Facebook to Launch Redesigned Pages for Businesses
Facebook has revamped its Pages on
desktop to help users and Page administrators get easier access to
information. The internet giant stated in a blog post that the new
design will start rolling out “this week.”
The Timeline for Pages design will have
all the posts in one column, similar to the user profiles. The posts
will appear the same way on your Page as they do in the News Feed.
The left-side column includes all the information about the Page,
including a map, business hours, phone number, website URL, as well as
photos and videos. Facebook has added a new “Pages to
Watch” feature in the Page Insights tool. The app lets admins track and
compare the performance of Pages similar to their own, including key
stats as well as the week’s most engaging posts.
The new design will also let Page admins
view information about ads, including new likes, messages and unread
notifications from any page. Facebook has added new navigation options
at the top for accessing Page activity, settings and insights. A new
Build Audience menu takes admins to their Ads Manager account. Facebook stated in a blog post that the previous multiple-column design was
confusing and the company has decided to put all posts on the right side
and other information on the left for easier navigation and search.
Google to Release Android Tools to Aid Wearable Tech
Google has confirmed that it plans to
launch a software development kit in the next two weeks that will allow
third-party developers to create Android software for use on wearable
computing devices. The news was confirmed by Google's head of Chrome and
Android, Sundar Pichai at SXSW (South By Southwest Interactive
Festival) 2014.
Sundar Pichai, during a panel discussion
at SXSW 2014, stated that a new SDK would be released by Google which
is designed to help developers create Android apps for devices like
smartwatches and fitness bands. He also stated that Android SDK for
wearable's would help developers take advantage of current and emerging
sensor technology. Google had previously released similar SDKs for
Android for automobiles, televisions and tablets. Pichai likened the
wearable technology to the smartphone revolution and stated that the
goal was to take Android beyond tablets and smartphones to a
multi-screen world.
"In two weeks we are launching the first
developer SDK for Android that will lay out the vision for developers
in how we see this market working," Pichai said.
Facebook Launches Election Tracker for 2014 LS Polls
Facebook has launched an 'India Election
Tracker', a dashboard that will help users track mentions of candidates
and parties during the elections. The 2014 LokSabha polls are scheduled
to begin on April 7 and will be held in 9 phases.
The new India Election Tracker shows
livestream of candidates for the 2014 elections, poll on issues related
to the elections. It also has a graph showing mentions on Facebook. The
social networking giant recently launched Talks Live platform, where users can ask country’s top politicians.
Yahoo to Stop Letting Users Login with Google and Facebook Accounts
Yahoo will stop users from accessing its
various online services with their Facebook or Google Inc user
accounts. Users will be required to register for a Yahoo ID to use any
of the portal's services including photo-sharing site Flickr and Fantasy
Sports
The first Yahoo service to require the
new sign-in process is Yahoo Sports Tourney Pick'Em which focuses on the
NCAA college basketball tournament starting later this month. Users can
still access other services using their Google or Facebook ID's for now
as the new process will be rolled out gradually..
"The change will be rolled out
gradually," a Yahoo spokeswoman said. "The sign-in buttons for Facebook
and Google will eventually be removed from all Yahoo properties," she
added but refused to provide the exact date. The move is another attempt
by CEO Marissa Mayer to spark fresh interest in the company's web
products and services.
"Yahoo is continually working on
improving the user experience," the company said in a statement, noting
that the new process "will allow us to offer the best personalized
experience to everyone. "
Popcorn Time: A New Software to Stream Movie Torrents For Free
Popcorn Time is a new open-source software created by developers in Buenos Aires that lets you stream and watch movies while torrenting them in the background. Yes, this means that while you watch the movie, the app acts as a torrent client and continues to seed and leech it. Now, you may be wondering about the legality of it all, and we must stress here that downloading any copyrighted file is illegal. However, torrents themselves aren’t illegal and are a perfectly valid means to download and share files.
The application will also stream the
movies automatically in HD (or the best available quality). Once a movie
has been completely streamed, the downloaded file will be moved to a
‘secret’ folder in your system and will be automatically deleted once
you restart your machine. The app provides no way to locate where the
file is saved.
You can head on over to the Popcorn Time website and download the app
(it’s still in beta) for Windows (7 and above), Linux and Mac. We must
mention here that downloading copyrighted content is an offense in India
under Section 66 of the IT Act, so, you know, do what you think is
legal.
