ViStart 8 gives back what Microsoft took from Windows
If you have tried out any of the preview releases of Windows 8, you may well have joined the thousands of users who are mourning the loss of the Start menu. Microsoft’s decision to drop this staple element of Windows has caused frustration, confusion and disbelief in equal measure, but with the help of ViStart 8, you can bring back an old favorite to Windows 8, but there’s also a lot to look forward to if you have an older version of Windows.
One of ViStart 8 key selling points -- although the app is actually free -- is that it supports skins. These provide you with a quick and easy way to completely transform the look of the Start menu. You may think that the program has done very little when you first install and run it in Windows XP, Vista or 7, but as you explore the range of skins that are available, you’ll discover that there are varying layouts to choose from.
Nearly three quarters of US young adults own smartphones
Well, Nielsen sure knows how to rain on the iPhone 5 hit parade. Just two days before the handset's presumed debut -- Hey, Apple has a big media even on September 12 -- an Android storm pours down on iPhone rumors. Nielsen today says that 74 percent of Americans between 25 and 34 own a smartphone, up from 59 percent a year earlier, and more likely Android than Apple. Quick, someone grab an umbrella! And a dry towel. Kleenex too!
Meanwhile, teens also are big smartphone owners -- 59 percent of 13 to 17 year-olds. Get this: 58 percent of all American teens have smartphones, up from 36 percent a year earlier. Now there's a group Apple, Android and Windows Phone makers should really want to get.
GoDaddy is down!
As I write, domain registrar and web hoster GoDaddy is inaccessible -- and a heap load of websites with it. Typically when sites go dark like this, they are under a direct denial of service attack. Anonymous claims responsibility, via Twitter, but there is yet no official word from GoDaddy as to the cause and whether there might be a security breach.
About 90 minutes ago, GoDaddy tweeted: "Status Alert: Hey, all. We're aware of the trouble people are having with our site. We're working on it". Then 5 minutes ago: "So many messages, can't get to you all... Sorry to hear all your frustration. We're working feverishly to resolve as soon as possible". Well, I guess that confirms Twitter isn't hosted by GoDaddy.
Antisec, PROVE Apple UDIDs came from FBI
The list of more than a million unique device identifiers (UDIDs) which hacktivist collective #Antisec said it had stolen from the Federal Bureau of Investigation may have originated from publishing company BlueToad Inc., researcher David Schuetz found over the weekend. Following the FBI's initial denial of #Antisec's claims and Schuetz's research, BlueToad on Monday announced it believed its systems were the ones compromised. It is still unclear who compromised Blue Toad's system, and where #Antisec actually obtained the list.
"I’m still not completely clear on all the technical details," Schuetz wrote in his research blog. "Was BlueToad really the source of the breach? How did the data get to the FBI (if it really did at all)? Or is it possible this is just a secondary breach, not even related to the UDID leak, and it was just a coincidence that I noticed? Finally, why haven’t I noticed any of their applications in the (very few) lists of apps I’ve received?"
zebNet ShutDown Manager 2012 gives you the power
One of Windows’ many annoyances has long been the general inaccessibility of the shutdown and restart controls. Previous versions of Windows stuck them on the Start menu, but now Windows 8 makes them even harder to find by burying them away in the Settings section of the Charms bar.
Thankfully, you can preserve your teeth and voice from a lot of gnashing and wailing by enlisting the support of a third-party shutdown tool. And if all you want is to access shutdown et al direct from your desktop, then you’ll want to take a look at zebNet ShutDown Manager 2012.
Codename Android is the best ROM going [Review]
Android custom ROMs are magic. They are an improvement over what some might already call the best mobile operating system in the world right now, Android. That is no small feat when its latest iteration, 4.1 Jelly Bean, is the starting point. How can it get any better? In the world of custom Android distributions one name comes to mind -- Codename Android.
When I got my Samsung Galaxy Nexus the first thing I did was to install Android 4.1 Jelly Bean because I wanted the extra oomph brought by it. Little did I know that even the mighty Jelly Bean will not suffice for someone like me -- curious and always willing to try new things. After about two weeks I got into modding my Galaxy Nexus, finally settling for what I think is the best custom ROM for my Nexus -- Codename Android. I toyed with CyanogenMod 10 and AOKP Jelly Bean, and it wasn't until Codename Android that I finally found the right one. Yummy...
Windows 8 is a compelling story
First in a series. Over the past few months I’ve seen several articles and forum postings negatively criticizing the design of Windows 8; from the flatness of the UI to design inconsistencies on the desktop. I’ve also seen articles asserting how difficult the operating system is to use because it’s not instantly intuitive.
While I think there are some valid concerns in these articles about Windows 8, I personally believe that most of what has been written is shortsighted. I hope to prove this over three articles.
Tired of switching between browsers? Try Lunascape 6.8.0
Are you forced to run two or more web browsers on your PC for compatibility reasons? Perhaps your online banking doesn’t work properly unless you access it in Internet Explorer, while for day-to-day browsing you prefer Firefox.
