Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Xbox One: Entertainment First, Gaming Second. A Replacement to TV?
Microsoft may have been the last of the major console makers to announce their next generation system but they certainly didn’t disappoint - that is, depending on whom you ask. Leading up to the reveal, many believed Microsoft would position the next generation system as a device designed to be as much of an entertainment hub as a gaming system.
After watching the Xbox One unveiling, however, we are inclined to believe that most got it wrong. Given the One’s heavy focus on live television, it’s easy to envision how Microsoft may have figured out a way to transform the Xbox from a gaming console that also handles media into a home entertainment hub that just happens to play video games.
The Xbox One is now positioned to become a huge mainstream success if Microsoft plays their cards right and even more so if they can get broadcast executives on board with their vision. There’s still a lot of unknowns, but let’s take a closer look at the facts thus far.
The Xbox One includes HDMI in and out which will be used as a passthrough for your cable or satellite set-top box. That’s huge in and of itself because it means Xbox One users can circumvent the dismal programming guides found on traditional set-top boxes. Instead, users will have access to OneGuide.
With OneGuide, users can navigate through programming using voice and gesture commands via Kinect 2.0 which will come standard with every Xbox One. These new input methods are designed to do away with traditional remote controls. What’s more, OneGuide contains fresh features that let users see what’s trending and tune in immediately or even track fantasy sports stats while watching live television as part of an exclusive deal with the NFL.
It wasn’t until 30 minutes into the hour long event that Microsoft finally got around to discuss games – something that’s extremely telling in. It’s understandable, however, as Microsoft needed to save some content to show off at E3 next month.
One of the bigger questions in the overall picture has to do with how devices like the Xbox One will affect the way television programming is broadcast over the long haul. Tech companies have been trying for years to get broadcast behemoths to change their ways and there’s been a good bit of progress. We’re now able to stream pre-recorded movies and television shows from the likes of Amazon, Hulu and Netflix, purchase similar content from iTunes and even stream select channels live to mobile devices.
But it’s not enough. Technology is simply outpacing the traditional broadcast model. Could the Xbox One be the catalyst for change that we have all been hoping for?
People want to be able to watch content when they want, where they want, and from any device they want. Like sports and the latest episode of your favorite sitcom - not some television show that aired more than a week ago. Many consumers wouldn’t have a problem paying for the convenience.
Other tech giants are well aware of this trend, and one in particular, Apple has been long rumored to be taking on television. Reports of Apple courting broadcast executives are well-documented. True enough, a television set that could perform such tasks was something Apple co-founder Steve Jobs said he had finally cracked just before his death.
The Xbox 360 wasn’t designed to be a media powerhouse but it managed to perform those tasks exceedingly well late in its life. Just over a year ago it was noted that the console was used more for watching TV shows, movies and listening to music than playing video games online. With those kind of usage statistics it’s no surprise that Microsoft would build the One from the ground-up to be a media device first. Just imagine what the One and the PlayStation 4 could really do with live streaming television.
There’s little doubt that the Xbox One will be a commercial success just like the Xbox 360 and the original Xbox before it. The media-minded system will appeal to people that aren’t necessarily diehard console gamers – a category of consumer that is much more lucrative than the limited scope of hardcore gamers. We simply hope that Microsoft's new media device and others like it can bring about more rapid change with regards to the television industry.
Leave your reviews about XBOX revolution in comments.
Hackers using Skype to attack Windows PCs
Free internet-calling service Skype is being used by hackers to distribute a 'worm' that infects users Windows PCs.
On clicking an instant message saying "lol is this your new profile pic?" users are unwittingly downloading a file containing a Trojan horse malware file.
This opens a backdoor allowing hackers to hijack infected PCs and recruit them into a "botnet army".
Users can be locked out of their machines and held to ransom, the BBC reports.
According to the report, Skype said in a statement that they 'are aware of this malicious activity and are working quickly to mitigate its impact.'
"We strongly recommend upgrading to the newest Skype version and applying updated security features on your computer," the firm said in a statement.
"Additionally, following links - even when from your contacts - that look strange or are unexpected is not advisable," it added.
Google Street View Is Now Available on the Google Maps Webapp
Google has added the Street View feature to its Google Maps webapp, giving the already robust mapping system a nice on the ground viewpoint for wherever you're going.
