups.

There’s support for adding subtitles in SRT format to your video discs, while it’s now possible to rip audio CDs to APE files.

Jump list support and a reorganized settings dialog makes it quick and easy to access key features.

High DPI support and a wider choice of skins ensures the program looks great, too.

The free Ashampoo Burning Suite 2016 is relatively basic, in particular with video (it can only burn video discs from pre-prepared video folders), but it’s otherwise a capable data and audio disc burner.

Ashampoo Burning Suite 16 and Ashampoo Burning Suite 2016 are available now for Windows Vista and later.

ThoughtSpot gives companies a self-learning search capability

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 4:58pm CET par Ian Barker

ThoughtSpot chart

Enterprises have lots of data that could be used to improve their operations and profitability, but it can often prove hard to access. By contrast, users are accustomed to being able to instantly find information on search engines like Google with minimal effort.

Business intelligence company ThoughtSpot aims to bridge this gap with the launch of ThoughtSpot 3, a major update to its search-driven analytics platform.

The software has three key components, DataRank is a machine learning algorithm that sorts and presents data recommendations as you type. It guides users to the right results based on data properties and the collective intelligence in the company, helping people to get answers faster.

AutoJoins automatically graphs data sources and joins tables in real-time to calculate answers across previously siloed databases. Finally PopCharts creates instant graphs and charts as you type in ThoughSpot's search box. PopCharts chooses from over a dozen new chart types and automatically presents the best one for each search. These results can be saved to a dashboard for future reference.

"People want to make smart data-driven decisions as quickly as possible. They have come to expect it in their personal lives. Two billion people use search everyday to get instant answers when it comes to booking travel, trading stocks, and finding jobs -- activities previously managed by experts. With ThoughtSpot 3 we’re providing the same service to business professionals looking to make smarter decisions every day at work," says Ajeet Singh, co-founder and CEO of ThoughtSpot. "With the release of ThoughtSpot 3, every human now has the power to search to analyze all of their company data as easily as they use search in their personal lives".

ThoughtSpot 3 is available now and you can find more information on the company's website.

Toshiba may spin off its PC business following weak sales

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 4:41pm CET par Anthony Spadafora

tosh1204

Toshiba may be looking to spin off its PC division, and merge it with that of other computer manufacturers. The company has already stated that it plans to sell part of its semiconductor unit to Sony Corp.

Toshiba is aiming to cut out the least profitable units of its operation after an accounting scandal that occurred earlier this year.

Toshiba’s PC division has a rich history and was responsible for releasing the first commercially available laptop in 1985. Recently though, it has not been able to keep up with the other companies in the PC market.

Toshiba has a 2.3 percent share in the global market for laptops and tablets according to research done by the firm Euromonitor. The company has already stopped making desktops.

The decision comes as no surprise as many Japanese electronics companies have already begun to do similar things. Fujitsu Ltd announced in October that it had plans to spin off its PC business. Both Hitachi Ltd and Sharp Corp. also decided that the consumer market was no longer viable for them. Panasonic has turned its efforts towards the enterprise market and has been producing laptops with businesses in mind.

Talks of Toshiba’s possibly combining their PC division with those of other companies were reported by the Nikkei business daily. The paper suggested that Vaio Corp, formerly part of Sony’s PC division, might be considering absorbing Toshiba’s PC unit.

The rumor was quickly put down by a spokeswoman for Vaio. Toshiba most likely will be spinning off its PC division but the question of how still remains in the air.

How cloud technology benefits the healthcare system

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 4:40pm CET par Peter Davidson

health cloud

The cloud is growing every day. It is not the clouds in the sky that people are talking about. It is the cloud of information that is being stored on the World Wide Web.

There was a time when people were limited in how much information they could store on a computer. There were also limits as to how that information could be accessed. The cloud makes information available to anyone at any time as long as they are allowed to see it. This is changing the way that people communicate and the way that business operates. Healthcare is one of the areas where cloud technology offers many benefits.

Communication through the Cloud

The use of cloud technology is very important when it comes to communication. One of the types of cloud technology that is being used in healthcare is VoIP. A VoIP phone system in place in healthcare has several benefits for both the healthcare professionals and the patients.

VoIP systems give healthcare businesses a lot of flexibility. They have many of the features and the abilities of the biggest phone systems that only large companies used to have. It is now very easy for a healthcare professional to utilize VoIP phone systems and to get all of the features that are offered without the big investment that a traditional phone system would require. There is less money, time and equipment needed to establish the VoIP system. That makes this system accessible to even the smallest healthcare businesses.

