Twitter for iOS adds mute button, multiple iPad improvements

Twitter has rolled out a new version of its iPhone and iPad app with the release of Twitter 6.5. Its headline new feature is support for the "mute" feature that allows selected users to be hidden from the user’s timeline.

Version 6.5 also implements a number of improvements to the iPad version that had previously been rolled out to the iPhone build. These include selected content previews in the user’s timeline and the ability to choose filters for photos.

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Mosamic creates gorgeous photo mosaics from Flickr images

You might have taken some great digital photos, but they can always be made better, and one way is to transform them into a photo mosaic: a picture built from the color-matched thumbnails of other images.

This isn’t always easy. As we’ve discussed before, AndreaMosaic is a very powerful mosaic creator, but with a complex interface which means it can be hard to follow. Fortunately there are simpler alternatives -- and Mosamic is one of the very best.

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No KitKat for Samsung Galaxy S3 owners in the UK

We've got some disappointing news for those S3 owners who've been holding out with their fingers crossed for an update to Android 4.4, as KitKat is simply not going to happen on the international version of the Galaxy S3 (and the S3 Mini).

Previous rumours had indicated that UK owners of the S3 were going to get KitKat, speculation which was underlined by the fact that over in the US, the upgrade has been confirmed and is indeed about to roll out.

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Moto unveils dirt-cheap Moto E, 4G-toting Moto G

With the Moto G, under Google's ownership, Motorola has proved it is capable of making an appealing entry-level Android smartphone that does not employ inferior hardware to launch with a sub-$200 price-tag. The Moto G, unsurprisingly, has turned out to be a popular choice in this segment.

Today, at a press event, Motorola just announced a new version of its successful Moto G which features 4G LTE cellular connectivity. Consumers who shop in the entry-level smartphone market are likely to find the newly-unveiled device even more appealing, compared to its 3G-toting brethren, as the faster cellular data speeds amount to noticeable improvements when used on compatible mobile operator networks.

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Office for iPad apps have been downloaded 27 million times in 46 days

Despite the presence of iWorks and numerous other productivity suites on iPad, many users were hoping Microsoft would eventually roll out a version of Office for Apple’s tablet. The biggest sticking point was Surface -- Microsoft’s suite is, after all, one of that tablet’s biggest selling points, and providing Office for rival devices could prove risky.

At the end of March, Microsoft responded to the demand by releasing free iPad apps for Word, Excel and PowerPoint and tackled the Surface issue beautifully. The apps are excellent, fully touch optimized, and designed from the ground up to run on an iPad. But they require you to have Office 365 to create or edit documents, which isn’t a restriction Surface users have to worry about.

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Twitter's mute function lets you silence talkative tweeters

It is said that Twitter is the social network for those who suffer from verbal diarrhoea, and it's certainly true that you have to be slightly selective about who you follow if you are to avoid drowning in an avalanche of overwhelming drivel. But even if you do pick and choose who appears in your timeline very carefully, there may be times when you want certain people to just shut up. You could stop following them, or even go as far as blocking them, but this might be seen as taking things a little too far. Twitter's new mute function could be the solution to the problem you didn’t know you had.

Announced in a post on the Twitter blog, Product Manager Paul Rosania says the feature is being rolled out to not only the web version of Twitter, but also the official iOS and Android apps. In many ways, muting is a watered down version of blocking a user and it could prove useful in certain circumstances. You may have some friend who is watching a show you've yet to catch up with. To help avoid spoilers, you could mute their tweets until you're up to date; the same idea rings true for sporting results, and other big announcements.

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Netflix releases ISP rankings for April. Comcast continues steady rise

Each and every month Netflix ranks ISPs by the level of service it observes, based on streaming speed. In the past we've seen Comcast drop significantly in these rankings, though once Netflix agreed to pay the cable company, things suddenly changed.

With latest rankings, the service added Canada to it's list, and there, Bell Aliant and Bell Canada were tops in speed. In fact, average speeds in the nation topped those provided by US carriers, though ranked behind most European nations.

