Microsoft issues a surprise new Windows 10 release -- build 10159
Hey... wait a minute. Didn't we just get a new build of Windows 10 yesterday? Yes, of course we did. Less than 24 hours ago, Microsoft released build 10158 and today there is something of a surprise announcement for Windows Insiders who are signed up to the Fast Ring: another new preview version in the form of build 10159.
Microsoft has been criticized for the speed at which preview builds have been trickling out, and it seems that the company is listening to feedback. You'll notice that there is only a single digit build increase, but Gabe Aul reveals that this doesn't mean there's nothing to see. As well as more than 300 bug fixes, there is also "one very interesting change".
Medium.com ditches passwords to increase security
Remembering all of the passwords required to gain access to all of your online accounts is a pain. You could opt to use a password manager, or you might decide to use the same password for everything. But Blogging platform Medium.com has another option -- just don't use one!
The site has been anti-password for some time; users log into their accounts using an existing Twitter or Facebook account. For people who are not social network users, however, there's a new option. Working in a similar way to the 'I've forgotten my password' system used by many sites, Medium allows users to log in using nothing but their email address -- and says the system is more secure than regular passwords.
Samsung technology will double battery life
Samsung's flagship devices already have great battery life, hitting well over 10 hours of usage without a problem, but the company wants to double the numbers with a new technology being worked on in-house.
The prototype adds a graphene layer on top of silicon anodes, adding 1.8 to 1.5 times greater density to the battery. In early tests with large scale batteries, Samsung is noting double the amount of life.
Apple releases iOS 8.4, OS X 10.10.4 Yosemite -- here's what's new
Just as expected, Apple today released iOS 8.4, officially launching its Apple Music streaming service and the Beats 1 radio station. Also new for today is an update for OS X 10.10 Yosemite, which comes with a significant number of bug fixes and improvements in tow.
Apple Music and Beats 1 are introduced through the redesigned Music app. Upon launch, it promotes the company's new streaming service, inviting users to a free, three-month trial. There is a new icon as well as a new user interface -- if you want to keep listening to your existing music collection, you can do so as easily as before. The new Music app is not all that is new in iOS 8.4, as the new release also features a number of bug fixes and improvements targeting iBooks and other parts of the operating system.
Apple DID conspire to inflate ebook prices, must pay $450 million
On the same day that Apple Music launched, Apple received some bad news from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In a 2 to 1 vote, judges ruled that the company did conspire with publishers to inflate the prices of ebooks sold through iBookstore, agreeing with a 2013 ruling.
The judges found that Apple had violated federal antitrust law in coming to arrangements with five publishers, resulting in book prices jumping from $9.99 to between $12.99 and $14.99. Two years ago US District Judge Denise Cote said that Apple was "central" to a price-fixing conspiracy. The ruling having been upheld today, Apple will now have to pay $450 million.
Rdio shoots to thrill as AC/DC rocks onto the service
Many may argue that they don't make bands like AC/DC anymore, and perhaps they'd be right. The Australian group shaped the youths of many of us with their hard sound and clever lyrics. Nobody will forget original singer Bon Scott or replacement Brian Johnson who raised the band from its ashes after the tragedy of Scott's death.
But now you can hop onto the Highway to Hell and take a ride using Rdio, the music streaming service that aims to compete in this market with many formidable rivals. The music site has announced the whole epic catalog is available to its users.
The first 3D-printed supercar can reach 60 mph in 2.2 seconds
A San Francisco-based firm has become the first company to create a 3D printed supercar, which can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in 2.2 seconds.
The Blade, created by Divergent Microfactories, was developed using a series of chassis parts held together by carbon rods, instead of coming out as a single unit, and was put together like a Lego set.
Linux Mint 17.2 'Rafaela' available now for download
If you have never tried Linux Mint, you are doing yourself a huge disservice. It is a fantastically refreshing distribution -- built on the dependable Ubuntu -- that makes using a Linux-based operating system an absolute treat.
Typically featuring two desktop environments -- Mate and Cinnamon -- users can select an interface that meets their needs. Cinnamon in particular is very pretty, and has a traditional start menu that Windows defectors will appreciate. Today, Linux Mint 17.2 'Rafaela' reaches a "final" release. If you are using Linux Mint already, you should definitely upgrade, while Linux-curious outsiders should consider it too.
Track & edit video objects with Sensarea
Most video editors provide various effects you can apply to a movie, maybe tweaking its brightness, contrast or colors. But typically these filters work with the entire frame only, which seriously limits their usefulness.
Sensarea is a free video editor for Windows which allows you to select objects, then tracks them in the frame, automatically applying your chosen effects. If you wanted to conceal someone’s identity, say, you could set up the system to pixelate their face with just a few minutes work.
Facebook for iOS gets new photo-editing tools
The 2013, Facebook’s failure to acquire Snapchat for $3 billion went across the world like a forest fire. Since then, it seems that the social networking giant has adopted some of the best features of Snapchat and has simply started including them in their apps.
The Facebook Slingshot app is one example of the social networking giant’s attempt to imitate Snapchat. The app lets users send colourful drawings and text to friends similar to Snapchat. Other features such as filters, text, and stickers are now added to the list.
O&O DiskImage Professional 10 promises faster file-based backup, adds support for Windows 10
O&O Software GMBH has unveiled a major new update of its Windows drive-imaging and backup tool with the release of O&O DiskImage Professional 10 64-bit. Also available for 32-bit versions of Windows, the new release adds support for the forthcoming Windows 10 release.
It also debuts a completely rewritten file backup engine, the ability to trigger multiple tasks with portable devices and support for integrating drivers into the program’s rescue boot medium.
PagerDuty backs its product with Downtime Insurance
The IT services industry revolves around service level agreements (SLAs) but they don't often provide adequate compensation for damage caused to business by an outage of providers' systems.
Operations and performance management specialist PagerDuty is so confident of its product that it's putting its money where its reliability is and introducing Downtime Insurance, the IT operations industry's first reliability service-level agreement to be backed by a multi-million dollar insurance policy.
OpenDNS to be acquired by Cisco -- will you still use it?
While you can use the DNS servers provided by your Internet Service Provider -- and the majority of web users do -- switching to an alternative DNS can deliver speed and reliability improvements, as well as additional features like phishing protection, parental controls, improved security and more. It might also help you bypass Geoblocked and censored content.
OpenDNS is the go-to DNS service for millions of people around the world. It is, in OpenDNS’s own words, "the world’s most loved and trusted DNS service". Today, however, Cisco announces intent to acquire OpenDNS. Will that change your mind on how you view the service?
Kyvos aims to change the big data analytics landscape
Big data can provide many benefits for businesses, but the complexities of dealing with systems like Hadoop can make it expensive and time consuming to roll out projects.
California-based Kyvos Insights is launching a new product specifically designed for big data that enables business users to easily and quickly derive powerful insights from their data for more informed decision-making, with no programming required.
When in Istanbul, Uber lets you hail a boat
Uber is planning to add boats to its growing list of travel services, which now include all variety of cars alongside a growing delivery service for merchants and food.
Named UberBOAT, the service will be available first in Istanbul, Turkey. The city is famous for the Bosphorus, the connection between Asia and Europe, split by a strait.
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