Logitech announces Harmony Elite remote control
We are in the golden age of television and entertainment. True, some of the best comedies are in our past, such as Seinfeld, All In The Family, and Family Ties to name a few, but shows such as The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones are some of the most riveting entertainment ever. Of course, YouTube is also home to some wonderful videos from people like PewDiePie.
If you want to easily control all of this entertainment in your living room, investing in a solid remote control is a good idea. A coffee table littered with remotes is not only unsightly, but inconvenient too. Logitech's Harmony line of remotes have been wildly popular, and for good reason -- they are well-made and work brilliantly. Not to mention, some models can handle home automation and connected-home appliances. Today, the company announces the latest such remote, Harmony Elite. This is perfectly timed for football season!
Microsoft to kill Zune services on November 15
Remember Microsoft Zune? Yeah, the last ounce of it is set for a demise later this year. The company has announced that it will be retiring the Zune music service on November 15.
The company's attempt to take on Apple's iPod music players, will not allow users to stream or download content from Zune after November 15, says Microsoft. Content purchased with DRM might not also have playback support if the license of it could not be renewed, but MP3 files you own should mostly work without an issue.
Satechi Wireless Numeric Keypad available now
Many laptop keyboards, and some desktop variants, don't have number pads. This is not because people don't use them; quite the contrary. Actually, it is typically due to space constraints -- you cannot fit a full-size keyboard and a number pad on an 11 or 13 inch laptop. Those two sizes have become increasingly popular. Typically, a number pad, or numeric keypad, would be reserved for a 17 inch laptop or the occasional cramped 15.6 variant too.
If you want a number pad for your Surface Pro 3, MacBook or any other Bluetooth-enabled machine, Satechi has a new product that may meet your needs. The Wireless Numeric Keypad can be connected to your machine when needed, and stored away when not. Very cool.
'Dislike' button is officially coming to Facebook, says Zuckerberg
Facebook is ready to deliver one of the highly-requested features that millions of users have repeatedly asked for: a dislike button. The social juggernaut has started to work on it, Mark Zuckerberg told an internal corporate Town Hall, reports multiple publications.
"I think people have asked about the dislike button for many years," Zuckerberg reportedly said. "Today is a special day because today is the day I can say we’re working on it and shipping it".
Microsoft brings the Windows 10 Start menu to Windows 8.1 RT
The return of the Start menu to Windows 10 was one of the things that Microsoft managed to get right with the latest version of its operating system. While the company has promised to bring Windows 10 to as many devices as possible, it ruled out doing the same for Windows RT devices.
That said, we were told that some key features of Windows 10 would make their way to Windows 8.1 RT. That day has finally rolled around and thanks to the arrival of Windows RT 8.1 Update 3, the Start menu is now available in Windows RT.
Windows 10: A closer look at usage numbers
Windows 10 launched globally on 29 July, with Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, as well as Windows Insiders, all receiving free upgrades to the new OS.
Microsoft suggests that Windows 10 has had great initial success with 75 million devices installing the upgrade just four weeks after it was released. The company’s marketing chief, Yusuf Mehdi, said "the operating system is being downloaded and installed faster than any previous version of the platform".
Avira tops latest AV-Comparatives Protection test
Security lab AV-Comparatives has announced the results of its August 2015 Real-World Protection Test.
AVIRA took first place this time, although it was a very close contest. AVIRA, Bitdefender, Panda and Trend Micro all detected 100 percent of threats, and it was only the number of false positives which set the packages apart.
SpaceX plans to launch satellite Internet network
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed plans to send a constellation of 700 low-orbit satellites, which would be capable of powering the world’s wireless Internet.
That plan took its next step when Musk filed the project to the Federal Communications Commission. Musk will also need permission from NASA to launch the satellites, alongside a few other organizations in the US government.
Toshiba announces value-focused Satellite Click 10 hybrid mobile PC
Hybrid computers are great value, as they allow you to have a tablet and laptop in one. Unfortunately, some devices are flawed in their design. I absolutely adore the Surface Pro 3, but it is impossible for me to use on my lap. Believe it or not, I do a lot of writing in my car (when parked), by resting a laptop on my steering wheel. I can't do this with a Surface.
A smarter option, I think, is to have a tablet connect to keyboard using a hinge, in a classic clam shell design. There are plenty of computers with this configuration and today Toshiba announces yet another. What makes the Satellite Click 10 stand out, however, is the low price and gorgeous keyboard. Best of all, you can pre-order it now from Toshiba.
Apple could soon allow you to remove unwanted stock apps from iPhone, according to Tim Cook
Apple CEO Tim Cook has addressed one of biggest annoyances in the otherwise excellent iPhone. Cook has said that the company is aware that not everybody is a big fan of several stock apps -- more popularly known as junkware, crapware, bloatware -- in the iPhone lineup, and it intends to step back and (almost certainly) give users the ability to remove them.
In a wide-ranging interview with BuzzFeed News, the company's chief executive talked about privacy concerns with the new iPhones, the company's claim of iPad Pro being a desktop replacement, and more importantly, why it doesn't allow users to remove stock apps -- for example, Calculator, Stocks, Tips, Watch -- from their iPhones or iPads.
O&O Defrag 19 adds new DiskCleaner, SSD Optimizer
O&O Software has unveiled the latest edition of its comprehensive drive optimizer, O&O Defrag 19.
The new release now includes O&O DiskCleaner, an integrated app which tracks down and deletes temporary files, internet histories, crash dumps, thumbnail drives and more.
Sale now on! Now anyone can add a Buy button to Twitter
Buy buttons are not exactly new to Twitter, but until now they have only been available to a limited number of users. Now, thanks to San Francisco-based Stripe, anyone is able to use a tweet to sell a product.
Stripe has launched a new service called Relay. It is a set of tools that can be used to sell through any app that makes use of Stripe -- and that includes Twitter. Relay can be used to allow for instant purchases, and address what Stripe perceives to be a problem with mobile e-commerce sites.
More than 21 million new threats detected in second quarter of 2015
PandaLabs, the malware research arm of Panda Security, has published its latest quarterly report showing that malware creation levels have broken new records.
It reveals that in the second quarter of 2015 there were an average of 230,000 new malware samples detected each day, which means a total of 21 million new types in these three months. Compared to the same period last year, where there were 160,000 registered samples, this is an increase of 43 percent.
Google Maps introduces you to the elephants of Kenya
Care to go on a safari? It's a childhood dream for some, but sadly, few will get there. Eastern Africa is a long trip for most people, not to mention a pricey one. Fortunately, there's no need to break the bank for a lengthy flight and a bumpy ride in a Land Rover. Google Maps Street View can get you there for the low price of free.
This is the first time Google has released imagery in the nation of Kenya. Now the Street View team has trekked the Samburu National Reserve to bring the wildlife to your desktop. This release is specifically elephants, and was done in conjunction with the Save the Elephants research camp.
IT security professionals are well paid and in high demand
If you’re young and want to earn well, I suggest you take up IT as a profession. Salaries in the industry are soaring, according to multiple reports.
Global professional services consultancy Procorre says nearly one sixth (15 percent) of cyber security professionals are paid at least £100,000 a year. The reason behind such a large increase in pay is high demand -- new cyber security roles are making up 14 percent of all new UK-based IT roles. Procorre found that out of 10,210 IT vacancies in the UK, 1,420 are in cyber security.
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