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A report on Vanguardngr says that BlackBerry has announced enhancements to its award-winning multi-OS enterprise mobility management (EMM) solution with the release of BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 (BES10) version 10.2 globally.
This is even as its customers including Morgan Stanley, Boeing, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board and Secusmartare currently participating in the BES10 version 10.2 Early Adopter and Beta programs, and are running the new version in a test environment.
Currently, customers have installed nearly 30,000 BES10 commercial and test servers around the world. Organizationscontinue to choose BlackBerry because it is the most proven and trustedenterprise mobility management (EMM)solution, supporting iOS, Android™ and BlackBerry smartphones. That is why Secusmart, a leading expert in the field of highly secure mobile voice and data communication,uses BES10, and chose to be an early adopter of version 10.2.
“Secusmart’s needs an EMM solution that can enable our workforce to be more productive and connected, while maintaining our strict security standards and not compromising on our end user experience,” Dr. Hans-ChristophQuelle, CEO of Secusmart, said, adding that , “BES10 provides the necessary functionality and security for our employees and has truly exceeded our expectations.
We’ve benefitted tremendously from BlackBerry’s single, secure multi-platform connectivity model to mobilize our business and empower our employees to be more productive and better equipped to serve our customers.”
Recently named the Best Mobile Device Management Software for 2013 by UK enterprise IT publication V3, BES10 is the only enterprise mobility management solutioncapable of delivering comprehensive management and security for devices, apps and content across iOS, Android and BlackBerry devices, all easily managed through a single console. Backed by industry leading global support services, BES10 offers a seamless, scalable and cost-effective way to truly mobilize businesses, enabling organizations to balance enduser and corporate needs without compromising security.
The 2go IM is currently on the Google Play Store but if for some reasons (probably best known to you) you don’t want to download it from the Store, then be my guest: I have uploaded it to this page and the application is all yours the moment you click the download button below this section.
Publisher Description
2go is a mobile social network where you can chat and share with friends and meet new people!
– Create your own profile and upload profile pictures
– Share files and photos
– Share contacts
– Chat to friends on Facebook, Google Chat and Mxit
What’s New on 2go?
The Facebook gateway is available. Chat to all your Facebook friends in 2go!
v1.0.16
– Emoticons now selected from text box for easier access.
– Preview gallery photos before sending.
– Improved keyboard behaviour.
– Improved online and offline notifications.
– Numerous bug fixes and improvements!
File Info
– Release Date: October 24, 2013
– Size: 2.3 MB
– Version: 1.0.16
– App Requirement: Android 2.2 and up
– Age Rating: 16+
For information on how to use Android 2go Application on PC or Mac click here, otherwise, click on the download button below to start your download.
If you enjoy watching video-game content on YouTube, today is not your day.
PC World reports that the site recently activated its Content ID copyright infringement detection system on affiliates of YouTube’s Multi-Channel Networks (MCNs), and the results are far-reaching. Since YouTube updated its terms in an effort to deter copyright infringement, video games channels have received thousands of copyright claims, particularly concerning video games content.
Video games are (as the name implies) a visual form, so it’s no surprise that video content has grown exponentially in recent years. Both the new Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles have integrated support for video output, and the Most-Viewed and Most-Subscribed channel on YouTube belongs to one Felix Kjellberg, a.k.a. PewDiePie, who plays through and discusses video games on his channel.
YouTube has been an important outlet for game videos because of its affiliate program, which allows content creators to earn money based on their channel views. For the most popular YouTube stars, this can amount to a significant amount of cash—potentially up into the tens of thousands of dollars. Until this week.
Copyright claims
YouTube’s decision to implement Content ID included affiliates of MCNs (such as Machinima (one of the largest MCNs devoted to games). Game videos are always in a Fair Use gray area—many provide an unedited look at entire hours of a game, with only voiceover commentary added by the video creator. These efforts are easy targets for copyright claims, and publishers have laid down rules about what can be streamed in the past—rules they’ve rarely enforced.
Polygon reports that some channel operators have already lost up to 15% of their libraries to claims. Copyright claims are particularly damaging because they divert revenue from video views to whoever initiated the claim. You’d guess that the likely culprits in this case would be game publishers. Except the game publishers say no.
One recipient’s reaction to YouTube’s action
Capcom, Deep Silver, Ubisoft, and more have gone on record to state that they’ve filed zero copyright claims this week, and Capcom even said it’s fighting over this with YouTube.
Publishers tend to like it when fans make online video content because it’s free marketing—their games get exposure to enormous audiences, with little effort on the publisher’s part.
These claims appear to have originated from far weirder sources, which, in some cases, includes companies that don’t really exist anymore.
Popular games personality TotalBiscuit tweeted, “Apparently THQ is putting out a lot of copyright claims, which is impressive since it no longer exists.” THQ went out of business earlier this year.
Other channels received copyright claims from third-party companies with no discernible relation to the games in question, but YouTube allowed the claims to go through regardless.
