Written By Unknown on Selasa, 17 Februari 2015 | 16.00
Dish Network hit the ground running with its Sling TV service a week ago today, and it shows no signs of slowing down. Just the opposite, Sling TV is about to get a boost in programming that goes beyond sports and basic cable thanks to an agreement it inked with premium movie channel Epix.
In the coming weeks, Sling TV will offer its subscribers the full lineup of Epix movie channels and more than 2,000 on-demand movies and TV shows. Pricing and availability for the premium package, however, has not been announced.
"Our customers crave the newest movies like The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Transformers: Age of Extinction, but they also have a growing appetite for the classics and Epix delivers both," said Roger Lynch, CEO of Sling TV. "Sling TV will feature Epix's linear channels and movies on-demand in an add-on package that is accessible and affordable."
Why this matters: When Dish Network announced Sling TV in January, we pointed out that Dish had only negotiated a fraction of the licensing deals for Sling TV as it has for its pricier satellite service. That remains true, but with the addition of a premium movie channel owned by Paramount/Viacom, MGM, and Lionsgate, it might tempt some cord cutters to decide their Netflix subscriptions have been rendered redundant. Amazon has a little less to worry about since you get more than free movies and TV shows with its Prime service.
Sling TV is not exactly the a la carte menu of TV entertainment that consumers have long demanded, but it's closer than anything we've seen to date. The base package provides a collection of sports channels (ESPN, ESPN2), a selection of basic cable channels (ABC Family, Adult Swim, AMC, BBC AMERICA, BBC World News, CNN, El Rey Network, IFC, Sundance TV, TNT, TBS, Food Network, HGTV, and Travel Channel), and some programming for kids (Cartoon Network and Disney Channel) for a base price of $20 per month.
Add-on packages deliver nine more sports channels, five more channels of children's programming, and programming of interest to news and how-to junkies for $5 per month for each package. Few Sling TV subscribers will want all of those services, but many of them are likely to want Epix.
While there's no official word on pricing, we suspect it will land somewhere between $5 and $15, which is the range of prices that cable and satellite TV providers charge to add Epix. If cord cutters can put together a compelling combination of television services for $35 to $40 per month, Sling TV should be able to swell its subscriber ranks quickly.
Microsoft has adopted a new standard for cloud privacy that commits the company to protect the privacy of customers' data, not to use it for advertisement purposes, and to inform the customer of legal requests for personal data.
The company said Monday it was adopting the ISO/IEC 27018, published last year by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), which outlines a common set of security categories and controls that can be implemented by a public cloud computing service provider acting as a processor of personally identifiable information.
Microsoft said the British Standards Institute had verified that both Office 365 and Dynamics CRM Online, in addition to Microsoft Azure, are in line with the standard's code for the protection of personal data in the public cloud. Microsoft Intune was similarly certified by testing company Bureau Veritas.
Microsoft and other cloud companies have come under a cloud after revelations in 2013 by former U.S. National Security Agency contractor, Edward Snowden, about large-scale surveillance by the agency.
Some Internet companies were charged with providing to the NSA real-time access to content on their servers, which the companies denied. There were also reports that the agency was tapping into communications links between the data centers of Yahoo and Google.
Microsoft, which has a legal dispute with the U.S. government, which is demanding access to mails of an individual that are stored in Dublin, has previously said that the company was concerned about government attempts to use search warrants to force companies to turn over contents of communications of non-U.S. customers that are stored exclusively outside the country.
Customers will only use services that they trust, wrote Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith in a blog post Monday.
Adherence to the ISO/IEC 27018 will not likely do away entirely with these issues. The new standard requires that law enforcement requests for disclosure of personally identifiable data must be disclosed to enterprise customers, but provides for the exception when such a disclosure is prohibited by law, under what are called "gag orders."
More relevant for customers are likely to be Microsoft's commitments to, among other things, process personally identifiable information according to instructions provided by the customer, adhere to security safeguards, and its policies regarding the return, transfer, and deletion of personal information stored in its data centers.
Microsoft promises under the new standard to let customers know where their data is, and identify the third party to customers if it works with other companies who need to access the customers' data. "In addition, if there is unauthorized access to personally identifiable information or processing equipment or facilities resulting in the loss, disclosure or alteration of this information, we'll let you know about this," Smith wrote.
Some of these are commitments Microsoft has already made previously.
Even as China continues to block its services, Google has started a localized YouTube channel for developers in the country, aiming to bring more Chinese-made apps to its platforms.
The new YouTube channel, announced on Monday, will serve up videos discussing Google technologies such as Android, either translated with subtitles, or spoken in Mandarin Chinese.
The company announced the channel about four months after it opened Google Play to developers based in mainland China.
The country is already home to a burgeoning number of developers, both large and small, who are making apps for Android, the most popular mobile OS in China.
By opening up its Google Play store, the U.S. search giant is hoping to help Chinese developers sell paid apps over the platform. In return, Google will transfer revenue generated by the apps directly to the developers' bank accounts.
Although it could potentially tap a large developer community in China, the company has had a rocky relationship with the country's government over online censorship matters.
In China, Google was one of the few services to offer uncensored search results. But authorities have often tried to silence any Internet products that could fan anti-government sentiments.
In 2009, China cut access to YouTube, and last year, it decided to block all Google services, amidst a clampdown on foreign Internet services.
Apple, on the other hand, has a thriving app store in China that's also been helping local developers reach customers outside the country.
But even with Google blocked in China, some users are managing to circumvent the censorship, by relying on paid services such as virtual private networks (VPNs).
Many Chinese companies use VPNs to connect with foreign Internet services such as Google and Facebook to do business, or to buy online advertisements targeting international clients.
On Tuesday, Google declined to comment on how well its Play Store is faring with Chinese developers. But the company's latest efforts could help smaller developer teams in China reach a bigger audience.
Written By Unknown on Senin, 16 Februari 2015 | 16.00
Apple's iPhone 6 has been a hit in China, but according to one account, rival Xiaomi still reigns as the country's largest smartphone vendor.
In last year's fourth quarter, Android handset maker Xiaomi had a 13.7 percent share, while second place Apple only had a 12.3 percent share, research firm IDC said Monday.
The rankings are, however, different from those of another research firm Canalys, which put Apple as the top vendor, and Xiaomi second.
Apple achieved in the fourth quarter its highest quarterly market share in China over the past two years, and it came from strong demand for its newest iPhone, said Xiaohan Tay, an IDC analyst.
Chinese consumers have been hungry for bigger-screen smartphones, and so the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were expected to fare well in the market, despite their high price tags. In China, the iPhone 6 starts at 5288 yuan (US$862), when bought without carrier subsidies.
But Chinese consumers are still flocking toward lower cost handsets. That is the reason local smartphone player Xiaomi, a maker of inexpensive Android phones, managed to hold on to the top spot.
During the fourth quarter, the company's low-priced Redmi handsets, which can start at 699 yuan, helped propel Xiaomi to the number one ranking, Tay said.
As for Samsung, the Korean electronics maker struggled to regain its position in the Chinese market, due to the stiff competition. In the fourth quarter, it was placed fifth, with a 7.9 percent share, behind Huawei and Lenovo.
Apple is taking away market share from Samsung at the high-end, while local Chinese vendors are cutting its share at the low end, Tay said.
Its latest flagship products, the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4, are too similar to the previous generation, and gave consumers little new reason to buy them, she added.
Third place Huawei had an 11 percent share, while Lenovo had 9.5 percent of the market
Overall, China's smartphone market grew 19 percent year-over-year in the fourth quarter. But the high demand is tapering off, given that the year-over-year growth was once over 60 percent back in 2013, Tay said.
The country is the world's largest market for smartphones, but the market has been largely tapped. Instead, local smartphone makers such as Xiaomi and Lenovo are all looking outside the country to fuel further growth in their smartphone businesses.
Both IDC and Canalys are among the research firms that regularly track the Chinese smartphone market, but sometimes their market estimates can be significantly different.
"Research houses rely on various sources within the supply chain of the smartphone industry, and different players may give a somewhat different picture depending on how much they know," said IDC analyst Kiranjeet Kaur. Canalys analyst Nicole Peng said, "We cannot comment on other research firms number as we cannot know their source of information and methodologies."
Indian outsourcer Infosys is to acquire Panaya, a U.S. vendor of automation technology for testing enterprise software deployments and upgrades.
The cash deal values Panaya at an enterprise value of US$200 million, and is in line with the company's strategy under new CEO Vishal Sikka to automate processes, including by using artificial intelligence, to cut down on repetitive tasks and accelerate services delivery.
"This acquisition aims to use automation to boost the revenue of the company without a corresponding increase in staff," said Sudin Apte, CEO and research director at analyst firm Offshore Insights. He pointed out that Infosys' rivals like Tata Consultancy Services already use some degree of automation developed in-house.
Sikka is aiming to turn around Infosys, which saw sluggish growth for a couple of years, both because of problems in execution and a weakened market.
The company is expected to spend a part of its over $5 billion cash reserves in acquisitions in the area of cloud computing, artificial intelligence and big data. Sikka has also expanded the company's venture capital fund from $100 million to $500 million.
In the fourth quarter of 2014, the company's revenue was $2.2 billion, up by 5.6 percent from the same quarter a year earlier. Profit at $522 million grew by nearly 13 percent.
Panaya's cloud-based service cuts down the risk, time and cost required to deliver changes to enterprise software from the likes of SAP and Oracle, by identifying how existing environments will be impacted, telling users what they need to test, and managing the testing plans.
Using Panaya will free Infosys from "the drudgery of many repetitive tasks," Sikka said.
The transaction is expected to close before March 31, subject to customary closing conditions.
