Latest Technology News

New feature helps drive sales team performance

Sales platforms tend to be based on historical data which means that they don't always take account of the effect of transactions that are already in the pipeline.

Activity-based sales specialist LevelEleven is launching a new feature called Pacing, which improves the ability for salespeople and managers to use their sales pipeline data in real time.

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Windows 10 users ignore Microsoft Edge for a reason

Microsoft should not be surprised to see Windows 10 users ignoring its Edge browser, or other stock programs for that matter. People will do that, especially when there is an alternative that better suits their needs. But, as a new leaked build shows, Microsoft does not want to give up the fight just yet.

Windows 10 users who want to switch away Microsoft Edge (or some of the stock apps) might soon get a prompt, asking them to give the program a chance while listing some of its main features. But, at this point, this feels like a terrible idea, one that will surely annoy users and make them ignore Microsoft's efforts in the future, no matter how good its software might be.

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Listening to the NFL on TuneIn Radio

This past week, streaming service TuneIn Radio announced it had gained rights to NFL games. You can now listen to the broadcast of your favorite team's game. Granted, it's not video, but it's better than nothing and a lot cheaper than NFL Sunday Ticket.

So how does it work? First you need to sign up for a Premium plan, which will run you $7.99 per month, though you'll get a seven day free trial. This requires all the usual things -- username, password and credit card information.

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New cloud platform streamlines device management and patching

Cloud management

Keeping devices secure means ensuring that they're up to date with the latest software patches. For IT managers this can present a major logistical problem, especially where different operating systems are in use.

IT management systems specialist Shavlik is launching a new version of its Shavlik Protect patch management solution, as well as Empower, a platform that aggregates data to give IT departments more insight into and control over their systems.

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Privacy and usability problems with the iPhone 6s? You’re using it wrong

Over the past couple of days I’ve read two interesting iPhone 6s stories from my colleagues. Brian Fagioli says Apple’s Live Photos has a big privacy issue, while Joe Wilcox says the way the Nexus 6P’s fingerprint scanner works is superior to that of the Touch ID scanner on the iPhone 6s.

With respect to both writers, they are wrong. The problems they refer to with the iPhone 6s aren’t problems of Apple’s making, they are user errors, pure and simple.

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Three things to consider before migrating to Windows 10

As Microsoft announced its first flurry of Windows 10-ready devices at its recent Windows 10 Devices event, businesses everywhere will be beginning to wonder how the new OS is going to affect their carefully organized (yet often fragile) IT policies.

As Microsoft’s marketing campaigns have made clear, through natural ties to OneCloud and Office 365, Windows 10 is designed with flexible working and BYOD at its heart. Unfortunately for businesses however, while Microsoft may be ready for the workplace of tomorrow, a lot of IT departments are still struggling to manage the workplace of today.

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Nexus 6P or iPhone 6s Plus?

If you asked me two months ago about using a Huawei smartwatch or smartphone, I would have scoffed. Yet, here I am doing just that. Timing on the latter is ironic. On Oct. 15, 2015, I bought a 128GB silver (and white) iPhone 6s Plus using Apple's 24-month finance plan, rather than paying in full up front. Huawei-made, Google-branded 64GB Nexus 6P arrived the next day for review. The following morning (the 17th), I hauled down to Apple Store and returned the iPhone for full refund. That act sums up my reaction to the new Android flagship running "Marshmallow".

I didn't expect to be so wooed by Nexus 6P, but Google got me by delivering superior contextual experience. This device, and Android 6, is all about context, starting with what for me is the killer function I couldn't part with: the fingerprint reader on the back of the phone. Picking up the device and placing my forefinger on the circular indentation wakes and unlocks the 6P. Wow-way is right! The mechanism beats the Hell out of Apple's two-handed jimmy from the Home button.

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Nexus 6P first-impressions review

Finely balanced and contextually practical are the terms that best describe my first impressions of Google's flagship Android. Nexus 6P preorders are about to ship, and I was fortunate to receive a review model but with short embargo lift: Delivered Oct. 16, 2015 before every blogger and reviewer on the planet blasted out simultaneous reviews and first-reactions on the 19th. I choose the latter, because a scant three days isn't enough time to rightly evaluate the smartphone.

