Hulu Plus update coming to a device near you
Despite recent rumors that it may fall into the black hole known as Yahoo, Hulu continues attempting to move forward as a viable source of TV for cord-cutters and those who just want an alternative. Today the company rolls out a new update for many of its hardware partners.
Dave Herman, senior product manager for living room devices, announces "we’re excited to roll out a new and improved Hulu Plus experience on Samsung Smart TVs and select Blu-ray players, Roku set-top boxes, and coming soon to the Wii console from Nintendo".
Game of Thrones -- Ubuntu fails to dethrone Microsoft
Is the open source dream over? In 2004, Ubuntu Founder Mark Shuttleworth filed the first Ubuntu bug which was titled "Microsoft has a majority market share". It was a symbolic bug -- not a real one. It symbolized Ubuntu’s purpose -- to defeat Microsoft and aid the push of Open Source. This was an unattainable goal as Ubuntu never had a chance to defeat Microsoft. However, such goals are often good motivators for companies. It gives both the employees and users something to rally around.
While Ubuntu has fought the good fight, it has recently admitted defeat. On May 30, 2013, Mr. Shuttleworth marked this bug as "Fixed". Make no mistake, no bug has been fixed -- the 9 year old symbolic rallying point just became ridiculous and sad. It was time to close this embarrassing “bug” before a decade passed.
Best Windows 8 apps this week
Thirty-first in a series. Yesterday Microsoft confirmed information about the upcoming Windows 8.1 update that it plans to release later this year. The update will introduce several improvements to the start screen and Windows Store that improve the usability of that part of Windows 8.
While I do not want to rehash what Wayne already mentioned in yesterday's article, I'd like to point out a couple of key changes in Windows 8.1. One of the biggest changes is the introduction of new tile sizes. To be precise, Windows 8.1 users will have access to a smaller and one larger size.
Protect your PC from malicious threats with Emsisoft Anti-Malware
Emsisoft has released minor updates for its commercial and free anti-malware tools with the publications of Emsisoft Anti-Malware 7.0.0.25 and Emsisoft Emergency Kit 3.0.0.6. Although minor, both updates are strongly recommended for existing users.
Emsisoft Anti-Malware 7.0.0.25 builds on the improvements introduced with the release of version 7 last September. Major new features in that build included a second malware scanning engine -- Bitdefender -- being added alongside Emsisoft’s own along with performance tweaks for advanced users who wished to control how many system resources should be given over to the program.
Itsdagram for Windows Phone 8 morphs into Instance
Following a rebrading, late-yesterday, third-party Instagram client Itsdagram shed its name and looks and surfaced as the new Instance on Windows Phone Store. The app, which boasts the same essential functionality as before, now sports a redesigned interface and introduces a couple of new features and enhancements.
According to the developer, Daniel Gary, the app's rebranding follows Microsoft's request to better differentiate Itsdagram from Instagram. The software giant appears to pursue the path of least resistance in order to beef up the Windows Phone ecosystem and keep third-party apps in the running. Gary says that no legal action nor "threats" influenced his decision to comply with the request. Now let's go through the changes introduced by Instance.
Surface RT not selling? Microsoft throws in a free cover
Microsoft began to sell its first tablet, the Surface RT, back on October 26, 2012, and added the Surface Pro in February 2013. Since then, sales figures have been less than stellar (well, possibly). This brings Microsoft to an interesting point -- it is time for desperate measures. In other words, the company is holding a fire sale. Of sorts.
Starting May 31 Microsoft announces "We are excited to announce a special offer for those of you in Canada and the United States. For a limited time beginning May 31, receive a free Touch Cover, Touch Cover Limited Edition, or Type Cover with the purchase of a Surface RT".
BT parts company with Yahoo
After ten years with Yahoo as its mail and news provider, UK internet company BT is switching to a different service. Starting in June it will begin migrating its customers to a new service named BT Mail which will be run by California-based Critical Path.
Nick Wong, director of online for BT's consumer division says, "We will be switching customers' email over to BT Mail, which will include the features and functions they expect from a modern email service. We will be keeping our customers fully informed about what changes to expect and when they will be able to enjoy the new services."
Microsoft hits a new low, compares Samsung Galaxy S4 to Nokia Lumia 521
Microsoft's marketing lacks consistency. The software giant goes on from releasing some of the most memorable smartphone commercials to ridiculing itself through pathetic ads. In a new low, Microsoft's Windows Phone evangelist Ben Rudolph decides that "How much tech gear can you get for the price of a Galaxy S4?" is a (fair) question which should be answered with: a Nokia Lumia 521 and a bunch of other things.
