Microsoft details four future Internet Explorer features
Microsoft is promising at least four brand new features inside the next release of Internet Explorer and fans of the browser could be treated to even more than that when the final product reaches the market.
The Redmond-based firm confirmed that it would definitely include Web Audio, Media Capture, ES6 Promises and HTTP/2 in the new version plus there is likely to be other features revealed closer to the release date.
Samsung announces its first Tizen smartphone
Samsung may be associated with Android thanks to the success of its Galaxy smartphones and tablets, but the South Korean maker is also invested heavily in Tizen. The latter powers its new smartwatches and, via a software upgrade, older models as well. And, today, we can add a new device to the powered-by-Tizen list, the Samsung Z.
The Samsung Z is Samsung's first Tizen-based smartphone, which, on the outside, looks much like the company's premium Galaxy handsets. It features a physical home button, placed between two capacitive keys (home and menu), and a faux-leather back with stitching patterns, like on the popular Galaxy Note 3. It even borrows the now-obligatory gold color trim.
Linux Mint 17 'Qiana' is here -- get it now!
Ah Linux, we meet again. I am on a perpetual journey to find the perfect Linux distro. Sadly, I am finding it not to be elusive, but downright non-existent. You see, operating systems based on the open-source kernel are very fragmented in experience. It is hard for the stars to align and have everything you want be represented. Maybe you like the available environments for a distro, but hate the package manager. Or maybe you love the community support, but find the release schedule too slow.
While not perfect, Linux Mint is what I have found to be the best choice for many, including myself. It is based on Ubuntu, so it has the awesome APT package manager, while also supporting Cinnamon, Mate and other environments. The tweaks and polish that the Mint team delivers makes it a robust and familiar experience. Well, fire up your torrent and ISO writing software and grab your nearest blank DVD or flash drive -- Linux Mint 17 is finally here!
Cambridge Audio Minx M5 -- small speakers with a big sound [Review]
Listening to music on a computer can be a very rewarding experience nowadays. However, we aren't far removed from the days where laptops and desktops shipped with horrible speakers. This shouldn't be surprising though; while mp3 and streaming audio is commonplace now, listening to music was not always expected on a computer. Tinny-sounding, rattling speakers were OK for midi files, but now we expect much more.
While Bluetooth speakers are very convenient, their sound quality usually does not match a hard-wired set. My favorites for many years are the Logitech Z-2300 -- a 2.1 setup, which are THX certified and pack a 120 watt subwoofer. I still own these speakers, but they are extremely bass-heavy, even with the bass knob turned down to the lowest setting. They can be overly disruptive to the other people in my home, as the walls shake. For a party, they are great, but for everyday use I need something more tame. Today, I am looking at the Cambridge Audio Minx M5 in hopes that I have found that.
Amazon bundles Fire TV and Kindle Fire HDX 7 for an unbelievable price
Still shopping for the perfect Father's Day bargain? Amazon may have the answer to that, as the online retailer has taken two of its most popular products and combined them into one bargain-basement price that will satisfy any connoisseur of sales.
The Kindle Fire HDX 7, a tablet I previously called my favorite product of 2013, has been bundled together with the new Fire TV. If you aren't familiar (or live under a rock) the Fire TV is a set-top box designed to take on Apple and Roku in an increasingly crowded market. Today, Amazon marries the two together with one discounted price.
Normal service is resumed as Windows 7's growth once again comfortably outpaces Windows 8.x
Windows XP users might be able to (sort of) cheat the aging operating system’s end of life, but ultimately the only real way to stay safe is, as Microsoft says, by upgrading to a newer, more modern version of Windows. NetMarketShare’s monthly snapshot of the desktop OS share trend shows users are continuing to slowly migrate away from XP. The OS’s share dropped 1.02 percent from 26.29 percent in April to 25.27 percent in May.
So the question is, where are XP users moving to? I think you probably know the answer to that by now.
The most popular stories on BetaNews this past week - May 25 -- May 31
No week would be complete without a little Windows news, and this week was no different. A registry hack emerged that should make it possible to receive updates for the no-longer-supported Windows XP right up until 2019. Microsoft later spoiled the fun by pointing out that it could lead to problems as the updates that would be made available as a result of implementing the hack would not be designed for regular desktop versions of Windows XP.
Last week we were wondering why it took eBay quite so long to warn users to update their passwords after a security breach earlier in the year. This week we discovered that it was because the company was under the impression that no user data had been accessed. Apple forgot to renew its SSL certificate, and in another Apple-related security story, a hacker managed to take control of iOS and Mac devices, and hold them ransom. To console itself, the company then splashed the cash on Beats Music -- Joe pondered whether this was just another indication of Apple's lack of innovation.