To access Street View, type in the address you're looking for into Google Maps on your mobile browser, and click the person icon in the bottom right corner. You'll drop down into the traditional Street View and you can swipe to look around. If you've been missing the Street View feature on iOS 6, this is nice to have around to get a better idea of where you're going, and it makes the Google Maps webapp that much more useful.
Google Maps
Intel-powered ultrabooks a major flop: Research
Ultrabooks -- those sleek, lightweight laptop computers that were supposed to fire up PC sales -- are not catching on with consumers, a new survey shows.
The research firm IHS iSuppli on Monday slashed its forecast in half for the ultrabooks, saying high prices and ineffective marketing have culminated in a failure to lure buyers away from other hot-selling mobile gadgets.
The survey showed 10.3 million ultrabooks will ship worldwide in 2012, down from the previous forecast issued earlier this year of 22 million units. More than half of the shipments for the year are expected in the fourth quarter.
For next year, iSuppli cut its forecast to 44 million from a prior estimate of 61 million.
"So far, the PC industry has failed to create the kind of buzz and excitement among consumers that is required to propel ultrabooks into the mainstream," IHS analyst Craig Stice said.
"This is especially a problem amid all the hype surrounding media tablets and smartphones. When combined with other factors, including prohibitively high pricing, this means that ultrabook sales will not meet expectations in 2012."
The latest report said that to fire up sales, prices need to come down from the $1,000 range to around $600.
It said if ultrabooks using the new Windows 8 operating system come close to the $600-$700 range next year, while adding in an new features such as touchscreen, a good chance exists for strong sales in 2013. Otherwise, consumers may opt for other devices.
"With the economy languishing, ultrabook sellers may have trouble finding buyers at the current pricing, especially with fierce competition from new mobile computing gadgets such as the iPhone 5, Kindle Fire HD and forthcoming Microsoft Surface" tablet, Stice said.
IHS said that despite the challenges, ultrabook sales will rise to 95 million by 2016.
The ultrabook is a term for a lightweight notebook computer coined by Intel. But ISH said Intel's "stringent" definitions are prompting some manufacturers to shun the term and call the PCs, "ultrathins," instead.
Source: The Times Of India
You may get call from Facebook if profile identity is suspect
Social networking giant Facebook is making a "huge effort" to weed out fake profiles to prevent misuse of such identities, a senior company official has said.
"Absolutely, there is a huge effort," Facebook India business manager Pavan Varma told PTI when asked about the company's action on this front.
If Facebook doubts the ownership of an account, it will ask the user to identify himself/herself, he said.
The doubt about the authenticity of the account will arise if an account has a generic name instead of a proper name, uses images of celebrities/ cartoon characters as display pictures, or does not have "enough friends", Varma said.
"It could even be that Facebook comes back to you saying, `could you help us identify yourself if you don't have enough friends, because we don't want fake identities," he said.
"We are worried about the experience we deliver....It's not about protecting our brand identity so much," he said.
Recently there were reports of fake accounts being created by computer programs, which are used for inflating the number of "likes" on Facebook page for a brand.
Facebook had recently said it would be taking out fake "likes" generated by spammers, malware and black marketers.
Varma said advertisers must also shed the obsession with numbers. "How does an advertiser today treat a Facebook page? It is treated as a place where they just come with a number of people who are there. But that is a wrong way of doing it," he said, stressing that the conversations around the brand should assume importance rather than the numbers.
Mere "likes" on the page do not help a brand, he said. Companies generally pay Facebook for a dedicated page on its platform that helps them connect with the target audience.
IDBI Bank claims it has over five lakh fans on Facebook, Varma said, who was speaking to PTI on the sidelines of a banking summit.
He added that Facebook, as a medium, is completely secure and cited the case of ICICI Bank, which now offers basic services over the Facebook page by integrating its net banking platform with the social networking site.
Samsung unveils ATIV S, world's first Windows Phone 8 device
If you've been wondering what the first dual-core Windows Phone would look like, this is it. Today, the Korean electronics giant took the wraps off the Samsung ATIV S, the world's first smartphone running Windows Phone 8.
The ATIV S (ATIV is "VITA" spelled backward) features a slim design, a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, and a 1.5GHz dual-core processor. There's also compatibility for HSPA+42.
In addition, the ATIV S packs in a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera with autofocus and an LED flash, and a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera.
Taking full advantage of new software capabilities announced for Windows Phone 8 in June, there's a microSD card and support for NFC (think file-sharing and, soon, payment).