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ARCHOS announces the ArcBook -- an affordable Android-powered laptop

Android is a mobile operating system, so many people think of it only for tablets and smartphones. However, it is actually very versatile, and has made appearances on both desktops and laptops too. That said, most Android laptops have proven to be low-quality garbage.

Today however, Archos has thrown its hat into the Android-laptop arena, with the all-new ArcBook. The company calls it an "affordable mobile productivity enhancer". I call it a neat little laptop!

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Remove and clean graphics drivers from your PC with Display Driver Uninstaller

Windows PCs are messy beasts at the best of times, with uninstallers leaving great swathes of program files and Registry entries behind. The complicated way that programs and hardware is tied in with Windows can have more serious repercussions too, should you suddenly find your graphics card not working properly and the installer refusing to play ball.

It’s at times like this you need a tool that can thoroughly remove the driver and all traces of the other paraphernalia installed. Thank goodness, for the clearly labeled Display Driver Uninstaller.

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Google releases Young Business Success report

Opening a new business is a very risky ordeal. Many of them end up being unsuccessful, and people's dreams and lives can easily be destroyed as a result. Often, business owners make decisions with their hearts, rather than their heads. When I see a new storefront open in my area, I can usually predict correctly as to which will close and which will prosper. It is sad that the people opening the business are not able to take a step-back and see the same thing.

Google has taken an interest in new businesses and how they utilize technology to be successful. Today, the search-giant releases a report and infographic aimed at helping future upstarts to learn from existing successes.

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Shield your PC from keyloggers with Zemana AntiLogger Free

Keyloggers are a real malware menace, recording everything you type -- user names, passwords, credit card numbers and more -- for misuse later.

Your antivirus software will intercept most keyloggers before they can be installed, of course. Well, hopefully. But if you’d like another layer of protection, just in case, then you might be interested in Zemana AntiLogger Free.

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API ruling in Oracle's favor could have far-reaching consequences

In something of a surprise twist on Friday, a court ruled that Oracle is entitled to copyright protection for its Java APIs. This is a case that has been rumbling on for some time now after Oracle sued Google for implementing the APIs into Android, and the implications could be far-reaching. It almost goes without saying that Google will appeal the ruling, although no announcement has actually been made to this effect. The decision that "we conclude that the declaring code and the structure, sequence, and organization of the 37 Java API packages at issue are entitled to copyright protection" seems fairly cut and dried, but the real consequences are yet to be felt.

Back in 2012, it had been decided that there was not a problem with Google, or anyone else, writing code that performed the same function as existing APIs -- this is essentially what Google had to do when implementing the Java APIs in Android -- with the judge at the time stating that "duplication of the command structure is necessary for interoperability". But the latest ruling turns this on its head, which is not good news for Google. "We therefore reverse the district court's copyrightability determination with instructions to reinstate the jury's infringement verdict. Because the jury hung on fair use, we remand Google's fair use defense for further proceedings consistent with this decision".

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BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 top for cost effectiveness

BlackBerry has some long-waited good news to announce in the shape of a high dose of praise for its enterprise mobility management solution.

The company’s BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 (BES10) scored highest when it came to cost effectiveness in a report from market research company Strategic Analytics.

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IBM software defined storage reduces the cost of big data

Big data cloud

Big data places enormous demands on storage and in many cases conventional technologies are struggling to keep up.

In an effort to deliver improved economics and at the same time enable organizations to access and process any type of data, on any type of storage device, anywhere in the world, IBM has unveiled a portfolio of software defined storage products.

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Another Windows security reprieve -- Microsoft gives 8.1 users a further month to install Update

Windows 8.1 Update makes the tiled operating system more mouse and keyboard friendly, and while it takes a little getting used to at first, the changes are mostly for the better -- in my opinion anyway.

Microsoft has made the update mandatory, and in an effort to ensure people install it swiftly (thus avoiding the situation where there are customers out there running Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 Update) made it even more essential by stating that all future security patches, starting with those released tomorrow as part of Microsoft's monthly "Patch Tuesday", will require Update to be installed. In other words, if you haven’t installed the Update, your system could be at risk.

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