Google Hangouts finally gets a webpage, so I switched from Chrome to Firefox
Google Hangouts is my choice for a communication service, so even though I prefer Firefox, I've been using Chrome lately since it worked better with it. Shockingly, the service did not have a dedicated web page. Yeah, Google touts the open web and web apps for its Chromebooks, but Hangouts was sort of missing from the equation.
Guess what? Today, this changes. Yeah, Google officially launches a Hangouts webpage and it is pretty damn good. It is so good, in fact, that I uninstalled the Chrome browser today and went back to Firefox full time -- I had no good reason to stay on Google's web browser.
Google confirms the next version of Android is Marshmallow
Although Google has been dropping some very heavy hints lately, we didn’t know exactly what sweet treat the next version of its Android operating system would be named after.
Well, if you were hoping to place a bet on "M&Ms" (or go for a truly outside flutter on "Maltodextrin"), you’re too late I’m afraid, and also lucky as you’d have lost your stake. M, Google says, is for Marshmallow.
FixMeStick: Eliminating malware with a USB drive [Review]
We all know that virus infections are a pain, not only do they disrupt your work they can also be hard to remove as they often prevent you from downloading or running cleanup tools or even from accessing Windows.
If you don’t have access to a friendly geek with the right tools you can be faced with hours of work or even having to wipe out and reload your machine.
Always have Apple's newest smartphone with Sprint's 'iPhone Forever'
Whenever a new iPhone comes out, countless consumers face a serious issue -- contempt for their current iPhone. True, nothing is likely wrong with their existing Apple smartphone, but they have a burning desire for the newest model. First world problems, right? Sure, but it is hard to blame them -- Apple's phones are just so sexy and awesome.
Of course, achieving the latest iPhone every year can be quite the ordeal. Maybe you have to break a contract and pay fees, or maybe you have to sell your existing phone to afford it -- meeting someone on Craigslist can be scary. No worries, Sprint has your back. With its new iPhone Forever program, you can always have the latest and greatest Apple smartphone without worrying about money.
Windows 10 won't save the falling PC market: Report
It's no secret that PC shipments have plummeted over the years. OEMs are betting big on Windows 10, hoping to attract users to upgrade to a new machine. But they might end up being disappointed. According to ABI Research, despite the release of a new desktop operating system, the shipments will continue to fall.
The marketing research firm says that about 165 million units of portable computers will ship in 2015, a figure that is actually less than 2014's shipment number. So what went wrong?
Meraki MR Access Points: Enterprise-grade Wi-Fi finally made easy [Review]
"UniFi is the revolutionary Wi-Fi system that combines Enterprise performance, unlimited scalability, a central management controller and disruptive pricing." That's the pitch thrown by Ubiquiti Networks right off the homepage for their popular UniFi line of wireless access point products. In many respects, that statement is right on the money.
But as the old adage goes, sometimes you truly do get what you pay for. And when it comes to UniFi, that tends to be my feeling more and more, seeing the gotchas we have had to deal with. We've continued to choose their access points, primarily in situations where cost is a large factor for our end customer. Who wouldn't want Enterprise level features at a Linksys level price?
How connectivity affects hardware design [Infographic]
Connectivity has changed dramatically over the last 30 years or so, as devices have become smaller and more powerful and we as a species have become more mobile.
To chart this change, Bluepost Digital has created an infographic of the devices we used to know and love, starting all the way back in the 1980s. At this time, Floppy Disks were used to store files, computer screens were introduced by IBM and an external CD ROM drive cost around $1,000 (£6420.
Silver underpants protect your family jewels from Wi-Fi radiation
More and more of the devices we use these days rely on wireless signals for their connectivity. If you're male you quite likely carry your smartphone in your trouser pocket or use your laptop or tablet on your knee, which means these signals are being transmitted in close proximity to your gentleman's area.
