LibreOffice 4.3 Beta available to try, improves Start Center
The Document Foundation has unveiled the first public beta of the forthcoming LibreOffice 4.3. The new 4.3 release branch sees some notable user-interface tweaks, performance enhancements and a number of new and tweaked features.
The word processor Writer is the beneficiary of most changes in this next release, while users should also enjoy better quality imports of PDF files.
Create a bootable antivirus disc with ESET SysRescue Creator
ESET SysRescue Live Creator is a handy tool for creating a bootable antivirus rescue CD or USB key.
There’s no shortage of competition in this area, of course, but Live Creator has one or two useful touches that you might appreciate.
How to get the best out of your Huawei Ascend P7
Huawei is not such a well-known smartphone maker as the likes of Samsung, Sony or HTC. But it has recently launched a relatively low cost, relatively high spec phone in the Ascend P7, and despite some quibbles about battery life I gave it a thumbs up in my recent review.
The Ascend P7 runs Android 4.4 (KitKat), and like all higher-end handset makers Huawei has its own skin which it calls Emotion UI. You'll notice this immediately because all the app icons have been given a makeover. The "flat" design is clean and neat looking, and it makes a good first impression. More importantly, perhaps, Emotion UI adds a range of features to the Android staples. Let's take a look at how best to use those features to our advantage.
How to continue getting free security updates for Windows XP -- until 2019
Microsoft has stopped providing XP users with security updates, forcing them to either upgrade to another, newer operating system, or gamble with their safety. While the latest usage figures show that a large portion of users are moving away from XP, there’s still a sizable number of users who aren’t -- or can’t.
If you’re an XP user, or know some XP users, there’s a trick which makes it possible to receive security updates for the aging OS for another five years -- right up until April 2019.
Emerging smartphone vendors put on their fighting gloves
According to a new Kantar Worldpanel ComTech report, smartphone "fragmentation" is on the rise in Europe. Locally-emerging brands, like Huawei and Wiko, are giving established players, like Apple and Samsung, a run for their money, delivering comparable offerings at much lower prices. As the average selling price drops even further, the former are set to erode more of the latter's market share.
The report also suggests that some established brands, that have lost their way, are "showing resurgence" on the old continent. Dominic Sunnebo, the firm's strategic insight director, gives Motorola and Sony as example. The former has crawled its way back on Europe's radar with attractive smartphones like the low-cost Moto G and dirt-cheap Moto E, the latter of which is among the least expensive Android smartphones from a well-known vendor at £89 ($130 in US).
eBay initially believed no user data had been compromised in breach
This week saw a huge eBay security compromise, which opened up user details on a major scale -- but when the issue first came to light, the company didn't think any user data was involved.
You can't have missed the story of this breach -- and the ensuing fracas in which eBay was roundly criticized for its lackadaisical response this week. With passwords involved in the compromise, eBay's push for users to change their passwords was woefully sluggish -- failing to get even a prominent warning up on the site itself until the day after the breach was officially admitted (at least going by GMT; see our closer look at how badly eBay handled its database breach). And indeed there was no forced reset of user passwords.
Protect your personal messages with CTI Text Encryption
CTI Text Encryption is a lightweight, portable text encryption tool. It’s ideal for sending sensitive information via insecure channels (email, online chat, web forums), perhaps from someone else’s computer, although you can also use it to save confidential data in files or elsewhere.
The open source program is a tiny download (827KB), a single executable with nothing else attached. Copy the file to a USB stick and it’s ready to use almost anywhere.
Skype vs Lync: The case for killing off Skype
As we enjoy the restive Memorial Day weekend here in the States, I finally have a chance to relax from the hustle and bustle of tech consulting life. In my leisurely net browsing, I came across an interesting conundrum raised in an article I stumbled upon at ArsTechnica by Peter Bright titled simply "Lync 2013 is everything that Skype should be. Why do they both exist?"
It's a very intriguing question that led me to think a bit deeper about this admitted two-face coming out of Microsoft. This is especially true for me because I've had the chance to get knee deep into Lync since we ditched Google Apps in favor of Office 365 last year.
Apps can boost workforce productivity by a third
A new piece of research from Salesforce.com claims that apps boost worker productivity levels considerably.
In fact, app usage apparently boosts productivity by some 34 percent, according to the study which interviewed 470 staff members across small and large businesses in the UK.
