EU wants to remove geo restrictions for TV content

European Union flags

Six major US film studios, and Sky UK have been charged by the EU on the basis of unfair restriction of content across the European Union.

Competition chief Margrethe Vestager said that the European consumers want to watch the pay-TV channels of their choice regardless of their location in the EU. But according to their investigation, the film studios cannot restrict the content because of the licensing agreements. They believe that these studios might be in breach of the EU competition rules.

Continue reading

New password manager aims to reach people who don't use password managers

Security Score

We're always being told that we need to use stronger passwords, but most of us tend to trade off security for real world convenience.

Minneapolis-based Password Boss is hoping to convert people with the launch of its free password manager and digital wallet aimed at consumers.

Continue reading

Google offers lots of free cloud storage to take on Amazon Web Services

Cloud storage

The launch of Cloud Storage Nearline brings Google firmly into the battle against Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and all the other cloud platforms currently available, but, unlike search, Google is way behind the competition.

To gain some early customers, Google is offering an enormous 100 petabytes (100 million gigabytes) of storage for free. To a single customer, that is enough to last a lifetime, but for a medium sized business it may last a few months.

Continue reading

What you need to know before installing Windows 10 (including you might be waiting MONTHS for the upgrade!)

Windows 10 desktop

Microsoft has started sending out emails to Windows users who have reserved their copy of Windows 10 in advance of the launch next week. As reported previously, you probably won’t get your copy on the big day -- Microsoft says "After July 29, when Windows 10 is ready for your device, it will download in the background. You’ll then get a notification to schedule your upgrade right away or at another time that’s convenient for you".

Before you do install it, you’ll want to make sure your PC or tablet is ready for the upgrade.

Continue reading

Cloud security myths busted

clouds-sun

The benefits of cloud are vast and significant. Cloud enables rapid deployment, provisioning, and scaling of IT resources and data. It also shortens development time, reduces waste, and lowers costs. But despite increasing cloud adoption rates, some companies still do not rush to move its workloads and applications to the cloud due to some common myths and delusions that are more fluff than fact.

When organizations are considering moving to the cloud one of the first questions asked is, "Is it secure?" It’s a reasonable question, since there have been a lot of fears and doubts circulating across the industry around this point -- particularly with some high profile breaches in 2014. While security is always a priority when it comes to business, several of these concerns are much more bark than bite. So, let’s demystify those concerns and give peace of mind for organizations looking to move forward with a transition to the cloud.

Continue reading

CCleaner strengthens Windows 10 compatibility

ccleaner4-200x175

Piriform Software has released CCleaner 5.0.8 FINAL and CCleaner 5.0.8 Portable, the latest builds of its Windows cleaning tool.

The new build promises compatibility with the RTM build (10240) of Windows 10, and adds support for Microsoft Edge Browser Monitoring to the Professional version of the software. By adding Edge to the Browser Monitoring feature in CCleaner Pro, users can now automatically clean the browser whenever it’s closed (or be prompted to do so).

Continue reading

Twitch.TV dumps Flash for HTML5

twitch-tv

Twitch.TV is the most popular platform for professional and casual gamers to livestream, but it has always run slower than the competition. This is partly due to Twitch’s server support, but also due to the Flash video player it built being a clunky mess for users on slow connections.

This has been worked on over the years, but retaining Flash support is starting to become a burden for Twitch.TV, so much so the company has announced HTML5 and JavaScript support will be coming in the next few months.

Continue reading

Instantly invert your screen colours with NegativeScreen

negativescreen

Optimizing your PC’s screen colors cuts eyestrain, reduces headaches, and helps you sleep at nights. It can be surprisingly easy, too -- set up a program like SunsetScreen and it works largely automatically.

There may still be times when your display is too light, or maybe too dark, though, and that’s where NegativeScreen comes in. It’s a tiny freeware app for Windows 7 and later which can invert your screen colors on demand.