Infosys still has other issues to address such as in sales and marketing and customer-facing functions before a complete turnaround, Apte said.
LG Electronics has released a video in defense of its executive who was indicted Sunday by prosecutors in Seoul for allegedly damaging Samsung Electronics' washing machines before a show.
It released Monday closed-circuit television footage showing Jo Seong-jin, the head of LG's home appliance division, testing Samsung products including washing machines, dish washers and refrigerators before the IFA electronics show in Berlin last September.
LG claimed Jo meant no harm but it was his regular practice to test the rival company's machines, something he has done while working for LG for the past 38 years.
The executive and two other employees are charged with vandalism, defamation and obstruction of business, a spokeswoman for LG said in an email.
Samsung first sued the LG executives last September for allegedly damaging the door hinges of three "Crystal Blue" washing machines displayed at two separate retail stores in Berlin before the trade show.
LG countersued Samsung claiming that the damage was due to the poor quality of the rival's products and accused Samsung of fabricating and hiding the evidence. In December, prosecutors raided LG's headquarters in Seoul as part of a probe, and called in the company executives including Jo for further investigation.
Ham Yoon-keun, a lawyer for Jo, said in a statement provided by LG, that it is questionable whether there is sufficient evidence to prove Jo damaged the washing machines at a location where Samsung's employees were present. The German prosecutors have already dropped the case, he added.
The prosecutor's office in Seoul was not available for comment. Samsung declined to comment.
The arch-rivalry between the two biggest electronics makers in South Korea showed up again in another ongoing feud between their sister companies, LG Display and Samsung Display. The Suwon prosecutors indicted last Friday four employees of Samsung Display for stealing some OLED technologies from a contractor for LG Display.
Written By Unknown on Minggu, 15 Februari 2015 | 16.00
Despite still being very much an early preview, Windows 10 is already brimming with dozens of handy tweaks and tricks—and, because the operating is still in preview, a handful of those tricks unlock powerful functionality hidden to everyday users.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2875600/windows-10-the-best-tips-tricks-and-tweaks.html#tk.rss_all Windows Sat, 14 Feb 2015 04:00:00 -0800 John Gaudiosi John Gaudiosi
Blending the thrill of managing a fantasy sports lineup with the opportunity to win real-world money has helped companies like FanDuel and DraftKings change the way millions of fans tune in to football, basketball, baseball, and hockey games. But why should physical sports get all the fun? Now, a pair of startups are bringing that cash-fueled fantasy thrill to the passionate, red-hot world of e-sports.
AlphaDraft and Vulcun have launched in tandem with the new season of Riot Games' League of Legends Championship Series (LCS), offering fans the chance to win real money by creating fantasy League of Legends teams comprised of actual professional LOL players.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
In this era of the all-pervasive cloud, it's easy to assume that the data we store will somehow be preserved forever. The only thing to fret about from a posterity perspective, we might think, is the analog information from days gone by—all the stuff on papers, tapes and other pre-digital formats that haven't been explicitly converted.
Vinton Cerf, often called "the father of the Internet," has other ideas.
Now chief Internet evangelist at Google, Cerf spoke this week at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and he painted a very different picture.
Rather than a world where longevity is a given, Cerf fears a "digital dark age" in which the rapid evolution of technology quickly makes storage formats obsolete thanks to a phenomenon he calls "bit rot."
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884572/vint-cerf-worries-about-a-digital-dark-age-and-your-data-could-be-at-risk.html#tk.rss_all Storage Fri, 13 Feb 2015 15:30:11 -0800 Michael Malakata Michael Malakata
China's Huawei Technologies is facing a growing backlash in Zambia, following revelations that the company is erecting telecom towers that do not adhere to technical specifications.
Lawmakers and consumer rights groups have urged the Zambian government to withhold payments to the company until it brings the towers up to the required standard.
The Zambian Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA), awarded Huawei a contract to construct 169 telecom towers in rural areas of the country, at a cost of over $13.5 million. It has been established, however, that the coverage of the towers extends to a radius of 1.65 km (one mile) as opposed to the 5 km specification in the contract.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884552/huawei-faces-outcry-over-telecom-towers-in-zambia.html#tk.rss_all Government Business Legal Networking Fri, 13 Feb 2015 15:15:00 -0800 Fred O'Connor, James Niccolai Fred O'Connor, James Niccolai
Rumors that Apple is developing a car have been met with a world of skepticism, but two news reports Friday suggest there's something to the idea after all.
Several hundred Apple employees are working in secret to develop an electric vehicle, The Wall Street Journal reports. The project is code-named "Titan," and Apple's initial design resembles a minivan, the report says -- not exactly a sexy choice for the iPhone maker.
Earlier Friday, the Financial Times said experienced managers from Apple's iPhone division have been assigned to an automotive project at a secret Silicon Valley location. Apple has hired away the head of Mercedes-Benz's Silicon Valley R&D lab, the FT says.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884532/apple-is-said-to-recruit-engineers-for-car-development-project.html#tk.rss_all Fri, 13 Feb 2015 15:10:10 -0800 Joab Jackson Joab Jackson
Big data may have just crested the wave of inflated expectations and be barrelling towards the trough of disillusionment, at least if you're following along with the Gartner Hype Cycle.
In other words, some practitioners are beginning to doubt the marketing jive around big data analysis and starting to take a more critical view of the limits of big data systems.
The promise of big data has been that the more data you collect, the more insights you can get for your organization. An engineer from Google, which has profited as much from big data as anyone, has called that notion "the unreasonable effectiveness of data."
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884512/big-data-digest-the-backlash-begins.html#tk.rss_all Web & communication Fri, 13 Feb 2015 14:50:11 -0800 Michael Malakata Michael Malakata
Internet connectivity and mobile communications throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been fully restored, but the country's political turmoil is far from over.
The government had moved to block communications in an attempt to quell public protests sparked by President Joseph Kabila's political maneuvers to extend his tenure in office.
The DRC government shut down Internet, social media and mobile phone communications on Jan. 19, restoring Internet service only to banks, government agencies and other corporate bodies 10 days later.
People had been using text messages and social media networks to coordinate rallies to protest Kabila's attempts to introduce an electoral bill and change the country's constitution in order to continue his stay in office. The DRC government admitted that the debate over the bill would likely delay the next presidential election by at least one year.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884492/democratic-republic-of-congo-restores-internet-throughout-country.html#tk.rss_all Government Business Fri, 13 Feb 2015 14:00:00 -0800 Grant Gross Grant Gross
A programmer for defunct file storage site Megaupload has pleaded guilty to criminal copyright infringement charges and has been sentenced to a year and a day in U.S. prison.
Andrus Nomm, a 36-year-old Estonian man, pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to conspiracy to commit felony copyright infringement. District Judge Liam O'Grady accepted the guilty plea and imposed the sentence.
Nomm is the first defendant to face charges in the U.S. in the Department of Justice's long-running copyright infringement case against Megaupload.
The plea is "a significant step forward in the largest criminal copyright case in U.S. history," Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell said in a statement.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884472/megaupload-programmer-pleads-guilty-to-copyright-infringement.html#tk.rss_all Business Legal Cloud & Services Fri, 13 Feb 2015 13:50:11 -0800 Agam Shah Agam Shah
As a child, clicking through static images on the classic View-Master toy took me to remote parts of the planet. Now Mattel is bringing the retro toy into the future with the addition of virtual reality, which encourages interaction by bringing images to life.
Mattel is aiming high with the View-Master. It wants kids to take virtual 360-degree tours of cities, see classic sites, go on undersea adventures and even play with dinosaurs. Unfortunately, a hands-on test of this new View-Master left me disappointed.
I tested a cardboard version of View-Master, but the final, commercial version of the product will have a plastic frame.
The frame houses a smartphone, which will transmit bite-sized virtual reality (VR) experiences to the product's viewer. The smartphone gets the experiences either from mobile apps or from stand-alone circular discs developed by Mattel. The discs are supposed to automatically pair up with the smartphone, but it took about two minutes for one of my discs to establish the connection. The headset wasn't always responsive.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884452/mattels-viewmaster-virtual-reality-headset-holds-promise-but-needs-work.html#tk.rss_all Gadgets Fri, 13 Feb 2015 13:40:14 -0800 Grant Gross Grant Gross
U.S. businesses and government agencies need to work more closely together to combat the growing threat of cyberattacks, President Barack Obama said Friday.
Calling on U.S. agencies and businesses to share more cyberthreat information, Obama said he had signed an executive order intended to encourage more cooperation.
Protecting against cyberattacks "has to be a shared mission," Obama said during a speech at Stanford University. "Government cannot do this alone, but the fact is, the private sector cannot do this alone either."
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884432/obama-pushes-for-more-cyberthreat-information-sharing.html#tk.rss_all Government Business Security Fri, 13 Feb 2015 13:31:00 -0800 Mark Hachman Mark Hachman
The Windows 10 technical preview for phones doesn't walk up, slap you in the face, and demand your attention, as Windows Phone 8 and its Live Tiles did. But you can detect a subtle power, even at this early stage—and one very nice feature: deeply integrated speech recognition.
Right now, I'd characterize Windows 10 for phones as a convenience. That's not a criticism. Features like interactive notifications or the improved Quick Actions may be nothing new for iOS and Android phones. But who cares? They're useful nevertheless.
Aesthetically, there are few changes between Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows 10 for phones.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883969/hands-on-with-windows-10-technical-preview-for-phones.html#tk.rss_all Windows Fri, 13 Feb 2015 12:45:00 -0800 James Niccolai James Niccolai
Apple CEO Tim Cook has warned of "dire consequences" if tech companies can't protect the privacy of those who use their products.
