Panolapse adds pans and zooms to time-lapse videos
Time-lapse images can be a great way to capture movement in the sky, countryside, cities and more. But if they have a small issue, it’s that your usual viewpoint is always entirely static: the camera is fixed, while the world moves around it.
Panolapse is a free (for personal use) tool which can change all this, by adding motion through custom panning and zoom effects. This isn’t the simple flat movement you might get with a video editor, either: Panolapse uses perspective correction to produce far more realistic results, so that it actually looks as though your camera is moving around within the scene.
Ahh, about that second Ouya controller you ordered...
By now, those of you who care, likely know my Ouya plight. I pre-ordered the Android box last November. I have done the same with Xbox One, but unlike Microsoft, Ouya charged me in full on the day I made the move. I added a second controller so that I could take on my son head-to-head.
As one of the people who pre-ordered on opening day, I stood at the front of the line -- well, behind Kickstarter backers, but still a promising position. Ouya declared I would still be among the first to receive a box.
Did Amazon leak the Xbox One release date?
If nothing else, Microsoft's forthcoming gaming console has received more than its fair share of attention, and plenty of it on the wrong side of what the company would hope for. There was controversy before the official announcement even came, there was double-talk at the announcement, and of course some major backtracking later.
Although we know a lot about the console now, the one thing Microsoft has so far failed to announce is an official release date. Despite a vague promise of "later this year", most of us likely expected the holiday shopping season. It turns out, if Amazon is correct, the device will only just make it in time for that.
Microsoft launches Network Speed Test for Windows Phone 8
Microsoft steps in once again to beef up the Windows Phone 8 ecosystem. The software giant just released Network Speed Test, an app which allows users of the tiled mobile operating system to verify cellular data and Wi-Fi connection speeds.
Network Speed Test is one of the most striking to look at apps available on Windows Phone 8. The app features an elegant and minimal design, using only a couple of colors throughout the interface. From a personal point of view, it portrays how other platform offerings should look. Let's go through the features.
AOL takes the wraps off its own Google Reader replacement -- launches Monday
For years technology blogs have trumpeted the death of RSS, but it took Google shutting down Reader to reveal just how alive and well the platform truly is.
When my colleague Alan Buckingham expressed his dislike of Feedly, Google Reader’s heir apparent, he was bombarded with emails from other feed reading services requesting he give them a shot. Other firms, like Digg, are rolling out new services, and now AOL has announced its own Reader replacement.
Malwarebytes unveils Anti-Exploit Beta
Malwarebytes has released the first public beta of Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit, a rebranded and improved version of ZeroVulnerabilityLabs’ ExploitShield. And just as in its previous incarnation, Anti-Exploit is an extremely easy-to-use tool which protects popular applications from zero-day exploits, web-based vulnerability exploits and more.
The full list of shielded apps includes browsers (Firefox, Chrome, IE, Opera), Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Media Players (Windows Media Player, VLC, Winamp, QuickTime), PDF-related tools (Adobe Reader, Foxit Reader, Adobe Acrobat) and more (Java, Windows Script Host, Windows Help).
Facebook admits a year-long data breach exposed contact information for 6 million users
Facebook is notoriously bad for privacy and security. While the social network has recently been implicated in Prism, its poor reputation precedes that scandal. Only five months ago, it was discovered that you can search for a person on Facebook with nothing but their phone number -- a stalker’s dream come true. Frequently changing and overly complicated privacy settings don't help the company's cause either.
Today, Facebook announces that it has blundered once again. The social media giant says "We recently received a report to our White Hat program regarding a bug that may have allowed some of a person’s contact information (email or phone number) to be accessed by people who either had some contact information about that person or some connection to them".
An Android fan sets off down the Windows Phone 8 path
...Or perhaps I should call it the road less traveled? In my previous life I used Windows Mobile for my job and, I must admit, I came away with nothing good to say. But, since Microsoft re-launched the platform as Windows Phone, I have been intrigued. After all, I am a tech junkie -- shiny and new always catches my attention.