The VoIP systems make it easier for healthcare offices to track all of their phone calls. It allows them to handle all of the information that is received in a better fashion. The information can be prioritized and distributed where it is needed. All of this will translate into better care for the patients of that healthcare office.

Information sharing through the Cloud

One of the keys to providing good healthcare is information. The more that health professionals know about a person, the easier it is to keep them healthy. The problem is that a single individual can have several healthcare professionals that are involved in their care. Many mistakes are made because one healthcare professional does not realize what another is doing.

The cloud makes it easy to collect all of the information about an individual and make it accessible to all of the healthcare professionals that need to see it. The decisions they make for that individual will be based on complete information rather than a little bit of guesswork.

A cloud phone system can also help health professionals by allowing them to communicate easily. Conference calling, video calling and the other features of these phone systems can allow the health professionals to share information with their colleagues in a much more timely fashion.

There is one other way that cloud technology is changing healthcare. Patients are taking advantage of these modern phone systems to see their doctors through the cloud. They are connecting with doctors through video conferencing and through the phones instead of going into the office for a visit. Many doctors are able to provide a patient with the treatment they need through these systems. This can help improve healthcare in several ways.

Patients may be less intimidated and more willing to see a doctor through the cloud technology
The doctor and the patient will both have more time to do their work by seeing patients sooner rather than later
Distance is not an obstacle to healthcare when the cloud is employed
Costs for patients can be lower when the cost of running an office is lowered
Healthcare offices will have better tools to help them with billing and collecting payment for the work

Cloud technology does offer many benefits to the healthcare system, but it also can be dangerous. The information that is being stored in the cloud can be accessed by people that should not have it. The communications using the cloud involving the healthcare systems can also fall into the wrong hands. Security is a high priority for the use of cloud technology in healthcare and that is a good thing. Patients expect their private information to stay that way.

Doctors and healthcare offices have been slow to adapt to the technology that is being offered. They are very used to the old way of doing things. The more doctors become willing to adapt to the advances that are happening, the more patients will accept it. The benefits of the cloud in healthcare far outweigh any dangers and it is something that more professionals need to use. A doctor should provide the best care they can at all times. It is something that every patient deserves when it comes to healthcare.

Photo Credit: alexmillos/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.

Sort images by color with ImageSorter

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 4:19pm CET par Mike Williams

ImageSorter

Photo managers offer many ways to organize and sort your images -- name, date, size, tags -- but these typically rely on your pictures being set up in a consistent way.

ImageSorter for Windows and Mac doesn’t care about any of that, because it only uses the image content, sorting and presenting it by color and layout.

Getting started is easy. Just point the program at a folder containing images, and it scans them, creates thumbnails and sorts them into order.

ImageSorter is trying to give an overview of your photos, so if you’ve thousands of images then the individual thumbnails will be tiny. But you’ll still have enough to see the primary colors, helping you pick out shots which are mostly blue skies, green countryside, sunsets, faces and more.

The process worked well for us, with related shots grouped together, often surprisingly accurately.

Multiple shots of the same view, similar portrait shots of the same person, any pictures with a distinctive palette were generally displayed right next to each other, regardless of their resolution, file name, date or other details.

ImageSorter could also help out if you’re just looking for pictures with a similar palette, maybe to match a website design.

And of course it helps you find duplicates, too.

What you don’t get, unfortunately, are many options for processing the images you’ve found.

There are the basic essentials: double-click to open an image in your default viewer, right-click to copy it to the clipboard.

Select multiple images, right-click, and you’ll also find options to move, copy or delete them.

But you can’t access Explorer’s regular right-click menu for images. Or choose a preferred program for opening them. Or drag and drop selected pictures somewhere else. Or view images as a list, with their details, to help choose and delete duplicates. Or… You get the idea.

And there’s more, because ImageSorter is a beta, which hasn’t been updated since 2011, and is no longer supported.

That’s a pity, but these don’t have to be fatal issues. ImageSorter’s "sort by similarity" feature still works very well, and -- as long as you don’t expect the supporting features to be anything like as good -- we think it justifies the download all on its own.

Focus by Firefox is a content blocker for Safari users on iOS 9

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 4:09pm CET par Wayne Williams

Focus by Firefox

Ever since Apple allowed adblockers on iOS 9, we’ve seen a steady influx of these types of apps appearing in the App Store. Today, yet another one arrives, but this new release has an interesting pedigree, coming as it does from Mozilla.