Giving up our privacy to digital technologies exposes us to greater risks than just identity theft and financial losses—serious though those things are, Cook said in a brief speech at a cybersecurity summit in Silicon Valley on Friday.
"History has shown us that sacrificing our right to privacy can have dire consequences," Cook said.
"We still live in a world where all people are not treated equally," he said, "where too many people do not feel free to practice their religion or express their opinion or love who they choose, a world in which that information can make the difference between life or death."
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Google is pulling the plug on Helpouts, the company's service to provide answers and advice by connecting information seekers with experts via live video.
With Helpouts, Google sought to provide an information platform built around live tutorials rather than clickable search results or links. The goal of the service, launched in 2013, was to let people connect with experts to get information about practically anything, whether it be photography, cooking, fitness or home improvement. Google took a 20 percent transaction fee from most types of paid sessions. A desktop version was offered, as well as mobile apps.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884392/google-to-shut-down-helpouts-live-video-service.html#tk.rss_all Productivity Cloud & Services Web Apps Fri, 13 Feb 2015 12:30:00 -0800 Andrew Hayward Andrew Hayward Load up your device with week's hottest new Android apps and games. http://www.greenbot.com/article/2884314/five-to-try-peak-to-train-your-brain-sling-tv-to-rot-it-but-in-a-good-way.html#tk.rss_all Apps Fri, 13 Feb 2015 11:30:00 -0800 Hayden Dingman Hayden Dingman
All's quiet on the gaming front this week—unless you're Peter Molyneux. This is the gaming news for the week of February 9.
Remember that "game" Curiosity from Peter Molyneux? The one where you just eliminated cubes from a larger cube and then eventually someone was supposed to eliminate the last cube and find out what was "inside"? And then someone won and Molyneux was like, "Hey good news, this was actually an elaborate promo for this other game I'm working on, Godus."
And then Godus sucked.
Eurogamer has the story this week of what happened to the poor sap who "won" Curiosity. The best part? When the winner (Scot Bryan Henderson) says, "That's when they [Molyneux and Co.] made us play Godus for three hours straight. It was our choice when to get up and stop playing, but I didn't want to seem rude."
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883806/this-week-in-games-gamergate-rouses-ice-t.html#tk.rss_all Gaming Fri, 13 Feb 2015 11:13:00 -0800 Derek Walter Derek Walter
Google just launched a beta channel of its WebView tool, which should ultimately lead to a better experience when you view web content inside of an app.
Developers use WebView in apps like Feedly or Facebook to let you read an article within the app, without kicking you out to the browser. By creating a Beta version, developers can check out new features sooner and optimize performance for a better experience with their Android apps. Until Android Lollipop, WebView was baked into the operating system, and was only updated when the whole OS was. That changes in Lollipop; WebView can be updated directly from the Play Store.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883970/google-launches-webview-beta-channel-for-developer-tinkering.html#tk.rss_all Apps Fri, 13 Feb 2015 10:49:00 -0800 Derek Walter Derek Walter The T-Mobile model of HTC's flagship and Sprint and AT&T versions of the LG G3 are joining the party. http://www.greenbot.com/article/2883928/htc-one-lg-g3-variants-score-lollipop-in-this-weeks-android-update-roundup.html#tk.rss_all Phones Fri, 13 Feb 2015 10:45:11 -0800 Martyn Williams Martyn Williams
Senior U.S. government officials came to Silicon Valley on Friday to deliver a direct appeal to executives from major companies and the cybersecurity industry: work with us so the nation will be better protected from cyberattacks.
The charm offensive, which includes a speech by President Barack Obama, comes as a new government agency is being formed to oversee preventive and reactive response to cyberattacks: the U.S. Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center. That's part of the government's response to the growing number of cyberattacks on large corporations, like Target and Sony Pictures, but the cooperation of industry is not guaranteed.
Lisa Monaco, a senior advisor to President Obama on homeland security and counterterrorism, said she worried that the type of cyberattack that targeted Sony could become the norm in the future if more isn't done.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884352/us-government-courts-silicon-valley-on-cybersecurity.html#tk.rss_all Government Business Security Fri, 13 Feb 2015 10:20:00 -0800 Jared Newman Jared Newman
Call it 802.11baaa: A new research project may look at ways to turn sheep into wandering, wooly Wi-Fi hotspots.
According to Wales Online, researchers at Lancaster University have received a grant of about $260,000 to equip sheep with digital smart collars. The primary purpose is to track the herd's location and measure environmental conditions.
However, the collars could also turn the herd into a Wi-Fi hotspot, helping bring better connectivity to rural areas. As the Atlantic notes, a herd of sheep can form a mesh network that transmits connectivity across large distances. Similar tests in Northern Scandinavia have already looked at offering Wi-Fi to nomadic people through reindeer. (If you're worried about animal safety, the sheep should be fine if the collars don't exceed 2 percent of their body weight.)
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883911/call-it-80211baaa-rural-broadband-experiment-could-use-sheep-as-wi-fi-hotspots.html#tk.rss_all Networking Fri, 13 Feb 2015 09:50:00 -0800 Fred O'Connor Fred O'Connor
People looking for richer mobile apps may cheer Apple's decision to double the size limit of those approved for sale. But those whose iPhones and iPads have smaller amounts of memory will need to download carefully.
On Thursday, Apple said it is bumping the maximum size of apps to 4GB from 2GB, marking the first time Apple has expanded the size limit since the App Store's 2008 debut.
Larger apps will be able to take advantage of the faster processors and improved screen resolutions found in iPhones and iPads. These hardware updates allow for apps with richer media experiences like high-resolution graphics—additional features that also mean bigger downloads.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884292/apple-bumps-approved-size-for-ios-apps-lets-them-eat-twice-the-memory.html#tk.rss_all iOS Fri, 13 Feb 2015 09:42:00 -0800 Derek Walter Derek Walter
The fog is beginning to lift on Samsung's next major flagship hone launch. The company is jumping into full promo mode, renaming its @SamsungMobile Twitter account "TheNextGalaxy" and tweeting a teaser video.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884198/samsung-hints-at-galaxy-s6-camera-focus-in-new-twitter-campaign.html#tk.rss_all Phones Fri, 13 Feb 2015 09:24:00 -0800 Michael Kan Michael Kan
Asustek Computer isn't exactly known for smartphones, but the Taiwanese PC maker is aiming to bring more Android phones to U.S. and European markets this year.
A year ago, Asus introduced its ZenFone line (above), a range of Android handsets, and demand for the phones is growing.
In the fourth quarter, Asus shipped 4.5 million smartphones, up from a mere 200,000 units in the first quarter of 2014.
The shipments are still small compared to those of leading vendors such as Apple and Samsung Electronics, but Asus is among the PC makers hoping to break out from the notebook market by releasing more mobile devices. In 2017, Asus expects revenue from its mobile business to surpass that of its PCs.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884112/asus-seeks-to-expand-smartphone-presence-in-europe-china-and-us.html#tk.rss_all Android iOS Fri, 13 Feb 2015 09:08:00 -0800 Jared Newman Jared Newman
Apple is throwing the doors open to its online iWork suite, even for people who've never purchased Apple hardware.
The browser version of iWork—now 18 months old and still in beta—has always required an iCloud account. But until now, Apple hasn't let people create an account without an iOS device or a Mac. As BetaNews reports, Apple's iCloud site now offers a way to create an account straight from the browser, providing access to web versions of Pages, Numbers and Keynote.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884199/no-hardware-no-problem-apples-web-based-iwork-goes-free-for-everyone.html#tk.rss_all Productivity Fri, 13 Feb 2015 08:10:00 -0800 Mikael Ricknäs Mikael Ricknäs
Fairphone's second smartphone will not only be built using conflict-free or fair trade minerals, but also offer better performance and be really easy to repair.
After selling 60,000 units of its first phone, the Dutch company is now turning its attention to a new model that will go on sale in the latter half of the year. With the second phone, the goal is still to manufacture a smartphone that doesn't use minerals from conflict zones, is recyclable and is made by workers who are treated well.
Fairphone is also aiming to make product longevity a development goal. The longer a device lasts, the less waste it creates and the fewer resources it requires, founder and CEO Bas Van Abel said in a blog post.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884272/fairtrade-smartphone-meant-to-last-longer.html#tk.rss_all Android iOS Fri, 13 Feb 2015 08:05:00 -0800 Lucian Constantin Lucian Constantin
In the latest Internet of Things security blunder, personal weather station devices made by Netatmo were found sending users' Wi-Fi passwords back to the company over unencrypted connections.
Netatmo weather stations can be used to monitor indoor and outdoor temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide levels and overall air quality. Users can see the data collected by their stations in real-time through an app installed on their phones, tablets or computers.
The public weather map on Netatmo's website shows that thousands of such devices are installed around the world.
When the weather stations are first configured, users need to give them access to their Wi-Fi networks, so they can transmit sensor readings to the Netatmo cloud over the Internet.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884252/personal-weather-stations-can-expose-your-wifi-network.html#tk.rss_all Security Privacy Fri, 13 Feb 2015 07:44:00 -0800 Jared Newman Jared Newman
If you've tried Google Cardboard and are over the age of 30, you've probably noticed some parallels to those old View-Master stereoscopes. Now, Mattel is embracing the comparison with its own virtual reality headset.
