Quickly troubleshoot Microsoft Outlook
Emiel Wieldraaijer has released OutlookParameterGUI 1.0.4, the latest edition of his useful Outlook troubleshooting tool.
The core idea of the program remains the same. It displays and gives help on various Outlook command line parameters, then allows you to launch the program with that parameter at a click. So if your custom views are messed up and you’d like to restore the defaults, say, you might select the /cleanviews parameter, click Start -- and that’s about it.
Unofficial AOKP and CyanogenMod Android 4.2-based builds surface
Modding fans, you're in luck. Shortly after Google released Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and pushed it to AOSP, custom ROM developers started work on new builds. The effort has paid off, as new unofficial AOKP and CyanogenMod releases are available, based on the latest version of the green droid operating system.
Almost two weeks ago the CyanogenMod team announced that a future version based on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean would be released, but without mentioning a launch date. In the meantime, sporting minor alternations, custom distribution JellyBro is available using the CM 10.1 source code. The currently available build contains a limited number of enhancements, due to early stages of the feature porting process. However, if Android Open Kang Project is preferred, then developer Roman Birg has some good news.
Did Google actually acquire Icoa?
Earlier today, a press release on PRWeb.com announced that Google had acquired Rhode Island Wi-Fi hotspot tech company Icoa Inc. This press release was reported upon by most of the reputable tech blogs, and the story was approved to run on BetaNews as well.
It now appears that Icoa was not acquired by Google, and that either the press release was released prior to internal approval, or someone spent at least $159 to fool the trigger-happy tech media with a bogus press release.
Microsoft supports Surface until 2017, leaves Windows RT uncertain
Last month Microsoft introduced Surface with Windows RT. The controversial tablet gathered plenty of criticism down the road, but there's one area where it has the potential to silence the naysayers -- product support lifecycle.
The Redmond, Wash.-based corporation revealed that Surface RT will be supported for little more than four years, starting January 24, 2013 until April 11, 2017. Interested buyers that plan on keeping the device for the long run should get some peace of mind, but it's not all good news at the moment. Microsoft has yet to reveal when product lifecycle ends for Windows RT, leaving room for interpretation whether the hardware support will end at the same time as the software.
I hate Cyber Monday but love good deals
Over the weekend, my daughter asked: "Have you heard of Cyber Monday?" I thought but didn't say: "Have you been living under a rock?" She's 18 and a shopaholic. How is it she only just learned about this dreadful day?
I despise the Monday after Thanksgiving, mostly because it's an artificial retail construct created during my adulthood. I'm too young for Black Friday. But I remember when suddenly the Amazons of the world added one more day to Black Friday weekend, and greedy analysts looking to sell clients new services promoted the concept. Supposedly, Shop.org coined the term eight years ago. Is that all? It seems so much longer.
Google acquires hotspot company Icoa, one of Boingo's long-running partners
Editor: This report may not be true. BetaNews awaits direct confirmation from Google.
Please read our updated story for more info. We apologize to our readers.
Let your guardian Autorun Angel find bad startup progams
When you think your PC has been infected by malware or spyware, then checking your Windows startup programs may seem like a good place to start looking for the source. But there’s a problem. Many of these will be cryptically-named executables which you won’t recognize at all, so how are you supposed to decide which ones are safe, and which require further research?
You could spend an age checking out each program manually, but life will probably be easier if you get a little help from Autorun Angel, which quickly compares your startup list against “known safe” applications and highlights whatever might be left.
Minecraft is coming to the Raspberry Pi
A port of the incredibly popular indie sandbox survival game Minecraft will soon be available for the Raspberry Pi, and if that news isn’t enough to get you excited, the price might -- it will be entirely free.
Minecraft: Pi Edition (a port of Minecraft: Pocket Edition) was officially unveiled at Minecon in Paris, and offers a revised feature set and support for several programming languages, so users can code directly into the game. According to Minecraft publisher Mojang, users will be able to "start by building structures in the traditional Minecraft way, but once you’ve got to grips with the in-game features, there’s opportunity to break open the code and use programming language to manipulate things in the game world. You’ll be learning new skills through Minecraft".
