Do you abuse your keyboard and mouse when stressed? Microsoft researcher says you aren't alone
Keyboards and mice definitely take abuse. I have witnessed some horrific keyboard conditions -- full of crumbs, dust and lord-knows-what. Not to mention, have you looked in the seams of your mouse lately? There may be a build-up of grime -- yuck! Gamers in particular are known to severely beat the crap out of their input devices when playing a stressful game. Even if it isn't intentional, as a game of Quake 4 heats up, people are known to smash the keys on the keyboard and the buttons on their mouse.
If gamers are known to beat the crap out of their input devices when stressed, what is to say we all don't? In other words, whether writing a paper or editing a spreadsheet under a deadline, maybe the amount of pressure that the person uses can detect stress. Well, Microsoft researcher Mary Czerwinski and her team decided to prove that theory through experimentation. The findings are eye-opening.
Searches in Windows 8.1 just got smarter
One of the things I like best about Windows 8.1 is the Smart Search feature. Powered by Bing, it lets you look for anything -- a program or app installed on your computer, a file stored on your hard drive or in the cloud, or a website. You open up the Start or Apps screen, and just start typing (or you can use the new Search button which was introduced with Windows 8.1 Update) and then choose the relevant result.
I have no complaints about it (although I still use Google for most of my web searches), but today Microsoft is making the Smart Search feature a whole lot more powerful with natural language understanding so you can search for something, even if you’re not sure exactly what it is you’re looking for.
Google to stop spying on your children
One of the major knocks on Google, is that the company collects its users' data. It is that data, coupled with advertising, that makes most of the search-giant's services free. Something being "free", however, is subjective. In other words, just because actual money is not being exchanged, does not mean that something valuable isn't. Your data is very valuable. So is Gmail truly free?
That is a decision that adult users must make. If they don't mind Google scanning their emails, that is OK. Quite frankly, there is nothing morally wrong with this approach on Google's behalf. However, children are an entirely different argument. Harvesting a child's data for profit comes off poorly to many, including myself. Sadly, Google had been doing just that -- scanning the contents of students' email accounts. By definition, this is spying, but luckily Google has decided to stop.
When are economic sanctions not sanctions at all?
I came across this news story today in which a Russian space official suggests the US consider using trampolines to get astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station. It’s all about economic sanctions applied to Russia over its annexation of Crimea and other meddling in Ukraine. The Russian space agency, you see, has been hard hit by the cancellation of at least five launches. Except according to my friends in the space biz Russia hasn’t been hurt at all.
Space customers pay in advance, way in advance. All five canceled NASA launches were paid for long ago and the same for a number of now-delayed private launches. They may go ahead or not, it’s hard to say. But nobody in Russia is losing sleep over the problem because the space agency will actually make more money keeping the launchers on their pads than by firing them.
Anvi OneStart is a Windows 8.x Start Menu replacement with a (small) difference
Anvisoft has released Anvi OneStart, a Start menu replacement for Windows 8.x.
If you’re thinking "not another one", then we know what you mean, but this one is a little different: it can also be set up to show the Start Screen, but on the desktop -- not maximized.
Most organizations are accidental software pirates
A majority of enterprises are using software that they've unintentionally failed to pay for according to a new report by Flexera Software prepared in conjunction with IDC.
The report reveals, among other things, that 85 percent of organizations are out of compliance with their software license agreements. In addition 63 percent were audited by their software vendors in the last 18-24 months (58 percent by Microsoft, the most aggressive auditor), and 56 percent were handed bills to regularize their licenses.
The state of cable TV -- more people are cutting the cord
BetaNews recently looked at a survey showing that younger people are watching more video through the internet than ever before. In fact, those aged 14-24 are using the web for the majority of their entertainment consumption.
Now an infographic takes a look at the big picture, pulling from reports from various sources. What was found was that 2013 was the worst year yet for the cable TV business, marking a steady decline that began back in 2011. In fact, between 2010 and 2013 five million customers got rid of pay TV service, while Charter reports that one in four of its customers are internet-only.
How social media makes people in a relationship jealous
While social media allows people to connect with each other, it can also create jealousy. If a man discovers his new girlfriend has 250 male friends, it is potentially going to create lot of stress for that guy. He is going to feel that he has a lot of competition that he would not have known about if social media did not exist.
It is also going to make him feel insecure in the relationship, and make him feel jealous over his new partner. A person likes that feeling of exclusivity, that he is the one who matters to his partner first and foremost. Social media interferes with that feeling because it makes the person feel that his new flame has many social contacts who could compete with him. Furthermore, when the partner spends a significant amount of time on social media sites engaged in contact with members of the opposite sex, the person is likely to feel jealous and that will lead to trust issues. He may become suspicious of his girlfriend and her activities on those sites.
Ditch the Firefox Australis look with Classic Theme Restorer
Hi, my name’s Nick and I like the new Firefox Australis user interface. There, I’ve said it. However, it seems an awful lot of you hate the new look unveiled in Firefox 29, which is why you’ll want to install the Classic Theme Restorer 1.1.8 add-on immediately.
As its title suggests, Classic Theme Restorer pretty much dumps everything Australis introduces, except the new menu accessible via the hamburger-like button on the main Firefox toolbar. In its place is the Firefox you know and love, complete with Firefox button in Windows.
Surprise, surprise -- almost every piracy website features cyber scams
Many people think nothing of grabbing the latest episode of Game of Thrones, Blacklist -- or whatever the current show du jour may be -- via one of a seemingly endless number of sites that provide access to pirated material. If you've ever visited such a site, you'll be aware that there is always something of a payload. You'll find advertisements -- usually of a pornographic nature -- fake chat windows, misleading links and all manner of other nasties. For the web-savvy, this is nothing new, but for every tech-minded torrent aficionado who is able to traverse through the online ghettos with an element of safety, there are countless others who are less well informed. And the world of pirate material is a dangerous one for the novice.
While this may not be news in itself, the figures involved are really quite surprising. A report published by The Industry Trust reveals that virtually every one of the most popular sites used to download or stream pirated films and TV shows are riddled with malware or credit card scams -- a staggering 97 percent. The report goes on to suggest that 75 percent of people who have made use of such a site have then experienced problems with their computers. The study was limited to 30 of the most frequently used pirate sites, and monitored them over a two week period. Just one site was found to be free from malware or credit card scams.
Older generations take to tablets but TV remains their first love
UK media regulator Ofcom has published the results of its latest Adults' Media Use and Attitudes report studying the media habits of people aged 16 and over.
Among the findings are that younger people spend more time online and that the number of over 65s accessing the web has increased by 27 percent between 2012 and 2013.
Surface losing money? No worries, Nokia's mobile division is too
Microsoft has a knack for losing money with its Surface tablet lineup, and it is now poised to do the same with the new phone-making business it just acquired from Finnish maker Nokia. Devices & Services generated a negative operating profit of €326 million in Q1 CY2014 (that equates to a $450 million loss) on sales of a mere €1.929 billion. What is the definition of wanting to lose even more money, on purpose?
The not-so-insignificant-loss has been caused by lower sales of phones and smartphones, the latter of which includes (mostly) Lumia Windows Phones. Nokia has not provided any numbers on the volume of devices it may have sold or shipped during the first quarter of the year, but suffice to say the bar was not high to begin with. In Q1 2013, the Finnish maker sold only 5.6 million Windows Phones, and this business lost a lower €120 million (while also posting €836 million more in sales).
Windows Repair improves Windows 8.x support, tweaks permission handling
The Tweaking.com website has released Windows Repair 2.7.0, a major update to its collection of Windows fix-it tools. Also available in portable form, version 2.7.0 adds a new start-up check for reliability purposes.
The new release also includes a new repair tool -- Repair Service Permissions -- to take the total number of fix-it tools to 30, and has been rewritten in parts to work better with Windows 8 and 8.1 machines.
New BaaS platform aims to eliminate writing server-side code
Coding applications in the traditional way is starting to look very 20th century, as in recent months we've seen more and more platforms launched with the aim of streamlining the development process.
Texas-based Backendless is the latest to enter the fray with a backend-as-a-service offering for desktop and mobile developers that's now leaving its beta phase.
A potential game changer: Xbox One set to launch in China
Since launch, Sony’s PlayStation 4 has easily outsold Microsoft’s rival console, and even beat Sony’s own sales projections. That the Japanese console is available in more territories than its American rival is one important part of the reason for this success.
Now Microsoft is hoping to fight back by bringing the Xbox One to China in September. The all-in-one games and entertainment system will be the first of its kind to launch in the country, and the first foreign games console since China lifted a 14-year old ban on such devices in January.
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