Want Plex? Act now because prices will soon increase
Home theater nuts tend to like Plex -- it's cross-platform compatible, working on Windows HTPC, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and various other platforms. The server software is free, though you'll pay for the client apps; there is also Plex Pass, which requires a higher fee if you care to upgrade.
The pass gives users access to exclusive premium features, such as camera upload, cloud sync, free apps and more. You can currently grab this for $3.99 per month or $29.99 for the annual version.
Charge your phone like Marty McFly with the Flux Capacitor USB car charger
Growing up, one of my favorite films was Back to the Future. Marty McFly was probably the coolest guy ever; he could skateboard, play guitar and oh yeah... travel through time! Sure, him making-out with his mom in the car was a little weird, but the protagonist was undoubtedly awesome.
While there are many memorable moments from the movie, one thing tends to resonate with movie-goers the most -- the Flux Capacitor. This cheesy-looking box was the technology behind time-travel, but most importantly, it looked super-cool (nerds and geeks love flashing lights). Today, ThinkGeek announces a USB smartphone and tablet charger for the car, which is modeled after the popular Flux Capacitor.
Fedora 21 Alpha is finally here -- Linux fans, download it now!
Choosing a Linux distribution is much like choosing a car; there are many types. When people find a car company they like, there is a good chance that they will remain loyal. Believe it or not, I have only ever owned a Ford and I plan to keep it that way. My loyalty is not blind however, as I still demand a consistent quality product.
Much like my loyalty to Ford, I am also a Fedora loyalist as I love the foundation and yum package manager. Hell, I am also a huge fan of the GNOME environment, and Fedora is a great way to experience it in a pure state. Sadly, the Linux distro has been falling behind with version updates and we are approaching a year since the last one. Today however, Fedora 21 Alpha sees release, bringing us closer to a final product.
GoDaddy slashes the cost of Microsoft Office 365 to $1 per month for a year
People are slowly but surely coming round to the idea of SaaS (Software as a Service), and this is particularly true for businesses. Microsoft is making something of a success of pushing monthly or annual subscriptions for Office 365, but there's still a massive untapped market -- small businesses who are simply not in a position to make additional financial commitments each month. GoDaddy is helping to wipe out this obstacle by offering a package aimed at getting small businesses up and running online for just $1 per month; and the package includes Office 365.
As this is GoDaddy, it should come as no surprise that there is a web-focus to the package. For $1 a month, businesses can bag themselves a custom domain and take advantage of the Website Builder tool as well as site hosting. On top of this, there's round the clock support and $50 worth of Bing credit to help with online promotion. This is already a great value deal, but throwing Office 365 into the mix is going to be too much for many businesses to resist.
MediaTek Labs looking to boost the Internet of Things
MediaTek is hoping to help kickstart the global wearable and Internet of Things (IoT) market through its new MediaTek Labs initiative.
The new program aims to help developers of any background or skill level to create devices and apps, by providing software and hardware development kits (SDKs/HDKs), technical documentation, as well as technical and business support.
The new iPhone 6 recharges in under two minutes in the microwave*
Apple’s iOS is an amazing operating system. When iOS 7 came out last year, people were thrilled to discover it made their iPhones waterproof. And iOS 8 is no less magical, as it comes with a new 'Wave' feature which lets users recharge a phone in just two minutes, simply by microwaving it.
Of course, neither the waterproofing nor the new super-quick charging feature is true, it’s just a practical joke spreading across the internet, but some poor fools could well fall for it.
Xbox One launches in India, UK price drops, and Chinese gamers have 'approved games' list
It's almost as though we are entering that time of the year when people start thinking about Christmas presents. Game consoles -- like the Xbox One -- are likely to feature pretty high up on wishlists the world over and, out of the blue, there's a raft of Xbox One news spilling out.
It is quite some time since the wraps were taken off the console, but today is the day it finally launches in India. The version with Kinect is available for Rs 45990 (around $755), with the Kinect-free version costing Rs 39,990 (around $655) -- so compared to other parts of the world, the Indian version of the Xbox One is relatively expensive. It will be interesting to see what sort of an impact this has on its popularity.
Master Outlook.com with help from The Mother-in-Law, The Cleaner, and The Golden Child
Microsoft introduced Advanced Rules to its webmail service back in May, with the aim being to give users more control over how emails are sorted, and filed. You can chain together rules in whatever ways suit you.
