Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » décembre 30, 2015

BetaNews.Com (10 non lus)

Microsoft Selfie app comes to iOS -- Did it make me sexy? You be the judge!

Publié: décembre 30, 2015, 7:31pm CET par Brian Fagioli

Microsoft has had its ups and downs lately, but one of Satya Nadella's biggest victories was increasing development for multiple platforms. Gone are the days of the company focusing primarily on Windows. Yes, the company still has an interest in making its own operating systems successful, but not to the detriment of the overall good.

Microsoft has supported iOS in more ways than one -- it has released Office, Bing and OneDrive for the platform, to name a few. Plus its Band smartwatch is compatible with iPhone thanks to its Heath app. Today, the company releases a new app for selfie photos; the unimaginatively named 'Microsoft Selfie'. Obviously, I had to try it on my iPhone 6s Plus. Has the app turned my homely mug into something sexy? You be the judge.

Microsoft describes the app in the following way:

Microsoft Selfie is a selfie and portrait enhancement application. The app takes age, gender, skin tone, lighting, and many other variables into account, applies different models automatically and finishes enhancement with just a single click. Users can transform average photos into more presentable portraits in seconds. Key features of this application are noise reduction, intelligent enhancement, automatic exposure and color theme.

Here are the results below. Am I sexy now?
Click to view slideshow.
Microsoft Selfie focuses on automatically enhancing selfies and removing "noise". You can use the on screen slider to increase or decrease the strength of the the trickery, however. As you can see, my forehead and cheeks look oddly smooth. The app has largely removed imperfections -- acne, birthmarks and stubble. While this is sort of cool, it also comes across as being a bit phony. I appreciate it removing the zit that was on my chin, but not my birthmarks. Quite frankly, this app makes me feel bad about myself, as it highlights all my flaws.

In addition to that primary noise feature, it also implements optional filters -- something found on similar such apps. While the app works, it doesn't do much to differentiate from other offerings on iOS. If you really want to tweak your face in selfies, the popular Facetune is superior. With that said, it costs $3.99 while Microsoft's offering is free. Ultimately, I guess I just don't see why the company invested resources in such a seemingly mundane app.

What do you think, was Microsoft smart to release this app? Was it successful in making me sexy? Download the app here and tell me in the comments.
Two weeks with Google Pixel C [preview]

Publié: décembre 30, 2015, 7:16pm CET par Joe Wilcox

For about a fortnight, I have used Google's Pixel C as my primary tablet. I like the 10.2-inch slate much more than anticipated, particularly after being negatively influenced by some rather lukewarm techsite reviews before FedEx delivered the tab to my door.

Google designed and produces Pixel C, which is by far the best Android tablet you can buy anywhere. Like Nexus smartphones, which debuted in January 2010, the tablet is meant as a reference design for OEMs and developing Android apps appropriate for larger, but still mobile, screens. I primarily will focus on the hardware this round; apps and Android will come next year in my full review.

The search-and-information giant unexpectedly unveiled the Pixel C on September 29th. Sales started December 8th. Specs: 10.2-inch LTPS LCD touchscreen, 2560 x 1800 resolution, 308 pixels per inch, 500-nit brightness; nVidia Tegra X1 processor with Maxwell graphics; 3GB RAM; 32GB ($449) or 64GB ($599) storage; 8-megapixel rear and 2MP front cameras; four microphones; two speakers (sideways of screen in portrait mode on the bezel); USB Type-C port; WiFi AC; Bluetooth 4.1; accelerometer; compass; gyroscope; ambient-light, half-effect, and proximity sensors; Android 6. Enclosure is anodized aluminum that measures 242 x 179 x 7 mm and weighs 517 grams.

Now for some early reactions about the hardware, in no particular order of importance:

1. Design is recognizably reminiscent of Chromebook Pixel. The screen, shape, styling all are derivative. Google even added the distinctive color bar and adoption of USB C. See #5, #6, and #8 for more on shared design heritage.

