Adobe tackles cross-platform iOS/Android app creation with Flash Builder 4.5
Adobe quietly released an update to its Flash Builder and Flex framework on Monday that lets developers create and deploy apps for Apple's iOS and RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook OS in addition to Android, which it has supported since April.
Statistically, developers who design and release apps for multiple mobile platforms make up only a small portion of the community. But in terms of influence, these are actually some of the biggest companies in the field today, and it is not uncommon for the most popular app on one platform to also be the most popular app on MOST mobile platforms.
Skype 5.5 beta for Windows goes social with Facebook
A new Windows beta of its Skype's popular instant messaging and voice and video mail client is now available. If you're one of the 92 percent of online social networkers using Facebook (according to Pew Internet), this release could be for you. Skype for Windows 5.5 Beta big new benefit is deeper integration with Facebook.
These closer ties include the ability to take part in instant chats with Facebook contacts, plus access Facebook news feed within Skype itself. Skype 5.5 also makes it possible to both Like and comment on Facebook statuses. All of this extra integration is rounded off by a new dedicated Facebook tab, which gives users access to all of their Facebook friends.
Office 365 is live in eight days, if not sooner
Could Microsoft be less subtle? A press release issued today proclaims: "Microsoft Office Division to make announcement" -- "detailing the latest on Microsoft Office 365," which if you didn't know is the company's "next-generation cloud service." This is what companies do when there aren't enough rumors or buzz about a forthcoming product release. They desperately try to make some.
So to help Microsoft get that buzz lift, I'm taking a chance with a headline that definitely asserts Office 365 will be available next week. What else could it be? CEO Steve Ballmer is leading the launch event -- in New York City, where Microsoft does nearly all its big product launches.
Sega the latest victim in video game hacking epidemic
Sega is the latest video game company to fall prey to hackers, as the Sega Pass network of gaming sites, forums, and customer offers has been taken down and the information connected to 1.3 million accounts stolen.
User names, birthdates, e-mail addresses and passwords were all exposed in the security compromise. Fortunately for users, it did not include any financial information.
Firefox 5 arrives early -- get it now!
It's not officially released until tomorrow, but if you'd like to have an early look at Firefox 5 then the final build is actually available now, and while the "new features" list is a little on the short side, the browser includes some interesting tweaks which are well worth having. Mozilla posted the release candidate just three days ago.
You won't find these by examining the interface, though. The only notable visual change is that the Do Not Track privacy feature introduced in Firefox 4, which has been relocated so it's easier to spot (top of the Tools > Options > Privacy dialog, where it really should have been in the first place), otherwise you might just as think you're using Firefox 4.
Evernote update offers different new features for Mac and Windows versions
The Evernote Corporation has released a major update for both Mac and Windows clients of its online note-taking tool, Evernote. Evernote 4.4 (Windows) and 2.20 (Mac) includes a major new feature called Note Links, which allows users to create links to any specific note that can subsequently be placed just about anywhere else: notes, calendars, to-do lists, documents and even other apps.
Other new features in the latest update include an option for copying notes between notebooks, a brand new "snippets" view, plus the addition of forward and back buttons to the Note History browser. In addition to this there are several features exclusive to Windows and Mac versions of the software.
iPad cannot win the tablet wars
Marco Arment's post, "The Android tablet problem, nicely summarized by one review's conclusion", stirred up some fierce debate here at Betanews on Friday. Instapaper's creator uses an ArsTechnica review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 to diss Android, for which the Mac fan club of bloggers and journalists beloved with links over the past two days. But Arment's assessment is short-sighted. My response here could easily have been titled: "The iPad problem, nicely summarized by one developer's blog post."
The "Chicken-and-Egg" Problem
Last-minute shopping for dad? Here's what I'd buy
Another Father's Day is upon us, and you must be wondering what to give dear old dad. Mom seems to get all the love, while dad suffers with socks, ties and aftershave for Christmas that he doesn't need; he gets not much better on his special day. Why not make this year really memorable for dad and plunk down some serious dough on a last-minute present that will keep his arms (and wallet) open to you for years?