The first problem is that this question is not addressed to a broad range of potential Galaxy S4 buyers, but rather US residents looking to purchase Samsung's Android flagship. I'm going to call it for what it is -- deceptive. Ben Rudolph kicks off with the local price of the device at BestBuy, where the retailer asks $749.99, even though it can be had for roughly $100 less through Amazon, where it's listed at about $650.
Another reason to hate Gmail’s new tabs -- unavoidable adverts in your inbox
Yesterday my colleague Mark Wilson wrote a scathing article on Gmail’s new tabs feature. In it he complained about the total lack of customization options, the wonky sorting, and most damning of all -- the way it’s no longer possible to tell at a glance exactly how many new messages you have.
This morning, in checking my email -- with the tabs active -- I found another reason to hate the latest addition to the webmail service, and it’s likely the reason that Google even introduced tabs in the first place -- advertising messages in your inbox.
Bing to be integrated into Windows 8.1 for web and local searches
The upcoming release of Windows 8.1 has been the subject of countless column inches over recent weeks with the main focus being on the return of the Start button. But changes are also afoot for searching, with Bing being tightly integrated into the operating system to provide a rich and flexible search experience.
The Bing development team is working closely with the Windows team to produce a utility that can be used to search globally and locally. Windows' integrated search tool has evolved over the years into something that can be used to search not only files but also shortcuts.
Shazam app finally supports Windows Phone 8
On Thursday, music discovery service Shazam released an update for its Windows Phone app which introduces support for the latest version of the tiled operating system. In addition to finally playing well with Windows Phone 8, the app also comes with a refreshed user interface and a couple of new features and improvements.
"We are incredibly excited about this launch as it brings so many of Shazam's key features to Windows Phone 8 fans", says Shazam's Daniel Danker. "Windows Phone 8 users now have access to a great smartphone experience, from faster tagging and a new interactive map, where users can discover the music people are listening to around them. This is more than just the music that's already popular; these are often songs people are discovering for the first time".
Google gets it terribly, terribly wrong with Gmail tabs and makes me angry
Like many Gmail users, I greeted the news of the introduction of tabs to the interface with a degree of anticipation -- now it was just a matter of waiting for the feature to roll out so I could try it for myself. Earlier today I was randomly signed out of my Gmail account, and after signing back in and checking the settings menus, I could see that tabs were now available to me. Excitement was short-lived, however; it quickly became apparent that this new feature is a disaster.
On the face of it, there's a lot to be said in favor of adding tabs to one's inbox. The idea is that emails that match certain criteria are automatically sorted so your inbox is easier to manage. I have an enormous number of filters configured that sort and label messages but the prospect of having a series of tabs to access certain types of mail was definitely appealing.
Meet the latest 'Nexus' device: an HTC One
Remember the days when Google Nexus-experience phones were slim pickings? The days of one "Nexus" branded device are now gone, as Google continues to pull new handsets into the family -- granted, it is not really under the Nexus name, but they function as such. Now Chrome and Android chief Sundar Pichai announces that the pure Galaxy S4 unveiled at Google I/O will be joined by the HTC One.
Appearing on stage at the All Things D D11 conference, Pichai was asked by co-host Walt Mossberg about his current hardware and responded "I’m carrying an HTC One in my pocket. This is running the core UI on Nexus phones as well", in reference to hardware makers junking up current devices.
Evernote promises improved security
It seems that security has become a daily news story now, with multiple high-profile attacks. Evernote has had previous security problems, but today the company wishes to alleviate a few of those issues. Having already been apart of one of the headlines, the note-taking service would rather not be included as part of the crowd in the future.
Today the company announces three new security features, beginning with two-factor verification. This requires a verification code whenever you are asked to provide your username and password. This will usually only happen when you log into Evernote Web or install it on a new device. It simply means that you will receive a new text message on your phone with a code that must be entered, in addition to your password -- something that many other services like Google, Microsoft and Facebook already do, and that Twitter does poorly. The feature is optional.
FoundersCard brings executive-style perks to entrepreneurs -- special offer for BetaNews readers
FoundersCard is a membership-based community designed for entrepreneurs which offers access to invite-only networking events throughout the world and provides various perks. The latter includes things like discounts for airfare, postal services and VIP treatment at upscale hotels.
The community, which boasts 11,000 members, just added complimentary Avis First memberships (premium service) with 25 percent discounts on car rentals and between five to 10 percent off for JetBlue flights.
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.