Starting this fall, Mattel will sell a virtual reality version of View-Master using the same software as Google Cardboard. Instead of sticking slide reels into the plastic frame, you'll plop in an Android phone. Instead of seeing static images, you'll use apps to explore virtual worlds.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Written By Unknown on Jumat, 13 Februari 2015 | 16.00
PCWorldHow DARPA's Dark Web search engine could help your businessJeb Bush's privacy-shattering email cache hid another surprise: VirusesFor Xiaomi, community is the key to building a mobile empireUS lawmakers introduce two bills to protect email privacyGeoPoll, Control Union tap mobile tech to bring African farmers into supply chainLinkedIn restricts API usageChina's Xiaomi takes first step into U.S. marketFacebook fixes flaw that could have let hackers delete photosApple makes progress in cutting use of conflict mineralsStartup Infinit promises faster file-sharing for Windows usersCyberattacks in West Africa spark debate over online securityMicrosoft releases Windows 10 technical preview for phones: What (some of you) will getListen to 300 Android phones and tablets sing in a choirHP courts enterprise workloads with new Helion private cloudsGroups to push for encryption, secure payments at White House cyber summitGoogle fear a factor behind Orbitz-Expedia dealNokia's Here Maps drops beta tag, adds 3-D venue maps and improved routingTesla plans a home battery pack to help keep the lights onHeads up! Microsoft to preview Windows 10 for phones todayQualcomm may face probe into business practices in South KoreaSling TV app heads to Amazon's Fire TV with deep device discounts in towAmazon's latest free app blowout gives away $140 in paid Android appsVirusTotal tackles the tricky false positives problem plaguing antivirus softwareWhy Twitter just bought a social media talent agencyMicrosoft beefs up Office Online with new features, streamlined interfaceFacebook introduces Legacy Contacts to manage your account when you dieFitbit rash complaints start popping up, againHow to connect your laptop to your HDTV without HDMISlow Android Wear sales underline the challenges Google's smartwatches faceApple helps Pinterest launch rich pins for better app discovery
http://www.pcworld.com en-us Fri, 13 Feb 2015 00:55:32 -0800 Fri, 13 Feb 2015 00:55:32 -0800 Thu, 12 Feb 2015 18:54:00 -0800 Katherine Noyes Katherine Noyes
A "Dark Web" search engine developed by U.S. defense researchers is in the spotlight this week for its use in combating human-trafficking activities, but it could play a role in business, too.
"There's huge potential," said Jeff Schneider, a research professor within the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science. Earlier this year, Carnegie Mellon was awarded a $3.6 million contract to collaborate on the project at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which is known as Memex.
The Memex program—a three-year research initiative to develop software for domain-specific indexing of open, public Web content and domain-specific search capabilities—was highlighted on Sunday by a segment on 60 Minutes and an article in Scientific American.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884092/how-darpas-memex-search-engine-could-help-your-business.html#tk.rss_all Business Web & social Thu, 12 Feb 2015 18:50:00 -0800 Martyn Williams Martyn Williams
In addition to personal phone numbers and email addresses for hundreds of people who corresponded with him, there's something else inside the cache of emails that Jeb Bush released this week: computer viruses.
Earlier this week, Bush, who some tip as a presidential hopeful, released thousands of emails from his time as governor of Florida, when he promoted his "jeb@jeb.org" email address as a way for voters to interact with him. The emails were released unredacted—a deliberate move intended to demonstrate transparency but one that backfired because the messages included the names, email addresses and phone numbers of thousands of people.
Alongside a Web interface to read the emails, Bush also offered raw Microsoft Outlook files, and it's in those files where the viruses lurked in file attachments.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884072/jeb-bushs-email-cache-held-another-surprise-viruses.html#tk.rss_all Security Thu, 12 Feb 2015 16:04:00 -0800 Florence Ion Florence Ion
What if you could complain directly to Google about every little thing that bothered you about the Android operating system? And what if every time you complained, Google fixed a bug just for you?
The Chinese handset maker, Xiaomi, has built an empire of 100 million users worldwide on this exact premise. "We're an Internet company," said Bin Lin, President of Xiaomi, at a press event on Thursday. "We're not just interested in making handsets."
While it's true that Xiaomi has been particularly successful selling directly to customers rather than through other retailers or carriers, that's not what Lin was referring to. He was boasting about the company's massive user base overseas, which has grown rapidly thanks to savvy social media tactics. "They are not our customers, they are our fans," added Hugo Barra, a former Google executive who left in 2012 to serve as Vice President of Global Operations at Xiaomi.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884013/for-xiaomi-community-is-the-key-to-building-a-mobile-empire.html#tk.rss_all Phones Thu, 12 Feb 2015 15:26:00 -0800 Grant Gross Grant Gross
A long-standing effort to extend privacy protections to email and other data in the cloud got new life Thursday when U.S. lawmakers introduced not one, but two bills to reform the country's electronic privacy laws.
Both the Law Enforcement Access to Data Stored Abroad Act, called the LEADS Act, and the Electronic Communications Privacy Amendments Act would require law enforcement agencies to get court-ordered warrants to search data that's been stored on Web-based or cloud-based services for more than 180 days.
Under the 29-year-old Electronic Communications Privacy Act [ECPA], law enforcement agencies do not need a court-ordered warrant to search unopened email stored with a vendor for longer than 180 days, although they do need court approval to access unopened email less than 180 days old.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884052/us-lawmakers-introduce-two-bills-to-protect-email-privacy.html#tk.rss_all Government Business Security Privacy Cloud & Services Thu, 12 Feb 2015 14:50:11 -0800 Olusegun Abolaji Ogundeji Olusegun Abolaji Ogundeji
U.S.-based GeoPoll is partnering with Control Union, an international provider of agricultural inspection and safety services, to reach out to African farmers and bring them into global supply chain networks while ensuring compliance with standard business practices.
GeoPoll provides technology for data collection, using mobile platforms for surveys. Control Union will be able to use GeoPoll technology to reach small-holding farmers to gain more information about their practices. The idea is to bring increased transparency to food supply chains globally, with a focus on key products such as cocoa, coffee, cotton, fruits and vegetables, palm oil, rice, and tobacco.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884032/geopoll-control-union-tap-mobile-tech-to-bring-african-farmers-into-supply-chain.html#tk.rss_all Mobile Business Thu, 12 Feb 2015 14:30:12 -0800 Joab Jackson Joab Jackson
LinkedIn is restricting access to most of its application programming interfaces (APIs) to companies that have struck up partnerships with the social networking company.
"Over the past several years, we've seen some exciting applications from our developer community. While many delivered value back to our members and LinkedIn, not all have," wrote Adam Trachtenberg, director of the LinkedIn developer network, explaining in a blog post the change in the company's API policy.
Starting May 12, LinkedIn will only offer a handful of its APIs for general use, namely those that allow users and companies to post information about themselves on the service. After then, only companies that have enrolled in LinkedIn's partner program will have API access. Samsung, WeChat, and Evernote have already struck such partnerships.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883992/linkedin-restricts-api-usage.html#tk.rss_all Productivity Thu, 12 Feb 2015 14:30:00 -0800 Martyn Williams Martyn Williams
The biggest Android smartphone maker most Americans have probably never heard of is taking its first step into the U.S. market.
Xiaomi, which in just four years has gone from nothing to leading the Chinese market, will launch a U.S. version of its online shopping site later this year but it won't sell the low-cost, high-spec phones for which the company has gained its reputation.
Instead, it will sell a selection of phone accessories like battery packs and headphones. That doesn't mean a U.S. launch of its phones has been ruled out, however.
"The amount of effort to bring [smartphones and tablets] to market is significant," said Hugo Barra, the one-time Google executive who is now vice president for international markets at Xiaomi in Beijing. Barra, who was speaking to reporters in San Francisco, noted the various certifications required to sell products in each country, the need to strike deals with carriers and organize customer support.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The speed at which Facebook responded to a reported security vulnerability shows how important photos have become to the site.
The vulnerability could have allowed hackers to delete photos. An outside developer discovered the vulnerability in Facebook's Graph API, the primary way for outside developers to build apps and software that tap into Facebook's data.
The developer, identifying himself as Laxman Muthiyah in a blog post published Thursday, said he was able to use a mobile access token for the API to delete photo albums that were not his.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883975/facebook-fixes-flaw-that-could-have-let-hackers-delete-photos.html#tk.rss_all Security Cloud & Services Web Apps Productivity Thu, 12 Feb 2015 13:40:00 -0800 Fred O'Connor Fred O'Connor
Apple is making progress in eliminating the use of materials that are linked to militant groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries.
Since 2012 the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has required companies that use tantalum, tin, tungsten and gold in their products to issue a yearly report disclosing whether the minerals were obtained from Central African nations. In some cases, the profits from selling those materials, which have been given the name conflict minerals, can benefit warlords, rebels and other criminal organizations.
These minerals are found in many tech products, including Apple's iPhone, iPad, Mac computers and Apple TV.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883972/apple-makes-progress-in-cutting-use-of-conflict-minerals.html#tk.rss_all Hardware Hardware Thu, 12 Feb 2015 13:26:00 -0800 Mikael Ricknäs Mikael Ricknäs
French startup Infinit has released a Windows application for free file-sharing that uses peer-to-peer technology to improve transmission speeds.
The release of the Windows client on Thursday comes after the company's launch of a Mac version in 2013. The two clients offer the same performance.
Infinit's peer-to-peer technology, which does not require users to wait for files and folders to upload to the cloud before sharing them, makes the process of sharing all types of content between two people faster and easier than using services from the likes of Dropbox.
Transfers are between five and 30 times faster than cloud-based solutions, and there is no limitation on the file sizes, Baptiste Fradin, co-founder and chief operating officer at Infinit, said in an interview last year when the company was still beta testing the Windows version.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883816/startup-infinit-promises-faster-filesharing-for-windows-users.html#tk.rss_all Web & communication Thu, 12 Feb 2015 12:40:11 -0800 Olusegun Abolaji Ogundeji Olusegun Abolaji Ogundeji
A wave of cyberattacks aimed at government-related websites in Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal over the last two months has triggered a debate over how to bolster online security and deal with politically motivated hacking.