Samsung has also added a very large 2,300mAh battery that should promise longer life, and 1GB of RAM. It'll come in 16GB and 32GB storage versions, and will feature a host of Samsung apps, like the Music Hub and the Media Hub for the U.S. market.
Though Samsung hasn't yet shared its release plans for the U.S., the HSPA+ support and lack of LTE connectivity points toward a T-Mobile release first.
Stay tuned for more details of the Samsung ATIV S Windows phone, including hands-on impressions.
Samsung to unveil new Galaxy Note in late August
(Reuters) - Samsung Electronics(005930.KS) is set to take the wraps off a sequel to its popular Galaxy Note smartphone at an event on August 29, about two weeks before the possible debut of Apple's(AAPL.O) new iPhone.
The two arch rivals are bracing for a full-blown battle with the expected rollouts of the two key models coming as they lock horns in a high-stakes patent trial in the United States.
"We plan to unveil the next Galaxy Note at the Samsung Mobile Unpacked event in Berlin on August 29," a Samsung spokesman said on Friday, without elaborating. The event will take place two days before the opening of Europe's biggest consumer electronics trade fair IFA.
South Korean media reports speculate the new Galaxy Note may feature an unbreakable, 5.5-inch display - slightly larger than the current one - as well as a faster processor and a much better camera.
Samsung, once a laggard in the smartphone market, overtook Apple last year to become the world's largest smartphone maker. The South Korean firm is looking to defend its supremacy by refreshing its line-up ahead of the launch of the fifth version of Apple's iPhone, widely expected to be released in October.
Samsung launched its flagship Galaxy S III in May, while Apple is planning a major product launch on Sept 12, stoking speculation the company may announce the sale of its redesigned iPhone.
Samsung is estimated to have increased smartphone shipments to 50.5 million in the April to June quarter of this year, nearly double the 26 million iPhones sold.
Apple shipments in the June quarter tumbled 26 percent on the previous quarter as the European economy sagged and consumers held off on buying ahead of the release of the iPhone 5.
The two tech titans also started a trial in a U.S. court this week in a patent battle triggered by Apple's lawsuit last year claiming that Samsung slavishly copied Apple's smartphones and tablets. Samsung has countersued.
There Is No Escape: All Facebook users will soon be forced to switch to Timeline
If you consider yourself one of the lucky people who haven't been forced to switch to Timeline yet, know that your luck may soon run out. Facebook will force all of its 955 million accounts to use the new, more visual profile layout this fall in order to give everyone a consistent experience throughout the site.
Timeline was introduced in January of this year, catching some people by surprise. Facebook has been periodically forcing more and more users to make the switch since then; the rollout will merely be accelerated so that the transition will be complete in the next few months. Its recently announced revamped Photos interface is also part of the site-wide change, so expect to get the feature soon.
You'll know you're getting Timeline once Facebook shows you a prompt upon login, telling you when your new profile is going live. Make sure you edit your profile first before it goes public if you don't want friends and co-workers coming across old party pictures you forgot you had on your account.
Microsoft Expected to Uncrate Office 15 (Codename Mondo) Today
Microsoft is holding an invitation-only press event in San Francisco today at which it is expected to debut the next version of its Office productivity suite. Hosted by CEO Steve Ballmer, the event kicks off at noon PT. And while Microsoft hasn’t revealed its topic, sources familiar with the company’s plans say it is indeed Office 15 or “Office 2013″, a tablet-ready, next-generation productivity suite designed for Windows 8.
Microsoft has been talking about the latest upcoming version of the Office app suite, and even showed it off months ago in a technical preview for a limited number of people, but it’s been pretty vague on actual details when it comes to the public eye. Now though, there seems to be a little more known about it, even though it hasn’t been announced by Microsoft personally.
To recap, the new Office is expected to update servers, cloud services and mobile and PC clients as it will be running on the upcoming Windows 8 OS. Windows 8 will not only be compatible with desktops and laptops, but also with mobile devices like smartphones, eliminating the need for the separate Windows Phone mobile OS. Other platforms such as Office 365, SharePoint, Exchange and Visio will be supported by this new Office as well, which Microsoft claims will help users work and collaborate better than before.
