Evri Turns The News Into A Colorful & Well Organized Experience [iPad]

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br /> <div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> <img alt="evri ipad app" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/826eb06418h01_52.jpg.jpg" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/826eb06418h01_52.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" />Staying connected, something we all like to do these days, means reading e-mails everywhere, checking Facebook every hour, and also being on top of the latest news. Be it the big things happening in our area, some exciting Hollywood news or the release of a major update to our favorite app, we like to know about things when they happen.</div> <div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> There are some pretty attractive, fun and personalized ways to read news on your iPad. However, many news apps, even the very best ones, tend to overwhelm me. Many of them are comprised of endless squares that I need to customize in order to not get immediately lost. Evri is a news reader for the iPadwhich makes it all a bit more organized. While not being very customizable, it makes it easy to zoom in directly on your favorite topics and still be able to broaden your interests whenever you feel like it.</div> <h2 style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> Browsing, Reading & Sharing</h2> <div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> Evri turns news, no matter what they are, into candy. The app is very well designed, and everything you look at just beckons you to read it. When you first load the app, you’ll see a top bar with some topics you can choose from (News, US & World, Entertainment, Sports, Business and Technology). Tapping any of these will show you a list of hot sub-topics on the left and some hot news on the main screen.</div> <div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> <img alt="evri ipad app" border="0" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/2bc26c8597age195.png.png" height="508" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/2bc26c8597age195.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="570" /></div> <div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> When you focus on one sub-topic, you get a glimpse of the very top news, a list of featured articles and some related topics. For each and every topic you browse, no matter how broad or how specific, there’s a “<em>Follow</em>” button. Tapping it will add the topic to your <em>Now Following</em> list, and you’ll be able to read everything under it easily as it’s published.</div> <div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> <img alt="evri news search" border="0" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/cda36a00abh19_19.jpg.jpg" height="612" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/cda36a00abh19_19.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="453" /></div> <div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> You can easily access your <em>Now Following</em> list from this notice or from the main app page. From there you can also delete topics you are not longer interested in.</div> <div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> <img alt="evri news search" border="0" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/44d5b97801h13_20.jpg.jpg" height="208" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/44d5b97801h13_20.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="260" /></div> <div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> Evri gathers news items from all over the Web. When browsing a topic, you’ll get a preview (or sometimes the full article, if it’s short) of all the hot stories from different sources. There are several things you can do with these:</div> <ul style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> <li>“<em>Read</em>” opens the full original article in the app’s internal browser.</li> <li>“<em>Save</em>” lets you save this article for later using Read It Later or Instapaper (requires login).</li> <li>“<em>Share</em>” allows you to share this piece of news with friends via Facebook & Twitter (requires login) or via e-mail. You can also use this button to open the article in Safari.</li> </ul> <div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> <img alt="evri news search" border="0" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/e21ac43bc7h13_00.jpg.jpg" height="482" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/e21ac43bc7h13_00.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="562" /></div> <h2 style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> Finding & Learning</h2> <div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> You might not be very interested in the somewhat limited topics Evri provides for quick browsing. But don’t worry, Evri provides a quick, live search for topics. No matter what page you’re on, tap the search box and start typing. Evri will immediately start loading a list of topics which might be a match for your word. It will not limit by broad topics, so a search for “<em>Horse</em>”, for example, yields the animal, a military person, a plant, a film and so on.</div> <div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> <img alt="evri news" border="0" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/3aaf0386c9h14_01.jpg.jpg" height="481" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/3aaf0386c9h14_01.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="475" /></div> <div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> When you’ve found your specific topic, simply tap on it and you’ll be taken to a page dedicated to everything that has to do with this topic. The connection can be somewhat loose, especially if your topic is a bit broad.</div> <div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> At any point when browsing, you can tap the “<em>Info</em>” icon to learn more about whatever it is you’re reading about. Evri provides an excerpt from Wikipedia with some important information, and a list of related topics, which can be very related or just somewhat related (George Clooney and Coffee?).</div> <div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> <img alt="evri news" border="0" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/0e60324db8h15_02.jpg.jpg" height="618" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/0e60324db8h15_02.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" /></div> <div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> Another convenient thing you can do is go through your entire browsing history. On the top topics bar, scroll all the way to the right and look for the “<em>History</em>” tab. Here you’ll find a list, complete with times of the day, of all the topics you’ve browsed today, in the past week and in the past month. If you were browsing something really interesting and forgot to follow it, you can use the history to find it again.</div> <div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> <img alt="evri ipad app" border="0" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/dd11396a1ah14_37.jpg.jpg" height="587" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/dd11396a1ah14_37.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="479" /></div> <h2 style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> Bottom Line</h2> <div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> All in all, Evri provides a fun news-reading experience which you can use to find a specific news item, or to dive into the world of news and explore it deeply by jumping from link to link. The way Evri works, you’ll always get a list of related stories or related links, so you can pretty much go on browsing and reading news all day long.</div> <div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> I do wish they’d add some more ways to customize it, such as letting the user choose which topics appear on the left-side list, but even as it is, Evri is a polished iPad app and it helps you find your way through the news, instead of getting you lost.</div> <div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> Do you know of some more good news apps? What did you think of Evri? Share in the comments!</div> <div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> <img alt="" data-mce-src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Makeuseof/~4/4W2lO4azHQw" height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Makeuseof/~4/4W2lO4azHQw" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="1" /></div> </div>

Evri Turns The News Into A Colorful & Well Organized Experience [iPad]

Staying connected, something we all like to do these days, means reading e-mails everywhere, checking Facebook every hour, and also being...