Focus by Firefox is a free content blocker for Safari users on iOS 9 that gives users greater control over their privacy by allowing them to block categories of trackers such as those used for ads, analytics and social media.

The app will block the same trackers that are targeted by Private Browsing with Tracking Protection in Firefox for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android, based on Disconnect’s open source blocklist.

To install the app you’ll need to download it from the App Store (it's not there at the time of writing, but should be available soon) and then open it to complete the configuration.

What’s quite amusing is Focus by Firefox only works on Safari in iOS 9, not Firefox, since Apple doesn’t allow ad blockers on third-party browsers. Mozilla is hoping to make it available for its own browser in the future, however.

New application delivers predictive personalization for Oracle users

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 4:08pm CET par Ian Barker

Personalized mail

Marketing organizations are always keen to understand more about their customers so they can accurately target their efforts.

Machine intelligence-based marketing platform Boomtrain is launching a new application on the Oracle Marketing AppCloud offering predictive personalization to help businesses form better relationships with their customers.

Oracle Marketing Cloud provides data-driven solutions to simplify marketing resources and deliver more personalized customer-centric experiences. Combined with Boomtrain's platform users can easily develop deeper understandings of individual consumers based on how they interact with website and email campaigns. By applying this first-party data to Boomtrain’s predictive algorithms, companies can recommend the content or product that each individual user is most likely to engage with.

"Forward looking companies are moving away from mass marketing to develop stronger, more meaningful relationships with individual consumers," says Nick Edwards, co-founder and CEO of Boomtrain. "Boomtrain provides a strong complement to Oracle Marketing Cloud and will help mutual customers automatically predict the optimal content or product recommendation across any marketing channel".

Boomtrain is available now from the Oracle Cloud Marketplace.

Image Credit: iQoncept / Shutterstock

IDC: Forget tablets, the PC could be set for a comeback in 2016

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 3:57pm CET par Wayne Williams

Surprise

It used to be that a new version of Windows would be a major shot in the arm for PC sales, but that’s no longer the case. According to IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Tracker, shipments are expected to fall 10 percent in the fourth quarter of 2015, bringing the overall decline for the year down by 10.3 percent.

As a result, IDC has revised its forecast for next year, but it does see things stabilizing by the end of 2016, and even predicts some growth.

The analyst firm forecasts sales in the United States, Western Europe, and Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) continuing to fall, but only fractionally, with Canada improving slightly, and Japan and Middle East and Africa (MEA) experiencing double-digit lower growth over the next year or more.

IDC has a lot of faith in Windows 10, and remains "optimistic that replacements of commercial and consumer systems will ultimately stabilize the market and even drive growth".

IDC believes that waning interest in tablets and minimal growth in smartphones will see users returning to the PC globally, although not so much in the United States where other form factors, including detachable tablets, will continue to reign supreme.

"Despite the substantial shift in spending and usage models from PCs toward tablets and phones in recent years, very few people are giving up on their PC -- they are just making it last longer", said Loren Loverde, Vice President, Worldwide Tracker Forecasting and PC research.

"The free upgrade to Windows 10 enables some users to postpone an upgrade a little, but not indefinitely. Some consumers will use a free OS upgrade to delay a new PC purchase and test the transition to Windows 10. However, the experience of those customers may serve to highlight what they are missing by stretching the life of an older PC, and we expect they will ultimately purchase a new device. As detachable systems become more compelling (including attractive new Wintel designs), some volume will go to detachable tablets rather than traditional PC form factors, which will cut into the PC growth rate, but still supports the PC vendors and ecosystem".

Photo Credit: ostill /Shutterstock

Retailers aren't doing enough to protect their data in the holiday season

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 3:42pm CET par Ian Barker

Online Shopping Cart

Retailers believe they're doing a good job of protecting their sensitive data, but may in fact be ignoring major security holes.

This is among the findings of a retail risk report from threat protection company Bay Dynamics, based on a survey of IT decision makers in 125 large US retail organizations.

Problems include employees, particularly temporary seasonal staff, using shared accounts. While a majority of respondents say they know everything their permanent and temporary employees are doing on their corporate systems, 21 percent say their permanent retail floor workers and 61 percent say their temporary floor workers do not have unique login credentials for corporate systems. This means those workers are using shared accounts -- which include the same login credentials. As a result, IT and security teams don't know everything their employees are doing on their corporate systems.

More than a quarter of respondents said they don’t know if their temporary employees have ever accessed or sent data they shouldn't have. Also 37 percent of respondents say they can't identify which systems their temporary employees have accessed.