Chinese site cnBeta has recently discovered that the name of the suite wont be Office 15 as per the company’s previous statements, but instead follow the current naming trend of using a year, making it Office 2013. Another site, Ars Technica, also says that the ARM-based version will be called Office 2013 RT. Interestingly, previous builds were named after the year they were released, which count point to a 2013 launch. However, some are saying that the new build will arrive at roughly the same time as Windows officially launches Windows 8.
Certain reports have also posted images of how different its apps will be compared to the current version, Office 2010. The user interface looks more streamlined and easier on the eyes with just the colors blue and white, and the icons are larger and easier to tell apart. The logo itself is also different, featuring principles from the Metro design language, and the typical four “windows” have been replaced by a single dark orange one before the word “Office”. However, this logo is said to be just for the upcoming preview, and the real logo for the actual finished suite will be the blue Metro one with the four solid squares.
The official beta of the upcoming Office will be during the summer, most likely later this month, while Windows 8 itself is expected to arrive later this year, with some saying that there could be a launch party in October.
Rumors say that Microsoft Office 2013 includes modifications to PDF:
Edit PDF content in Word
With Word 2013, you can convert a PDF document into a Word document and edit the content.
To convert a PDF, you open it like you would any other document.
Click File > Open > Browse .
Find the PDF and click Open .
The converted document might not have a perfect page to page correspondence with the original. The conversion works best with mostly textual documents.
In addition, in Microsoft Word 2013 will optimize the read mode, including reading in Microsoft Word 2013 in Word documents and PDF files.
In addition, Microsoft Word 2013 to read mode, the user is more you can bookmark.
Microsoft Word 2013 in a significant improvement in reading function, coupled with support to read and modify the function of the PDF, it is a considerable threat for Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader. In addition, according to the sources pointed out, Microsoft has completed the first Beta version of Office 2013's
Samsung’s new 75-inch TV has a big price tag to match
That 55-inch TV you've been watching Netflix on is starting to look awfully small, now that Samsung has taken the wraps off its new 75-inch 75ES9000. The set, now on sale in South Korea, packs more than just a massive LED-backlit display in its incredibly thin 7.9mm deep frame.
In addition to featuring common Smart TV apps such as Netflix and Twitter, the television includes built-in wifi and a video camera that can be used for video conferencing. The camera also lets you interact with the on-screen display using hand gestures, much like Microsoft's Kinect for the Xbox 360. In fact, you can even control the TV using your voice.
All of this screen real estate and the technology behind it comes at a pretty steep price. The 75ES9000 is selling for 19.8 million South Korean won, or approximately $17,442. If you're in the market for a TV — especially one you can get now, and for less than the price of a car.
Report: More fixes for overheating iPads?
Apple is quietly revising its third-generation iPad in a number of ways to fix an overheating issue with the tablet, according to Digitimes.
The Taiwanese tech site reported Friday that Apple is switching out the third-gen iPad's dual-LED backlight module for a single-LED module like the one used for the iPad 2. That report comes on the heels of a Digitimes report from a day earlier that claimed Apple was upgrading the battery in its new iPad, also to deal with the overheating problem.
Both reports cited unnamed sources in the Asian electronics supply chain. The rumored revisions to the third-gen iPad will appear in models made available around the holidays, Digitimes reported. The iPad's overheating issues have been well-documented. Days after Apple released its third-gen iPad, Dutch site Tweakers.net published thermal images that it said showed the new iPad running 10 degrees hotter than the iPad 2. Using an infrared camera, Tweakers measured the temperature of each tablet side by side after five minutes of running GLBenchmark and found that the new iPad hit 33.6 degrees centigrade (92.5 Fahrenheit) while the iPad 2 ran at a cooler 28.3 degrees centigrade (82.9 Fahrenheit). Apple told All Things D that the new iPad runs "well within our thermal specifications."
If Digitimes' sources are correct, Apple is tackling the overheating issue on several fronts. First, there's the reported revision to the battery, which would make the tablet "slightly lighter and thinner than previously designed," the site reported. The third-gen iPad's second LED is apparently also a contributing factor to the tablet running hotter than Apple would like. Luckily for the iPad maker, returning to the single module design "will not affect luminosity and clarity of Apple's Retina Ddsplay," according to Digitimes' sources. Finally, the touch-screen panel on the revised iPad will utilize Sharp's indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) panel technology, Digitimes said, citing the Chinese-language Apple Daily site. That will allow for a thinner profile for the revised tablet and, somehow, "longer battery life," according to Apple Daily. It would also mean Apple is switching from its current panel supplier, Samsung, to Sharp. As always, Apple product rumors should be taken with a grain of salt
Samsung said to be working on new, even bigger Galaxy Note
Sentiment over whether the mammoth screen on the original Galaxy Note (pictured above) seemed to be split between people who found it useful, and those who found it a bit excessive. Apparently not content with the 5.3-inch screen on its original smartphone/tablet hybrid, Samsung is reportedly poised to unveil the Galaxy Note 2, a device that manages to up the already enormous screen size to 5.5-inches.