Should you worry about this? A 2014 study by the University of Exeter suggests that just one hour's exposure to radiation from a mobile phone can reduce in vitro (outside the body) sperm motility to 49 percent and viability to 52 percent. In addition the World Health Organization has classified electromagnetic radiation in the same category of harmfulness to humans as petrol exhaust fumes.
IBM launches Linux-only mainframes for enterprises
IBM is making a serious bid for a slice of the enterprise Linux market with the launch of a new range of mainframe servers called LinuxONE.
At the top end of the market is LinuxONE Emperor, a machine based on the IBM z13 and which can scale up to support 8,000 virtual machines or thousands of containers. It also delivers the security and advanced encryption features needed by large enterprises.
How Google is accidentally making money from other 'Alphabet' firms
Google is an original name. It’s based on the word googol (1.0 × 10100), but with a different spelling. Alphabet, the name of the tech giant’s new parent company, is far from unique, however. There are hundreds of other "alphabet"-named companies right across the globe. The best known of these being the BMW subsidiary Alphabet International GmbH which owns both www.alphabet.com and www.alphabet.co.uk.
BMW is currently looking into whether Google has committed any form of trademark infringement with its new company name and obviously has the financial clout to take things to court if it feels it has a case. But BWM isn’t the only example of a company with Alphabet in its name, and some -- like Alphabet Signs based in rural Pennsylvania -- find themselves in the weird (and painful) position of paying Google for searches that have nothing to do with them.
The tide is turning for Chinese brands in Europe
Whilst recent attention in the payments industry has been on China as the next e-commerce frontier -- with Alibaba’s Jack Ma recently courting US businesses to cross the border -- we are starting to witness the rise of Chinese companies breaking into European markets.
Driven by the hunger of fast growth and the increasing acceptance of customers to purchase online internationally, Chinese brands are keen to get a slice of the European market and bring their offerings to a new audience. And it’s not just the big companies that are crossing borders. With analysts at Bernstein predicting that Lenovo and Huawei will emerge as world class brands in the next few years, we are also starting to see smaller players getting in on the action, including smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi that is already making headlines overseas since launching in the UK in June.
How about an Android flip phone with high-end specs?
Flip phones are nowhere near as popular nowadays as they used to be a few years ago, but they are much more interesting as manufacturers introduce new models that try to keep up with the times. A great example is Samsung's new G9198, which comes with high-end internals and runs Android.
Basically, it is the flip phone for people who love the form factor but not its typical shortcomings. And, yes, in case you are wondering, there are still lots of consumers interested in buying a flip phone in 2015. Understandably, they are just not your typical smartphone buyers.
Explore mystery files with Detect It Easy
You’ve been emailed a strange attachment, downloaded something dubious, or maybe just found a file that’s lost its extension. You need to find out more, and Detect It Easy is the ideal tool to help.
It’s portable, cross-platform, and -- initially, at least -- very easy to use. Just drag and drop your target file onto the program and it’ll tell you more about it.
Office 365 vs Google Apps: Who wins on pricing? (Part 1 of 4)
If there's one common request I get from readers via email, it's that they want an updated deep dive on my thoughts regarding the whole Office 365 vs Google Apps debate. It's a topic I've written about on numerous occasions in the past -- dissecting the facts, wading through the FUD, and piecing together my honest opinion on who comes out on top.
But it has been years since I dove into the crux of the debate, honing in on why one suite beats another in the important aspects that set them apart. And in the world of IT, years is an eternity.
Bring Your Own Device and Windows 10
Over the last decade and particularly in the tablet age, business and academic organizations have slowly transitioned to a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) model, where employees/students buy their own IT and then link it to the network. This has never been a security friendly way of doing things but the cost benefits have usually won the day. With Windows 10, this may well change
We have all been reading the stories about the new End User License Agreement (EULA) in W10 that gives Microsoft the right to view huge reams of your personal information, including information in private folders. This may be a non-event for some home users but in an age of BYOD, where company and academic data may be copied or synchronized onto private IT, it should be seriously considered as a business threat. I have no doubt that Enterprise licenses will be locked down fairly tight but a BYOD is not an Enterprise license.
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