Almost half (47 percent) of respondents acknowledge that temporary workers are somewhat risky to their organization and more than a third view them as a high risk. 66 percent also view their permanent workers as somewhat risky.

In spite of these worries, the majority of retailers gave themselves a 6 or higher -- on a scale of 1 to 7, with 7 being the most proactive -- for identifying critical assets that must be protected, detecting theft or data leakage, and controlling employee access to critical assets.

The report concludes, "Decision makers may think they are securing the enterprise, but as our survey reflects that is not the case. In today's cybercrime era, where criminals are highly organized and will take extraordinary measure to commit crime -- whether that's landing a job as a temporary holiday worker simply to get access to a retailer's network or attacking the retailer through a third party vendor by posing as a legitimate vendor employee -- retailers need 100 percent visibility into what each employee and insider is doing when accessing key corporate systems and data assets".

The full report is available on the Bay Dynamics website.

Photo Credit: mtkang/Shutterstock

Most mobile apps have encryption flaws

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 3:41pm CET par Barclay Ballard

Microsoft's VC3 security is encryption for the cloud

Encryption is not all it’s cracked up to be according to a recent security report, with coding flaws introducing a number of vulnerabilities into smartphones and their software.

Seven in eight Android apps and 80 percent of all iOS apps have encryption flaws, claims Veracode’s State of Software Security report.

The researchers at Veracode found that four particular encryption errors were recurring in a large number of iOS and Android apps. These included insufficient entropy to secure data, failure to validate certificates, the use of weak cryptographic algorithms and storing information as plain text. Most disappointing of all, however, is the fact that these flaws are relatively straightforward to fix, suggesting that developers need to place greater emphasis on security.

While many startups and smaller businesses may not feel as though they have the time and resources to dedicate to security, the reputational damage of a data breach can be so devastating that it often proves a worthwhile investment. As companies develop and transition to more agile development methods, it is also hoped that security will become more ingrained in the software engineering process.

The State of Software Security report also highlighted a number of vulnerabilities in web-based applications. Three coding languages, in particular, were singled out as being the most susceptible to insecurities: PHP, ColdFusion and Classic ASP. SQL injection vulnerabilities were found to affect 64 percent of Classic ASP apps, 62 percent of ColdFusion apps and 56 percent of PHP software. On the other hand, Java and .NET were seen to be the most reliable web development languages.

The report highlighted that the best way of preventing coding errors from causing security flaws is to invest in more training and online learning. This will not only lead to less scripting errors, but also help developers, and the company as a whole, take security more seriously.

Photo credit: faithie / Shutterstock

Spotify lets you create your year in music

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 1:59pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Girl listening to music

As the year winds down it becomes time for retrospective thoughts. There will be a lot to look back on 2015, some of it pleasant, some sad, some just plain scary. Moments are sometimes defined by music -- you remember what was popular when you were in high school, for instance.

Now Spotify would like to provide you with some reminders of the year that's almost gone. This is your year in music and it's tailored to each individual user.

"From the internet falling back in love with Missy Elliott at the Super Bowl, to same-sex marriage being legalized in the US and Ireland, to man buns and selfie sticks exploding on the cultural scene, 2015 was a year to remember. Explore these and many other moments from the past year -- and relive these memories through custom Spotify playlists", the streaming service announces.

Your personal list will include your first played song, your top songs, artists and genres, top artists by season, total minutes of music streamed and total number of songs and artists played.

Once your list is created you can see a snapshot of it and share it on all of your social networks. Spotify will also gift you a playlist based on your music listened to over the past year. Just hit "Play it forward" and you'll get your new list.

Photo Credit: ra2studio /Shutterstock

New solution helps businesses offer single sign ons

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 1:52pm CET par Ian Barker

As businesses grow and expand their online presence, they can end up with customers needing lots of different logins for blogs, support portals, forums and more. This can lead to frustration among users and mean that businesses lose sight of their system interactions.

Software company Inversoft is launching a solution to this problem in the form of Passport. This not only allows a single sign-on between applications, games, forums, help desks, user accounts and other offerings, but also gives companies a comprehensive view of user activity.

Implemented via an API and made for use on desktops, tablets, smartphones and other devices, Passport is based on OAuth 2.0, the most advanced authorization standard, and adds a number of proprietary features. Among these is the ability to mute, ban or suspend users if necessary, or reward them with special offers or promotions. It also lets customers specify their preferred language so companies can respond with appropriately translated emails and messages.

