Microsoft saves MSN from oblivion
Do you know what MSN is? Yes, it is that online portal opened by Microsoft nearly two decades ago. Yes, it is also that default Internet Explorer webpage which you change more quickly than a race car driver can shift. But, fret not if you are not familiar with MSN, as almost no one cares about it anymore. To save it from oblivion, Microsoft has decided that the first thing that MSN needs to make a splash again is a nice revamp.
For many years, MSN was a product Microsoft cared little about. Instead, the software giant has pushed products with more potential and consumer appeal, like Office, Windows and Windows Phone. Now though, Microsoft wants to tie MSN in with its newfound strategy, recreating the online portal "from the ground up for a mobile-first, cloud-first world", and using many Bing-powered services (News, Sports and Travel, just to name a few) to boost its appeal.
New collaboration tool to make online discussions more productive
Business collaboration is most often organized by email, but it isn't always the most efficient way of ensuring things get done and it can be time consuming to deal with.
A recent survey by the McKinsey Institute shows that an average American spends 28 percent -- around 9 hours -- of their work week just dealing with emails. You can see how this time breaks down in infographic form below.
What the iPhone 6 is likely to offer
Unless you've been hiking through the Appalachian mountains, you'll be aware that there has only been two topics of online discussion for the entirety of last week: How to look at naked pictures of Jennifer Lawrence, and just what Apple is pulling out of its bag for the launch of the iPhone 6 next week on September 9.
The gross violation of privacy of the former -- especially when over 100 other women were victimized -- would make for another article. The web's obsession with the latter, however, can be explained simply by shining a spotlight on Apple's ethos. Or, more simply, by walking into an Apple store.
What makes Amazon's Fire TV special?
Earlier this year I obtained both a Roku 3 and an Amazon Fire TV. I use both devices and find both work very well for any home theater enthusiast and media geek. But what separates the two products, aside from a name?
With extensive playing around with each product, I've discovered what does it for me. While the Roku 3 remote is simpler, and contains a headphone jack (handy for when family is asleep, and you don't want to disturb anyone) it doesn't really have a killer feature.
Watch out! More iPhones stolen than any other smartphone
New figures released by the Home Office and published by the BBC show that if you own an iPhone 5, 5C, 5S and 4S in England or Wales, you are most at risk of having your smartphone stolen. If the trend continues, it is likely that the upcoming iPhone 6 will also prove similarly attractive to thieves. Figures show that there were a total of 742,000 phone thefts between 2012 and 2013, and that the largest numbers of theft involved Apple's handsets. Interestingly, despite massively dwindling sales, the next most popular phone to be pocketed by thieves was the Blackberry 9790.
While the iPhone is the most appealing to the light-fingered, the figures show that Apple's claim to be "leading the industry in protecting" seems to be true. New security features introduced in iOS 7 led to a noticeable drop in iPhone thefts, but it still remains the most commonly stolen handset. Apple told the BBC:
Quickly search 50-plus torrent sites with Bit Che
Finding a particular torrent isn't always easy, and you might have to visit several search engines before you spot the one you need.
Bit Che is a free PC program which offers an interesting alternative, quickly running searches on 50-plus torrent sites in a single operation.
Enjoy crisper, cleaner videos with SmoothVideo Project
Trying out a new video player might get you a better interface, wider format support, more tools and extras. But the core video quality will be essentially the same, just a faithful rendering of your source footage.
SmoothVideo Project (SVP) goes a step further by using frame interpolation to perhaps double your video frame rate, delivering noticeably smoother, crisper pictures.
On Sept. 9th, Apple's Tim Cook era begins
I must disagree with colleague Mark Wilson, who last week asserted: "There is no reason for anyone to care about the iPhone 6", which as I write has 124 comments. I'm a big fan of provocative posts, because they engage the readership. But my feelings differ about commentaries that bluster without substance. Mark is absolutely wrong. There is every reason for everyone to care about the next iPhone.
Mark asserts that iPhone "used to be aspirational and high-end. Now the world and his dog has an Apple handset and it's turned from something special into a poor substitute for one of the countless alternatives...The iPhone is run-of-the-mill. It is predictable. It's just plain boring". In many ways, I agree, but his boring assessment is every reason to "care about the iPhone 6".
