Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » janvier 17, 2017

BetaNews.Com (11 non lus)

Google has not given up on Google+ -- requested changes are incoming, and the 'classic' site will go!

Publié: janvier 17, 2017, 8:33pm CET par Mark Wilson

Despite the competition from other social networks, and widespread ridicule, Google is determined not to pull the plug on Google+. Instead, the company today announces that a trio of changes are coming to the service based on user feedback. Google is keen for users to experience its services on any device they may have, so it's little surprise that one of the changes sees the addition of a zoom function so Google+ users on smartphones can get a closer look at photos. There are also key changes to the commenting system and the welcome arrival of a much-requested feature. Google+… [Continue Reading]
Nintendo Switch will be a failure

Publié: janvier 17, 2017, 7:08pm CET par Brian Fagioli

As someone born in the 1980s, Nintendo was a huge part of my life. I owned every one of its home consoles from the NES to the Wii. Yes, I even bought the Virtual Boy, which I still have. Unfortunately, I sat out the Wii U due to poor design and a lack of quality games. Apparently, I was not alone in not embracing that console, as it is largely considered a flop. The company's latest console, however, got me very excited. The Nintendo Switch doubles as both a home and portable console, making it more useful. Based on the company's… [Continue Reading]
Android Nougat on Samsung Galaxy S7: A big step in the right direction

Publié: janvier 17, 2017, 6:30pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

Samsung started the Android Nougat roll-out for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge last week, but only members of the Galaxy Beta Program could get it right away. That changes today, as Samsung is finally making the much-awaited update available to more users, starting in China and UK. After installing the hefty Android Nougat update on my Galaxy S7 edge, it became immediately clear that Samsung has put in a lot of effort to deliver a much more user-friendly experience. Its skin is much improved over what we had before on Android Marshmallow, packing lots of nice changes, both visual… [Continue Reading]
Businesses missing out by not engaging customers with SMS

Publié: janvier 17, 2017, 5:24pm CET par Ian Barker

Consumers want to communicate with businesses using SMS according to a new study, but companies are failing to grasp the opportunity this offers. The research from mobile engagement specialist OpenMarket unveils a missed opportunity for financial service providers, retailers and hospitality companies that don't make use of SMS-powered chatbots to more effectively engage with customers. The research, which polled over 1,500 mobile users in both the US and UK, finds that despite 49 percent of consumers wanting to engage more conversationally with businesses through SMS, enterprises aren't meeting their needs. The results show 50 percent are not currently receiving SMS notifications… [Continue Reading]
What does 2017 have in store for the bot?

Publié: janvier 17, 2017, 5:05pm CET par Kriti Sharma

A lot can happen in 12 months. Last year, bots exploded into the mainstream, and adoption was rapid. For example, over $1.5 billion was invested in AI startups; Microsoft has over 35,000 bot developers on its platform; The Economist even asked if bots are the new apps. As with any technology that grows so quickly in such a short amount of time, sometimes we need to take a step back. Last year, we saw bots enter the home through the likes of Amazon Echo’s Alexa and Google Assistant, and this paved the way for more bots to be introduced to… [Continue Reading]
UK health trusts hit by ransomware attacks

Publié: janvier 17, 2017, 3:31pm CET par Ian Barker

The UK's National Health Service is being targeted by ransomware according to a new study which shows that 30 percent of NHS Trusts have suffered an attack, potentially placing patient data and lives at risk. The findings come from a Freedom of Information Act study conducted by endpoint security company SentinelOne. It submitted FOI requests to 129 NHS Trusts, of which 94 responded. All but two NHS trusts -- Surrey and Sussex, and University College London Hospitals -- have invested in AV security software on their endpoint devices to protect them from malware. But, despite installing a security solution, Leeds Teaching… [Continue Reading]
Apple hikes UK App Store prices by 25 percent post-Brexit

Publié: janvier 17, 2017, 12:33pm CET par Mark Wilson

The financial turbulence that followed the UK's vote to leave the European Union has seen the value of the pound tumbling. With the pound and the dollar almost reaching parity, Apple has again been forced to increase prices. While the US and UK currencies may not quite have reached parity, the price of apps in the two regions will very soon do just that. Apps that cost $0.99 in the US would have cost £0.79 in the UK pre-Brexit -- now this will jump to £0.99. Information about the price hike came in an email to developers, and it will… [Continue Reading]
Screeny is a versatile desktop capture tool

Publié: janvier 17, 2017, 12:23pm CET par Mike Williams

Screeny is a comprehensive free-for-personal-use screen capture tool for Windows. It’s a competitive market and there are a host of free screenshot and desktop recorders around, but Screeny manages to stand out anyway with its sheer weight of features. The program isn’t just about full-screen and active window captures, for instance. It can also grab rectangular, circle, region or freehand selections, scrolling areas, DOS windows, menu structures, Windows objects (regions, windows, controls) and more. Whatever you’re capturing can be instantly processed by selecting various checkbox options: adding a shadow, border effects, a caption, a watermark and more. There’s also a… [Continue Reading]
Latest macOS Sierra beta suggests lowering screen brightness to increase battery life

Publié: janvier 17, 2017, 11:48am CET par Mark Wilson

Apple is eager for MacBook Pro users to squeeze the best possible battery life out of their machines, so it's understandable that the company was taken aback by Consumer Reports' original, and disappointing battery life results. With macOS, Apple helps users to be proactive in boosting battery performance by warning when a particular app is using a lot of power -- if it is not entirely necessary, users will hopefully feel compelled to kill it. In the latest beta version of macOS Sierra, screen brightness is also taken into account, and users are advised that lowering this setting will save… [Continue Reading]
Few UK retailers confident about their customer experience

Publié: janvier 17, 2017, 11:03am CET par Sead Fadilpašić

Retailers are seriously lacking confidence when it comes to delivering a seamless, connected experience across channels. This is according to a new report by SAP and PwC. The report, based on a poll of 300 retailers and more than 2,000 consumers, says less than a fifth (17 percent) of retailers are confident in their capabilities. More than six in ten agree siloed business units are hurting their efforts, and a third say they are having trouble implementing the "single view of the customer". Just eight percent have successfully done this, the report claims. Retailers are faced with four key challenges,… [Continue Reading]
Anonymous threatens Donald Trump with leaks about ties to mafia and child trafficking

Publié: janvier 17, 2017, 11:00am CET par Mark Wilson

Donald Trump has not yet taken up office, but he has already managed to whip up tidal waves of opposition not only in the US, but around the world. Among the president-elect's opponents is Anonymous, the hacktivist collective. The group took to Twitter -- Trump's favorite medium -- to issue a pre-inauguration warning: "This isn't the 80's any longer, information doesn't vanish, it is all out there. You are going to regret the next 4 years". The tirade came as Trump lashed out at reports about criticism from outgoing CIA Chief, John Brennan; Anonymous responded by threatening the billionaire with… [Continue Reading]