Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen discovers Japanese battleship
Paul Allen is most widely known for two things -- co-founding Microsoft along with Bill Gates, and owning the Seattle Seahawks football team which won last year's Super Bowl. You may also hear about his yachts, but likely you will hear little of the many other endeavors that Mr. Allen participates in and funds with his fortune.
One is a mission of discovery that has found a long lost relic, in this case a Japanese battleship that disappeared back in World War II not far from the Philippines. According to Allen the search took about eight years.
5 key reasons why you shouldn't buy an Apple Watch
Apple will begin selling its first wearable -- the Apple Watch -- next month. The most basic variant of the Watch is priced at $349, whereas the top-of-the-line edition could cost up to $19,999, according to rumors. But regardless of the price tag at which the Cupertino, California-based company decides to sell it, there are a couple of reasons why you should not bother purchasing one.
Apple unveiled the Watch at its iPhone 6 event in September last year. The Watch is Apple's newest product line after the iPad which was launched in 2010, and also Tim Cook’s first product contribution to the company he took the mantle of from the late Steve Jobs. A recent interview of Jony Ive, Senior Vice President of Design at Apple reveals that the company started thinking about the Watch as early as 2011. The company has -- without a doubt -- put an incredible amount of effort, cash, and thought into the Watch. But has it got everything right? Is the Apple Watch what we were craving for? Not really. Here's why:
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Next-gen sports and fitness devices to launch at Wearable Technology Show
The Wearable Technology Show is nearly upon us. The event -- the largest such show in the world -- takes place on 10-11 March 2015 at ExCeL in London and will be a must-attend for anyone in the UK with an interest in wearables.
The show will feature over a hundred technology innovators from all over the world, with many launching new products, or introducing existing ones to new markets. Firms with new sports and fitness devices at the show include:
New platform helps fend off high volume cyber attacks
Cyber attacks are getting bigger and more complex and are targeting many different types of organization and industry. This means defending against them is more than ever a major concern for businesses.
Attack mitigation specialist Radware has launched a new version of its DefensePro platform to provide enterprises with stronger protection.
Microsoft teams up with Deutsche Telekom to expand the Lumia market
Microsoft is now in firm control of the Lumia brand of Windows Phone, which it purchased from Nokia last year. Aside from a slight rebranding, not much about the handsets has changed, and that's a good thing as far as the hardware goes. Perhaps not so much for other aspects, such as apps, but that's not what we're looking at right now.
With Mobile World Congress winding down in Barcelona, Microsoft has announced a potentially important partnership with mobile giant Deutsche Telekom. The deal is aimed towards bringing the phones, as well as cloud services such as Office 365 and OneDrive, to more markets.
MRG Effitas releases latest Online Banking Browser Security report
Security research company MRG Effitas has released its Q4 2014 Online Banking Browser Security report, awarding certification to the top four products: Kaspersky Internet Security, Quarri POQ, Webroot SecureAnywhere and Zemana Antilogger.
MRG also tested security suites from 14 other vendors: avast!, AVG, Avira, Bitdefender, ESET, F-Secure, G Data, McAfee, Microsoft, Norton, Panda, Trend Micro, VIPRE and Wontok.
Offline is not just another mobile feature
Every discussion on mobile-first development misses out on one of its most important and least understood characteristics: Mobile apps need to work offline.
The fundamental premise of mobility is that the technology should work everywhere. And that means everywhere. Imagine if you couldn’t access iTunes on the subway, or look up your next meeting on your calendar in an elevator, or a phone number in your contacts while trying to make an urgent call from the road. And forget being able to access anything when you are 15,000 feet in the sky.
Google finally gets around to revamping Contacts, but not without complicating things in the process
Compared to other Google products, Contacts feels like an afterthought. Since its introduction, it has received little attention, as the search giant focused on its more prominent and more promising services. Do you remember the last time an update was announced? I sure don't. It's still as ugly, awkward to use and slow as you've always remembered it to be.
But not for long. Google has announced that Contacts will finally get its much-needed revamp, showcasing the improvements via a preview that's available now. The new Contacts features some pretty big changes, starting with a look that feels modern enough for a Google product unveiled in 2015.
Don't let your gadgets ruin a good night's sleep
Blue wavelength light emitted by the screens of computers and gadgets is known to suppress the body’s production of melatonin, the hormone which regulates sleep.
Use of gadgets therefore can prevent you from getting a good night's sleep. Mobile accessory company Fabre Technik has come up with some tips to help you make use of your gadgets but still get some decent shut-eye.
Save big with this Motorola Moto X deal
The second generation Moto X is among the best Android smartphones on the market today. It is also one of the more affordable flagships, costing $499.99 off-contract. However, it can be had for less by taking advantage of this deal that Motorola has running in its online store.
Here's the gist: if you want to buy an off-contract second-generation Moto X also throw in an expensive pair of Tracks Air by Sol Republic x headphones in the cart, priced just shy of $200. The total cost? Well, it's merely $449.94.
Employee file transfer and email habits put corporate data at risk
Employees are putting business data at risk with their email and file sharing habits. This is among the findings of the latest survey by email encryption specialist DataMotion.
Although companies are increasingly putting security and compliance policies in place nearly 44 percent of respondents admitted that these are only moderately enforced at best.
Areca Backup is a very flexible backup tool
What do you need from a backup program? Set up in seconds, maybe? Complete system backups, full disaster recovery, maybe integration with all your favorite cloud storage providers?
Bad news: Areca Backup doesn’t provide any of that. But if you’re an experienced user who wants a more configurable way to run file-based backups then the program could still be worth a try.
NVIDIA announces all-new Shield -- a 4K Android TV game console for $199
Xbox One? PlayStation 4? Yesterday's news. Today, NVIDIA disrupts the console market with the all-new Shield gaming console. While not a gaming console in the traditional sense, it is instead a 4K Android TV media box with extreme graphics performance.
How has NVIDIA pulled off such a thing? By utilizing its new Tegra X1 chip, it can outperform all other TV media boxes. Guess what? It is 35 times more powerful than an Apple TV! Can it really compete with Microsoft and Sony? At $199, absolutely.
Hulu gains new Disney Junior kids shows in its lineup
If you're looking to cut the cord you have an increasing number of choices including Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu Plus. There are less known options as well, of course, but the big three will give you most of what you want, including original content from each and Hulu's TV shows the day after they air on broadcast networks.
Now the service is expanding once again, this time adding to its children's content. The new shows are being provided by Disney Junior and include the popular Doc McStuffins, Handy Manny and Bunnytown. These join a lineup already stuffed with classics such as Sesame Street and many others.
Watch the NVIDIA GDC 2015 announcement here live -- Gamers, grab the popcorn!
If you are a game developer, the Game Developers Conference is where you want to be. Why? It is a gathering of some of the world's best developers; you are lucky to call these people peers. The event is more monumental for gaming fans, however, as there will be countless amazing announcements coming from it.
Unfortunately, not everyone can make the trip to San Francisco this year. Don't get down on yourself bro; who needs to travel to California, when you can see the most important announcement from GDC live from your home? That's right folks, NVIDIA will be making a big announcement and BetaNews is getting you a front row seat. Grab some popcorn, relax and watch the stream.