Opera 16 adds form filler, new browser tweaks
Opera Software today announces the release of Opera 16.0 FINAL.
As you might expect, the new rapid release cycle means that major changes are in short supply, but look closely and there are one or two interesting additions to be found.
China suffers from 'largest ever' DDoS attack on .cn domains
In an announcement on the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) website, China reveals that .cn domains became the target of a massive DDoS attack. The attack lasted for several hours, starting off around 2am Bejing time on Sunday, intensifying at 4am before control was slowly regained at around 10am.
The attack resulted in many sites with a .cn domain going offline, but at the moment it is not clear who may be responsible. CNNIC said little apart from confirming the fact that the attacks had taken place and condemning them. The organization also apologized to users who had been affected by inaccessible or slow websites, but offered no analysis or speculation about what had happened.
Nokia Lumia 925 lands on AT&T September 13, pre-order tomorrow
Nokia's Lumia line of Windows Phone handsets continues to spread -- this time it is the 925 that is making a jump, landing on AT&T in the United States. The 900 line, consisting of Lumia 920, 925 and 928, were the flagship devices before the launch of the 1020 with its 41-megapixel camera.
Now, the 925 has finally found the entrance at AT&T, with a rather sudden announcement that it will become available to customers tomorrow. "The Nokia Lumia 925 makes a great addition to our growing portfolio", AT&T senior vice president Jeff Bradley said in a statement, also calling it "a solid deal for anyone in the market for a new smartphone".
Microsoft releases Windows 8.1 to OEMs
Ten months after Microsoft launched the polarizing Windows 8, comes the news that the software giant has now reached RTM on Windows 8.1, and started to roll out the OS refresh to its hardware partners.
I’m using Windows 8.1 as my primary operating system, and frankly can’t wait to install the finished OS, but will have to wait a while yet -- that’s not set to be made available to consumers until October 18. I was never a fan of Windows 8, but 8.1 is a huge improvement.
Lego of my iPhone!
A great thing about the iPhone (or iPod touch) is it can be used as a business tool or as a toy. While some people use it strictly for email and work, others use it to play games such as Angry Birds and Candy Crush Saga. For those such users; kids and kids at heart, Belkin has announced new cases to complement the fun aspect of the iPhone -- LEGO Builder Cases.
According to Belkin, "the back of the Builder Case carries a true LEGO baseplate -- this is considered the key foundation to the LEGO play experience. The baseplate is made by LEGO factories to LEGO standards and is integrated into the case in a way that’s durable and comfortable for everyday use. Other features of the case include a semi-flexible outer frame for shock-absorption, button protection, and unobstructed access to audio ports and speakers".
Logitech G602 mouse -- a lot of buttons and battery life
When it comes to modern PC gaming, you can never have too many buttons. Sure, there is an argument to be made that less is more on game controllers. However, hardcore-PC-gamers need any advantage they can get in today's fast-paced first-person-shooter world. Logitech is aiming to help these gamers to, well, aim, with the new Logitech G602 wireless gaming mouse ($79.99).
Logitech says, "the newest mouse in the Logitech G lineup, the Logitech G602 Wireless Gaming Mouse sets a new standard in wireless gaming. Without cords, clutter, or interference, the mouse’s lag-free wireless connection and unprecedented battery life allow better, uninterrupted game play. Featuring two modes, Performance and Endurance, the G602 Wireless Gaming mouse delivers 250 hours of non-stop battery life when in full gaming mode -- Performance mode -- and more than 1400 hours of use in non-gaming mode -- or Endurance mode".
Social technologies evolve to meet changing business demands
Research giant Gartner has revealed its latest 'Hype Cycle' -- a series of reports that offer a graphic representation of the maturity and adoption of technologies -- focusing on social collaboration in enterprises.
It shows that the use of social technologies to meet business needs is increasing along with growing expectations of their effectiveness. More vendors are adopting an approach in which social features aren't bought separately but are incorporated into something else. You can see this trend in new product releases from Clarizen and Deltek which we've reported on recently.
FBackup 5 gets first stable release, boasts ribbon-based redesign
Softland has released FBackup 5.0, a major new version of its free Windows backup tool. FBackup, which offers file-based backup and supports plug-ins for extra functionality such as backing up specific program settings, is a cut-down version of Softland’s Backup4all range.
