HP adopts Microsoft's Dynamics CRM
HP is turning away from Salesforce and Oracle software to run its sales processes and now plans to use Microsoft Dynamics customer relationship management (CRM) software exclusively in its sales and support departments.
The two companies have entered into a six-year contract and plan to roll out Dynamics CRM to 6,500 of HP's sales staff and 20,000 of its support personnel. Though the dollar amount of this deal is still unknown, around 50 percent of the company's workforce will now use Microsoft's software and services to manage their relationships with customers.
Apple 'Swift Playgrounds' coding app now available for iPad tablets running iOS 10
Today has been a great day for Apple device owners. The company released iOS 10 for compatible iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices. In addition, tvOS 10 was released for Apple TV, while watchOS 3 was made available for Apple Watch. All of these operating system upgrades are impressive, making the Apple devices even better.
Not everything released by Apple today is operating system related, however, as the previously announced Swift Playgrounds app is released too. This iPad-only app is designed to help young learners to code. With that said, there is no reason why coding beginners of all ages can't get it on the action. After all, the educational app is totally free -- what do you have to lose?
Roku gets PEN (People / Entertainment Weekly Network)
Streaming media is more than just TV, movies, and sports. If you are more interested in real events -- as opposed to just mindless fiction -- there are plenty of news, lifestyle, and public interest options too. Heck, even Hollywood gossip can be a nice escape from the stresses of daily life.
Today, Roku gains access to the PEN channel. Not familiar with it? Neither was I, but it is actually very cool. It is a joint partnership between two major media publications -- People and Entertainment Weekly. This looks to be a match made in heaven, as they both offer entertainment news and fairly light public interest stories. It should prove brilliant for relaxing and temporarily getting your mind off your daily responsibilities.
iOS 10 update bricking iPhones and iPads [Update]
I’ve been waiting patiently for iOS 10 to arrive, resisting the urge to try out any beta versions, and today is the big day when the update officially becomes available to all.
Imagine my joy when the new software update appeared ready to install on my devices a short while ago. And then imagine my horror when the installation bricked both my iPhone and iPad. Thanks Apple. Just the upgrade I didn’t want.
CyberLink unveils PowerDirector 15, PhotoDirector 8
CyberLink Corp has launched the latest versions of its Director multimedia software. Video editor PowerDirector 15 (from $69.99) gets end-to-end support for 360-degree videos: importing, adding titles, effects and transitions, and producing the finished movie.
The new TRUE360 Viewpoint Designer imports 360-degree footage and allows it to be reused, with your choice of views, in standard videos.
BlackBerry launches new subscription-based Android apps
Canadian telecommunications company Blackberry announced new services for its Android Hub+ platform this week. Besides the Hub, Calendar and Password Keeper, which were available earlier, another six apps are now available for Android users, for both Marshmallow and Lollipop versions of the operating system.
These apps include Contacts, Tasks, Device Search, Notes, and Launcher, all part of Blackberry's productivity suite. They are available for a free 30-day period, after which they'll cost 99 cents per month. Hub, Calendar, Password Keeper, and Launcher will remain free, but with ads.
Windows 10 Anniversary Update may take up to three months to reach all users
The latest big update to Windows 10 began rolling out to users a month ago, but while the Anniversary Update officially became available on the 2 August, it was a staggered launch.
Microsoft targeted "newer" devices first, with those on older systems set to receive the update shortly afterwards. If you were keen to upgrade, you could of course hurry things along or take matters into your own hands.
Toshiba unveils OCZ VX500 SATA SSD
Solid State Drives are not the exciting products they once were. Having an SSD is so commonplace nowadays, that there are far fewer opportunities to 'wow' someone with an upgrade from a mechanical hard drive. SATA variants in particular are underwhelming in performance compared to faster NVMe models.
With all of that said, there is a place for SATA SSDs on the market, as not all computers offer compatibility with NVMe drives. If you are still clutching to an old HDD, or maybe needing to replace an existing SATA SSD, Toshiba has a new drive that may interest you. What the OCZ VX500 SATA SSD lacks in speed (550/515 MB read/write is expected for SATA), it makes up in potential longevity with MLC as opposed to TLC.