Uber, self-driving cars and Google
This is a topic I've briefly discussed on Twitter and then again on Bernard Leong's podcast, but I think it deserves a deeper look. Many are excited about the potential of Uber integrating with self-driving cars. But in my opinion, self-driving cars could be disruptive to Uber's current business model. Let's take a look at a few facets of Uber's business model and gauge the potential impact of Google's self-driving cars.
As I've mentioned previously, Uber is a platform that connects transportation providers (or drivers) with potential customers. Self-driving cars completely remove drivers from this equation and could force Uber to own and manage their own fleet. With their current model, Uber operates with "zero capex" and their marginal cost for adding supply is effectively zero. But by owning self-driving cars, this marginal cost becomes a meaningful amount, i.e. the cost of each vehicle. With this revised cost structure, the value of Uber's business model changes completely.
WordPress 4.0 adds content previews, expanding editor
WordPress.org has launched WordPress 4.0, named “Benny” in honor of the “King of Swing” Benny Goodman.
The new release doesn’t stand out in quite the way that Goodman did -- WordPress.org plays it down, in fact, saying “4.0 is just another number for us after 3.9 and before 4.1″ -- but there are still some worthwhile new features here.
Gigabyte P25X v2: A power portable that gives you a lot for your money [Review]
Ultra-portables, tablets, Ultrabooks and hybrids may be great feats of miniaturization, but if you want serious power a larger device will be a necessity. Anyone serious about the quality and resolution of their entertainment will need a desktop replacement of some sort. Gigabyte's P25X v2 is definitely in the latter camp, with its 15in chassis packed full of processing and graphics power. But its price isn't as hefty as its chassis.
The P25X v2 is not exactly subtle in its styling. It boasts a bright yellow lid with chrome effect edging and hinge, although the remainder of the system is a much more sober black. At 2.8kg, it's not exactly lightweight, although this is par for the course with the 15in chassis format.
Google Chrome to effectively kill SHA-1 -- will make web more secure
Even if all people are created equal, power is not distributed equally; big players direct the world. In other words, if a company or person has enough power, they can influence policy and change, while the little guys tend to follow their lead. Sure, it may be a cynical point of view, and not an absolute, but as a little guy, it seems to be rather constant.
Today, one of those big companies, Google, is influencing the internet yet again, by effectively killing SHA-1. How is it doing this? Well, the search giant is declaring SHA-1 to no longer be safe, so starting with Chrome 39, sites that use it will no longer be considered totally secure. Since the company's browser has such a large install-base, this should cause webmasters to abandon SHA-1 at a faster rate. Is Google correct to do this?
Google lays out a roadmap for Android Wear, music and more on the way
Smartwatches seem to be a polarizing force in the marketplace these days; love or loathe them, they seem here to stay. So far, when it comes to Google's Android Wear, we've seen three devices debuted and another on the way, all of which should appeal to those looking to this market as the future.
Now, Google has expressed its software plans for the future of its wearable platform. Included in this roadmap is both music and new watchfaces, which should appeal to potential customers, though the hardware already boasts thousands of apps.
Access 500-plus file hosting services with File & Image Uploader
Finding a new file hosting site sounds easy in theory -- there’s certainly no shortage of options -- but it can take some thought. Just tracking down key details like the maximum file size or how long files are kept often takes longer than you expect.
All this research is important if you're hosting mission-critical work documents, of course, or anything similarly important: you need to be sure you’re making the right choices.
Intel launches Core M 'Broadwell-Y' processors -- silent, powerful and long battery life
A powerful computer is an easy thing for manufacturers to build. Throw in a hardcore processor and some high-end components and the sky is the limit. Unfortunately, raw power is not the sole focus of consumers. No, many mobile computer users also want super-long battery life and silence to go with the performance. This, you see, is where things get tricky.
The Surface Pro 3 gets rather close to this, but the whirring of the fan in the hybrid is audible sometimes. Plus, the Surface components are a bit expensive for many consumers. Today, Intel delivers a fanless solution that should meet the needs of many -- the Core M Processor line, otherwise known as Broadwell-Y.
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