My four months with Nexus 9 [Review]
I want to love Google-branded, HTC-manufactured Nexus 9. But ours is a contentious relationship. N9 is not a bad tablet; others offer better value and performance for the price (or less), with Apple iPad mini being high among them. That said, if pure (aka stock) Android is your thing, there is no worthy alternative. Just prepare for a few compromises, particularly if moving up from Nexus 7.
In his November 2014 review, my colleague Brian Fagioli calls Nexus 9 "magical". I can't agree. During my four months using the tablet, response occasionally hesitates and WiFi too often disconnects. Last week, my N9 received the newest Android update, which somewhat resolves both problems. I purposely delayed this review, waiting for v5.1.1.
Which companies are lining up to buy Nokia's HERE?
Ride-sharing company Uber and Chinese search giant Baidu have teamed up to acquire Nokia’s Here Maps division for £2.2 billion. The partnership is the second of its kind, with Baidu investing £387 million in Uber late last year.
The two will look for an all-cash acquisition, but Uber and Baidu are not the only partners trying to acquire Here Maps. Tencent Holdings, NavInfo and EQT Partners have partnered as well, bringing a Chinese rivalry into the mix.
Windows 10 Build 10122 arrives, here's what's new
There are risks involved with running any early versions of programs. They’re not finished, sometimes they are far from finished, and could be riddled with bugs. You might not encounter any problems, or then again you might. You take your chances. If you’re a Windows Insider, you get to try Windows 10, in the knowledge you might encounter issues with the OS. If you’re in the Fast ring, that’s even more likely.
The latest build being rolled out to Insiders now being a good case in point. Build 10122 has a known issue with AMD GPUs which causes Microsoft Edge (or rather Spartan, as it's still branded in this build) to crash frequently. Microsoft could have held this back until a fix was available, but Windows Insiders voted for it to be released, and so here it is. When the next new build arrives on the Slow ring, this issue should have been fixed (AMD is working on new drivers), so if you have a PC with an AMD GPU you may wish to skip this build, avoid using Edge, or try the OS in a virtual environment, using VirtualBox. So that’s the main problem with the new build, but what about changes and improvements?
Hauppauge Digital TV Tuner for Xbox One now available
A few weeks ago, Microsoft announced the upcoming release of an over-the-air TV tuner for Xbox One owners. Now the big day has rolled around and gamers in the US and Canada can now get their hands on the Hauppauge Digital TV Tuner for Xbox One.
Priced at $59.99, the TV tuner will be welcomed by cord cutters as it brings live over-the-air HDTV or analog TV with no monthly fee. It can be used with any Xbox One including the newly announced white Xbox One with Halo: The Master Chief Collection. It also brings extra features such as the ability to pause live broadcasts, but on the Xbox One this is limited to just 30 minutes.
Nektra SpyStudio goes freeware
Nektra Advanced Computing has announced that its system monitoring tool SpyStudio 32-bit/ 64-bit is now free for both personal and commercial use.
An essential download for geeks everywhere, SpyStudio reveals a host of low-level details on what a process is really doing: the files and Registry keys it’s accessing, the windows it creates, COM objects instanced, API calls made, and more.
Microsoft announces limited edition white Xbox One with Halo: The Master Chief Collection
The video game console wars are really heating up lately, with both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 selling well. Unfortunately, I still do not own either console, although I briefly had the PS4 before returning it. I am really impressed with the Microsoft ecosystem lately, so I have been considering buying Xbox One. When it comes to money, however, I am notoriously frugal.
Today the inside of my wallet may see some daylight. You see, Microsoft announces a beautiful new Xbox One model with an angelic white color. Best of all, it will come with the Halo Master Chief Collection Bundle at the same low $349.