Much of my experience is cast in moving from the previous flagship, Nexus 6, although there was a day between them where iPhone 6s Plus and I fitfully danced. The 6P is in many respects what its predecessor should have been: Smaller. Much as I like the larger Motorola-made phablet, its Huawei-manufactured successor has greater physical and feature balance. Both are superb smart devices, but the newer Nexus is better tuned to practical purposes.

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Clean up your pictures with Photo Noise Reducer for Android

Modern smartphones come with great cameras which generally deliver good results, but of course they can’t change the photographic basics: if there’s not enough light then your pictures are going to ruined by noise.

Photo Noise Reducer Pro is a free-for-personal-use Android app which provides various ways to denoise, smooth and generally clean up your images.

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Apple 'Live Photos' has a big privacy issue -- should iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users worry? [Update]

The iPhone 6s Plus is my first-ever Apple smartphone and I am loving every minute of it. While I was a bit nervous about leaving Android, my worry was for naught. Quite frankly, I am mad at myself for not switching sooner -- it is a wonderful experience.

One of the coolest features of the newest iPhones, besides 3D Touch, is Live Photos. If you aren't familiar, these are animated photos which complement the still. This works by appending 1.5 seconds of "video" to both the beginning and end of the picture. The user can then make the photo "move" by hard-pressing on the screen. While it is a wonderful thing on paper, I have discovered a rather big privacy issue in practice.

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Apple's Magic Mouse 2 is a design abomination

Apple is a company synonymous with not just design, but thoughtful design. At least that's usually the case. With the Magic Mouse 2, however, the company has got something so unbelievably wrong that it almost defies belief.

Forget the absurdity of the name for a moment and just consider what the Magic Mouse 2 is. It's a wireless mouse. Like other wireless mice, it needs power, and this is provided by a rechargeable battery; plug in a Lightning cable and juice up that peripheral. Here's where Apple gets it wrong. The charging port is on the underside of the mouse. On the bottom. So you can't use the Magic Mouse 2 while it charges up.

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Amazon lawsuit aims to kill fake reviews

The ability to read reviews of products before making a purchase is one of the great advantages of online shopping. But how do you know that what you're reading is a genuine review and not just glowing praise planted by the seller or manufacturer? Fake reviews are a serious problem, and Amazon is trying to do something about it.

The retail giant has filed a lawsuit against 1,114 individuals for writing "false, misleading, and inauthentic" reviews. Amazon says that the fakers are tarnishing its reputation, and the attempt to clean up the site is something that will be welcomed by consumers.

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Amazon Echo adds news for your favorite sports teams

If you haven't yet tried out the Amazon Echo then you're in for a wild, and sometimes interesting, ride. There's an increasing amount of things the device can do, from telling you the weather and traffic to playing your music, even controlling home automation gear.

Out of the box Alexa can give you sports scores or tell you who your team plays next, but now it has a new feature -- actual news about your teams. You'll need to set it up first, as smart as it seems to be, it doesn't know your team.

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Dell talks security on its Windows 10 computers

Everytime Microsoft releases a new operating system security comes to the forefront for regular users and especially for IT pros. There are other considerations of course -- usability is a big one after Windows 8 annoyed many customers.

Now Dell is coming out talking of its security features which work in conjunction with Windows 10, the latest and, possibly, greatest OS to come out the doors at Redmond, Washington.

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Microsoft adds $3,199 1TB Surface Book, repeats MacBook Pro comparison

When Microsoft unveiled the Surface Book recently there was surprise that the largest capacity hard drive was just 512GB -- as intakes of breath at the breath-taking price. Now this has been rectified with the addition of a 1TB model to the line-up.

Of course, upping the hard drive from 512MB to 1TB involves paying a premium, and Microsoft is charging an extra $500 for the privilege. The new top-of-the-range model pushes the top price of the Surface Book to $3,199 and if you are interested, you'll have a bit of a wait on your hands.

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