Twitter files for IPO -- Will the stock fly like a bird or fail like a whale?
Following in the footsteps of Facebook, fellow social-media site Twitter has filed for an IPO. In other words, the company wants to sell stock in itself by going public. However, Twitter probably hopes not to follow Facebook's initial performance which was utterly abysmal and caused investors to lose money.
Predictably, the company made the announcement with a tweet, "we’ve confidentially submitted an S-1 to the SEC for a planned IPO. This Tweet does not constitute an offer of any securities for sale."
Outlook.com embraces IMAP
Earlier today Microsoft introduced IMAP support for its Outlook.com email service. The latest addition is designed to allow feature phone users and those who rely on a number of third-party email clients, such as the Mail app from OS X, to take advantage of email sync.
IMAP joins Exchange ActiveSync and POP as the supported Outlook.com protocols and falls between the two, in terms of functionality (EAS is more feature-rich compared to POP). "While we believe that EAS is the most robust protocol for connecting to your email, with syncing in near real time, and superior battery and network efficiency, there are still some devices and apps that haven't made the upgrade to EAS", says Outlook.com Protocols principal program manager lead Steve Kafka. "As an older protocol, IMAP is widely supported on feature phones and other email clients such as those on a Mac. We heard your feedback loud and clear that this was important".
How to delete or disable (almost) all of your accounts from the cloud
Over the years I have amassed a vast collection of unused accounts on websites. I am sure you have too. I have signed up for various online services -- email, cloud storage, content streaming, social networking and more -- with the prospect of trying new things or replacing old ones. The antiquated accounts got left behind, abandoned or forgotten.
The downsides, at least for me, are the constant email reminders which I receive, trying to pull me back in, or, worse, the likelihood of exposing personal information to hackers (if I don't use something then I surely will not change my password frequently or enable new security features). The solution? The unused accounts have to go. And Just Delete Me is one of the best services to help do that.
Facebook closes Social Fixer's page -- owner warns other businesses
Social Fixer is a browser extension available for Chrome, Firefox and others. It exists to make Facebook a more pleasurable experience, by ironing out annoyances and adding extra features. In theory this means Facebook users are happier and therefore use the site more -- everyone's a winner. The tool is free and over the course of four years its developer, Matt Kruse, built up a following of hundreds of thousands of users. Now Facebook has wiped that out.
The Social Fixer tool still exists and still offers the same options as it did before, but it no longer has a Facebook presence. Back on 2 September the Social Fixer Facebook Page (which is still inaccessible) was "unpublished" by Facebook. The reason specified was that the page had been flagged up for spam -- this is something Matt vehemently denies ever engaging in.
All Aboard! Google Street View sails to the Galapogos
You will not be the first to explore the islands' biodiversity, and you won't be arriving on the HMS Beagle, but you also no longer need to face the hardships of a long sea journey to visit the Galapogos. Google Street View has made the trip for you and, as the team always does, it recorded every moment so that you can visit without leaving your computer.
The search giant partnered with the Directorate of the Galapagos National Park and Charles Darwin Foundation in order to capture panoramic imagery of the small island group. The company hopes the data will not just be a source of enjoyment for Street View users, but also "play an instrumental role in the ongoing research of the environment, conservation, animal migration patterns, and the impact of tourism on the islands".
AVG CrowdControl aims to protect your Facebook privacy
I use Facebook daily to stay in touch with friends, family and colleagues. However, despite my heavy usage, I am concerned about my privacy. Facebook is notorious for changing its policies and settings and it can be difficult to stay on top of it. Today, popular security and anti-virus company AVG announces a solution called AVG CrowdControl, which the company calls "its first privacy app built on the Facebook API".
"CrowdControl is designed to make Facebook experiences safer by customizing who can view a status, videos and photos posted on a personal timeline. AVG’s goal is that this will make privacy and online security, a more front-of-mind issue for users", says the company.
BullGuard Identity Protection safeguards your personal data
Where once malware was aimed at disrupting your computer, today it's more likely to be out to steal your personal information and get access to your finances. BullGuard has a track record of guarding against this type of threat with products like Premium Protection 13 its complete security package.
But the company's latest release, BullGuard Identity Protection, is designed to work alongside your existing security suite -- of any brand -- and ensure that your personal information and social networking activities are protected against threats.
Smartphones to cannibalize tablets, but it's the PC getting eaten
Tablets are where the growth is right now, with sales of touch devices eating away at the market share of traditional PCs. But that’s not the only cannibalization going on in the tech world. The iPad mini certainly impacted on sales of the standard-sized iPad upon launch. And with the line between tablets and smartphones becoming increasingly blurred, market analysis firm IDC predicts large-screen (5+ inch) smartphones will start to gnaw away at the smaller (7-8 inch) tablet market from 2014.
