Independent testing organization AV-comparatives has released the results of its 2013 Business Software Review. This looks at security software for smaller and medium businesses, taking as its basis a single site network with a Windows Server 2012 domain controller and 25 client PCs running a mix of Windows XP, 7 and 8.

The key thing here is that this is the type of business which may not have its own IT manager so the report considers the management and monitoring of the software from the viewpoint of someone who isn't a specialist in IT and only looks after the system part time.

Continue reading →

Vizio Co-Star has remained one of the more popular set-top boxes for those looking for a Google TV experience. The tiny device brings along all of the features found in more expensive cousins from the likes of Sony, but with less of the big-name price. While rumors persist of an impending name-change for the search giant's foray into the living room, details of an updated media OS have been tough to come by.

Vizio, leaving nothing to chance, is hedging its bets with a new model of that Co-Star box that shuns Google TV...ah, Android TV...you get the picture. Instead, the television manufacturer is focusing on bringing its smart TV technology to, well, dumb TV's.

Continue reading →

The Android operating system and school of thought are undergoing a major change; a sea change brought on by the Motorola Moto X and its voice interaction. After using it, I remarked that specifications and benchmarks melted away and I was enveloped in the experience. However, not everyone wants to interact with their smartphone using voice. Some people, myself sometimes included, just want to touch a big beautiful display and have the best specs and most bragging rights... and that's OK. People are different as is their usage.

The LG G2 represents Android's old-school, previous school of thought. It is fast and flashy and will trounce the Moto X in speed. However, the phone infamously has a new trick up its sleeve by assigning the buttons to the rear. This feature stole the focus from the device in the media and rightfully so. After all, it is an out-of-the-box approach that people just haven't seen before. I have been using this smartphone for a couple of weeks now and I finally feel ready to share what it is and what is isn't. At the end of this article, you will find out whether I can recommend it or not.

Continue reading →

Over the years, I have been, first increasingly, then decreasingly, weighed down on my daily runs. A simple Ironman watch morphed into the first GPS watch, complete with a transmitter strapped to my arm, and then a chest strap for heart rate monitoring was added to the mix. Since then devices have become smaller and functionality has been rolled together. Now iriver announces ON, which takes that concept another step.

The ON is an exercise headset that does a bit more than just let you listen to your tunes to pass the miles away. "Powered by PerformTek sensor technology, the iriver ON accurately monitors more real-time fitness data from a single source than any other personal monitor, including heart rate, distance, speed, VO2 max (aerobic fitness level) and calories burned", the announcement explains.

Continue reading →

We've looked at Huddle's drive to create a connected desktop environment allowing people to collaborate via the cloud before, but now the company is aiming to take things a step beyond. Announcing a collaboration with TIBCO Software's enterprise social network tibbr it aims to further streamline the sharing process.

This will allow users to socialize, share and manage content in the cloud in a seamless way. From within the tibbr environment, users will be able to quickly and easily attach Huddle files to their updates for information and feedback. The files remain stored within Huddle's secure cloud and retain all of their security, permissions, and versions. The end result is a unified work environment bringing together people and information in real time.

Continue reading →

With Windows 8.1 Microsoft has attempted to fix a lot of the things that were wrong with Windows 8, and make the operating system more appealing by throwing a bunch of additional features into the mix. It won’t appeal to everyone, but it is a massive improvement over its predecessor.

If you’re planning on updating your computer to the new OS, or are still on the fence and need a little nudge to join the tiled side, let me take you on a guided tour of what’s new.

Continue reading →

It has served us well, but Windows XP is now considerably into old age; it's time to be put out to pasture. Microsoft is retiring the game-changing operating system on 8 April 2014 but this does not mean that people will not try to hang onto their beloved operating system for as long as possible.

One issue that XP diehards are going to face is support for apps. This is an old operating system, and it's not really reasonable to expect software manufacturers to keep pumping out new releases and updates. But just how long can you expect to receive updates and support? Google has nailed its colors to the mast in announcing that Chrome for XP will be supported for at least a year after Windows XP is retired.

Continue reading →

Small tablets are very popular lately; the Nexus 7 and iPad Mini are two great examples of that. However, even though Windows 8 is designed for touch, a quality small (8-inch and below) tablet has eluded consumers. My experience with the Acer Iconia W3 was epically bad -- the screen and overall build quality were poor. Sadly, this device may have harmed consumer confidence in small Windows tablets.