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Google Music Store pops up in Android

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br /> <img alt="Google Music Store pops up in Android" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/c64f741968470-75.jpg.jpg" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/c64f741968470-75.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><br /> As if we weren't already aware that Google is about to launch an online music store, little hints have begun popping up in Android.<br /> It seems that when some users try and access the cloud storage locker (music.google.com) from an Android phone, they're seeing a new page that offers them the option to "shop millions of songs in Android Market".<br /> Songs? In Android Market? That's right folks, Google's playing a whole new iTunes-alike ball game – although the link to actually go and shop for songs in the Android Market didn't work.<br /> <h4 style="font-size: 1em;"> No worky</h4> There's also a link to "Get Android App" which takes users to the Google Music Beta app – although good luck getting that to work in the UK – but it's possible that in the long run this will take you to a more fully-featured music app as rumours have been suggesting.<br /> Rumours around a new Google Music have been swirling with greater intensity over the last few weeks, with some sources suggesting a new music sales service will launch in the next few weeks.<br /> Other speculation has risen that the Music Store will come with Google+ functionality and the ability toshare music via email.<br /> </div>

Google Music Store pops up in Android

As if we weren't already aware that Google is about to launch an online music store, little hints have begun popping up in Android. ...

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Google TV 2.0 to run Honeycomb, Android Market apps

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br /> <img alt="Google TV 2.0 to run Honeycomb, Android Market apps" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/c7688b61c7470-75.jpg.jpg" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/c7688b61c7470-75.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><br /> Google has announced a software update for its UK-bound Google TV service, which incorporates the Android Market and Honeycomb OS for the first time.<br /> Google TV 2.0 opens up the service to third party developers via the Android Market, which means all existing applications can be rewritten for the TV screen and new ones can be created.<br /> With Google TV set to launch in the UK early next year, this opens the possibility for the likes of Spotify, BBC iPlayer, LOVEFiLM and Sky Go to have native applications for the service.<br /> <h4 style="font-size: 1em;"> Numbers will grow</h4> In a post on the official Google TV blog, the company says: "We are opening up the TV to the creativity of content creators large and small through Android Market.<br /> "Android developers can now bring existing mobile apps or entirely new ones to TV.<br /> "Initially, the number of apps won't be large – apps requiring a touch screen, GPS, or telephony won't show up – but 50 developers have seeded the Market with cool and useful apps for the TV. We're excited to see the number of apps grow."<br /> The new Google TV, which runs a variant of the Android Honeycomb OS seen on tablets like the Motorola Xoom, also has an overhauled, simplified interface which makes finding content easier.<br /> Another big improvement looks to be the YouTube app. Google says it has completely overhauled the way the video sharing portal works on Google TV, with the company also integrating YouTube into the system's content search.<br /> <h4 style="font-size: 1em;"> Google TV: All bets are off</h4> When Eric Schmidt announced Google TV would be coming to the UK, many felt that the horse had already bolted, following a disappointing reception in the US due to the lack of content available.<br /> With news that all content providers, as well as game developers can now push their wares using the service, it makes the Google TV proposition an entirely different and much more interesting one.<br /> We're actually quite excited now.<br /> </div>

Google TV 2.0 to run Honeycomb, Android Market apps

Google has announced a software update for its UK-bound Google TV service, which incorporates the Android Market and Honeycomb OS for the...

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Review: Iomega Mac Companion 2TB

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br /> <img alt="Review: Iomega Mac Companion 2TB" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/2cf73d3e53470-75.jpg.jpg" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/2cf73d3e53470-75.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><br /> The Iomega Mac Companion 2TB is no ordinary desktop hard drive. Along with the brushed aluminium and smoky black casing, designed to sit comfortably (and look great) on the foot of an iMac or Apple Display, Iomega Mac Companion also has a useful charging feature.<br /> Mac Companion is, of course, Mac formatted out of the box. Connect it to your computer through USB and you also benefit from its two-port hub. If you use FireWire 800 for its faster data transfer speeds, there's a second port for daisy chaining.<br /> But far more interesting is the high-powered USB port on the side of the drive. It's there for charging iOS devices, and is optimised as a fast-charging port if you're using FireWire, or have the drive powered via the mains but not connected to a computer.<br /> With the drive connected to your Mac through USB, the charging port delivers 500mA of power and can also sync your iOS device. In our tests, it took just over 13 and a half hours to fully charge a flat iPad 2.<br /> Connect using FireWire and it can no longer be used for syncing, but it delivers 1000mA of power and charges in under seven and a half hours. You can't connect using both at the same time. We think FireWire makes most sense as it gives you faster data transfer and charging, and you can sync using your Mac's own USB ports.<br /> Available in 2TB or 3TB versions, Mac Companion uses a fast 7200rpm drive. In testing, it achieved random read/write speeds of 14.5/14.7 MB/s under USB and 21.8/21.2 MB/s using FireWire.<br /> Given the feature set that's included as standard, it's good value for money too.<br /> </div>

Review: Iomega Mac Companion 2TB

The Iomega Mac Companion 2TB is no ordinary desktop hard drive. Along with the brushed aluminium and smoky black casing, designed to sit ...

