Audacity 2.0.3 offers faster resampling speeds and new effects
Popular open-source, cross-platform sound recording, editing and mixing tool Audacity 2.0.3 has been released. Despite the minor revision number, the new update boasts several key new features, including a new resampling library, tweaked Time Tracks tool and several new effects.
Audacity 2.0.3 also includes a number of key bug fixes, but does ship with a number of other issues as yet unresolved, all of which are documented in the release notes.
NTT DOCOMO spills the beans on the LG Optimus G Pro
On Tuesday, Japanese carrier NTT DOCOMO took the wraps off its new smartphone and tablet lineup, arriving in the Spring. From the significant number of new devices that will be launched starting from January 25, one stands out from the rest -- the new LG Optimus G Pro smartphone.
NTT DOCOMO's decision to unveil the Optimus G Pro shows unfortunate timing, seeing as on the same day LG revealed plans to introduce its current flagship handset, the Optimus G, into more than 50 new markets, starting with Singapore at the end of January.
Detect network intruders with SoftPerfect Wifi Guard
It’s important to keep your wireless network secure, and turning your encryption levels to the max is usually a very good place to start.
This doesn’t in itself guarantee safety, though, so you may want to also equip your system with SoftPerfect Wifi Guard, which will monitor your network and alert you to devices which it doesn’t recognize.
HTC Windows Phone 8X -- positive first impressions
Before anyone labels me as an Android fanboy, let me tell you this -- I like Windows Phone 8, I like it a lot. Even though my smartphone of choice is the Google Galaxy Nexus running either of the two Jelly Bean iterations, Microsoft's mobile operating system has always appealed to me, especially the latest iteration which is by far the best of the bunch. I’ve always wanted to review Windows Phone 8, but there was one big problem -- I couldn't get a review unit for an in-depth look at it. So I did what PR folks were not expecting -- I bought an HTC Windows Phone 8X.
So why the Windows Phone 8X? There are not many devices running the new OS at the moment, but in my part of the world the selection is even more limited -- HTC is the only manufacturer that currently sells a Windows Phone 8 smartphone. The price is also very attractive at EUR479 which is marginally less than what the Samsung Galaxy S III goes for, for instance. By contrast the Nokia Lumia 920, which is not yet available locally through official channels, costs more than EUR700 at major retailers, a price difference that I cannot justify at all. So, as you can imagine, the Windows Phone 8X is my one and only choice.
COMODO Rescue Disk 2.0 combats even deeply embedded malware
COMODO has released COMODO Rescue Disk 2.0, a bootable environment which includes a copy of Cleaning Essentials for Linux to help remove even the most deeply embedded malware.
Changes from the previous 1.x betas are fairly basic, and for instance include some bug fixes and the inclusion of the very latest COMODO Antivirus Engine for Linux (1.2.3). Otherwise the package remains a capable rescue disc which is worth considering for your emergency toolkit.
Should Barack Obama stick with BlackBerry?
Barack Obama is now officially in his second term as President of the United States, following the January 20 inaugural swearing in. We have another four years of Obama, but does he have another four years of BlackBerry? He is by far the most profile Crackberry, in 2009 fighting to keep his smartphone in the face of opposition. (You think Apple losing that iPhone 4 in a bar was bad? Imagine the president leaving his handset behind.) But Obama is President and Commander-in-Chief and got to keep his Canadian gem.
But it's a new administration, and Obama appoints new cabinet members. Which of them is more important, gets more attention than his smartphone? So the question: Should he stick with BlackBerry or switch platforms?
Waterfox 18.0.1 brings the power of Firefox 18 to 64-bit Windows
After a gap of nearly three months, Waterfox 18.0.1 has been released, bringing the Firefox variant for 64-bit versions of Windows bang up to date. Its return is welcome news considering Mozilla recently dropped its own 64-bit Windows build from the Nightly codebase, and allows
The delay in releasing Waterfox -- also available as a portable build -- has been attributed to major bugs in the Intel C++ compiler, which is used by developer Alex K to produce Waterfox from the Firefox source code.
Ten days left to get Windows 8 Media Center for free
Windows 8 special pricing expires on January 31, but it is not the only Microsoft special offer that goes away on that day. The company kicked Media Center somewhat to the curb with the new operating system. It no longer comes as a part of Windows, but requires the Pro version and a special add-on pack that will be sold for $9.99. To boot, there are no new features included. Media Center remains unchanged from Windows 7.