"For years, companies have been dealing with the limitations of SAML and LDAP protocols for single sign-on. Passport moves the industry forward dramatically," says Brian Pontarelli, founder and CEO of Inversoft. "It offers features and capabilities most other solution providers would never dream of. Best of all, Passport requires only one database to drive a company’s entire user management function".

Passport also features native integration with CleanSpeak, Inversoft's tool for profanity filtering and content/user moderation. A full menu of auditing and analytics tools supports deep-dive queries and pre-set reports are also available for critical performance metrics.

To maximize security, Passport supports two-factor authentication. As an on-premise solution it conforms to internal security protocols, avoiding the risk presented by hosted, multi-tenant alternatives.

Passport is available now and there's a free developer plan that can handle up to 50 users, allowing businesses to try it out. More information is available on the Inversoft website.

Image Credit: Gunnar Pippel/Shutterstock

CleanMyDrive 2 for Mac makes cleaning external drives as easy as one click

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 1:50pm CET par Nick Peers

CleanMyDrive 2

Ukranian software developer MacPaw has unveiled CleanMyDrive 2 for Macs running OS X 10.10 or later. It’s a free tool designed to help users monitor their hard drives and quickly clean unspecified junk files from external drives.

Version 2 debuts a completely redesigned user interface, plus adds a number of new tools and features, including the ability to set custom icons for drives via additional in-app purchases.

The program debuts with a completely redesigned user interface, which ditches the dark color scheme to more seamlessly fit in with Yosemite and El Capitan OS X builds.

It’s not just about aesthetics: version 2 adds a number of new features too. Users can now drag files on to the app’s menu bar icon, then move them over an external drive icon to copy the file to that drive.

Each drive is now also accompanied by a color-coded legend making it easy to identify what types of file are taking up most space on the drive.

The app also introduces support for notifications informing when drives have been mounted or ejected, while the mass disk eject feature gains a keyboard shortcut.

CleanMyDrive doesn’t provide users with a list of what files it cleans (other than overall file size), so relies on a certain level of trust when prompting users to use the one-click cleanup button. Version 2 claims to have improved its hidden service files cleanup algorithm, while also offering an option to automatically clean drives before they’re ejected.

For those interested, the program cleans OS X and Windows Service files, including .DS_Store, .Spotlight-V100, .TemporaryItems, .fseventsd, Thumbs.db, RECYCLED, RECYCLER, $RECYCLE.BIN. It also scrubs resource forks and items in the Trash.

Version 2 also introduces a "hide" button that allows users to keep selected drives away from the program’s sphere of influence.

One final addition introduces support for customizing drive icons, although this involves making in-app purchases of icon sets. At time of release, two sets are available for $2.99 each, but there’s the promise of more to come.

CleanMyDrive 2 is available now as a free download for Mac users running OS X 10.10 or later.

MapR launches global streaming for big data

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 1:17pm CET par Ian Barker

Big data tablet graphs

The growth of the Internet of Things is providing businesses with ever larger volumes of data, that in turn places ever greater demands on the technology needed to process it.

Big data specialist MapR is launching its MapR Streams solution which connects data producers and data consumers across shared topics of information and across the globe.

It offers a converged data platform that integrates file, database, stream processing, and analytics to accelerate data-driven applications and address emerging IoT needs. This allows organizations in any industry to continuously collect, analyze and act on streaming data.

With the continuous analysis of big data businesses can improve their responsiveness to critical events. It can, for example enable advertisers to provide relevant real-time offers, help healthcare providers improve personalized treatment, or retailers optimize their inventories.

"Bringing together world-class Apache Hadoop and Apache Spark with a top-ranked NoSQL database and now continuous, reliable streaming with global scale is a huge step forward in enabling enterprise developers to create the next-gen apps using big data," says Anil Gadre, senior vice president, product management at MapR Technologies. "MapR continues to execute on its vision of making it easy for enterprises to get the competitive edge from big data by bringing together all of the essential components".

Unlike other approaches that create data silos across multiple systems and lack enterprise-grade features and global replication, MapR natively integrates data-in-motion and data-at-rest in one converged platform. As a result, it enables developers to create new, innovative applications that reduce data duplication and movement, lower the cost of integration and maintenance associated with multiple platforms, and deliver faster business results.

More details are available on the MapR site and you can sign up to a webinar on December 10 which will demonstrate the power of the platform.