The shared heritage also applies to performance, which will be covered more in the full review. For a cloud-connected computer, Chromebook Pixel is surprisingly speedy. Same applies to Pixel C, which handles smoothly and feels sporty.

2. Buttons and ports are laid out for landscape orientation; placement may disorient some users' muscle memory. Held in portrait fashion, power button is upper-right side, volume controls on right-topside, USB C port top-left side, and audio jack lower-right bottom. Turned sideways: power left-topside; volume upper-left side; USB C lower-left side, audio upper-right side.

Portrait placement is excellent, particularly for accessing volume buttons or for USB C charging. Webcam is top-front facing in this orientation, unlike iPad where iSight is left-side front. Meaning: Apple poorly places the webcam for video chats or Hangouts. Google gives better.

However, Pixel C is also meant for the browser and some other apps in portrait mode, where the layout of buttons and ports is inconvenient. You design primarily for one orientation or the other. For Apple, it's portrait and for Google it's landscape. The difference illuminates design usage philosophies, and both companies compromise.

On iPad Pro, which Apple intends to be used often in landscape mode as a laptop replacement, controls and webcam are placed like the smaller sibling tablets, which, to repeat, controls are laid out better for portrait use. Google's layout, while not as good for portrait use where web browsing (and with it all those ads Big G wants you to click), better suits both orientations than Apple's.

3. Pixel C feels heavy in the hand—and like a brick with the keyboard magnetically attached as protective cover. The heft isn't unbearable or even tiring using the tablet. iPad Air 2 weighs less than a pound (437 grams), while Pixel C climbs to 1.1 pounds (517 grams). The solid construction contributes to the sense of weightiness, which, to reiterate, doesn't discomfort me.

But i wouldn't want to lug around Pixel C for long with the $149 keyboard cover. Aluminum all-the-way around makes the touch more cold feeling, and combined weight jumps by 399 grams to 916 grams (2.02 pounds). For comparison, the 12-inch MacBook weighs 920 grams (2.03 pounds). Point: This isn't a light kit, and some people will find it to be too heavy.

4. Grip is great. The anodized aluminum shell is not slippery. As such, the hand firmly holds Pixel C, with or without keyboard cover, Drop risk is greater with iPad Air 2 but less with plasticky tablets.

5. The tablet's dimensions feel great. Regardless the orientation, Pixel C holds pleasingly, particularly as a traditional tablet longways vertical. The aspect ratio is what Google calls √2, or stated another way 1:1.41, or about the same as A4 paper. This makes the tablet more squarish than rectangular in both orientations and surprisingly more comfortable to hold and to use.

The benefits are visual and physical. Web content pleasingly presents, as do Google's homegrown apps (and presumably soon those from third-parties). The aspect ratio is closer to Chromebook Pixel's 3;2 (another sign of the shared design legacy), which is superb for photography. Google Photos app present fantastically with the √2 aspect ratio and I report about using editing apps in my full review. Pixel C could be a shooter's dream tablet, much more than any iPad.

The physical benefit is balance. The aforementioned extra heft is easily ignored because Pixel C balances so well in the hand(s) whether held in landscape or portrait orientation—and the squarish shape is major reason. Holding the tablet feels familiar, like holding a book, and handles much better than any iPad. How funny if Pixel C's killer application turns out to be the aspect ratio and physical shape.

6. Screen is gorgeous—best of class. The 10.2-inch display is crisp by every measure that matters and magnificently bright. DisplayMate puts iPad Air 2 at 415 nit, which is excellent. Google claims 500 nit, and we'll see what the industry experts give for final number. Whatever the rating, the display is plenty bright and beautiful to my eyes.

The resolution is close to Chormebook Pixel, and a bit finer—2560 x 1800 compared to 2560 x 1700, respectively. Likewise, visual quality is similar between them. Many smartphone or tablet screens, particularly those AMOLED, present bold colors and rich contrast that looks good but isn't natural; they're not what the eyes. Like the Chromebook, Pixel C presents more muted but pleasingly rich color and contrast that aren't over-saturated. Photographers, this tab could be for you.

