MediaTek Labs looking to boost the Internet of Things
MediaTek is hoping to help kickstart the global wearable and Internet of Things (IoT) market through its new MediaTek Labs initiative.
The new program aims to help developers of any background or skill level to create devices and apps, by providing software and hardware development kits (SDKs/HDKs), technical documentation, as well as technical and business support.
The new iPhone 6 recharges in under two minutes in the microwave*
Apple’s iOS is an amazing operating system. When iOS 7 came out last year, people were thrilled to discover it made their iPhones waterproof. And iOS 8 is no less magical, as it comes with a new 'Wave' feature which lets users recharge a phone in just two minutes, simply by microwaving it.
Of course, neither the waterproofing nor the new super-quick charging feature is true, it’s just a practical joke spreading across the internet, but some poor fools could well fall for it.
Xbox One launches in India, UK price drops, and Chinese gamers have 'approved games' list
It's almost as though we are entering that time of the year when people start thinking about Christmas presents. Game consoles -- like the Xbox One -- are likely to feature pretty high up on wishlists the world over and, out of the blue, there's a raft of Xbox One news spilling out.
It is quite some time since the wraps were taken off the console, but today is the day it finally launches in India. The version with Kinect is available for Rs 45990 (around $755), with the Kinect-free version costing Rs 39,990 (around $655) -- so compared to other parts of the world, the Indian version of the Xbox One is relatively expensive. It will be interesting to see what sort of an impact this has on its popularity.
Master Outlook.com with help from The Mother-in-Law, The Cleaner, and The Golden Child
Microsoft introduced Advanced Rules to its webmail service back in May, with the aim being to give users more control over how emails are sorted, and filed. You can chain together rules in whatever ways suit you.
Although it’s an undoubtedly powerful inclusion, not everyone will understand how to use the rules, or grasp the possibilities offered. For that reason, Microsoft has put together a blog post offering a collection of useful examples, each with an amusing name, such as 'The Golden Child' (helps you remember things), 'The Auto-Archiver' (helps you get organized) and 'The Bouncer' (protects your inbox from mail you don’t want).
Microsoft announces Wireless Display Adapter -- better than Chromecast?
Back in the day, when graphics cards started gaining TV output, it was all the rage to connect your desktop to a TV. The idea of playing a DVD on a computer and having it display on a television was an amazing feat. Nowadays, many computers have HDMI-out and it is nothing special.
Lately though, sending video wirelessly to a TV has been the popular thing, mostly thanks to the low-cost Google Chromecast. At $35, it is affordable for all, which makes it an easy impulse buy. Unfortunately, Chromecast works best with apps that support it, and not many do. Sure the list is growing, but it is still small, plus Chromecast screen mirroring is glitchy and slow. Today, Microsoft announces the Wireless Display Adapter, which mirrors the screen of Windows 8.1, Windows Phone and Android devices. Best of all? It does not need individual app support.
Apple: Beats Music to live on, could be swallowed by iTunes
When Apple acquired Beats Music earlier in the year, there were obvious fears that the service would shut down. While this type of rumor is often well-founded, it seems fears were misplaced on this occasion: Apple has no plans to shutter Beats Music. A company spokesperson made a statement to the Guardian making it clear that suggestions that the subscription music service is to close down are "not true". But could the brand end up being eaten by iTunes?
Beats Music has not been a runaway success. It has subscribers, but not all that many. With Apple's backing there is a chance that its popularity could increase, but it can be difficult to shake off the reputation of an old name -- Beats Music has singularly failed to reach the celebrated heights of Beats Electronic's headphones. Having spent $3 billion on Beats Music and Beats Electronic, it would be strange if Apple just gave up on a portion of its investment.
The global supply chain behind the iPhone 6
We all know that the majority of our technology gadgets are produced in China, but the supply and manufacturing process isn't quite as simple as it might appear.
Apple more than most is a master at using the supply chain to its advantage, sourcing suppliers that can turn out parts in the most cost effective way whilst still adhering to the company's quality requirements.