The new Note is also said to feature a more powerful processor, as well as an improved camera, pushing past the original's 8.0-megapixel lens and landing closer to 12 or 13 megapixels. Of course, this means we'll have to yet again ask the question of whether we really need a smartphone with a tablet form factor, but given our own Taylor Hatmaker's enthusiastic response to the first Note, we're eager to see exactly how the Note 2 stacks up.
Samsung will supposedly reveal the new handset at the IFA consumer electronics show, which takes place in Germany this August. If this well-sourced information does indeed pan out, you can expect at least another year's worth of conjecture over whether a smartphone with a stylus is simply too much to handle.
Devices connected to internet set to reach 15 billion by 2015
Devices connected to theinternet will reach 15 billion by 2015 and later to 50 billion by 2020, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad Director Professor U B Desai said today.
"Coming together of web technologies, mobile computer and communication technologies have greatly enhanced the capabilities of global reach even for the common man, opening several opportunities and possibilities for better living," he added, at a two-day national conference on 'Advanced Communication and Computer Technologies, organised by the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE), Visakhapatnam centre at the National Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) here today.
IETE president R K Gupta highlighted the role played by his organisation in reducing the digital divide by bringing together students, practicing professionals and industry.
IETE chairman, Visakhpatnam centre and Director NSTL S V Ranga Rajan said that 110 papers were shortlisted out of 160 papers presented by delegates in the area of communication technologies, image processing, microwaves and antennas, embedded systems, radar and sonar signal processing and others.
"Coming together of web technologies, mobile computer and communication technologies have greatly enhanced the capabilities of global reach even for the common man, opening several opportunities and possibilities for better living," he added, at a two-day national conference on 'Advanced Communication and Computer Technologies, organised by the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE), Visakhapatnam centre at the National Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) here today.
IETE president R K Gupta highlighted the role played by his organisation in reducing the digital divide by bringing together students, practicing professionals and industry.
IETE chairman, Visakhpatnam centre and Director NSTL S V Ranga Rajan said that 110 papers were shortlisted out of 160 papers presented by delegates in the area of communication technologies, image processing, microwaves and antennas, embedded systems, radar and sonar signal processing and others.
LinkedIn Confirms: Account Passwords Hacked
LinkedIn Wednesday confirmed that at least some passwords compromised in a major security breach correspond to LinkedIn accounts.
Vicente Silveira, Director at LinkedIn, confirmed the hack on the company's blog Wednesday afternoon and outlined steps that LinkedIn is taking to deal with the situation. He wrote that those with compromised passwords will notice that their LinkedIn account password is no longer valid.
Silveira added that owners of compromised accounts will receive an email from LinkedIn with instructions on how to reset their passwords. These owners then will get a second email from LinkedIn customer support that explains the situation at greater length.
Silveira also apologized to those affected, saying LinkedIn takes the security of members very seriously.
The business-focused social network had 161 million users worldwide as of March 31.
Background
LinkedIn Security professionals suspected that the business-focused social network LinkedIn suffered a major breach of its password database. Recently, a file containing 6.5 million unique hashed passwords appeared in an online forum based in Russia. More than 200,000 of these passwords have reportedly been cracked so far.
The file only contains passwords hashed using the SHA-1 algorithm and does not include user names or any other data, security researchers say. However, the breach is so serious that security professionals advise people to change their LinkedIn passwords immediately.
It's unknown at this point how the file ended up on a public forum or exactly which site the passwords originate from; however, signs indicated this is indeed a breach of LinkedIn. Many of the cracked passwords that have been published to the forum have the common term “LinkedIn” in them, Per Thorsheim a security advisor based in Norway
While terms such as Facebook, Twitter and other common online networks are almost nonexistent. Thorsheim was one of the first security researchers to discover the leaked password file.