7. Flanking speakers deliver dimension. I was a bit skeptical about Google placing the speakers on the bezel to the side rather than facing front. But I got to say, surprisingly, they give great soundstage and separation. For testing, I watched part of the Indochine Tidal X concert, portion of movie Jurassic World (streamed using Google Play Movies app), and many YouTube videos. All sound great.

They look fantastic, too, and I don't see the √2 aspect ratio as presenting problems showing 16:9 or 16:10 content. The viewing window is plenty large,and I would absolutely rate the overall experience of sight and sound ahead of iPad Air 2. Once again, Google gives better.

8. Keyboard satisfies. The keys feel good and responsive to the touch, like I would expect from a device branded Pixel. Keyboard is one of the Chromebook's biggest benefits. Peripheral attachment is easy and magnetically holds strongly fast as Google claims. The real test of any keyboard is how your muscle memory transcends one layout to another. I find switching between the two to devices to be satisfying enough, conceding—and this applies to most tablets—near full-size layout is never nearly enough.

9. Magnetic attachment is strong, and perhaps to a fault. The keyboard can also be used as a protective cover, but should you really have to pry it off to remove? In trying to separate the keyboard as cover from Pixel C, I nearly dropped the tablet and did so the keyboard a couple of times. You've been warned.

10. Battery life depends on brightness. Google claims 10 hours battery life, which would be comparable to other tablets in the size class. However, as previously mentioned, Pixel C's screen is 500 nit, which is brighter than most, if not all, competing tabs. Kicking back brightness to, say, 75 percent, can give still satisfying visual experience while extending time between recharges.

That's a wrap, with one software consideration for anyone deciding on whether to save $100 and buy the 32GB model: Expect 21GB, or thereabouts, available storage out of the box. On my 64 gigger, I see 52.88GB available to start, of which I have used 4.21GB, mostly for apps. Since storage isn't expandable, budget buyers may later regret saving a C-note.

Photo Credit: Joe Wilcox
Clueless UK government wants you to help define its digital strategy

Publié: décembre 30, 2015, 5:04pm CET par Mark Wilson

The UK government has been heavily criticized for the way it is attempting to control the way in which people use the internet -- blocking porn, unfettered surveillance and so on. The snooper's carter in particular has been the subject of much disapproval, and in an apparent bid to avoid further complaints, the government is now crowdsourcing ideas for internet policies.

In an article entitled UK Digital Strategy - the next frontier in our digital revolution (a document replete with language and references akin to an elderly parent talking about some aspect of modern culture they don't quite understand), Digital Economy Minister Ed Vaizey explains that he is looking for "ideas from public and industry on the UK's digital strategy".

Being government-written, it is rather self-aggrandizing in tone, with the minister trying to take partial credit for the explosion in the digital economy. Vaizey points to the opening up of government-held data sources so they can be used by apps and services, but says "we need to work hard to make sure we continue to take advantage of the benefits digital transformation has to offer, as an economy and as a society".

There's an unpleasant tone of one-upmanship when he says "other countries are hot on our heels but we want the UK to be synonymous with digital". This suggests that the UK is in some way at the forefront of a digital revolution, when in fact it lags behind many other countries in Europe and around the world -- just look to the average broadband connection speeds that are available, for instance.

Good job we have a Digital Economy Minister, eh?

But Vaizey is out of ideas; he doesn't know what to do next. In 2016 he plans to unveil a five-year plan in the form of the Digital Strategy for the UK (his capitalization, not mine), but he needs help. Even he seems to realize that padding out his document with essentially meaningless puff-phrases like "unlocking digital growth" is pointless. The many hundreds of words he ejaculates could be condensed down to "we want to be better, but don’t know what to do".

This is perfectly illustrated by the plan "to deliver superfast broadband to 95 percent of the UK by the end of 2017" -- with no hint of how it will be achieved, or what happens for the remaining 5 percent. Details, mere details! "We're planning to make it a legal right for every home and business in the UK to request fast broadband". Quite why the right to ask for something needs to be enshrined in law is anybody's guess, but asking certainly doesn't mean getting -- surely you know that by now!

