Category: Desktop software
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Apple introduces Mac OS X Yosemite at WWDC

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We’ve got the live coverage from Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference, where Apple has just announced the latest version of its desktop operating system, Mac OS X Yosemite.

Continuing the naming scheme of famous California landmarks introduced with OS X Mavericks, Yosemite introduces translucent windows menus, redesigned dock icons, an updated Spotlight search feature, iCloud Drive cloud storage integration, and a new widget bar. Read more »

OS X Mavericks has reached a 51% adoption in under a year

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On stage today, at the WWDC 2014 keynote speech Apple announced that they’ve got 40 million copies of their latest OS X release Mavericks on their users computers. As their proudly claim, this represents a good 51% adoption rate among the Mac OS user base.

These numbers reportedly make the OS X Maverics the fastest growing computer operating system in the world. Read more »

Skype Translator does speech to speech translation in near real time

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Microsoft presented a cool upcoming update to Skype called Translator – it breaks down the language barrier by serving as an interpreter. It listens to what you say and then speaks it to the other side in a language they understand, then does the same for them.

Most impressive is the speed – not quite real-time, but the translation is spoken almost as soon as you’re done talking. Read more »

Apple users in Australia and New Zealand held at hackpoint

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Apple’s Find My iPhone users in Australia have been hacked by someone or a group of people hiding behind the pseudonym Oleg Pliss (otherwise a respected software engineer and technology scientist). Some of the affected devices are put into lost mode with a message saying “device hacked”. Some users report demands of $100 sent by PayPal as ransom.

The information comes from numerous Apple users that have gone to Apple’s support forums complaining about the issue. Allegedly there were also reports from New Zealand users and one Australian currently in London. Read more »

Now anyone can say, ‘OK Google.’

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Ever see Android users shouting “OK Google” into their phones, forcing their little Droid handsets to do their bidding via voice, and find yourself feeling left out?

Well there’s no need to be jealous any longer, because even if you don’t have an Android phone, you can still use google voice commands in Chrome. Read more »

No Windows 8 on Chinese Government PCs

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If you work in the Chinese government, then you’re forbidden from running Windows 8 on your work computer.

This has huge negative implications for Microsoft, as it severely inhibits the growth of their newest OS. Read more »

Google Maps now lets you avoid steep hills when biking

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Google has quietly added a new feature to its desktop Google Maps and now lets bikers avoid steep hills and climbs when you’re planning a route.

The feature will be much appreciated by bike enthusiasts as the elevation profiles will make it easy to choose that single best route without the need to use other software aside from Google’s Maps. Read more »

26% of users still rock XP

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More than 26% of all desktops are currently using Windows XP, an operating system that Microsoft has been trying to put out to pasture.

Windows 7 still holds the lion share at 48.77%, but it is still impressive that XP refuses to go out quietly, even after Microsoft has stopped supporting the OS with regular updates and bug fixes. Read more »

Firefox 29 released, brings a new interface design

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Mozilla has released version 29 of their desktop and mobile browser. But while the mobile browser only gets a few new features, the desktop version get a completely revamped interface.

Firefox for desktop interface features a new tab bar that looks like the one on Google Chrome, with its pyramid shaped tab structure. One interesting design feature is the way background tabs just blend with the background until you highlight them. Read more »

Popcorn Time returns with series and movie torrent streaming for Android

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Popcorn Time, which debuted a few weeks ago as a service providing torrent streaming for movies and TV shows, was promptly taken down due to obvious legal issues.

Now, the service is back up with the promise that it will “never be taken down” again. Better yet, a new Android and updated desktop versions are just around the corner. Read more »

Start menu allegedly returning to Windows 8.1 in August

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After releasing the first Windows 8.1 update earlier this month, Microsoft is now working on the second update that is expected to arrive in August with some much requested features.

One of the key features is actually an old feature of Windows that will be making a comeback: the Start menu. Read more »

Microsoft pulls support plug on Windows XP and Office 2003

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Dating from way back in October of 2001 Windows XP has been Redmond’s most highly regarded OS until Windows 7 hit in October 2009 and for many traditionalists even after that.

And now after 13 years of service the OS is finally getting dropped by Microsoft, which has issued its last security update to the OS yesterday and will not issue more. In its statement Microsoft urges users to either upgrade their current PCs with a more recent Windows install or altogether buy a new machine (the company even has a link to latest Windows 8 machines readily awaiting your click). Read more »

Windows 8.1 update announced

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Microsoft has officially announced an update to its Windows 8.1 operating system at the company’s BUILD conference in San Francisco. The Windows 8.1 update will be available for all Windows 8.1 consumers, starting April 8.

The Windows 8.1 update is focused on the navigational features of mouse and keyboard. The taskbar has also seen a significant change and you can now see taskbar in all metro apps when they move the cursor to the bottom of the screen. Read more »

Google Now available for your computer starting today

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If you have an Android phone, you’ve been able to use Google Now for quite some time.

Well now anyone with chrome installed on their computer can enjoy Google Now, as big G just rolled it out for Chrome. Read more »

Intel shows octa-core Core i7 extreme, confirms Iris Pro graphics in upcoming fifth-gen Broadwell

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Over at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco Intel has shown its latest beast – the Core i7 Extreme Edition – dubbed Devil’s Canyon. It’s an 8-core 16-thread processor with unlocked cores (allowing easy overclocking), support for the latest DDR4 memory and a better thermal interface.

Intel has also confirmed that its next-generation processors, Broadwell, will feature Iris Pro graphics. Broadwell chipsets will have 14-nanometer processors and will come with unlocked cores. Read more »