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Facebook announces 'Trusted Friends' scheme

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br /> <img alt="Facebook announces 'Trusted Friends' scheme" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/5dcc3f74b0470-75.jpg.jpg" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/5dcc3f74b0470-75.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><br /> Facebook has announced plans to launch a 'Trusted Friends' scheme which can let pals assist if you find yourself shut out of your account.<br /> The scheme requires users to nominate three-to-five of their most reliable amigos, who are then required to input a special code in order to prove your identity.<br /> Trusted Friends will come in handy for users whose email has also been compromised by hacks, meaning they can't use the regular password recovery mechanism.<br /> <h4 style="font-size: 1em;"> The spare key</h4> In a post on the Facebook security page the social network said the new feature was akin to giving your friends a spare house key.<br /> The post read: "Similar to other features that help you prove your identity through your friends, you can now select three to five trusted friends who can help you if you ever have issues accessing your account.<br /> "It's sort of similar to giving a house key to your friends when you go on vacation–pick the friends you most trust in case you need their help.<br /> "If you forgot your password and need to login but can't access your email account, you can rely on your friends to help you get back in.<br /> "We will send codes to the friends you have selected and they can pass along that information to you."<br /> It sounds like a good idea. Just make sure those "Trusted Friends" aren't the type who will use those special codes to break into your account and ruin your world while you're off on a relaxing weekend in the country.</div>

Facebook announces 'Trusted Friends' scheme

Facebook has announced plans to launch a 'Trusted Friends' scheme which can let pals assist if you find yourself shut out of your...

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Google Updates Chrome New Tab Page & Web App Store [News]

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br /> <img alt="" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/c8bf8073b400x300.jpg.jpg" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/c8bf8073b400x300.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" />The guys and girls at Google have been busy. Just recently they updated many of their Docs programs, and now they have pushed out a new stable release of their popular web browser, Google Chrome. This release of Chrome completely redesigns the screen that launches when you click on the new tab button. This new change makes it easier to manage your most visited websites and all your installed apps. It is much cleaner looking than the older version and is much more functional.<br /> The next big change is to the Chrome App Store. Google pretty much rebuilt the web store from the ground up. Now it is much easier to get more information about an application right from the main page. Simply mouse over the application in the store to see the rating and a brief description of the app. You can also install the app right from this little hover-over window. This way, if you know what application you want you can get access to it much more quickly.<br /> <img alt="" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/1a97ff06bbestore.jpg.jpg" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/1a97ff06bbestore.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" /><br /> When you see an app you like and click it, it now opens in a little window pop up. This makes it quicker to get back to your search results.<br /> <img alt="" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/04c862d09373444.jpeg.jpeg" height="358" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/04c862d09373444.jpeg.jpeg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="580" /><br /> In addition to updating Chrome itself, they have also launched a lot of new apps, so if something you were looking for was not in the store, you may want to check again, because it may have been added with this update.<br /> <small>Source: Official Google Blog</small><br /> <img alt="" data-mce-src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Makeuseof/~4/WcN1UjbAaNQ" height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Makeuseof/~4/WcN1UjbAaNQ" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="1" /><br /> </div>

Google Updates Chrome New Tab Page & Web App Store [News]

The guys and girls at Google have been busy. Just recently they updated many of their Docs programs, and now they have pushed out a new st...

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Windows 8 Branded PCs Could Prevent Other Operating Systems From Being Installed