A popular Senegalese news site, Seneweb and the website of the government's ICT management agency, L'Agence De l'Informatique de l'Etat (ADIE), were the first to be hacked in the latest round of attacks, in December and January, respectively (though the Seneweb hack was not disclosed until January).
The attacks were reportedly launched in response to Senegalese President Macky Sall's participation in a rally in support of the French magazine, Charlie Hebdo. Twelve people were killed on Jan. 7 by two heavily armed men at the Paris office of satirical news weekly Charlie Hebdo. The attack was reportedly prompted by satirical material involving Muslim themes and historical figures.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883932/cyberattacks-in-west-africa-spark-debate-over-online-security.html#tk.rss_all Security Thu, 12 Feb 2015 12:16:00 -0800 Mark Hachman Mark Hachman
Microsoft opened its Windows 10 Technical Preview for Phones on Thursday by supporting just midrange to lower-end devices, disappointing some early adopters who were hoping to try out Microsoft's new preview.
Currently, just six phones can download the Windows 10 Technical Preview: the Lumia 630, 635, 636, 638, 730, and Lumia 830. Aside from the Lumia 830, Microsoft's "affordable flagship," the remainder are midrange Windows Phones that were released according to Microsoft's principle of driving Windows Phone market share by expanding its user base.
"We are starting with a limited set of devices supported for this first preview," Gabe Aul, the engineering general manager at Microsoft who has been the point man for Windows 10, said in a blog post. "Windows 10 will drive innovation across screens of all sizes and we will have new hardware from Microsoft and our partners, including new flagship phones."
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883892/microsoft-releases-windows-10-technical-preview-for-phones-whats-new-for-which-devices.html#tk.rss_all Windows Thu, 12 Feb 2015 11:32:00 -0800 Derek Walter Derek Walter
There's a new choir in town, but there are no humans to be found. Instead, some Google employees in Tokyo strung together 300 Android phones and tablets with Androidify characters to bellow out an arrangement of Ode to Joy. Check it out for yourself.
Google is actually putting the choir on display in Tokyo on Tuesdays and Thursdays for anyone that wants to see it in person. For the rest of us, check out the YouTube video. It's adorable.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883030/listen-to-300-android-phones-and-tablets-sing-in-a-choir.html#tk.rss_all Phones Thu, 12 Feb 2015 10:45:18 -0800 Joab Jackson Joab Jackson
How much cloud computing does your enterprise application need? Hewlett-Packard has some of the guesswork out of cloud procurement by adding seven new preconfigured options to its Helion set of cloud services.
The Helion VPC (virtual private cloud) offerings are tailored to meet a range of computing requirements, from lighter workloads such as software development to more demanding jobs such as running complex ERP (enterprise resource planning) applications.
The configurations are based on the data center and cloud usage that HP has found with its clients usage of the cloud, said Jeff Moyer, HP senior director of global infrastructure and hosting services.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883872/hp-courts-enterprise-workloads-with-new-helion-private-clouds.html#tk.rss_all Cloud & Services Thu, 12 Feb 2015 10:35:11 -0800 Grant Gross Grant Gross
The White House heads west to Silicon Valley on Friday looking for ideas on how to improve the nation's cybersecurity, and members of President Barack Obama's administration are likely to get an earful.
The White House's first-of-its-kind cybersecurity summit at Stanford University will feature remarks from Obama and from Apple CEO Tim Cook, but participants are likely to hear a range of ideas about how to improve cybersecurity at U.S. businesses.
Scheduled panel discussions will focus on improving cybersecurity practices at consumer-facing businesses, on using cybersecurity as a business advantage, and on promoting secure payments.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883852/groups-to-push-for-encryption-secure-payments-at-white-house-cyber-summit.html#tk.rss_all Security Government Business Thu, 12 Feb 2015 10:35:00 -0800 Fred O'Connor Fred O'Connor
After acquiring a competitor weeks ago and just announcing plans to buy another one, Expedia may look like the dominant player in online travel, but its CEO argues the deals are necessary to battle another rival: Google.
Expedia offers online booking services for flights, car rentals and hotels under brands such as Hotels.com and Hotwire.com, and plans to beef up its business with Thursday's $1.6 billion proposed acquisition of rival Orbitz, which offers similar services and operates sites such as CheapTickets.com.
Snatching up Orbitz will give Expedia the customers it needs to fend off companies that have muscled their way into the online travel agency space, including Google, said Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi during a webcast held to discuss the Orbitz deal. Google, along with traditional travel industry players like hotels, are all trying to establish themselves as the best option for consumers looking to book travel.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883812/google-fear-a-factor-behind-orbitzexpedia-deal.html#tk.rss_all Business Thu, 12 Feb 2015 10:26:00 -0800 Derek Walter Derek Walter
Nokia's Here map is becoming a solid contender on Android, and the latest update adds some smart features to ease the pain of navigation.
Here for Android is losing the beta tag and now displays 3D maps for shopping centers and airports in 70 different countries. Just like with Google Maps, you can touch on the different stores for more details or navigate through multiple floors with a sliding bar.
Nokia
Here now has 3-D maps of shopping centers and airports in 70 different countries.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2882824/nokias-here-maps-drops-beta-tag-adds-3-d-venue-maps-and-improved-routing.html#tk.rss_all Apps Thu, 12 Feb 2015 10:21:00 -0800 Jared Newman Jared Newman
Tesla's crusade against fossil fuels could soon hit home with a battery-powered energy pack.
The company plans to start producing a home battery within six months, Bloomberg reports, and will reveal more details in the next month or two.
One obvious application would be a source for backup power, replacing conventional fuel-powered generators. The upcoming Toyota Mirai hydrogen-powered car can also function as a backup power source for a house. But the Tesla pack could also help shift energy usage to reduce peak demand on the electric grid, thereby cutting down on energy bills. In an earnings call, Tesla Chief Technology Officer JB Straubel hinted at strong interest from utility companies for that very reason.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883381/tesla-plans-a-home-battery-pack-to-help-keep-the-lights-on.html#tk.rss_all Thu, 12 Feb 2015 09:43:00 -0800 Mark Hachman Mark Hachman
If you've been waiting for the technical preview of Windows Phone 10 to drop, today's the day.
Microsoft's Gabriel Aul tweeted Thursday morning that the the release would be pushed out today, and then indicated that it will be sooner, rather than later.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883651/heads-up-microsoft-to-preview-windows-10-for-phones-today.html#tk.rss_all Windows Thu, 12 Feb 2015 09:40:11 -0800 Agam Shah Agam Shah
Just days after settling with the Chinese government over claims it abused its market dominance, Qualcomm may be investigated in South Korea over the same issue.
South Korea's Fair Trade Commission is considering an investigation into Qualcomm's business practices, the Wall Street Journal reported, but did not provide additional details. A Qualcomm spokesman declined to comment.
The possible probe would likely look at Qualcomm's practices in licensing its Snapdragon chip, and wireless and modem technologies. Qualcomm earlier this week was fined US$975 million by China for overcharging licensees in the country, and in 2009 was fined $200 million by the South Korea Fair Trade Commission.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883772/qualcomm-may-face-probe-into-business-practices-in-south-korea.html#tk.rss_all Legal Government Business Thu, 12 Feb 2015 09:00:00 -0800 Jared Newman Jared Newman
Sling TV has been promising an app for Amazon's Fire TV since last month, and now it's arrived with some big sign-up incentives.
In exchange for three months of prepaid Sling TV service at $20 per month, you can either get a free Fire TV Stick (regularly $39) or $50 off the Fire TV set-top box (regularly $99). If you already have the hardware, Sling says you can download the app and get "a special Amazon offer for Sling TV."
The official Fire TV release comes just a few days after Sling started blocking sideloaded versions of the app on the Fire TV and on Android television dongles. Android users will still have to run an older version, though Sling is working on an official release for Android TV devices such as Google's Nexus Player.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883733/sling-tv-app-heads-to-amazons-fire-tv-with-deep-device-discounts-in-tow.html#tk.rss_all Thu, 12 Feb 2015 08:56:00 -0800 Derek Walter Derek Walter
Amazon's firing up the blue light again, and this it's time giving away $140 worth of paid Android apps and games.
The ad-free version of the red hot Trivia Crack is free, and normally costs $2.99. Another good deal is OfficeSuite Professional, an app that edits Word, Excel, and PowerPoint compatible files and typically is $20. While Office for Android tablets is finally here and rather solid, it can't hurt to check out this longstanding editing suite.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883641/amazons-latest-free-app-blowout-gives-away-140-in-paid-android-apps.html#tk.rss_all Apps Thu, 12 Feb 2015 08:32:00 -0800 Lucian Constantin Lucian Constantin
VirusTotal, a Google-owned online malware scanning service, is creating a whitelist of products from large software vendors to reduce bad detections by antivirus programs.
False positive detections are common in the antivirus industry. They occur when a benign program is wrongfully flagged as malicious due to an overly broad detection signature or algorithm used in an antivirus product.
VirusTotal, which scans suspicious files uploaded by users with products from 48 antivirus vendors, invited large software makers Tuesday to add metadata about their products' files to a new database maintained by the company.
