Watch Microsoft unveil Windows 8.1 Preview at Build [update]
On Wednesday, June 26, Microsoft revealed the highly anticipated Windows 8.1 update at its Build 2013 developer conference, and also made the OS refresh available to install shortly afterwards.
The good news, for anyone interested in all things Windows, is there was no need to travel all the way to The Moscone Center in San Francisco, or shell out $2,095 for a full priced ticket to view the Windows 8.1 reveal. We streamed it here live.
Nokia brings augmented reality to job hunting with JobLens for Windows Phone 8
Finnish maker Nokia wants to make job hunting easier in nearby user locations with a new Windows Phone 8 app, called JobLens, which leverages augmented reality to display available openings in surrounding areas.
The app, which arrived yesterday in Nokia's exclusive collection, takes advantage of a number of services, like CareerOneStop, Data.uk.gov, Facebook, HERE Maps, Indeed, LinkedIn, Payscale, Salary.com and Twitter, to provide UK and US residents with nearby job listings.
Samsung announces a faster flagship -- Galaxy S4 LTE-A
The Galaxy S4 LTE-A is the flagship Samsung should have launched instead of the Galaxy S4. The handset, which was unveiled earlier today, is the least compromising and most powerful entry in the maker's high-end Android lineup.
Samsung touts the Galaxy S4 LTE-A as "the world’s first commercially available LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) smartphone". That's a rather bold claim, considering the pretty vague release date -- "this summer". The South Korean maker does not provide exact numbers, but says that the cellular technology offers "double today's LTE speeds" (which, on the Galaxy S4, are 100 Mbps for download and 50 Mbps for upload).
How tech companies collect data on you, and what they do with it
Big Brother is watching you. Or rather technology giants like Google, Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Yahoo are. The firms track their users relentlessly, and use that information to provide a tailored online experience (and maybe share it with government agencies).
Baynote, which provides personalized customer experience solutions for multi-channel retailers, has put together an interesting visual insight into what data the tech titans gather about you, how it’s collected, and what purposes it’s put to.
Access management goes self-service with Tufin Security Suite
Policy management specialist Tufin Technologies launches the latest version of its Security Suite for business networks with a number of new features. Version R13-2 has a self-service portal for connectivity requests, enhanced device support and increased automation of security-related policies.
Tufin Security Suite is made up of three modules, SecureApp which manages the network connectivity and security requirements of applications, SecureChange which looks after change management and risk analysis, and SecureTrack which automates policy management for network infrastructure.
New Windows 8.1 Start button, 'boot to desktop' already in the wild
The hype bubble around Windows 8.1 is steadily building this week. Microsoft will supposedly dump a full preview version of 8.1 in ISO format, and the rumored date across the net happens to be June 26. In step, BetaNews readers have been sounding off on Wayne Williams' post asking the big question at hand: Will you be installing Windows 8.1?
Interestingly, just by chance, I found out myself that you don't need to wait until the 8.1 ISO hits the web. Some of the biggest, and most requested, changes are already floating around in the wild -- albeit in a slightly different package than you may expect. Both the new Start Button and the 'Boot to Desktop' option are fully viewable in the latest Windows Server 2012 R2 preview build. You can download a full preview copy for yourself over at TechNet.
CCleaner improves cleaning performance with Office 2013 and major browsers
Piriform has updated its free Windows cleaning tool with the release of CCleaner 4.03. The new build, also available in portable form, concentrates its improvements on the four major browsers: Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Opera.
Version 4.03 also improves cleaning for Office 2013 users, extends support to five new programs (including three Windows 8 apps) and also promises new and improved features for paid-for Pro users too.
Source code for Carberp security threat leaks into the wild
Security is a big business on both sides of the line. Anti-virus companies scare customers with doom and gloom if you do not buy the wares, meanwhile, on the black-hat side of the fence, the sale of exploits is a lucrative trade. Now the source code for one of the biggest exploits, known as Carberp, has leaked and cut off reported sales that top $40,000.
Security researcher Peter Kruse from CSIS says that the firm has been "investigating this further and now confirms that we have the complete source code for Carberp and that the code compiles and works just as descripted in the associated text files included in the package".