Image Credit: bleakstar / Shutterstock

Apple releases official battery case for iPhone 6s, iPhone 6

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 12:39pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Apple iPhone 6 iPhone 6s Smart Battery Case

Battery cases have proven to be very popular with iPhone users, as they protect the device and greatly improve battery life without having to sacrifice much in terms of usability. Even though there are lots of options to choose from, even for Plus-sized models, Apple is now adding its own interpretation to the fold.

Unlike other accessory makers which focus on both the standard and the Plus models, with its first iPhone battery case, called Smart Battery Case, Apple is now only targeting iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s users. Is it worth considering?

Apple claims that, with a Smart Battery Case installed, users can expect battery life to extend up to 25 hours for cellular calls, 18 hours for 4G LTE browsing, and 20 hours for video playback. How much does the battery case itself add?

The standard estimates for both iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s are: up to 14 hours for calls, 10 hours for 4G LTE browsing, and 11 hours for video playback. So, the battery case itself would add 11 more hours of talk time, eight hours of browsing via 4G LTE, and nine hours of video playback. Not too shabby.

The added battery life that Smart Battery Case promises to offer would put iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s on the same level as iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 6s Plus in terms of talk time (the bigger devices claim up to 24 hours), but far ahead of the two in terms of 4G LTE browsing (18 hours vs 12 hours) and video playback (14 hours vs 20 hours).

As expected from an official iPhone accessory, Smart Battery Case, which can be had in either Charcoal Gray or White, is priced quite high: it costs $99. It may nearly double your iPhone's battery life, but there are far cheaper alternatives out there, that also look much better than Apple's offering. That hump on the back, which is where the battery is, is hideous. There's no other way to put it.

Anker's Ultra Slim Extended Battery Case has a 2,850 mAh battery inside, and promises to add up to 17 hours of talk time, 12 hours of browsing, and 13 hours of video playback, for just $39.99. And it is certified by Apple. So is the company's Premium Extended Battery Case, which has an even larger battery, and claims to extend battery life even more, while costing $47.99.

Smart Battery Case would be a good choice for those who want the battery life of a bigger iPhone -- even better, actually -- while keeping the overall size in check. Question is, is it worth buying over an existing battery case?

Businesses are in the dark on cloud costs and usage

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 12:24pm CET par Ian Barker

cloudfailure

Whilst there are increasing levels of trust in running critical applications in the public cloud, many organizations struggle when it comes to providing details of their cloud costs and consumption.

This is according to a survey for analytics specialist Cloud Cruiser, carried out by Dimensional Research, which interviewed almost 350 IT professionals who attended the Amazon Web Services re:Invent shows in 2014 and 2015.

It finds that 85 percent of respondents believe it's valuable to share cloud consumption metrics with the business. Unfortunately, 42 percent continue to find it difficult to properly allocate public cloud usage and costs.

"The public cloud is delivering measurable business benefits as companies find ways to manage and mitigate security and compliance requirements. This drives more organizations to place business applications in the cloud, expanding public cloud usage beyond development and test to that of a flexible business asset," says David Gehringer, Principal, Dimensional Research. "However, IT is expected to provide reliable services and ensure cost transparency so the business can make fact-based decisions about the ROI on services. In 2016, we expect to see more business applications in the cloud and an increased focus on cost transparency comparing those of internal resources and external public cloud services".

In the past the public cloud has been used mainly for sandboxing and development. The survey shows that this is still the case, with 62 percent of respondents using it for this in 2015, but use for enterprise applications is growing and has increased from 38 percent last year to 46 percent this year.

Plans to use alternative clouds are also down. In 2014 only 27 percent planned to use no other cloud apart from AWS, this figure is up to 43 percent in 2015.

More information on the survey and on how businesses can take better control of their cloud usage is available on the Cloud Cruiser website.

Image Credit: Brian A Jackson / Shutterstock

Opera 34 revamps Turbo Mode to deliver more data savings, faster browsing speeds

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 12:21pm CET par Nick Peers

opera

Opera Software has unveiled Opera 34 FINAL, a major new release of its desktop web browser, with a separate mobile release due shortly.

The new desktop build's primary focus is on delivering an improved Opera Turbo experience, but it also adds a handful of new features, including a number of improvements to its download engine as well as support for MSE Audio.

Opera 34’s main highlight is the unveiling of a new and more secure version of its Opera Turbo tool. This allows users to speed up downloads on slow networks, such as congested Wi-Fi networks or 3G connections.

It also provides data savings on bandwidth-limited plans through the compression of web pages before they’re delivered to the end user.

Version 34’s update comes with the promise that browsing speeds will be up to 15 percent faster than before. Data savings are improved by 23 percent, which translates in real terms to users saving up to 70 percent of their normal data usage when Opera Turbo is enabled.

