Dropbox joins Twitter, says new transparency rules are not enough
While several companies have been busy posting new transparency reports, based on recent changes in US law, not everyone has been content with what has transpired. Last week, Twitter stood up and called the reform, essentially, too little and far too late. That sentiment likely echos the feelings of many US citizens.
However, the social service isn't the only one taking this stand. Today it is joined by cloud storage darling Dropbox. "We believe everyone has a right to know how much information the government is seeking from online services. This lets users fight back against improper requests, helps prevent abuses of power, and allows for a more informed public debate", states the company's Bart Volkmer.
Cha-ching! Microsoft brings Bitcoin to Bing!
As the world of technology evolves, so does money. People are paying for things using their smartphones and shunning cash. However, while services like Google Wallet use standard currencies, a new type has emerged from the depths of the internet -- Bitcoin.
This relatively new virtual currency is all the rage, being accepted at many businesses, including the Sacramento Kings -- an NBA franchise. If that isn't mainstream, I do not know what is. Today, Microsoft announces that it too is getting cozy with Bitcoin, by way of Bing.
Schooled by Linux -- 1,700 students get Ubuntu laptops
Linux is everywhere; from mobile phones to web servers. Even Chromebooks run Linux. Ironically, Chrome OS is a poor platform for actually learning about the open-source kernel. This is because Google's OS is limited by design. And so, it does not behave like a typical Linux distribution.
Instead, students would be better served by using a true Linux distribution, such as Ubuntu, Fedora or Mageia. With that said, a forward thinking school in Pennsylvania has done just that. Penn Manor High School has purchased 1,700 laptops running Ubuntu.
ScreenTabs -- extend your PC with two virtual desktops
The Windows desktop is a great place to work, when you're running two or three programs. Launch 10, 20, maybe 30, and life becomes rather more difficult. Application windows are everywhere, taskbar buttons become tiny, even Alt+Tab becomes awkward to use.
Fortunately, it doesn't have to be this way. Install ScreenTabs and the program will equip your system with two extra virtual desktops, giving you three in total. Each one gives you a fresh start -- an empty taskbar, no visible application windows -- and switching between them is as easy as clicking a tab on the left side of your screen.
Radio Search Engine rocks
Growing up in Northern Maine, where the winters are long and the nights bitterly cold, I obsessively listened to the radio. During darkness, AM signals skip hundreds, sometimes thousands, of kilometers. WRKO in Boston, 650 km south, back when the station played music, was a fav -- and WKBW in Buffalo, N.Y. My passion for radio led me to hitchhike, at 17, with a friend to the Federal Communications Commission office in Boston to test for a Third Class license. I would need one to be a radio disc jockey. I flunked, so we hitchhiked a second time. Success!
My radio passion remains. Before the Internet, I used a Grundig Shortwave receiver to listen to news and cultural programs from around the world. Many worldband stations are silent now, choosing to stream on the Internet instead. Domestic radio remains popular, however. For example, according to new Nielsen data released last week, 242 million Americans listen to radio, which reaches more than 90 percent of every age group. Sixty-five-million Americans 18-34 years old listen to radio, spending an average 11.5 hours each week. That's right. The Pandora generation.
Windows 8.1 Update 1 lacks the one thing that could save the troubled OS -- a Start menu
Yesterday I wrote about the forthcoming Windows 8.1 Update 1 and called it a "Frankenstein product stitched together with compromises". My view was based on my experiences with a leaked build of the OS. I didn’t realize, at the time of writing, that others were saying the same things, or that the update was being so roundly criticized online (I try to form my own opinions based on experience rather than get them second-hand).
Since then I’ve read numerous articles on the subject, and ploughed through hundreds of comments, and the general consensus of opinion is that Windows 8.1 Update 1 is, at best pointless, and at worst, a disaster. That seems a little unfair, seeing as the finished version isn’t even out yet, but that’s been the story of the tiled OS since the very beginning -- people haven’t been willing to give it a chance.
CryptoLocker ransomware is flourishing
The number of CryptoLocker infections is rising, causing problems for administrators and potentially raising millions of dollars for the malware authors behind it.
