Latest Technology News

Google slips into the red with a new Nexus 5

There's a new Nexus in town -- not a Nexus 7 or a Nexus 8 or a Nexus 10, but a slightly updated Nexus 5. The difference? This time around it is purely cosmetic. No hardware changes of any description, just a new coat of paint. The latest addition to the Nexus 5 range is the red variant -- but not just any red, a capitalized Bright Red, no less. This new release supplements the previously available black and white versions, bringing the color total to three.

As the only change that has been made is to the hue of the handset, it should come as no surprise that there has been no change to pricing either. The 16GB model can be picked up for $349, while the 32GB model will set you back an extra $50 at $399. The Nexus 5 is the phone that was eagerly anticipated, but proved to be slightly disappointing when it finally arrived on the scene -- to Brian, at least -- but it is still one that manages to pique people's interest.

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Microsoft’s new CEO Satya Nadella addresses customers and partners [Updated]

As you’ll be more than aware by now, Microsoft has a new CEO. Satya Nadella took over Steve Ballmer's position earlier today, and sent out his first email to all employees.

Next up, he’s going to be appearing in a live webcast, addressing Microsoft’s many customers and partners for the first time in his new role.

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Sexting and sharing passwords -- adults are engaging in risky behavior

As technology advances, so does the potential for its misuse. As smartphones gain better cameras and higher speed data connections, the likelihood of sharing naughty photos and videos increases. Sadly, this can end up harming both parties if it leaks online. The person in the photo or video can be embarrassed and the person that shares the content can possibly be charged with new "revenge porn" laws.

This risky behavior is becoming an epidemic, not only regarding sexual content, but other things too. With that said, McAfee announces the results of a recent survey, and they are quite troubling.

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Read Satya Nadella's first email as CEO to Microsoft employees

It’s a massive day for Microsoft, as long time CEO Steve Ballmer finally steps down to be replaced by Satya Nadella, and Bill Gates switches roles. Both former CEOs will remain on the board, and still have a degree of influence over the company. Quite what the changes will mean for Microsoft long term we’ll have to wait and see.

As is customary with major changes like this, both the incoming and outgoing CEOs have sent company-wide emails to employees. Nadella’s outlines his vision for the future, and includes a quote from Oscar Wilde -- "we need to believe in the impossible and remove the improbable". Here's what he had to say in full:

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Bill Gates steps down as Microsoft chairman

Microsoft has put an end to all the speculation surrounding Steve Ballmer's replacement, as the software giant today named Satya Nadella as its new CEO. The company's new leader will take the role "effective immediately". Also, starting today, Microsoft founder Bill Gates will no longer act as chairman of the board.

Gates is not stepping down from Microsoft entirely, as he will continue being on the board in a new role, as Founder and Technology Advisor. The man will also "devote more time to the company, supporting Nadella in shaping technology and product direction", says Microsoft. Gates will also continue his philanthropic endeavors, for which he has been best known since stepping down as the software giant's CEO in 2008.

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Light is a fast-loading, stripped down Firefox fork

If you’re not happy with the performance of Firefox on your PC then you could try tuning the browser manually. This isn’t difficult, but could take a while, as there are many possibilities to consider.

If you’re in a hurry, then, you might prefer to grab a copy of Light, a Firefox fork where many components (developer tools, less common APIs) have been "slimmed down" or removed entirely to improve its speed.

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SAP helps businesses deliver effective project management

SAP HQ Germany

There are lots of project management tools available, but when enterprise software specialist SAP launches one you expect it to be something pretty impressive.

Building on the capabilities of the existing SAP Business Suite which covers ERP, CRM and other core functions, SAP Commercial Project Management brings project-related front- and back-end information into one integrated system. Once there it makes it available to project managers, administrators and executives as well as aiding collaboration with sub-contractors and customers.

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Registrar Registry Manager: like Regedit, only much, much better.

Most PC users will need to edit the Windows Registry, at least occasionally, and the standard Registry Editor provides the basic functions you need to get the job done. It’s not always a quick or straightforward process, though, and if you regularly work in the Registry then you’ll probably benefit from the far more capable Registrar Registry Manager.

