Sling brings Arabic language channels to customers
The world is increasingly a melting pot, with all countries containing citizens not native to them. This results in a plethora of languages being spoken and heard. To deal with this, countries carry an increasing number of foreign language channels to accommodate all people.
Now Sling TV, a new kind of "cable" service, is getting into the game, introducing a package of Arabic language channels for those people who may be feeling a bit out of place away from their home lands.
WinZip Mac Edition 4.0 gains support for iCloud and ZipShare sharing
Corel’s WinZip subsidiary has unveiled a major new release for the Mac edition of its renowned zip archiving tool. WinZip Mac Edition 4.0 focuses on improving its sharing tools, but also implements support for Retina displays.
The tool first updates its direct integration cloud tool to add support for Apple’s iCloud Drive as well as its own proprietary ZipShare service. This increases the number of supported tools to four, the other two being Google Drive and Dropbox.
Amazing Windows 10 shortcuts to individual Settings
For anyone who has been using the Windows 10 preview builds, there has been plenty of time to explore the operating system. It's now only a matter of weeks until the final version is released, and whether the gold build will be your first foray into Windows 10, or you're a seasoned tester, there are still plenty of new tricks to learn.
Whatever you use your computer for, you want to be able to get things done as a quickly as possible. In previous versions of Windows, the Control Panel was used to access all manner of options -- now things are split between the Control Panel and Settings. If there are some settings you change frequently, you can create your own shortcuts to jump to them in a couple of clicks; you can also assign keyboard shortcuts to make things even easier. Here's what you need to know...
Sond Audio Bookshelf Speakers: Quality Bluetooth speakers for the home [Review]
We review -- and get asked to review -- a lot of Bluetooth speakers. While the ones we look at might be from different makers, and of varying quality, they all share one thing in common. They’re small, and portable. Not so the Sond Audio Active Bookshelf Speakers.
The twin speakers are large, and designed to sit in the one place. This could be a bookshelf, provided you have one that’s deep enough to accommodate them, or the floor. If you enjoy listening to music, and the sound quality delivered by portable speakers doesn’t cut it for you, then the 180w these speakers offer could well be what you’re looking for.
It just got a whole lot easier to switch broadband provider
Moving from one broadband provider to another has long been something of a chore. Starting this weekend (June 20), switchers in the UK will no longer have to go through the hassle of requesting a Migration Authorisation Code (MAC) from their current supplier, as their new ISP will be able to handle the entire process from start to finish.
This should not only help to speed up the process of switching provider, but also eliminate the pestering from ISPs to stay with them. The new rules do not cover all ISPs, just those that use the Openreach network -- this includes major players such as BT, Plusnet, TalkTalk, and Sky -- but it should still make life easier for a lot of people.
Samsung announces fix for Galaxy keyboard vulnerability
We reported on Wednesday that a flaw in the pre-installed SwiftKey keyboard software could put millions of Galaxy devices at risk.
Samsung has moved fast to reassure users and has announced that it's preparing a fix which will be pushed out to devices in the next few days. In addition to the update the company says it will continue to work with third-parties like SwiftKey to address risks in future.
Lock your PC with a USB flash drive
KeyLock is a free Windows tool which allows you to lock your PC with a USB flash drive. If you need to leave it unattended for a while, just unplug the drive, a custom lock screen appears, and you won’t be able to continue until it’s reconnected.
Setup is easy. Connect a USB key, choose it in the Drives list, and you can save the details and start protection in a couple of clicks.
Forensics for everyone as a new approach to network security [Q&A]
Organizations are increasingly under pressure to respond to security incidents quickly in order to minimise damage and losses. Yet conventional security approaches don't always provide enough information, or make it accessible enough, for this to happen.
Is it time for businesses to take a more forensic approach to securing their networks? And won’t this involve time-consuming trawls through masses of raw packet data? We spoke to Uriel Cohen, head of marketing at network forensics specialist WireX Systems to find out.