Windows 10's success hinges on apps, and overcoming developer apathy
It’s no secret that Microsoft has an app problem. The Windows Store is full of unexciting knock-offs, and it’s rare for quality releases to appear there these days. While many Windows Phone devotees will claim the "app gap" is a myth, and the only apps Microsoft’s mobile platform doesn’t have are rubbish ones that no one wants ("thousands of games and flashlight apps" as I’ve seen iOS’s superiority dismissed previously), that’s simply not true.
Microsoft is more than aware of the problem, and past efforts to get developers to port their apps to its ecosystem simply haven’t worked. That’s why with Windows 10 Microsoft is doing things differently. Universal apps can run on any Windows 10 device, from PCs to phones, and Microsoft has also made it incredibly simple for developers to port Android and iOS apps to Windows 10. But will that be enough?
Fastest in-memory database now available to all with Community Edition
The growth in use of big data is putting increased pressure on databases to aggregate and report on information in real time.
In response real-time database specialist MemSQL is launching a new release -- MemSQL 4 -- which further extends the company's mission of providing enterprises with a real-time database solution that reacts fast, improving business performance in areas such as the Internet of Things, financial services and mobile applications.
Google Chrome 43 adds web MIDI hardware support, improves permissions API
Google has unveiled Chrome 43 FINAL for Windows, Mac and Linux. Version 43’s main new feature is support for hardware MIDI instruments.
Chrome 43 also implements a couple of behind-the-scenes tweaks for developers that will help benefit end users through reducing the number of unnecessary prompts for action without compromising security.
Control your PC by spoken commands with VoiceBot
Binary Fortress has launched VoiceBot, a macro manager for Windows Vista+ which allows you to control games and other applications with spoken commands.
At its simplest, you might have VoiceBot recognize the word "New", then issue the command Alt+F > N. Quick, easy, and works almost everywhere.
Huawei's LiteOS Internet of Things operating system is a minuscule 10KB
Chinese firm Huawei today announces its IoT OS at an event in Beijing. The company predicts that within a decade there will be 100 billion connected devices and it is keen for its ultra-lightweight operating system to be at the heart of the infrastructure.
Based on Linux, LiteOS weighs in at a mere 10KB -- smaller than a Word document -- but manages to pack in support for zero configuration, auto-discovery, and auto-networking. The operating system will be open for developers to tinker with, and is destined for use in smart homes, wearables, and connected vehicles.
Facebook could allow businesses to contact you through WhatsApp
Facebook said it might allow businesses to contact users through their chat app WhatsApp, Bloomberg said in a report on Tuesday.
This might be the first hint on how the social media giant plans on making money off the app that it bought for $22 billion (£14 billion).
Event management platform adds website builder
Earlier this year we reported on the launch of the Bizzabo platform designed to make life easier for people who manage events.
Now Bizzabo is extending its offering to include a website builder aimed specifically at event planners, giving them the ability to build a custom event website within minutes, with no prior coding or design experience required.
Dropbox for Windows, Windows Phone becomes universal app, gains new features in the process
Cloud storage service Dropbox has turned its Windows and Windows Phone apps into a single universal app, giving users a consistent experience across smartphones, PCs and tablets that are running Microsoft's tiled operating systems.
The latest version of Dropbox bridges the gap between the Windows and Windows Phone versions of the app, sharing most of the code, also gaining a number of new features in the transition to universal app status. The most important changes are aimed at the Windows Phone-toting crowd. Some are long-overdue, being mentioned in my initial coverage of the Windows Phone client in mid-January.
Microsoft launches Office for Android preview
Microsoft has launched a preview of Office for Android smartphones. Pre-release versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint are available for phones running Android 4.4 or later.
Functionality looks much the same as the previous tablet-oriented releases, with support for creating and opening the same documents you’re using now, and the ability to save files to OneDrive (+ For Business), Dropbox and SharePoint. While you won’t need an Office 365 subscription this time, getting hold of the apps still takes a little work. You must first sign up to the official Microsoft Office for Android community, then wait for up to four hours for your tester’s permissions to be replicated before you can download.
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