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br /> <img alt="windows 8 limitations" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/9fdff3b6ade-boot.jpg.jpg" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/9fdff3b6ade-boot.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" />“Secure Boot” is a new Windows 8 technology that’s required of OEM computers if they are to feature the Windows 8 Compatibility Logo. It’s designed to protect against malware at the boot level by preventing ‘unauthorised’ code from launching during system boot. However it’s been revealed that it may also prevent non Windows 8 operating systems – such as Linux – from being able to install or run.<br /> <h2 style="font-size: 1.5em;"> How Does It Work?</h2> Newer PCs are increasingly using a replacement for the old BIOS called UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface). It’s a technology that’s been built into Apple Macs for years now, but basically it allows for faster boot and more efficient hardware access by the operating system. It’s also the main reason OSX is difficult to install on PCs, so if you have any hackintosh experience you’ll know about having to run an EFI emulation.<br /> The UEFI specification contains a firmware validation method, which works by defining certificate keys for which boot code is ‘secure’ and therefore allowed to run during boot. Microsoft supplies these keys to manufacturers, who include it on their machines, and only boot code which has a corresponding secure key is allowed to boot.<br /> <img alt="windows 8 limitations" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/1c693b7d3dbios.png.png" height="123" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/1c693b7d3dbios.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="560" /><br /> <img alt="windows 8 blocks linux" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/fdd58474e1uefi.png.png" height="163" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/fdd58474e1uefi.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="560" /><br /> Basically this prevents malware from launching at a boot level, so it’s potentially mitigated a large number of security threats. The problem with malware that runs at the boot level is that it’s very difficult for regular anti-malware to protect against or remove, as by the time the anti-malware app has loaded (after windows boot), it’s already there.<br /> Unfortunately, with Secure Boot enabled, you’ll also be prevented from launching any boot code for which for the machine doesn’t have the appropriate certificate keys. Now, it is entirely possible for other organisations to provide secure keys to manufacturers – like a set of keys for Ubuntu for example – but manufacturers are under absolutely no obligation to incorporate these; and without them, the other OS just won’t install or boot.<br /> So is it time to say goodbye to installing another OS?<br /> <h2 style="font-size: 1.5em;"> Microsoft’s Response</h2> In response to the concerns that this might prevent other operating systems from being installed,Microsoft has stated that secure boot is optional, and can be turned off from within the pre-boot setup screen. Here’s a screenshot from the MSDN Windows 8 blog post on the topic, clearly showing it’s optional on the Windows-8 based Samsung tablet that was offered to //BUILD/ participants whereWindows 8 was first demoed.<br /> <img alt="windows 8 blocks linux" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/f0d5ff5dcdboot.jpeg.jpeg" height="329" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/f0d5ff5dcdboot.jpeg.jpeg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="480" /><br /> <h2 style="font-size: 1.5em;"> So, End Of Story?</h2> Not entirely it would seem. As Matthew Garret notes:<br /> <blockquote> <em>Windows 8 certification does not require that the user be able to disable UEFI secure boot, and we’ve already been informed by hardware vendors that some hardware will not have this option.</em></blockquote> That’s right – although some manufacturers may choose to make the Secure Boot setting optional and therefore able to be disabled by the user – gaining certifications for Windows 8 compatibility does not require it, and some have explicitly stated it will not be optional on their machines (though there are no details on precisely which manufacturers have stated this yet).<br /> Microsoft has thrown the ball to the manufacturers court, and it could go either way. The PC business is incredibly competitive, so getting that Windows logo is all important, that’s a given. On the one hand, manufacturers will be keen to offer the best computing experience to the majority of their customers and if that means mitigating yet another security threat (and the inevitable support calls they need to deal with boot-level malware), then they’ll go for it. Other operating systems can still be run, if they provide certificate keys and if the manufacturers agree to include them. On the other hand, I suspect a real PR backlash will be forthcoming against any PC makers that do decide to force Secure Boot onto the user, so it may be a non-issue in the end.<br /> <h2 style="font-size: 1.5em;"> What Can You Do About It?</h2> The Free Software Foundation is running a petition encouraging computer makers to support Secure Boot in a way which ensures the user has control – specifically, the option to turn it off entirely. Be sure to head over and sign now if you’re at all interested in consumer freedoms and the right to run alternative operating systems on your own PC.<br /> <img alt="windows 8 limitations" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ce421ea0c9fsf.png.png" height="323" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ce421ea0c9fsf.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="580" /><br /> Also, be sure to share this post with all your friends to explain the issue and why they should care, getting them to sign the petition too.<br /> <small>Source: Free Software Foundation</small><br /> </div>

Windows 8 Branded PCs Could Prevent Other Operating Systems From Being Installed

“Secure Boot” is a new Windows 8 technology that’s required of OEM computers if they are to feature the Windows 8 Compatibility Logo. It’s...

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Microsoft & Mozilla Team Up To Bring A Bing Powered Version Of Firefox [News]

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br /> <img alt="" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/a6af01290f00x300.jpg.jpg" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/a6af01290f00x300.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" />Mozilla recently put out a new version of their popular browser called Firefox with Bing. As the creative name implies, it is Firefox but with Bing running behind the scenes. Basically, this changes the search engine in the awesome bar and the search bar to Bing, instead of Firefox’s staple, Google. It also changes the default homepage to Bing.com. Obviously, you can still change your homepage per usual, but the search bars will stay with Bing.<br /> If you hate Bing, you can relax, because the default version of Firefox will still work with Google as the default search engine. This is a special version of the browser that will only be appreciated by fans of Bing. For the rest of you, just keep doing what you are doing, and you will not see any change to your beloved search engine in Firefox.<br /> If you want to download Firefox with Bing simply head over to Firefoxwithbing.com and download the browser. If you already have Firefox, then this will simply add the plugins to your current browser, so you do not have to download the browser from scratch again.<br /> <img alt="" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/1ea79d9d637_1439.png.png" height="305" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/1ea79d9d637_1439.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="555" /><br /> Mozilla already has Firefox with Twitter and Yahoo built in, so it’s good to see them expanding and adding Bing to their portfolio of custom Firefox experiences.<br /> Let us know what you think of this latest development.  Will you be using it?<br /> <small>Source: Wired</small><br /> <img alt="" data-mce-src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Makeuseof/~4/ju1-pJnHTCw" height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Makeuseof/~4/ju1-pJnHTCw" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="1" /><br /> </div>

Microsoft & Mozilla Team Up To Bring A Bing Powered Version Of Firefox [News]

Mozilla recently put out a new version of their popular browser called Firefox with Bing. As the creative name implies, it is Firefox but ...