How to easily switch from Android to Windows Phone
Once people have made the decision to go with a particular mobile operating system, they tend to stick with it. Moving all of your data from one device to another can be a bit of a pain, and it’s made even harder if you’re also switching operating systems, and have to find and re-buy all of your favorite apps.
If you’re thinking of making the move from Android to Windows Phone -- perhaps in anticipation of Windows 10 Mobile later in the year -- the process doesn’t have to be stressful. Here’s what you need to do.
DuckDuckGo sees 600 percent growth off the back of NSA surveillance fears
For all those that say Edward Snowden’s leaks didn’t change public opinion on surveillance, "We’ve grown 600 percent since the surveillance revelations started two years ago", said DuckDuckGo CEO Gabe Weinberg on CNBC.
DuckDuckGo, for those unfamiliar, is a search engine that does not track users. To make money, it simply allows advertisers to bid on keyword search like 'cars', 'insurance', similar to what Google did in the early days.
Macrium Reflect Free 6 adds differential backups
Paramount Software has released Macrium Reflect Free 6, the personal-use-only edition of its popular imaging backup tool.
The big addition is support for differential images, which save time by only recording the data that has changed since the last backup.
Microsoft brings Disney and Pixar to Skype with 'Inside Out' emoticons
Human communication is very tricky. Words on their own are not enough to properly convey a message. Our tone and body language can speak volumes -- sometimes more than the literal meaning of our words. This can be dangerous when sending an email or text message, as the recipient can easily misinterpret the senders intentions.
Luckily, emoticons and emojis have enabled us to enhance our text-based communications. While some people decry millennials' use of these enhancements, they are seemingly here to stay. Today, Microsoft announces that it is delivering new emoticons to Skype that are based on Disney and Pixar's animated film "Inside Out". Since the characters in the movie are based on emotions, it is actually a brilliant partnership.
FCC votes to subsidize broadband connections for low-income households
Today the FCC voted in favor of updating its Lifeline program to include broadband. This would mean that households surviving on low incomes would be able to receive help paying for a broadband connection. It might not be as important as electricity or water, but having a broadband connection is seen as being all but essential these days.
From helping with education and job hunting, to allowing for home working, the ability to get online is seen as so vital by some that there have been calls for it to be classed as a utility. The Lifeline program has been running since the 80s, and originally provided financial help to those struggling to pay for a phone line. It was expanded in 2008 to include wireless providers, and it is hoped that this third expansion will help more people to get online.
Apple Music shouldn't steal artist royalties
For a company that generates more profits than any other ($18 billion during fiscal first quarter 2015), sits on a cash horde of nearly $200 billion, and has the gall to charge $150 for a watchband, stinginess is an unbecoming trait. Scratch that. Greediness. Putting profits before people, particularly devoted customers, when corporate advertising is all about how they matter more, is simply stupid public relations. In business, perception is everything.
So Apple's reported decision to give away music for three months, without compensating artists, is cheapskates behavior that demands criticism -- particularly about a company claiming that music means so much. Speaking to developers last week, CEO Tim Cook: "We love music, and music is such an important part of our lives and our culture". Oh yeah? If it's so important, why diminish its value? To zero. "We've had a long relationship with music at Apple". For how much longer without artists' cooperation? You don't own the content, Mr. Cook.
E3 2015: Project Morpheus shapes up as de facto console VR
In a convention where virtual reality has crept into every corner of the show floor, Sony's Project Morpheus makes the distinction of being the only way to experience virtual reality on a traditional gaming console.
The big title being shown at Sony's booth this year is a demo by the name of Rigs, which puts players in control of a giant mechanized robot and the rest should be self explanatory -- players can live out their fantasies of soaring into the air, moving at breakneck speeds, and shooting missiles throughout a vastly expansive environment.
Recent Headlines
Most Commented Stories
BetaNews, your source for breaking tech news, reviews, and in-depth reporting since 1998.
© 1998-2025 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. About Us - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy - Sitemap.