Vaizey wants so desperately to sound like he knows what he's talking about and that he knows what’s going on. "It's estimated around 90% of all jobs over the next 20 years will require some level of digital skills", he prophesizes. Estimated by whom? What is a "digital skill"? Who defined this?

The usual scary monsters get a mention too:

As more of our lives are conducted online, the need to keep ourselves safe from criminals and terrorists increases. But we mustn't let these real dangers prevent us from accessing all the benefits of a digital economy. That’s why we're spending £1.9 billion over the next five years through the National Cyber Security Programme.

Wow (sarcasm). An average of under £380 million per annum, which will almost certainly be spent on over-priced contracts from ministers' chums. That sort of money will disappear overnight, and vanish without a trace.

In case you hadn’t guessed by now, the government doesn’t really know what it's doing, particularly when it comes to the world of technology. Vaizey round things off by saying:

Come 2020, undoubtedly the UK landscape will have changed to be firmly in the digital age. But how do you want to shape that? Government has ideas and ambitions but as Tech City UK back in 2010 shows, the ideas are out there. So challenge us - push us to do more. Let's show the rest of the world how it's done.

On the one hand it's somewhat reassuring that people are being asked how we should move forward. On the other, it's disconcerting to hear just how clueless the minister charged with driving things forward is. He's a man from another age. New blood is needed. That's not going to happen any time soon, so let the government know what you think. You're invited to email idea to digitalstrategy@culture.gov.uk.

You've only got until 19 January, so be quick (although it would be nice to think that ideas sent in after this date would not simply be ignored!).

Photo credit: Maksim Kabakou / Shutterstock
5 ways Ubuntu Linux is better than Microsoft Windows 10

Publié: décembre 30, 2015, 4:36pm CET par Brian Fagioli

Windows 10 is a pretty good desktop operating system. Unfortunately, that OS is very far from perfect. The most glaring issue, of course, is the confusing privacy settings. Plus, let us not forget the arguably shady tactics Microsoft is employing to get users to upgrade to the operating system. While Windows 10 is more focused than its predecessor, there is still a lack of consistency, such as having a Settings Menu and separate Control Panel menu.

Meanwhile, in the land of Linux, Ubuntu hit 15.10; an evolutionary upgrade, which is a joy to use. While not perfect, the totally free Unity desktop-based Ubuntu gives Windows 10 a run for its money. Does this mean I think Linux will soon rule the desktop? Absolutely not. Windows will still be dominant in number of installs for the foreseeable future. With that said, more does not always mean better. Here are 5 ways Ubuntu bests Windows 10.

1. Live Tiles stink

Live Tiles are an interesting concept -- rather than offer a static image icon for apps, Microsoft gives the option to display app data instead. While this sounds useful, in practice, it kind of stinks.

The human mind recognizes images, which trigger a memory as to what it represents. For instance, when driving, you see a red, octagon-shaped sign that says "stop" and know to hit the brakes. With Microsoft's design logic, the sign would be a red square or rectangle, and wouldn't say "stop". Instead, it would be give you stats about how many cars have stopped there and you'd have to guess that it is a stop sign.

Obviously, Microsoft's design choice is poor, as the sign needs to represent something very specific, and reaction time is important. The same can be said for application icons and productivity. A blue "e" means Internet Explorer, or Edge. A red, green and yellow circle means Chrome. A parking cone means VLC. This is how it should be; Live Tiles hurt productivity and waste time.

Microsoft's return to a traditional Start Menu makes Live Tiles even more ridiculous. Why would someone click the start button and stare at the tiles to obtain information? It makes more sense to, you know, open the damn application!

Conversely, Ubuntu sticks to traditional icons -- what a concept, right? In other words, with Unity, Canonical has not initiated change for the sake of change. There is also no silly Start Menu, which is arguably an obsolete concept. On Ubuntu, much like OS X, your favorite apps can be locked to the dock, which is on your screen at all times.