Two other notable improvements in Opera 34 see downloads gain a cancel button (in addition to the pause/resume button), while the browser can now offer to resume partially complete downloads after a browser restart.

Eagle-eyed users will also note that the Discover section has been renamed to News, while Mac users will be pleased to learn the new release adds support for the native Share button, making it possible to share content from the browser with other networks and apps.

The final update sees Opera 34 gain support for MSE Audio, which allows it to play streams from Google Play Music and other similar services.

Opera FINAL 34 is available now as a freeware download for Windows, Mac and 64-bit Linux users, with the Android version due imminently. Also available are Opera Mini for Android, and Opera Mini for iOS 12.0, which recently added synced speed dials and support for iOS 9 features like 3D touch and Spotlight search.

Tabr is a RAM-saving Chrome tab manager

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 11:55am CET par Mike Williams

Tabr

Chrome's a great browser, but open too many tabs and it can turn into a real resource hog, grabbing vast amounts of RAM and maybe impacting your system's performance.

Tabr is a new Chrome tab manager which helps you deal with this, by providing new ways to browse, archive and control your browser tabs.

The Tabr window opens with super-sized thumbnails of all your open tabs, in every Chrome window. You can scroll and click whatever you need, or use a Search box to search on title bar text.

Alternatively, if you can't find what you want because your tabs are split across several Chrome windows, a "Combine Windows" button brings them all together.

Hovering your mouse over a thumbnail displays an "Archive Tab" option, which saves the state of that tab, and closes it, freeing up RAM.

Tap "All Sessions" later, whatever you saved last will be at the top of the list, and you can restore it with a click.

If that’s too much hassle then you could try enabling the Auto-Archive feature, which automatically archives tabs after they've been idle for a specified number of minutes.

There's also a more general "Archive Session" feature, which saves the state of every open tab, making it easy to restore everything later and carry on where you left off.

Tabr doesn't quite have the functionality of some of the competition. It saves tabs rather than suspend them, for instance, and it's not very configurable. (You don’t like the large thumbnails? Tough.)

The extension is looking good for a first release, though, with more than enough power to be useful, and a solid 4 star rating on Google Play. If you’re interested in tab managers when we'd give it a try.

As well as closing US borders to Muslims, Donald Trump wants to talk to Bill Gates about 'closing up the internet'

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 11:13am CET par Mark Wilson

donald_trump

People who support freedom of speech are "foolish people" in Donald Trump's book. This is just the latest in a seemingly endless stream of sweeping generalizations and misguided utterances to fall from the mouth of the Republican presidential candidate.

Positioning himself as the spokesman for the "noisy majority", Trump yesterday appealed to the xenophobic electorate in suggesting "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States". This is the statement that has, understandably, grabbed the headlines, but Trump also wants to exert control over the technology we use every day. Specifically, he is interested in "closing up the internet in some way", and he wants to speak to Bill Gates about it.

Quite what the former head of Microsoft has to do with control of the internet is something perhaps only Trump understands. Perhaps he's missed the fact that Gates' involvement in the world of technology has been cut to almost nothing as he concentrates on more philanthropic ventures. Regardless, Trump thinks Gates is one of the people who can help him in his misguided plans to clean up 'extremist' online content.

The bewilderingly popular (according to many polls, at least) billionaire says that he wants to talk to Bill Gates "and a lot of other people who understand what’s happening about closing up the internet in some way. People will say 'Freedom of speech! Freedom of speech!'. These are foolish people".

As he has demonstrated perfectly countless times on his campaign trail, Trump is fantastically out of touch with the world -- the modern, forward-thinking world at least. He is of a mindset trenched in decades-old bigoted views and a seeming failure (or refusal) to recognize the implications of much of what he suggests. People who support freedom of speech are far from foolish. These are the people whose ideologies are the very cornerstones of democracy. These are the forward-thinkers and the ones who should be listened to, not shunned and ridiculed for not holding outdated views of the world.

If Bill Gates and the 'lot of other people' have any sense, they'll treat any request for an audience with Trump with the indignation it deserves. Ignorant, sledgehammer-to-crack-a-nut approaches are dangerous, but Trump is ever the master of saying what his right-wing acolytes want to hear. His suggestions have been met with typical loud support -- but only from certain quarters. His dream of driving jihadists from the internet is simply not going to happen. It's simply an unworkable idea, and an affront to free speech.