Defending Apple
On June 30, the day after my most recent one-year contract expires with AT&T U-verse, I will cancel the service and cut the cord. Last night, while I watched some last-minute Prime Time before it's gone, Apple commercial "Our Signature" aired. The ad is a concise, tweet-like mission statement that encapsulates all of what the company's product design is about. The spot sums up all anyone need know about the fruit-logo company in 60 seconds.
"This is what matters. The experience of a product. How it makes someone feel. Will it make life better", the commercial begins. Yes. Yes. Yes. This is what I have written about Apple for a decade -- that the company's products and marketing are aspirational. That the design goal simply is to make people feel good, to inspire life will be better for choosing the Apple way.
Who will install Windows 8.1?
Microsoft will be releasing the Windows 8.1 Preview this week and we’re excited to finally get our hands on an official build, and try out the new features and improvements which the software giant has implemented in its quest to make its divisive operating system more appealing to the masses.
A week ago we asked you if you intend to install Windows 8.1. To date we’ve had just over 2,800 responses, so it’s a reasonable sample size given the time the poll has been up, and the results are interesting. The actual percentage between answers hasn’t changed much since around the 1,000 responses mark.
Samsung launches ATIV Beam for NFC file sharing between its Android and Windows Phone lineups
Despite the fact that both operating systems support Near Field Communication (also known as NFC), users cannot transfer files between Android and Windows Phone devices. The implementation is different on the two platforms, with manufacturers complicating things further by employing branded software to handle any interaction. I've learned this the hard way after trying to move files between the Google Galaxy Nexus and the HTC Windows Phone 8X.
Android and Windows Phone device maker Samsung wants to bridge the NFC gap between the two platforms with ATIV Beam, a new app launched on the tiled smartphone operating system. The software allows ATIV Odyssey and ATIV S users to share files with Android-based Galaxy devices.
Sony introduces SmartWatch 2, invites you to take it swimming
The invasion, or perceived invasion, of the smart watch is one of this year's polarizing tech topics. While some feel it is a worthless item that is nothing but a passing fad, I am of the mind that the tiny wrist devices have a future, though a niche one. Sony is all-in for this market and today announces its SmartWatch 2 with new features.
The watch runs Android and acts as a second screen for your phone and promises customers a range of functions that will banish the need to remove your phone from your pocket.
Secure Work Space for Android and iOS arrives in BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10
On Tuesday, BlackBerry announced the availability of Secure Work Space for Android and iOS in BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10. The tool, which was unveiled little over three months ago, is designed to provide a safer and BYOD-friendly environment with features like application-wrapping and containerization.
"It offers BlackBerry Balance-like capabilities to provide peace of mind for IT departments in a BYOD environment, while separating personal content for personal use", according to the Canadian maker. BlackBerry's reasons for beefing up the security of Android and iOS devices revolve around expanding needs and the "ever-growing variety of devices" brought into the work space.
Firefox 22 enables WebRTC, makes social APIs easier to manage
Mozilla has released Firefox 22.0 FINAL for Windows, Mac and Linux. The update includes some platform-specific improvements -- Firefox following display scaling options in Windows, and providing download progress indicators in its dock application icon in OS X -- plus a number of other tweaks and improvements.
Other new features include the ability for users to now manage their social API plug-ins via the Add-ons menu (select Services in the left-hand menu to do so), while users can now adjust the playback rate of HTML5 audio and video files (right-click the playback screen and choose Play Speed to do so).
Sony unveils the Xperia Z Ultra phablet
Following Samsung, LG and other makers, today, Sony officially enters the phablet market with the new Xperia Z Ultra. The handset, which is designed to compete with devices like the Galaxy Note II and Optimus G Pro, packs a whopping 6.44-inch display and runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.
The Xperia Z Ultra features a TFT "Triluminos" screen with a resolution of 1080 by 1920, which can be used with "any pencil and selected stylus or pen" with a tip diameter larger than one mm. Power comes from a 2.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor backed by 2 GB of RAM and a non-removable 3,000 mAh battery. Like the older Xperia Z, the Xperia Z Ultra complies with the IPX5/8 and IP5X standards for dust and water-proofing.
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