The ROCCAT Tyon gaming mouse -- 16 buttons, including a dorsal fin
The evolution of the computer mouse is well documented. When the first mouse was invented, I am sure no one at the time expected to predict the insane future that gaming mice would create. For the most part, people can get by with a 2 button mouse -- hell, Apple stuck with the single-button mouse for quite a while, punishing its users for some ungodly reason. But I digress, extra buttons such as back/forward and scroll wheels are appreciated extras that many cannot live without.
Gaming mice however, take things to a different level; the craziest I've ever seen being the Logitech G600 MMO mouse that features 20 programmable buttons. Today, ROCCAT unveils a new mouse with 16 programmable buttons, spread out across the pointing device. While that does not best the previously mentioned G600, it does have something extremely odd -- a dorsal fin. Yes, much like a dolphin, this mouse has a dorsal fin. Please let that sink in for a minute.
Google Hangouts 'button' available for apps and websites
Google Hangouts has become the chat standard for many of us. Long gone are the days of Aol Instant Messenger or MSN Messenger. If I want to chat with a friend, family member or coworker, I choose Google's service. It's not necessarily better than any other, but its value is in its ubiquity.
Today, Google expands the availability of access to the platform with the all-new Hangouts Button. This button allows one-click access to your desired chat buddy.
Google offers End-To-End encryption with new alpha Chrome extension
Today, Google took the wraps off a new security tool for Chrome users. Currently available as an alpha release, End-To-End is an extension for Google's browser that offers... well... end-to-end encryption for data arriving in and departing from Chrome. As this is only an alpha version, the extension is not currently available in the Chrome Web Store, but Google has made the code available so the privacy-conscious and security-minded can take it for a test drive.
Based on OpenPGP and a newly developed, JavaScript-based crypto library, End-to-End can be used to encrypt, decrypt, digitally sign, and verify signed messages. Google is keen to receive feedback -- discover a problem and you could cash in, thanks to the Vulnerability Reward Program. In a post on the Google Online Security Blog, Stephan Somogyi, Product Manager, Security and Privacy explains that "we recognize that this sort of encryption will probably only be used for very sensitive messages or by those who need added protection. But we hope that the End-To-End extension will make it quicker and easier for people to get that extra layer of security should they need it".
XP users feel no great rush to upgrade
If Microsoft expected XP users to desert the aging OS once support officially came to an end, the tech giant will no doubt have been sorely disappointed. Although XP’s market share has fallen in the two months since it reached end of life, the 13 year old operating system remains hugely popular.
According to Net Applications, from March to May, XP lost just 2.42 percent market share, and is still to be found on over a quarter of all Windows systems. Windows 7 gained 1.29 percent in the same time period, to break the 50 percent barrier, and Windows 8.x increased its share by 1.34 percent for a not so grand total of 12.64 percent. Statista has put together a little graph showing how little end of support has changed XP’s popularity.
Logitech X300 Mobile Wireless Stereo Speaker will play your summer jams
We are getting so close to summer in New York, that I can feel it. No really, the hot sun has been shining down on my head and my legs have felt the breeze since I started wearing shorts. Unfortunately, even though the temperatures have been getting warmer, it is not quite beach weather. However, laying on the sand and drinking lemonade is right around the corner.
No beach party or backyard barbecue is complete without some jamming tunes, like "Who Let the Dogs Out" by the Baja Men or "Summertime" by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. Of course, you will need a good speaker to play that music, as the one in your smartphone is not going to cut it. Luckily, Logitech has just launched a new Bluetooth audio system that is ready to play the soundtrack to your good times, the X300 Mobile Wireless Stereo Speaker.
Top developers just don't care about Windows Phone
With the arrival of Windows Phone 8.1, the tiled smartphone operating system has gained a significant number of great new features, turning into a much more powerful and able rival to the more-popular Android and iOS. But, no matter how good it may be, top developers still treat Windows Phone as a second-tier platform, that seemingly warrants little to no attention.
Windows Phone head Joe Belfiore has spoken of the so-called app-gap going away. Well, sorry, Joe, that is not going to happen. Tough luck. Deal with it. Why? Because top tier developers still release the latest features on Android and iOS first, leaving Windows Phone users waiting, and waiting, and then waiting some more for the "cutting-edge" to arrive -- that is, if that ever happens and the app is not abandoned in the meantime.
Flash! We’ve only got 336 hours to save the world from a powerful computer attack!
Do we really have just two weeks before we're hit by a powerful computer attack?
According to Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA), internet users have a fortnight before the world’s nastiest cybercriminals will be ready to strike back after suffering a major setback this week.
