Point.io takes enterprise applications mobile
We looked a few weeks ago at how Point.io is simplifying accessing corporate data from cloud platforms.
Now the company has launched APIflow, a product that allows businesses to externalize core processes and make them available remotely from anywhere and on any device. APIflow means that cloud providers, application developers and IT departments can easily integrate with existing applications, simplify software design and significantly reduce their development and maintenance costs.
Forced to use Windows XP past April? 10 ways to make the best of a bad situation
I've been pressing my day to day clients, as well as informed readers here on BetaNews, on the case for ditching Windows XP altogether. I'm guessing by now that chances are, if you're still running XP at this point, you're probably going to stick it out on the platform for the indefinite short term. I've already written about the best ways to safely migrate off XP without losing functionality in the workplace, but if you absolutely have no choice but to keep riding the sinking ship for now, here's hoping at least you are going to be smart about how you do so.
No, your PC is not going to explode, implode, or just stop working come the April cutoff date Microsoft has set. In fact, your system is probably going to continue humming away as usual. But it's what you can't see that will hurt you the most, and that's what XP holdouts are forgetting: the bad guys are arming themselves to the teeth with exploits, just waiting for April 8 to come and go.
Antivirus -- myths and evolution
Antivirus products have steadily evolved over the years but a number of obsolete myths still persist.
For example, many people still believe that AV software can detect only what it knows, uses only static signatures and offers little or no protection. A new report from NSS Labs looks at the history of antivirus software and how it has, and continues to, evolve to meet new threats. It concludes that whilst endpoint protection is still essential it has evolved beyond simple antivirus programs.
The democratization of app building has created a new paradigm
It wasn’t that long ago that web-savvy marketers were touting the advances in technology that allowed anyone to build a website, publish a blog, or embark on a social media campaign. The advent of mobile platforms has rendered all of those tools passé. We are now a mobile society and the proliferation of smartphones and tablets has given rise to a new paradigm in digital marketing: the mobile app.
With the rapid global penetration of smartphones and tablets and the increased data speed of 4G networks, mobile applications are riding a wave of explosive growth. Leading companies are focusing on the development and distribution of dynamic mobile apps, reaching consumers and potential consumers on the one device that is never far from reach. What about small businesses?
A digital bill of rights is essential to the future of democracy
If there was ever anyone more qualified to talk about the web than Tim Berners-Lee, I would like to meet them. The man responsible for inventing the World Wide Web (a heavy burden for anyone to carry, I'm sure) joins us today in celebrating the 25th anniversary of the web.
But the big news isn't that Berners-Lee has been able to watch his baby grow up, go through a difficult teenage stage and flourish into adulthood, bringing us up to the quarter century the web has been with us. The real news is the inventor of the web calling for a "digital bill of rights".
PBS wants you to get off the couch and take your kids outside
Perhaps many of us spend more time in front of screens than we should, between TV and computer monitors, even smaller ones like smartphones and tablets. While these things have become a major force in today's society, they simply are not all of what life is about. And now PBSKids, ironically a TV network, is telling you enough is enough.
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) has teamed up with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) in an effort to get you and your kids outside, at least for the month of April. This is the "Explore the Outdoors" campaign, and it's not the first year the two have come together for this.
View, edit and batch process your photos with Photoimp
If you’ve tried a few free photo managers then you’ll know that the vast majority are, well, disappointing. Most have absolutely no original ideas. And some don’t even match up to the basic functionality you get with Explorer, all on its own.
We didn’t expect very much from the image viewer Photoimp, then -- but it turned out to be a real surprise.
Fiverr launches new Android app
If you have a talent -- be it singing, computer programming, or crafting -- you can make a little extra cash from it by advertising your service on Fiverr. As the name of the site suggests, most offers are priced at $5, although top-rated sellers can offer single orders upwards of $8,000. Examples of available services include recording voiceovers, providing SEO reports on websites, offering business and legal advice, and creating illustrations. I’ve used the service in the past with great results.