YouTube, for its part, defended the new system, reiterating that—despite publisher’s claims to the contrary—copyright infringement policies are set by content owners.
A YouTube spokesman said in an email: “We recently enabled Content ID scanning on channels identified as affiliates of MCNs. This has resulted in new copyright claims for some users, based on policies set by the relevant content owners. As ever, channel owners can easily dispute Content ID claims if they believe those claims are invalid.”
Implications
Whether this spells the end of video-games content on YouTube, or whether the system will automatically course correct after a few days of volatility remains to be seen. If YouTube sticks to this path though, it may leave a door open for a competitor to take over games content.
Judging from the state of Twitter on this subject today (see tweets from theRadBrad and Jim Sterling as examples), some people would welcome a change.
It’s always kind of a drag when your mobile email client doesn’t do all the things that your desktop client can. Google seems to be catching on to this, since the company rolled out a new update to Gmail for Android today with a few new features that have been previously reserved for its web users.
Gmail 4.7 now lets you set up an away message with the Vacation Responder. Just as in the web client, you can set a start and end date for when the service should send out an automatic message that you’re out enjoying yourself. When you’re done having fun, you can easily toggle the messages on and off from within the app.
Google also added the ability to send attachments from the mobile client, such as documents, PDFs, and .zip files.
For those of you with Android 4.4. KitKat, the new Gmail includes native support for cloud printing. Devices with low memory will also notice a performance improvement within the app, which Google notes is a change made on behalf of Project Svelte.
The Gmail update should be rolling out to an Android device near you, or you can try to grab it from the Google Play store.
Falling prices on TVs and 7-inch Android tablets helped boost Black Friday sales to nearly $5 billion, NPD reported Wednesday. The retail analyst firm added that sales of “stocking stuffer” accessories also showed dramatic growth from a year ago.
All told, sales during Black Friday week (Nov. 24 through Nov. 30) increased nearly 10 percent compared with a year ago, the firm found. One of the only laggards during the period was the slowdown in Windows sales, which dropped off by more than 10 percent compared to 2012.
TVs and tablets generated the most revenue of any category measured by NPD, prompted in part by what appears to be the migration of low-end TVs into what might be called impulse buys. Retailers polled by NPD reported $1.4 billion in TV sales during that one week alone, up 5.6 percent, with units climbing more than 16 percent to 4.7 million units. Interestingly, both high-end and low-end TVs flew off the shelves, with 60-inch TV sales growing by 60 percent; the average price was a little more than $1000, down about $300 from a year ago. Vizio led with 55 percent of the 60-inch TV market. Samsung, then Sharp, trailed with 29 percent and 8 percent, respectively.)
But the average selling price of a 32-inch TV also plunged from $194 to $137, making it a fairly uncomplicated purchase for a bedroom or as a second monitor. That helped boost sales of 32-inch TVs by 40 percent.
Tablet sales boomed, as units increased by 105 percent and the category generated the second-highest revenue of any measured by NPD.
Drilling down through NPD’s numbers, however, unearthed the big winner of Black Friday: 7-inch Android tablets, which accounted for 80 percent of all Android tablet sales. Total Android tablet sales exploded 146 percent from a year ago, and revenues climbed 70 percent. But the prices tell the story: the average price of an Android tablet fell from $151 to $105, and the average price of the 7-inch tablets was just $82. That means a lot of $69 Android tablets will be under the Christmas tree this year, for better or for worse.
Overall, PC and tablet sales increased by 58 percent to almost 5.9 million units; however, notebook sales actually fell by 2 percent.
NPD found that Microsoft’s aggressive discounts paid off, with an 8 percent boost in Windows device sales as a whole. But Windows desktops and Windows notebooks fell 8 percent and 9 percent, respectively. So that left Apple to pick up the slack: thanks to its own holiday sales, sales were up 34 percent in notebooks, 51 percent in tablets and 277 percent in desktops, NPD found.
Tech stocking-stuffers gaining, too
NPD also found that more shoppers began plowing back any savings in the tablets and other devices with additional purchases in accessories and cheaper devices. And not only are consumers buying more headphones and sound bars, but they’re spending more, too.
Stephen Baker, the analyst in charge of the report, provided some examples on a related blog: the average price paid by a shopper for a multi-function inkjet printer prices was up 23 percent, PC monitors were up 2 percent, and memory cards climbed 30 percent from a year ago (but just to $13).
“To sum up we saw encouraging industry signs in this Black Friday report,” Baker wrote. “Revenue growth across all the major large categories and accelerating revenue increases in the fastest growing mid-size categories, all combined with a slowing in revenue declines in some of the legacy categories, with the end result that Black Friday week sales delivered an impressive start to the holiday season.”This post first appeared on PC World
Yahoo’s Mail service is reported to be still down for some users a day after the company said access would be restored.