Version 5.0 debuts with a completely redesigned user interface, based on Microsoft’s ribbon-style and sporting a quick-access toolbar and Navigation pane.
More than two thirds of US adults have home broadband -- three percent still on dial-up
Mark Zuckerberg may be keen on making the internet accessible to everyone in the world but it appears even in the US there is still a little way to go. A report by Pew Research reveals that while 70 percent of US residents over the age of 18 have a high-speed broadband connection at home, access is not as prevalent as the Facebook founder would doubtless like.
The research center’s Internet & American Life Project has monitored broadband usage since 2000 when dial-up connections accounted for 34 percent of access and just three percent of adults used a broadband connection. Increased availability of Internet access means that 73 percent of US adults now have some form of connection at home, compared to just 37 percent 13 years ago.
Big isn't always best when choosing enterprise content management
Size isn't everything when selecting an enterprise content management (ECM) solution, according to independent global analysts Ovum. Companies also need to consider vendors in terms of market share, profitability, and capability to support the deployment along with the enterprise’s own business requirements through its lifetime.
In its latest Ovum Decision Matrix, which is focused on the selection of ECM solutions, the analysts reveal that file sync and share is becoming the next must-have feature as organizations demand secure ways of sharing information outside the corporate firewall. In addition, end users are demanding empowerment through the use of social media in a business context, as well as increased support across various mobile platforms.
Advice 5 cents: The role of mentoring in Silicon Valley
This past weekend I was invited to spend an hour talking about Silicon Valley business with a group of MBA students from Russia. They were on a junket to Palo Alto from the Moscow School of Management Skolkovo. I did my thing, insulting as many people and companies as possible, the students listened politely, and at the end there were a few questions, though not nearly as many as I had hoped for.
If you've ever heard one of my presentations the most fun tends to take place during the Q&A. That's because I can't know in advance what a group really cares about but in the Q&A they can tell me and sometimes we learn a thing or two. One question really surprised me and inspired this column: "In Silicon Valley," the MBA student asked, "it seems that mentoring is an important part of learning business and getting ahead, yet mentoring is unknown in Russia. How does it work when there is no obvious reward for the mentor? Why do people do it?"
Android invades Iran -- Ahmadinejad awaits Candy Crush Saga
On June 14, the people of Iran exercised freedom when they voted for a new President in the country's election -- a great moment. However, they are now able to exercise yet another freedom -- to download the free Android app of their choice.
Now Google announces to developers that "starting today you can make your free apps available in Iran". That's right, Iranians can now download free apps from Google's Play Store.
Feedly Pro now available for all users
When Google unceremoniously killed off Reader, it opened the door for alternatives, the biggest of which is Feedly, which had to scramble to beef up server capacity and bandwidth to handle its new-found popularity. The problem is not a need for customers, but a way of monetizing the service -- all of those upgrades must be paid for.
When Feedly first rolled out Pro accounts it was on a limited basis -- it accepted the first 5,000 to sign up and then cut off the plan. According to Feedly, "the funds from that campaign helped us invest in the infrastructure and customer support needed to make Feedly pro generally available".
Newark element14 launches a heatsink for the Raspberry Pi
I’ve personally never had any great problems with my Raspberry Pi overheating, but then I work in a cool office and rarely push the uncased credit card-sized device to its limits.
If you do have problems with the ARM GNU/Linux computer getting a little too warm, the good news is you can now buy a heatsink for it.
Google's Android is a trojan horse -- past performance does not guarantee future results
In 2007, Apple ushered in the touch-screen smartphone era with the iPhone. Sure, there were touch-screen smartphones before it, but Apple's device was a revolution. However, with the launch of the original iPhone also came the launch of critics. The lack of expandable memory, copy and paste and removable battery was largely lambasted.
In 2008, the first Android smartphone was launched by HTC, named the Dream or G1, depending on the market. Android was able to capitalize on the iPhone's perceived shortcomings by offering the features that the iPhone didn't. However, fast-forward to 2013 and Android devices are slowly losing removable batteries and SD card slots. While Android is busy removing features, Apple has added them -- copy and paste. In other words, Google has slowly removed the features that differentiated its device from the iPhone. So, at this juncture, what is the point of Android?
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