Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) to Upgrade All Lumia Windows Phone 8 Devices to Windows 10

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) said that it would be upgrading all Lumia Windows Phone 8 devices to Windows 10. The company will complete the up-gradation process after Windows 10 is launched in the market. Microsoft provided the details of its official Lumia Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) account.

On November 11, it tweeted answering to a customer’s query that its big operating system is in early stages of development. Therefore, it can’t disclose the exact details as to when the new update will be released.

The dilemma continues

Although Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has made an announcement on the official Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) account of Lumia, still it cannot be considered as an official press release. The customers are eager to know about the technological limitations that are not allowing the up gradation to be completed at this time.

The confirmation on Twitter account comes as a relief for Lumia owners and trust that they will get a different experience this time.

The past issue

The owners of Lumia expect that the Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) will not repeat the history. In 2012, Microsoft annoyed some of its loyal group of customers using Windows Phone 7 by announcing that they cannot upgrade their devices to Windows Phone 8. There was a change in the core software and therefore, it was not possible for Microsoft to provide the updates that time. The explanation cannot makeup for the loss.

The hopes are high

The Lumia owner’s hopes are high this time, and any disappointment can make them lose their faith over Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT). The encouraging part is that the main parts of Windows Phone 8 and 10 are not so much different. Therefore, it will be convenient for Microsoft to provide with the technical up gradation. There are no details provided by Microsoft about the launch date of Windows 10. It has even decided to name the latest version of its operating system as ‘Windows 10’ on all the platforms.

source : http://www.opptrends.com/

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Microsoft addressed the latest bug issue with new patches

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) recently release an emergency patch to fix a 19-year-old software bug. Last May, researchers from International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM) first discovered the bug that affects both Windows and Office products.

Microsoft’s latest bug issue

The bug has been in every single version of Windows, starting with Windows 95. The bug presented a problem which would allow attackers to easily exploit the bug to control a computer via remote means. The software maker has since addressed the issue and issued 14 patches. The company plans to release two more patches.

Robert Freeman (researcher for IBM) elaborated in a blog post, “The bug can be used by an attacker for drive-by attacks to reliably run code remotely and take over the user’s machine.”

A drive-by attack means users are forced to download malicious software. IBM claims the bug has been sitting in plain sight. It also exists in the Windows Server Platforms, which puts the security of encrypted websites at risk. This is related to Microsoft’s Secure Channel (often referred to as Schannel), which is used to implement secure data transfer.

How the latest bug compares to Heartbleed

Schannel joins the long list of security standards discovered to have a major flaw. Other standards in this list include Apple SecureTransport, GNUTLS, OpenSSL, and NSS. This latest bug has been compared to Heartbleed, a bug that affected people last year. It was reported that though the recent bug could be just a significant as last year’s, it may be harder for attackers to exploit. The Heartbleed bug exploited vulnerabilities utilized transferred secure data (Secure Sockets Layer).

At press time, there is zero evidence the new bug was exploited before it was discovered. However, now that the bug is known to the public and the patches came out, it is likely there will be attacks on out of date machines. This bug would have been worth over six figures.

source : http://www.valuewalk.com/

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Facebook’s Privacy Update: 5 Things to Know

BARBARA ORTUTAY, AP Technology Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook is once again trying to simplify its privacy policy, largely to address criticisms that it’s too complex and lengthy for the average user.

Laid out with illustrations into short subsections, the new policy explains what types of information Facebook collects and how it uses the data. The new policy is 70 percent shorter than the old one.

Many of the changes are cosmetic, designed to make the policy easier to digest. Still, it helps to go through it to get an idea of all the things Facebook knows about you.

Users have until Nov. 20 to comment on the proposed changes or ask questions. A finalized version will take effect soon after that.

Here are five things to remember about Facebook’s data policies.

— LOCATION, LOCATION

Facebook only recently began allowing businesses to advertise to users based on their specific location. Previously, ads were targeted based on the “current city” listed on the profile. Both the old policy and the new one note that the company can access your location information based on your smartphone’s GPS information. The new policy points out that Bluetooth and Wi-Fi signals can also reveal device locations.

Besides that, Facebook can also collect information from the photos you share on the site, including where they were taken.

— BEYOND FACEBOOK

Facebook doesn’t just track what you do on its site. It also collects information about your activities when you’re off Facebook. For example, if you use Facebook to log in to outside websites and mobile apps, the company will receive data about those. It also gets information about your activity on other businesses it owns, such as WhatsApp and Instagram, in accordance with those services’ privacy policies.

— AD TARGETING

Unless you decline targeting, or opt out, companies whose websites you visit off Facebook can also show you ads on Facebook. For example, a website can use browser cookies to record who visited it. It can then ask Facebook to show ads to these visitors — both on and off Facebook. 