Today, Lenovo aims to greatly improve the perception of reduced-size Windows devices as the company announces the Miix2 8-inch tablet. By combining the computer manufacturer's well-known build quality with the much improved Windows 8.1 operating system, the company should have a winner on its hands.

Continue reading →

We're fairly certain that Windows Phone 8.1 is not too far off, but in the meantime we're left to content ourselves with the updates that trickle out for the OS from time to time. Update 3, previously known as GDR 3, has been released, and my colleague Mihaita has taken a look at how to get it installed and what you can expect to find when you do.

It was known in advance that this was going to be a relatively minor update, but I'm the kind of person who greets an update to any operating system with an almost childlike excitement. The moment I was able to do so, the download was under way and my Nokia Lumia 928 was receiving the update treatment. Here follows my reaction to Windows Phone 8 Update 3. To avoid any possible confusion, this is absolutely my opinion; this is about my experience, my feelings, my reaction. As writers are wont to say, "your mileage may vary".

Continue reading →

With the October 17 public launch rapidly approaching, Microsoft is trying to pique consumers' interest (even further) in Windows 8.1 by revealing a number of the biggest new features and app improvements that the new release introduces. The software giant has already discussed the new Internet Explorer, Reading List, SkyDrive and Skype and, in the latest unveiling, the company is taking us through the new apps for music, photos and videos.

When Windows 8 arrived, many of the built-in apps were criticised for being buggy, incomplete or difficult to use. A number of updates have slowly improved the situation. And in Windows 8.1 Microsoft appears to have beefed up its offerings even further.

Continue reading →

Oracle has released VirtualBox 4.3.0, a major update to its open-source virtualization tool for Windows, Mac and Linux. Version 4.3 introduces a virtual multi-touch user interface, adds new virtual devices including webcams, as well as a session-recording facility, plus offers improved networking functionality.

In addition, VirtualBox 4.3.0 also extends official support to the latest builds of Windows, OS X and Linux, including the forthcoming Windows 8.1 and Max OS X 10.9 Mavericks.

Continue reading →

Online application specialist DataStax has announced a new initiative to help startup businesses. DataStax software delivers a scalable big data platform and is used by large organizations including Adobe, eBay and Netflix, but the DataStax Startup Program allows eligible startups to deploy DataStax Enterprise applications for free.

The company has also launched a new DevCenter tool, which is free for its existing users, to allow the graphical creation of queries and database objects in Cassandra Query Language. This is along with free online training courses to teach users how to work with big data in the open-source Apache Cassandra database.

Continue reading →

My friend Nikola Bozinovic (say that three times fast) is a very sharp software developer originally from Serbia who has, over the years, worked for most of the usual suspect American software companies. He is also the guy who restored from a grotty old VHS tape my film Steve Jobs — The Lost Interview. And as of this week he’s the CEO of Mainframe2, an exciting startup strutting its stuff at the DEMO conference in Santa Clara.

Mainframe2 claims it can put almost any Windows application into the cloud, making apps usable from any device that can run a web browser supporting html5. We’re talking Photoshop and AutoCAD on your iPad. This is a big deal.

Continue reading →

Email encryption for Yahoo Mail may not seem like major news. In fact, Yahoo introduced the use of HTTPS as an option earlier in the year. This was not only several years after the likes of Gmail and Hotmail (and now Outlook.com), but also an optional security feature. But now security campaigners can breathe a sigh of relief; in just three short months, email encryption will be enabled by default in Yahoo Mail.

The news comes from Jeffrey Bonforte, SVP of Communication Products who says in a blog post that "at Yahoo, we take the security of our users very seriously". It will come as great news to not only Yahoo users, but also the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) who wrote a letter to Marissa Mayer back in November expressing their concerns about the (then) absent HTTPS option.

Continue reading →

The internet is an amazing tool, especially for children looking to learn. It is essentially the world's biggest library available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But the web also has a darker side, and parents have to ask themselves the question "when is the right time to let my child go online?" Or, as Director of Online Safety at Microsoft, Kim Sanchez puts it "How old is too young to go online?".

This is a far more complicated problem than it used to be. It is not all that long ago that the average household had no more than one computer, which may not have been connected to the internet. Now, however, we live in a time when households could have multiple computers. There might still be one shared "family" computer, but it is also very common for children to have their own computer or laptop. There are also phones and tablets to think of. Pester power is an incredible thing, and it’s a strong parent who is able to resist giving into demands for a tablets when "all my friends have one".

Continue reading →