Using Amazon Echo to control your lights with Wink and GE Link
Home automation has become the wave of the future, for better or worse. Not everyone trusts it, but many others embrace it. However it seems to be here to stay now, with websites and podcasts dedicated to it, as well as an ever growing number of products hitting the market, including some rather odd ones.
However most people jump into this endeavor with lights. They seem to be the drug that gets people hooked. And now you can incorporate Amazon Echo into this, as it is quite capable of controlling a growing number of such products.
Users are unhappy that Windows 10 automatically sends emails about child account activity
Windows 10, just like its predecessor Windows 8.1, allows for the creation of child accounts that can have limitations imposed upon them. It's a feature that many parents take advantage of, but as more and more people start to upgrade to Windows 10, increasing numbers are complaining about the way in which Microsoft monitors account activity and sends out regular emails about that activity.
The account activity email is optional in Windows 10 -- just as it was in Windows 8.1 -- but it is switched on by default. While many parents like the idea of being able to place restrictions and limitation on a child's Windows account, the "creepy" email that many are seeing for the first time is viewed as a step too far.
Monetizing mobile apps without harming the user experience [Q&A]
In the past making money from a mobile app has usually involved signing up to an advertisement network and allowing the app to display banner ads.
The problem with this is that it doesn't make for a particularly good user experience and may actually turn people off using the app. For some time now the buzz around the industry has been about 'native' ads within apps. But exactly what is a native ad and what are the benefits? We spoke to Yannis Dosios, VP of Yahoo Publisher Services to find out.
Windows 10 will be a great operating system -- when it's finished
It could be said, with Windows now a service, Windows 10 will never truly be finished, but the truth is the version of the new operating system that’s out now is a long way from being polished enough for prime time. It’s like an Insider Preview build that’s been released entirely in error.
In an effort to wash away the stench of Windows 8, Microsoft has chosen to rush release Windows 10, and the result is an operating system that is clearly still very much a work in progress. The new OS isn’t anywhere near as half-baked as Windows 8 was when that launched, but there are still far too many issues to be ignored. Put bluntly, it's a bit of a mess in places.
Yet another Android vulnerability discovered -- bad guys can turn your device into a brick
Say what you want about the restricted nature of Apple's iOS, but I appreciate its security -- it makes me feels safe. Comparatively, Android can feel much less secure. Not only is it fragmented due to carrier and manufacturer reluctance to support long term updates, but we are constantly hearing about vulnerabilities such as the one with Stagefright.
Sadly, we see yet another vulnerability today, and it is quite the bombshell. Respected security company Trend Micro explains that bad guys can turn your device into a brick -- a totally non-functioning state. Not only is this inconvenient, but potentially dangerous (and deadly) too.
How to download Windows 10 and create your own installation USB flash drive or DVD
Windows 10 has launched in 190 countries, and if you reserved your copy you should be able to upgrade to it today, or soon afterwards. Microsoft will be notifying users in waves when their upgrade is ready to be installed.
However, for some people the wait may be long, and others have reported problems with the automatic installation. Fortunately, if you’re keen to get the upgrade started, Microsoft has released a tool that will let you download Windows 10 and create your own installation media on either a USB flash drive or DVD.
What you need to know before installing Windows 10 (including you might be waiting MONTHS for the upgrade!)
Microsoft has started sending out emails to Windows users who have reserved their copy of Windows 10 in advance of the launch next week. As reported previously, you probably won’t get your copy on the big day -- Microsoft says "After July 29, when Windows 10 is ready for your device, it will download in the background. You’ll then get a notification to schedule your upgrade right away or at another time that’s convenient for you".
Before you do install it, you’ll want to make sure your PC or tablet is ready for the upgrade.
HORNET is an encrypted, anonymous web browsing system that destroys Tor's performance
With the current concerns about surveillance and privacy, more and more people are turning to anonymizing tools. The existence of unknown numbers of spying tools means that increasing numbers of people are turning to the likes of Tor to keep their online activities private.
But encryption systems such as those used by The Onion Relay have a horrible tendency to slow things down. A new encryption system called HORNET could be a solution. Its creators say that data transfer speeds of up to 93GBps are possible, with much of the acceleration coming from a reduction in the number of hops data has to make around the network.
