BlackBerry 10.1 maintenance release rolling out NOW
BlackBerry's update streak continues. The Canadian maker just announced a refreshed version of its BB 10.1 smartphone operating system, dubbed "maintenance release", which is touted to deliver a significant number of changes and improvements. The roll-out kicked off yesterday in the Asia Pacific region and is expected to finish in the US, starting at the end of the summer.
The most noteworthy enhancements, which BlackBerry 10.1 maintenance release adds, center on BB Balance, Hub, World and social network integration -- Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. The changes are mostly designed to improve content discovery, messaging and security. Let's take a look at what's new.
Is Twitter's introduction of an abuse reporting button really workable?
It is said that there is no such thing as bad publicity, but the PR department at Twitter might well be feeling otherwise at the moment. After coming under fire for using fabricated tweets in promotional material Twitter has been in the headlines after the company faced calls to do more to combat abusive tweets.
Threats of death and rape do not make for pleasant reading, but it is something that has happened to a number of Twitter users. The most recent victims to speak out -- Caroline Criado-Perez, who successfully campaigned for Jane Austin to appear on British bank notes, and UK MP Stella Creasy -- led to a grassroots campaign for Twitter to do more to police its micro-blogging service.
Windows 8 and RT tablets lagging far behind the competition
Windows 8 is an operating system designed for touch PCs, but it's struggling to find a sizeable audience on them. PCs as we know them are on their way out, and tablets are the future, as we've been told time and again by analysts. Figures from the likes of Gartner and IDC clearly back up this sea change.
So if people aren't buying into Microsoft's new OS on regular PCs (with or without touch) then they must be scrambling to buy tablets running Windows 8 and RT surely? Well things don't look too rosy for Microsoft there either.
Thailand bans Bitcoin -- company suspends trading in the country
Thailand has ruled that use of the online currency Bitcoin is illegal. Bitcoin Co Ltd was going through the process of registering with the necessary government agencies in order to operate legally. Having initially ruled that Bitcoin is not a currency, Bank of Thailand now says that due to a lack of existing applicable laws, numerous Bitcoin activities are now illegal.
A statement on the Thai Bitcoin website explains that it now illegal to buy and sell Bitcoins within the country. In addition to this, the buying and selling of goods and services for Bitcoins is outlawed, as is sending and receiving Bitcoins from anyone outside of Thailand.
Government censorship -- no matter how well-intentioned -- can never be a good thing
My colleague Mark Wilson wrote an interesting article on Sunday about the futility of ISPs and governments trying to block pornography. If you’ve been following the news you’ll know the UK government intends to make accessing adult content on the internet "opt in". That's perfectly legal adult content by the way -- not just the nasty stuff.
Mark also worried about where such a move could lead, saying, "In filtering out porn, how could I be sure that whoever is doing the filtering is not also blocking access to other things, be it through a sense of morality, or by simply miscategorizing something?" Which, it turns out, could be truer than he knew.
Microsoft, Oracle and others side with Apple over US iPhone 4 ban
Representatives of several companies are asking the Obama Administration to intervene in a patent dispute between Apple and Samsung that resulted in a ban of the sale of older iPhones in the US.
The International Trade Commission ruled last month that Apple infringed on patents owned by Samsung, and ordered a ban on the sale of the iPhone 3G, 3GS, and 4 in the country beginning August 4. Of those devices, only one is now sold. The effect on Apple’s business is likely to be considerable however, given that the iPhone 4 is now free with contract through most of its US partners.
Bitdefender Safepay aims to make web browsing more secure
Renowned security expert Bitdefender has officially launched its free secure web browser for Windows users. Bitdefender Safepay 1.9 comes with the promise of a "secure hacker-proof browser", aimed at providing users with a secure tool for online banking and e-shopping.
Safepay also offers a free security audit for your PC, and offers users a paid-for upgrade whereby free Wi-Fi hotspot protection is offered to provide safe, encrypted connections even when using open, non-encrypted hotspots.
Marble: an open source alternative to Google Earth
Google Earth is a great mapping tool, hugely detailed and packed with features. Like Street View, for instance, which helps you navigate millions of miles of road all around the world, and would probably justify installing the program all on its own.
If you don’t like the program, though -- or, maybe, you just don’t like Google -- then there are some excellent alternatives available. The open source and cross-platform Marble, for instance, can’t compete with the photos and the imagery of Google Earth, but is still extremely powerful and has a great deal to offer.
Demand 5 comes to Roku in Britain
Roku is on a bit of a roll lately, with the release of the brand new version 3 hardware, and the continuous addition of new channels and content. While much of this development has taken place stateside, it is not the only front the set-top box maker is tackling. Now it brings Demand 5 to British customers, adding to the plethora of content already available on the little system.