If a file that's later uploaded by users to be scanned with VirusTotal is in that database, the scan report will display a "trusted source" alert. If any antivirus products flagged the file as malicious during the scan, their detections will be considered false positives and will not be counted toward the final detection score. Vendors of the products that flagged the file as malware will be notified so that they can correct the error.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Social media star is an actual job title now, with so-called influencers raking in tens of thousands a month to craft tweets, Vines, and other content for paying brands. Twitter sees this activity and has decided it wants a cut: The company just bought Niche, a talent agency and analytics firm that connects some 6,000 top content creators with advertisers.
Now Twitter and its 6-second video-looping service Vine, where some of social media's biggest stars were born, control the connection between creators and brands that want to make ads that don't seem like ads. That means the company presumably gets a cut when popular Viners signed to Niche make clips for brands.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883128/why-twitter-just-bought-a-social-media-talent-agency.html#tk.rss_all Thu, 12 Feb 2015 08:10:00 -0800 Ian Paul Ian Paul
Microsoft is rolling out improvements to Office Online that add more features to the web-based productivity suite and make some already-existing features more readily available. Most of the changes span the entire suite, but there are a few improvements that are specific to Word.
Here's what's new.
More Reading View
The reading view in Office Online has always been very basic—little more than an annoying extra step to pass through before editing your document, really. With the new updates, Microsoft is making reading view a little more useful, first by switching the options interface to the right side of the screen instead of the left.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2882768/microsoft-beefs-up-office-online-with-new-features-streamlined-interface.html#tk.rss_all Web Apps Thu, 12 Feb 2015 07:51:00 -0800 Jared Newman Jared Newman
Facebook is giving users more control over their social networking afterlives with a "legacy contact" setting.
With this setting enabled, a designated heir can change the deceased user's profile picture, pin a memorial letter to the top of the profile, and respond to friend requests. The legacy contact can also download an archive of photos and posts.
However, Facebook is making clear that this is not the same as handing over your password. Legacy contacts won't be able to edit old posts, access private messages or delete the entire account. Facebook told the Wall Street Journal that it ruled out further access "for this first version," and noted that adding more responsibilities could just hinder the grieving process.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883025/facebook-introduces-legacy-contacts-to-manage-your-account-when-you-die.html#tk.rss_all Thu, 12 Feb 2015 07:16:00 -0800 Ian Paul Ian Paul
Fitbit is back in the news again for skin irritation problems nearly a year after the company was forced to initiate a product recall for a similar issue. This time around, however, the rashes doesn't appear to be as widespread as the those that compelled Fitbit to recall the Force last February.
Nevertheless, the complaints are back. ABC 7 News in San Francisco said it uncovered more than 200 instances of complaints on social media. In December, Yahoo tech columnist Alyssa Bereznak also said she ended up with a rash from the Fitbit Charge.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883396/fitbit-rash-complaints-start-popping-up-again.html#tk.rss_all Gadgets Thu, 12 Feb 2015 07:13:00 -0800 Lincoln Spector Lincoln Spector
Ramanathan wants to stream video from his laptop to his HDTV. But his laptop doesn't have an HDMI port.
You can have an Internet-ready smart TV with a Roku plugged into it, and at some point you'll want to watch something that neither of them support. (For me, it's password-protected Vimeo streams.) That's when you need to plug your laptop directly into your HDTV.
If your laptop lacks an HDMI port, connecting it to a TV isn't so easy. But it isn't incredibly difficult either. It's all a matter of figuring out which ports you do have and which adapters you need.
[Have a tech question? Ask PCWorld Contributing Editor Lincoln Spector. Send your query to answer@pcworld.com.]
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2873687/how-to-connect-your-laptop-to-your-hdtv-without-hdmi.html#tk.rss_all Thu, 12 Feb 2015 06:50:00 -0800 Mikael Ricknäs Mikael Ricknäs
The Android smart watch's time may not yet have come: Despite heavy promotion of Android Wear, Google's hardware partners, including LG Electronics, Motorola Mobility and Samsung Electronics, only shipped 720,000 of the devices last year.
With the arrival of products such as Motorola's hotly anticipated Moto 360, the smartwatch market was expected to take off. But the data from market research company Canalys shows that consumers are still far from convinced that they need buy one.
"Android Wear will need to improve significantly in the future, and we believe it will do so," said Daniel Matte, analyst at Canalys.
Those improvements have to happen across the board, including a better user interface and improved battery life, according to Francisco Jeronimo, research director for European mobile devices at IDC.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Apple and Pinterest are teaming up to help you discover apps with a new type of pin on the social bulletin board that leads to the App Store.
App pins are a type of rich pin, which offers more information than a typical pin that consists solely of an image with a link to the original source. Pinterest developed rich pins two years ago and now supports detailed, contextual pins for recipes, places, articles, products, movies, and—with Apple's help—apps.
How it works
If you're browsing Pinterest on an iOS device and come across an app pin, the platform will give you the option to install the app directly to your iPhone or iPad. To help Pinterest launch app pins, Apple has curated a collection of lifestyle apps ranging from healthy recipe services to apps for New York Fashion Week.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
PCWorldHow DARPA's Dark Web search engine could help your businessJeb Bush's privacy-shattering email cache hid another surprise: VirusesFor Xiaomi, community is the key to building a mobile empireUS lawmakers introduce two bills to protect email privacyGeoPoll, Control Union tap mobile tech to bring African farmers into supply chainLinkedIn restricts API usageChina's Xiaomi takes first step into U.S. marketFacebook fixes flaw that could have let hackers delete photosApple makes progress in cutting use of conflict mineralsStartup Infinit promises faster file-sharing for Windows usersCyberattacks in West Africa spark debate over online securityMicrosoft releases Windows 10 technical preview for phones: What (some of you) will getListen to 300 Android phones and tablets sing in a choirHP courts enterprise workloads with new Helion private cloudsGroups to push for encryption, secure payments at White House cyber summitGoogle fear a factor behind Orbitz-Expedia dealNokia's Here Maps drops beta tag, adds 3-D venue maps and improved routingTesla plans a home battery pack to help keep the lights onHeads up! Microsoft to preview Windows 10 for phones todayQualcomm may face probe into business practices in South KoreaSling TV app heads to Amazon's Fire TV with deep device discounts in towAmazon's latest free app blowout gives away $140 in paid Android appsVirusTotal tackles the tricky false positives problem plaguing antivirus softwareWhy Twitter just bought a social media talent agencyMicrosoft beefs up Office Online with new features, streamlined interfaceFacebook introduces Legacy Contacts to manage your account when you dieFitbit rash complaints start popping up, againHow to connect your laptop to your HDTV without HDMISlow Android Wear sales underline the challenges Google's smartwatches faceApple helps Pinterest launch rich pins for better app discovery
http://www.pcworld.com en-us Fri, 13 Feb 2015 00:55:32 -0800 Fri, 13 Feb 2015 00:55:32 -0800 Thu, 12 Feb 2015 18:54:00 -0800 Katherine Noyes Katherine Noyes
A "Dark Web" search engine developed by U.S. defense researchers is in the spotlight this week for its use in combating human-trafficking activities, but it could play a role in business, too.
"There's huge potential," said Jeff Schneider, a research professor within the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science. Earlier this year, Carnegie Mellon was awarded a $3.6 million contract to collaborate on the project at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which is known as Memex.
The Memex program—a three-year research initiative to develop software for domain-specific indexing of open, public Web content and domain-specific search capabilities—was highlighted on Sunday by a segment on 60 Minutes and an article in Scientific American.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884092/how-darpas-memex-search-engine-could-help-your-business.html#tk.rss_all Business Web & social Thu, 12 Feb 2015 18:50:00 -0800 Martyn Williams Martyn Williams
In addition to personal phone numbers and email addresses for hundreds of people who corresponded with him, there's something else inside the cache of emails that Jeb Bush released this week: computer viruses.
Earlier this week, Bush, who some tip as a presidential hopeful, released thousands of emails from his time as governor of Florida, when he promoted his "jeb@jeb.org" email address as a way for voters to interact with him. The emails were released unredacted—a deliberate move intended to demonstrate transparency but one that backfired because the messages included the names, email addresses and phone numbers of thousands of people.
Alongside a Web interface to read the emails, Bush also offered raw Microsoft Outlook files, and it's in those files where the viruses lurked in file attachments.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884072/jeb-bushs-email-cache-held-another-surprise-viruses.html#tk.rss_all Security Thu, 12 Feb 2015 16:04:00 -0800 Florence Ion Florence Ion
What if you could complain directly to Google about every little thing that bothered you about the Android operating system? And what if every time you complained, Google fixed a bug just for you?
The Chinese handset maker, Xiaomi, has built an empire of 100 million users worldwide on this exact premise. "We're an Internet company," said Bin Lin, President of Xiaomi, at a press event on Thursday. "We're not just interested in making handsets."
While it's true that Xiaomi has been particularly successful selling directly to customers rather than through other retailers or carriers, that's not what Lin was referring to. He was boasting about the company's massive user base overseas, which has grown rapidly thanks to savvy social media tactics. "They are not our customers, they are our fans," added Hugo Barra, a former Google executive who left in 2012 to serve as Vice President of Global Operations at Xiaomi.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884013/for-xiaomi-community-is-the-key-to-building-a-mobile-empire.html#tk.rss_all Phones Thu, 12 Feb 2015 15:26:00 -0800 Grant Gross Grant Gross
A long-standing effort to extend privacy protections to email and other data in the cloud got new life Thursday when U.S. lawmakers introduced not one, but two bills to reform the country's electronic privacy laws.
Both the Law Enforcement Access to Data Stored Abroad Act, called the LEADS Act, and the Electronic Communications Privacy Amendments Act would require law enforcement agencies to get court-ordered warrants to search data that's been stored on Web-based or cloud-based services for more than 180 days.