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Facebook Says 600,000 Accounts Compromised Per Day

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br /> <div> <div> <img alt="" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/f9a62b85d8zuck1.jpg.jpg" height="" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/f9a62b85d8zuck1.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="facebook-zuck" width="275" /></div> <div> <br /></div> </div> In a blog entry on Thursday, Facebook stated that about 600,000 log-ins every day are compromised.<br /> The factoid, first noted by security site Sophos, was in the context of an entry introducing new security features for the social network. The figure was extrapolated by a stat showing 0.06% of 1 billion logins per day are compromised. Less than 0.5% of Facebook users experience spam on any given day.<br /> Facebook’s proposed solution for such breaches is to find three to five “trusted friends”. That way, if you’re locked out of your account, Facebook will send codes to your friends to give to you. Facebook is also testing app passwords that the company will generate on your behalf and you won’t need to remember.<br /> What do you think? Are you surprised at the extent of the breaches or does this seem low to you? Let us know in the comments.<br /> <hr /> <h3 style="font-size: 1.17em;"> BONUS: A Guide to Facebook’s Privacy Settings</h3> <hr /> Facebook launched new privacy settings in August of this year. Here’s how to use them.<br /> <br /> <h4 style="font-size: 1em;"> Privacy Controls: Profile Editing</h4> <img alt="" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/8010ae314c1.png.png" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/8010ae314c1.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" title="Privacy Controls: Profile Editing" width="400" /><br /> You can edit the visibility of individual parts of your profiles right from the profile editing page. In the past, this had to be done from the Privacy Settings page.<br /> <img alt="" data-mce-src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Mashable/~4/LTvnWJ0rtkw" height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Mashable/~4/LTvnWJ0rtkw" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="1" /><br /> </div>

Facebook Says 600,000 Accounts Compromised Per Day

In a blog entry on Thursday, Facebook stated that about 600,000 log-ins every day are compromised. The factoid, first noted by secu...

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RIM: Buy two BlackBerry Playbooks get one free

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br /> <img alt="RIM: Buy two BlackBerry Playbooks get one free" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/f52a5f815a470-75.jpg.jpg" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/f52a5f815a470-75.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><br /> RIM is offering business customers a completely free BlackBerry PlayBook... when they buy two.<br /> The 'Back to Business' promotion, which RIM says is aimed at kitting-out small businesses with PlayBooks will run from now until December 31st 2011.<br /> The somewhat desperate attempt to shift some of RIM's over-flowing PlayBook inventory will include three free accessories per tablet.<br /> Buyers will get a 6ft HDMI cable, a black leather sleeve and a charging pot absolutely gratis.<br /> <h4 style="font-size: 1em;"> Software update delayed</h4> The 'special offer' comes after RIM revealed, this week, that it would be delaying a much needed PlayBook software update until February 2012.<br /> The PlayBook is yet to gain a native email application, while the long-promised Android app player remains a pipedream.<br /> <h4 style="font-size: 1em;"> Week to forget</h4> All-in-all, it has been another week to forget for the Canadian giant.<br /> The software delays caused stocks to crash once again, while on Wednesday night it was hit with a class action lawsuit over the internet services outage which left millions without BBM and email earlier this month.<br /> Tech Radar has contacted RIM to ascertain where this offer extends to UK businesses.<br /> <img alt="" border="0" data-mce-src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/117330553434/u/49/f/9809/c/669/s/19a5b177/kg/253-259-264-281/a2.img" src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/117330553434/u/49/f/9809/c/669/s/19a5b177/kg/253-259-264-281/a2.img" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" /><img alt="" data-mce-src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/allnews/~4/J6bV2TGnvHk" height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/allnews/~4/J6bV2TGnvHk" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="1" /><br /> </div>

RIM: Buy two BlackBerry Playbooks get one free

RIM is offering business customers a completely free BlackBerry PlayBook... when they buy two. The 'Back to Business' promotion,...

