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BetaNews.Com (20 non lus)

Microsoft brings unlocked frame rates, FreeSync and G-Sync to UWP games with Windows 10 update

Publié: mai 10, 2016, 11:03pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Gamers can be a demanding bunch, and in many regards Windows 10 has been something of a disappointment as a gaming platform. While Microsoft has used Windows 10 to merge the worlds of PC and Xbox One gaming, Universal Windows Platform (UWP) games have been somewhat crippled by crappy frame rates. Today this changes. Microsoft is pushing out an update that allows developers to take advantage of unlocked frame rates in UWP titles just as they can with Win32 games. In addition to ramping up frame rates, the update means that developers will also be able to take advantage of… [Continue Reading]
Microsoft rolls out a cumulative update for Windows 10 that might cause your PC to run 'abnormally slow'

Publié: mai 10, 2016, 9:16pm CEST par Wayne Williams

There’s a big Anniversary Update coming to Windows 10 in July and, in preparation for that, Windows Insiders have been receiving regular new builds packed with new features and improvements. If you aren’t part of the Insider Preview program, and you’re running the standard version of Windows, there’s a cumulative update available today that will update your OS build to 10586.318. Unfortunately, some people are reporting it’s causing serious slowdowns. According to Microsoft, update KB3156421 delivers various quality improvements and security fixes. Key changes include: Improved reliability in a number of areas including Cortana, Bluetooth, Shell, Internet Explorer 11, Microsoft Edge, Miracast, and… [Continue Reading]
Few businesses have an Internet of Things implementation

Publié: mai 10, 2016, 8:18pm CEST par Anthony Spadafora

According to research released by Computing, only eight percent of IT decision makers believe that the Internet of Things (IoT) will be of no consequence to their organizations. However over half (54 percent) of the respondents believe that IoT is ready to make its mainstream debut, despite their own organizations currently not having plans to adopt the technology. This corresponds with the 23 percent of IT decision makers who believe that the implementation of IoT is currently happening or will happen in the near future, although only 15 percent of them are actively involved with it at present. Although many… [Continue Reading]
Samsung unveils class-leading EVO Plus 256GB microSD card

Publié: mai 10, 2016, 6:57pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

For a while there was a scary trend of Android manufacturers shying away from expandable storage. Thankfully, consumer demand largely reversed that course. Many of the newest flagships, such as the HTC 10 and Samsung Galaxy S7, are embracing microSD cards. The versatile card format is utilized in many other types of devices too. Today, Samsung announces the class-leading EVO Plus 256GB MicroSD Card. If you recently bought SanDisk's 200GB card, you no longer have the largest. With that said, the price tag for this 256GB card is rather high -- more than double SanDisk's 200GB offering. "The EVO Plus 256GB raises… [Continue Reading]
Amazon announces Video Direct in an effort to compete with Google's YouTube

Publié: mai 10, 2016, 6:00pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

Despite competition from the likes of Vimeo, YouTube has remained at the top of the heap for streaming videos, mostly because of content that comes from its users. While it's hard to see it being toppled anytime soon, it will have a new rival trying to do just that. Amazon, which already runs its Prime Video service filled with TV shows and movies, is expanding its footprint, adding user content. Amazon Video Direct aims to open a new market for content creators, and it's one that comes with millions of users already there and waiting. This will be included in… [Continue Reading]
Facebook admits there is a left wing bias in Silicon Valley

Publié: mai 10, 2016, 5:52pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Facebook may be insisting that its news curators are not suppressing right-wing stories, but a senior executive is willing to admit that Silicon Valley as a whole is rather left-leaning. Alex Schultz, vice president of growth at the social network, says: "There is definitely a left-wing bias to any company based in San Francisco". He made the comments at a LGBT discrimination conference, joking that "a Republican may be the most at-risk diversity at Facebook". It may not come as the biggest surprise in the world to hear that Silicon Valley is rather more liberal than other areas and sectors,… [Continue Reading]
India has mobile forensic tools to hack into iPhones