Quite frankly, this is what Microsoft should do -- increase the size of the Windows taskbar and kill the start menu altogether. Just pin file explorer, settings and "all apps" to the bar -- let the user pin other apps they want. No start menu, no live tiles. Apple had it right with OS X all along and Ubuntu is smart to emulate it with Unity.

Many wanted the traditional Start Menu back in Windows. Well, now it's here and it is sort of pointless.

READ MORE: System76 Oryx Pro is the Ubuntu Linux gaming laptop of your dreams [Review]

2. Privacy

This is the biggest Windows 10 blunder by far. Not only does the operating system phone home to Microsoft, but it can be confusing to figure out how to turn the data-siphoning off. Actually, it can be damn near impossible to turn it off entirely without the use of a third-party solution. Check out the video from Barnacules below for more information. It is long, but in-depth and informative. The fact that 35 minutes could be dedicated to the subject highlights that there is a problem.

Look, regardless of Microsoft's intent or motive, users should be asked to opt in to all of this creepy sharing -- not opt out. It can be argued that users are partly to blame for selecting "Express Settings" during the initial setup, but that is a bit dim. Not everyone understands these settings and what they mean -- Microsoft can't put the onus on its customers.

Ubuntu is not infallible in this regard either. The Linux-based operating system will send your search queries to Amazon in an attempt to show relative shopping data. The problem? If you were to search for sensitive information -- like an SSN or password in a document -- it too is sent to Amazon.

Luckily, Canonical does not try to deter users from disabling this, although I would prefer it to be opt-in. To disable it, the user only must go to privacy settings and deselect a single option. In other words, Ubuntu is far more privacy-focused than Windows 10.

3. Consistency

Windows 8 had a disaster-level user interface -- a scary mix of old-school and new-school. This terribly inconsistent environment was largely hated by consumers, making the operating systems one of Microsoft's biggest failures.

Windows 10 partly fixes this by making store apps available in a windowed mode. In other words, these apps are no longer full-screen only, and run in the same environment as legacy programs.

Sadly, this only partly fixes the problem. Windows 10 is still extremely inconsistent. The biggest offense is two destinations for settings. There is a new "Settings" menu, plus the traditional "Control Panel". It is never clear which place the user must visit -- very confusing.

Unfortunately, it does not end there. Microsoft offers two web browsers, Edge and Internet Explorer (neither can be uninstalled), and to the average user, it is not clear why. When navigating settings in traditional apps vs. store apps, the experience is very different too. Sometimes there are hamburger menus, sometimes settings are accessed by clicking on something mysterious (the user photo in the store app???) and then in legacy programs, there is the traditional "File", "Tools", "Help" etc.

With Ubuntu, there is a single settings menu, and for the most part, programs follow the design of Unity. Sometimes, like in the case with Google Chrome, you may need to set the program to use the "system title bars and borders". That aside, the entire experience of Ubuntu and Unity is cohesive and consistent. Users should rarely find themselves getting confused over jarring design principles.

4. Security

Let's face it -- Windows has been, and likely always will be, the largest malware target. Sure, you can say it is because of its popularity -- that is partly true -- but it is also due to the nature of the operating system. Microsoft has long made poor choices that has negatively impacted its operating system for home users. Internet Explorer and its horrid ActiveX technologies has put many users at risk. Software can largely be installed without a password, or even without the user's permission, leading to a total mess -- we've probably all experienced a Windows machine bogged down with malware and multiple web browser toolbars.

While Linux-based operating systems, such as Ubuntu, are not impervious to malware -- nothing is 100 percent secure -- the nature of the operating system prevents infections. Actually, with the exception of social engineering and tricking the Linux user into doing something foolish, Ubuntu is rock solid. By sticking to downloads from the Software Center, users of the OS should feel quite safe -- no antivirus, anti-spyware or CCleaner-like utilities needed. While Windows 10 is arguably safer than previous versions, it is still not touching Ubuntu in this regard.