Fiverr already has an iOS app available, and now the marketplace is rolling out a free Android app too.
Simpler and more powerful web UI testing from Ravello
Web user interface testing needs a lot of time and resources if it's to produce worthwhile results.
Manual testing eats into developer time and even using established testing frameworks like Selenium requires significant computing resource. Cloud specialist Ravello Systems has introduced blueprints for Selenium Grid to its SaaS test offering to bring cloud capacity to bear on automated testing. It allows developers to run their applications on a public cloud and offers a scalable, customizable and cost-effective testing environment.
Google adds new monetization options for Chrome apps, extensions, and themes
Google has announced new monetization options for Chrome Web Store apps, extensions, and themes, giving developers a better chance of generating decent revenue from their offerings. The search giant has also introduced new tools and services that are meant to make it easier to automate the publishing process.
The new available monetization options depend on the type of Chrome software. In the case of themes, developers can only list them as paid. Meanwhile, extensions can also get a free trial, subscription and in-app payments. On top of upfront payments and subscriptions, packaged apps now offer a free trial and in-app payments, in the latest change to the Chrome Web Store.
How PSTN voice in Lync Online will bring unified VoIP to the masses
Let's be honest with ourselves: in its current app-driven iterations, VoIP is nothing more than a value added novelty. Sure, we Skype with grandma and Lync with our coworkers, but the extent of VoIP penetration into our daily lives starts and stops in bite sized chunks. As much as every me-too VoIP provider would love for us to conduct our lives according to the functionality of their limited purpose apps, the average person usually doesn't have the same feelings about VoIP as IT pros do.
Don't get me wrong in any way. I absolutely love what VoIP has enabled my business and clients to do. We're leveraging Lync on a daily basis with our staff in the field and main office. My clients are using a variety of VoIP endpoints like RingCentral or 8x8 desk phones, soft phone apps, Skype -- even GoToMeeting can be considered VoIP for the voice and video capabilities it provides.
Talari makes network performance data more accessible
Keeping a business network running smoothly relies on having information so that admins can respond quickly to problems.
California-based Talari Networks has launched a new product called APN (Adaptive Private Networking) Aware, that aims to give IT teams an overview of the status and history of each link on a WAN.
Happy 25th Birthday to the World Wide Web -- inventor wants to keep it free and open
You are reading this article thanks to the World Wide Web ("the web"). Also responsible is the Internet. No, the Internet and the web are not the same thing. In basic terms, the Internet is the entire network of servers and computers -- the infrastructure. The web is a way of accessing those networks -- by using a web browser.
Both are equally important, but today marks the 25th birthday of the web. Yes, this means we are all getting old. To celebrate the occasion, the inventor of the web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, has shared a blog post with Google.
Google improves Docs and Sheets with add-ons
For many, Microsoft Office is the best office suite. It is chock full of features that makes it ideal for power-users. A major corporation cannot realistically depend on anything else. Sure, a small business or student can get by with Libreoffice or Google's web apps, but a Fortune 500 company would be foolish to do so -- at least today.
Not everyone is a power-user though -- having too many features can ultimately become noise. This is where Google's Docs and Sheets shine -- they are simple and meet basic needs. However, that does not mean the software cannot evolve. Quite frankly, Google is a company that is a leader in evolution and forward thinking, so its software is always gaining new features. Today, the search-giant announces an evolution in Docs and Sheets with the ability to utilize add-ons.
Qplay is the Devil in my living room
So I received Qplay last week, but only set up the thing today. Definitely I won't ever spend cash on preview programs again. Mother of God. Sweet Jesus. Someone save me from the choppy performance controlling the streaming box from iPad Air.
Did these guys grow up before multitasking? If I'm watching a video and want to scan the thumbnail strip for something else, Holy Moly, the vid stops and waits for me to tap the next thing.
