Google tries to poach Microsoft users with Office editing in Gmail
As much as Google would like everyone with word processing, presentation and spreadsheet needs to make exclusive use of Google Docs, the fact is that Office -- particularly the cloud-friendly Office 365 -- remains stubbornly popular. To try to win people over from the dark side, Google has added editing support for an extra 15 Office formats to Docs.
This is not the only change that has been made to try to encourage Office users towards Docs. Google is also making it possible to edit Office documents that arrive in your Gmail inbox as attachments -- no more downloading just to re-upload for editing!
Huawei: 'No one made any money in Windows Phone'
"No one made any money in the Windows phone. We did not make any money from the Windows phone", Joe Kelly, head of international media affairs for Huawei, told the Seattle Times.
This statement comes several months after the China-based mobile device manufacturer said it was putting all future hardware developments for Windows phone on hold until further notice.
Build full HD animated video slideshows with Cofeshow
Cofeshow is a free Windows and Mac program for converting your chosen images into full HD animated video slideshows.
It’s a familiar idea, but Cofeshow is a little different, and that became obvious from the moment we realized it was a 250MB+ download.
Facebook joins forces with ESET to fight malware for free
As part of an on-going battle against malware and abuse of the social network, Facebook has joined up with security firm ESET. The partnership follows on from the news back in May that Facebook was working with both Trend Micro and F-Secure to try to combat the threat of malware. The addition of ESET makes a trio of security partners, and Facebook has incorporated the company's technology into its own security systems.
Facebook hopes that by combining the power of F-Secure, Trend Micro and ESET, it should be possible to block the appearance of more malicious links from newsfeeds. The thinking is that adding more security providers will helps to catch even more malware without the need to rely on users having antimalware software installed.
Google's 'No CAPTCHA reCAPTCHA' makes it easier to prove you're not a robot
The CAPTCHA is a truly annoying creation. It prevents robots and scripts from pulling content from websites, or spamming them, which is great for website owners and hosts, but irritating for site visitors because it forces them to "prove they are human" by solving a challenge. This usually involves reading and entering some distorted text into a box, although there are other variations.
I personally find them hugely irksome as sometimes they fail to recognize when you get the words right, and sometimes they let you through when you get the words wrong. More importantly, they waste your time. Thankfully, the days of the CAPTCHA are numbered, as Google has come up a human-friendly solution.
Pandora ups the ante with its iOS and Android updates
Pandora, one of the darlings of the music streaming industry, has been around for some time. But the old dog can still learn new tricks, and the service proves that by continuing to improve its offering. It's also one of the best priced services, if you care to get the premium subscription.
The latest update benefits iOS and Android users -- two of its biggest customer bases. "The design of this latest update is part of our ongoing dedication to innovate the UX and UI across platforms, and as a result, provide effortless music discovery and listening for more than 75 million listeners each month", Pandora announces.
Mobile payments slow to take off but Starbucks leads the way
According to figures from Grand View Research the mobile wallet market is set to reach more than 1,400 million users by 2020.
But a new report by customer engagement specialist PunchTab shows that so far mobile payments are still the preserve of the early adopter.
Yahoo lists the top searches of 2014 -- the number one spot will make you sick
While the majority of people use and trust Google as their search engine, it is not the only option. Many people use alternatives such as Bing and Yahoo too. The latter in particular should see increased use, as it is the new default search engine on Firefox.
Today, Yahoo is sharing the top searches of 2014. While many of the results are to be expected, some may surprise you. For instance, Xbox One was searched for more than PlayStation 4 -- does this signal an increased consumer interest in Microsoft's console over Sony's? Possibly. Please read on for more results.
iPhone 6 is a huge hit
Apple will have a record quarter for iPhone sales, if analyst estimates are to be believed. The company is expected to ship more than 70 million units in the last part of the year, nearly 20 million units more than the 51 million units it moved a year ago. It wouldn't surprise anyone if these estimates turn out to be accurate, considering the successful launch of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, coupled with the high consumer demand for the two devices across the globe.
Today, research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech adds more credence to the estimates. Its latest report, on the three months ending October 2014, reveals record market share for Apple's smartphones in Britain, strong performance in continental Europe, and marginal improvements in market share in US and China.
Happy 20th birthday PlayStation
20 years ago today, Sony’s beloved PlayStation console was released in Japan. Launched into a gaming world utterly dominated by Sega and Nintendo, the PlayStation quickly became the must-have console. I got my initial first-hand experience of it at E3, and remember it being pretty much the only thing people there were talking about. I was (and still am) a dedicated PC gamer, and the PlayStation was the first games console I ever bought.
Sony’s PlayStation was an essential purchase for gaming fans -- especially those into driving and fighting games, which the console excelled at -- and it’s fair to say the PlayStation quickly had a massive impact on the gaming world, leaving a legacy that is still very much in evidence today.
Opera 26 gains bookmark sharing and import, Print Preview
Norwegian browser developer Opera has released Opera FINAL 26 for Windows, Mac and Linux. Having finally introduced support for bookmarks in the previous update, Opera 26 allows users to both share bookmarks and migrate them across from other browsers.
Version 26 is also a landmark release for Linux users as it marks the first stable release of the new Opera browser on that platform -- note it only works with 64-bit builds.
Android 5.0.1 Lollipop now available, here's how you can install it
Just like any other first iteration of a major operating system release, Android 5.0 Lollipop is not without its fair share of problems. The main issues that users are reporting are related to battery life, responsiveness and Wi-Fi. Like other 2013 Nexus 7 users, I also have problems every so often with video playback on YouTube, something which did not crop up back in the Android 4.4 KitKat days.
Naturally, most issues will go away with the first or second update. Google is actively working on squashing the reported bugs, proof being that the company just pushed Android 5.0.1 Lollipop to AOSP (Android Open Source Project) and released the accompanying factory images for a number of its devices.
Apple loses appeal against Australian 'app store' trademark ban
The two words "app store" might seem like a fairly generic reference to some kind of outlet at which one might expect to purchase apps, but it is a term that is most associated with Apple. Back in March of last year, Apple attempted to trademark the term in Australia, but the Registrar of Trade Marks refused the application.
Never one to give up without a fight, the company lodged an appeal with the Federal Court. Rather than rethinking the original decision, the court threw out the appeal so other companies are free to use the term without fear of legal repercussions.
HP launches new infrastructure technology for enterprises
The IT needs of businesses are constantly evolving and technology giant HP has announced a raft of new products aimed at optimizing today's workloads whilst preparing for the future.
Offerings include new servers, faster storage, converged systems and an expanded range of services including combining HP Enterprise Services with Microsoft Office 365.
VMware Workstation 11 gains Haswell speed boost
VMware Inc has released VMware Workstation 11, a major update for the powerful hypervisor, along with its companion tool VMware Player 7 Pro.
The company claims new support for Haswell CPU extensions delivers up to a 45 percent speed increase for CPU-intensive applications.
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