Still, there is a small but very dedicated group of followers who love Media Center, and for good reason. If you own an HTPC (home theater PC) then Microsoft's solution remains one of the best options available and, if you act before the end of this month, you can grab that $9.99 media pack for free.
CyanogenMod 10.1 M1 -- first monthly release -- is available
Keeping up with recent CyanogenMod tradition, the team behind the popular green droid custom distribution unveiled the first monthly release based on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The build is designed to offer users a stable experience, more suitable for daily use compared to the usual nightly builds.
CyanogenMod 10.1 M1 is currently available only for a limited number of devices, including the Google Nexus lineup (Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 7 including the 3G variant, Nexus 4 and Nexus 10), the US variants of the Samsung Galaxy S III, the Samsung Galaxy S (codename "galaxysmtd" and "galaxysbmtd"), the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 (versions P3100 and P3110), the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 (versions P5100 and P5110) as well as the Hardkernel ODROID U2 open development platform.
Sony Xperia Tablet Z says 'Hello' from Japan
Following the new smartphone flagships introduced at CES 2013, the Xperia Z and Xperia ZL, Japanese Android device manufacturer Sony has unveiled the successor to its Xperia Tablet S slate. Dubbed the Xperia Tablet Z, it sports a dust-proof and water-proof shell, and a lightweight and thin form factor.
The Xperia Tablet Z comes with a 10.1-inch display with a 1920 by 1200 resolution (known as WUXGA), backed by Sony's Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 technology. The panel features a 16:10 aspect ratio, an interesting choice seeing as how Sony's own recent smartphones feature the narrower 16:9 aspect ratio for each of their respective screens.
Sky introduces a TV and movie download service for mobile phones and tablets
Users of the satellite TV provider’s free Sky Go service -- which enables subscribers to watch live Sky channels and on-demand programming on mobiles and tablets -- will soon be able to download TV shows and movies on their portable devices.
According to Sky, this will make it the first mobile TV subscription service to offer downloadable Hollywood movies in the UK and Ireland.
Create disk, partition and system backups with AOMEI Data Backuper
Bitter experience has taught us to be highly skeptical of free backup tools, particularly when they come from commercial companies: they’ll usually include one or more annoying restrictions in an effort to get you to upgrade to something else.
Would our concerns really apply to AOMEI Data Backuper, though? We installed the program to take a closer look.
How Apple can get its mojo back
Apple executives like to talk about the post-PC era as an opportunity. But they have a post-Steve Jobs crisis that needs resolution first -- and fast. This week's calendar fourth quarter earnings report is time to assess where the company is and where it might be a year from now, and whether investors should lift falling shares from the nosedive.
Post-Steve Jobs -- and I'm talking as much about the time before his death -- Apple has lost the quality that made great products. The company’s approach to computer/device design is consistent and pervasive: Humanization. Apple design seeks to humanize complex technological products. There has been much written about Apple design in context of products that look good. But there is something more fundamental: Designing tech that is easy to use by making it more an extension of the human being -- more part of you. It's this quality missing from recent new product iterations, which aren't any more human-like than their predecessors. Meanwhile, competitors like Samsung do better.
Get the Windows 8 desktop you want with StartMenu8 1.0
If you’ve upgraded to Windows 8 and discovered you’re not a fan of the new Start screen then the chances are you’ve already installed one of the many free tools which can give your system a more Windows 7-like appearance. If not, though, IObit has just released StartMenu8 1.0, a simple program which may be able to help.
Just install StartMenu8 1.0 and by default the program will launch along with Windows, skipping the Start Screen and jumping directly to the desktop. StartMenu8 1.0 will disable the Windows 8 “hot corners”, too.
Kim Dotcom's Mega site goes live
On January 19, 2012 at 6:48 am local time Kim Dotcom's mansion was suddenly raided by authorities looking for evidence against his popular MegaUpload file sharing website. Since then the case has dragged on, but done little to dampen Dotcom's enthusiasm and spirit. The colorful internet tycoon chose the exact moment of that raid, 365 days later, to launch his brand new Mega site.
In many ways Kim Dotcom is a larger than life figure and Mega is a larger than life site. For one, the service is offering 50 GB of free storage, much more than cloud storage offerings from services like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Box and Dropbox. There are also paid plans for those who need more storage.
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