Security awareness training firm KnowBe4 says it's seeing a rise in the number of complaints about CryptoLocker as users are tricked into opening attachments and infecting their workstations.
GoGrid simplifies moving to big data
Big data is something that many companies are keen to exploit, but implementing big data solutions involves a number of hurdles.
Open Data Services specialist GoGrid is aiming to make the move to big data easier with its launch of 1-Button Deploy technology.
Google Nexus 7 soon available at Verizon
The second Google Nexus 7 tablet launched in mid-2013 with vast 4G LTE band support, that includes the Verizon cellular network. The mobile operator's customers, however, were unable to activate their new slates as Big Red revealed the device had to pass its certification process first, which was expected to be complete four to six weeks after it began in August, and be enabled for use on its cellular network afterwards.
Needless to say, Verizon's estimate was highly inaccurate as the mobile operator has only just announced the arrival of the second Nexus 7, with 4G LTE connectivity on board, in its slate portfolio. As some might say, better late than never, although the excitement has long since worn off. Here is what you need to know.
Point.io makes accessing enterprise data easier regardless of platform
We looked at the launch of the Point.io backend as a service (BaaS) platform last year and explained how it could help companies retain control of their data in the era of BYOD.
The company is now making it easier to enable fast, secure data links with the launch of APIdoc, a single point of access for all file sharing and storage technologies.
Samsung to reveal different design direction at Unpacked Episode 1
It is no secret that Samsung will unveil "The Next Big Thing" at its first Unpacked event of the year (odds are it will be the successor of the popular Galaxy S4). The company has told us so. But what we do not know is the direction that the South Korean maker wants to take with its upcoming flagship. Will there be something new or will it stick to the previous theme?
A new image released for Unpacked Episode 1 (where almost everything is at the power of five -- which gives Galaxy S5 rumors credence) shows nine key areas of focus for The Next Big Thing, some of which we have seen the company focusing on starting with the Galaxy S4 release almost a year ago. There are, however, clear signs that Samsung is looking to shake things up a bit as well.
Customize Windows right-click menus with Easy Context Menu
Browse just about any Windows tips site and you’ll find tutorials on how to customize various Explorer right-click menus. Adding the ability to open the command prompt at a particular folder is a particular favorite; shutting down your system from the desktop right-click menu is another.
Applying this kind of tweak usually requires nothing more than a few quick Registry edits, but if you’re in a hurry then you might prefer to use Easy Context Menu. It’s a compact portable tool which makes it simple to apply 20+ common right-click tweaks, as well as adding a few small extras of its own.
Hulu teams with CBS to add more content
Netflix, Amazon, Redbox and Hulu -- it's become increasingly hard to keep track of the content you wish to watch. All of these services are working on announcing new agreements, hoping to bring the latest and greatest to the viewing audience. Of course, not every one gets each and every deal, and now Hulu is the company with something to announce.
Today the streaming service announces a new partnership with a major US TV network, or really more of an expanded agreement between the two entities. "Now, with the expansion of our partnership with CBS, new generations can watch this iconic show, and come to understand the epic saga between Jan and her sister 'Marcia, Marcia, Marcia'", state Hulu's Mike Hopkins. Yes, the Brady Bunch will be part of the deal.
Microsoft soars through the sky -- FAA authorizes Surface 2 for pilot use
Traveling on an airplane used to be quite the archaic experience. Sure, soaring above the clouds is great, but for many, using electronic devices for things like Flappy Bird is much more exciting. Sadly, for many years, electronic devices were banned from certain phases of flight, such as take-off. Luckily, last year, the FAA allowed electronic devices during all phases.
While that was great for passengers, what about the pilots? Surely these air-based navigators want to take advantage of cutting-edge technology too. Well, today is their lucky day, as the FAA grants authorization to Microsoft's Surface 2.
The Flappy Bird files: is the truth out there?
Death threats, inflated eBay auctions, clever marketing, lawsuits, app cloning, IP cloaking and bots -- the departure of Flappy Bird from app stores at the weekend has sparked an array of rumours, accusations and conspiracies.
A notoriously tricky and addictive game, Flappy Bird had been downloaded more than 50 million times since May 2013, and was the number one free game in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store charts.
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