Prelert adds Elasticsearch connector to open up big data
Big data analysis can open up valuable insights that are locked up in databases, but releasing that information without access to a team of data scientists isn't easy.
Analytics company Prelert is aiming to make big data accessible and valuable for all businesses with its anomaly detection engine, built using unsupervised machine learning technology. No human intervention is required to set parameters or tell it what to look for, once it's pointed in the right direction it will go to work on massive volumes of streaming data.
Spotify shows Windows Phone love, goes free on the platform
While Windows Phone gets a lot of attention for what it doesn't have, the Microsoft mobile platform is slowly making progress. Now it is scoring a major win, and getting on par with rivals, as Spotify announces it will be going free for Windows Phones.
The new update means customers can now listen to their music without ponying up the monthly fee for a Premium account. The new free version is ad-supported, and customers can still choose to pay the monthly fee for Premium, and eliminate those ads -- and also get offline playlists, as well.
How to fix disabled audio in OS X 10.10 Yosemite [Update]
Apple launched, almost a week ago, the second public beta build of OX 10.10 Yosemite, which, among other improvements, includes a healthy dose of bug fixes. But, for some reason, the company has not yet addressed a glaring sound problem, where the audio stops working until a restart is performed. It is likely this occurs in the developer-only builds too. (It looks like this may even happen with the stable -- final -- version of the operating system.)
I am not alone in experiencing this problem, as I have seen other OS X 10.10 Yosemite users reporting the same issue with the built-in audio. In my case, after some testing, it appears that this issue occurs after my 2013 MacBook Air wakes up the built-in and external displays from sleep. (The sound also appears to have been disabled even after a clean install of the stable release; check the information pertaining to it at the end of the story for another solution.)
Enterprise mobility: How to choose the right strategy
Finding the ideal alignment and balance between hardware, software and employee preference has become the Holy Grail for those tasked with defining enterprise mobility strategy. BYOD delivered many great things, such as higher employee productivity and satisfaction. It also made IT managers rethink their strategies to make technology work for their organization in terms of mobility, security and management. Then COPE (corporate owned, personally enabled) came along, which promised to solve some of the problems that BYOD didn't, such as security. However, COPE also posed challenges of its own and is being followed now by CYOD (choose your own device).
With so many acronyms flying about, it might appear hard to know where to start identifying the best solution. However it would seem that 2014 has heralded the end for BYOD, with a recent report by analyst firm Gartner declaring its demise, stating, "There is no way for IT to assume full responsibility of securing and managing devices without ownership". Indeed, the acronym is now being translated by some as "bring your own disaster", suggesting it would perhaps be wise to learn from others' mistakes.
Create fun photo collages in seconds with Shape Collage
Shape Collage is a photo collage tool with a difference. You're not restricted to creating collages with the standard rectangle or "pile of photos" look: they can use whatever shape you like.
The free-for-personal-use program crams a lot of functionality into a single window, but smart interface design means it's still very easy to use. Click the "Add" button, choose a few photos (local, from your online accounts or a general internet search), click "Create" and that's it: your first collage.
China takes on Windows, Android with new homegrown operating systems
China really is serious about shrugging off the shackles of Windows and other Western operating systems, as the country is apparently developing its own OS which is free from the security misgivings the government has about foreign software.
According to the Xinhua news agency (via Reuters), the Chinese government is looking to boost its domestic software industry and develop alternatives firstly for desktop operating systems (namely Windows), and then it will follow those footsteps in the mobile world with an Android usurper (or that's the theory). This is according to a certain Ni Guangnan, head of an "official OS development alliance" which was put together back in the spring.
LG officially announces G3 Stylus
Early this month, LG revealed the existence of a stylus-toting G3 version, called G3 Stylus, in a marketing video for its newly-introduced G3 Beat. Given that Samsung will shortly announce the Galaxy Note 3 successor, it has been expected that LG's new handset will be positioned as a direct rival. As it turns out, that is not the case.
Today, LG officially takes the wraps off G3 Stylus, revealing hardware specifications worthy of a budget-friendly Android smartphone. There is no high-resolution display or high-end processor. Instead, it has a modest 5.5-inch IPS panel with a low resolution of 540 by 960, and a 1.3 GHz quad-core chip. And, because of it, LG says it sits in a class of its own.
Bing Maps expands its transportation features in Japan
The land of the rising sun, Japan, has some bustling cities. That can lead to headaches for tourists attempting to navigate the foreign surroundings -- not the easiest thing to traverse, as many travelers have learned.
However, Bing is attempting to improve on this, adding new features to its mapping service within the nation. Multiple updates have been made to the services.
