Opera 38 unveils battery saver feature for laptops, promises reduced power consumption

Opera33-200-175

Just one month on from the previous stable release, Opera Software has released Opera 38 FINAL. The latest release of this desktop browser for Windows, Mac and Linux has one major headline of note: new battery and power saver features for laptops.

The new build also refines the app’s ad-blocking tool by allowing users to import their own block lists, plus makes several minor Speed Dial improvements.

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Slack gets voice calling

Slack voice calling

Slack is one of the best communication tools for teams and it is fair to say that we are big fans of it. We use it every day to chat and share ideas for new stories but also to transfer files. And pretty soon we might start calling each other.

After beta testing the feature for the last couple of months in private, Slack is now officially rolling out voice calling. It is planned to reach users on both desktop and mobile apps, though its capabilities will be limited by their plan.

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Build, record and broadcast presentations with CyberLink PresenterLink+

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CyberLink has unveiled the first public beta of CyberLink PresenterLink+, a simple tool for building presentations, running them locally, or broadcasting via common video conferencing services. The program is stripped back and extremely easy to use. Import one or more PowerPoint decks (if PowerPoint is installed locally) or images, rearrange as needed, and you can be ready to go within minutes.

Presentation tools allow annotating slides, quickly jumping to other slides out of sequence, sharing and annotating your desktop, adding your webcam as a PiP overlay, and switching to a projector or another monitor.

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Microsoft introduces project management tool for Office 365

Office 365

To help its users stay on task and manage their assignments more easily, Microsoft has just launched a new project management tool for teams using Office 365 called Planner.

The company initially released a preview of its new tool in December 2015 and now it will begin rolling it out worldwide to all Office 365 users including those using Office 365 Enterprise E1-E5, Business Essentials, Premium and even its Education subscription plan.

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New platform enables faster delivery of smart apps

Enterprise apps

New technologies like big data and machine learning are beginning to revolutionize business, but they place increasing demands on the technical expertise needed to exploit them.

Development platform Mendix is launching its latest version, Mendix 7, that will allow businesses to build Smart Apps to improve operations, deliver differentiated services and create new business models.

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Microsoft introduces Surface Membership Plans

Surface-Pro-4

The first Surface tablets struggled to find an audience -- to put it politely -- but with Surface Pro 3 (and then Surface Pro 4) Microsoft finally got things right.

The company wants its range of slates to be a viable alternative to iPads for businesses and so has quietly introduced a membership plan that will allow firms to get the latest Surface devices, upgrade when available, and pay for things monthly.

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Goodbye, Yahoo!

BB4N Bye

My oldest Internet ID, three letters, is vintage 1996. Yahoo's impending demise, which could be to Verizon, almost certainly will mark the end of our long relationship. We mutually will abandon one another. I'm sorry that it comes to this.

Yahoo sealed its fate when cutting the deal to outsource search to Microsoft during summer 2009. The disaster I predicted then will soon end the iconic brand, what little remains of it. Many people will blame CEO Marissa Mayer, but she was but steward of the sinking ship. Doom was a certainty after Yahoo surrendered crown jewel search. That the company limped along for another 7 years is testimony to the brand and to the services infrastructure built around it.

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Snooper's Charter, aka the Investigatory Powers Bill, voted into UK law

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The controversial Snooper's Charter -- or the Investigatory Powers Bill as it is officially known -- has been voted into law by UK MPs. An overwhelming majority of politicians (444 to 69) voted in favor of the bill which has been roundly criticized by both the public and technology companies.

The Investigatory Powers Bill grants the UK government, security, and intelligence agencies greater powers for monitoring internet usage, as well as permitting bulk data collection and remote hacking of smartphones. The law allows for the kind of mass surveillance that Edward Snowden warned about, and while the bill may have passed a majority vote, there are still those who fear not enough has been done to safeguard individuals' privacy.

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Windows 10 Anniversary Update to bring Enterprise-specific Edge management policies

Microsoft Edge

To keep enterprise users happy, Windows 10 includes both Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge. Internet Explorer may be included for legacy support, but just like non-enterprise customers, Microsoft is keen to get everyone shifted across to Edge or at least ensure the two browsers work well together.

To help encourage this migration, Windows 10 Anniversary Update brings support for a number of new management policies in Microsoft's newest browser. There's a clear need to continue to support legacy line of business (LOB) applications, but Microsoft also wants to make management as easy as possible.

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Getac B300 is a super-rugged Intel Skylake-powered Windows 10 laptop

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Depending on your hobbies or career, you may have a need for rugged devices. What would be some of these scenarios? Maybe your job is a coal miner, police officer, farmer, or in the military. Maybe on the weekends you need to take a laptop on a snowmobile or ATV. Whatever the case, constantly breaking your computer due to hostile environments can get costly quick.

Today, Getac announces one of the most rugged Skylake-powered Windows 10 laptops on the market. Called the B300, it has a Core i7 processor and is built like a tank. Not only can it take a beating, but its hardcore internal specifications can dish one out too.

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Businesses that don't allow card payments are making customers' life difficult

Chip and pin card reader

People like paying with plastic and those businesses that don’t enable easy card payment methods risk destroying themselves, a new survey suggests.

According to a report by Worldpay, 60,000 of small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) in the UK are "making life difficult" for those that dislike carrying cash around and they’re risking ruining their own businesses because of it.

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Responsive websites trump mobile apps

Responsive website webpage web design laptop tablet smartphone

GovInsider recently did an interview with Ben Terrett, the former head of design at the UK Government Digital Service (GDS), about the GDS’s success in the digital realm. The two discussed mobile apps, why websites are better, and what needed to be done in order to have a successful digital project.

Terrett said the problem with mobile apps is that they are a huge undertaking -- not only is it expensive to make an app (or multiple apps, or an app ecosystem) but also to support it and update it following various software changes.

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New free security scanner checks Internet of Things devices

Internet of things

Protecting yourself online is no longer just about your PC and your mobile phone. There are now a whole host of other devices which are potentially vulnerable.

Internet security specialist BullGuard is launching a new, free tool for consumers that reveals connected devices which could be vulnerable to hackers. If a user's smart device is flagged as being vulnerable, details about the specific security issues are provided.

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Snagit 13 for Windows and Snagit 4 for Mac released, introduce Panoramic Capture and animated GIF tools

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TechSmith has released Snagit 13.0 for Windows, a major new release of its screen-capture, edit and share tool for Windows PCs. The release is accompanied by Snagit for Mac 4.0.

Headline new features include a Panoramic capture tool, redesigned Capture Windows on the PC platform and a number of new tools, including the ability to create GIFs from video recordings with a single click.

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Lookout and Microsoft partner to protect enterprise mobile

mobile cloud enterprise

The world is becoming increasingly mobile first and businesses need to ensure that their data is protected however it’s accessed.

Mobile security specialist Lookout has announced that it's partnering with Microsoft to deliver integration of its Lookout Mobile Threat Protection with Microsoft's Enterprise Mobility Suite.

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