The problem began affecting users Monday night, due to a hardware problem with one of its mail data centers, said Jeffrey Bonforte, senior VP of communication products, in a statement recently posted on Tumblr.
Yahoo first acknowledged the outage early Tuesday afternoon Eastern time in a post on its Facebook page, as well as on Twitter. Yahoo said it was aiming to restore access within the next few hours after those posts but, as of Wednesday morning, Mail was still down for some people.
”The issue has been harder to fix than we originally expected,” Bonforte said. Dozens of the company’s employees are working to get the problem fixed by 6 p.m. Eastern time, he said.
Who is affected
The number of people affected by the outage is not clear, and a Yahoo spokeswoman declined to comment further. But it could be on the order of multiple hundreds, if not somewhere in the thousands, judging from the level of activity in Yahoo’s Mail forum.
The problem could have widespread implications on people’s ability to communicate and get work done, given Yahoo Mail’s prominence. With more than 100 million daily users, Mail is one of Yahoo’s most important products.
In the forum, the discussion thread for the outage had more than 1200 votes on it by mid-afternoon Wednesday EST, with more than 500 comments from users. A smaller number of people appear to have taken to Twitter to express their frustrations.
For some of these people, their access to Mail has been down for two to three days.
Yahoo also has sent mixed messages about the outage. When trying to log in to Mail, some users have seen a page telling them that “scheduled maintenance” is taking place.
”I don’t believe for one minute this is a scheduled maintenance thing,” one person wrote in the forum. “They have been hacked and just don’t want people to know what’s going on.”
Another person offered more practical advice. “People relax. It’s not life or death. Has another email account, like Hotmail or Gmail,” he said.
Other problems
Yahoo has had a bit of a rough time with its Mail service lately. It was redesigned in October with a new Gmail-like interface, but since then some people have complained about the way that it looks, or how it functions.
Yahoo has even had challenges getting its own employees to use it, according to a recent report in AllThingsD.
Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has said that Mail is one of the top things she wants to improve to attract new users to Yahoo.
It is often a hectic experience trying to find a new place to live (especially if you desire to move to the housing market hellholes that are New York City and San Francisco). It’s no surprise then that so many startups — Trulia, Zillow, Redfin, Apartment List, Rental Engine, Zumper, Nestio, the list goes on — are trying to make it all just a little bit easier.
Of these myriad startups, apartment-centric Lovely has been especially busy these past few months: it closed a (sadly undisclosed) Series A and snapped up automated rent payment startup Rentmatic to help prove its worth to property owners too. So what was next on their agenda? Getting a new Android app out the door, which the company finally did earlier today.
Lovely is hardly new to the mobile realm — it launched an iOS version of the app a little over a year ago, and anyone who’s mucked around with that should feel comfortable taking the Android version for a spin. That’s far from a bad thing when more than a few competing mobile real estate apps are happy to throw everything plus the kitchen sink into the mix. It’s not hard to see why: as stated, finding an apartment is hard and bombarding a user with fiddly options and controls makes them feel like they’re actually getting something done. Maybe they are, maybe they aren’t, but the illusion of control persists.
The Lovely approach is to strip out the cruft. When you fire up the app for the first time, color-coded listings appear in location-based groups that expand when tapped. From there it takes a but a few taps to directly contact the property owner, share the listing, or report obvious frauds. If you go on to create an account, even more doors open (I slay me) so you can set alerts when properties free up within specific areas and preload some personal and financial information to put potential renters at ease.
There’s little here that differentiates the Android app from its iOS cousin, but that’s hardly an issue — CEO Blake Pierson said he considers Lovely a mobile-first company that uses what it’s learned from fast iteration on the web to inform the mobile experience. All things considered, this new Android version of the app is a handsome one and I actually found a few interesting leads while I was writing this story (what can I say, I’ve grown a little weary of southern New Jersey).
“Some think of us as purely a search tool,” Pierson noted on the phone. “But our long term vision is to be the platform and THE marketplace for rentals.” What he means is that the Lovely vision ultimately encompasses the renting process from both ends: tools for renters and apartment hunters alike. The team has already starting moving down that path with its Rentmatic acquisition, but we’ll see if they can really balance both sides of that equation.DOWNLOAD LOVELY ANDROID APP
The use of LinkedIn “Creative” profile is gradually fading to oblivion. The company is releasing its list of the most overused buzzwords in 2013, based on the words that appear most frequently on the professional networking site’s profiles. In 2011 and 2012, the most overused word was “creative”, but this year “creative” was beaten by “responsible.” On one hand, that’s less obviously self-defeating than describing yourself as creative. On the other hand, it’s more than little … uninspiring.