While security can be mentioned as a benefit of most Linux-based operating systems (except maybe Android), Ubuntu is particularly safe by having many popular packages available. For the most part, users can get everything they need without hunting for .deb files on websites or adding shady repositories. The fewer times a user finds the need to stray from the Software Center, the safer they arguably are.

With Windows 10, yeah, there is now an app store, but largely, users still have to hunt for programs and driver packages on various websites. While seasoned Windows experts will know safe download sites to target, many others will be fooled into downloading malware. Hopefully Windows Defender catches it, but if not, the users' machines can be put at risk.

5. Non-aggresive updates

This is probably my favorite aspect of Ubuntu over Windows 10; Canonical does not force, nag, or trick you to upgrade your operating system. Comparatively, Microsoft has been unapologetically aggressive with getting users to upgrade to Windows 10. The problem? Many users do not have the need, nor the want, to move from Windows 7. With Ubuntu, you can stick with the operating system for as long as you want without experiencing aggressive tactics. True, Canonical will alert you to updates, but they are always optional.

If you install an LTS version of Ubuntu -- meaning Long Term Support -- you are guaranteed 5 years of support from initial release. During this time, you can be confident that you can stay on the version and receive timely updates. Canonical will release newer versions during that 5 year span, but never will you receive pop-up messages begging you to upgrade. You can upgrade if you want, but it will be optional and no-pressure.

Canonical seems to respect its users, while Microsoft's patronizing tactics make me question their customer focus.

Thoughts?

OK, folks -- am I totally off-base here? Is Windows 10 actually a better operating system than Ubuntu 15.10 with Unity? Is there a Linux distro that you think is better than Ubuntu? Sound off in the comments and tell me what you think.

Photo Credit: nex999 / Shutterstock
Samsung adds SmartThings and security to IoT TVs

Publié: décembre 30, 2015, 3:12pm CET par Alan Buckingham

The Internet of Things is the hot buzz-phrase right now and Samsung has an iron in the fire with SmartThings. Its line of products is also compatible with those made by other manufacturers -- that's the biggest catch with all of this, as not everything is compatible with all competing products.

Now Samsung is bringing its SmartThings platform to its own line of TVs and all 2016 models will offer built-in compatibility. This allows for control of your home right from the screen in your living room, or wherever you may have the product.

The first of these TVs will be on display at this year's Consumer Electronics Show which kicks off in early January. These are devices that will be available this coming year. It does take a minor amount of work on the part of the consumer -- you'll need to plug in a dongle, but then you'll have access to a range of products across platforms such as Zigbee and Z-Wave.

"The SmartThings SUHD application will allow you to trigger different SmartThings Routines, get notifications when important events happen, see what’s happening in and around your home with compatible cameras, and control your connected devices–all from the TV", the company states.

Also being unwrapped for the new year is a security system for smart TVs that Samsung has dubbed GAIA. The company hopes that this will provide a measure of protection across services, software and hardware.

"Protecting consumers' personal information is of the utmost importance to Samsung, both in terms of the company’s values and what’s needed for the continued growth and success of the IoT ecosystem", says Hyun Suk Kim, President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. "GAIA is a security solution that will give Samsung customers security and peace of mind now and in the future".

Both the TVs and the new security system for them will be available in 2016.
Intel unveils 8 new Broadwell and Skylake processors

Publié: décembre 30, 2015, 2:37pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

US chip maker Intel has recently announced eight new processors, as it expands its Broadwell and Skylake families. The chips will be available for both desktop and mobile CPUs, the company added.

The new processors announced today include the Celeron 3855U, Celeron 3955U, Core i3-6098P, Core i5-6402P, Core i5-5200DU, Core i5-6198DU, Core i5-5500DU, and the Core i7-6498DU. Out of these, the two new desktop CPUs are the Core i3-6098P and the Core i5-6402P. Like previous processors with a "P" prefix, it is likely that these processors do not come with an integrated GPU. They have been priced at $117 (£79) and $182 (£122), respectively.