Continue reading

Sony unveils PlayStation 4 remote

SonyRemote

Sony is set to release an officially-licensed remote control for the PlayStation 4 in the fall, which is intended to provide easy navigation and media playback functionality.

The PlayStation’s remote will work through Bluetooth and will allow the user to control up to four devices including the PS4, TV, set top box and audio receiver.

Continue reading

Nintendo and Facebook partner on new Super Mario Maker video game

marioFace

The first video game that I ever fell in love with was Super Mario Brothers for the Nintendo Entertainment System. While I had a second-hand Atari 2600 with Mario Brothers, it did not compare to the magic of the "Super" variant on Nintendo's console. While I bought every home Nintendo console since the NES, I did not buy the most recent one, the Wii U. While Nintendo consoles have always been about the software -- hardware specifications be damned -- I felt that company was too conservative with this newest console and delivered a sub-par product.

The upcoming Wii U exclusive game, Super Mario Maker, however, has me wishing I had the console. Much like the classic Nintendo games Excite Bike and Wrecking Crew, the user can create and edit levels. In other words, anyone that buys the game can contribute to the Mario universe, and even share it online. Today, Nintendo announces that it is partnering with Facebook for a very special level in the game.

Continue reading

Huge improvements made to Google Voice transcription accuracy

gibberish_jibber_jabber

If you're a Google Voice user, you'll almost certainly have experienced its frequently insane attempts at voicemail transcriptions. There are times when these offer some hilarious relief in the middle of a dull day, but they also stand in the way of, you know… actually understanding what's been said.

Transcriptions that are not accurate are less than helpful, and Google has taken steps to up its game. Using sample voicemails from volunteers, it has been possible to improve voicemail transcriptions so there are far fewer errors. The new and improved system is available right now, and Google is keen for you to try it out.

Continue reading

Why should you upgrade to Windows 10? 'Multi-doing' and getting things done

windows_10_doing

This time next week many of us will have upgraded to Windows 10. Until that day, Microsoft continues to publish videos pushing the benefits that the latest incarnation has to offer. This time around we are treated to a guide to 'multi-doing'.

Microsoft explains that this is "all about removing the obstacles between you and 'Done'", and the video is essentially a showcase of all of the tools that help with productivity. From Snap Assist to virtual desktop, Microsoft uses its latest video to show just what Windows 10 can do for you.

Continue reading

HORNET is an encrypted, anonymous web browsing system that destroys Tor's performance

hornet

With the current concerns about surveillance and privacy, more and more people are turning to anonymizing tools. The existence of unknown numbers of spying tools means that increasing numbers of people are turning to the likes of Tor to keep their online activities private.

But encryption systems such as those used by The Onion Relay have a horrible tendency to slow things down. A new encryption system called HORNET could be a solution. Its creators say that data transfer speeds of up to 93GBps are possible, with much of the acceleration coming from a reduction in the number of hops data has to make around the network.

Continue reading

Should Apple keep making iPads?

ipad_air_2_vs_ipad_air_contentfullwidth

When Apple released its Q3 report for FY2015, it revealed that its iPad sales continue to fall. This was the first quarter when the iPad’s revenue was lower than Mac sales. The past quarter reported that the revenue was lower than a couple hundred million dollars, but this quarter shows that the difference is nearly $1.5 billion.

This is quite a substantial drop in revenue, but still, the iPad in terms of units sold is still higher than Mac sales.

Continue reading

Microsoft thanks you for using Bing Listens to guide its future

bing_listens

As shown by the Window Insider program and the development of Windows 10, Microsoft is now all ears. Under Satya Nadella, this is now a company that wants to listen to, and be guided by, its customers. Google may dominate the search arena, but Microsoft is keen for Bing to eat into its market share by giving people what they want.

This is precisely why the Bing Listens program was created, giving people an opportunity to make suggestions about changes and additions they'd like to see made. Today Microsoft not only thanks people for providing feedback, but also reveals some of the suggestions it has acted on. Have your idea been used?

Continue reading

Load More Articles