— ALL EYES ON YOU

Everything is fair game. Facebook explains it best: “We collect the content and other information you provide when you use our Services, including when you sign up for an account, create or share, and message or communicate with others.” Plus, Facebook says it also collects information about how you use Facebook, “such as the types of content you view or engage with or the frequency and duration of your activities.”

— SHOPPING SPREE?

Facebook is testing a tool to let people buy things directly through its site. If you decide to do this, Facebook will collect information about your transaction, including your credit card number and billing and shipping address.

- Source: http://www.blackpressusa.com

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People Still Aren't Downloading iOS 8

People don't seem to be in a hurry to download Apple's latest mobile operating system.

Apple on Tuesday said that 56 percent of people who visited the App store on November 10 were using devices running iOS 8, up just 9 percent since Apple last released figures more than a month ago.

iOS 8 came out on September 17, and while people initially rushed to download it,adoption quickly slowed. After only four days of being out, 46 percent of people visiting the App store had downloaded it. But two weeks later, that number had climbed only 1 percentage point.

It's difficult to compare the most recent official adoption figures from Apple to figures from last year, because it doesn't appear that Apple released these numbers in November 2013. ButMixpanel, a mobile analytics company, also keeps track of iOS adoption. Mixpanel's analysis of the percentage of iOS devices running iOS 8 on November 10 was 57.88 percent, close to Apple's.

At this time last year, iOS 7 was on 75.5 percent of iPhones, according to Mixpanel. (Apple did release figures December 5, 2013 that said iOS 7 adoption had hit 74 percent; it does not appear that iOS 8 will reach that in the next three weeks.)

iOS 8 had a rough start, which could contribute to a reluctance to download it. The long-awaited Health app wasn't compatible with third party apps at launch, but the update to fix it was even buggier -- it rendered some new iPhones pretty much useless, and Apple made the rare move of pulling the update, which led to oodles of bad publicity.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

iOS 8 also isn't a huge departure from iOS 7, the way that iOS 7 was a complete redesign from iOS 6. So some people probably don't feel a huge need to download it. Apple Pay, which is the biggest new feature of iOS 8, only works on the newest devices.

John Gruber, a prominent Apple blogger, wrote last month that slow adoption of iOS 8 is because of storage space -- it can take a whopping five gigabytes of free space to update the operating system via Wifi. How many people have that free space on their phones to dedicate to upgrading the OS?

Still, Apple is breaking records with its latest iPhone models. All of the newest iPhones come with iOS 8, so that number should be boosted by the people who are visiting the App Store with their new phones.

If you have an older iPhone and it's working well, you should think twice about downloading the latest operating system. As I wrote about last month, operating systems are designed for the latest and greatest hardware, and tend not to run as well on older phones.

source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

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8 Best Apps to Maximize Android's Performance

Android isn't as controlled and regulated as its iOS competitor. No matter what version of the OS you're running, it's basically a tinkerer's dream. It allows users to tweak and optimize the system's performance from A to Z. From cache cleaner to junk file hunters, CPU overclocking tools and app disablers, here are eight Android tools that you can use to get more out of your system.

1. Clean Master (Free)

Cheetah Mobile's Clean Master comes with a Junk Files tool for cleaning your phone's app and system cache as well as temp files. It also sports a memory saving Phone Boost tool, an app manager and antivirus tool. While you can probably skip the task-killer-like features of Phone Boost, the Junk File tool is great at cleaning out widowed and temporary files, as well as cleaning out your system cache to free up phone storage. The app manager allows users to backup APKs, move apps to the SD card and uninstall apps. A surprising strong point is Clean Master's antivirus tool, which scored highly in AV-TEST's latest mobile antivirus survey.

2.DU Speed Booster (Free) 

Another comparable all-in-one Android optimization tool is DU Speed Booster, which comes with a Trash Cleaner for app cache and junk file cleaning, a one-touch accelerator, app manager, antivirus, a privacy advisor and built-in internet speed test. Again, the benefits of task-killing with accelerators are dubious, DU Speed Booster's junk file / cache cleaner is a great way to free up internal storage space, and the app manager and other tools are also solid extras.

3. SD Maid (Free) 

SD Maid is a storage maintenance app designed to free up space on your SD Card or internal storage by searching for widowed files and folders left behind by uninstalled apps. In addition, it also doubles as a file manager. The app is a great way to clean up some drive space, and is also great for periodic system maintenance. The free version is a perfectly serviceable app, but more options can be unlocked by purchasing an unlock key.