Publié: mai 10, 2016, 5:02pm CEST par Mark Wilson

The case of the FBI seeking to force Apple to provide backdoor access to the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone focused attention on security and encryption once again. The agency may have been able to gain access to the phone with help from a third party, but the Indian government has gone one better. Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has revealed that the government has a tool that can be used to gain access to, among other devices, Apple's iPhone. This is not to say that a tool has been created that bypasses encryption, rather that a method for getting past… [Continue Reading]
Xiaomi unveils 6.44-inch Mi Max smartphone, MIUI 8

Publié: mai 10, 2016, 4:43pm CEST par Mihăiță Bamburic

Chinese maker Xiaomi has announced a new Android phablet, called Mi Max, and officially showcased MIUI 8, the latest version of its Android distribution. The handset is large even for its class, featuring a 6.44-inch display that is more typical of a small tablet than of a phablet. That is not the only thing that is big about it though, as Xiaomi has also added a 4,850 mAh battery inside Mi Max. This is one of the largest capacities we have seen in a smartphone and, with the help of MIUI 8, it should translate into great battery life --… [Continue Reading]
Businesses want advanced analytics but have low confidence in their data

Publié: mai 10, 2016, 4:37pm CEST par Ian Barker

A new report from data quality management company Blazent and 451 Research shows a disconnect between businesses' desire to pursue machine learning analytics and the quality of their data. The poll, of 200 C-level and senior IT leaders, reveals that despite the 67 percent of respondents that have a strong appetite for advanced analytics technologies, 60 percent have low confidence in their organization's data quality management practices. The findings show the pace of adoption for more sophisticated algorithmic analysis is accelerating more quickly than originally anticipated, with 22 percent of respondents already having a program in place and 42 percent… [Continue Reading]
Only a solid strategy can unlock the cloud's benefits

Publié: mai 10, 2016, 4:35pm CEST par Sead Fadilpašić

Switching to a cloud-based solution, either public, private or hybrid, can result in reduced cost, better data security and improve the overall bottom line, but only if it comes with a solid strategy, VMTurbo says. The application performance control platform company says businesses will fail to realize the benefits of a cloud-based approach to business without a proper strategy. It has come to that conclusion following a poll of 1,368 organizations, where 57 percent said they had no multi-cloud strategy, 35 percent no private cloud strategy, and 28 percent no public cloud strategy. Besides not having a strategy, it was… [Continue Reading]
Outdated software on BYOD devices puts business data at risk

Publié: mai 10, 2016, 3:34pm CEST par Ian Barker

When people used office workstations managed by the IT department it was relatively easy to manage security because there was a defined perimeter. In the modern era of mobile devices and BYOD though security becomes much harder. Authentication specialist Duo Security has released a new report on the security health of user devices, based on data gathered from more than two million devices used by businesses worldwide. Among its findings are that a quarter of all Windows devices are running outdated and unsupported versions of Internet Explorer. Around two percent of Windows devices are running versions of the OS which… [Continue Reading]
Fedora 24 Beta is here -- Linux fans, download it now

Publié: mai 10, 2016, 2:25pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

While Ubuntu focuses on convergence -- smartphones and tablets -- Fedora seems comfortable with the desktop, server, and cloud. You know what? That is not a bad thing. There are far too many Linux distributions nowadays, and if they all started focusing on a "Swiss Army" strategy with mobile device types, things would get messy. I find Fedora's narrower view refreshing. Today, the Fedora Project announces that version 24 of the operating system achieves Beta status. If you have never tried the Linux-based OS, I urge you to give it a go. If my recommendation doesn't do it for you, please… [Continue Reading]
Brands are not ready to meet consumer mobile expectations

Publié: mai 10, 2016, 12:59pm CEST par Ian Barker

New research shows that a majority of brands are unprepared when it comes to implementing a mobile strategy and aren't allocating enough resources to improve the mobile experience to meet consumer expectations. The study by experience management software company Sitecore shows that although 97 percent of brands believe a good mobile experience impacts customer loyalty, 41 percent of respondents have either no mobile strategy in place at all, or have a mobile strategy that has yet to be implemented. In addition, 70 percent of these brands believe that their organization will not deliver on a mobile experience strategy for at… [Continue Reading]
Facebook denies censoring right wing news from Trending Topics

