Latest Technology News

Like many Gmail users, I greeted the news of the introduction of tabs to the interface with a degree of anticipation -- now it was just a matter of waiting for the feature to roll out so I could try it for myself. Earlier today I was randomly signed out of my Gmail account, and after signing back in and checking the settings menus, I could see that tabs were now available to me. Excitement was short-lived, however; it quickly became apparent that this new feature is a disaster.

On the face of it, there's a lot to be said in favor of adding tabs to one's inbox. The idea is that emails that match certain criteria are automatically sorted so your inbox is easier to manage. I have an enormous number of filters configured that sort and label messages but the prospect of having a series of tabs to access certain types of mail was definitely appealing.

Continue reading →

Remember the days when Google Nexus-experience phones were slim pickings? The days of one "Nexus" branded device are now gone, as Google continues to pull new handsets into the family -- granted, it is not really under the Nexus name, but they function as such. Now Chrome and Android chief Sundar Pichai announces that the pure Galaxy S4 unveiled at Google I/O will be joined by the HTC One.

Appearing on stage at the All Things D D11 conference, Pichai was asked by co-host Walt Mossberg about his current hardware and responded "I’m carrying an HTC One in my pocket. This is running the core UI on Nexus phones as well", in reference to hardware makers junking up current devices.

Continue reading →

It seems that security has become a daily news story now, with multiple high-profile attacks. Evernote has had previous security problems, but today the company wishes to alleviate a few of those issues. Having already been apart of one of the headlines, the note-taking service would rather not be included as part of the crowd in the future.

Today the company announces three new security features, beginning with two-factor verification. This requires a verification code whenever you are asked to provide your username and password. This will usually only happen when you log into Evernote Web or install it on a new device. It simply means that you will receive a new text message on your phone with a code that must be entered, in addition to your password -- something that many other services like Google, Microsoft and Facebook already do, and that Twitter does poorly. The feature is optional.

Continue reading →

FoundersCard is a membership-based community designed for entrepreneurs which offers access to invite-only networking events throughout the world and provides various perks. The latter includes things like discounts for airfare, postal services and VIP treatment at upscale hotels.

The community, which boasts 11,000 members, just added complimentary Avis First memberships (premium service) with 25 percent discounts on car rentals and between five to 10 percent off for JetBlue flights.

Continue reading →

Touchscreen phones are just about the default choice these days, but there are still some users for whom a real QWERTY keyboard is an absolute must.

If you're one of these people, get ready to smile -- Verizon is now accepting pre-orders for the BlackBerry Q10.

Continue reading →

SweetLabs Inc has just released a new version of Pokki, its ambitious Start Menu replacement and app framework. There are few visual changes -- and not even that many in total -- but the release does deliver some high value improvements which should make a real difference to the product.

Full touch support for Pokki apps and menu will help make the program far more usable to a tablet audience, for instance.

Continue reading →

Facebook has announced that it's introducing verified pages to help users find the authentic accounts of celebrities, businesses and other high profile subjects. Verified pages will have a blue check mark next to the name both at the top of the page and in search results.

Given that Facebook has long been plagued by fake pages and that Twitter has had verified accounts -- marked by a blue tick, funnily enough -- since 2009, it's perhaps surprising that the social network has taken so long to make this step. On its official blog announcing the news the company says, "Facebook proactively verifies authentic Pages and profiles, but if you believe that you're being impersonated you can always report a fake account."

Continue reading →

If you have ever searched for a business on Google, you'll have noted some have images available -- carefully staged ones of course. These are especially popular with hotels and restaurants who wish to portray their establishments in the best light.

Google's Business Photos program makes this possible by letting firms hire one of the Trusted Photographers or Agencies to grab the images and get them up online. The service uses Google Street View technology to create panoramic images from the photo shoot and upload them. These results can be found on Google.com, Google Maps, Google Maps for Mobile and on the Google+ page or Places for Business listing. Photographers can also sign up to become 'Google verified'.

