Wednesday 29 June 2016

Windows 10 easier to reject

Microsoft finally listens to its customers ...
When it is almost too late, Microsoft backs off its malware tactics to get Windows 10 on as many PCs as it can!

Windows 10 upgrade will soon be easier to reject | Ars Technica:

Unwanted Windows 10

No apology from Microsoft for its Windows 10 tactics ...
At last someone takes Microsoft to court, and wins, for pushing its Windows 10 down everyone's throat whether they want it or not!

Unwanted Windows 10 upgrade costs Microsoft $10,000 | Ars Technica:

Sunday 19 June 2016

Google Duo mobile video

Google Duo - Mobile video calls made easy ...
Google Duo
At last a simple video calling app - Google Duo to be launched soon. The first video in this article is well worth a look. It describes the new Google Allo messaging app to be launched soon and then goes on to describe the new Google Duo video calling app.

Google Duo makes mobile video calls fast and simple | The Verge:

Google Allo messaging

Another new messaging app from Google ...
Google AlloMessaging is such a fragmented communication medium, unlike email that is universal. There is no point being on a specific messaging app unless all your friends are also on that app as they do not currently interconnect e.g. iMessage to Telegram to Hangouts etc. To get a sufficiently large number of users to move from their existing messaging app you have to offer something really innovative and useful.

Allo is a messaging app with Google built right in | The Verge:

Saturday 18 June 2016

Windows Phone market sinks

Windows Phone numbers decline further ...
Looks like the end is near for Windows Phone. It is a shame that the main reason for Windows 10 was to get Microsoft into the smartphone market!

Windows Phone market share sinks below 1 percent | The Verge:

Sneaky Windows 10 upgrades

Two ways of stopping Windows 10 auto-upgrade ...
How to stop the sneaky Windows 10 auto-upgrade for goodThis article explains the somewhat deceptive ways that Microsoft is using to auto-upgrade Windows 7 PCs to Windows 10. Fortunately there are now two ways to stop this happening. Never10 from Gibson Research Corporation is possibly the best technical solution but GWX Control Panel also works well.

How to stop the sneaky Windows 10 auto-upgrade for good | CyberShack:

Windows 7 Service Pack 2 ?

An equivalent to Windows 7 SP2 at long last ...
A "convenience rollup" for Windows 7 Service Pack 1. This saves a long and tedious updating process when you have to reload a Windows 7 PC. Five years of patches in one shot!

Windows 7 now has a Service Pack 2 (but don’t call it that) | Ars Technica:

World's tallest dive roller coaster

Valravn - Official POV YouTube ...
Not for the faint hearted - especially just after you have eaten! Currently the tallest, fastest and longest drop roller coaster. Watch at your own risk!

This POV video of the world's tallest dive roller coaster is a wild ride even at your desk | The Verge:

Firefox overtakes MS IE & Edge

Browsers wars - and the winner is Chrome ...
Some interesting figures for global browser usage.

Firefox overtakes Microsoft’s IE and Edge browsers, but Chrome continues to dominate | TechCrunch:

Skype needs to be fixed

Microsoft Skype desperately serious attention ...
I totally agree with this article! Skype desktop gets more updates that almost any application. Why are so many updates required? This application has gone down hill ever since Microsoft bought it in 2011. If there was a really good substitute, Skype would lose most of its 300 million users.

First Click: Microsoft needs to fix Skype | The Verge:

Monday 13 June 2016

Windows 10 nagging to stop

Peace at last from Windows 10 pop-ups ...
There is hope that the Windows 10 nagging prompts will actually stop after 29th July 2016 - won't that be a relief for everyone?

Microsoft is removing its nagging Windows 10 upgrade notifications soon | The Verge:

Windows 10 Weather upgrade

An historic Windows 10 upgrade to the Weather ...
As if Microsoft was not already annoying everyone enough with their Windows 10 pop-ups they just had to get into the Weather Forecasts as well !

Even weather forecasts aren’t safe from Windows 10 upgrade prompts | The Verge:

Sydney Opera House

Interesting Google 360 degree tour of the Opera House ...
This virtual tour of the Sydney Opera House is worth a look! Check out both 360 degree virtual tours.

Google turns the Sydney Opera House into an online exhibit | The Verge:

Sunday 12 June 2016

Google Spaces group chat app

Google tries a new group chat app called Spaces ...
Having tried this new app, it is a little clumsy at the moment but could have a place for small groups to share thoughts on a specific topic like arranging a holiday or a party.

Google tries its hand at social again with launch of group chat app, Spaces | TechCrunch:

Chromebooks outsold Macs

Google Chromebooks outsell Apple Macs ...
Dell, HP and Lenovo sold nearly 2 million Chromebooks in the first quarter of 2016, mainly in US schools. This does not count those sold elsewhere by Samsung, Acer and Toshiba. However in Australia you are lucky to see a Chromebook in any retail shop - what gives?

Chromebooks outsold Macs for the first time in the US | The Verge:

Apple proves Newton right

Looks like Apple needs something special ...
Apple shares over the past two yearsTwo interesting graphs! The first shows Apple's falling stock price and the second shows Alphabet (Google), the blue line, just about to overtake Apple, the white line, as the most valuable company on earth!

Apple boss Tim Cook finally proves Newton right - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation):

Watch Delta IV rocket launch

Watch a Delta IV Rocket take off ...
Interesting video of a Delta IV rocket take off - up close and personal. Move you mouse left to right and up and down whilst the video plays!

New 360-degree video puts you right next to a Delta IV rocket launch | The Verge:

Watch the Volocopter

Is this the personal helicopter of the future ...
 Cross between a drone and a helicopter, this has a lot of potential especially since it is electric and pollution free!

Watch this bonkers-looking aircraft with 18 rotors take its first crewed flight | The Verge:

Microsoft’s ambitions are huge

Microsoft is transforming - it has to ...
 So Windows Phone is all but dead but Microsoft is turning its attentions to then next futuristic developments - to lead rather than follow too late. An interesting article about how Microsoft sees its future.

Microsoft’s ambitions are huge and surprising, because they have to be | The Verge:

Dropbox Project Infinite

Dropbox to provide new storage options ...
A yet to publicly released Dropbox option which will allow you to decide which files are stored locally whilst all will be available for download from your Dropbox cloud allocation.

Dropbox will now show all your files locally without using any disk space | Ars Technica:

Windows 10 Push

Microsoft should apologise for Windows 10 upgrades ...
It is one thing to 'encourage' Windows 10 upgrades but it is completely different to commence the upgrade without the user's permission. In recent weeks I know of at least half a dozen cases where the upgrade has started without the user knowing. This has been due to the cunning wording change on the Windows 10 promotional screens. 

Microsoft’s Windows 10 push is effective, damaging, desirable, and deceptive | Ars Technica: