Forget Spotify -- discover never-before-heard music on Forgotify
Like the internet itself, Spotify is a fantastic resource, but it is one which remains somewhat unexplored. There are darker reaches that are yet to be visited by anyone, and who knows what sort of gems might be lurking there waiting to be discovered? You could spend endless hours trawling the length and breadth of what's available online in the hope of stumbling across something new and exciting. You could do that, or you could get someone else to do the hard work for you.
With Forgotify, the idea is simple. It's a streaming music site, but not quite like the others you may have tried. Any music you find through Forgotify is guaranteed not to have been listened to by anyone else on Spotify. Spend a little time playing random tracks and you could find something truly amazing -- of course, you will undoubtedly have to endure a load of absolute drivel, but there will be some utterly delightful tracks in every genre as well.
The most popular stories on BetaNews this past week: January 26 -- February 1
Phew! Well it seems that 2014 is finally in full swing -- the past seven days have been the busiest in a while. It was a busy week for security. A piece of malware came to light that was using Windows computers as a means of infecting the Android devices connected to them. Yet another security breach meant that the credit card details of Michaels customers were compromised.
While the computing world worries about whether or not the NSA is reading their email or recording their phone calls, school children in Britain learned that their computing activities are being monitored in the classroom. There was celebration as companies such as Microsoft and Google won a lawsuit that means they are now able to reveal more information about US Government data requests.
Explore more than 3,500 puzzles with Jigsaw Puzzles Free
Jigsaw Puzzles Free looks at first much like any other jigsaw game. It presents you with a selection of images; these can be split into 9, 25 or 64 pieces; and you solve the puzzle by dragging and dropping matching pieces next to each other. No surprises there.
Look a little closer, though, and you’ll find the program has some notable extra features to help it stand out from the crowd.
Have your Chrome browser settings been hijacked? Google offers a temporary fix but no solution
When Google Chrome first came on the scene, it did not support plugins like Firefox. It was not until later that extensions were introduced. Recently, it was discovered that rogue extensions are capable of compromising the security of the web browser. While not all extensions are malicious, it does call into question the feasibility of an open extension market.
Sadly, that is not the only negative aspect of Google's browser. In addition, the settings can be hijacked by malicious software. Fear not though, according to a new blog post, Google is here to help.
Malwarebytes releases first public beta of Anti-Malware 2
Malwarebytes has released the first public beta of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 2.00, the latest incarnation of its popular security tool.
The first change you’ll notice is the interface, which has been revamped for a more modern look. An opening "dashboard" displays your protection level, license details, database version, scan and real-time protection status. You can update the program or launch a scan with a click, while "Scan", "Settings" and "History" tabs provide more details and control.
GoPro channels set to bring more action to Xbox
GoPro, if you aren't familiar, is a little video camera that can be mounted on a dashboard, handlebars or helmet. It is designed to bring the viewer into the action, letting you experience what it feels like to plunge down that steep hill on a mountain bike, or ski jump off that ramp.
Now the durable little cameras are set to get their own channels on the Xbox platform. These will arrive for customers of both the Xbox 360 and Xbox One, though it won't be coming until this summer.
Best Windows 8 apps this week
Sixty-sixth in a series. There are now over 106,000 apps in the US Windows Store. Growth has improved considerably after last week's weak performance, as 773 new apps were published to the store in the last seven days.
83,437 of those are free to download and install, while the remaining 22,606 are either paid apps or desktop applications.
YouTube Ad Blitz gears up for the Super Bowl
It's Super Bowl weekend, a time when many Americans gather in front of the TV, with snacks laid out before them. While we'll all be watching the Denver Broncos collide with the Seattle Seahawks, that’s not all the big game is about. Many people watch as much for the commercials as for the gridiron battle.
YouTube is readying its Ad Blitz service, which already contains a number of previews of the upcoming commercials that you'll get a full look at this Sunday.
Should Google stop launching Nexus devices?
Nexus smartphones and tablets have developed a cult following among enthusiasts mainly due to Google's ability to deliver updates to the latest versions of Android in a timely manner. The software also has little to no customizations over the code that is available in AOSP, unlike that of many devices that have been offered throughout the years by Android vendors, such as HTC and Samsung. Android enthusiasts often refer to Google's distributions as "pure Android", even though that is no longer the case exactly with the new Nexus 5, that has introduced a launcher not officially found on any of its siblings (or available in AOSP for that matter).
Nexus devices were also supposed to usher Android vendors into releasing smartphones and tablets that adhere to the design guidelines established by Google. This is one area where the search giant's brand has failed to become a trendsetter, as the likes of HTC, LG and Samsung continue to apply their own vision on how their Android handsets should look at the software and hardware levels. Remember how physical buttons were supposed to go away from the front of Android devices? Well, they are still alive and kicking even in 2014 and even on tablets (even though there were clear signs pointing to slates only adopting on-screen keys). It could, therefore, be argued that the Nexus ethos has already ran its course and it is time for Google to move on. So should Google move on?
UK readers -- your chance to test the latest 4G smartphones
If you've ever fancied becoming a gadget reviewer, then mobile provider EE along with tech website Gizmodo UK is offering you the chance.
Over three months of the Testmodo challenge three people will get to try out the superfast 4GEE service on one of the latest and smartest 4G handsets.
Best iOS apps this week
Fifth in a series. A big week for Apple as the company delivered record fiscal first quarter results -- $57.6 billion revenue and $13.1 billion net profit. The tech giant revealed it had shipped 51 million iPhones, an all-time quarterly record, compared to 47.8 million a year-ago, and 26 million iPads, up from 22.9 million in the same period a year ago. Wall Street wasn’t impressed, but that’s to be expected.
Of course a big part of Apple’s success is the number and quality of apps available for its hardware. As the owner of both iOS and Android devices, I find the apps for the iPhone and iPad to be vastly superior (although there are always exceptions). There’s less garbage, and far fewer ad-riddled apps. Part of that reason is Apple’s strict approval process, and the amount of money it pays to developers -- $2 billion in its fiscal first quarter -- helps too.
From Windows XP to Linux? -- you'd have to be mad!
It has been suggested that the people who are still hanging onto Windows XP after all of these years are going to continue to do so once support officially ends in April. Microsoft is obviously keen to herd people towards Windows 8.1, but there is a good deal of resistance. Some have proposed Linux as a viable alternative; to me, this seems like a completely nonsensical "upgrade" path. Brian managed to cause quite some excitement yesterday when he wrote that Windows XP refugees should migrate towards Linux rather than considering the latest version of Windows. Without wanting to fall out with Brian, I think he's plain wrong.
One of the reasons many people cite for not wanting to upgrade to Windows 8 or 8.1 is that they don’t want to have to deal with the Start screen. They have become used to things working in a certain way and, while not perhaps entirely resistant to change, need a little encouragement into seeing the value of things. Brian suggests that one of the reasons to switch to Linux is that "you get to learn something new." If this is supposed to be an attractive element of Linux, then users may as well spend the time getting used to Windows 8.1.
Able-HD wants to put a monitor in your bag
As long ago as 2003 Microsoft research found that having a second monitor made people up to 50 percent more productive.
However, having two screens is fine for those of us tied to a desk but isn’t exactly practical for people on the move.
Yahoo Mail compromised -- is nothing safe anymore?
I've been dubious of trusting Yahoo since its ill-advised decision to start recycling email addresses. While my criticism of that decision was theoretical, my colleague Wayne Williams experienced this ineptitude in practice.
Sadly, recycling emails is not the only blemish on the service. Today, Yahoo announces that the email accounts of some users have been compromised. In other words, the company has joined a special club that includes Target and Michaels, with users feeling anxious and violated.
Windows XP home users should upgrade to Linux -- not Windows 8.1
The Windows XP death clock is ticking away. While Microsoft has extended support for malware protection, do not be fooled -- XP will be officially unsupported on April 8. If Microsoft has its druthers, these XP users will upgrade to Windows 8 and maybe even buy a new computer.
However, there is a problem with this -- the Windows 8 UI is radically different from XP and people do not like change (especially people clinging to an operating system from 2001). Also, they may not need to buy a new computer, because their existing is probably fast enough... for Linux!
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