Microsoft signals HTC may launch new Windows Phones
Microsoft could renew its partnership with HTC in order for a more diverse range of handsets to be available on the Windows Phone platform.
Nick Parker, head of Microsoft’s OEM division, told a packed press conference at Computex that HTC could soon be back in the Windows Phone fold, according to CNET.
Windows gamers, rejoice -- Microsoft releases Xbox One controller drivers!
I love First-Person shooter video games such as Call of Duty and Quake 4. For that genre of game, my trusty keyboard and mouse is the optimal way to interact with my on-screen character. However, for all other games like fighting, racing and platforming, I need and demand a quality controller. While there are many to choose from, the Xbox 360 controller has proven to be the most reliable and comfortable for many. Drivers exist for Windows, so gamers can connect it by USB or buy a wireless variant and dongle.
Sadly, Xbox One controller drivers have been absent for Windows. This is puzzling as Microsoft is behind the controller and operating system. This new controller is wonderfully built and designed, so gamers have been eager to use it on their PC gaming rigs. Well, today the wait ends -- Microsoft has finally delivered the drivers we have been waiting for.
Surface Pro 3 is the tablet that can replace your laptop -- if you ignore the small print
There’s no question that Surface Pro 3 is a nice piece of kit. My colleague Brian Fagioli loves his, and says it at last puts Microsoft ahead of the competition. It’s expensive though, and a lot of people will struggle to justify the cost.
With previous iterations, Microsoft pitched its slate against the iPad, but with this latest version the tech giant has decided to take a different tack -- positioning it instead as a laptop replacement.
Android may get touch-friendly Office apps before Windows 8.x
Since his appointment as CEO in February of this year, Satya Nadella has made it clear that Microsoft needs to be more than a one-platform developer. Still, it may come as some surprise that the Android version of the latest touch-optimized Office suite will be released months before the Windows 8 variant.
Office's user base across PCs remains high, but in order to target mobile users, the majority of whom are on Android or iOS, the company is making a clear statement that it won't neglect these consumers.
China brands Windows 8 a threat to its national security
It’s fair to say China isn’t a fan of Windows 8. A few weeks ago, the tiled OS was banned from Chinese government computers, as part of a notice on the use of energy-saving products (if this sounds a bit vague, that’s because the reason given is).
Then, if that wasn’t bad enough news for Microsoft, a state-backed news report broadcast on China's CCTV has really put the boot in, branding the operating system a threat to China's cybersecurity, and suggesting it is being used to spy on Chinese citizens.
VMware warns Amazon AWS plugin may lead to vendor lock-in
VMware is locking horns with Amazon Web Services (AWS) over the latter’s decision to implement a new hybrid cloud connector that VMWare warns is a dangerous precursor to vendor lock-in.
A blog post from VMware’s CTO Chris Wolf explained that the recently released AWS Connector for vCenter, a plugin that allows AWS cloud services to be run inside VMware-designed environments, will create significant complications down the line.
G'MIC: the world’s most flexible image processor?
G’MIC (GREYC’s Magic for Image Computing) is an exceptionally powerful image processing tool for the command line (or via GIMP, if you install it via a plugin). It’s aimed very much at experts, but has features which can be used by just about everyone.
At its simplest, you might use the program to view a series of images (gmic pic1.jpg pic2.jpg pic3.jpg) or convert an image from one format to another (gmic ThisPicture.png Output.png).
WinPatrol tweaks cookie management, adds Pale Moon support
BillP Studios has released WinPatrol 31.0.2014, a minor refresh of its Windows snapshot-based security tool. WinPatrol monitors key system areas for changes, alerting the user to program attempts to make significant alterations.
Despite the jump to version 31, the latest release is a relatively minor one, with the most significant changes made to its browser-monitoring SQLite database.
Over half of organizations suffer critical system outages
System outages remain a major problem for businesses, with over half suffering critical problems in the last three months according to a new report.
The latest annual Service Availability Benchmark Survey conducted by risk management specialists Continuity Software is based on responses from 155 IT professionals across a range of industries and regions.
Change your DNS server, MAC address and proxy with Smart DNS Changer
Changing your DNS servers can be a smart way to block phishing scams, protect your children from inappropriate websites, maybe even improve your browsing speed.
Figuring out how to do this can be a challenge, at least if you’re a network beginner. Fortunately tools like NirSoft’s QuickSetDNS and ChrisPC DNS Switch can help to simplify the process, and Smart DNS Changer extends the idea further with some clever touches of its own.
Google releases Street View imagery of all 12 World Cup stadiums -- and beyond
The world's biggest football tournament (or soccer, for Americans) is just a week away. This time around the World Cup takes place in Brazil, and unless you live there, or are a massive fan, the chances are you won’t be making the trek to watch the games live.
Fortunately, you’ll be able to watch as much of the event as you like on TV or over the web, and in advance of events kicking off, Google Maps has made it possible to explore all 12 stadiums in Street View.
Android 4.4 KitKat shows tremendous growth
At WWDC 2014, while talking about iOS 8, Apple CEO Tim Cook took a stab at Android, saying that its latest iteration, version 4.4 KitKat, is only running on nine percent of Android devices. The figure is certainly lower than for iOS 7, which borders on 90 percent adoption. However, as we have become accustomed to, at the beginning of each month Google gives us a fresh set of numbers, which can quickly tell a different story.
The figure Cook used then was from early-May, which was, indeed, from the most-recent data. Skip forward one month, and we see Android 4.4 KitKat posting a 60 percent growth, reaching 13.6 percent distribution. The increase is noteworthy, and suggests that we can expect similar results come future distribution updates.
How to protect yourself from Cryptolocker while there's still time
Law enforcement from around the world came together last week in an impressive sinkholing operation designed to disrupt two of the most troublesome pieces of malware on the planet: GameOver Zeus and Cryptolocker. These two spent much of last winter tearing through computers around the world, encrypting all the files on the hard drive and demanding payment to restore them. The NCA has estimated that around 15,000 computers may currently be infected in the UK. Worldwide, it runs into the millions.
Over the weekend, police managed to sinkhole the entire GameOver Zeus botnet infrastructure, and seized control of Cryptolocker's command-and-control servers. So great news for white hats everywhere. But then the UK's National Cyber Crime Unit put out a perplexing piece of advice: users now have two weeks to protect themselves from these two cyber nasties. So what does that mean? Why two weeks? And what can you do to protect yourself?
The Decline and Fall of IBM
Well my IBM eBook is finally available. Right now that’s just on Amazon.com for the Kindle (just click the link to the right) but by next week it will be on every eBook platform (iPad, Nook, etc.) and there will be a trade paperback as well as an audio edition. I’ll announce all of those here as they appear.
I feel I owe an explanation for the long delay in publishing this book. I finished it in early January, about a week after my mother died, only to learn that my old-school book publisher didn’t want to touch it. Or more properly they wanted me to be entirely devoted to the book they were paying me a ton of money to write and to wait on IBM even though the eBook had been in the works for two years and was completely ready-to-go.
Amazon unveiling mysterious device on June 18 -- what do you think it is?
Amazon is on a roll lately, delivering some incredible products. Hell, the Kindle Fire HDX tablets alone were home-runs, but the amazing Fire TV took it to another level. The online-retailer has leveraged Android in its own way, refusing to bow-down to Google. It is quite the feat, actually, to think that Amazon broke into the hardware business with relative ease.
While the company has infiltrated markets for tablets, TVs and game consoles, there is one place it is noticeably absent -- smartphones. The company already has its own Android app store, so it's a natural progression. Today, the company teases a product unveiling on June 18. What will it announce?
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