Linux fans, Fedora 21 Beta 1 is here! Now featuring three flavors
Fedora is my favorite Linux distro, but more importantly, it is the operating system of choice for someone far more important than I. Who is this person? Linus Torvalds of course! Yes, the foul-mouthed father of Linux does his computing on Fedora, legitimizing the operating system as one of the best.
Unfortunately, Fedora has fallen a bit behind lately with a slow release schedule, frustrating some users. How bad is it? Well, Fedora 20 was released back in December of 2013. Today, finally, the first beta of Fedora 21 is released, and there is something unique about it; for the first time, there are three distinct versions (flavors) of the operating system. Is that a good or bad thing?
Samsung Galaxy Note Edge to launch soon at AT&T, T-Mobile
Even though more than two months have passed since Galaxy Note Edge was unveiled, Samsung has yet to finally bring its phablet to Western markets. Sure, many can get Galaxy Note 4 instead, which has similar specs, but it does not offer that intriguing curved display on the side, nor the appeal of owning a more exclusive device.
However, if you are an AT&T or T-Mobile customer looking to get Galaxy Note Edge, then you're in luck as Samsung will soon introduce its much-awaited device in US. Both mobile operators have announced that they will carry the phablet this month.
All the web's a stage as Shakespeare goes on-demand
Shakespeare's Globe in London is known for its productions of the bard's plays in an atmosphere close to their original environment.
Now the Globe is going global with the launch of a new online video platform offering full-length HD films of its productions to rent or buy on demand in a world first for a theater.
Adobe announces Brackets 1.0 and Extract for Brackets (Preview)
Brackets is an open source text editor built with web technologies for web designers and developers. Adobe created the tool three years ago, and has been contributing to it ever since. Now, after 45 minor releases, Brackets finally hits the long awaited 1.0 milestone.
The program blends visual tools into the editor, making it easier to design in code. Recent additions include multiple cursors, split view, theme support, and more. The latest release also comes with a preview version of Extract for Brackets, which is a new Creative Cloud service that speeds up the process of pulling design information like colors, fonts and gradients out of a Photoshop file, and turning it into CSS.
Samsung reveals Find My Mobile is safe, far too long after vulnerability goes public
Samsung's Find My Mobile device-tracking service was revealed last month to be vulnerable to a denial of service attack, which would allow hackers to lock and wipe enrolled handsets. The media quickly jumped on this, with some pundits suggesting that users should stop using Find My Mobile as soon as possible, due to the apparent risks involved.
Samsung today finally decided to chime in, telling its customers that they actually have nothing to worry about. The vulnerability in question, Samsung says, was fixed more than a week before it went public, resulting in no user data being compromised. Well, it sure took Samsung a long time to come forward with this information, seeing as news about it started to surface a week ago.
How technology can empower patients with Chronic Heart Failure
Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) affects approximately 5.1 million people in the US and 900,000 people in the UK each year, costing an estimated $32billion. The demand for care is expected to rise dramatically over the next few years, along with healthcare costs, but the amount of caregivers available is unlikely to be able to keep up.
In order to deal with this discrepancy, e-health applications are starting to play a more prominent role and at JiveWorld 2014 we heard from Dr Folkert Asselbergs, consultant cardiologist at University Medical Centre Utrecht, about how his smart health application is being used to monitor and empower patients in their battle against the disease.
Microsoft breaks down business barriers with new cloud solutions
With Azure and Office 365, Microsoft already has a strong position in the business cloud market. But the company isn't resting on its laurels, it used this week's Convergence 2014 conference in Barcelona to announce a number of innovations to help enterprises gain greater benefit from the cloud.
The main announcement is that the latest Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2015 release will be generally available in December this year. The new release is designed to address the growing need for businesses to deliver seamless experiences to their customers by helping them break down the barriers between divisions.
How to make NFC payments with your Windows Phone
NFC payments are all the rage nowadays, in no small part thanks to the support that Apple Pay is receiving from financial institutions and iPhone users, and raving reviews from the media. Naturally, this may tempt you to give NFC payments a go, to see what all the fuss is about. But what if you have a Windows Phone? Apple Pay is obviously out of the question. What can you do then?
