AfterDawn: Tech news

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AfterDawn: News

VIDEOS: Microsoft takes on Google Docs

Written by James Delahunty @ 10 May 2013 4:06

VIDEOS: Microsoft takes on Google Docs Microsoft has uploaded a couple of videos that poke fun at Google Docs, enlisting Rob Schneider and some other familiar faces.

In the first video, we are warned not to "gamble with Google Docs," and in the second video we're shown how Google Docs is not a productivity team player on the basketball court.

We're not entirely sure they were worth spending money on, but worth a look anyway.

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AfterDawn: News

Ouya raises a lot more money, but delays launch of console

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 09 May 2013 11:14

Ouya raises a lot more money, but delays launch of console Ouya, the open-source console originally scheduled for commercial release at the beginning of June, has been delayed.

The console will see a three week delay, to June 25th, which likely means there are some additional kinks to be worked out in regards to supply.

More importantly for the company, after raising almost $9 million through Kickstarter, the company has just raised another $15 million from venture capital firms Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Mayfield Fund.

CEO Julie Uhrman says the delay "allows us to do more and get more units into retail quickly. Our demand is already beyond expectations. That's a great problem to have, but it leads to a need for cash."

Kleiner Perkins is a heavy-hitter in the industry, having invested in over 700 ventures leading to 200 initial public offerings.

The console runs on Android and will retail for $99 at major retailers with extra controllers costing $50 each.




AfterDawn: News

International Space Station makes move away from Windows to Linux

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 09 May 2013 10:53

International Space Station makes move away from Windows to Linux The United Space Alliance, the company behind the computers used on the International Space Station has said today that they have migrated the computers to Linux, and away from Windows XP.

With a parting shot to Windows, the Alliance added, "we migrated key functions from Windows to Linux because we needed an operating system that was stable and reliable."

The "dozens of laptops" will now use Debian 6, while other systems on the Space Station already use RedHat and Scientific Linux.

More specifically, Keith Chuvala of the United Space Alliance said the group needed an OS "that would give us in-house control. So if we needed to patch, adjust or adapt, we could."

ExTech says the laptops being upgraded are part of the station's OpsLAN. "The crew use the OpsLAN to perform day-to-day activities, such as viewing stock inventory, controlling scientific experiments, or checking their current location."




AfterDawn: News

YouTube starts paid channels

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 09 May 2013 10:33

YouTube starts paid channels YouTube has announced today that they have launched paid channels starting at $0.99.

Says the video sharing site: "Starting today, we're launching a pilot program for a small group of partners that will offer paid channels on YouTube with subscription fees starting at $0.99 per month. Every channel has a 14-day free trial, and many offer discounted yearly rates. For example, Sesame Street will be offering full episodes on their paid channel when it launches. And UFC fans can see classic fights, like a full version of their first event from UFC's new channel. You might run into more of these channels across YouTube, or look here for a list of pilot channels. Once you subscribe from a computer, you'll be able to watch paid channels on your computer, phone, tablet and TV, and soon you'll be able to subscribe to them from more devices."

YouTube started its partner program in 2007, allowing content creators to actually earn revenue on their content. There are currently over 1 million channels generating revenue, says the company.

If you have a channel or are a new content partner, you can get more information about your own paid channel here: Google sign-up




AfterDawn: News

Has Microsoft scrapped its rumored set-top box?

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 09 May 2013 10:08

Has Microsoft scrapped its rumored set-top box? Microsoft's oft-rumored set-top box may be dead in the water, says the WSJ.

The software giant has been supposedly creating a simple set-top to stream video, audio and other content for some time now.

So far, sources say, the design of the product has gone through many prototypes, some of which directly work with the company's Kinect motion-control tech. By being integrated with Kinect, consumers would be able to control menus and content with gestures and motions.

Microsoft has been working towards common experiences across its entire line of products, based on the Windows 8 operating system. This would include the Xbox, Windows Phone and Surface tablets.

For the time being, the set-top appears to be on the backburner especially as the company prepares to unveil its Xbox successor on May 21st.




AfterDawn: News

Report: Amazon is developing smartphone with 3D display

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 09 May 2013 7:38

Report: Amazon is developing smartphone with 3D display According to the WSJ, Amazon is actively developing a smartphone with a 3D display to expand their hardware business beyond the Kindle tablets and e-readers.

Additionally, the company is working on a second smartphone and "an audio-only streaming device" as well.