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Samsung: Australian Tab ban should be lifted

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br /> <img alt="Samsung: Australian Tab ban should be lifted" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/dd611f822b470-75.jpg.jpg" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/dd611f822b470-75.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><br /> Samsung has appealed for the Australian ban on its Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablets to be overturned.<br /> Citing errors of law, Samsung's legal team has insisted that the ban over alleged patent infringement is wrongful, despite a judge agreeing that Apple's intellectual property had been infringed.<br /> The injunction was a preliminary one, but Samsung's lawyer Neil Young insisted that it was based on "irrelevant considerations".<br /> <h4 style="font-size: 1em;"> Fight</h4> The ban was handed down on 13 October, to the dismay of Samsung, who immediately indicated that they would fight against it.<br /> Apple believes that Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 infringes on three of its patents, and has already rejected a deal offered by Samsung over the Australian market.<br /> In the US, a judge has ruled that Apple's patents have been infringed against by Samsung, and there are also legal battles occurring in the European market.<br /> Samsung's spat with Apple is by no means the only patent dispute going on – with most of the major players involved in some kind of legal proceedings.<br /> <img alt="" border="0" data-mce-src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/117330487743/u/49/f/9809/c/669/s/19a0fb1c/kg/253-264/a2.img" src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/117330487743/u/49/f/9809/c/669/s/19a0fb1c/kg/253-264/a2.img" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" /><img alt="" data-mce-src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/allnews/~4/1zgM-rh_AL8" height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/allnews/~4/1zgM-rh_AL8" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="1" /><br /> </div>

Samsung: Australian Tab ban should be lifted

Samsung has appealed for the Australian ban on its Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablets to be overturned. Citing errors of law, Samsung's...

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Updated: Canon rumours: what you need to know

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br /> <img alt="Updated: Canon rumours: what you need to know" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/4a02463e15470-75.jpg.jpg" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/4a02463e15470-75.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><br /> It seems like barely a day goes by without a new Canon rumour.<br /> Here on this continually updated Canon rumours page, you'll find the latest news and information on what camera is likely to be announced next.<br /> Got any hot tips? Let us know via our Twitter feed or via email.<br /> <h4 style="font-size: 1em;"> Canon 5D Mark III/Canon 6D rumours</h4> The 5D Mark II is more than two years old and is in need of a refresh. The APS-C format EOS 7D puts some aspects of the full frame 5D Mark II in the shade, so it's likely that any successor will take the best from the 7D and implement it into a 5D Mark III or 6D body.<br /> See our full Canon EOS 5D Mark III / 6D rumours page for everything you need to know about any impending release.<br /> <h4 style="font-size: 1em;"> Canon EOS 1Ds Mark IV rumours</h4> <strong>Update October 2011:</strong> It's here! Canon merged both the 1Ds and 1D lines to bring us the Canon EOS 1DX. Aimed at professionals, the camera will be available to buy from March next year. Read our first impressions of the new camera.<br /> It's one of the most hotly anticipated cameras, but it seems as if Canon is determined to keep us waiting for the 1Ds Mark IV.<br /> A flurry of rumours regarding the anticipated specifications of the camera has been circling for some time, but as yet nothing concrete has emerged.<br /> The 1Ds Mark III has proven difficult to buy in recent times, which led some to believe that a Mark IV release was imminent.<br /> See our full Canon EOS 1Ds Mark IV rumours page for everything you need to know, including specs, price and anticipated release date.<br /> <h4 style="font-size: 1em;"> Canon mirrorless rumours</h4> Now that Nikon has finally revealed its version of a compact system camera, it seems likely that Canon will also join the party at any given moment.<br /> However, unlike in the weeks leading up to the Nikon release, we haven't seen much in the way of credible rumours. That said, when Canon recently upgraded the Powershot S95 to the S100, a G12 upgrade failed to materialise, perhaps suggesting that a compact system camera may fill the void.<br /> <img alt="" border="0" data-mce-src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/116916520660/u/49/f/9809/c/669/s/19867ec7/kg/253-264/a2.img" src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/116916520660/u/49/f/9809/c/669/s/19867ec7/kg/253-264/a2.img" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" /><img alt="" data-mce-src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/allnews/~4/p1cdxWpeoGM" height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/allnews/~4/p1cdxWpeoGM" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="1" /><br /> </div>

Updated: Canon rumours: what you need to know

It seems like barely a day goes by without a new Canon rumour. Here on this continually updated Canon rumours page, you'll find the ...

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5 Ways To Clean Up Your Computer With An Automated Script [Windows]