The four new mobile CPUs -- Core i5-5200DU, Core i5-6198DU, Core i7-5500DU, and the Core i7-6498DU are dual-core SKUs with four threads. The D in the name is still a mystery.

According to CPU World, the Celeron 3855U and 3955U are both ULV dual-core processors and come with an integrated Intel HD 510 graphics and 2MB of L3 cache.

The company announced new processors the same day it announced the completion of the acquisition of Altera. According to the company’s press release, the acquisition will enable new classes of products in the IoT and datacenter businesses.

"Altera is now part of Intel, and together we will make the next generation of semiconductors not only better but able to do more", said Brian Krzanich, Intel CEO. "We will apply Moore’s Law to grow today’s FPGA business, and we’ll invent new products that make amazing experiences of the future possible -- experiences like autonomous driving and machine learning".

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

Photo Credit: Rose Carson/Shutterstock
Snap and resize desktop windows to a grid with WindowGrid

Publié: décembre 30, 2015, 12:47pm CET par Mike Williams

Windows provides many ways to help reposition and resize your desktop windows -- cascading, tiling, aero snap, more -- but even the latest editions won’t always give you the control you need.

WindowGrid is an ultra-lightweight tool which allows users to precisely snap and resize individual windows to a customizable grid, using just the mouse.

The program arrives as a tiny download, barely 300KB. There’s no installation required, no adware, and it doesn’t make any dubious system-wide changes (all your windows look and work as before, no extra icons or menu options).

The system is very unobtrusive. It doesn’t interfere with the way you normally reposition windows, so if you left-click the title bar of a window, then drag, it’ll move just as before.

If you decide to try out WindowGrid, hold down the right button as well as the left, and a customizable grid overlay appears (check the settings to adjust its size and color).

Your window snaps to the nearest grid line and resizes to fit.

Continue dragging the window until the top left corner is snapped to your preferred grid position.

Release the right mouse button only, and drag down and right. Your window resizes, snapping to the nearest grid position as you move.

Release the left mouse button and that’s it: your window has been snapped and sized to fit a specific position on the grid. Relocate other applications to fit around it, and use them as normal.

WindowGrid is very basic. There’s no way to save the current window positions, always restore an application to a particular size, or anything else even faintly advanced.

Still, it does give you a more precise way to manually position and size desktop windows (even when they’re not normally re-sizable), and that’s enough to be useful. Go take a look.
This December 30th, get a full year of Advanced SystemCare 9 PRO, worth $19.95, for free with Downloadcrew Giveaway!

Publié: décembre 30, 2015, 12:43pm CET par Nick Peers

As thoughts turn to the New Year, what better gift to present your PC with than a complete system cleanup? On December 30, you’ll be able to do just that thanks to our 24-hour giveaway, which is a year’s license for Advanced SystemCare 9 PRO.

That’s right -- we’re giving you a full year’s license for the current version of Advanced SystemCare Pro 9! This package contains an entire library of essential tools to help you clean up, optimize, maintain and secure your PC.

The fantastic thing about this giveaway is that it’s for the current version of Advanced SystemCare 9 PRO, so it offers full support for Windows 10, including the ability to clean up after the new Edge browser. It’ll even help you tighten those lax privacy settings set by Microsoft.

Advanced SystemCare contains the best of IObit’s collection of powerful system tools, including the brilliant IObit Uninstaller 5, which covers Windows apps as well as regular programs, and DriverBooster for ensuring your drivers are fully up to date.

Other modules include spyware removal, Registry clean (and defrag), privacy sweep, junk files removal, Internet speed boost, security defense and vulnerability fix.

Features to new to version 9 include a new speed-up module that checks your PC for unnecessary startup items, dubious settings and unwanted Windows apps. The startup manager now supports browsers as well as Windows, while the Protect module blocks malware from altering your DNS settings.

There’s also a new Large File Finder tool to help free up drive space, while the app also benefits from a redesigned user interface that’s cleaner and simpler to use and expanded database for removing spyware.

