ADATA launches XPG SX930 -- an SSD for gamers
If you don't have a solid state drive in your computer, you are crazy. Prices have decreased dramatically, making it affordable for most consumers. Money is tight? Cut out the Starbucks for a few weeks and drop a Benjamin on the upgrade -- it is worth it.
There are many brands to choose from, with comparable speeds, so you want to target reliability. Two of my favorite brands are Samsung and Kingston, but there are solid lesser-known brands too. ADATA is such a brand that targets value, but has a history of dependability too. That company is launching a new SSD, called the XPG SX930, which is aimed at gamers and offers a 5 year warranty. Is a gaming-grade SSD just marketing speak, or should gamers take notice?
Application monitoring tools are often underused
Enterprises may have eleven or more commercial tools in place for application performance management (APM), yet they're not using them effectively according to a new survey.
Application intelligence company AppDynamics has released the results of a survey, conducted by Enterprise Management Associates (EMA), of IT professionals from companies of all sizes across both North America and Europe, looking at the APM solutions they have in place, monitoring gaps, and the time and resources required to resolve application-based issues.
If iOS crashes, don't pay these scammers to get it fixed
There’s a new-old elaborate scheme going around the English-speaking world, and this one targets Apple users and their wallets.
According to a report by The Telegraph, iPhone and iPad users in the US and the UK have started getting pop-ups on their devices, telling them the iOS had crashed and that they need to call support in order to fix the problem.
Tracking cloud use and costs is an essential part of the IT function
Businesses turn to the cloud in search of efficiency and cost savings, so being able to measure how successful a strategy is at these aims is important.
A survey by hybrid financial management provider Cloud Cruiser shows that 72 percent of respondents indicated that tracking cloud usage and costs is extremely or very important to their IT function.
Find, save and share animated GIFs with PopKey for Desktop
PopKey for Desktop is a free Windows and OS X tool for browsing, saving and sharing the latest animated GIFs.
It’s a desktop spin on the company’s PopKey GIF keyboard for iOS, and has a simple, app-like interface which keeps options and controls to an absolute minimum.
Spam drops below 50 percent of email for the first time since 2003
For the first time in more than a decade the amount of spam has fallen to less than 50 percent of the total volume of email.
According to the latest Symantec Intelligence Report, the overall spam rate has dropped to 49.7 percent, the first time a figure this low has been recorded since September 2003.
Microsoft imposes Windows 10 automatic updates, whether you like it or not
In past versions of Windows, Microsoft has allowed users to configure how they want operating system updates to be delivered. Those looking for the ultimate protection configure Windows Update to automatically install them, while others may, accidentally or not, disable the feature or postpone installing any updates for a very, very long time. I have seen systems that last had updates installed years before I was asked to troubleshoot them.
With Windows 10, however, Microsoft is taking matters into its own hands, by making automatic updates mandatory. This applies to both home and business users, unless the latter group turns to dedicated tools that allow them to have more control over how updates are installed. Basically, you have to go out of your way to keep Windows 10 out of date.
Netflix gains 3.3 million new subscribers
Netflix has had another excellent quarter, announcing 3.3 million new subscribers in the past three months. The company’s revenue continues to grow with £1.05 billion this quarter, but investment in originals and advertising is taking a bite out of the profit, with only £16 million reported this quarter.
Even with the profit issue, Netflix’s stock went soaring once again. The video streaming service has managed an 100 percent rise in stock price in six months, and announced in the financial report a seven-to-one split in revenue, bringing the price back down to $100 (£64).
Everyone can now sign up for Messenger without a Facebook account
Facebook wants to make Messenger appeal to as many people as possible, so, last month, it announced that it will no longer require new users to have a Facebook account in order to use its increasingly popular messaging service. The feature was initially said to be offered in just a handful of markets, US, Canada, Peru and Venezuela.
Now, the feature is made globally available according to Facebook's David Marcus. Just like in the first markets, all that new users need to sign up for Messenger is their phone number.
Audacity gains scrubbing, seeking, effect presets
Classic open source audio editor Audacity has been updated to version 2.1.1 with some welcome additions and improvements.
A new Ctrl+click "scrub play mode" enables playback -- both forwards and backwards -- just by moving your mouse cursor across the waveform.
Google Glass' future is in the enterprise
Rumors are growing that Google Glass is about to make a return. Back in January, the search giant announced that the commercially available Explorer Edition was being discontinued. Although the company would surely have liked more consumers to take the plunge, its £1,000 price tag deterred many. However, Google Glass has not been killed off but is merely lying dormant, with Google claiming that it has learnt much from its Explorer program, using it as a kind of "open-beta".
Sources now indicate that Google Glass Enterprise Edition will soon be launched, targeting the business environment. Although there has been no official word on the release, Google has confirmed that the next iteration of Glass is in development and targeting the enterprise landscape actually makes a lot of sense.
Linux Mint 17.2 'Rafaela' KDE and Xfce release candidates are here
Whether you are a beginner or expert, Linux Mint is a great distribution. Not only is it very easy to use, but beautiful too. It is quite apparent that the developers care for the operating system.
The two default desktop environments for Linux Mint -- MATE and Cinnamon -- are both wonderful, but I prefer the latter. A short period after the launch of a new version of the OS -- this time 17.2 Rafaela -- the Mint Team also releases KDE and Xfce editions as alternatives. Today, the release candidates for those environments become available, with Xfce updated to 4.12, and KDE brought to 4.14.2.
Reddit kills 'unfettered free speech' with half-hearted censorship
It's been a tumultuous time at Reddit recently. The self-styled (albeit slightly sarcastically) Front Page of the Internet raised the ire of some users several months ago when it started to impose stronger restrictions on the type of content that could be posted. It started with restrictions on certain types of explicit content, followed by the killing off of harassment, hate, and abuse subreddits.
After the site fired AMA (Ask Me Anything) coordinator Victoria Taylor, there was an uprising. Moderators were unhappy, users were unhappy, and CEO Ellen Pao ended up resigning. As users left in their droves, finding solace in alternatives such as Voat, the site scrabbled to defend itself both to users, employees, admins, and volunteers. Today in an Ask Me Anything session, Reddit co-founder Steve 'spez' Huffman introduced a swathe of new restrictions on what users are allowed to say. In public, at least.
Microsoft launches universal app store for Windows 10 [Update: Actually, it's not the unified store...]
The launch of Windows 10 is as much about creating a unified Windows experience and a new ecosystem as anything else. Windows 10 for desktops/laptops and for Windows Phone are closely linked and Microsoft wanted to make life easier for developers and users alike when it comes to apps.
To this end the company has launched a web version of its app store, merging the previous Windows Store and Windows Phone Store into one repository. Pay a visit to the online store and it is now possible to browse through the selection of Windows apps and Windows Phone apps in one place. Update: Microsoft contacted BetaNews with more information; see more at the end of the article.
Windows 10 USB flash drives now available to pre-order on Amazon
Microsoft is set to launch Windows 10 on July 29, and if you’re running Windows 7, or later, you can already reserve your free upgrade through the Get Windows 10 app in the system tray. If you don’t have a valid Windows 7 or 8.x license (you’re running XP, for example), or you want to install Windows 10 on a new system, you’ll need to buy a copy of the OS.
The good news is Windows 10 Home and Pro are now available to pre-order on USB flash drives direct from Amazon.
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