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br /> <img alt="automate computer cleanup" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ace81bb0c1omated.png.png" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ace81bb0c1omated.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" />Computer maintenance isn’t exactly something that most people remember to do. For the general user that isn’t exactly tech savvy, when a computer doesn’t work, they either call for help or simply buy a new computer.<br /> If you have family members or friends that are always calling you for help with a slow computer, I’m going to offer you a solution that you can use to stop those phone calls right now. This solution incorporates six tools into a Windows script. That script is going to perform all of the PC cleanup work that you would do if you were sitting right in front of the computer yourself.<br /> <h2 style="font-size: 1.5em;"> What This Script Will Accomplish</h2> This Windows script is going to run the required tools in command line mode. Many of these tools that you’ve been using for years, you may not have even realized that there <em>is</em> a command-line mode available.<br /> <h3 style="font-size: 1.17em;"> Clean Up Registry & Temp Folders</h3> The first step is probably the most important. We’re going to launch CCleaner in command line mode to clean up temp files and the registry.<br /> One catch. In order to make this script work without constant notifications about the apps making computer changes, you’ll have to disable the User Account Control windows feature in Windows 7.<br /> <img alt="" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/02575440bbclean1.png.png" height="406" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/02575440bbclean1.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="571" /><br /> Now you’re ready to roll. Create a file called <em>CleanComputer.wsf</em> and start it off with the following script.<br /> <code></code><br /><code></code><br /> <code>Option Explicit</code><br /><code>On Error Resume Next</code><br /> <code>Dim WshShell</code><br /><code>Dim retVal</code><br /> <code>set WshShell=CreateObject("WScript.Shell")</code><br /><code>WshShell.run "CCleaner.exe /AUTO"</code><br /> Danny covered CCleaner recently, so you can see just what it is capable of and how much it can optimize your system. When you launch it in the script as shown above with the /AUTO flag, it’ll run invisible and it’ll use the settings you used when you last ran the application. You’ll see CCleaner.exe running in the Task Manager.<br /> <img alt="automate computer cleanup" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/e90acde374clean2.png.png" height="417" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/e90acde374clean2.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="520" /><br /> If you configure CCleaner beforehand, in auto mode it’ll automatically clean up temporary files, log files and your registry as well.<br /> <h3 style="font-size: 1.17em;"> Clean Up Spyware</h3> Next up is to take care of any spyware that might be running on the PC. My favorite tool for that is Spybot, and luckily Spybot also offers a command line feature. The one problem here is that the path to Spybot is full of spaces, which is hard to handle in a Windows Script shell command.<br /> So, create a .bat file with the following:<br /> <code>C:Program Files (x86)Spybot - Search & DestroySpybotSD.exe" /taskbarhide /autocheck /autofix /autoclose</code><br /><code>Exit</code><br /> Save it as <em>SpyBot.bat</em> in the same directory as your Windows script. Then in the next line of your WSF file, add the following:<br /> <code>WshShell.run "spybot.bat"</code><br /> Your Windows Script will launch your batch job that will launch Spybot in command-line mode. You will know it’s running when the Exe appears in the task manager.<br /> <img alt="script to clean temp files" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/8476248428clean3.png.png" height="410" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/8476248428clean3.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="549" /><br /> Those four parameters after the spybotsd.exe file  will run Spybot in silent mode, automatically remove any spyware found, and then automatically close.<br /> <h3 style="font-size: 1.17em;"> Remove Malicious Software</h3> In addition to anything Spybot catches, I also like to run the Microsoft Malicious Software removal tool. Download the executable from the “Microsoft Download Center” section, save it in your script directory as “<em>malremove.exe</em>” and then add the following line to your growing Windows Script.<br /> <code>WshShell.run "malremove.exe /Q /F:Y"</code><br /> The /Q command tells the malware removal tool to run in quiet mode (no interface) and /F:Y tells it to forcibly remove any malware that it finds without any intervention required. The first time you run it during your initial testing, you’ll have to select the option for no warning the next time it runs.<br /> <img alt="script to clean temp files" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/38c6748fbaclean4.png.png" height="305" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/38c6748fbaclean4.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="404" /><br /> Here it is running in the background.<br /> <img alt="script to clean temp files" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/396b946e39lean31.png.png" height="410" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/396b946e39lean31.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="549" /><br /> So, we’ve covered most of what you’d probably do if you were there in person – run CCleaner to get rid of temporary Internet files and other temp files, remove spyware and malware, so what’s left?<br /> <h3 style="font-size: 1.17em;"> Automate Disk Cleanup</h3> Another common tool that can help computer performance is the Windows Disk Cleanup tool.  First you have to set it up. Go to <em>Start -> Run</em> and type: “<em>cleanmgr /sageset:1</em>“. The following window will appear.<br /> <img alt="computer clean up script" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/08501cc170clean6.png.png" height="472" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/08501cc170clean6.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="385" /><br /> Set up the items that you’d like your command line to automatically clean, and then click OK. This tells it that whenever you choose <em>/sageset:1</em>, to utilize the settings you’ve just created. Now, in your Windows Script, add the following line.<br /> <code>WshShell.run "Cleanmgr /sagerun:1"</code><br /> This will run the Windows disk cleanup silently, using the settings you’ve just created. You can also install the latest Windows updates by first installing WuInstall.exe and adding this line.<br /> <code>WshShell.run "wuinstall.exe /install /reboot_if_needed"</code><br /> And don’t forget to do a quick defrag of the hard drive by adding the following lines to the script.<br /> <em>WshShell.run “Defrag volume c:”</em><br /> <code>WshShell.run "Defrag volume d:"</code><br /> <h3 style="font-size: 1.17em;"> Automate Virus Scan After Cleanup</h3> Last, but definitely not least, you’ll also want to end your script by firing off a full virus scan. For example, I use Kaspersky, which offers its own set of command line parameters.<br /> In my case, I just add the following final line to my script.<br /> <code>WshShell.run "AVP.exe SCAN /ALL /i4"</code><br /> And that kicks off the command window and runs through a full scan (which can take several hours).<br /> <img alt="automate computer cleanup" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/471039b09dirus51.png.png" height="293" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/471039b09dirus51.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="580" /><br /> Most other anti-virus providers out there offer similar command-line options.<br /> So, once you’ve added all of these lines, close out your Windows Script.<br /> <code>WScript.Quit</code><br /><code></code><br /><code></code><br /> Once you’ve finished the procedure above and saved your file on the PC, just schedule the job to run on a regular basis (<em>/Accessories/System Tools/Task Scheduler</em>). Give the procedure above a try and see how well it works for you.<br /> Did it work well, and can you think of any other useful command line tasks that could also be added? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.<br /> <small>Image Credit: Shutterstock</small><br /> <img alt="" data-mce-src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Makeuseof/~4/WyK5kjJoTyg" height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Makeuseof/~4/WyK5kjJoTyg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="1" /><br /> </div>