Google Chrome ships early versions for Windows 64-bit, promises better speed, stability and security
In a move that could -- and maybe should -- have happened years ago, Google has finally released native 64-bit Windows builds into the Chrome release channel. While not yet available to stable or beta channel users, those wishing to take full advantage of their 64-bit processors can do so with the release of Google Chrome 37 Dev and Google Chrome Canary 37.
The 64-bit builds -- according to Google -- hit the spot with its three "core principles": speed, security and stability.
Control web access across your network with NxFilter
Install most security suites and you’ll get some form of web filter, blocking sites according to their content, a blacklist, or both. This works well enough on a single PC, but performance can be an issue, and it’s not going to help if you need to protect your whole network.
NxFilter is a DNS-based web filter, so there’s no text-based content filtering. But the program can block access to websites based on domain, category, user, time, quota and more. There’s built-in phishing protection, updated every two hours, while packet inspection can detect malware and bots. One installation can protect your entire network -- and it can all be yours for free.
Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro: A good ultrabook that also works as a tablet [Review]
Lenovo seems to be hedging its bets in the exciting new world of tablet-Ultrabook hybrids. The company offers models where the screen is removable, like the ThinkPad Helix, and also where it rotates, like the ThinkPad Yoga. The Yoga 2 Pro is the latest non-corporate version of the latter. The basic concept is the same as the ThinkPad Yoga, but it moves the genre forward considerably in one key area.
The primary step forward is the screen, which has a whopping resolution of 3,200 x 1,800. This is even greater than the considerable 2,560 x 1,440 offered by Dell's XPS 11 2-in-1 Ultrabook, although the Yoga 2 Pro has a larger 13.3-inch display, like Toshiba's KIRA 101. It's an IPS screen, too, so doesn't suffer from the viewing angle issues of the cheaper TN variety, with the display clear from every position. Detail is superb, although colour is a little more muted than we would have expected.
Symantec's cloud storage experiment fails completely -- Norton Zone set to close
While there’s certainly no shortage of cloud storage solutions to choose from, Norton Zone’s appeal -- on paper at least -- is the security it offers users. Content is encrypted when uploaded and stored in Symantec’s own secure data center, and the service automatically scans files for malware before they can be downloaded. As is fairly typical, you get 5GB of storage for free.
Or rather you did. Symantec has made the decision to discontinue Norton Zone and wind down support of the service over the next 30 to 60 days.
US Department of Defense gives nod of approval to five Samsung Galaxy devices
South Korean manufacturer Samsung announced, earlier today, that five of its Knox-enabled Galaxy smartphones and tablets have been approved by the US Department of Defense for use on its unclassified defense networks.
The devices in question are the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S4 Active, Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 and Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition, running Android 4.4 KitKat, with Knox 1.x in tow. The company's latest smartphone flagship, the Galaxy S5, as well as other Android handsets sporting Knox 2.x have not received the nod of approval from the DOD, which would have allowed them to be included in the Defense Information System Agency's Approved Product List (APL).
SanDisk hopes to win the hearts (and wallets) of gamers with Extreme PRO SSD
Believe it or not, system builders are a diverse set. Some people focus on looks, others on performance and some on value. However, gamers are typically the ones that push the boundaries with performance and high-costs when building rigs. While some people will write-off video games as a silly time waster, they are actually a vital driver of personal computing innovation. Hell, it is also good financially for the hardware business -- new games need better hardware and gamers are willing to pay to play.
Beyond expensive video cards and overclocked CPUs and RAM, gamers are constantly looking for a way to gain an edge. Anything that can make a game load faster, even by seconds, is extremely attractive to them. Today, SanDisk announces the Extreme PRO SSD -- a storage solution for gamers that want to utilize SATA III rather than much costlier options. PlayStation 4 owners will want to take notice too.
Olympus has fallen: Microsoft and the FBI take down Zeus botnet
Microsoft has a digital crimes unit, which it has utilized to systematically go after botnets around the world. The company claims several victories, but none is likely as big as the one now unveiled.
Zeus, an especially troubling entity, has been taken down by a combination of the Microsoft DCU and the US FBI. The company announces that the game is now over for "GameOver", a variant of Zeus (also known as Zbot).
The irresistible rise of the Windows phone
Android may be the dominant force in the smartphone market, but according to mobile advertising specialist Vserv Windows is surging forward as a mobile OS.
As prices of smartphones continue to fall, making them more popular across global markets, this is good for the whole market and Vserv sees the adoption of the next generation of Windows-based phones as being all but guaranteed.
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