Continue reading →

Antoine Leblond, Microsoft’s corporate VP for Windows Program Management, has today made an official announcement on the Windows Blog detailing some of the many changes we can expect to see in Windows 8.1.

There are no massive surprises in the reveal, which is titled "Continuing the Windows 8 vision with Windows 8.1". We’ve already seen and covered most of them previously. But it is good to finally get an official peek behind the curtain.

Continue reading →

After launching the smartphone in its home market, on Thursday, South Korean manufacturer LG announces that the Optimus G Pro, the company's Android flagship, will finally be available in remaining Asian markets starting next month.

"Asian customers are leading many of today’s technology trends and we’re confident Optimus G Pro will find a large following in this region", says LG' Jong-seok Park. The handset, labeled indirectly as a phablet by the company, will be launched in Hong Kong first, followed by other local markets like Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, India, Indonesia, Philippine, Vietnam and Malaysia throughout June.

Continue reading →

Dashlane, Inc has launched Dashlane 2.0 for desktop and Dashlane for Android 2.0.1, major new updates of its secure password management tool that allows users to securely store sensitive personal details such as online passwords and credit card information via free desktop and mobile apps.

Both builds gain a complete new user interface, the promise of a "massive jump" in product quality and support for two-factor authentication via Google Authenticator. In addition the desktop build gains a new Security Dashboard feature, while the Android version expands support for tablets and adds in-app browsing.

Continue reading →

Before Apple rolls out a new product the company usually announces it with much fan-fare at special events and issues bombastic press releases before the big launch. But that's no longer the case with the 16GB iPod touch which arrives quietly with its tail between its legs. It's almost like the Cupertino, Calif.-based corporation doesn't want folks to rush into ordering one.

The 16 GB model bears an uncanny resemblance to the current iPod touch lineup, featuring the same elongated design (first seen on Apple's iPhone 5) and low physical footprint. But there are some differences.

Continue reading →

It’s common knowledge that Google is closing its Google Reader service, and that July 1 deadline is creeping ever closer. Now is the perfect time to switch to an alternative service and become acclimatized to a slightly different way of working, and the good news is that you can make the switch in minutes without having to perform any convoluted tricks, thanks to Feedly.com.

There are two ways to access Feedly -- if you’re on a desktop or laptop, you’ll need to install the Feedly for Firefox, Chrome and Safari plug-in, and if you’ve an Android or iOS mobile, you’ll want to install Feedly 15.0.1 instead (or in addition to) in order to access the service.

Continue reading →

Speaking at the D11 conference in California, Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside has confirmed the existence of the company's long-rumoured X-phone. The device is to be called the Moto X and is set to launch in October.

This is the first major product launch from the company since it was bought by Google in 2011. Woodside teased delegates saying, "It's in my pocket but I can’t show it to you." He did confirm that the phone will be packed with sensors so that it will be able to detect when it’s taken out of a pocket or when it’s travelling in a car, for example, allowing it to adapt its behavior. No details of exact specs have been released.

Continue reading →

Linux users are a strange bunch. As a distro gets popular, it tends to lose credibility with the Linux elitists. It is much like an underground rock band. As the band gains mainstream success, the original fans view the band as "sell-outs". For instance, Ubuntu, the most popular Linux distro, is viewed negatively by many as a beginner distro (Linux users only feel this way because of its success -- Ubuntu is a wonderful OS). Linux Mint however, is the exception to the rule -- it is revered by newbies and elite users alike. This is despite its long-held top spot on www.distrowatch.com and the fact that it is based on Ubuntu.

On May 29, 2013, Linux Mint 15, codenamed "Olivia" was released. This is the newest version of Mint and is based on Ubuntu 13.04. While Linux Mint is built on Ubuntu, it removes what many users hate about that distro -- the Unity desktop environment and integrated Amazon.com search.

Continue reading →