Why can't Amazon Echo handle this seemingly basic feature?
Since receiving Amazon Echo, Alexa, the name Amazon gives these devices, and I have grown to know one another. We mostly get along, but occasionally argue. It (she?) has learned my habits, but began playing the news the other night while I was watching TV, rather annoyingly. I'm looking forward to testing its home automation features with Nest thermostat and GE Link bulb in the near future. Hopefully Alexa won't decide I no longer need heat or lights!
But what can't Echo do? That's an open-ended question with many answers, depending on what the user wants. However, I'm only asking for one small thing, at least for now.
Slack shows off beta Windows Phone app
There is nothing more frustrating about Windows Phone than finding out that one of the services that I have to use on a daily basis does not have an app in Store, nor is there a third-party offering available. The poor developer support is one of the main reasons why I switched to iPhone 6 Plus late last year, after using Windows Phones exclusively for nearly two years straight.
However, in the case of some services, at least there is hope. Slack, the communication tool that we use at BetaNews, does not currently have a Windows Phone client, but the company behind the service is actively working on one, showing off an early build on Twitter.
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.
Enterprises should adapt to Windows 10, not work around it
Microsoft’s move to continuous updates is a fundamental change. Most significantly, those components traditionally shipped as part of a major release will now be available as independent apps.
This means innovations within these apps can be made available when they are ready, not held up for the next big operating systems (OS) update.
New intelligence tool aims to make enterprises smarter
Businesses are constantly on the look out for information to support their decision making processes. But they need to understand industry and market trends as well as what’s happening internally.
Today enterprise services platform and marketplace provider blur Group is launching an online business intelligence tool that provides a comprehensive industry overview on specific trends in business services -- including insights into geographical focus, technology and more.
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook is a Windows 10-powered Chromebook killer
When Google's Chromebooks came onto the retail scene, consumers were dubious, and rightfully so. After all, for the most part, the operating system appeared to be nothing more than a web browser. While Chrome OS is actually a full-fledged Linux distribution, the focus is on the web browser, so consumers aren't far off -- perception is everything.
While Chromebooks can be a great option for people with limited computing needs, Windows 10 offers so many more possibilities. Despite limitations, what kept Chromebooks semi-popular, was the low cost. Unfortunately for Google, that benefit is short-lived. Today, Acer announces its Aspire One Cloudbook line. With super-low prices and Windows 10 Home, these are sure to be wildly popular; consumers may forget about Chromebooks altogether.
Sony unveils Xperia C5 Ultra mid-ranger
Sony has announced a slew of smartphones, with the Xperia C5 Ultra one of the more interesting in the range. The 6-inch phablet comes with a duo of 13MP cameras on the front and back of the smartphone, offering a wide angle selfie camera for all those interested.
On top of the selfie camera, the Xperia C5 Ultra offers a 6-inch 1920 x 1080 display, 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek CPU, 2GB of RAM and ARM Mali 760 GPU. The smartphone features 16GB of internal storage, with an optional microSD card slot capable of holding up to 200GB of additional storage.
Macs are vulnerable to Thunderstrike 2 firmware malware that survives formatting
Macs have long been touted as being immune to viruses and malware -- but there have been plenty of vulnerabilities that show this to be a fallacy. Apple's own claims that its hardware was not susceptible to the same firmware security flaws as PCs served only to encourage people to prove the company wrong.
At Black Hat USA on Thursday, researchers will demonstrate that not only can Macs be remotely infected with malware, but that this malware can survive a user formatting the system. In a talk at the InfoSec event in Las Vegas that focuses on all manner of security topics, Trammell Hudson, Xeno Kovah, and Corey Kallenberg will show that Macs are just as vulnerable to remote attacks as PCs using the Thunderstrike 2 backdoor.
You don't need to use a Microsoft Account to download apps from Window 10's Store
With Windows 10, Microsoft is particularly keen for you to use a Microsoft Account. It's something that was present in Windows 8, and it is still billed as a way to sync settings and apps between computers. While you may be encouraged to use a Microsoft Account, it is not necessary -- you can use a local account, but if you decide to download apps from the Store, you'll be prompted to switch this to a Microsoft Account.
If you're concerned about the privacy implications of using a Microsoft Account, you may want to avoid using it whenever possible. Sign into the Store with a Microsoft ID, however, and you'll find that your local account is converted into a Microsoft account. Here's how to download apps without having to switch.
The 12 most-destructive viruses [Infographic]
The world of computer viruses has changed drastically over the last 25 or so years. In the early days, internet users were very naïve towards email attachments, contributing to the alarming speed that viruses could spread across the globe.
These days, viruses very rarely land in our inboxes due to preconfigured firewalls and strict measures from the likes of Gmail and Outlook.
Nest Learning Thermostat gets new security update
The Internet of Things can be a blessing and a curse. We all want devices that work for us, and home automation has become big business. Lights, among many other things, can be set or simply controlled from a phone or tablet, and thermostats are going that way as well.
The problem is security, as IoT devices can have all sorts of problems that people haven't faced before. Nest can change your home's temperature on its own and a hacker could, potentially, do the same. That's part of what this update is designed to address, though there are other features as well.
Privacy alert: your laptop or phone battery could track you online
Is the battery in your smartphone being used to track your online activities? It might seem unlikely, but it's not quite as farfetched as you might first think. This is not a case of malware or hacking, but a built-in component of the HTML5 specification.
Originally designed to help reduce power consumption, the Battery Status API makes it possible for websites and apps to monitor the battery level of laptops, tablets, and phones. A paper published by a team of security researchers suggests that this represents a huge privacy risk. Using little more than the amount of power remaining in your battery, it is possible for people to be identified and tracked online.
Microsoft acquires gamification platform FantasySalesTeam to bring fun to Dynamics CRM
When you work in sales, there can be rewarding moments, but there are many negative moments too. Not only can the career be boring at times, but it can also be very stressful. You constantly have to worry about meeting goals and performing well. A bad month or quarter could mean a loss of employment or the inability to pay bills.
Gamification, however, can make reaching goals fun. If you aren't familiar, this is a method of integrating video game type badges and levels into boring work tasks in an effort to make it more fun and less stressful. Today, Microsoft announces the acquisition of Incent Games Inc, and its gamification platform, FantasySalesTeam.
New version of RIG exploit kit sees 34 percent attack success rate
At the beginning of this year the RIG exploit kit had its source code leaked online by an unhappy reseller. This led to a hit in its success rate as security company Trustwave published details of its workings.
Trustwave has revealed today at BlackHat that RIG's authors have been working on a new RIG 3.0 version. The company's researchers say there are now up to 1.25 million victims worldwide and more than 3.6 million attack attempts. A remarkable success rate of 34 percent.
The resurgence of the business landline phone
With each new generation comes a new object, trend or fad that people point back to down the road and say "I remember the days when THAT was popular!" Baby boomers grew up with parents who told tales of walking uphill both ways to school, and Millennials heard their parents talk about waiting in line for gasoline and when penny candy actually cost one cent. For Millennials who grew up with VCRs and CD players, there’s no question they’ll be telling their future children and grandchildren of the days of rewinding tapes and scratched CDs.
One technology that has dominated the 21st century is the mobile phone. After adoption began growing at an exponential rate, it was clear that mobile phones would disrupt the telecommunications industry as it had existed for decades. It seemed that the popularity of landlines in both businesses and homes might fall into the "what used to be" category -- that is, until a recent study from Invoca found that not only is the landline far from dead, it’s thriving when it comes to business use.
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