"The device world has seen several iterations of cannibalization impacting different categories, with the last few years focused on tablets cannibalizing PC sales," Bob O'Donnell, Program Vice President, Clients and Displays, observes. "Over the next 12-18 months, however, we believe the larger smartphones, commonly called 'phablets', will start to eat into the smaller-size tablet market, contributing to a slower growth rate for tablets".
Huddle aims to connect workers via the cloud
Content collaboration specialist Huddle has launched its Connected Desktop experience aimed at streamlining team working by linking the desktop with the company's content collaboration system.
Groups of people can work together, editing and saving files from their desktops into a secure cloud. This aids productivity regardless of where workers are located or what type of device they're using. The latest release offers five new capabilities.
Apple burnishes while we wait for another breakthrough
Some readers have asked me for a post on the new Apple iPhones announced two days ago. I’ll get to that in time but prefer to do so when I actually have an iPhone 5S in my hands because I have a very specific column in mind. And no, it’s not the column you think it is. But this is still a good time to write something about Apple in general, which is how Cupertino appears to now stand at a crossroads.
There is a world of difference between Microsoft and Apple but one way they are similar is in facing a generational change. Another way they are similar is in having robust legacy businesses that both put a drag on such change (who needs change, we’re doing great!) and make it easy to wait or at least to go slowly. But no matter how much money they have in the bank, each company must eventually come to terms with how it is going to move forward in an evolving market. Neither company has.
Meenova Mini MicroSD Card Reader [Review]
Crowdfunding is all the rage nowadays. It feels like not a day goes by without some new venture begging users for money. While many of the products are less than desirable, every once in a while, a gem shines through. Case in point, the Meenova Mini MicroSD Card Reader for Android.
According to the company, "it is just like a SD card reader that you use on your computer, except it is for Android tablets and smartphones that have MicroUSB port. You can use it to read/write MicroSD cards, copy files between your phone/tablet and a MicroSD card".
Microsoft preps market for new devices, launches Windows for Business site
The launch of Windows 8.1 is right around the corner and, in fact, many of us are already using the next-generation operating system either in Preview or RTM form. Consumers, however, are not the only focus for Windows, and the software maker has taken steps in version 8.1 to ease the transition for business by bringing back the Start button (sort of) and adding a "boot to desktop" mode.
Now the company is adding a new site dedicated to this lofty task of selling to customers who are not only not on Windows 8, but have not even upgraded to Windows 7 from XP. Microsoft announces that "it's a very busy time of year for Microsoft OEM partners as they unveil some of the newest Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 devices".
AT&T causes offense with 9/11 Twin Towers ad for BlackBerry Z10
AT&T finds itself on the receiving end of an internet backlash after tweeting an advertisement for the BlackBerry Z10 that used 9/11 imagery. On the anniversary of the tragedy that saw the Twin Towers fall, the US phone giant posted the ad on Twitter -- the tweet has since been removed -- which featured the Tribute in Light memorial under the heading Never Forget. A similar post was also made on Facebook -- this has too been removed.
The ill-advised marketing move has backfired however. The company's Twitter feed is now filled with vitriolic responses from those sickened by the imagery. Search Twitter for AT&T and there are tweets from thousands of users who can only be described as being seriously pissed and deeply offended. On the BetaNews team, New Yorker Brian said that it was horrible and that he hated it.
Parallels 9 for Mac -- great for Windows 8, Linux not so much [Review]
When I first switched to OS X, by way of Hackintosh, I was in pure ecstasy. I loved the interface and the beauty of the programs. For instance, iPhoto is the most intuitive and beautiful photo management program that I've ever used. However, while Apple's operating system met most of my needs, I would still find a need for a Windows program on occasion; mostly for business.
I decided to make my desktop a tri-boot machine. In other words, I decided to have it run three operating systems: Windows 8, Fedora 19 and OS X 10.8.4. Rather than play around with partitioning, I plugged three SSDs into my computer, installed the respective operating systems and used the BIOS as the boot manager.
Chromebook goes Haswell
Today, at the Intel Developer Forum, Google and OEM partners unveiled plans to release new Chromebooks using Haswell chips. That means long battery life, on the order of MacBook Air, for a fraction of the price. Six top OEMs will produce Chromebooks, which isn't the best news for Microsoft and Windows 8.1. ASUS and Toshiba join Acer, HP, Lenovo and Samsung.
"Intel’s latest processors consume less power to improve battery life by more than 2X over previous generations, while offering increased performance", Caesar Sengupta, Google's Chromebook product manager, claims. "This means these new Chromebooks can last all day so you can focus on getting things done".
BetaNews, your source for breaking tech news, reviews, and in-depth reporting since 1998.
© 1998-2025 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. About Us - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy - Sitemap.