Although it’s an undoubtedly powerful inclusion, not everyone will understand how to use the rules, or grasp the possibilities offered. For that reason, Microsoft has put together a blog post offering a collection of useful examples, each with an amusing name, such as 'The Golden Child' (helps you remember things), 'The Auto-Archiver' (helps you get organized) and 'The Bouncer' (protects your inbox from mail you don’t want).
Microsoft announces Wireless Display Adapter -- better than Chromecast?
Back in the day, when graphics cards started gaining TV output, it was all the rage to connect your desktop to a TV. The idea of playing a DVD on a computer and having it display on a television was an amazing feat. Nowadays, many computers have HDMI-out and it is nothing special.
Lately though, sending video wirelessly to a TV has been the popular thing, mostly thanks to the low-cost Google Chromecast. At $35, it is affordable for all, which makes it an easy impulse buy. Unfortunately, Chromecast works best with apps that support it, and not many do. Sure the list is growing, but it is still small, plus Chromecast screen mirroring is glitchy and slow. Today, Microsoft announces the Wireless Display Adapter, which mirrors the screen of Windows 8.1, Windows Phone and Android devices. Best of all? It does not need individual app support.
Apple: Beats Music to live on, could be swallowed by iTunes
When Apple acquired Beats Music earlier in the year, there were obvious fears that the service would shut down. While this type of rumor is often well-founded, it seems fears were misplaced on this occasion: Apple has no plans to shutter Beats Music. A company spokesperson made a statement to the Guardian making it clear that suggestions that the subscription music service is to close down are "not true". But could the brand end up being eaten by iTunes?
Beats Music has not been a runaway success. It has subscribers, but not all that many. With Apple's backing there is a chance that its popularity could increase, but it can be difficult to shake off the reputation of an old name -- Beats Music has singularly failed to reach the celebrated heights of Beats Electronic's headphones. Having spent $3 billion on Beats Music and Beats Electronic, it would be strange if Apple just gave up on a portion of its investment.
The global supply chain behind the iPhone 6
We all know that the majority of our technology gadgets are produced in China, but the supply and manufacturing process isn't quite as simple as it might appear.
Apple more than most is a master at using the supply chain to its advantage, sourcing suppliers that can turn out parts in the most cost effective way whilst still adhering to the company's quality requirements.
Adobe snaps up cloud image editor Aviary to fast-track SDK development
Seven years after its inception, online image editing service Aviary has been acquired by Adobe. The Photoshop stalwart is no stranger to the cloud, but this latest purchase seems to indicate that the company is looking to expand further in this arena. Pay a visit to the Aviary website and the Adobe branding is already in place -- there's also a new entry on the Aviary company timeline that has been updated to reflect the acquisition. The Adobe-branded Aviary website makes clear the thinking behind the move: "accelerating delivery of mobile apps that integrate with Adobe Creative Cloud".
It seems that the main reason for Adobe's interest in Aviary is the fact that the ornithologically-named firm has developed a number of mobile SDKs. Aviary is already a popular tool, and Adobe is understandably keen to monetize the popularity of cloud apps and mobile services: Aviary is a ready-made package that encompasses both of these ideas perfectly. An announcement by Adobe explains that "the acquisition accelerates Adobe's strategy to make Creative Cloud a vibrant platform for third-party apps, through a new Creative SDK".
Clustrix releases specialist database for reliable ecommerce
Performance is vitally important in ecommerce applications as customers won't wait around for a slow site to respond, they'll simply surf away and shop elsewhere.
This need for performance is as much about the back office systems handling inventory and orders as it is about the site itself. Cloud database specialist Clustrix is announcing the latest version of its ClustrixDB, purpose-built and optimized for fast growing ecommerce sites.
Can't afford an iPhone 6? Rent your girlfriend on eBay
One Apple fan has taken his efforts to acquire the new iPhone 6 to the next level by offering rentals of his girlfriend to raise the necessary funding to get hold of the brand new handset.
The Shanghai man held up a sign near Songjiang University saying he is "sharing" his girlfriend Xiao Ai for "pocket money" to the sum of $1.64 per hour, $8.19 per day and $82 per month with UPI reporting that he has already stipulated that no "funny business" is allowed.
Axway expands operational intelligence capabilities
All sizes of organization increasingly expect their employees to deliver against measurable objectives and part of the key to achieving this lies in providing accurate data.
With the launch of its Decision Insight product, data flow specialist Axway aims to supply the numbers needed for productivity by offering insight and intelligence into real time and historical information.
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