Amazon Prime members get free audio books and access to 'Audible Channels'
As someone on the go, I have always craved the ability to listen to audio books in my car. Whenever I research getting them, however, the high prices always scare me away. Look, I understand a lot of time and effort goes into creating versions of books that are read aloud, but with current pricing, it is simply not reasonable for an average person to truly take advantage.
Today, this changes as Amazon delivers audio-focused benefits to members of its Prime service. Users can now access 50 audio books for free, meaning consuming them is an affordable reality. In addition, Prime members are getting free access to the company's 'Audible Channels'.
Adblock Plus introduces new platform to increase Acceptable Ads’ transparency
It has been difficult to ignore the issue of online ads recently. Facebook’s approach to ads has been in the news in particular, but the battle between advertisers and ad blockers is one that has rumbled on for some time -- and looks set to continue to do so. At the forefront of ad blocking is Adblock Plus, and the company has just announced a new ad platform that aims to deliver ads that will not irritate internet users too much.
Acceptable Ads is an idea that has been bounced around for a while now, but today it has been relaunched as a completely new platform -- the Acceptable Ads Platform, funnily enough. It has two primary directives: to increase the transparency of Acceptable Ads, and to provide website creators with easy access to a database of pre-whitelisted ads that they can use to monetize their sites.
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are a huge hit at Sprint and T-Mobile
The latest iPhones may not be hugely different compared to last year's models, but consumers do not seem to mind it. According to pre-order reports from Sprint and T-Mobile, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are off to a great start, being received extremely well by their customers.
Sprint today announced that, in the first three days, pre-orders for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are more than 375 percent higher compared to last year. The carrier does not say whether that is a new record for the iPhone. Over at T-Mobile, however, the new smartphones did set a new bar.
The outdated business practice that's sabotaging your IT budget
As our world becomes more digital by the day, IT leaders are under ever-increasing pressure to perform in a measurable way. From the demands of cutting costs and modernizing workflows to bolstering security and optimizing cloud migration, their strategic and technical priorities extend into every aspect of the business. On a more comprehensive level, 70 percent of IT leaders regard digital transformation as a top priority within their organization. With so many initiatives demanding their attention, CIOs and IT managers must allocate their time and resources wisely.
Yet there are several challenges that can obstruct the path to modern IT success. In Gartner’s 2016 CIO Agenda Report, the technology research company asked 2,994 CIOs from 84 countries to identify their main barrier as an IT leader. Twenty-two percent of participants responded with skills and resources, while 15 percent pinpointed funding and budgets as their biggest obstacle. The fact of the matter is that IT departments don’t always have the funds and resources they need to truly drive digital transformation and stay on the cutting edge of technology. A company’s available budget reflects an abundance of tireless work and careful strategy, making the question of how to save and maximize hard-earned revenue one of the most pressing issues to affect enterprises across the globe.
Have the exploding Galaxy Note7 phones put you off Samsung?
Samsung’s Galaxy Note7 smartphone has received universally favorable reviews, and looked to be a big hit for the South Korean company… and then came the news that some devices had exploded, leading to a massive recall.
Since then, in addition to the estimated $5 billion the recall is expected to cost, Samsung has seen $14.3 billion wiped of its market capitalization. There have been stories of children being injured by exploding devices, cars being set on fire, airlines warning passengers not to take the device on flights, and so on. It's a major catastrophe for Samsung.
Microsoft adds guest access to Office 365
Microsoft keeps adding new features to its Office 365 suite, and now it has made easier for people outside a group to collaborate on files. A new feature, for Office 365 groups, allows people who aren't staff members, or members of a particular group, to join in and collaborate.
Group owners can now use the web version of Outlook to invite non-staff members in.
New partnership aims to improve threat detection
The problem with many security solutions is that the number of alerts they generate leads to a good deal of time in investigations, some of which will turn out to be false positives.
Real-time analytics company Corvil is partnering with endpoint security specialist Carbon Black to offer customers unified cyber threat detection, analysis, and response.
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