Windows Phone gets official file manager -- the unimaginatively named 'Files'
Windows Phone started out as a very weak operating system. It was so full of compromises and disappointments, that it was a wonder anyone bought the devices. When Nokia started manufacturing handsets with the OS, it was a real turning point. The Finnish company eventually added amazing tweaks, apps and class-leading cameras. Nokia was so important to the Windows Phone movement, that Microsoft eventually bought the company.
Luckily, besides Nokia, Microsoft was also in the kitchen cooking up improvements for the mobile operating system. The company released Windows Phone 8.1 to developers this year and the changes are staggering. You see, Microsoft is actually listening to users and the end result is a much more capable OS. Unfortunately, Windows Phone 8.1 was still missing a crucial aspect -- a native File Manager. Today, that changes as Microsoft releases the unimaginatively named 'Files'.
Samsung unveils its Simband and Sami health platform
Samsung has taken a new march in the wearables race through a new wristband and development platform to revolutionize the way sensors are used to collect critical health data about the user.
The Simband and Sami [Samsung Architecture Multimedia Interactions] platform, which were announced at a San Francisco press event, will be used by third-party sensor developers to collect and store data.
FileSearchy is a fast desktop search tool for Windows
FileSearchy is a free-for-personal-use desktop search tool with one or two interesting and unexpected features.
After a quick and easy installation, launching FileSearchy displays a very straightforward interface. Enter part of a file name in the Search box, and the results are updated instantly, just as fast as you can type. You can then double-click any file to view it, or right-click for the usual Explorer context menu.
Acer Iconia A1: Small Android tablet for tight budgets [Review]
Acer is probably not the first company you will think of when you start pondering tablets -- but in fact it has quite a pedigree. It has forayed into Windows-based tablets, with recent examples being the Iconia W4 and the Iconia W700 -- an attempt at an all-in-one/tablet combo. And its Android-based tablets are plentiful with A and B series lines alongside the more recently announced Tab 7 and One 7. ITProPortal actually reviewed the predecessor to this new model, the Iconia A1-810, last summer.
As tablets go the 16GB Acer Iconia A1-830 is a bit of a baby. It has a 7.9-inch screen, just a bit larger than the 7-inch Kindle Fire HDX and Nexus 7, and the same as the iPad mini. Its price marks it out as a budget buy at £140. For reference, the Nexus 7 16GB and 16GB Kindle Fire HDX 7-inch are both £199. The 16GB iPad mini is over £300.
Turn any business site into a social media hub for customers
User generated content is an important factor in getting consumers to trust online business. But not every enterprise has the time or the skills to build and manage a presence across multiple social media sites.
Customer profile management specialist Janrain has introduced a new product that allows users of any site to introduce and share social content.
Best iOS apps this week
Twenty-first in a series. Lots of big Apple news this week. The company revealed it is indeed buying subscription streaming service Beats Music, and Beats Electronics (which makes the popular Beats headphones, speakers and audio software) for a whopping $3 billion. Following the announcement Eddy Cue, Apple SVP of Internet Services, took the opportunity to share some numbers relating to iTunes, and revealed that Apple has sold 35 billion songs, and iTunes Radio now has 40 million listeners. Cue also said that coming later in the year Apple has the "best product pipeline" that he’s seen in his 25 years at the company. Sounds exciting.
Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) kicks off on Monday, giving us a glimpse at some of what the company has in store for the rest of the year.
Google gives in, sets up 'forget me' form following EU ruling
A couple of weeks ago, a European court ruling said that internet users had a "right to be forgotten". Google was at the center of the test case, and the internet giant expressed disappointment at the court's decision that individuals should be able to request that their details be removed from search results. Now a removal request form has been created for those looking to clear their name from search queries.
In order to use the form, individuals are required to provide a "valid form of photo ID". It is then possible to request that information that is "inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant, or excessive in relation to the purposes for which they were processed" be removed. Google has already made it clear that it found the court ruling "disappointing", and the company says that submitting a request is no guarantee of having details removed from search results.
Cloud music player Style Jukebox goes ad-free
Style Jukebox is a cloud player that lets you upload your personal music collection to the cloud so you can stream it to your Android, iOS, Windows and Windows Phone devices. It is designed to work both online and offline, so users can listen to their songs even in areas without cellular coverage.
Style Jukebox has been offered in a free, albeit ad-supported, version as well as in a premium one, the latter of which comes with more storage space, support for a higher number of linked devices, and support for more file types. Now, following a new round of funding, the startup's co-founder Ionut Antiu tells me Style Jukebox is improving its free plan so users will no longer see ads.
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