As explained by the report, the high-end 3D phone would not require glasses and "using retina-tracking technology, images on the smartphone would seem to float above the screen like a hologram and appear three-dimensional at all angles. Users may be able to navigate through content using just their eyes."

Sources say Amazon is also potentially working on a set-top box for streaming movie and TV content, and together all the projects are known as Project A, B, C and D, aka the Alphabet Projects.

Amazon has goals of releasing some of the products in the coming months, but the sources claim there is a good chance many will get scrapped, either due to financial concerns or performance.

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AfterDawn: News

Microsoft offers Fix It tool for serious IE8 security issue

Written by James Delahunty @ 09 May 2013 2:39

Microsoft offers Fix It tool for serious IE8 security issue Microsoft is offering a Fix It tool for concerned users of Internet Explorer 8 that addresses a security vulnerability being exploited in the wild.

The flaw (CVE-​2013-​1347) was exploited as part of an attack on the U.S. Department of Labor's website and its users. Visitors who were running the vulnerable Internet Explorer 8 browser had their computers infected with malicious software.

The issue does not affect any other version of Internet Explorer, but many home and business users still run the ageing web browser.

Microsoft has not yet issued a proper patch for the flaw, and so as a temporary fix it is offering concerned users a one-click Fix It tool that you can get at microsoft.com.




AfterDawn: News

Facebook close to buying Waze for up to $1 billion

Written by James Delahunty @ 09 May 2013 1:29

Facebook close to buying Waze for up to $1 billion Facebook is reportedly close to buying Israeli start-up Waze for a reported fee of $800 million - $1 billion.

The news was broken by business daily Calcalist, reporting that due diligence is underway and a term sheet was signed. Waze specializes in satellite navigation, and uses members' smartphones to generate maps and traffic data.

In October 2012, it partnered with Facebook to let users share their drive with friends through the social network.

If bought by Facebook, it will be the third acquisition of an Israeli firm by the social giant, after buying Snaptu for $70 million in 2011, and Face.com for $60 million last year.




AfterDawn: News

Sony: No always-online requirement for PS4

Written by James Delahunty @ 09 May 2013 1:09

Sony: No always-online requirement for PS4 Following the months of speculation about the next Xbox requiring an always-online Internet connection, Sony reveals it never even considered it.

"Did we consider it? No, we didn't consider it," Sony president of Worldwide Studios, Shuhei Yoshida, told Game Informer magazine.

"The main reason being that many countries don't have robust Internet connections. It makes sense for people to have Internet connections to play online games, but for offline games there are many countries that we saw [that] do not really have robust Internet."

A leaked memo eased months of speculation that Microsoft would require the next Xbox console to be constantly connected to the Internet, even when a connection is unnecessary to play a single-player game.

In the PC area, always-on requirements have seen some snags. SimCity requires a constant Internet connection to play, which was a major problem when server ran into difficulty after launch, for example.




AfterDawn: News

YouTube removed David Bowie video over offensive religious imagery

Written by James Delahunty @ 09 May 2013 1:01

YouTube removed David Bowie video over offensive religious imagery YouTube removed David Bowie's latest music video over "graphic content" that consisted of religious imagery, before admitting it was in error and reinstating it.

The Next Day is the latest video from Bowie from his comeback album of the same name. It features Gary Oldman and Marion Cotillard - the latter appearing to bleed from Stigmata wounds. The video had been removed from YouTube initially over its apparent "graphic content", but was later restored.

"With the massive volume of videos on our site, sometimes we make the wrong call. When it's brought to our attention that a video has been removed mistakenly, we act quickly to reinstate it," a YouTube spokesman said.

The video is set in a basement bar occupied by religious figures, and shows a priest (Gary Oldman) fighting and then dancing with a prostitute.

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AfterDawn: News

Facebook Phone price cut to 99c by AT&T

Written by James Delahunty @ 09 May 2013 12:23

Facebook Phone price cut to 99c by AT&T AT&T has dropped the price of the HTC First handset running Facebook Home from $99.99, to just $0.99.

The carrier - second largest in the U.S. market - argues that price cutting promotions are not that unusual, but the proximity to the launch of the phone is raising eyebrows. The HTC First, which bundles Facebooks environment and apps, was launched less than a month ago and is available exclusively through AT&T.

"The final verdict on Facebook Home was brutally handed down yesterday with AT&T slashing the price of the HTC First from $99 to $0.99," Richard Windsor, an independent analyst, said on his Radio Free Mobile blog in as post titled 'Facebook - Jack of one trade.'