Tired of hitting the F5 key? There's an easier way to check Google Nexus availability
Google's attempt to sell the Nexus lineup on its own Play Store could be considered a failure. The company appears to be unable to keep up with the high demand, and as a result devices are mostly sold out all over the world. In order to prepare for that one moment when sufficient stock exists there is a website that checks global Play Stores for Nexus device availability.
Google Nexus Devices World Availability Checker keeps track of all Nexus 4 (including black bumper), 7 and 10 units sold in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, United Kingdom and United States. The website allows users to verify whether a particular device is available in stock at the local Play Store in the above mentioned locations. The advantage, over manually checking, is that prospective buyers are not limited to their regional online store, and can look up international availability, which comes in handy for those that want to shop abroad.
Organize photos from the command line -- yeah, really
Keeping your digital photo collection in order usually requires a great deal of self-discipline and effort. Or, failing that, a heavy-duty image organiser.
If you’re distinctly lacking in all these areas, though, you could just turn to PhotosTree, a tiny (17KB) command-line tool which quickly arranges your JPEGs according to the date they were taken.
Got malware? Try Ultra Virus Killer
When you think your PC has been infected by malware, but your antivirus package hasn’t raised an alert, then it’s often possible to locate and remove the threat manually. But generally you’ll need a whole library of tools to get the job done: one to view your startup programs, another to check running processes, a file unlocker maybe, and the list goes on.
If you prefer the simple life, though, you could just download a copy of Ultra Virus Killer (UVK), which provides all the malware detection, removal and cleanup tools you need, in a single, free package.
5 Android apps that make business travel better
Sure Windows Phone may have Office and the iPhone may be increasingly acceptable to IT departments, but that doesn't mean that your Android device can't be an excellent travel companion. Thanks to the open nature of Android there is a wealth of apps that can cover most anything you will need on that big business trip.
If you use Android then you are probably familiar already with the plethora of travel apps that are available, not only on the Google mobile OS, but also on other platforms as well. There are ways to book your hotels and restaurants as well as track your flight. Those are all nice, but what can Android do that the average non-techie business user may not be aware of?
Save webpages with Weeny Free HTML to PDF Converter
If you’d like to create PDF files on your own PC then the standard route is to install something like Bullzip PDF Printer. This adds a virtual printer driver to your system, and so whenever you want to convert a document to PDF, all you have to do is choose the Print option in a program, select that driver, then wait for the file to appear.
The strength of this approach is that it works with just about any application. But the weakness is that the finished results can be poor, especially with web pages, where you’ll often lose formatting and links will no longer be clickable. So if you need the best quality HTML conversion, you may prefer a specialist tool, such as Weeny Free HTML to PDF Converter.
You can have iPhone 5, I'll take Google Nexus 4
I can see only one good reason to choose iPhone 5 over Nexus 4: The LG-manufactured mobile is sold out, and you can't wait. For the patient, Google's fourth-generation stock Android delivers rewarding experience. The new Nexus is the smartphone to buy this holiday season -- if you can find one.
Two reasons stand in iPhone 5's favor, neither is good, just necessary for some people: Your carrier -- for example, Sprint and Verizon in the United States -- isn't supported (Nexus 4 is GSM/HSPA+), or you bought heap loads of apps from Apple and don't want to lose your investment. I feel your pain, but offer no pity. Nexus 4 is exceptional.
Notification Weather available at a swipe
The notification toolbar is commonly altered by manufacturers to include toggles, but what about a more down-to-Earth feature? Android is known for its customization prowess, and weather information can be delivered by a simple swipe using Notification Weather.
Instead of going over the top, the app takes a conservative approach by employing a look and feel that could even pass as stock functionality. It bears an uncanny resemblance to CyanogenMod 10's lockscreen implementation. For the present day Notification Weather displays the location, status ("cloudy" for instance), characteristic pictograph (cloud, drops, etc.), current temperature with minimum and maximum values of the day as well as wind temperature.
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