Personally, I find the whole idea of pumping up your LinkedIn profile with flattering adjectives to be kind of strange, but then, my profile says, “I write stuff,” so what do I know? However, in LinkedIn’s own press release, the company’s “career expert” Nicole Williams says that including buzzwords in your profile isn’t a great idea: “If you sound like everyone else, you won’t stand out from other professionals vying for opportunities.” And if you’re staring at the buzzword list below with dawning horror because it’s basically the same as your entire LinkedIn profile, well, the company has some suggestions. Among other things, it says you should let other users vouch for you (given the random requests and recommendations I get, I’m not crazy about this feature either, but, uh, let’s move on …), include actual work or results that show you’re creative or (bleh) responsible, and be more specific in your wording so that it’s better tailored to the jobs, companies, and industries you’re interested in. Anyway, here’s the top 10 list: 1. Responsible 2. Strategic 3. Creative 4. Effective 5. Patient 6. Expert 7. Organizational 8. Driven 9. Innovative 10. Analytical This article first appeared on techcrunch.
Join us today as we officially release our first Android App: You can now stay updated with every activity on Elites World Technology, read technology news, reviews and how-to (s), simply by clicking the EWT icon on your Android device.
EWT Android App 0.1 Beta is currently in beta mode, however, does not pose any risk to your device and completely safe to use on any Android device. This beta version is intended to gather our reader feedback in order to enable us improve the user’s experience on Android devices, hence, your feedback and suggestions will be gladly appreciated.
Participate
To participate in making EWT Android App better, you need to download and install EWT Android App on your Android device. Locate and run the application from your programs and leave your feedback in the comment section below. DOWNLOAD EWT ANDROID APP
Although future generations of PCs are likely to be operated on Android OS with Lenovo’s latest invention, Windows PC and Mac users can still enjoy Android apps without installing Android OS.
Bluestacks is a free software that allows you to use your favorite Android apps on a Windows PC or Mac. You can download apps like Angry Birds Space, 2go, Whatsapp or BBM to Go directly into Bluestacks, or sync the apps from your phone using the Bluestacks Cloud Connect Android app.
Using Bluestacks is similar to using an Android tablet: It works a bit like a widget. When clicked, the BlueStacks App Player will display the ten apps that have already been pre-installed and application suggestions which can be installed using Google Play Store. You can install more application by clicking on More below the big + sign. Bluestacks can be viewed in minimized or full screen.
Download Bluestacks
To download Bluestacks, proceed to Bluestacks download page, click on the download button that fits your OS description. The Download Now link will download a small installer file to your desktop. Remain online and double-click the installer to proceed with the actual download.
Please note that Bluestacks is currently in beta stage: Beta or prerelease software is not intended for inexperienced users, as the software may contain bugs or may potentially damage your system. I strongly recommend that users exercise caution and save all mission-critical data before installing or using this software.
I have personally tried this software on Windows XP, Windows 7 & Windows 8, the performance is great and it is worth trying!
If you are searching for older versions of Connectify Hotspot PRO, I bet you have a good reason for that and if you are thinking what I am thinking, then, you are at the right place: This file contains the full version of Connectify Hotspot PRO in .iso format. After downloading, simply extract its content with winrar before running ConnectifyHotspotInstaller.exe.
What will Connectify do for me?
Connectify Hotspot PRO converts your PC into a hotspot. Allowing you to share internet from your PC to other devices and PCs through WIFI. Some of the features of this program include:
Custom Hotspot Name
Secured Hotspot
Sharing Mode
Firewall
You have full control over your wireless network all the time, so you will know exactly who is connected to your server. Among its advanced features, Connectify enables you to explore shared resources from the devices that are paired with your system. DOWNLOAD CONNECTFY
In the days of featured phones, Nimbuzz was the go-to guy when it comes to instant messaging. That was a long time ago, though. Smart phones has come to stay and WhatsApp and BBM for Android and iOs decides the rules in this new world. As you already know, the official Blackberry Messenger has long been available in the Google Play Store. A lot of BBM app (camouflage) has been uploaded to the Play Store ever since the smart phone company (Blackberry) was sold.
To save you the stress of going through a wasted day searching for the official BBM application in the Google Play Store, I have uploaded the official BBM Android app on this page.
BBM for Android
BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) is also now available in an iOS version so that you can communicate between BlackBerry, Android and iOS devices.
BBM for iPhones and iPads
BBM allows you to send free messages, photos, voice memos, to participate in group conversations and much more.
Description
It is no understatement to say that BBM ruled the world of mobile instant messaging for the longest period, but that was on BlackBerry devices. However, the official version of BBM for BlackBerry is now here for Android. Get the free BBM Android and iOS app and continue in the old habit of pinging with your friends and family.
Chat with friends on Android, BlackBerry and iPhone:
After getting your PIN code, i.e. your BlackBerry Messenger ID, the application will let you communicate with your friends without restriction.
Blackberry Messenger lets you send messages, voice memos, photos, and files. It also informs you as soon as your messages have been received and read by your contacts. The BBM application is permanently enabled and connected so that you don’t need to open the app to get notifications.