"If this was an isolated incident, then one could put it down to poor hardware, but installations and reviews of the software on other devices have also been poor."

Facebook looks to the mobile space as an area for potentially strong growth over the coming years.




AfterDawn: News

EA drops licensing deal with arms vendors

Written by James Delahunty @ 09 May 2013 12:15

EA drops licensing deal with arms vendors Electronic Arts has said it dropped licensing deals with the manufacturers of weapons, citing constitutional rights.

The publisher was criticized for offering links to real-world weapons ahead of the Medal of Honor: Warfighter release, and responded by removing all links to external arms vendors and purging blog posts that endorsed firearms.

EA executive Frank Gibeau told Reuters that its gamers are "telling a story and we have a point of view," and points out that a book author does not need to pay to use the word "Colt."

EA is already engaged in a simial legal battle in U.S. courts, after it received a cease and desist letter from Bell Helicopter for "using" the AH-1Z Viper, the UH-1Y, and the V-22 Osprey in Battlefield 3.




AfterDawn: News

Battlefield 3 servers hit by DDoS

Written by James Delahunty @ 09 May 2013 12:00

Battlefield 3 servers hit by DDoS EA has blamed a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on its servers for connection issues experienced by Battlefield 3 gamers yesterday.

The publisher used its Twitter account to explain the situation to frustrated Battlefield players. "The current BF3 and Battelog outages are a result of activity that appears to be aimed at overwhelming our game servers," it said.

"Thank you for being understanding. We are going to try our best to get everyone back onto the battlefield as soon as possible."

DICE and EA also decided to postpone the Battlefield Double XP event scheduled to run from May 9 to May 13 due to the issues.

So, are we really ready for always-on gaming?




AfterDawn: News

Windows Blue update preview coming next month

Written by James Delahunty @ 09 May 2013 11:56

Windows Blue update preview coming next month Microsoft will release a preview version of its anticipated Windows 8 update at Build, the company has confirmed.

The Redmond giant is preparing a major update to the latest iteration of its consumer operating system, codenamed Windows Blue, following continued criticism of Windows 8's user interface changes since Windows 7.

Windows 8 aimed to both continue offering a Desktop environment for PC users, whilst also looking to get in on growing tablet PC sales. However, merging the two different environments has led to user confusion and an avalanche of criticism aimed at Microsoft.

For example, it is speculated that the Windows Blue update will restore the Start Menu in the Desktop environment, after it became clear that some long-time Windows users who upgraded were having trouble even figuring out how to shut down their PCs.

The update also is expected to allow users to boot directly into the Destkop mode, avoiding the Start Screen (Metro) where they have to select a tile to get to the Destkop.

Microsoft revealed that Windows 8 has sold over 100 million licenses since launch in October 2012, but a look at the figures show that sales for the first four months of 2013 were around 40 million, indicating Windows 8 is not following the accelerating growth in sales seen by Windows 7, which sold 240 million licenses in its first 12 months on the market.




AfterDawn: News

VIDEO: Introducing BitTorrent Bundle, direct-to-fan multimedia solution

Written by James Delahunty @ 09 May 2013 11:42

VIDEO: Introducing BitTorrent Bundle, direct-to-fan multimedia solution BitTorrent is showing off its new Bundle Alpha, describing it as a multimedia format and selling it as a solution for direct-to-fan content delivery.

A BitTorrent Bundle can include a range of content, some of which might only be accessible by entering a key, or for example could be completely free but require a user enter an e-mail address.

BitTorrent explains the idea behind the new format as essentially a way to cut out the middle man. A couple of decades ago the middle man was the record store. The record store was replaced by the market chains, and then they were replaced by online middle men, like iTunes and Amazon.

The BitTorrent Bundle is not an album, an MP3, or an MOV. It's a multimedia format. It's an early build of a new type of torrent file where fan interaction, like email collection or donation, happens inside the torrent.

"We're collaborating with electronic music innovators Ultra Music to see what happens when you let people choose how they want to connect with content," BitTorrent's Matt Mason, wrote.

"Ultra's BitTorrent Bundle is a behind-the-scenes look at Kaskade's 2012 'Freaks of Nature' tour, designed to support the artist's May 14th documentary release. It's a flyer. It's a direct-to-fan social object. And it's the world's largest stage; ready to reach 170 million fans from all over the world."

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