Search Results for: Kodi

Microsoft has been producing operating systems for decades, but it’s never been very good at naming them. Things started off well enough, with a straightforward numbering system -- Windows 1.0, Windows 2.0, Windows 3.0. Then the company opted for a year-based approach -- Windows 95, Windows 98 -- before switching to using letters -- Windows ME (Millennium Edition) and XP (eXPerience, eXtra Patches?).

Then we had Windows Vista, followed by a return to numbers -- Windows 7 and Windows 8, and a random jump to Windows 10. And now we’re getting twice yearly updates for that latest operating system, with rubbish names that appear to have been thought up by someone who hates their job.

Matroska Multimedia Container -- or MKV as it’s more commonly known -- is a great format that supports most codecs and offers a lot of features. It can store numerous video, audio and subtitle tracks, in addition to any metadata.

If you have an MKV video with (non-hardcoded) subtitles, turning them on or off can be quite simple, if you’re watching the video in an app like VLC Media Player (just go into the Subtitle menu and access the options there). But these subtitles may play by default if viewed on a TV, for example, with no way of disabling them. Fortunately, there is an easy way to strip out these subtitles.

A survey by the BBC reveals that over a third of Premier League football (or soccer, if you insist) fans are getting their gaming fix using unofficial (that is, illegal) online streams.

Kodi boxes and similar dedicated devices are used by more than a quarter of fans for this very purpose. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it is younger adults who are more likely to make use of illegal streams.

With the future of Ubuntu uncertain, and with Canonical abandoning the Unity desktop environment, now is a great time to try Linux Mint. Since it has Ubuntu as a base, but instead uses Mate or Cinnamon -- environments with a future -- it should be an easy transition for users of Canonical's Linux-based operating system.

Today, the upcoming version of Linux Mint, 18.2 "Sonya," achieves BETA release. It is based on Ubuntu 16.04 and uses Linux kernel 4.8. You can download either the Mate or Cinnamon ISOs now. Yeah, its a pre-release operating system so you should proceed with caution, but historically, these BETA releases have proven quite stable -- you will probably be fine.

Security researchers from Check Point have discovered a major vulnerability in popular media players, like VLC, Kodi and Popcorn Time, which leaves users vulnerable to hacker attacks via malicious subtitles. The security firm estimates that the number of potential victims is around 200 million.

Media players give users the option to load subtitles from repositories, which can be tricked by attackers to rank their altered subtitles higher. This leads to those malicious subtitles being recommended to the user. If they are loaded, attackers can gain control over "any device running them." Check Point notes that the "potential damage the attacker can inflict is endless, ranging anywhere from stealing sensitive information, installing ransomware, mass Denial of Service attacks, and much more."

Team MediaPortal has released a major update of its open-source media server and center for Windows. MediaPortal 2.1 opens with completely reworked media management tools, with a wide array of content now automatically scraped for metadata and artwork.

Users gain better visual indicators of watched series and individual movies, plus a number of new skins make their debut, including one aimed squarely at Windows Media Center users.

Businesses often envision the modern desktop computer as being a boring piece of kit, one that not only costs a lot of money but also doesn’t offer much in terms of innovation.

The reality is slightly different; between dongle PCs, mini and micro PCs as well as all-in-ones, there’s plenty of innovation around if you know where to look.

When you want to play media in your living room, there are countless options nowadays. You can buy an Apple TV, Xbox One, Roku, or something else. Of course, for some people, a self-built home theater computer is a more rewarding experience. Thanks to Linux and solutions like Kodi, it can be easy to build a very capable media center machine.

Today, popular Linux distro OpenELEC reaches version 8.0 stable. This operating system leverages Kodi to provide a well-rounded media center experience. Not only are there images for PC, but for Raspberry Pi and WeTek boxes too.

Happy Pi Day, dear BetaNews readers! What, you've never heard of the holiday? Well, it is a nerdy play on Pi, which is 3.14 (and so on). In other words, since Pi is 3.14, Pi Day is on March 14th, or 3/14. True, it only really makes sense in countries, such as the USA, that use MM/DD date formatting, but everyone around the globe can still celebrate.

In recognition of Pi Day, we here at BetaNews are giving away a Raspberry Pi 3 and a really cool case from Eleduino. Get it? A Raspberry Pi for Pi Day? Yeah, we are very witty! You can see the prizes in the video below. Not only can you use the Linux-friendly System on a Chip (SoC) for neat projects, but it can even be made into a media player thanks to Kodi.

Why pay full price for a new laptop, desktop PC, or Surface Pro tablet, when you can get one for a fraction of the cost?

Courtesy of our partners at TechBargains we have yet another selection of superb deals to tempt you. Offers include fantastic savings on new Dell laptop and desktop PCs, HD and 4K TVs, electronics and components, and much more.

Google has big plans for creating a range of smart tools for the Raspberry Pi, and is asking users what they would like to see.

The Raspberry Pi Foundation says the search giant is developing tools covering AI and machine learning, and potentially areas such as robotics, IoT, 3D printing, home automation, wearables, and drones.

If you have never owned a Raspberry Pi, you do not know what you are missing. While it is designed for tinkering and learning coding, it can be used for so much more. It can run Linux distributions and even a special version of Windows 10. If you install Kodi, it can become a powerful media box too.

If you have been wanting one, I have good news. We here at BetaNews are giving away the best version -- the Raspberry Pi 3. We aren't stopping there, however, as we are also including a very nice aluminum case -- including heatsinks for overclocking. It is the exact Raspberry Pi 3 and case as seen in the video above. In other words, the case has already been installed by yours truly. Want to enter to win? There are multiple ways to enter. Just click the link below!

The system used by millions of travelers each day to share data between travel agencies, airlines, passengers and websites is incredibly insecure. Security researchers have presented details that highlight just how easy it is to hack flight bookings.

German security firm SR Labs says that using nothing more than a traveler's surname and a six-digit Passenger Name Record (PNR), it is possible to not only gather personal information about people, but also make changes to bookings.

Most operating systems, like Windows 10 or macOS, are designed to do multiple things. After all, many people want their computers to serve many tasks, such as productivity, media, and gaming. Some operating systems, however, are targeted at a single use to minimize the overhead and maximize the power of the hardware. Not to mention, it can create a more immersive experience.

One such focused OS is OpenELEC. This Linux distribution is designed to serve as a media center -- nothing more, nothing less. Today, the popular distro reaches stable version 7.0. There are images for both x86 and Raspberry Pi 2 and 3, meaning there is a very good chance you own compatible hardware.

Welcome to this special episode of best Windows apps. This article looks back, and lists the best applications released for Windows 10 in 2016.

I went through all "best of Windows apps" post of the year, cross-referenced the popularity of apps on Windows Store, and read user comments to create this list.