Photo credit: Ilya B. Mirman / Shutterstock

Microsoft releases new Office 365 SMB plans

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 10:07am CET par Phoebe Jennelyn Magdirila

Microsoft brings mobile device management to Office 365

After announcing the subscription-based service in 2014, Microsoft has now made available three new Office 365 small/mid-size business plans to its existing business customers.

The three plans -- Office 365 Business Essentials, Office 365 Business and Office 365 Business Premium -- are replacing the current Office 365 Small Business, Small Business Premium and Midsize Business plans.

The earlier planned October 1 2015 release had been pushed back to 1 December, to allow users to move to Office 2016 "more seamlessly", according to Microsoft officials.

The Business Essentials plan includes email and calendaring, online meetings, instant messaging and Lync Online video conferencing, SharePoint Online, 1TB of free OneDrive for Business cloud storage, and Yammer enterprise social-networking support, at $5 per user per month, or $60 per year.

Office 365 Business includes the complete set of Office applications for up to 5 PCs and/or Macs per user, and 1TB of free OneDrive for Business cloud storage, for $8.25 per user per month, or $99 per year. However, it doesn’t include Exchange, Lync or SharePoint online.

Finally, the Business Premium plan combines the features of Office 365 Business Essentials and Office 365 Business for $12.50 per user per month, or $150 per year.

Visit the Office website for a full comparison of the three new plans.

TuneIn Radio lands on Windows 10 with lots of content

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 5:06am CET par Alan Buckingham

TuneIn-image

TuneIn Radio has made some news recently, most notably with its inclusion of radio broadcasts for all NFL games. Granted, this requires the customer to pony up $7.99 per month for a premium subscription and there is no video, but it's a heck of a lot cheaper than NFL Sunday Ticket and radio broadcasts are pretty descriptive about plays.

Now the service is arriving on Windows 10, the latest operating system from Microsoft. This is a Universal App and brings the full content of the service to the platform.

This gives users the ability to not only pin the app, but also pin their favorite stations. The service is also excited about Cortana which allows for launching the app by voice -- simply say "Cortana, launch TuneIn" and you're off and running.

This allows for easy sign-in as, like its web-based counterpart, you can use Facebook to log in or use your email address to get moving.

"We can’t wait to hear what you think of the new TuneIn Radio app for Windows 10! You’ll find the app available to download for free here in the Windows Store. If you have any questions, check out our FAQ page, or tweet us at @TuneInSupport", the service states.

Google makes Android a little less dangerous with 'Safe Browsing' update

Publié: décembre 8, 2015, 1:57am CET par Brian Fagioli

Android danger sign

When I switched from Android to iOS earlier this year, it had nothing to do with being a fanboy, hating Google, or loving Apple. Truth be told, I have never ever owned a Mac -- although I have played around with Hackintosh -- and I continue to use many Google services like YouTube and Gmail. The reason I switched was simple -- security. Too many Android devices get abandoned by manufacturers, meaning users are expected to use devices with known vulnerabilities -- unacceptable. With iOS, I can be confident that I will get a steady stream of updates.

While Android continues to be a dangerous Wild-West-like experience when it comes to updates and vulnerabilities -- except for Nexus devices -- today, Google is making it a bit safer to use. As long as you use Chrome as your web browser on the mobile Linux-based operating system, the search giant will try to protect you from potentially dangerous websites. Yes, Android is becoming, arguably, a little less dangerous.

"This new Safe Browsing client on Android is part of Google Play Services, starting with version 8.1. The first app to use it is Chrome, starting with version 46 -- we're now protecting all Android Chrome users by default. If you look at Chrome's Settings > Privacy menu, you can verify that Safe Browsing is enabled and that you're protected. Chrome warns you about dangerous sites as shown below. It does this while preserving your privacy, just like on desktop", says the Google Chrome and Safe Browsing Teams.

deceptive_mob_interstitial The teams further shares, "we hunt badness on the Internet so that you don’t discover it the hard way, and our protection should never be an undue burden on your networking costs or your device’s battery. As more of the world relies on the mobile web, we want to make sure you're as safe as can be, as efficiently as possible".

Keep in mind, this does not mean the underlying operating system is any more secure, nor does it improve the poor update practices held by many manufacturers and cell carriers. What it does mean, however, is hundreds of millions of Android users will be protected from malicious websites, which in turn, makes using the OS less dangerous. The caveats, of course, is that the user have both a compatible version of Google Play Services and use the Google Chrome web browser. As of now, alternative browsers such as Dolphin and Firefox will not benefit.

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