"We’re pleased to announce the addition of Demand 5 to our growing entertainment library in the U.K. Demand 5 on Roku lets customers instantly access Channel 5’s full range of catch-up content as well as an extensive library of popular programs including Big Brother, Archer, Dallas, CSI, and Neighbors. Roku users can also enjoy original programming including The Gadget Show, The Hotel Inspector and Eddie Stobart’s Trucks and Trailers". This brings the total to more than 450 channels -- and that is just within Great Britain.
The new Nexus 7: Not your grandfather's Android tablet
"The new Nexus 7 makes my Asus MeMO look pathetic". That is what I told my colleague Joe Wilcox over the weekend. Android, the open source Linux-based mobile operating system from Google can be found in many places -- cheap no-name tablets run the OS, but should be given a wide berth. Big name hardware makers also produce these gadgets -- Samsung and Sony to name just two. However, the most prominent on the market in recent times has been the Nexus 7, the pure Android experience from Google (but built by Asus), and the Kindle Fire HD, Amazon's highly customized tablet.
In the past, regardless of my liking for pure Android, I would have chosen the Amazon device in a heartbeat. It's thinner and has a better screen, plus Prime customers, like myself, have easy access to the retail giant's streaming video library. However, my view changed this past week, as Google rolled out its latest version of the Nexus 7.
Sony and Panasonic tag-team digital storage with 300GB optical disc
While cloud storage is all the rage nowadays, there is still demand for a reliable physical back-up medium. True, consumers already have access to CD, DVD and Blu-Ray writable discs, but they simply do not offer enough storage space -- low cost, high megapixel cameras and HD video cameras have contributed to an increase in file sizes.
While some may point to low-cost hard disk drives and flash drives, they are simply not reliable enough to store life's precious memories. Also, in addition to personal use, there are professional needs for archiving large amounts of data for business. Today, Sony and Panasonic announce that they are teaming-up to meet the demands of home-users and businesses with a 300GB optical disc.
TAudioConverter can extract and convert almost any audio format
Most PC users will occasionally need to convert audio files from one format to another, and for this most part this is quite straightforward. If, say, you have a few WMA’s which you need to be MP3′s, then just about any audio conversion tool ever written will get the job done.
What if you need to work with some unusual source formats, though? Extract the soundtrack from a video? Configure audio file tags, or take complete control over the encoding process? Then you’ll need a conversion tool with a little more power. Like TAudioConverter, in fact.
Windows Phone stomps all over BlackBerry in Europe
According to a new report from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, Microsoft's Windows Phone scored another victory over BlackBerry, as in Q2 2013, following Android and iOS, the tiled mobile operating system was the third most popular choice for European smartphone buyers, in major local markets.
In Q2 2013, 6.9 percent of European smartphone buyers from France, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK bought Windows Phone handsets. Meanwhile, only 2.2 percent decided to purchase BlackBerry smartphones. "Windows Phone continues to consolidate its position as the third OS globally, with strong performances in Britain and France where it has 8.6 percent and 9.0 percent of the market respectively", according to the Kantar Worldpanel ComTech report. But it's not all good news though, as Windows Phone's market share dropped slightly in the US.
Cloud management makes for easier hotspot rollouts
UK-based company Managed Connections has launched its new platform as a service (PaaS) offering to provide an easy way for private and public sector organisations to set up their own wireless hotspots.
Derek Williamson, Managed Connections' Commercial Director says, "Our research shows that offering Wi-Fi hotspots will increase customer loyalty, footfall and sales which is a huge benefit to people using our services. The official Managed Connections launch comes after almost four years of research and development and on the back of this we have some really exciting additions planned for the upcoming months. We have made getting 100 percent legally compliant and highly controlled Wi-Fi and wireless broadband into a variety of venues really simple, and we can show clients how to use our platform and services as tools to bring in more customers and how to make money from them. We’re really excited by this aspect of our offering and with our systems, there is now a choice of fully managed Wi-Fi hotspot and ISP packages to suit any sized commercial venue".
Lock your PC -- but not your screen -- with KeyFreeze
If you’re leaving your PC unattended for a while then locking it (pressing Win+L) can be a sensible precaution, as it prevents others from viewing your files or interfering with running programs.
The Windows Lock function also hides the current contents of the screen, though, annoying if you want to leave a movie playing, or perhaps monitor the progress of some lengthy task you’re running. And that’s why might sometimes prefer KeyFreeze, which locks your PC but leaves the screen active, just as before.
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