One common way people create passwords for different websites is to add the name of the site into the passphrase, says Thorsheim. So some people may use the password “1234Facebook” for the world's largest social network, and then “1234LinkedIn” for LinkedIn and so on. With so many occurrences of the term LinkedIn, Thorsheim says, it seems likely these are in fact LinkedIn passwords.
Thorsheim also said he and at least 12 other sources he trusts within the security community have found hashes of their own LinkedIn passwords in the file.
After hearing Thorsheim's story and using a copy of the leaked password file, I also found the hash for my own LinkedIn password after running my passphrase through an SHA-1 hash generator.
What's a Hash?
An SHA-1 hash is an algorithm that converts your password into a unique set of numbers and letters. If your password is “LinkedIn1234,” for example, the SHA-1 hex output should always be “abf26a4849e5d97882fcdce5757ae6028281192a.” As you can see that is problematic since if you know the password is hashed with SHA-1, you can quickly uncover some of the more basic passwords that people commonly use.
Often, random bits--known as salting--are added to a hash so that the output is harder to guess. But that does not appear to be the case with these leaked passwords.
What's also troubling security researchers is that the password database contains entirely unique passwords. It's unclear whether the people who leaked the password file have more passwords that have not surfaced online. The file may, for example, be an attempt to crowd source the hacking of some of the more difficult passwords. It's also unknown if the suspected attackers have user names or other data tying these passwords to actual users.
Regarding this issue, LinkedIn's Silveira wrote: "It is worth noting that the affected members who update their passwords and members whose passwords have not been compromised benefit from the enhanced security we just recently put in place, which includes hashing and salting of our current password databases."
However, since 6.5 million unsalted hashes have been exposed it does not matter how long or difficult to guess your password is, Thorsheim says. Anyone whose password has been exposed is at risk. You can change your LinkedIn password by following this link and clicking the “change” link next to “Password” just below your profile photo.
This has been a tough week for LinkedIn and security. The Next Web recently reported that an opt-in calendar feature in LinkedIn's Android and iOS mobile apps was sending user data back to LinkedIn servers as plain text. LinkedIn responded by saying it sends all data back to its servers via an encrypted connection and never saves any user data.
Facebook to lift ban on under-13s joining social network site?
Facebook may relax a ban on children under the age of 13 joining its site after finding that many kids, some with their parents' permission and help, were already using it.
"There is reputable evidence that there are kids under 13 who are lying about their age to get on to Facebook," Sunday Times quoted Simon Milner, Facebook's head of policy in Britain as saying.
"Some seem to be doing it with their parents' permission and help," Milner said.
If the decision to lift the ban is implemented, a flood of new users are likely to sign up to the social network, which floated on the stock market last week for USD 105 billion last week.
The number of people with profiles - currently estimated at 900 million active users - would probably hit the iconic one billion mark, meaning that more than one in seven people in the world would be an active user of the site.
However, Milner said the decision to allow children to create profiles was still at a very early stage.
Milner said he will launch a debate about the minimum age in Britain when he appears next month at Wellington college, Berkshire.
"We have a strict under-13 rule because of legal issues in America," he said.
"We apply the same rule all over the world. But a lot of parents are happy their kids are on it. We would like to hear from people what the answer might be."
Supporters of the minimum age believe it helps shield children from cyberbullying and inappropriate contact with adults.
Past surveys in the UK have suggested that one in three British children has been the victim of abuse on the Internet.
The poll, commissioned by charity Beatbullying in 2009, also revealed that girls are up to four times more likely to face online bullying than boys, Daily Mail reported.
Some school bullies have even set up Facebook groups allowing dozens of people to band together to abuse classmates, it said.
Facebook has responded to criticism in the past by adding a number of safety features to the site to attempt to combat online bullying.
Microsoft‘s social network So.cl now open to all
Microsoft has opened up its So.cl social networking service to the general public, which lets users share and comment on interesting search results and connect with "like-minded" people.
It is targeted at students and had earlier been restricted to invitees at universities and schools in the US.
The service integrates with Facebook and is being pitched as an "experiment" rather than a rival to other networks.
Microsoft revealed that the product was developed by its Fuse Labs unit as a "research project... focused on the future of social experiences and learning."
Members are invited to create "collages of content" using the firm's Bing search engine technology and external links, which they can, then share with others.
Users can then identify people who are interested in the same topics, monitor their associates' feeds and take part in "video parties" during which members watch online videos together, commenting on them via chat function.