BBM is always on and always connected – no app to open
Know when messages have been delivered (D’s) and read (R’s)
Share photos, files, documents, voice notes and more
See when contacts are responding to your message
Emoticons for every mood and emotion let you express yourself
BBM lets you protect your privacy.
BBM for Android and iOS gives you absolute control on your privacy:
As a user, you chose how to share your information – BBM uses PINs instead of phone numbers or email addresses so that it’s more private and you always control who can contact you
You chose your contacts – 2-way opt-in means you have control over who is able to message you
BBM Android app allows you to Chat and Share with many at once:
With Blackberry Messenger groups, the messaging app lets you share images, lists, and meetings with members of a group (up to 30 individuals). As for multiple chat, it’s useful to get in touch with multiple friends at the same time, and you can make use of a whole range of emoticons to send in your conversations.
BBM also provides functionality for sending bulk messages. With the option to broadcast messages, you can easily send a message to several BBM contacts simultaneously.
Groups – BBM groups help you share pictures, lists and appointments with group members. You can even be in a group with people who aren’t part of your own BBM contact list.
Multi-person chats – Invite multiple contacts to have a chat together.
Broadcast messages – Send a message to multiple BBM contacts at one time.
Create your own BBM profile with BBM for Android and iOS
Finally, Blackberry Messenger lets you create your own profile using your avatar (picture or animated GIF) and gives you the ability to post statuses. You can change your profile by clicking on your avatar.
Post a profile picture using images, pictures or even animated pictures (GIFs).
Update your status to let people know what you’re up to or how you feel
A BlackBerry 10 interface
With Blackberry Messenger, BlackBerry seems to want to provide a similar experience on all platforms. The interface of the application is the same for all versions and imitates the BlackBerry 10 style and codes. On Android, the interface seems slightly out of place; for example, you’ll notice the presence of a “previous” button that duplicates the one offered on the screen of the Nexus or many other Android devices. BBM features are nevertheless easy to access, thanks to a list of tabs at the bottom of the interface.
Good news for Android as well as BlackBerry users
The arrival of Blackberry Messenger is good news for Android users but perhaps even more so for BlackBerry users. If the latter were only able to use the application with those friends who own a BlackBerry, they might not have had many contacts on their BBM list.
As for the application, Blackberry Messenger proves to be quite comprehensive, with a range of good features comparable to those found on competing applications like WhatsApp, LINE, and Viber. It only lacks VoIP and a more flexible interface.
Support for Android 2.3.x added
The most recent update of BlackBerry Messenger adds support for Android 2.3. At last users of the Gingerbread flavor of Android can chat via BBM on their device. This means that millions of people with lower-end devices will have access.
Changes
Support for Android 2.3.x added: The most recent update of BlackBerry Messenger adds support for Android 2.3. At last users of the Gingerbread flavor of Android can chat via BBM on their device. This means that millions of people with lower-end devices will have access.
Download BBM for Android and iOS
The official BBM iOS app may be installed directly from the Apple store. Initially, it was tricky to get the app on the play store but in recent times, the Android app has been made available. If somehow you managed to find yourself using a BlackBerry device, the app is still available on the BlackBerry App World.
After spending the last 11+ months maxin’ and relaxin’, Santa and his elves are back in full swing. Yes! Santa Tracker is here again and better than ever!
Following Microsoft’s NORAD touch-friendly Santa Claus web tracker, Google is set to shower it’s Christmas blessings: The search giant’s latest Santa Tracker centers on an updated Android app (launching mid-December) with Chromecast TV streaming support — you’ll soon get to follow St. Nick from the comfort of your living room. If you’d prefer to keep tabs on him from the web, the company is promising both daily game and scene updates as well as a refreshed Chromecast-ready web extension to help you see how things are progressing. Just like last year, you can head to the Christmas Village website to keep an eye on how things are going up north.
“To join in the flurry of preparations for Christmas Eve, visit the Village every day through December 24. You’ll have the chance to join the elves as they catapult presents and race with reindeer—and you’ll be able to send holiday wishes to friends and family from Santa himself. The elves make a little more progress each day, so be sure to stop by the Village to see the latest.” https://www.youtube.com/embed/0qrFL0mn3Uk
There are tons of fun things to do to pass the time; an Android app is expected to roll out any day now.
Engadget – NORAD’s Santa Claus tracking has officially entered the tablet era. The defense agency has teamed up with Microsoft on an updated web-based tracker that’s designed for touch-friendly browsers, including Internet Explorer 11. The new site lets you follow St. Nick by spinning a WebGL-powered globe with your finger, and you can even call NORAD through Skype to get the sleigh’s latest position. You won’t have to wait until Christmas Eve to have fun, either, as Microsoft promises a daily dose of games, movies and music. Those who want to surveil Santa can visit NORAD’s page today, while Windows 8 and Windows Phone users can also grab native tracking apps through their respective stores.
According to an article on PCWorld: The next version of the USB connector will accept the plug either way up, the USB 3.0 Promoter Group said Tuesday.