Publié: mai 10, 2016, 12:25pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Having been hit with allegations of censoring news from conservative outlets, Facebook has issued a strenuous denial. Gizmodo reported claims from former Facebook "news curators" that they were directed to not only suppress news from right wing sources, but also to "inject" stories into Trending Topics regardless of their actual popularity. Suggestions that its Trending Topics are driven by a liberal agenda have been denied by Facebook. The social network says it "found no evidence that the anonymous allegations are true", going on to say that while there is a review team in place, its guidelines "do [not] permit the… [Continue Reading]
Lenovo will make enterprise harware in Europe for EMEA customers

Publié: mai 10, 2016, 12:22pm CEST par Sead Fadilpašić

Chinese tech maker Lenovo has announced that it will start building enterprise hardware for its EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) customers in Europe. That way, customers can expect lower prices (sort of) and faster delivery times. Lenovo’s manufacturing partner Flex will be building a full range of x86 server products, including assembly, as well as storage and networking options, at the Sarvar site in Hungary. Fully integrated racks will also be available. According to a press release following the announcement, production will start this Summer, and will complement the production of the ThinkServer product line, among other products. Customers can… [Continue Reading]
Think Android security updates take too long to roll out? So do the FTC and FCC

Publié: mai 10, 2016, 11:19am CEST par Mark Wilson

Both the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are starting to ask the questions that Android users have been asking for years: why do updates and upgrades take so long to roll out? If you're in possession of a flagship or recent handset, the chances are you're in line to receive timely updates for the foreseeable future. But Android's fragmentation means that older handsets quickly drop off the radar, get forgotten and remain unpatched. The FCC and the FTC both want to know why security patches are slow to hit phones, and the agencies have launched separate,… [Continue Reading]
Pint: a complete package manager in a single PowerShell script

Publié: mai 10, 2016, 11:16am CEST par Mike Williams

Pint is a simple package manager which can download, install, and update the portable editions of VLC, LibreOffice, 7-Zip, SumatraPDF and many other popular Windows applications. It’s a familiar idea, but what’s different about Pint is that it’s all done in a single PowerShell script. This makes for an ultra-lightweight download (under 18KB), and "installation" should be as simple as unzipping the core files. The reality was a little different for us, with Pint.cmd displaying a "path not found" error on its first launch. We checked the path, created a missing "apps" folder below the main folder (\pint and \pint\apps)… [Continue Reading]
New security vulnerability affects one in four Android devices

Publié: mai 10, 2016, 10:43am CEST par Anthony Spadafora

A security vulnerability on Google’s Android OS has exposed users’ text messages, call histories and other sensitive data for the past five years. The security firm FireEye has released a blog post detailing how it affects smartphones running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean as well as earlier versions of the OS. The bug, which has been indexed as CVE-2016-2060, allows apps to access sensitive user data by taking advantage of Android’s permission system. All of the apps on Google Play request permission from their users regarding whether they are able to use the system’s camera or have access to the device’s… [Continue Reading]
Neil Patrick Harris says 'Thank you' with Siri and iPhone

Publié: mai 10, 2016, 2:46am CEST par Brian Fagioli

Neil Patrick Harris is one cool dude. From playing a boy-doctor on the TV show, Doogie Howser MD, to becoming one of the premier hosts for fancy award shows, the man is undeniably awesome. There are even some rumors that the handsome actor could replace Michael Strahan on Live! with Kelly Ripa, but I digress. Today, NPH becomes the latest Apple advertisement star. In a video titled "Thank You Speech," the actor shows off the hands-free capabilities of the iPhone 6s. The advertisement is about Neil Patrick Harris pretending to accept an award while standing in the mirror. Rather than read his speech from… [Continue Reading]
Security concerns keeping IT pros up at night

Publié: mai 10, 2016, 12:10am CEST par Sead Fadilpašić

Security is still the main reason IT professionals are up at night, new reports from BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT say. BCS has asked 444 IT experts about their thoughts and fears revolving their company in 2016. The results, released in the 2016 Digital Leaders survey, show a mix of "predictable" and "thoughtful" ideas, as the BCS puts it. Security is still the number one issue, though, with the Internet of Things (IoT) devices just adding to the existing cyber-risks. "This is the fifth year that we have conducted the research helping us to build a picture that is… [Continue Reading]