Members can sign in using their Facebook login details, however, their So.cl activities do not show up on Facebook's pages unless the option is activated.
The move to open up the service to the general public was taken over the weekend with little fanfare, prompting some analysts to speculate that Microsoft only had limited ambitions for the project.
"The fact that So.cl is targeted at students echoes Facebook's beginnings and has made many assume it is a Facebook clone," the BBC quoted Eden Zoller, principal analyst at technology consultants Ovum, as saying.
"But So.cl is, as Microsoft stresses, an experiment designed to be a layer on existing social networks.
"Microsoft is being sensible in positioning So.cl in this way - the opposite approach of Google, which entered social networking all guns blazing with a full on service, and is having modest success," Zoller said.
Zoller added that the project could also help Microsoft further improve Bing's search capabilities.
A study by Comscore suggested that Microsoft had a 15.4 percent share of the US search market in April compared with Google's 66.5 percent lead.
Earlier surveys have suggested that the gap is even wider in the UK and parts of Europe.
Microsoft's SOCL
It's Official: Google Has Lost Control of the Android Tablet Market
More bad news for Google and Android.
Amazon's Kindle Fire now has 54.4% of the Android tablet market in the U.S., according to comScore.
This means Google has lost control of the Android tablet market to one of its newest mobile rivals after just a few months.
Amazon used the base layer of Android to build its own operating system. Google doesn't have its app store or any of its services on the Kindle Fire.
Amazon isn't the last company to do this. Phone makers are planning on forking Android, making it more fragmented and ultimately cutting Google out of the loop.
The success of the Kindle Fire is proof that you don't need Google to make a popular Android-based device.
First Look at Ubuntu Linux 12.04 "Precise Pangolin"
News
Ubuntu 12.04 "Precise Pangolin" is out today, bringing lots of improvements to your favorite Linux distribution. It has a new quick search feature called the HUD, some new privacy settings, a few tweaks to the Unity interface, and more.
This release is another "Long Term Support" release, meaning Canonical will support it for longer than other versions—five years, to be exact. It also usually means lots of new features, though this time around it seems to be more polish than anything—though the HUD alone is reason enough to upgrade. Here's a look at everything that's new.
The HUD Makes Finding Menu Items Super Easy
Have you ever been in a situation where you're using a program, and want to do something specific that you know is in the menus, but you just don't know where? The new HUD solves that problem. Just hit Alt, and a search bar will pop up in the upper left-hand corner of your screen. From there you can type in what you're looking for, and it will return any menu items that match your query. If you've ever used a Mac, it's almost exactly like the Spotlight bar you get under the "Help" menu of individual applications, and it is a lifesaver.New Privacy Options Keep Your Information to Yourself
One great thing about Unity's Dash is that you can search for recently used files, folders, and programs easily. However, if you'd rather some of your activity not be logged, Precise has a new set of Privacy options to let you tweak that. By going to System Settings > Privacy, you can now ignore certain types of files, ignore activity in certain folders, or ignore activity with certain applications. You can even turn activity recording off altogether if you'd rather not have the feature at all. In an age where everyone's having privacy gaffes left and right, it's nice that Canonical has added this easily accessible preference pane for anyone to tweak.Miscellaneous Improvements in the Unity Interface
Love it or hate it, Unity is here to stay, and the newest version has a few tweaks that make it a bit more appetizing to those of us on the fence. At the top of the list is a new Video lens in the Dash (remember lenses?), which searches not only videos on your computer but videos online. That means you no longer need to head to Amazon, Vimeo, or TED Talks in your browser to start searching for videos—just hit the Super key, click on the video lens, and start typing. Sadly, it doesn't search all of YouTube yet, just YouTube Movies and YouTube Shows, but hopefully this will change or someone will create an add-on in the future.You'll also find that Nautilus now has a pretty beefy right-click menu in the Unity dock, which is nice, plus some nice color-matching effects if you have a powerful enough machine. The "Appearance" settings pane also has a few Unity-specific preferences, like auto-hiding the launcher.
Touchpads With Built-In Buttons Work a Tiny Bit Better
For a long time, Ubuntu has had trouble with ClickPad devices, where the touchpad itself is the mouse button (like those found on MacBook laptops). In Precise, ClickPad devices are now fully supported. Finally, you can click the button, but still move the cursor around with a second finger on the trackpad. In previous versions of Ubuntu, it had trouble recognizing the second finger. Unfortunately, trackpad support still really isn't there. While clicking and dragging mostly works, Canonical seems to have completely ignored regular mouse movement. If you have your thumb on the bottom of the trackpad, you can't move the mouse with a second finger. The whole thing still feels unnatural and unfinished. Here's hoping this will improve soon—at least we know they're now looking into it. Photo by Ryan Bailey.