4. CCleaner (Free) 

Piriform's CCleaner is one of the best PC maintenance tools for Windows machines, and now, it's also gone mobile with an Android app that's the perfect tool to help you clean the crap out of your system. Like its desktop sibling, CCleaner for Android is a multipurpose cleaning tool that can clean out your application cache, download folders, browser history, and other temporary files, as well as optionally clean your call and SMS log selectively or in bulk. In addition to its fast, ad-free cleaning experience, CCleaner also comes with an app manager, CPU, RAM and storage meters, as well as battery and temperature tools.

5. CPU Tuner (requires root) (Free) 

CPU Tuner allows you to monitor and tweak your CPU's performance. Customize the settings for your CPU governor, underclock to save battery, overclock to improve performance, and set various trigger-based performance profiles to ensure your CPU performs just the way you want. Again, a little care and research as to what your hardware can tolerate is important, especially if you choose to overclock. Also, unlike similar applications (SetCPU, for example), CPU Tuner is free on the Google Play market.

6. 3c Toolbox / Android Tuner (requires root) (Free) 

3c Toolbox, formerly known as Android Tuner, provides users with a ton of diagnostic and tweaking tools that a savvy user can utilize to diagnose and improve the health of their system. The toolbox includes a task manager to manage (or kill) your apps, backup or restore APKs, CPU governor and voltage tweaks, system settings such as SD cache size or just view a wealth of diagnostic data. As with any app that tinkers with system settings, be careful of what you tinker with and do your research before changing anything.

7. BetterBatteryStats ($2.89) (requires root) 

While the Android settings menu provides users with some insight on battery status and how much energy is in use, technically oriented users can get far more comprehensive information with apps like BetterBatteryStats. Plus, BBS has good tools for tracking apps that do "partial wakelocks" that prevent the device from entering battery-saving sleep mode. If you suspect that some of your apps are chewing through your battery life or are preventing your phone from properly entering sleep mode, BBS can be a great tool to help.

8. Greenify (requires root) (Free) 

Greenify basically puts an app in a state of hibernation, unable to access system resources, bandwidth or run background processes. However, Greenify allows you to run an app normally in the foreground when explicitly called by the user without any extra fuss. If you've got memory or battery hogs that keep draining resources in the background, don't bother with a task-killer when you can just greenify it. Just don't do that to your alarm clock or messenger, unless you want them to stop working.

source : http://www.tomsguide.com/

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Beats Launch Solo2 Wireless Headphones, First Under Apple

The second generation of Beats Solo2 headphones will be the first under Apple. Furthering its push into the wireless arena, the on-ear headphones will ditch the wires in favor of Bluetooth. Set to hit Apple stores sometime in November, the $299 cans will be available in several colors including the traditional red, black and white.

The headphones will also be available in Blue, if you're in the mood to shake things up. The company is offering a $199.95 Royal Edition line which casts the Solo2s in Stone Grey, Hunter Green, Imperial Violet, Blush Rose and Sapphire Blue.

So besides a multi-hued selection, what can music lovers expect from the first Beats headphones under the Apple umbrella? As far as design, the Solo2 Wireless look pretty similar to their predecessor. That's not a bad thing, since the Solo2s' streamlined design was always easy on the eyes. However we're a little surprised Dr. Dre didn't let Jony Ive take a crack at a redesign.

With the addition of Bluetooth, listeners can expect up to 12 hours of battery life with approximately a 30 foot range. Unlike previous iterations of Beats headphones, the wireless Solo2s will employ a rechargeable battery, instead of the usual two AAA batteries. Beats is also including the RemoteTalk audio cable, on the rare occasion you're caught between charges.

source : http://www.tomsguide.com/

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Facebook invites you to ‘Say Thanks’

Facebook on Wednesday launched a new way to say thank you to a friend. Say Thanks is a nifty experience where Facebook users can create a video for a friend, utilizing photos and moments shared on the social network.

It’s rolling out worldwide today on desktop and mobile in English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Turkish. If it doesn’t work for you right now, try again later.

Facebook’s Cameron Ewing, Design Manager and Nick Kwiatek, Engineering Manager, wrote about Say Thanks in a blog post:

Millions of people use Facebook every day to connect with the people and things that matter to them most. Your friends are at the core of your Facebook experience, and we are always looking for new ways to help you celebrate those friendships.

Today we’re excited to announce Say Thanks, an experience that lets you create personalized video cards for your friends on Facebook.

Share a Say Thanks video with a close friend, your significant other, a relative, a coworker, an old friend – or anyone else in your life who you’d like to celebrate. There is no limit to how many personalized videos you can create and share.

 source : http://www.insidefacebook.com/

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