The USB Type-C connector, initially intended for USB 3.1 and 2.0 devices, will be a complete redesign, the group said. It will be similar in size to the USB 2.0 Micro-B plug found on most modern cellphones, and will support scalable power charging. In comparison, the USB 3.0 Micro-B plug is wider than that for USB 2.0 devices.
The new connector will also be tailored to work well with emerging product designs and will scale for future USB bus performance, said the group, whose members include Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Microsoft, Renesas Electronics and Texas Instruments.
Following a lead set by Apple with the Lightning connector used in the iPhone 5 and newer iPads and iPods, the USB Type-C plug and socket will fit either way up, avoiding fumbling to find the correct orientation, the group said.
The Type-C USB connector is meant to be used to deliver power, data and video across all devices without the need for another connector, the group said. It will however not work with existing USB plugs. The specification will define new-to-existing cables and adapters to allow users to use their existing products, the group said.
The new USB connector needs to follow the design trends in terms of size and usability, the group said, adding that the Type-C connector lays the foundation for future versions of USB. It will also enable an entirely new “super thin class” of devices, it added.
The Type-C specification is up for industry review in the first quarter of 2014 and a final specification is expected to be published by the middle of next year. Participants in the review process will be sent a copy of the 0.7 draft of the connector specification.
You really, really need to dump Windows XP. No, really. Windows XP was great, and many users still love the operating system, but…it’s more than a decade old. At the rate technology evolves, that makes Windows XP a near-relic. Although it may still appear to work fine, the mantra of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” doesn’t really apply to Windows XP. It’s broken in many ways, and when Microsoft officially stops supporting it next April, it really will be broken.
You don’t even need to upgrade to Windows 8. Windows 7 would be fine. Whether you or a stubborn holdout you know still needs convincing, these three reasons should do the trick.
1. Productivity
From a 10,000-foot view, Windows XP seems productive enough. It runs the applications you need it to run. It checks email. It surfs the Web. When you take a closer look, though, the newer versions of Windows have features that help you work more efficiently.
The Aero Snap feature makes moving and organizing windows simple by letting you just drag them to the edge of the display.
Aero Snap, which appeared in Windows 7, makes maximizing, minimizing, and organizing windows as simple as dragging them to the edge of the display. You can drag up to maximize, drag down to minimize, and drag to the left or right to snap the window to the respective half of the display. When you first start using Aero Snap, it seems like a novelty with little real value, but it quickly becomes second nature. After using Aero Snap for awhile, you’ll discover that it streamlines your work, and you’ll regret all the time you spent dragging windows here and there in XP.
Windows 8 has another feature that can save you even more time. File History is similar to the Time Machine function in Mac OS X. It scans your files every hour and stores copies of the incremental changes over time. If you accidentally overwrite a crucial presentation, or you decide to scrap your changes and want to go back to the way things were a few hours ago, it’s easy to restore a file from any point in the history.
Another timesaver in Windows 8 is Automatic Maintenance. Managing the little things that keep your PC tuned and optimized—like defragmenting your storage, antimalware scans, updating the operating system, and performing diagnostic tests—can be tedious. Automatic Maintenance takes care of all of those things for you while you sleep.
Windows 8 can automate many tasks to keep your system updated and optimized.
Once you get used to the features in Windows 7 or Windows 8, you’ll wonder how you got by without them for so long.
2. New technology
Using an operating system that’s more than a decade old can also paint you into a corner when it comes to the peripherals and devices you can use with it. As new technologies are developed, they’re generally engineered with the latest operating systems in mind, and unlikely to be supported on Windows XP.
USB 3.0 is a prime example. Most USB 3.0 devices will still work—in a technical sense—with Windows XP because they’re backward-compatible. However, they will fall back to USB 2.0 compatibility and transfer data at about one-tenth of the potential speed of USB 3.0. Also note that even USB 3.0 is getting long in the tooth and will eventually be replaced by even faster technologies that Windows XP will not be able to take advantage of.
Whether you’re looking at wireless printers, Bluetooth keyboards, or 4K monitors, it will be challenging if not impossible to find drivers and support to make new technologies work with Windows XP.
3. Security
This is the big one. Windows XP is inherently more risky even now, and when Microsoft stops supporting the venerable OS next April, your PC will be virtually defenseless.
Just last week, Microsoft released a security advisory warning users about a zero-day vulnerability in Windows XP. The flaw is reportedly being actively exploited in the wild, but it doesn’t affect the newer versions of Windows.
Security experts believe that cybercriminals may already be hoarding Windows XP flaws, waiting hungrily for the expiration of Microsoft support. At that point, there will be no more Patch Tuesday security bulletins, and no patches or updates from Microsoft to address critical security concerns in Windows XP. It will be open season.