Technology and politics -- two paths that need to cross to enable progress
In the world of politics, the wheels of change move slowly; very slowly indeed. Parties and those in power have a vested interest in maintaining the established order, and any attempts to buck the status quo are usually fairy fiercely opposed. Contrast this with the technological world where there are new innovations made every single day -- even at the weekend! Technology doesn’t run out of money and leave an entire nation on the verge of collapse. Technology is not interested in race, class, sex, sexuality or other characteristics. It is certainly true that technology is largely driven by a desire to generate profit -- we are, for the time being, living in a capitalist world, after all -- but it is profit born of fulfilling people's needs and desires.
Can the same be said of politics? To a large extent politics is self-serving. There's still an interest in generating a profit, but it is for the benefit of the few. Technology serves the masses, and has the potential to serve and benefit all. Of course, the term "technology" is rather broad. For the purposes of this article, I'm going to use it to refer to computers, the internet, smartphone, the cloud, electronic/connected devices, robots and the like. For all the gestures to democracy and choice, politicians are, for the most part, interested in serving certain sections of society. There are of course those parties and politicians who are able to take a wider view, have an interest in helping those at the bottom as much as those at the top, and value all people equally.
Apple's SSL fail -- allows certificate to expire, scares OS X users
While I am mostly a Windows and Linux user, I also run a Hackintosh. I do this for a couple of reasons -- partly curiosity, but mostly I just want to be knowledgeable about all operating systems. So, periodically I will boot into my OS X SSD and play around. Today, I decided to check for updates and received the below scary message. At first I thought I was hacked or compromised. After some Googling however, it seems I am not alone and it is not limited to Hackintoshes. The problem is on Apple's end and is an enormous fail.
"An Error has occurred.The certificate for this server is invalid. You might be connecting to a server that is pretending to be 'swscan.apple.com' which could put your confidential information at risk". My confidential information at risk? Oh my!
Amazon releases first kids' series, Tumble Leaf
Amazon Studios has been busy as of late, producing its own original content, running both Betas and Alpha House this past season. The studio arm has also been testing pilots for upcoming shows, most recently, ones for children.
Now the online retailer is debuting the first, titled Tumble Leaf. "A vibrant blue fox, whimsical friends, exhilarating adventures and discovery await all those who explore the stop-motion world of Tumble Leaf. Amazon’s first original kids series is available today, exclusively on Amazon Prime Instant Video at no additional cost for Prime members", is the description given by Amazon.
I am working exclusively from a Chromebook -- here's how and why
Despite that I've owned an HP 11 Chromebook since its release, I've viewed it as little more than a novelty. I work from an office on the third floor of my home, which has a nice size desk, desktop PC and 15.6 inch laptop, both running Windows 8.1.
However, as the weather warms (finally!) I considered making the move out to my porch, something I did last summer as well. In that case I lugged the Windows laptop with me, not a difficult task, but the size is really more than I need for carrying around.
The most popular stories on BetaNews this past week: May 18 -- May 24
It should come as no surprise that this week's big news was Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 unveiling. Brian had been looking forward to the NYC event and was at the event to get hands on with the new device. There's certainly a lot to love about Microsoft's third generation tablet, but there is that price to consider. If you like the look of what you see, the device is available for pre-order right now -- and if you're undecided between the Surface and a MacBook Air, Mihaita compared the two. Maybe you're one of those who thinks it’s a niche product.
The Surface Mini failed to make an appearance, but there are still lots of other tablets to choose from -- although they are yet to make much of an impression in higher education, unlike Chromebooks which have found their way into Welsh schools. Will Microsoft's tablet manage to attain the longevity of Apple's iPad? You'd be forgiven for thinking that hell itself had frozen over at the news that work is underway that will make it possible to run Android and iOS apps side by side on the same device.
HTC wants One M8 users to get in shape -- partners with Fitbit and AT&T
Not all nerds are fat, but a good amount of us are. It's no surprise that sitting on our butts staring at a computer screen while drinking Mountain Dew and eating Doritos can pack on the pounds.
While technology has taken many a computer nerd down the path of poor health, it doesn't have to be that way. In fact, technology can actually be good for you. Case in point, fitness wearables like the ones from Fitbit can help you gain control of your life by tracking your activity. Today, HTC, AT&T and Fitbit are launching a promotion that will save you $50 when buying an HTC One M8 and a Fitbit fitness tracker.
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