Macrium Reflect Free 6 adds differential backups
Paramount Software has released Macrium Reflect Free 6, the personal-use-only edition of its popular imaging backup tool.
The big addition is support for differential images, which save time by only recording the data that has changed since the last backup.
Microsoft brings Disney and Pixar to Skype with 'Inside Out' emoticons
Human communication is very tricky. Words on their own are not enough to properly convey a message. Our tone and body language can speak volumes -- sometimes more than the literal meaning of our words. This can be dangerous when sending an email or text message, as the recipient can easily misinterpret the senders intentions.
Luckily, emoticons and emojis have enabled us to enhance our text-based communications. While some people decry millennials' use of these enhancements, they are seemingly here to stay. Today, Microsoft announces that it is delivering new emoticons to Skype that are based on Disney and Pixar's animated film "Inside Out". Since the characters in the movie are based on emotions, it is actually a brilliant partnership.
FCC votes to subsidize broadband connections for low-income households
Today the FCC voted in favor of updating its Lifeline program to include broadband. This would mean that households surviving on low incomes would be able to receive help paying for a broadband connection. It might not be as important as electricity or water, but having a broadband connection is seen as being all but essential these days.
From helping with education and job hunting, to allowing for home working, the ability to get online is seen as so vital by some that there have been calls for it to be classed as a utility. The Lifeline program has been running since the 80s, and originally provided financial help to those struggling to pay for a phone line. It was expanded in 2008 to include wireless providers, and it is hoped that this third expansion will help more people to get online.
Apple Music shouldn't steal artist royalties
For a company that generates more profits than any other ($18 billion during fiscal first quarter 2015), sits on a cash horde of nearly $200 billion, and has the gall to charge $150 for a watchband, stinginess is an unbecoming trait. Scratch that. Greediness. Putting profits before people, particularly devoted customers, when corporate advertising is all about how they matter more, is simply stupid public relations. In business, perception is everything.
So Apple's reported decision to give away music for three months, without compensating artists, is cheapskates behavior that demands criticism -- particularly about a company claiming that music means so much. Speaking to developers last week, CEO Tim Cook: "We love music, and music is such an important part of our lives and our culture". Oh yeah? If it's so important, why diminish its value? To zero. "We've had a long relationship with music at Apple". For how much longer without artists' cooperation? You don't own the content, Mr. Cook.
E3 2015: Project Morpheus shapes up as de facto console VR
In a convention where virtual reality has crept into every corner of the show floor, Sony's Project Morpheus makes the distinction of being the only way to experience virtual reality on a traditional gaming console.
The big title being shown at Sony's booth this year is a demo by the name of Rigs, which puts players in control of a giant mechanized robot and the rest should be self explanatory -- players can live out their fantasies of soaring into the air, moving at breakneck speeds, and shooting missiles throughout a vastly expansive environment.
Apple does more to protect your privacy than Microsoft, Google, and Facebook
In the Electronic Frontier Foundation's annual Who Has Your Back report, Apple is commended for adopting a "strong stance" on user rights, transparency, and privacy. The 2015 edition of the report is the fifth to have been produced, and it rates a number of tech companies according to how they inform users about their privacy policies and how they respond to government requests for data.
Apple was awarded a full five star rating, faring better than Microsoft (three stars), Google (three stars), and Facebook (four stars). Other companies receiving a five out of five rating include Wikimedia, WordPress, and Yahoo. At the bottom of the heap are AT&T and WhatsApp who received just one star each. Despite a few disappointments, EFF is generally pleased with how tech firms have noted the renewed interest in privacy that now exists.
Toshiba announces Windows 10-ready Satellite laptops with dedicated Cortana key
Windows 10 is coming on July 29th. With every new version of Windows, computer manufacturers launch new PCs. In fact, new versions of Microsoft's operating system are often looked at as a sales savior for the PC market.
Today, Toshiba launches its new line of Satellite laptops, and while most will ship with Windows 8.1, they are certainly a Windows 10 affair. Of course they will be eligible for a free upgrade, but more importantly, they will feature a dedicated Cortana key. Could a simple button be a game-changer for PCs?
Komprise aims to manage data growth while cutting costs
It's reckoned that 90 percent of the world's data has been created in the last two years and that every two years the amount of data will continue to double.
Existing data management solutions aren’t designed to cope with this rapid explosion of data. However, San Franciso-based startup company Komprise is building a platform uses analytics-driven adaptive automation to manage massive data growth transparently across all storage.
Minds is a privacy-focused social network backed by Anonymous
The likes of Facebook and Twitter have a new competitor, in the shape of a social network committed to privacy and transparency.
Minds.com has received support from the well-known online activist group Anonymous and promises to remain free and open source.
Logitech releases new and interesting mouse line
There's no shortage of mice to choose from. Whether you want one for working, gaming, or using while traveling, finding a pointing device to suit your needs is pretty straightforward. But mice are usually practical and rarely fun. Logitech would like to change that.
The new Play Collection line brings a bit of color and whimsical feel to the desktop. There are multiple designs to choose from -- an owl, fox, lion and monkey. There are also a few other, calmer, options for the less bold.
SAP HANA vulnerable to weaknesses in encryption keys
SAP HANA is the ERP specialist's recent key product. Based on in-memory technology, it provides a considerable increase in the speed of data processing, helping large enterprises process their data in real time. It's implemented in more than 500 companies.
But at a "Black Hat Sessions" conference today in the Netherlands, Dmitry Chastuhin, Director of professional services at SAP security company ERPScan, has presented a report on the latest trends in SAP Security. It uncovers multiple problems related to encryption algorithms and static keys used by SAP in their products.
BitTorrent Shoot is a cross-platform photo sharing app
If you’re afraid of sending your photos to anyone over the internet, as all data is stored on some servers somewhere, you might like the new photo sharing app from BitTorrent.
The company best known for its torrent client and the BitTorrent Sync is offering an app called Shoot.
Indie labels 'screwed' by Apple Music free trial deals
With less than two weeks to go until the launch of Apple Music, a report suggests that the company is having trouble enticing smaller and independent labels into signing up to take part. The problem is not necessarily that there is a lack of interest in joining Apple Music, but that the three month free trial period would generate no income for the labels.
Apple Music will make its money through monthly subscription fees, a percentage of which is then shared with record labels. During the three month free trial, Apple will make no money from the music streaming service, and will therefore have no revenue to share. While this is a cost that larger labels might be in a position to absorb, small companies say it could put them out of business.
PNotes.NET is the ultimate sticky notes manager
"Sticky notes" software can be very basic, and that’s not necessarily a problem. Just being able to type plain text notes as required, add a "reminder" time and browse them all later is more than enough to be useful.
The open source Windows tool PNotes.NET goes further, though -- much, much further -- and is now so powerful that it takes the genre to a whole new level.
People are more interested in the iPod than the Apple Watch
So apparently, people are more interested in dead things than the Apple Watch, and it’s a devastating statistic.
According to a chart for Apple, from Pacific Crest analyst Andy Hargreaves, people are more interested in the iPod than the Apple Watch. No, that was not a typo, I wasn’t trying to say iPad. I meant -- iPod, the thing that’s basically been dead for years now.
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