Hulu gets a commercial-free option
Hulu has previously come in two varieties, both free and "premium". The premium contains limited ads, but also provides access to all content available from the service. The trade-off is, of course, paying per month for this. The $7.99 fee isn't bad, but most services remove ads in exchange for premium service.
So how do you rid yourself of those ads? Well, previously you didn't, but that changes today as Hulu rolls out an ad-free plan. That's the good news, the bad is that you'll be paying a bit more per month. To be precise, you'll be upping your monthly expenditure from $7.99 to $11.99.
GRIP platform lets you sue Google more easily
You know things are getting out of hand when people start making platforms to sue you more easily. That’s what’s currently going on with Google in Europe, as a new platform called GRIP is launched.
GRIP, standing for Google Redress & Integrity Platform is created for those who believe to be affected by Google’s alleged anti-competitive behavior in Europe. According to a Reuters report, it was created by U.S. law firm and class action specialist Hausfeld.
Google Maps for Android is serving up yummy restaurant discovery
I'm going to let you in on a little secret -- I am overweight, and love to eat. It's true. While I have been known to chow down on fast food like McDonalds and Taco Bell, my true enjoyment is higher-end dining. Dinner at a fancy restaurant is a great way to relax after a hard week of work.
When you live in a place like New York, however, deciding on a place to eat can be difficult. The number of high-quality restaurants are endless. With that said, you never want to try a new place on a whim and end up having an expensive and disappointing meal. If you are an Android user, you can now explore and discover new restaurants without fear. Google Maps will now assist you in dining discovery, and depending on where you live, will offer curated listings as well. Hopefully this will come to iOS too. Bon appétit!
Women largely prefer Pinterest, while men are most likely to use Twitter
There is no connection between levels of education and whether or not someone uses social media because, as it turns out, everyone uses social media.
However, there is a correlation between a person’s education, income and gender and which social media it uses. According to a fairly extensive research paper by the Business Insider, women are more likely to use Pinterest, while men are more likely to use Twitter.
Android apps gain massive web performance boost from Chrome custom tabs
Android developers looking to include web content in their apps have a new option available to them that will help to greatly improve performance. The new (for the stable branch, at least) 'custom tabs' feature makes it possible to pre-load pages in the background resulting in load times that are a fraction of using WebView or firing up Chrome separately.
The feature can be used by developers to use their own app to change the way Chrome looks and feels, effectively blurring the move from app to the web. In addition to the speed advantages, custom tabs also bring improved security to apps, and provide users with a more familiar browsing experience.
'Extremely critical' OS X keychain vulnerability stealthily steals passwords via SMS
Two security researchers have discovered a serious vulnerability in OS X that could allow an attacker to steal passwords and other credentials in an almost invisible way. Antoine Vincent Jebara and Raja Rahbani -- two of the team behind the myki identity management security software -- found that a series of terminal commands can be used to extract a range of stored credentials.
What is particularly worrying about the vulnerability is that it requires virtually no interaction from the victim; simulated mouse clicks can be used to click on hidden buttons to grant permission to access the keychain. Apple has been informed of the issue, but a fix is yet to be issued. The attack, known as brokenchain, is disturbingly easy to execute.
Motorola unveils the new Moto 360
Motorola's Moto 360 remains one of the most interesting Android Wear devices, despite being introduced a year ago. Its elegant design has been unmatched so far by most competitors and the user experience continues to be solid. However, when compared to some newer rivals, like Apple Watch, the device is showing its age, being designed with a different market in mind. A successor is much-awaited.
Today, Motorola takes the wraps off its new Moto 360, revealing a smartwatch that will appeal to a wider range of consumers, including iPhone users. The new device features a similar design to its predecessor, but improves upon the original formula by adding more powerful internals, more customization options, and a wider range of models, similar to what Apple has done with its offering.
How to use a video as your account picture in Windows 10
Associating a picture with your Windows 10 account is just one way to personalize your computer, but it also serves as a way to easily differentiate between accounts. If you want to be a little different, you don’t need to stick with a dull static image on the login screen -- it is possible to use a video instead.
You can use your webcam and Windows 10's built in camera app to record a short clip and use it in place of your regular account image on the login screen. It might not serve any real purpose, but it's pretty cool. Here’s what you need to do.
Follow in the footsteps of Charles Darwin as Google Maps takes you to Galapagos
Sir Isaac Newton famously said that "If I have seen further, it is because I stood on the shoulders of giants". Newton referred to the scientists who came before him, but Charles Darwin could have uttered a similar phrase. The explorer and scientist visited the islands of Galapagos and saw literal giants in the form of turtles, or tortoises to be precise. In fact, Darwin brought one home to England, though Harriet eventually resided in Australia before she died at the age of approximately 176.
Now you can see these famous, and seemingly ageless, creatures on Google Maps. No need to board the HMS Beagle and set sail, just look on your computer.
HP adopts Browsium browser management as part of its Internet Explorer 11 migration service
We recently reported on HP's new services to help enterprises migrate to Windows 10. Part of this being the WebApp Accelerator Service for Internet Explorer 11.
Web technology specialist Browsium has revealed that HP has selected its browser management solution as a core component of this service.
IFA 2015: Sony announces Xperia Z5 smartphone series, including a 4K handset
Not content to launch a single flagship smartphone at IFA 2015, Sony has today launched an entire range -- the Xperia Z5 series. Comprised of three phones -- the Xperia Z5, the Xperia Z5 Compact, and the Xperia Z5 Premium -- the series receives an update that Sony will no doubt hope offers real competition to Apple's upcoming iPhone models.
At the top of the range is the Xperia Z5 Premium which is a world first smartphone, featuring a 4K display. But it's not just the number of pixels that Sony is pushing with its new flagship device; battery life of two days is also touted. Each phone features a fingerprint reader integrated into the power button, and is waterproof.
Toshiba releases impressive new SSDs and HDDs for gaming and more
While many consumers are starting to embrace solid state drives, mechanical hard drives are still the most cost effective for data storage. Ideally, you will want to use an SSD for your operating system, while storing files on an HDD.
Today, Toshiba announces new solid state and hard disk drives that are available now. Some of the models are marketed towards gamers, but they will of course work fine for other uses too. Actually, the company has a diverse offering to meet the needs of many.
Nest Thermostat moves ahead to third generation
The Nest Learning Thermostat has become quite popular, at least in the tech community. It learns from a user's habits and can be remotely accessed via an app on a phone or tablet. In fact, it can even be controlled using a Harmony Ultimate Home remote control.
Now the product has edged forward into its third generation, bringing a slimmer and sleeker design, as well as being "more beautiful", at least according to Nest.
TeleSign simplifies end user verification
Being able to accurately and safely verify identity is increasingly important as online fraud remains a major threat.
Mobile identity solutions specialist TeleSign is announcing the launch of TeleSign Smart Verify, a new unified API that simplifies end-user verification and two-factor authentication (2FA) for online and mobile app-based accounts to help prevent fraud and stop account compromise.
If the iPhone empire is collapsing, Apple should be pleased
Even when Apple is doing great, some people believe the company is in trouble. Just a few days ago, my colleague Joe Wilcox wrote Collapse of the iPhone empire, in which he explains how the brand that has made Apple so successful could just as easily fall from grace with consumers. Right now, however, this could not be further from the truth.
More than a quarter of smartphone buyers across Europe have dumped Android smartphones for iPhones in the three months ending July 2015, leading to a boost in market share to 17 percent, up from 14.5 percent over the same period a year prior. And Apple has not even launched its new iPhones yet, which could spell even more trouble for premium Android vendors.
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