If you want to give your PC a thorough clean out and speed up for New Year, then Advanced SystemCare 9 PRO is the tool to use, so make sure you bookmark the Download Giveaway page now to ensure you don’t miss out come midday December 30!

Giveaway: we’ve a limited number of single-PC, one-year licenses for Advanced SystemCare 9 PRO to give away, each one worth $19.95. Licenses are provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

The giveaway starts midday EST (that’s 9am PT or 5pm GMT) on Wednesday December 30^th, and expires when the licenses run out or on December 31 at midday EST, whichever comes first. So when the giveaway begins, don’t hang about -- get over to Downloadcrew Giveaway promptly!
LattePanda is a Windows 10 mini PC that costs just $79

Publié: décembre 30, 2015, 11:12am CET par Alasdair Gilchrist

We have all seen hobbyists and IoT developers working on computers on a board such as Raspberry Pi and Arduino that run Linux, but now there is a full computer on a board that runs Windows 10.

This mighty processor board that costs from $79 (£53) boasts the power to do anything that a PC can. This means it can create Office documents, run HD videos and behave exactly like a home PC.

The brand name LattePanda comes pre-installed with a full edition of Windows 10, including powerful tools such as Visual Studio, NodeJS and Java. However it is the hardware where LattePanda excels as it features a quad-core 1.8Ghz processor, 2/4G RAM, 32/64 GB eMMC, WIFI, Bluetooth 4.0 and USB 3.0, plus onboard Arduino processor.

LattePanda is the most powerful computer for its size, compared to other OS-on-a-board products, making it ideal for robotics/IoT projects. You can easily design or upgrade projects by connecting several high resolution cameras or Kinect to give your robot its own eyes. What’s more you can use it as a laptop replacement or as a low cost regular Windows computer.

LattePanda is also designed with an Arduino compatible processor, which means it even can help you to control and sense the physical world, which suits any potential IoT projects. After all it’s a powerful and portable (tiny) Windows 10 computer, you can embed it anywhere to collect and analyze data in real time.

With onboard WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 and Ethernet connectivity, data transmission is already built in, so it can be deployed anywhere. The LattePanda will be ready for batch production and shipment to customers in February 2016.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Google says ta-ta to Oracle's Java APIs -- will embrace OpenJDK in future Android releases

Publié: décembre 30, 2015, 7:19am CET par Brian Fagioli

Lawsuits in the technology world are so friggin' tiring. Yes, patents and copyrights are generally a positive, as it protects inventors from having their ideas and intellectual property stolen. Sadly nowadays, trolls have largely ruined the sanctity of the original intent. I'm not calling Oracle a troll per se, but suing Google over the use of Java APIs in Android seemed a bit silly to me. A jury and a judge agreed with my feeling on the matter, but their stances were later reversed. Ultimately, Oracle beat Google using the judicial system.

Today, Google announces that it will embrace OpenJDK in future Android releases. While this should avoid infringement against Oracle technologies, it is not clear if that is the motivator here. In other words, this could have been planned prior to the judgement against the search giant, or it could be related.

According to VentureBeat, a Google spokesperson is quoted as saying the following.

As an open-source platform, Android is built upon the collaboration of the open-source community. In our upcoming release of Android, we plan to move Android's Java language libraries to an OpenJDK-based approach, creating a common code base for developers to build apps and services. Google has long worked with and contributed to the OpenJDK community, and we look forward to making even more contributions to the OpenJDK project in the future.

As you can see, the search giant is seemingly playing this as an action not caused by the Oracle lawsuit. Instead, Google claims to be embracing OpenJDK as a way to ditch proprietary solutions in favor of more open options. This makes sense since, after all, Android is a Linux-based operating system, and Google has been contributing to the OpenJDK project.

Regardless of motive, this is a smart move in that regard, and likely had to happen eventually. I mean, why not now, right? What do you think? Was Google's hand forced, or was this simply a longtime coming? Tell me in the comments.

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