Microsoft helps Royal Caribbean become the ultimate cruise line for nerds
Cruising is something that is near and dear to my heart. As someone who grew up very poor, my family never went on vacation -- it was a waste of money. This was the mindset that I was raised to have, thinking travel was stupid, when money can go towards bills. This thinking was dangerous though, as I became an adult that almost never left New York. It's a cliche, but life is short, and it is silly not to see the world.
What broke this frugal trance was cruising. While a normal vacation is very expensive and far from my grasp, a cruise can be very affordable as all food is included. Over the last 8 years, I have been on 7 Royal Caribbean cruises, and a couple of weeks ago, I went on my first Celebrity cruise (it's the same company). To say I like Royal Caribbean is an understatement -- I love it and am proudly a Platinum member of its Crown and Anchor Society. Unfortunately, technology on the ships has been very lacking. As a computer nerd, not having tech was maddening, although sometimes freeing too. Today, Royal Caribbean appeals to nerds, with the help of Microsoft, as its Quantum of the Seas ship goes high-tech.
Google Drive for Work sees strong enterprise adoption
Google’s Drive for Work storage product is seeing 1,800 new businesses sign up every week as enterprises continue to come around to the secure storage and collaboration option that it offers.
A blog post by Scott Johnston, director of product management at Google Drive, explained that the $10 (£6) per user per month package has been popular across a number of industries since it was launched just two months ago.
One weird trick -- Facebook to clear newsfeeds of click-bait headlines
Click-bait articles are rife online. Countless websites ply a trade in leading headlines designed to lure readers in, giving as little away as possible as an encouragement to click through. A virtual prick-tease, if you will. Sometimes the click is worth it, but all too often the article -- particularly on tabloid-style newspapers, magazine websites and sites peddling listicles -- is pointless or misleading. A suggestive question, the promise of sex, inappropriate references to the iPhone 6, the implication of free money... the possibilities for click-bait are virtually endless. It -- understandably -- annoys a lot of people, and it has annoyed Facebook enough for the social network to take a stand.
You've no doubt noticed that your Facebook newsfeed has become clogged up with countless "one weird trick", "ten ways to give her the best orgasm ever", and "you'll never guess what!" headlines. Now Facebook is taking steps to limit the appearance of such articles so that what users see is more interesting and relevant. In a post on the Facebook blog, it has been announced that two key updates are to be made: "the first to reduce click-baiting headlines, and the second to help people see links shared on Facebook in the best format".
Amazon buys Twitch for almost $1 billion -- Google left empty-handed
To call Amazon a book-seller at this point is simply not accurate. The company has blossomed into so much more; manufacturing smartphones, tablets, e-readers and pretty much selling everything under the sun. Hell, as a retailer, it is a one-stop-shop for anything, such as streaming media, groceries, and hygiene products to name a few.
Yes, Amazon is trying to be all things to all consumers and quite frankly, it is working. Today, the company's tentacles grab yet another endeavor as it acquires video-game-streaming company, Twitch, for close to a billion dollars.
Amazon gives go-ahead for pilots of 5 new kids shows
In the new online original content landscape, Amazon is not messing around, having announced several new comedy shows debuting this year. Now the streaming video service arm of the retailer is greenlighting new pilots of kids shows as well, though these aren't the first to hit Prime.
In all, five new pilots were announced, though this means little about which will survive, as Amazon allows the viewers to vote. The winners gain a full season production run. The losers simply go away after one episode.
Lian Li unveils weird-looking PC-Q19 brushed aluminum Mini-ITX case
It is often said that variety is the spice of life, so it is appreciated when a manufacturer takes a risk on a product design. Even though I am a Ford man, I was a huge fan of the Honda Element -- a boxy cross-over vehicle. Many people thought it was ugly and ultimately, the manufacturer stopped making it. However, I thought it was pretty and sexy. In other words, beauty is in the eye of the beholder -- what is ugly to some is pretty to others.
Today, popular case manufacturer, Lian Li, shows-off a new Mini-ITX case, called the PC-Q19. It is tall, skinny and weird-looking and I love it. However, I predict that it will be quite the polarizing design, just like the Honda Element. Do you think it is ugly or pretty?
CloudPhysics uses big data to help VMware users benchmark their systems
One of the difficulties with using virtual systems is that it's harder to measure performance. Now though data insights specialist CloudPhysics is launching a new Global Insights tool to allow VMware users to continuously benchmark their virtual infrastructure against global metrics.
This is part of enhancements to its SaaS solution which include interactive Daily Insights, that dynamically aggregate and expose operational hazards across the datacenter. The addition of Global Insights analysis across a massive range of data samples enables CloudPhysics users to instantly identify areas for improvement in their own environments, as well as specific actions for achieving better datacenter health, performance and efficiency.
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