Windows Phone has a massive apps problem
If Microsoft wants Windows Phones to have a higher market share than the current 2.8 percent, it needs to step up its applications game.
The current state of affairs is simple: There are just not enough apps. Some apps have hundreds of fakes and rip-offs in the store, some available for Android or iOS are simply missing for Windows Phone and arrive half a year late.
Quick Review: PhotoStage Slideshow Producer
PhotoStage Slideshow Producer is a free-for-personal-use video slideshow creator with plenty of unusual extras.
Installation is quick and easy. We politely declined the bundled Google Toolbar, and a few seconds later the program launched.
Windows 10 Technical Preview testers should be able to update to the RTM release
There are positives and negatives to being a tester of early versions of Windows. On one hand it means being able to try out new features before they are officially released, but on the other it means putting up with a variety of problems. Preview builds of Windows used to be all but unheard of, but now anyone can get their hands on early bits to get a taste of things to come.
The preview program for Windows 10 has been slightly different to the way things worked in previous early versions of Windows. This time around it is even possible to upgrade to new builds without the need to reinstall from scratch, and it's looking as though it will also be possible to upgrade to the RTM version when it is released next year.
Accenture and Microsoft team up to create hybrid cloud platform
Moving applications to the cloud is a major step for businesses and finding the right partner to make the transition a success is vital.
The latest fruit of the long-standing alliance between technology consulting specialist Accenture and Microsoft is aimed at providing a powerful hybrid cloud platform to bring new capabilities, economics and innovation to the enterprise.
Ralph Baer, Odyssey creator and 'father of video games', dies aged 92
Ralph Baer, the man credited with helping develop the world's first commercial video games console, died this weekend at the age of 92. He may not have been exactly a household name, but without Baer, video gaming as we know it might have taken a very different turn. Without him, the Xbox One and PS4 might not yet exist.
The German-born electronic fanatic and inventor's work led to the creation of the Odyssey console. The games unit was launched by Magnavox in 1972, managing to pre-date Pong, and Baer went on to invent the first light gun for games as well.
Paint.NET 4.0.5 squashes major bugs, builds on recent release
dotPDN LLC has released Paint.NET 4.0.5 FINAL, a minor update that follows swiftly on the heels of a more significant update at the end of last month.
Version 4.0.4 introduced one major new feature and promised performance improvements, while 4.0.5 squashes a number of significant bugs that emerged after the previous update.
BlackBerry releases Passport in red, white
More than two months after it introduced Passport in black, BlackBerry today announces that its latest smartphone is now also available in red and white. The two new color options were introduced for pre-order in late-November, but are only just now shipping.
Both the red and white Passport are officially available from Amazon and BlackBerry's own online store. Both companies list the smartphone as being in stock; taking the Amazon route coupled with one-day shipping will get you a new Passport tomorrow, December 9.
What to look out for in 2014's last Patch Tuesday
After last month's blizzard of patches tomorrow's last round of Windows updates for the year looks set to be rather quieter.
Only seven bulletins have been announced, of which three are rated Critical and four Important. Of the Critical patches one is for Internet Explorer, one for Office and one for Windows itself -- likely to be for a remote code execution vulnerability.
Mous Musicase: The iPhone case that puts an end to lost and tangled headphones [Review]
I use headphones to listen to music and games on my iPhone a lot. As a result, I often have headphones with me, either wrapped around my phone or just shoved in a pocket. Sometimes though I’ll forget to take them when I go out, which can be a pain.
The successfully Kickstarter-backed Mous Musicase aims to solve this problem by integrating Apple EarPods into your iPhone so they’re always at hand and you don’t have to worry about them getting tangled or lost.
Sony data breach: how not to protect your passwords
Sony Pictures Entertainment faces being left completely red-faced after reports began to emerge that it contributed to its latest data breach by storing thousands of passwords in a folder entitled "Password".
Personal details of some 47,000 employees and actors have been leaked online in recent days and the much-publicized leak contains confidential details including social security numbers and reams of other tidbits, according to The Telegraph.
PlayStation Network and Store hacked and taken offline by Lizard Squad
Gamers today found that they were unable to connect to the PlayStation Network. In what appears to be a hack attack, the gaming network as well as the PlayStation Store were knocked offline. Claiming responsibility this time is the hacking outfit Lizard Squad.
Sony has not revealed any details about what has happened yet, but it's clear that the outage did not come as a result of routine maintenance. Lizard Squad tweeted a message that seemed to claim responsibility for the downtime: "PSN Login #offline #LizardSquad".
It's your fault for the huge rise in data breaches
New information which was obtained via a freedom of information request in the UK has found that there has been a worrying increase in the amount of data breaches which are caused by human error.
The figures were brought to light by an FOI request made to the Information Commissioner’s Office by Egress Software Technologies, an encryption provider.
Manage disc images anywhere with Passcape ISO Burner
It’s generally very easy to work with ISO files on a modern PC. Archiving programs can extract their contents, mastering software will burn them to disc, even Windows has offered basic support since Windows 7.
If you sometimes work on other people’s PCs, though, it’s wise to bring your own ISO application with the portable Passcape ISO Burner.
Windows 10 Build 9888 includes Cortana -- but so bloody what?
It's not long since Windows 10 build 9879 was released and more recently build 9888 leaked online. I'm not going to link to the download as it's not an official release, but it's easy enough to get hold of -- you know where to look, I'm sure. So far the builds that have seen the light of day, officially or unofficially, have been rather light on features, but build 9888 includes what everyone has been chomping at the bit for: Cortana.
Was it worth the wait? Is a voice activated digital assistant appropriate for the desktop? Should anyone care? My answer to all three of these questions is a resounding 'no' -- with some possible exceptions in the case of the last question. Let me elaborate.
Xbox is snubbed as Street Fighter V becomes a PC and PS4 exclusive
The Street Fighter franchise is one that has been quiet for a while now, but Street Fighter V is on the way. Capcom has confirmed that work is currently underway on the latest instalment of the game, bringing an end to months of speculation and rumor. But that is not the end of the news.
It has been revealed that Street Fighter will appear exclusively on PS4 and PC. Owners of Microsoft's Xbox One console will miss out this time around, but there's an interesting feature for anyone who does buy the game on the two supported platforms -- cross-platform play.
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