Roku looks back at 2014 by the numbers
2014 could be viewed as the year of set-top boxes. 2015 is likely to see even more action, as more of what we watch moves to online content, be it Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu Plus, the new CBS offering, or one of the lesser known competitors. When you take all of that into account, you'd assume it would have been a big year for Roku, and you'd be right.
Today the company ran down the numbers for 2014 and they were a bit staggering in terms of just how well the set-top box maker has performed.
Apple's 14-day returns on iTunes could kill devs and musicians
From now on, if you buy an app, music track or book from iTunes and change your mind, you can get your money back in the first two weeks, no questions asked -- if you are in the EU, anyway. Distance selling laws mean that a 14-day cooling off period is in place, so it is possible to get a refund on anything bought through iTunes in this timeframe.
It doesn’t matter if you don't like an app or album, something doesn't work as it should, or you just need your money back after an impulse purchase, the cash will be returned to you without question. One the face of it, this is great news for consumers, but the outlook is potential less rosy for app developers, authors and musicians.
Social networks are simply not important in the workplace
Surveys often reveal facts that are largely common sense, and this is certainly true of a study by the Pew Research Center -- the findings being that is seen as "very important" to workers. Nearly half of the 1,066 people surveyed said internet, email and cell phones made them more productive, while just 7 percent said the opposite was true.
So far, so predictable. But the same study also reveals that just 4 percent of workers feel that social networking sites like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook are "very important". These are findings that Facebook would almost certainly disagree with, as would Twitter and LinkedIn, despite reports suggesting that Facebook is valuable to business users.
Sports fans, go crazy! WatchESPN now available for Windows Phone
The older I get, the more interested in sports I become. I suppose as my own dreams fade away, I can live vicariously through the athletes on the TV. Though I can appreciate all sports, I am mostly a fan of baseball, basketball and football -- sometimes hockey. While most of the world likes soccer, we Americans, for a large part, ignore it, despite the media trying to force it down our throats.
Unfortunately, watching sports often conflicts with real life. Case in point, the NFL is primarily a Sunday-affair, and my family usually has other plans for me that day. While I always side with living my own life over watching someone else play sports on TV, I never abandon it altogether. You see, I track sports scores and watch plays on my smartphone. Today, Microsoft announces that WatchESPN is available for Windows Phone.
Lizard Squad claims to have assisted with Sony hack: 'this is kind of a game for us'
To many people Lizard Squad comprises a collection of attention-seeking skiddies looking for their five minutes of fame. To others, they are the group that ruined Christmas by taking down the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live over the holiday period. Of course, it didn't end there. There were then claims of attacks on the Tor network, but the group's impact might be even more high-profile than first thought.
While not claiming full responsibility for the now infamous hacking of Sony, Lizard Squad has said that it provided Sony login details to the people who did. A man identifying himself as a Lizard Squad administrator said that Sony employee details were given to Guardians of Peace (GoP), one of the groups at whom the finger of suspicion is pointing.
Windows Phone is stuck in the low-end market
At the end of 2014, the Windows Phone landscape is dominated by low-end smartphones. Of the ten most popular devices that the platform has to offer, just two are high-end handsets -- however, neither is a current-day flagship. If it is not clear enough by now, Windows Phone is nothing more than a low-end affair, after more than four years down the road. Is that a bad thing?
Nokia Lumia 520 is the most-successful Windows Phone around, accounting for a whopping 25.4 percent of Windows Phones in use. Put differently, it is as popular as the following nine most popular Windows Phones put together. Altogether, the top ten makes up 67.2 percent share in this market, according to information revealed by AdDuplex.
The best Windows Store apps of 2014
The best apps for Windows 8 series on Betanews is almost as old the Windows 8 operating system itself. If you follow the series closely you know that it has had its ups and downs depending on what apps are released in a given week.
Things improved after the release of Windows 8.1 as more quality apps and games were released for the operating system.