5 Ways To Clean Up Your Computer With An Automated Script [Windows]

Computer maintenance isn’t exactly something that most people remember to do. For the general user that isn’t exactly tech savvy, when a c...

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How To Make Skype Video Calls On Your Android Honeycomb Tablet

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br /> <img alt="skype for android" border="0" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/b2dbf2aa53roid10.png.png" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/b2dbf2aa53roid10.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" />Skype, the popular application for voice and video calls, supports a range of mobile operating systems, including Android. Unfortunately, the list of supported devices for video calls is limited. This has been a major source of disappointment.<br /> With its recent upgrade, Skype for Android white-listed 14 more devices for video calling, including three tablets running Android Honeycomb: the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, the Motorola Xoom, and the Acer Iconia Tablet. Unfortunately, the video calling option is not enabled by default. This article will walk you through the setup as seen on a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 running Android 3.1 (Honeycomb).<br /> <h2 style="font-size: 1.5em;"> Step 1: Install Latest Version Of Skype For Android</h2> If you don’t have Skype installed yet, navigate to the Android Market on your tablet and search for Skype or simply visit this link to install Skype.<br /> <img alt="skype for android" border="0" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/c4aeb412e8roid01.png.png" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/c4aeb412e8roid01.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" /><br /> If Skype is already installed on your tablet, check whether it was updated automatically or update the app manually. Navigate to the Android Market and click on > <em>My apps</em> in the top right of your screen.<br /> <img alt="skype android app" border="0" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/dcce301dcfroid04.png.png" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/dcce301dcfroid04.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" /><br /> Select Skype from your list of installed applications and then click a button that says > <em>Update</em>, provided you see it. If you have automatic updates enabled, your Skype will already be up to date. To confirm the version, click on > <em>See details</em>.<br /> <img alt="skype android app" border="0" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/77fedc1526roid03.png.png" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/77fedc1526roid03.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" /><br /> <h2 style="font-size: 1.5em;"> Step 2: Enable Video Calling</h2> Open Skype from your apps. While in the Skype menu view (<em>Contacts, Recent, Call Phones</em> and <em>Profile</em>), tab the menu button in the bottom left and open > <em>Settings</em>.<br /> <img alt="skype android app" border="0" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/04f3e83517roid09.png.png" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/04f3e83517roid09.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" /><br /> In the <em>Settings</em> view, scroll down to the section that says > <em>Video calls</em>. Check the box for > <em>Enable video calling</em>.<br /> <img alt="skype on android" border="0" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/afe220807droid06.png.png" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/afe220807droid06.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" /><br /> A message may pop up notifying you that the device has not yet been certified to work with Skype. Click > <em>Continue</em> to enable video calls.<br /> <img alt="skype on android" border="0" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/15909532c4roid07.png.png" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/15909532c4roid07.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" /><br /> While enabling video calling, Skype will automatically reload. Once this procedure has completed, you can go ahead and adjust other video calling settings to meet your preferences or make your first video call with your tablet.<br /> <img alt="skype on android" border="0" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/a3148d029broid08.png.png" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/a3148d029broid08.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" /><br /> <h2 style="font-size: 1.5em;"> Step 3: Make a Video Call</h2> When you now attempt to call one of your contacts, the > <em>Skype video call</em> option will appear on the list of actions.<br /> <img alt="skype video call" border="0" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/c6eaa4b6bcroid05.png.png" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/c6eaa4b6bcroid05.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" /><br /> While on a video call with a friend, you can tab the screen to switch or turn off the camera. Click the camera icon in the bottom right to access the camera selection. Per default, Skype will use the > <em>Front camera</em>. On tablets featuring a backside camera, you can also switch to the > <em>Back camera</em>.<br /> <img alt="skype for android" border="0" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ed0860c866roid02.png.png" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ed0860c866roid02.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" /><br /> The new version of Skype supports both portrait and landscape mode for video calls. To switch from one mode to another, enable auto rotation on your tablet and simply move your tablet around.<br /> </div>

How To Make Skype Video Calls On Your Android Honeycomb Tablet

Skype, the popular application for voice and video calls, supports a range of mobile operating systems, including Android. Unfortunately, ...

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