Transform pictures into mosaics or abstract art with Pattaizer
Many graphics tools offer some sort of mosaic effect, but it’s often very basic, "let’s pixelate the image a bit and hope for the best". Pattaizer is more imaginative, and can transform your pictures using a host of mosaic-related and more abstract effects.
Some of these appear to be based on fairly standard mosaic effects, for example replacing blocks of pixels with hexagons or lego bricks. But a "Deform control" adds a random variation to every individual component of the image, ensuring you get far more interesting results.
Qualcomm facing record fine in South Korea for breaching fair trade rules
Qualcomm is facing a $900 million fine in South Korea after its Fair Trade Commission found that the California-based chipset company had charged smartphone manufacturers unfairly for its mobile processors.
The company was found guilty of breaching fair trade rules at the conclusion of the agency’s 17-month investigation. Qualcomm charged Samsung, LG and other South Korean smartphone manufacturers higher licensing fees than it should have for its mobile processors. The company used the wholesale price of a smartphone to calculate the fees as opposed to the actual cost of the chips.
Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14393 for PC and Mobile arrives on the Fast ring
Windows 10 Insider builds really are coming thick and fast now. Build 14390 came out just three days ago, and now we have Build 14393 following it on to the Fast ring.
This pattern will continue for a while yet as Microsoft squashes as many bugs as possible as it enters the home stretch for the big Anniversary Update out on August 2.
ZTE ZMAX PRO is a premium Android smartphone with a shockingly low $99 price
Inexpensive Android smartphones are nothing new. Getting premium quality phones at a low price is fairly new, however. While some folks hail these respectable wallet-friendly devices as a win for consumers, others -- such as yours truly -- view it as a race to the bottom which could ultimately harm the Android market overall.
Today, ZTE announces the ZMAX PRO Android smartphone. This device is chock full of premium features, such as an octa-core Snapdragon 617 processor, 2GB of RAM, expandable storage, and a fingerprint reader. The truly amazing aspect, however, is the price -- a shockingly low $99.
SMK-Link Electronics unveils USB-C Multi-Port Hub VP6920 for Windows 10 and macOS
While USB-C is not yet a must-have, it is certainly a great feature to have on any computer. The reversible standard can act as a single port for expansion, making extremely thin laptop and tablet designs possible. In other words, having big integrated legacy ports like Ethernet or USB Type-A aren't really needed, thanks to useful dongles.
Today, SMK-Link Electronics announces a beautiful such expansion dongle that acts as a docking station for Windows 10 and macOS. A single Type-C port on your computer (such as on the Apple MacBook or Huawei MateBook) can be transformed into something much more.
Microsoft badmouths Chrome's battery life as Windows 10 message urges switching to Edge
Microsoft has been shouting about Edge a lot as of late. Not happy with claiming that it is the most battery-friendly of the main web browsers, the company has also made much of Edge's 1080p support for Netflix.
In the latest twist, Microsoft switches tack, instead using pop up messages in Windows 10 to badmouth Chrome and promote Edge. The pop up rams home the idea that Chrome is a battery hog and suggests switching to Microsoft Edge to increase longevity.
Google launches final Android 7.0 beta before Nougat goes public
It may only be a few weeks since Google revealed that Android 7.0 will be called Nougat, but there have already been several developer previews of the Marshmallow successor. Today Google launches the fifth and final preview before the official launch.
As this is the final preview, build NPD90G of Nougat can be considered near-final code; this is, near as damn it, what you'll be installing on your Android handset in the not-too-distant future when Android 7.0 is officially launched. At the moment, the preview build can only be installed on Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus 9, and Pixel C devices, as well as General Mobile 4G (Android One) devices, but more will be added further down the line.
Roku app for Windows 10 now available in other countries
Roku has become one of the most popular streaming media platforms, leading more people to get rid of cable and satellite services. It's a mixed bag because it requires some work and a bit of paying for services, though cheaper than the alternative.
Now the manufacturer is bringing its desktop app to Windows 10 in two more countries. Both Canada and the United Kingdom will be receiving the new app for Windows 10.
A PayPal mystery
A loyal reader of this column has come to me with a problem that I, in turn, am submitting to all of you. He sells downloadable software over the Internet but lately some customers have been ordering, paying, downloading, yet not requesting the required unlocking key to use their software. Money is piling-up in the reader’s PayPal account and he is starting to worry this is some kind of scam. But if it is, it’s a scam that’s new to me.
The first such order was placed on June 4th and there have been 20 such customers so far, though some of those customers have placed double orders so the total amount is $1,758. The reader is in the USA but the orders have come from Belgium, Norway, Switzerland, France, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Japan, and Israel. Nobody has requested an unlocking key and nobody has requested a refund.
Amazon's AWS buys Cloud9 startup
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has acquired the San Francisco-based startup Cloud9 for an undisclosed sum in an effort to add more development tools to its web services stack.
The company was founded in 2010 and gives remote teams of developers the ability to work together to develop, edit and test code across 300 different browsers and operating systems.
Display pop-up alerts from your batch files with MessagePop
When you’re building a batch file it’s often necessary to display status information to the user, but Windows gives you very few tools to help. MessagePop enables creating alerts with styled text, clickable links, optional timeouts, even a "Do not show" option which allows the user to hide it in future.
This makes for a complicated syntax, but the package includes a sample MessageTest.bat file to show you how it works.
IT security pros shouldn't try to 'prevent everything'
A new survey by Countercept by MWR InfoSecurity highlights all the frustrations IT security experts are experiencing as they’re trying their best to protect their company’s assets and employees.
The survey, conducted during Infosecurity Europe, asked 301 IT security professionals about their company’s ability to detect and deter cyber-attacks.
Microsoft's smaller Xbox One S launches August 2
It has been a few weeks since we learned about the slimmer Xbox One S, and now we know when eager gamers can get their hands on the new console. August 2 is the big date which also sees the launch of Windows 10 Anniversary Update.
As well as being smaller, the Xbox One S also features a built-in power supply (bye bye, power brick!), up to 2TB of storage, and support for 4K Ultra HD with High Dynamic Range (HDR). The newly announced launch date is not just the date the console hits retail stores in many regions, it is the date those who have pre-ordered should receive their Xbox One S. In all, three versions of the console are available.
Beware of Pokemon Go malware in Google Play
It may be easy to dismiss reports of Android malware as nothing more than fear mongering by clickbait-loving journalists and security companies, but not even apologists can argue with the fact that the threat is real when malware is approved on Google Play.
ESET's security researchers have uncovered a fake lockscreen app, called Pokemon Go Ultimate, which takes advantage of the game's mindblowing popularity to mislead users into installing it ultimately generating revenue by clicking on porn ads.
No one is safe -- security quo vadis?
With McAfee looking for a new home, Symantec acquiring Blue Coat, NewGen Unicorns claiming they are the "next best thing" since the invention of the wheel, and years of criticism from analysts and users alike about the loss of efficacy, the Anti-Virus market is being hit from all directions. Into this upheaval, the acquisition of AVG Technologies by rival Avast Software was recently announced.
This mayhem within the AV market highlights two issues: the market is confusingly saturated with security vendors telling similar AV replacement stories, and the AV incumbents know that they need to change or lose. This is leading to an industry-wide trend of accumulating even more solutions to face off the criticism, the newcomers and the loss of market.
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