Adobe snaps up cloud image editor Aviary to fast-track SDK development
Seven years after its inception, online image editing service Aviary has been acquired by Adobe. The Photoshop stalwart is no stranger to the cloud, but this latest purchase seems to indicate that the company is looking to expand further in this arena. Pay a visit to the Aviary website and the Adobe branding is already in place -- there's also a new entry on the Aviary company timeline that has been updated to reflect the acquisition. The Adobe-branded Aviary website makes clear the thinking behind the move: "accelerating delivery of mobile apps that integrate with Adobe Creative Cloud".
It seems that the main reason for Adobe's interest in Aviary is the fact that the ornithologically-named firm has developed a number of mobile SDKs. Aviary is already a popular tool, and Adobe is understandably keen to monetize the popularity of cloud apps and mobile services: Aviary is a ready-made package that encompasses both of these ideas perfectly. An announcement by Adobe explains that "the acquisition accelerates Adobe's strategy to make Creative Cloud a vibrant platform for third-party apps, through a new Creative SDK".
Clustrix releases specialist database for reliable ecommerce
Performance is vitally important in ecommerce applications as customers won't wait around for a slow site to respond, they'll simply surf away and shop elsewhere.
This need for performance is as much about the back office systems handling inventory and orders as it is about the site itself. Cloud database specialist Clustrix is announcing the latest version of its ClustrixDB, purpose-built and optimized for fast growing ecommerce sites.
Can't afford an iPhone 6? Rent your girlfriend on eBay
One Apple fan has taken his efforts to acquire the new iPhone 6 to the next level by offering rentals of his girlfriend to raise the necessary funding to get hold of the brand new handset.
The Shanghai man held up a sign near Songjiang University saying he is "sharing" his girlfriend Xiao Ai for "pocket money" to the sum of $1.64 per hour, $8.19 per day and $82 per month with UPI reporting that he has already stipulated that no "funny business" is allowed.
Axway expands operational intelligence capabilities
All sizes of organization increasingly expect their employees to deliver against measurable objectives and part of the key to achieving this lies in providing accurate data.
With the launch of its Decision Insight product, data flow specialist Axway aims to supply the numbers needed for productivity by offering insight and intelligence into real time and historical information.
IT Systems Resiliency 101: What it means and 5 ways SMBs can adopt it
As overused as it may be, the old mantra still holds definitively true: you're only as strong as your weakest link. This goes for sports teams, business divisions, vehicles, and most anything else in life where multiple links make up the entity at large. It shouldn't be surprising that IT systems and networks follow the same logic.
Yet this very notion is what causes me to cringe when in discussions with new and existing clients. There is a large disconnect when it comes to the average small business owner, as to what technical improvements will actually lead to better stability and resiliency -- all encompassing what they truly care about: uptime.
Apple iPhone 6 Plus has the best smartphone LCD display, but Samsung Galaxy Note 4 still reigns supreme
The good news keeps on coming for Apple. After it announced that iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus sales exceeded the 10 million units mark, therefore breaking the previous record established last year, DisplayMate, a company dedicated to testing the quality of displays, has proclaimed iPhone 6 Plus as having the best LCD screen that has ever crossed its labs.
Apple's other new flagship, the smaller iPhone 6, has also registered impressive results, but its 4.7-inch panel is let down by the low resolution of just 750 by 1,334, which is inferior to that of its bigger brother -- which boasts a 1,080 by 1,920 resolution with its 5.5-inch panel -- as well as competing flagships from other manufacturers.
The lights that guided Lewis Hamilton to victory at the Singapore Grand Prix
For those of you who tuned in to the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday, you would have undoubtedly been delighted to see Lewis Hamilton storming to a first place finish and leapfrogging teammate and arch-rival Nico Rosberg in the drivers' Championship standings.
What you may not have noticed, however, was the flag signal system that was in place.
Evernote for Mac 5.6 improves note editor and search tools, speeds up sync and startup
Evernote Corporation has rolled out Evernote for Mac 5.6, a major update of its cloud-based note-taking client for Mac users. Version 5.6 comes with a rebuilt -- and improved -- note editor, as well as faster sync performance.
The update also comes with the promise of more relevant searches, integration with Spotlight and has been optimized to both launch faster and reduce its energy demands.
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