New techniques to deal with data breaches [Q&A]
It's easy to think of data breaches as being someone else's problem, until you're affected by one yourself. Because breaches can involve large volumes of data, dealing with one can be a lot of work.
Can new techniques in capturing and storing data help to ease the burden on IT teams and even help prevent breaches in the first place? We spoke to Perry Dickau, director of product management from data-aware storage provider DataGravity to find out.
Does Windows 10 attract or repel you?
In some ways it only seems like five minutes since the appearance of Windows 8. But at the same time, it feels as though Windows 10 has been a long time coming. While Microsoft has been talking about the upgrade for quite some time, it has only been in recent months that there has been any sense of progress having been made.
Early builds of Windows 10 were a little lacklustre, and even later builds failed to inspire the levels of excitement that Microsoft would undoubtedly want them to do. Any new version of Windows is met with a combination of trepidation, eagerness, and disappointment, and Windows 10 is no different. It's very easy to say that it is impossible to please everyone, but it's certainly fair to say that Windows 10 has proved particularly divisive. Now, as we edge ever closer to launch, the time comes to ask -- what has Microsoft done right, and what is still wrong?
Xiaomi's Mi TV 2S is a crazy-thin Android Lollipop-powered 48-inch 4K TV
Chinese technology conglomerate Xiaomi, best known for its low-priced and durable smartphones, has been aggressively working lately to increase its other product portfolios. The company today announces that it is refreshing its TV lineup by launching the Mi TV 2S.
As for the specifications, the Mi TV 2S sports a 48-inch display with 4K capability. With a waistline of 9.9mm and aluminum body, the television set is impressively thin too. But the company is not making any compromises on the internal components.
Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 10240 has a special purpose
Earlier today The Verge stated that Windows 10 has been finalized, and Build 10240 was the version of the new OS that Microsoft has selected as the final Release To Manufacturing (RTM) copy. While Microsoft has just released that very build -- after briefly suspending updates -- it has neither confirmed nor denied its RTM status. The company has made it clear however, that Insiders can expect still more builds before the full version is released to the world at large on July 29.
However, what’s interesting is that Build 10240 isn’t an ordinary release. It has the bug fixes you’d expect from a new build, and the desktop watermark has been removed, but that’s not what’s most significant about it. RTM or not, Build 10240 serves a vital purpose.
Windows 10 is free because... Windows Phone
Windows 10 is free; that much we know. There was initially some confusion about the length of time for which this would be the case, but one of the biggest questions surrounding the giveaway has been 'why?'. Is Microsoft aping Apple? Does the company feel that the operating system was not good enough to warrant a price tag?
The actual reason is rather interesting, and was revealed in an interview between Satya Nadella and ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley. This is not (really) a bid to compete with Apple, nor is it (particularly) meant to encourage as many people as possible to move away from Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 8.1 (although this will almost certainly be a happy side-effect). Rather it is a move to boost the profile of Windows Phone.
Giveaway: Free WinToFlash Professional Edition license to easily create a bootable Windows USB drive
Lots of PC users prefer to install Windows from a bootable USB drive, instead of a DVD. A USB drive is a better tool for the job because it is easy to carry around, the installation takes much less time, and a new version of the OS can easily be loaded on it. After its job is done, the USB drive can be quickly repurposed.
The easiest way to create a bootable USB drive is by using dedicated software, like Novicorp's WinToFlash. You can also get the same job done using a command prompt, but this is more appealing to power users and control freaks (guilty as charged). The version of WinToFlash that you really want is not free, but luckily for you, BetaNews readers, we have a Professional Edition license to share.
RIP Nintendo's Satoru Iwata, the video game president who was actually a gamer
The world of video games is mourning a huge loss this morning with 55-year-old Nintendo president Satoru Iwata having passed away as the result of a bile duct tumor. While the lasting impact and legacy of Iwata's influence on Nintendo will be thoroughly debated and analyzed, one thing that has no dispute is that Iwata was the rare senior executive in a powerful video game company who was actually a true gamer through and through.
The CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, the entity in charge of all things PlayStation, is Andrew House. While House has a storied history within Sony's video game division, his entire career has been spent in advertising and communications.
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