Tim Rains, director of Trustworthy Computing for Microsoft, has warned Windows XP users of another potential concern. Attackers often wait for a vendor to release a patch and then reverse-engineer it to discover the flaw and craft an exploit to take advantage of it. Once Microsoft support for Windows XP expires, malware developers will reverse-engineer Microsoft’s Windows 7 and Windows 8 patches and then verify whether those same flaws exist in Windows XP. In many cases, they will—and there will be no patch available to protect Windows XP.
Volume 15 of the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report found that Windows XP systems were infected at more than six times the rate of those running 64-bit Windows 8.
The most recent Security Intelligence Report from Microsoft shows that when exposed to a similar volume of potential threats, Windows XP SP3 has a malware infection rate nearly double that of Windows 7, and a whopping 650 percent greater than 64-bit Windows 8. Windows XP systems are more likely to be compromised than ones running newer versions of Windows, the effects of the compromise are typically more insidious, and eradicating the threat and resolving a malware incident takes longer. It was great fun, but…
Windows XP was an awesome operating system. It was arguably the single best version in the history of the operating system. Windows 7 is a worthy successor to the Windows XP legacy, though, and Windows 8.1 is a tremendous operating system as well. Also, by clinging to Windows XP, you’re missing out on new features and technologies that could help you work more efficiently and simplify your life. Even if that doesn’t sway you, though, the reality is that Windows XP is going to be a security nightmare when support ends, and continuing to use it will be impractical—if not impossible.
The ‘wonder’ Apple technology has ensured that it’s thief will not go uncaught. Last week saw the house of Mr. Tunde Makhinde, a Lagos based Nigerian visited by some robbers who took his iPad among other things. Little did they know that the iPad will eventually turn out to be the nail to their coffin: The tech whiz had activated the tracking device on his iPad, and within a matter of days, had gone with law enforcement agents to catch the thieves red handed.
Recently, an amazing app, Find my iphone, was used to track down a stolen iPad and the man who allegedly took it from underneath a family’s Christmas tree in the US. The victim on the ‘Find my iPhone’ app that sends out a signal to the device.Using his computer, the victim was then able to locate the iPad on a map, and alerted police to its whereabouts – just a few houses away.
Even the burglar who broke into Steve Jobs’ house was caught last year two weeks after the crime thanks to the technology in one of the late Apple founder’s own inventions. He might never have been caught if he hadn’t logged onto iTunes on one of Jobs’ personal iPads. Investigators say they were tipped off about the perpetrator when one of the stolen devices connected to Apple servers.
What if…?
‘But I am no tech whiz!” you might say. That doesn’t matter. How smart would smart technology be if it can’t holler at its owner when it gets stolen? There are simple ways to be two steps ahead of the thief. The ‘Find My iPhone’ application can be used if an Apple device is stolen or misplaced. It does not come installed but can be downloaded for free.
The user then signs in with their unique Apple ID.a device goes missing, the owner can activate the app on a computer. Signals ‘ping’ the device and its whereabouts can be seen on a map online.can then choose to display a message on its screen, play a sound for two minutes at full volume, lock the device or erase all of its data.can be used on iPhones, iPads, Apple computers and iPods.
iOS 7 includes a new feature called Activation Lock, which makes it more difficult for anyone to use or sell your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch once it’s gone missing or has been stolen. And it starts working the moment you turn on Find My iPhone in iOS 7. Turning off Find My iPhone or erasing your device requires your Apple ID and password. And your Apple ID and password are required before anyone can reactivate it.
But what happens if you find your device on a location you can’t reach? Go for second best-initiate a remote wipe to delete your personal data and restore your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac to its factory settings. With iOS 7, Find My iPhone can continue to display your custom message, even after your device has been erased. And if you do retrieve your device, you can restore it from your iCloud backup. iCloud is not just for backup, it can help you find your apple device on the map. If one of your Apple devices goes missing, iCloud can help you figure out where it is. Just sign in at iCloud.com or use the Find My iPhone app to see your missing iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac on a map.
The introduction of AdBlock Plus add-on has brought about some level of sanity to the nature at which most pages are being rendered. The popular browser add-on is set to extend it’s tentacles a little beyond the blocking of online ads (except for the whitelisted ones) to bringing sanity to popular social networks.
You Tube of late, has been really annoying; prompting ABP’s editorial pen to introduce YouTube Customizer site, a feature that helps you banish all the bits of the video site that annoy you, while keeping the ones you enjoy.
YouTube Customizer site allows you to control which youtube component you want your browser to render. If you’re generally annoyed with the current state of YouTube you can block everything but the video you’re watching. The list of banished items includes comments, suggested videos, featured and recommended videos in the end screen, the sharing tab in the description, in-video annotations, and channel recommendations.
Just for the record, that’s a breathtaking list of YouTube cruft and dumping it all may be a step too far for most of us. What good is YouTube, after all, if you can’t waste the afternoon following an endless stream of recommended videos.
Instead of blocking everything, ABP includes options to only block comments, or only suggestions and recommendations, or only the sharing tab and in-video annotations.