I've selected a short-list of presents that dad will die for -- and hopefully not for real because you bought him something so nice (keep the receipt just in case).
One week on Gmail has me pining for Outlook
I love Microsoft Outlook. I know a lot of people hate it, but I'm inclined to believe that they don't use Outlook well enough. I've been using it as my primary email program since the 1990s, and there's not a lot I can complain about. But I quit it at the beginning of this week. It's working well in some ways, but in others I have some buyer's remorse.
There's a long story behind how I got to this point, but the bottom line is that my email domain is on Google Apps and I have an Android phone. By switching to using Gmail, Google Calendar and the other Google Apps. I gain a lot in terms of mobility. All of my data is in the same cloud. I can move from one computer to another, and everything I read on one looks read on the other.
Trojan stealing Bitcoin users' wallets, says Symantec
Bitcoins have become popular as an alternative to government-controlled currencies, but a new Trojan seems to be specifically targeting Bitcoin wallets in an attempt to steal funds, security firm Symantec warns. The news follows reports earlier this week of a Bitcoin user being hacked to the tune of 25,000 bitcoins, or about $500,000 USD.
Symantec says that the 'Infostealer.Coinbit' Trojan aims to find your wallet file and then mail it to the attacker. There is also similar code which looks for the file, but uses FTP to transfer it to the attacker's servers. With this file, the user can then use a 'brute-force attack' to break in and pilfer the user's coins.
Take the IE9 Mobile Test Drive
But don't crash your phone along the way.
Microsoft is preparing the developer channel for release of Internet Explorer 9 Mobile, which is coming with Windows Phone "Mango" sometime in the Fall. Today, the company announced the IE9 Mobile Test Drive, which showcases some of the browser's capabilities. Among the most highly-touted by Microsoft: hardware-accleration support for HTML5.
LulzSec reveals the stupidest passwords on the planet
LulzSec is having quite the week of hacktivist actvity. After launching DDoS attacks against gaming sites' log-in pages, setting up a hotline for requesting hacks and hacking both the CIA and US Senate, the group released a long list of passwords and email addresses it had obtained. Is yours among them? Whew, mine isn't. You should check, too, if using public services like AOL, Gmail or Yahoo.
I'm amazed at the ridiculous passwords people use. A quick search of the 62,000 released by LulzSec finds hundreds of instances of "123456" and "password" as password. There are 28 "11111", more than twice as many "0000" and 20 variations of the "f" word. Then there are the repeaters, like "alex186" for five different email addresses.
Finally, an official Facebook app for iPad
The days of needing to use Friendly or other third-party applications to access Facebook on the iPad may be soon over. The New York Times reported Friday that sources said the social networking site is close to releasing an application of its own after nearly a year in development.
Facebook's long delay in bringing an official app to market seems also surprising. The company was one of the first in 2008 to launch a native app when Apple opened up iOS to third-party developers.
Connecticut AG wants meeting over Facebook facial recognition
With the public outcry over Facebook's facial recognition feature growing ever louder, Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen is now requesting a meeting with the social networking site. In a letter sent to Facebook, he says the company's failure to provide an opt-in "overlooked a critical component of consumer privacy protection."
Jepsen is not the first time the government has gotten involved with Facebook's new tagging option. The Electronic Privacy Information Center earlier this week filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission accusing the social networking site of running afoul of the same regulations Jepsen is.
Firefox 5 nears final release, RC launched in beta channel
This week, Mozilla's whirlwind release cycle yielded the first release candidate of Firefox 5 in the beta channel, just a matter of a week before the final version is expected to be released.
Changes in this version include: Support for CSS animations; a more prominent Do-Not-Track header preference; improved canvas, JavaScript, memory, and networking performance; Improved standards support for HTML5, XHR, MathML, SMIL, and canvas, improved desktop environment integration for Linux users; and more.
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