A couple of days ago I elected to take the plunge -- the Nokia Lumia 928 arrived via FedEx and the SIM card from my Samsung Galaxy Nexus was immediately popped out and inserted into a brand new Windows Phone.
Hands-on with the Logitech FabricSkin Keyboard Folio iPad case
After using the new Logitech FabricSkin Keyboard Folio iPad case for the past two weeks, the pros and cons have become pretty apparent. This extended use has been important, as my impressions have changed over time. Overall, it is an impressive package and definitely worth considering.
At first glance, the materials look good, if not "expensive", and the textures seem well suited to their tasks. The case did feel pretty heavy, especially compared to my usual lightweight leather (non-keyboard) cover. The iPad snaps in fairly easily, and is very securely held. The rubber-like material that holds the device has a slight outer rim, that gives you good grip, but should also bend and provide some shock absorption in a fall. The outer fabric feels a bit like the nylon of a thick gym bag -- fairly smooth, but it is very grippable. The inner lining and keyboard covering have a smooth suede finish that feels great.
The rise of the Chief Automation Officer
In 1986, when BusinessWeek introduced "Management’s Newest Star," inviting us to "Meet the Chief Information Officer," the idea of adding anyone else to the C-Suite was not only revolutionary, it was frightening. Business computing was still a burgeoning field. Typewriters and paper files were the status quo. A CIO wasn’t just a new officer: a CIO was a new way of doing things -- everything.
And yet, less than 30 years later, it feels as if the CIO role has always been there: making decisions on key hardware and software purchases, working with his business-side counterparts to determine how to align software and strategy, monitoring new trends and technologies to determine which are worth implementing and which should be ignored. It’s hard to imagine any mid- to large-sized businesses without a CIO on board.
Symantec releases new betas for Norton AntiVirus, Norton Internet Security and Norton 360
Symantec has unveiled the first public betas for Norton AntiVirus 21, Norton Internet Security 21 and Norton 360 21.
As we write the company hasn’t provided any information on new features. A first look shows the core interface remains almost entirely unchanged, though -- with the exception of a revamped and extended Identity Safe -- so if you’re already familiar with the previous editions then navigating the new builds should be straightforward.
Best Windows 8 apps this week
Thirty-fourth in a series. The total apps growth this week jumped over the 3,000 new apps mark again after having hit that threshold for the first time two weeks ago.
The total app count in the US Windows 8 Store rose to 63,756 free and paid apps up 3,034 apps from 60,722 the week before.
Wi-Fi issues plague new Apple MacBook Airs
History repeats itself, as another Apple product has connectivity issues -- three years ago it was the iPhone 4 and now the new MacBook Air is affected. Disgruntled users have taken to the company's support forum to report the Wi-Fi connectivity woes, which appear to persist even on replacement units.
According to a number of reports, both MacBook Air models -- the 11.6-inch and the 13.3-inch versions -- are affected, including those which feature factory upgrades. Users say that the Wi-Fi connection randomly drops after a period of activity, with the problem mostly being reported when relying on non-Apple-branded routers. Judging by the posted replies, none of the solutions presented thus far appear to fix this.
Maxthon for Windows adds global rule customising, restores Page Mute function
Maxthon has released a major new update for its self-titled browser. Maxthon 4.1 and Maxthon Portable 4.1 both aim to provide Windows users with a performance-enhanced browser that retains compatibility with Internet Explorer and Google Chrome.
Version 4.1 continues in this vein, delivering a number of performance-related improvements alongside a handful of new and enhanced features, including the support for customising global blocking rules.
Analyze and troubleshoot Windows and your apps with PowerTool
When Windows is misbehaving then a quick look at Task Manager will sometimes help. It might show you a program which is using too much RAM or CPU time, for instance, as well as allowing you to terminate the problem process and restore order.
Most of the time, though, Task Manager just won’t have what it takes to help you troubleshoot your system. You’ll need a more capable third-party tool to take you a little further. And they don’t come much more capable than the portable PowerTool.
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