Getting Started
To get started, make sure you have AdBlock Plus installed on your browser. If you do not have the add-on installed on your browser, simply download it by clicking on your browser link below.
You could also block some mixture of the above—for example, blocking comments and annotations but leaving recommendations intact. If you have any YouTube pages open after you add AdBlock’s customizations you may have to refresh the page for your changes to take effect. And if you ever want to return YouTube to the data buffet it once was, check out ABP’s instructions on how to remove your customizations.
Note that your changes only work on the browser where you have AdBlock Plus installed and first added the YouTube filters.
When it is down to the customization of your Windows PC, it goes beyond the changing of icons and wallpaper. Windows 8, 7, XP and those before them, allows you to install custom themes of your preference, however, due to the fact that most of the themes developed by third-parties developers may contain malwares which are harmful to your PC; Microsoft has disallowed the ability to install themes from third-parties developer, hence, this tutorial.
Among our numerous contenders, Ultra UXTheme Patcher stands out as the best Windows 8 Themes application program. All you have to do is install it on your system and it will automatically modify the required items.
Once you have installed the program you can then use any custom Windows 8 themes on your PC . Just download any custom windows 8 themes and copy it over to this directory in your windows PC:
C:WindowsResourcesThemes
Note: Some themes might require a few additional instructions to install . Check the description of the themes for any addition instructions .
Bill & Microsoft has made many structural changes by implementing Metro UI and Start Screen in Windows 8. But the PC side of Windows 8 has not seen any dramatic changes except the removal of Start Menu and Aero Glass Transparency feature. Windows 8 like Windows 7 and others before them, has a lot of customization features that helps you define an entirely new look for your Windows PC .
Sometimes, the quest for customizing the desktop look can consume a lot of time; so you don’t have to actually customize your windows 8 PC, rather you can download many custom windows 8 themes and use them on your windows 8 PC (Check out 25 best themes for Windows 7) .
Most of these windows 8 themes are the products of talented artists/developers who make these themes available as a free download for everyone . But like most windows programs , windows 8 themes download from un-trusted sites might contain malware in them . So it is always advisable to download windows 8 themes from reputed sources only .
As a tradition that has been laid by the predecessors, Windows 8 does not allow the installation of third-parties themes by default, hence, it is recommended you read How to Install Third-Party Windows 8 Themes before you proceed to the next section of this article.
In this article, we shall consider the top 25 most-outstanding Windows 8 themes you can apply on your desktop.
1) Space Blueberries 4.8
Theme Name: Space Blueberries 4.8 OS Version: Windows 8 Artist: Neiio
Description: Work is one of the best Windows 8 theme which has glowing dark interface. It gives you breathing space while working on multiple documents.
4) Snow Leopard glass
Theme Name: Snow Leopard glass OS Version: Windows 8 Artist: Sagorpbd
Description: Aer08Glow is a port of the default Windows 7 theme with a few modifications. This theme has glow on the caption buttons and 2 styles: one with square corners and one with rounded corners. To use this theme with rounded corners you have to enable Aero Glass Transparency in Windows 8.
10) Chromium
Theme Name: Chromium OS Version: Windows 8 Artist: Reymonvisual
Description: Be greeted by the sweetness of the rising sun every moment your PC is booted. Win Blue n Red Windows 8 theme is the perfect blend for ‘red’ in ‘blue’, with a perfect ‘black’ to see off the dark sides.
15) Different Touch 8
Theme Name: Different Touch 8 OS Version: Windows 8 Artist: Sagorpirbd
Description: Darkness has overshadowed light! The new ‘red’ brightens the appearance of your Windows 8 theme. Gray8 new red is an easy going theme with boundless customization.
19) Twentythirteen
Theme Name: Twentythirteen OS Version: Windows 8 Artist: sand-and-mercury
Description: Twentythirteen is a new Goddamn visual style for your bullshit Windows 8 RTM desktop.
20) Abisso
Theme Name: Abisso OS Version: Windows 8 Artist: Ezio DOWNLOADDescription: Abisso is one word for ‘true transparency’: The Windows 8 theme has a clean dark background with blue color scheme.
21) Elune
Theme Name: Elune OS Version: Windows 8 Artist: Neiio
Description: Gradually drift away from the original look of Windows 8. With Ourea windows 8 themes; the future is in your hands.
24) Alduin Windows 8 themes
Theme Name: Alduin Windows 8 themes OS Version: Windows 8 Artist: Charleston2378 DOWNLOADDescription: This list cannot be completed without the inclusion of the beautiful work of Charleston. Alduin is a Windows 8 minimalistic theme with deep dark background.
25) Nimbus
Theme Name: Nimbus OS Version: Windows 8 Artist: Neiio
Description: Closing our list of top 25 elegant Windows 8 themes today is: Nimbus. This theme has an extra-ordinary layout that allows you to choose from various color schemes and background.