Android Overtakes iOS in the Tablet Wars
Google's Android OS has surpassed Apple’s iOS to become the most used operating system for tablet devices. According the Gartner's latest research, Android captured 61.9% of the overall tablet market with sales of almost 121 million devices during 2013; compared to 53 million in 2012. iOS was second with 36% of the market share.
Google Launches URL Shortener App For Android Users
Google has launched a new Android app to
help you shorten URLs. It will also provide analytics to see who is
actually clicking on the link. The app has been developed by Thomas
Devaux and can be downloaded from the Google Play store for free.
Google has already been providing the URL shortening service goo.gl
for a long time now. Users could log in to the site, paste their long
URL and Google shortened it for them. Now with the URL Shortener app,
which has a clean looking card style user interface, comes with an
ability to star your favorite short URLs and access your history as
well. The app has been optimized for a variety of devices including
smartphones and tablets.
Google URL Shortener also brings the
ability to access your data offline. Users will also be able to get
reports and statistics. Clicking on any shortened link from within the
app will offer the basic analytics such as total clicks. Users can also
access detail in terms of referrers, browsers, countries, and platforms.
The app supports Android’s ‘share intent’, so web pages from Android’s
browsers can be shared to and from the app.
Microsoft to Show Pop-ups to Alert Windows XP Users About End of Support
Microsoft has announced showing pop-up alerts from March 8 to XP users. The message, to be shown on machines that have automatic updates enabled, will warn users about end of support for the XP and upgrade to the latest Windows iteration.
Microsoft has already created a website
to help users upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 8.1. “Windows XP is a
12 year old operating system. Now is the time to upgrade to a new device
running Windows 8.1 for a safe and secure PC experience,” says
Microsoft on its website.
After April 8, Microsoft will end technical assistance for Windows XP,
which means XP users will no longer receive automatic updates that help
protect PC. Microsoft will also stop providing Microsoft Security
Essentials for download on Windows XP on this date.
“If you continue to use Windows XP after
support ends, your computer will still work but it might become more
vulnerable to security risks and viruses. Also, as more software and
hardware manufacturers continue to optimize for more recent versions of
Windows, you can expect to encounter greater numbers of apps and devices
that do not work with Windows XP,” warns Microsoft.
Intel Edison is a Full Computer on an SD Card, Launching in 2014
Intel CEO Brian Krzanich used the stage at his first CES keynote address to announce the company's new smart product lines, and in addition revealed Intel Edison -- a 400MHz computer board that fits into an SD card.
The Edison chip supports Linux and includes a dual-core CPU, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE (low energy) and an integrated app store. It will be available in "the middle of 2014" according to Krzanich, and will allow creators of hardware products to enhance the functionality of their existing or new systems by incorporating Edison's processing power.
Edison powers the system and connects it to other Edison-powered devices in the home, such as a "smart milk bottle". If the system detects the baby has woken up for feeding, it will alert the milk bottle and begin warming it ready for use.
It will cost $199 in the US (about £120) and includes three onesies, a Turtle and a device that functions as a charging station.
Project Outernet to Provide Free Internet Across the Globe
A New York based non-profit organization called Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF) has announced the "Outernet" project which will provide free Internet access to all, regardless of their location on earth.
MDIF proposes that hundreds of cube
satellites be built and launched to create a constellation in the sky,
that will allow anyone with a phone or a computer to access Internet via
satellites and ground stations. The organization adds that 40 percent
of the world's population is still not able to connect to the Internet
because of high cost.
The Project Outernet will allow people from across the globe, whether from Siberia or remote villages of Africa, to get the same information as those in New York. The Outernet will allow data to flow from feeders to the satellites and broadcast to everyone on earth. MDIF also plans to add the ability to transmit data from anywhere as well, as soon as the funds become available.
The Project Outernet will allow people from across the globe, whether from Siberia or remote villages of Africa, to get the same information as those in New York. The Outernet will allow data to flow from feeders to the satellites and broadcast to everyone on earth. MDIF also plans to add the ability to transmit data from anywhere as well, as soon as the funds become available.
MDIF acknowledged that building such a
network would not be cheap. Such satellites typically require $100,000
to $300,000 to build and launch. The project timeline calls for
deploying the initial 'CubeSats' as early as next summer.
The organisation aims to send a
constellation of satellites in space that would broadcast data, received
in a continuous loop until new fresh data turns up. Broadcasting of the
data will be done using already accepted international standards such
as UDP-based WiFi multicasting, DVB, and Digital Radio Mondiale. To know
more about the project, can check out the Outernet's official website.
