Ofcom finds social network use declining most in the UK
Media regulator Ofcom has found that the use of social networks is on the decline across a number of countries, but most prominently in the UK.
The International Communications Market Report 2014 found that the number of UK weekly visitors to social networks fell from 65 percent to 56 percent between September 2013 and October 2014.
Mobizen: access your Android device from anywhere
If you’d like to run Android on your PC then you could install some heavyweight emulator, or maybe use a virtual machine.
But it might be easier to equip your Android device with Mobizen, a free app which allows you to view, access and control it from just about anywhere.
Digital Storm announces the ECLIPSE -- a 'Slim Gaming Tower of Power' PC
As a system-builder, I take great pride in building my own machines. Quite frankly, selecting all of your components, one by one, can be very rewarding. Unfortunately, buying piece by piece can be rather costly, adding up to more than many pre-built systems. Not to mention, it can be time and labor intensive, and many people, including myself, are very busy. It is for these reasons that I am considering forgoing a new build next year, and instead, opting for a pre-built desktop.
Let's be honest though, it can be confusing to pick a manufacturer for your new PC -- there are so many companies to choose from. Today, one such company, Digital Storm, announces the ECLIPSE -- a PC that it calls "Slim Gaming Tower of Power". Not only is the computer powerful and sexy, but starts at a very low $699. Hey, this is just in time for Christmas -- this will surely make the gamer in your life happy.
Don't trust people with your Wi-Fi password? No worries -- Chromecast gets guest mode
People that know me, know that I am socially awkward. I am useless at a party, and overall, face-to-face human interaction just escapes me. Suffice to say, computers give me an outlet -- I am rather suave on IRC, you see. As a result, I don't have many friends, but regarding the ones I do have, I refuse to give them my Wi-Fi password. These aren't new friends either; I have known some more than 20 years. Quite frankly, I share the password with the family members in my home under protest.
While not everyone is as odd as me, I know I am not alone. Surely there are other nerds that view friends and family with access to the network as weak-links in the security chain. In other words, I don't want some malware-infested machine touching my precious home network. Apparently, Google knows of my woes, as today, the search-giant announces guest mode for Chromecast.
File sharing in Google Drive and Docs just got easier
The gradual but relentless move to the cloud is about more than just making it easier to access files from multiple devices. For many people, particularly business and enterprise users, sharing and collaboration is more important. Today Google has made two small but important updates to Drive and Docs that makes file sharing easier than ever.
Now when you start to type the name of someone you would like to share a file with, you will see their profile picture alongside their name. This mimics the way things work in Gmail, and helps you to check you are selecting the right people.
Microsoft to unveil the next chapter of Windows 10 in January
Windows 10 is very much a work in progress. While certain elements of the forthcoming OS appear close to how they will be in the finished release, much of what’s in the Technical Preview is early and very buggy. There’s been talk of the new operating system coming out in Spring 2015, but the latest rumors, based on what Kevin Turner, Chief Operating Officer at Redmond, told the Nikkei news service, a September release is looking a far more realistic prospect. That’s a smart move, as the last thing Microsoft should be doing is rushing out an unfinished OS -- as it did with Windows 8.
You won’t have to wait too long for your next big batch of Windows 10 goodness though, as Microsoft will be holding an event at its Redmond campus on January 21 to talk about the "next chapter" of the OS.
The challenges all enterprise app developers need to overcome
Consumerization of IT is gaining hold and customers are looking to deliver user-friendly enterprise applications to employees who are accustomed to a "there’s an app for that" mentality.
So application producers are realizing the need to alter their monetization models so that they can cater to an "appified" enterprise -- capturing revenue from customers who want task-specific applications and the flexibility to pay based on how they are actually using an application.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 7.1 Beta available now!
Fans of Linux-based operating systems have been experiencing a deluge of quality releases in the last quarter of 2014 -- Ubuntu, Mint and Fedora to name a few. While I still think there are too many distros nowadays, the lesser-quality releases can be tuned-out as noise.
Today, one of the most significant enterprise Linux distributions, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), reaches Beta for the upcoming 7.1 version.
Facebook and YouTube responsible for over a third of mobile traffic
Ever wondered how much mobile traffic those two behemoths of the mobile (and indeed desktop) world, Facebook and YouTube actually use?
Well, as far as North American traffic goes -- as measured by a Sandvine report compiled by BI Intelligence for Business Insider -- in September, Facebook accounted for 19 percent of mobile traffic, and YouTube snagged almost as much at 18 percent.
The possible demise of The Pirate Bay does little to stem piracy
Perhaps the biggest news of the past week came out of Sweden, where police raided and shut down The Pirate Bay. The site was the most enduring symbol of BitTorrent, though not necessarily in the best of ways, given the technology can be used for many good things. Still, the site stood for much of what, to some, seems right about the internet -- the free and open access to what you want.
Since the raid, several mirrors have popped up, and yesterday a fake substitute had people talking, and some fooled. We'd advise you not to use that, though we also don't advocate piracy in general. It likely will not be the last such site to crop up, as there is really no end to either piracy or online crooks looking to get malware distributed to unsuspecting victims.
New partnership boosts Office 365 security
As businesses move their systems to the cloud security becomes a major concern but often applications don't offer the flexibility and ease of access that administrators need.
To address this need for users of Office, cloud security automation company Palerra has announced a partnership with Microsoft to add an extra layer of security to the Office 365 suite.
Surface Pro 3 is one of the most breakable tablets you can give this Christmas
We're entering the season of giving and receiving, and it's safe to assume that one of the most popular electronic gifts this year will be tablets. With three key platforms to choose from, various price-points, different sizes, and a bewildering array of manufacturers, which one should you opt for? One factor that's well worth considering is durability.
SquareTrade, a company offering extended warranties on electronic devices, has drop-tested ten of the most popular tablets to see which can handle the abuse. The results might surprise you. Perhaps most startling is how poorly some of the big names fared.
McAfee: 2014 will be remembered as 'the Year of Shaken Trust'
Intel Security has released the McAfee Labs Threats Report for November 2014, which includes an analysis of the threats which hit in Q3, and the upcoming specters we’ll be facing in 2015.
So, during the third quarter, McAfee detected some 307 new threats every minute, with overall levels of malware up a worrying 76 percent year-on-year. Mobile malware grew as well, up 16 percent.
Microsoft now accepts Bitcoin payments in Windows, Windows Phone and Xbox stores
We've heard that 2015 could be the year of cryptocurrencies, and now it seems that Microsoft is getting in on the action ahead of the New Year. There is yet to be a formal announcement, but Microsoft now accepts Bitcoin as a form of payment for apps, games and other digital content.
The virtual currency can be used to make purchases in the Windows Stores, Windows Phone Store and the various stores that exist for Xbox. While Microsoft is yet to issue a statement about the acceptance of Bitcoin, a page has been added to its customer support site that gives some details.
Email is 2014's best digital marketing tool
Technology has had a major impact on the world of marketing, making it possible to target customers more accurately than ever before.
However, when it comes to selecting the best tool to deliver a message there's still confusion, especially since the rise in importance of social networks. A new survey by email marketing brand Campaigner looks at the technologies businesses see as most effective as part of their marketing effort.
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