At first glance the program looks a little odd, as it opens with just a toolbar. This includes an address bar, though, so if you want to browse to a particular key -- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Nero\Nero 15\Nero Vision\Settings\ExpressUI, say -- there’s no need to expand each folder manually. Just paste the full path into the address bar, press Enter, and a window will open at that location.

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Microsoft continues to downplay Chromebooks in new Windows 8.1 ad

It is no secret that Microsoft is feeling threatened by Chromebooks and Chrome OS. A series of controversial ads which disparage the pair has already proved that. But when will the software giant stop playing the same old broken record that implies only Windows PCs are good enough to get real work done and Chromebooks are not?

Microsoft downplays Chromebooks due to their alleged inability to get "much done" without an Internet connection and without access to its own Office suite. This is the theme that Microsoft has used (and repeatedly abused before) to pitch Windows 8.1 in a new video advert. Seriously? How can a company that prides itself for its cloud services use those two arguments in 2014? Is that not the definition of hypocrisy?

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Satya Nadella is the new Microsoft CEO -- who is he?

When Steve Ballmer announced his impending retirement, the technology community was abuzz with excitement. After all, for Microsoft loyalists, picking a replacement CEO is like picking a new Pope. When the proverbial white smoke comes pouring from the chimney, a new leader will be appointed.

Many hoped that Bill Gates would return, but apparently he is too busy saving the world with his philanthropic endeavors. Ford's Alan Mulally was rumored to be in the running, but he denied any interest. Today, Microsoft announces that it has found its new leader, Satya Nadella. Let's take a look at Microsoft's choice.

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Microsoft Access apps are heading for the Office 365 store

It seems you can’t have a platform these days without an attached store, and Microsoft Office is no exception. There are many useful tools and templates that users can add to Word, Excel and other programs contained in the suite.

Now Access will be joining the party. A report today claims that as of February 3, Microsoft has given the green light to apps for the database program. Microsoft’s Matt Evans reports that “Access apps have been part of Office 365 subscriptions since Office 365 General Availability was announced in February 2013. Until now, Access apps were in preview and weren’t supported under the Office 365 service-level agreement (SLA) and compliance standards”.

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Windows 8.x STILL seriously underperforming compared to Windows 7

Windows XP gained a little market share in January -- making for a nice, fun headline -- but the real point of that story is how poorly Windows 8.x appears to be doing. Despite being backed by an incredible advertising and marketing push its adoption rate really is pretty awful.

Two months ago Statista compared the global market share of both Windows 7 and Windows 8.x following their respective launches, plotting the results on a graph, and as I said at the time the difference was stark. Windows 7 showed a steep upwards trend, while Windows 8.x appeared to be heading for a plateau. Statista has since updated its chart, and the difference in fortunes between the two operating systems is now even more pronounced.

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Firefox 27 extends SocialAPI, now handles multiple providers simultaneously

Mozilla has released the latest version of its open-source, cross-platform web browser with the launch of Firefox 27 FINAL for Windows, Mac and Linux, with Firefox for Android 27.0 due to follow.

There’s only one major new feature of note in this latest release -- the SocialAPI, which allows providers to provide social networking updates directly from within the browser, can now handle multiple providers simultaneously.

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Scan Firefox downloads for viruses with Fireclam

Firefox is a great browser in many ways, but malware protection isn’t one of them. The program tries to keep you away from dangerous sites, but isn’t particularly effective, and in our tests both Internet Explorer and Chrome do a much better job of keeping you safe.

This isn’t a major issue, of course, because you should also have an antivirus package to monitor your downloads, but if you’d like to add an extra layer of protection then a free Firefox add-on may be able to help.

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What a shocker! Samsung to unveil 'The Next Big Thing' at Unpacked Episode 1

Samsung has announced that its first Unpacked event of the year will be held on February 24, in Barcelona, which coincides with the MWC 2014 opening day. The South Korean maker has also hinted at a possible unveiling of "The Next Big Thing". You did not see this one coming, did you?

Samsung has previously used the term The Next Big Thing prior to taking the wraps off new versions of its popular high-end smartphones, like the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3, and the Galaxy Gear smartwatch, all of which were also announced at the Unpacked events it held last year.

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