Tag :
official
Japanese Researchers Build PC that Can be Worn on Ear
A tiny personal computer dubbed
"Earclip-type Wearable PC" has been developed by Japanese scientists
that can be worn on the ear. The device can be controlled with facial
expressions like a blink of an eye or the click of a tongue.
The device is being developed at the
Hiroshima City university. It comes with a microchip and data storage.
The 17-gram (0.59-ounce) wireless device supports Bluetooth and is
equipped with a GPS, compass, gyro-sensor, barometer, battery, speaker
and a microphone. The wearable technology also comes equipped with
infra-red sensors to monitor movements inside the user’s ear which helps
it recognizing the facial expression that is being made.
"Supposing I climb a mountain, look at
the sky at night and see a bright star up there, it could tell me what
it is," Hiroshima engineer Kazuhiro Taniguchi stated. "As it knows what altitude I'm at, which
direction I'm looking and at what angle, it could tell me, 'The bright
star you are seeing now is Sirius'." he says.
The device can be used as a companion to
a smartphone or MP3 allowing users to browse through menus with just a
blink of an eye. It could also be used in monitoring elderly relatives’
health and diet, and double as a hearing aid. The built-in accelerometer
can detect if the user falls over which triggers a phone call to their
relatives or an ambulance. Researchers say that the device may be
commercialized by April 2016.
Tag :
system,
technology
Moto G is our Highest-Selling Smartphone in History: Motorola
Motorola has said that Moto G is "the most successful, highest-selling smartphone in Motorola's history."
1.2 Billion Email Addresses Discovered For Sale on Online Black Market
Cyber security firm, Hold Security LLC,
has found personal data of more than 105 million records stolen from
almost 360 million accounts and 1.25 billion email addresses. All of
this stolen data has been put up for sale on the online black market by
hackers. It is reportedly the biggest data breach in cyber history.
Hold Security said, that "These
credentials can be stolen directly from a company as well as from
services in which companies entrust data. In October 2013, Hold Security
identified the biggest ever public disclosure of 153 million stolen
credentials from Adobe Systems. One month later we identified another
large breach of 42 million credentials from Cupid Media."
The firm has accumulated the data over
the past three weeks and tracked over 300 million abused credentials
(which were not disclosed publicly). Hold Security says that the email
addresses included the ones from internet giants like Google, Microsoft
and Yahoo, as well as many non-profit organizations and almost all
Fortune 500 companies.
"The sheer volume is overwhelming," said Alix Holden, chief information security officer of Hold Security.
McAfee Releases Free Version of McAfee Mobile Security @ MWC 2014
McAfee, the popular American security software company, has released a new security solution for Android users that will protect their devices from online threat. Intel, which owns McAfee, had promised that the company would release a free version of the app on Android soon. The app called McAfee Mobile Security is being offered in 30 languages. It provides normal security for most smartphones and some special security extensions for Intel-based mobile devices. The similar version of the app has been available to iOS users since January 2014.
McAfee claims that the app provides comprehensive and award-winning protection against privacy and security threats at no cost to consumers. According to McAfee's third Consumer Mobile Security Report, Android malware has almost tripled from 2012 to 2013. The app, apart from working as an anti-virus, will have features such as app protection, call blocker, SMS filtering, and anti-theft. It features Safe Mobile Web Surfing and Wi-Fi Security Alerts as well.
Tag :
security
Gmail Adds Unsubscribe Button to Help Reduce Spam Emails
Google has added an unsubscribe button
at the top of the messages to opt out of pesky emails. This will help
Google differentiate between spam and promotional content.
Gmail had got a new look last year with
separate folders for Promotions, Social and Primary emails. The new
unsubscribe button will further help Google differentiate between
emails. The unsubscribe link will be placed next to the sender’s address
in the email when it’s coming from a promotional company or other
marketer. Putting the unsubscribe button in the header will provide
users with easy access to unsubscribing and reduce the incidence of
users reporting legitimate marketing emails as spam when they can't
locate the unsubscribe options.
Once you click on the unsubscribe
button, the user wont go through the marketers’ standard unsubscribe
options but Google will send an preset email to the company requesting
it excludes you from future promotional messages. Google announced the rollout at the
Messaging, Malware and Mobile Anti-Abuse Working Group conference in San
Francisco last week.