Rhythmbox Is the Default Music Player Again
We really dug Banshee as the default music player in Ubuntu, but with version 12.04 they've defaulted back to the stable, popular Rhythmbox. The biggest change here is that the Ubuntu One Music Store is once again available in Rhythmbox, so Ubuntu One users are the only ones really affected—everyone else can continue using whatever music player they want.
Ubuntu One has a Few More Options
Lastly, Ubuntu One users will also find that the Ubuntu One client interface has changed a bit, and is now more similar to its Windows counterpart. You also have the option to choose which folders you want synced to your machine, which is nice.
Despite its being an LTS release, there aren't a ton of huge changes in Ubuntu 12.04, though the HUD is easily enough to get us upgrading as soon as possible. Check out Canonical's changelog for the full list of changes, or just download the new version now and try it out for yourself.
If you stumble on any new features you love, be sure to let us know about them in the comments.
Google launches Google Drive & upgrades Gmail to 10 GB for all users
News
Google has launched Google Drive, a cloud storage service where users can upload and access all of their files, including videos, photos, Google Docs, PDFs and beyond. The service is offering new users 5GB of storage for free with upgrades starting at 25GB for $2.49/month, 100GB for $4.99/month or even 1TB for $49.99/month. Google also increased the free storage in Gmail from the existing 7.5 GB to 10 GB to all users.
“Drive is built to work seamlessly with your overall Google experience. You can attach photos from Drive to posts in Google+, and soon you’ll be able to attach stuff from Drive directly to emails in Gmail. Drive is also an open platform, so we’re working with many third-party developers so you can do things like send faxes, edit videos and create website mockups directly from Drive. To install these apps, visit the Chrome Web Store—and look out for even more useful apps in the future,” Sundar Pichai, SVP, Chrome and Apps, Google has said in a blog post:
Today, we’re introducing Google Drive—a place where you can create, share, collaborate, and keep all of your stuff. Whether you’re working with a friend on a joint research project, planning a wedding with your fiancé or tracking a budget with roommates, you can do it in Drive. You can upload and access all of your files, including videos, photos, Google Docs, PDFs and beyond.
With Google Drive, you can:
Create and collaborate. Google Docs is built right into Google Drive, so you can work with others in real time on documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Once you choose to share content with others, you can add and reply to comments on anything (PDF, image, video file, etc.) and receive notifications when other people comment on shared items.
Store everything safely and access it anywhere (especially while on the go). All your stuff is just... there. You can access your stuff from anywhere—on the web, in your home, at the office, while running errands and from all of your devices. You can install Drive on your Mac or PC and can download the Drive app to your Android phone or tablet. We’re also working hard on a Drive app for your iOS devices. And regardless of platform, blind users can access Drive with a screen reader.
Search everything. Search by keyword and filter by file type, owner and more. Drive can even recognize text in scanned documents using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology. Let’s say you upload a scanned image of an old newspaper clipping. You can search for a word from the text of the actual article. We also use image recognition so that if you drag and drop photos from your Grand Canyon trip into Drive, you can later search for [grand canyon] and photos of its gorges should pop up. This technology is still in its early stages, and we expect it to get better over time.
You can get started with 5GB of storage for free—that’s enough to store the high-res photos of your trip to the Mt. Everest, scanned copies of your grandparents’ love letters or a career’s worth of business proposals, and still have space for the novel you’re working on. You can choose to upgrade to 25GB for $2.49/month, 100GB for $4.99/month or even 1TB for $49.99/month. When you upgrade to a paid account, your Gmail account storage will also expand to 25GB.
Drive is built to work seamlessly with your overall Google experience. You can attach photos from Drive to posts in Google+, and soon you’ll be able to attach stuff from Drive directly to emails in Gmail. Drive is also an open platform, so we’re working with many third-party developers so you can do things like send faxes, edit videos and create website mockups directly from Drive. To install these apps, visit the Chrome Web Store—and look out for even more useful apps in the future.
This is just the beginning for Google Drive; there’s a lot more to come.
Get started with Drive today at drive.google.com/start
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