Could Android apps save Windows Phone?
The mobile market is a four horse race... if we're being polite, that is. Really it's a battle between Apple's iOS and Google's Android. BlackBerry desperately neighs about its importance to the enterprise market, while Windows Phone stamps its hooves trying to gain attention as it's hauled off to the glue factory via the knacker's yard.
Microsoft's mobile OS may have gained ground in some parts of the world, but the reality is that it's struggling. Whenever we talk about Windows Phone it feels like the same topic comes up again and again, forcing us to re-tread old ground, bang the same drum. The app situation is dire; it's all but impossible to paint it any other way. But could opening up the ecosystem to Android apps save it from a slow and painful death?
Next Lock Screen: Microsoft's take on the Android lock screen
Next Lock Screen is an Android lock screen "built for busy professionals".
That sounds very familiar, but what’s a little more unusual is that Next is from Microsoft Garage, an "idea factory" where employees work on whatever "wild ideas" they like.
Is Facebook more useful for professionals than LinkedIn?
When the LinkedIn network for professionals launched it was sometimes referred to as social networking for grown ups. But is it really any better than Facebook for business users?
The UK's Brighton School of Business and Management has produced an infographic comparing the relative merits of the two sites and it shows that Facebook may be getting overlooked as a business tool.
My favorite tech products of 2014 [Brian]
Well folks, 2014 is almost in the books, and we will soon be in 2015. Outside of tech, the world has been rather crazy; there have been tragic deaths, natural disasters and further division among US citizens. Sadly, the tech world got pulled into the major news with various hacking scandals -- Home Depot customer information was breached, Sony Pictures was brought to its knees and Hollywood celebrities had their naked photos leaked. In other words, there have been many negative things in both tech and non-tech news.
Luckily, not all is bad; the tech community has seen many great devices and software released too. As is customary for late-December, many tech-writers, such as yours truly, begin compiling lists of the best tech of the year. Well, "best" is subjective, I realize that, so instead, I am offering my favorite tech of 2014. Maybe your list is different; my colleague's lists are. Variety is the spice of life however, so please tell me if you agree or disagree with my choices.
Facebook liars can start losing their grip on reality
If you have a habit of lying on Facebook, you’re only storing up problems for yourself, a new piece of research has concluded.
The new poll has pinned some numbers on a fairly obvious truth, and specifically, found that lying about how great your life is on the social network could induce paranoia and actual memory problems.
DAYU Disk Master adds file backup, sync, zip tools
DAYU Technology has released DAYU Disk Master 2.5, a major update for its all-in-one hard drive management suite.
The free-for-personal-use build now includes file-based, as well as image backups.
How to design wearables that consumers actually want
What new wearable devices will be unveiled in 2015? As I write, developers and designers are hunkered down building the next generation of gadgets. It’s an exciting time with the wearables market still at its infancy, yet poised for tremendous growth -- with the value expected to hit $12.6 billion by 2018 according to Business Insider. The big question is: which devices and apps will have staying power?
We’ve seen a slew of wearables launched over the past 18 months promising to transform how we live. From smart watches to smart glasses, the development game is on to see just how intelligent these devices can be.
Microsoft wants you to spend New Year's Eve with Windows Phone
New Year's Eve is almost here! Woop Woop! Are you excited for the partying? Me neither. Not only am I socially awkward, but I don't drink alcohol either, making me quite the boring party guest. Sadly, my usual date for the evening, Dick Clark, is dead. In lieu of Dick, I must make do with watching Ryan Seacrest or Kathy Lee and Hoda, while eating a shrimp ring, pizza bagels, crackers and a can of spray cheese.
But wait; maybe I can have some real fun after all. According to Microsoft, you have a party in your pants pocket with Windows Phone! You see, the company today announces a collection of apps, "The Holiday Parties Collection", to enhance your New Year's Eve celebration. Will you be kissing a Lumia at midnight?
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