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Free, ad-supported Google Play Music takes on Apple Music

google_play_music

Not willing to be upstaged by Apple Music, Google is launching a free version of its Google Play Music service. To make money, the free version of the service will be supported by advertisements -- forget free trials and the prospect of upsetting artists such as Taylor Swift.

The free version of Google Play Music is starting life in the US and Google is pushing the fact that there are curated radio stations to suit whatever mood you find yourself in. The station features the involvement of some of the Songza team and it is possible to home in on a custom radio station based on genre, mood, decade, activity, or similarity to particular artists.

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Seagate, Western Digital to launch new high-capacity portable drives

USB hard drive

Both Western Digital and Seagate are set to launch the latest entries in their portable hard drive ranges, bringing consumers more storage than ever before.

As more and more high resolution images and videos are being used by consumers, the demand for storage has grown rapidly in recent years.

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Lenovo got the magic stick -- announces diminutive ideacentre Stick 300 Windows PC

featstick

We are not far removed from a time when computers took up entire rooms in universities and government facilities. Home PCs used to be huge towers and monstrous CRT monitors. Times have certainly changed.

When 50 Cent and Lil' Kim rapped about magic sticks, I don't think they were talking about computer dongles. However, having a full-fledged computer in a tiny stick is certainly magic if you ask me. Today, that is exactly what Lenovo announces, with the Ideacentre Stick 300; a Windows PC that resembles a flash drive.

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Amazon finally releases the long-awaited Echo

Amazon Echo

Amazon announced the Echo a few months ago, but it's been a long time coming. The Bluetooth- and WiFi-enabled speaker sits in your home and answers your questions or commands. It does so simply upon voice activation, and it answers with its own vocal rendering.

Well, the device is finally coming to market, as Amazon announces the ability to order for all customers. It does a lot more than answer your questions, though. There's home automation, music and many other features it can control.

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1-4a Rename is a versatile batch renamer

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Renaming one file on a PC is easy. A whole folder full? That’s more of a challenge. Explorer can’t help, and even turning to the command line doesn’t give you very much.

1-4a Rename is a free, portable batch renaming tool which aims to change all that. It’s old, and the interface is a mess, but if you need real renaming power then it might be worth a try.

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Apple iPhone 6 Plus vs Smart Ultra 6: Which is best for you?

iphone-6-plus-vs-Smart-ultra-6

Vodafone recently decided to get involved with the phablet hype by launching its own 4G device: the Smart Ultra 6.

Despite being positioned at the budget end of the scale with a cheerful £125 price tag when purchased on a pay-as-you-go plan, it still boasts an impressive set of specifications. But, how does it compare to Apple’s most recent flagship smartphone, the Apple iPhone 6 Plus? We took a closer look to find out.

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New tool helps companies publish and manage APIs

API

More and more businesses are publishing their own apps, and that involves the use of APIs. Yet many existing API tools focus only on publishing and ignore the user and partner side of things.

Platform as a Service (PaaS) company WaveMaker is releasing its new WaveMaker Gateway, to make it easier for enterprises to open up their APIs to partners and external developers.

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BUFFERZONE joins the Intel Security Innovation Alliance

Security breach lock

Security of the endpoint is often the weakest link in enterprise security as users may not be aware of the risks from malicious content that can slip past traditional protection.

Endpoint security company BUFFERZONE is announcing today that it's joining the Intel Security Innovation Alliance (SIA) program as a Sales Teaming Partner and that it's been certified as McAfee Compatible with the McAfee ePolicy Orchestrator (ePO) platform.

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Microsoft can't stop confusing the hell out of Windows 10 users

confused-confusion

Over the weekend Microsoft had several stabs at explaining who will get Windows 10 for free come July 29. Previously we’d been told users would need a valid Windows 7 or 8.1 license, but three days ago Microsoft said anyone running a Windows Insider build of the new OS would get the final release too -- no license required. Great news for anyone on XP or Vista.

Then Microsoft backtracked a bit, suggesting a license was needed. But Windows Insider chief Gabriel Aul, chipping in on Twitter, seemed to contradict that by suggesting Insiders would get it free, so again no license required. Finally, Microsoft clarified things, but even then it did so in a slightly muddled way. And this isn’t even the first time Microsoft has confused would-be users of its future operating system.

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Application intelligence platform adds Unified Monitoring

laptop task manager monitoring

Monitoring applications and their infrastructure can involve the use of multiple different products. According to recent research by Enterprise Management Associates, some 65 percent of enterprises report owning 11 or more commercial monitoring/management tools.

Application intelligence specialist AppDynamics is launching an update to its Application Intelligence Platform that introduces Unified Monitoring to trace and monitor transactions from the end user through the entire application and infrastructure environment to help solve performance issues and improve user experience.

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WhatsApp Desktop is a very unofficial WhatsApp client

WhatsApp200-175

WhatsApp is a great mobile messaging app, but you might occasionally wish you could run it from a desktop, where you can take advantage of the full-sized keyboard and screen.

There’s no official desktop app available, but if you like the idea then you could try the extremely unofficial WhatsApp Desktop, an open source tool available for Windows, OS X and Linux.

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Internet hate fuels a killer: How flags and gun laws obscure the Dylann Roof debate

Dylann Roof

No less than a week ago, young Dylann Roof, a self-described hardline racist, decided to take nine wonderful lives in Charleston, SC. This was an individual who, through a manifesto since unveiled, had shaped his worldview so narrowly that he irreversibly joined the corrupted fringes of society.

But what really killed nine innocent people here? As much as our President wishes to believe it so, a gun wasn't the real cause of Roof's killing spree; it was an accessory to murder. Nor was the Confederate flag; this was merely hijacked window dressing to glorify one man's twisted reality. With as much debate currently focusing on these non-issues, the real causes which bred a monster by all definitions are sadly diluted from discussion.

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Windows 10 Mobile is a second-class citizen for Microsoft -- but it will change soon

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Even though Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile are part of the same "One" product strategy, the two feel like two separate projects at Microsoft. There are many commonalities and a similar core, but while Windows 10 has evolved tremendously since the technical preview build that arrived in January, the development of its mobile counterpart has progressed at a glacial pace. Windows 10 almost looks ready for its July 29 launch, but Windows 10 Mobile is far, far from being ready for prime time.

That is because the teams working on the upcoming operating system have devoted more of their attention to the PC version, leaving Windows 10 Mobile in the background. Microsoft is wise to play the PC card, as that is a market which it singlehandedly dominates, but not treating smartphones equally could be another mistake it is making on the mobile front. This is about to change.

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Intronis launches simplified backup platform

Disk backup

For smaller businesses organizing backups can be a chore which is why they often choose to buy a service solution from their systems provider rather than do it in house.

Backup and data protection specialist Intronis is one of the leaders in backup platforms for IT providers and is launching a new release of its ECHOplatform designed to deliver simplified operations and improved value.

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Sony's ultra-thin 4K TVs go on sale in July

Sony's ultra-slim 4K TV

Sony delayed the launch of its wafer-thin 4K TVs in May, but has officially penned the launch month for July. The three models, all running Android TV, are ahead of the curve in terms of design.

Take the 55-inch model for example, measuring at 4.7 mm at the thickest screen point. That is thinner than the iPhone 6 or Samsung Galaxy S6 and the thinnest display on the market.

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