As you may know, Windows Phone supports NFC payments out-of-the-box, thanks to a feature known as Tap to Pay. Like Apple Pay it leverages the built-in NFC chip in your device. The only thing standing between you and paying through it is its lack of support. However, there is another way you can make NFC payments with your Windows Phone, and that is by using the Softcard app, which just arrived on the platform. Here is what you need to know about it.
GCHQ's uncomfortable truth about the web: 'privacy has never been an absolute right'
The head of GCHQ, the UK's equivalent of the NSA, says that the Edward Snowden leaks have helped terrorist organizations such as ISIS who have taken to the web to spread propaganda. Writing in the Financial Times, Robert Hannigan points out that ISIS is the first terrorist group whose members have grown up on the internet. He says that the group has made use of "messaging and social media services such as Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp, and a language their peers understand" and that the security tools that have popped up post-Snowden makes the work of GCHQ in tracking communication much harder.
This might not come as a surprise, but something else that Hannigan says is likely to raise eyebrows. His assertion that "privacy has never been an absolute right" goes against the grain of what many web users believe, but he suggests that the challenges facing governments and intelligence agencies in fighting back against terrorists can "only be met with greater co-operation from technology companies".
British police using data to predict crime before it happens
Gang members that apparently have the highest chance of committing a crime can now reportedly be identified using a special product.
Accenture's new software, resembling that seen in the Minority Report movie, relies on data that has been collected over four years.
Wearable tech can improve communication between humans and dogs
US scientists have developed a piece of wearable technology that could improve communication between dogs and humans.
The harness, which is fitted with sensors to monitor a dog's posture and vital signs, could also be used to help with training or to gather data.
BBC iPlayer for Android promises ban on buffering, adds Audio Described category
Fans of the Beeb will be pleased to hear that the BBC has unveiled a significant new update to its catch-up app for Android users with the release of BBC iPlayer 4.4 for Android. The app adds a new Audio Described category and expands the current Most Popular category too.
Other changes see the promise of better streaming performance and a number of minor bug fixes.
Acer announces the Aspire Switch 12 -- a cute and functional multi-mode computer
Acer makes some cool computers and has been known to take some chances on design. Sure, the company produces the typical clam-shell laptops, but also computers like the R7, which features a unique hinge and experience. I appreciate a company going out on a limb with computer designs, as it can fall flat or be a success.
Today, Acer takes another unique approach to design with the Aspire Switch 12 -- an evolution of the previously released Switch 10. Not only is the screen larger, but the functionality increases immensely. Oh and did I mention that it is fanless? Yeah baby, no fan-whirring!
Certified Ubuntu images float their way into Google Cloud Platform
Working in conjunction with Google, Canonical is launching a public beta of Ubuntu for Google Cloud Platform. These are part of the Certified Public Cloud (CPC) programme which means that the cloud versions of Ubuntu will be updated just about as quickly as the regular ground-tethered versions. Images for Utopic Unicorn, TrustyTahr, and Precise Pangolin releases are now available on Google Compute Engine.
The Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, 12.04 LTS releases benefit from the regular five years of maintenance and security updates, while 14.10 has a shorter shelf-life. Taking Ubuntu to the cloud serves as an alternative to the likes of Azure for anyone looking to venture into cloud platforms without breaking the bank.
Microsoft ignores its own Band wearable and gives away Fitbit Flex with the Lumia 830
A lot of wearable devices have accompanying smartphones. The Apple Watch has the iPhone 6, Galaxy Gear ties in with a number of Samsung Galaxy handsets, while the Motorola Moto 360 marries happily to just about any Android phone. Falling into the same works-with-anything camp is the recently announced Microsoft Band.
With a newly launched wearable, you'd think Microsoft would be keen to push it as much as possible. So when the company decided to bundle a wrist-worn device with the new Lumia 830, which do you think it opted for. Yeah... the Fitbit Flex...
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