Under the 29-year-old Electronic Communications Privacy Act [ECPA], law enforcement agencies do not need a court-ordered warrant to search unopened email stored with a vendor for longer than 180 days, although they do need court approval to access unopened email less than 180 days old.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884052/us-lawmakers-introduce-two-bills-to-protect-email-privacy.html#tk.rss_all Government Business Security Privacy Cloud & Services Thu, 12 Feb 2015 14:50:11 -0800 Olusegun Abolaji Ogundeji Olusegun Abolaji Ogundeji
U.S.-based GeoPoll is partnering with Control Union, an international provider of agricultural inspection and safety services, to reach out to African farmers and bring them into global supply chain networks while ensuring compliance with standard business practices.
GeoPoll provides technology for data collection, using mobile platforms for surveys. Control Union will be able to use GeoPoll technology to reach small-holding farmers to gain more information about their practices. The idea is to bring increased transparency to food supply chains globally, with a focus on key products such as cocoa, coffee, cotton, fruits and vegetables, palm oil, rice, and tobacco.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2884032/geopoll-control-union-tap-mobile-tech-to-bring-african-farmers-into-supply-chain.html#tk.rss_all Mobile Business Thu, 12 Feb 2015 14:30:12 -0800 Joab Jackson Joab Jackson
LinkedIn is restricting access to most of its application programming interfaces (APIs) to companies that have struck up partnerships with the social networking company.
"Over the past several years, we've seen some exciting applications from our developer community. While many delivered value back to our members and LinkedIn, not all have," wrote Adam Trachtenberg, director of the LinkedIn developer network, explaining in a blog post the change in the company's API policy.
Starting May 12, LinkedIn will only offer a handful of its APIs for general use, namely those that allow users and companies to post information about themselves on the service. After then, only companies that have enrolled in LinkedIn's partner program will have API access. Samsung, WeChat, and Evernote have already struck such partnerships.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883992/linkedin-restricts-api-usage.html#tk.rss_all Productivity Thu, 12 Feb 2015 14:30:00 -0800 Martyn Williams Martyn Williams
The biggest Android smartphone maker most Americans have probably never heard of is taking its first step into the U.S. market.
Xiaomi, which in just four years has gone from nothing to leading the Chinese market, will launch a U.S. version of its online shopping site later this year but it won't sell the low-cost, high-spec phones for which the company has gained its reputation.
Instead, it will sell a selection of phone accessories like battery packs and headphones. That doesn't mean a U.S. launch of its phones has been ruled out, however.
"The amount of effort to bring [smartphones and tablets] to market is significant," said Hugo Barra, the one-time Google executive who is now vice president for international markets at Xiaomi in Beijing. Barra, who was speaking to reporters in San Francisco, noted the various certifications required to sell products in each country, the need to strike deals with carriers and organize customer support.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The speed at which Facebook responded to a reported security vulnerability shows how important photos have become to the site.
The vulnerability could have allowed hackers to delete photos. An outside developer discovered the vulnerability in Facebook's Graph API, the primary way for outside developers to build apps and software that tap into Facebook's data.
The developer, identifying himself as Laxman Muthiyah in a blog post published Thursday, said he was able to use a mobile access token for the API to delete photo albums that were not his.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883975/facebook-fixes-flaw-that-could-have-let-hackers-delete-photos.html#tk.rss_all Security Cloud & Services Web Apps Productivity Thu, 12 Feb 2015 13:40:00 -0800 Fred O'Connor Fred O'Connor
Apple is making progress in eliminating the use of materials that are linked to militant groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries.
Since 2012 the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has required companies that use tantalum, tin, tungsten and gold in their products to issue a yearly report disclosing whether the minerals were obtained from Central African nations. In some cases, the profits from selling those materials, which have been given the name conflict minerals, can benefit warlords, rebels and other criminal organizations.
These minerals are found in many tech products, including Apple's iPhone, iPad, Mac computers and Apple TV.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883972/apple-makes-progress-in-cutting-use-of-conflict-minerals.html#tk.rss_all Hardware Hardware Thu, 12 Feb 2015 13:26:00 -0800 Mikael Ricknäs Mikael Ricknäs
French startup Infinit has released a Windows application for free file-sharing that uses peer-to-peer technology to improve transmission speeds.
The release of the Windows client on Thursday comes after the company's launch of a Mac version in 2013. The two clients offer the same performance.
Infinit's peer-to-peer technology, which does not require users to wait for files and folders to upload to the cloud before sharing them, makes the process of sharing all types of content between two people faster and easier than using services from the likes of Dropbox.
Transfers are between five and 30 times faster than cloud-based solutions, and there is no limitation on the file sizes, Baptiste Fradin, co-founder and chief operating officer at Infinit, said in an interview last year when the company was still beta testing the Windows version.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883816/startup-infinit-promises-faster-filesharing-for-windows-users.html#tk.rss_all Web & communication Thu, 12 Feb 2015 12:40:11 -0800 Olusegun Abolaji Ogundeji Olusegun Abolaji Ogundeji
A wave of cyberattacks aimed at government-related websites in Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal over the last two months has triggered a debate over how to bolster online security and deal with politically motivated hacking.
A popular Senegalese news site, Seneweb and the website of the government's ICT management agency, L'Agence De l'Informatique de l'Etat (ADIE), were the first to be hacked in the latest round of attacks, in December and January, respectively (though the Seneweb hack was not disclosed until January).
The attacks were reportedly launched in response to Senegalese President Macky Sall's participation in a rally in support of the French magazine, Charlie Hebdo. Twelve people were killed on Jan. 7 by two heavily armed men at the Paris office of satirical news weekly Charlie Hebdo. The attack was reportedly prompted by satirical material involving Muslim themes and historical figures.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883932/cyberattacks-in-west-africa-spark-debate-over-online-security.html#tk.rss_all Security Thu, 12 Feb 2015 12:16:00 -0800 Mark Hachman Mark Hachman
Microsoft opened its Windows 10 Technical Preview for Phones on Thursday by supporting just midrange to lower-end devices, disappointing some early adopters who were hoping to try out Microsoft's new preview.
Currently, just six phones can download the Windows 10 Technical Preview: the Lumia 630, 635, 636, 638, 730, and Lumia 830. Aside from the Lumia 830, Microsoft's "affordable flagship," the remainder are midrange Windows Phones that were released according to Microsoft's principle of driving Windows Phone market share by expanding its user base.
"We are starting with a limited set of devices supported for this first preview," Gabe Aul, the engineering general manager at Microsoft who has been the point man for Windows 10, said in a blog post. "Windows 10 will drive innovation across screens of all sizes and we will have new hardware from Microsoft and our partners, including new flagship phones."
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883892/microsoft-releases-windows-10-technical-preview-for-phones-whats-new-for-which-devices.html#tk.rss_all Windows Thu, 12 Feb 2015 11:32:00 -0800 Derek Walter Derek Walter
There's a new choir in town, but there are no humans to be found. Instead, some Google employees in Tokyo strung together 300 Android phones and tablets with Androidify characters to bellow out an arrangement of Ode to Joy. Check it out for yourself.
Google is actually putting the choir on display in Tokyo on Tuesdays and Thursdays for anyone that wants to see it in person. For the rest of us, check out the YouTube video. It's adorable.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883030/listen-to-300-android-phones-and-tablets-sing-in-a-choir.html#tk.rss_all Phones Thu, 12 Feb 2015 10:45:18 -0800 Joab Jackson Joab Jackson
How much cloud computing does your enterprise application need? Hewlett-Packard has some of the guesswork out of cloud procurement by adding seven new preconfigured options to its Helion set of cloud services.
The Helion VPC (virtual private cloud) offerings are tailored to meet a range of computing requirements, from lighter workloads such as software development to more demanding jobs such as running complex ERP (enterprise resource planning) applications.
The configurations are based on the data center and cloud usage that HP has found with its clients usage of the cloud, said Jeff Moyer, HP senior director of global infrastructure and hosting services.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883872/hp-courts-enterprise-workloads-with-new-helion-private-clouds.html#tk.rss_all Cloud & Services Thu, 12 Feb 2015 10:35:11 -0800 Grant Gross Grant Gross
The White House heads west to Silicon Valley on Friday looking for ideas on how to improve the nation's cybersecurity, and members of President Barack Obama's administration are likely to get an earful.
The White House's first-of-its-kind cybersecurity summit at Stanford University will feature remarks from Obama and from Apple CEO Tim Cook, but participants are likely to hear a range of ideas about how to improve cybersecurity at U.S. businesses.
Scheduled panel discussions will focus on improving cybersecurity practices at consumer-facing businesses, on using cybersecurity as a business advantage, and on promoting secure payments.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883852/groups-to-push-for-encryption-secure-payments-at-white-house-cyber-summit.html#tk.rss_all Security Government Business Thu, 12 Feb 2015 10:35:00 -0800 Fred O'Connor Fred O'Connor
After acquiring a competitor weeks ago and just announcing plans to buy another one, Expedia may look like the dominant player in online travel, but its CEO argues the deals are necessary to battle another rival: Google.
Expedia offers online booking services for flights, car rentals and hotels under brands such as Hotels.com and Hotwire.com, and plans to beef up its business with Thursday's $1.6 billion proposed acquisition of rival Orbitz, which offers similar services and operates sites such as CheapTickets.com.
Snatching up Orbitz will give Expedia the customers it needs to fend off companies that have muscled their way into the online travel agency space, including Google, said Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi during a webcast held to discuss the Orbitz deal. Google, along with traditional travel industry players like hotels, are all trying to establish themselves as the best option for consumers looking to book travel.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883812/google-fear-a-factor-behind-orbitzexpedia-deal.html#tk.rss_all Business Thu, 12 Feb 2015 10:26:00 -0800 Derek Walter Derek Walter
Nokia's Here map is becoming a solid contender on Android, and the latest update adds some smart features to ease the pain of navigation.