Switching between browsers can be a real pain, which is where Lunascape 6.8.0 comes in. This freeware browser takes the browser engines from Internet Explorer, Chrome/Safari and Firefox, and wraps them up in a single program, letting you switch effortlessly between them.
Build your presentation with PDFrizator
When you need to share a set of images then you could turn them into a video with something like Freemake Video Converter: it’s quick, simple and easy to use.
The finished results can be a little basic, though, so if you’re looking for something more professional then it may be a better idea to build your very own PDF presentation. And PDFrizator is the perfect tool to get the job done.
AVG PC TuneUp 2013 is no 'me-too' cleanup tool
AVG Technologies has unleashed an entirely new and far more powerful version of PC TuneUp, its system cleaning and optimization tool.
And the new release sees the old Auslogics BoostSpeed-based technology replaced by what is essentially a rebranded TuneUp Utilities, after TuneUp Software GmbH was acquired by AVG in August 2011.
Kindle Fire HD burns Microsoft more than Apple
Following Amazon's Kindle Fire HD announcement, a reader reminded me of a prediction I made at the start of the year: "If Apple gives up its position of industry leadership in 2012 the only company capable of assuming that role is Amazon.com". I stand by those words -- Amazon is really bringing the fight to Apple -- but the most important part is "if Apple gives up its position", which it clearly hasn’t, at least not yet. The real loser here, in fact, is not Apple but Microsoft.
I could be wrong about this but I don’t recall any pundits (me included) predicting that Amazon would introduce a larger format tablet, yet that’s exactly what they did. The larger Kindle Fire HD with its built-in content and app ecosystem (and that killer 4G data package!) is a viable iPad competitor at a terrific price and puts real pressure on the Cupertino, Calif.-based company. Will Apple match the price? I don’t think so. That’s not the game they want to play. But the game is on, nevertheless, and users can only benefit from competition.
10 Windows 8 apps for IT workers
When you look at the app offerings from Microsoft's Windows Store, the bulk is made up of programs targeting a casual audience. Games seem to be popular, for instance, making up a fifth of all apps currently listed in the store. While there is nothing wrong with playing a game of solitaire during a break or wait period, it doesn't help Microsoft sell the operating system to a professional audience.
Digging deeper, however, you will find decent apps that IT workers will come to love if they take the plunge and decide to work with apps under Windows 8. There is certainly no need for that unless the system is running Windows RT, as desktop programs provide you with a similar, and often even a better, feature set than store apps at the moment.
If HTC customer satisfaction is so high, why are smartphone sales so low?
That's my question after scanning a survey JDPower and Associates released yesterday. The firm ranks customer satisfaction on a scale of one to 1,000. For the eighth consecutive survey, Apple is tops with a score of 849. But HTC is second, at 790, which has me scratching my head trying to put two and two together and getting three. Perhaps my math should be similar for Apple, since Samsung, which scored 782, sells more smartphones than any other manufacturer -- that's here and abroad.
My point: High customer satisfaction doesn't necessarily equate to big sales. There are many other factors to consider, particularly subsidized products like smartphones. Among them: Carrier contracts and pricing; device promotions; on-shelf experience in stores; handset look and feel; color choices; cases and other add-on options; carrier availability (no iPhone at T-Mobile USA, for example) and advertising, which Samsung does much more of than HTC -- or that's my observation. None of these reasons considers features, which aren't that different phone to phone as they used to be.
We need an IPO renaissance
Third in a series. As many readers have pointed out, the IPO drought of the last decade has many causes beyond just decimalization of stock trading. Sarbanes-Oxley has made it significantly more expensive to be a public company than it used to be. Consolidation in the banking and brokerage industries have resulted in fewer specialists and hardly any true investment bankers surviving. The lure of derivatives trading and other rocket science activities on Wall Street have made IPO underwriting look like a staid and prosaic profession, too. Fortunately, people in positions of influence are finally starting to realize that there is no economic future for this country without new public companies.
One requirement of the JOBS Act, passed last April, was that the SEC look at trading decimalization, and especially tick sizes, to see if there has been an effect on small-cap company liquidity. If the SEC decides there is such a negative effect there’s the possibility that they introduce a new minimum tick for smaller companies of perhaps a nickel (up from a penny) to as much as a dime. I believe this would help the IPO industry, but many people disagree.
What Windows 8 needs to succeed
As a long-time Windows user, as well as software developer, I have pondered about what would make Windows 8 and the new modern UI (aka. Metro) a success. Microsoft can spit and polish the operating system, but people will interact more with applications. As good as Windows 8 might be, it won't satisfy if the apps aren't good enough.
That's why I believe Microsoft needs to rethink Windows Store. One isn't enough for Windows 8. There needs to be a second Signature store that offers only the highest-quality apps, however few they be. I'll explain.
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