5 main reasons why Google Glass failed
Google pulled its wearable headset last week after under two years in the wild that saw it aim to revolutionize the way we use technology.
In truth, people were writing the obituaries for Google Glass way before it finally got canned. Google says it eventually intends to bring out a new version of the Glass, but let’s look at the five reasons why it didn’t prove a success this time around.
NirSoft's WirelessConnectionInfo displays in-depth Wi-Fi stats
NirSoft has announced the release of WirelessConnectionInfo, a free tool which displays detailed stats on the active Wi-Fi connection under Windows Vista and later.
The WirelessConnectionInfo report displays 90 items, including network SSID, PHY Type (802.11n, say), signal quality, security algorithm, channel and more.
Listen up, Microsoft -- Verizon fixes critical email security flaw in two days
When it comes to fixing security problems, it's better for everyone involved if a patch can be released as quickly as possible. A few days ago, a critical vulnerability was discovered in Verizon's FiOS app by Randy Westergren when he found it was possible to access the mail account of any Verizon customer with relative ease.
In stark comparison to the unhurried approach adopted by Microsoft to fixing problems identified in Windows -- on more than one occasion failing to hit a public disclosure deadline set by Google -- Verizon acknowledged, investigated and fixed the problem within two days. The problem itself was worrying, but the speed of reaction is impressive.
EZTV packs its bags and moves to a new domain
Torrent sites have been on the run lately, with raids and all manner of filtering by governments that are trying to control the internet. It doesn't work, as the folks who want access bad enough know the ways around these things. Two of the latest victims were The Pirate Bay and EZTV. The former remains dead, though signs of a comeback are present. The latter wasn't down for long following the raid.
EZTV made a quick comeback, but problems have continued for the service, as Italian authorities closed in on its .IT domain. This has forced the organization to pack up shop and make a move to a new country where things will, hopefully, be calmer.
Sync local/network files, FTP and cloud services with EaseUS EverySync
EaseUS has unveiled EaseUS EverySync 2.0, an easy-to-use file sync and backup tool which works with local and network files, FTP servers, and the cloud storage services OneDrive and Dropbox.
The program supports one way and bidirectional syncing, but once set up, you don’t have to worry about the details: files are synchronized in real time as soon as there are any changes.
Google reveals two more unpatched Windows security bugs
Earlier in the week, Google managed to raise the ire of Microsoft by publishing details of a vulnerability in Windows before a patch had been published. Now the same thing has happened again, but this time it's a double whammy. Google Security Research has revealed two more security holes that Microsoft is yet to fix.
Just as was the case a few days ago, Microsoft had been warned about the security problems and Google agreed to keep details private for a period of 90 days. Now the three months is up, details of the security issues have been automatically published, running the risk that users could be targeted.
2015 Predictions: It's about the money, stupid!
It’s time, finally, for my long-delayed 2015 predictions. Things just kept changing so fast I had to keep re-writing, but have finally stopped. 2015 will definitely be the Year of Monetization, by which I mean it’s the year when the bottom line and showing profits will become a key motivator in almost every market. And while profit -- like beer -- is generally good, it isn’t always good for everyone.
So here are my 10 predictions in no particular order.
Silicon Power Slim S85 and Velox V85 SSDs are 'gaming-grade', up to 960GB
If you are into PC gaming, then you probably have a really sweet computer. I'm sure it has a powerful graphics card and a ton of RAM, but what about storage? If your operating system is running from a traditional spinning hard drive, your computer is lame. All the cool kids have solid state drives and if you do not, then you are truly missing out.
Don't worry though, there are plenty of SSDs on the market, and prices have been dropping lately. Today, Silicon Power announces two new such drives, with a big emphasis on gaming. If you are looking to achieve faster load times for games, or just an overall performance boost, you should definitely take notice.
CNN and MSNBC embrace Microsoft's Bing Pulse for Obama State of the Union
My feelings about President Obama are irrelevant, but one thing is very relevant; the issues. Regardless of whom is president, you should pay attention to what he or she says, so you can be knowledgeable about your country.
If you are someone that actually cares about issues, you are in luck. You see, both CNN and MSNBC are embracing Bing Pulse during Obama's State of the Union. What does this mean? Rather than just consume the speech, you can interact with it by digitally agreeing or disagreeing with the Commander in Chief.
Google has lost control of Apple
Maybe disposing of Android creator Andy Rubin was dumb. Maybe buying into the "Year of Chromebook" meme was dumber. Maybe making strategic decisions in anticipation of European Union trustbusters was even dumber. Maybe selling Motorola was dumbest. Take your pick, or add to the list, because all of the above apply. Google has squandered what should be in 2015 platform riches, ceding to Apple what shouldn't have been.
In October 2009, I asserted (before anyone else) that "iPhone cannot win the smartphone wars", as the stage was set for Android and iOS to mimic the platform battle between Windows and Macs during the PC era. By the large number of Android devices shipped that analysis is true today. But Apple's mobile platform wins the mindshare—and by other measures profit-share—wars, something Google could have, and should have, easily prevented. Time is overdue for course correction that requires smarts, not dumb-ass thinking.
UK man arrested for Christmas Xbox Live and PlayStation Network attacks
Cyber crime investigators have arrested an 18-year-old man in the UK for the attacks of the Xbox Live and PlayStation Network that took place over Christmas. This is something that Lizard Squad has claimed responsibility for, but at the moment it is not clear whether the man who has been arrested is associated with the group.
South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) worked in conjunction with the FBI and the UK's National Cyber Crime Unit to home in on the unnamed man believed to have been involved in the DDoS attacks. Thousands of gamers had their Christmases spoiled after the gaming networks were rendered inaccessible, leading Sony to offer compensation to those affected.
Frequent flyer miles no longer safe as American and United airlines get hacked
Those who travel regularly count on the frequent flyer miles that almost all airlines offer. Customers use these to build up for free trips or upgrades to a better class seating section. But what happens when these miles get swiped away from you? American and United airlines are finding out.
Both flight providers have experienced theft of these miles, carried out by hackers that got hold of access from customer account information. The miles were used to book free trips and upgrades.
SONICable promises to charge your iPhone, iPad or Android device twice as fast
To compensate for that bigger, higher-resolution screen, faster processor and other power-hungry components, manufacturers put larger batteries inside our smartphones and tablets. Batteries have evolved very little over the past couple of years, so increasing their size feels like a logical thing to do. After all, who wants a big and fast device that lasts only a couple of hours with light usage? It would be terrible.
However, having a bigger battery also means longer charging times, excruciatingly long if you charge your device using a PC. So what can you do about it? Well, you can get SONICable, a new charging cable which promises to charge your iPhone, iPad or Android device twice as fast.
IObit launches safe payment environment for mobile users
Perhaps best known for its SystemCare products for Windows, software company IObit is launching a new version of its Android app, AMC Security.
AMC Security is a combined security and device optimization app. Among the new premium features included in this release is Payment Guard, which is designed to protect mobile users' financial data and the mobile payment and banking process.
Best Windows 8 apps this week
One-hundred and fourteen in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps and games released for Windows 8 in the past seven days.
Microsoft is expected to release a new version of its upcoming operating system Windows 10 on January 21 to the public which should shed more light on the company's plans in regards to its Windows operating system.
© 1998-2025 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.