Here for Android is losing the beta tag and now displays 3D maps for shopping centers and airports in 70 different countries. Just like with Google Maps, you can touch on the different stores for more details or navigate through multiple floors with a sliding bar.
Nokia
Here now has 3-D maps of shopping centers and airports in 70 different countries.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2882824/nokias-here-maps-drops-beta-tag-adds-3-d-venue-maps-and-improved-routing.html#tk.rss_all Apps Thu, 12 Feb 2015 10:21:00 -0800 Jared Newman Jared Newman
Tesla's crusade against fossil fuels could soon hit home with a battery-powered energy pack.
The company plans to start producing a home battery within six months, Bloomberg reports, and will reveal more details in the next month or two.
One obvious application would be a source for backup power, replacing conventional fuel-powered generators. The upcoming Toyota Mirai hydrogen-powered car can also function as a backup power source for a house. But the Tesla pack could also help shift energy usage to reduce peak demand on the electric grid, thereby cutting down on energy bills. In an earnings call, Tesla Chief Technology Officer JB Straubel hinted at strong interest from utility companies for that very reason.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883381/tesla-plans-a-home-battery-pack-to-help-keep-the-lights-on.html#tk.rss_all Thu, 12 Feb 2015 09:43:00 -0800 Mark Hachman Mark Hachman
If you've been waiting for the technical preview of Windows Phone 10 to drop, today's the day.
Microsoft's Gabriel Aul tweeted Thursday morning that the the release would be pushed out today, and then indicated that it will be sooner, rather than later.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883651/heads-up-microsoft-to-preview-windows-10-for-phones-today.html#tk.rss_all Windows Thu, 12 Feb 2015 09:40:11 -0800 Agam Shah Agam Shah
Just days after settling with the Chinese government over claims it abused its market dominance, Qualcomm may be investigated in South Korea over the same issue.
South Korea's Fair Trade Commission is considering an investigation into Qualcomm's business practices, the Wall Street Journal reported, but did not provide additional details. A Qualcomm spokesman declined to comment.
The possible probe would likely look at Qualcomm's practices in licensing its Snapdragon chip, and wireless and modem technologies. Qualcomm earlier this week was fined US$975 million by China for overcharging licensees in the country, and in 2009 was fined $200 million by the South Korea Fair Trade Commission.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883772/qualcomm-may-face-probe-into-business-practices-in-south-korea.html#tk.rss_all Legal Government Business Thu, 12 Feb 2015 09:00:00 -0800 Jared Newman Jared Newman
Sling TV has been promising an app for Amazon's Fire TV since last month, and now it's arrived with some big sign-up incentives.
In exchange for three months of prepaid Sling TV service at $20 per month, you can either get a free Fire TV Stick (regularly $39) or $50 off the Fire TV set-top box (regularly $99). If you already have the hardware, Sling says you can download the app and get "a special Amazon offer for Sling TV."
The official Fire TV release comes just a few days after Sling started blocking sideloaded versions of the app on the Fire TV and on Android television dongles. Android users will still have to run an older version, though Sling is working on an official release for Android TV devices such as Google's Nexus Player.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883733/sling-tv-app-heads-to-amazons-fire-tv-with-deep-device-discounts-in-tow.html#tk.rss_all Thu, 12 Feb 2015 08:56:00 -0800 Derek Walter Derek Walter
Amazon's firing up the blue light again, and this it's time giving away $140 worth of paid Android apps and games.
The ad-free version of the red hot Trivia Crack is free, and normally costs $2.99. Another good deal is OfficeSuite Professional, an app that edits Word, Excel, and PowerPoint compatible files and typically is $20. While Office for Android tablets is finally here and rather solid, it can't hurt to check out this longstanding editing suite.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883641/amazons-latest-free-app-blowout-gives-away-140-in-paid-android-apps.html#tk.rss_all Apps Thu, 12 Feb 2015 08:32:00 -0800 Lucian Constantin Lucian Constantin
VirusTotal, a Google-owned online malware scanning service, is creating a whitelist of products from large software vendors to reduce bad detections by antivirus programs.
False positive detections are common in the antivirus industry. They occur when a benign program is wrongfully flagged as malicious due to an overly broad detection signature or algorithm used in an antivirus product.
VirusTotal, which scans suspicious files uploaded by users with products from 48 antivirus vendors, invited large software makers Tuesday to add metadata about their products' files to a new database maintained by the company.
If a file that's later uploaded by users to be scanned with VirusTotal is in that database, the scan report will display a "trusted source" alert. If any antivirus products flagged the file as malicious during the scan, their detections will be considered false positives and will not be counted toward the final detection score. Vendors of the products that flagged the file as malware will be notified so that they can correct the error.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Social media star is an actual job title now, with so-called influencers raking in tens of thousands a month to craft tweets, Vines, and other content for paying brands. Twitter sees this activity and has decided it wants a cut: The company just bought Niche, a talent agency and analytics firm that connects some 6,000 top content creators with advertisers.
Now Twitter and its 6-second video-looping service Vine, where some of social media's biggest stars were born, control the connection between creators and brands that want to make ads that don't seem like ads. That means the company presumably gets a cut when popular Viners signed to Niche make clips for brands.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883128/why-twitter-just-bought-a-social-media-talent-agency.html#tk.rss_all Thu, 12 Feb 2015 08:10:00 -0800 Ian Paul Ian Paul
Microsoft is rolling out improvements to Office Online that add more features to the web-based productivity suite and make some already-existing features more readily available. Most of the changes span the entire suite, but there are a few improvements that are specific to Word.
Here's what's new.
More Reading View
The reading view in Office Online has always been very basic—little more than an annoying extra step to pass through before editing your document, really. With the new updates, Microsoft is making reading view a little more useful, first by switching the options interface to the right side of the screen instead of the left.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2882768/microsoft-beefs-up-office-online-with-new-features-streamlined-interface.html#tk.rss_all Web Apps Thu, 12 Feb 2015 07:51:00 -0800 Jared Newman Jared Newman
Facebook is giving users more control over their social networking afterlives with a "legacy contact" setting.
With this setting enabled, a designated heir can change the deceased user's profile picture, pin a memorial letter to the top of the profile, and respond to friend requests. The legacy contact can also download an archive of photos and posts.
However, Facebook is making clear that this is not the same as handing over your password. Legacy contacts won't be able to edit old posts, access private messages or delete the entire account. Facebook told the Wall Street Journal that it ruled out further access "for this first version," and noted that adding more responsibilities could just hinder the grieving process.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883025/facebook-introduces-legacy-contacts-to-manage-your-account-when-you-die.html#tk.rss_all Thu, 12 Feb 2015 07:16:00 -0800 Ian Paul Ian Paul
Fitbit is back in the news again for skin irritation problems nearly a year after the company was forced to initiate a product recall for a similar issue. This time around, however, the rashes doesn't appear to be as widespread as the those that compelled Fitbit to recall the Force last February.
Nevertheless, the complaints are back. ABC 7 News in San Francisco said it uncovered more than 200 instances of complaints on social media. In December, Yahoo tech columnist Alyssa Bereznak also said she ended up with a rash from the Fitbit Charge.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2883396/fitbit-rash-complaints-start-popping-up-again.html#tk.rss_all Gadgets Thu, 12 Feb 2015 07:13:00 -0800 Lincoln Spector Lincoln Spector
Ramanathan wants to stream video from his laptop to his HDTV. But his laptop doesn't have an HDMI port.
You can have an Internet-ready smart TV with a Roku plugged into it, and at some point you'll want to watch something that neither of them support. (For me, it's password-protected Vimeo streams.) That's when you need to plug your laptop directly into your HDTV.
If your laptop lacks an HDMI port, connecting it to a TV isn't so easy. But it isn't incredibly difficult either. It's all a matter of figuring out which ports you do have and which adapters you need.
[Have a tech question? Ask PCWorld Contributing Editor Lincoln Spector. Send your query to answer@pcworld.com.]
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
]]> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2873687/how-to-connect-your-laptop-to-your-hdtv-without-hdmi.html#tk.rss_all Thu, 12 Feb 2015 06:50:00 -0800 Mikael Ricknäs Mikael Ricknäs
The Android smart watch's time may not yet have come: Despite heavy promotion of Android Wear, Google's hardware partners, including LG Electronics, Motorola Mobility and Samsung Electronics, only shipped 720,000 of the devices last year.
With the arrival of products such as Motorola's hotly anticipated Moto 360, the smartwatch market was expected to take off. But the data from market research company Canalys shows that consumers are still far from convinced that they need buy one.
"Android Wear will need to improve significantly in the future, and we believe it will do so," said Daniel Matte, analyst at Canalys.
Those improvements have to happen across the board, including a better user interface and improved battery life, according to Francisco Jeronimo, research director for European mobile devices at IDC.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Apple and Pinterest are teaming up to help you discover apps with a new type of pin on the social bulletin board that leads to the App Store.
App pins are a type of rich pin, which offers more information than a typical pin that consists solely of an image with a link to the original source. Pinterest developed rich pins two years ago and now supports detailed, contextual pins for recipes, places, articles, products, movies, and—with Apple's help—apps.
How it works
If you're browsing Pinterest on an iOS device and come across an app pin, the platform will give you the option to install the app directly to your iPhone or iPad. To help Pinterest launch app pins, Apple has curated a collection of lifestyle apps ranging from healthy recipe services to apps for New York Fashion Week.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Nokia 
