Linux command line tools are coming to Windows 10

Now here’s something you likely didn’t expect at Microsoft’s Build developer conference: a staple feature of Linux (and Unix) is coming to Windows 10. The company is integrating the Bash command line shell and support for Ubuntu Linux binaries into Windows 10’s Anniversary Update. This is naturally big news for developers who want to use command-line tools while creating apps, but it’s also important for power users who’d otherwise be tempted to install either third-party tools (like Cygwin) or a virtual machine.

Using Bash in not-quite-native environments isn’t entirely new, of course. Apple’s OS X has had the feature from the outset. However, this and other efforts (such as double-clicking to install universal Windows apps) show that Microsoft is determined to let you install and run apps the way you’d like, rather than make you jump through hoops.

Get all the news from today’s Microsoft Build keynote right here, and follow along with our liveblog!

New Universal Windows apps include Facebook, Instagram

Redmond surprised developers at Build by launching Linux Bash support, but it’s now gone back to its bread and butter with updates to its Universal Windows apps. As a reminder, those are apps that work across Windows mobile, Xbox and desktop platforms. Perhaps the most important among those are from Facebook, which now has gone Universal for both its main app and Messenger. Other social apps, including, Twitter, Instagram and Vine have received new updates.

Other new versions of popular apps include Uber, Hulu, Dailymotion, Skype and, yes, Engadget. Xbox gamers, meanwhile, get updates to Tomb Raider, Disney infinity and other titles. Microsoft courted some controversy recently after it closed its store to third-party apps, but has now said it will allow modifications to such apps. In addition, it’s recently introduced software called Centennial to import Win32 software.

Windows desktop users may not care as much about Universal apps, since the features are already accessible by browser. However, the new apps are pretty important for Microsoft’s Windows 10 Mobile plans. Social media apps are obviously crucial, but so are other popular categories of apps like banking. As such, the new app from American Express is bound to be popular, as is the new offering from Starbucks.

Get all the news from today’s Microsoft Build keynote right here, and follow along with our liveblog!

Microsoft and NASA want you to walk on Mars

Microsoft and NASA have been collaborating on ingenious ways to use mixed reality as an aid for astronauts since last year. Last December, as part of NASA’s Sidekick project, two HoloLens headsets reached the International Space Station to assist and guide the crew.​ Now they’re bringing the experience of space exploration to the public with Destination: Mars. The interactive exhibit opening at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida this summer will allow visitors to walk on a virtual version of Mars. The planet has been created with images from NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover so you can expect your simulated exploration to be accurate. The experience will be further enhanced with a holographic version of Buzz Aldrin, an Apollo 11 astronaut who will guide you through your stroll in space.

The upcoming exhibit is a new spin on existing software called OnSight, which was the first step in Microsoft’s partnership with NASA. It gave scientists the ability to navigate a holographic Mars. “OnSight makes the whole process of analyzing the data feel a lot more natural to me,” Abigail Fraeman, a Curiosity team member at JPL said in a post. “It really gives me the sense that I’m in the field when I put it on. Thinking about Martian geology is a lot more intuitive when I can stand in the scene and walk around the way I would if I were in the field.” Now the space agency is opening up that immersive experience for visitors to experience a slice of space.

Get all the news from today’s Microsoft Build keynote right here, and follow along with our liveblog!

Microsoft’s HoloLens starts shipping to developers today

We knew Microsoft would be shipping the first wave of HoloLens pre-orders to developers today, but now we’re getting a look at what that kit will look like. Inside the box, you’ll of course find the mixed-reality headset, along with a sleek carrying case for when you want to take it to a friend’s house. There’s also a device called Clicker, which is designed to help you navigate the user interface. If you missed out on Wave 1 of pre-orders, Microsoft says it’ll be fulfilling the rest over a period of 2-3 months for each.

Get all the news from today’s Microsoft Build keynote right here, and follow along with our liveblog!

Anyone can turn their Xbox One into a software dev kit

The dream of turning your Xbox One into a software development kit is finally real. Phil Spencer announced today during the Build keynote that it’ll be pretty simple too. Essentially, download the Xbox Dev Mode app, register as a developer and that’s about it. From there you can swap back and forth between a retail game, Microsoft’s Ashley Speicher was playing Forza Motorsport 6, and whatever app you’re working on be it a game or otherwise.

Speicher demoed a photo editing app where she was able to add a chat bubble and text to an adorable image of a thick-maned dog, simply using her voice and Kinect; it looked way easier than trying to use an onscreen keyboard. But given how temperamental Kinect is for voice recognition, how well that’ll fare in the wild could be an absolutely different story.

Bringing the developer kit to Xbox One “isn’t just a hobby, it’s a commitment to empower every developer on the planet,” Spencer said. There’s a preview version available starting today, but Microsoft’s indie-developer-minded (who this update will benefit the most) Chris Charla told Polygon that you might run into some issues if you’re playing around with it right now.

Spencer also mentioned that the Windows Store and Xbox Store will merge bringing things like season passes together with Cortana running on Xbox One. Oh, and playing music in the background will be a part of the Xbox One after the anniversary update as well. Further than that, Microsoft has developed tools that can turn old games like Age of Empires 2 HD into cross-platform apps. Hey, alright!

The future Spencer hinted at previously, about forward compatibility and backward compatibility being a focus for Windows 10 gaming is actually coming to pass. Of course, how this all will work outside of the controlled environment demonstrated onstage today is another matter entirely. Given how simple things like Xbox game streaming to Windows 10 PCs works, though, there might not be much of a reason for concern.

Get all the news from today’s Microsoft Build keynote right here, and follow along with our liveblog!

Apple Launches ‘Safari Technology Preview’ Browser for Web Developers

Apple today launched Safari Technology Preview, a new version of its web browser aimed specifically at developers. Safari Technology Preview is aimed at giving developers a way to access new web technologies Apple is planning to implement in iOS and OS X, offering an early look at new developer tools, layout technologies, visual effects, and more.

According to TechCrunch, Apple’s goal with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers on its browser development ahead of launch through a method that’s more easily accessible than WebKit.

Of course, Apple has for a long time offered Nightly builds of WebKit, the open source browser engine that today runs on hundreds of millions of devices and powers Apple’s Safari. However, getting access to these builds takes a bit more effort than using the new Safari Technology Preview browser. Instead, with the new browser, its updates are distributed every two weeks by way of the Mac App Store’s software update mechanism. That means it’s less hassle to run a browser that features the latest advances in web technologies, including HTML, JavaScript, CSS and WebKit.

Safari Technology Preview can be run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser, and it’s able to be set as the default browser on a machine. It includes local data stores for history, bookmarks, cookies, and cache, and it supports syncing of browsing history and bookmarks over iCloud. Visually, the Safari Technology Preview icon is designed to resemble the Safari icon, but it is purple in color instead of blue.

The current build of Safari Technology Preview includes several JavaScript improvements, HTML enhancements, and Web Inspector changes:

JavaScript Improvements
– ECMAScript 6 support including lexical scoping, iterators, generators, arrow functions, default parameter values and many new built-in APIs
– Better standards compliant IndexedDB support with more stability
– Included the B3 JavaScript JIT compiler with low-latency, high-throughput that boosts performance
– Added the ability to use document.execCommand(‘copy’) and document.execCommand(‘cut’) in response to a user gesture to copy and cut text programmatically

HTML Enhancements
– The latest implementation of the Shadow DOM specification
– Added support for Content Security Policy Level 2

Web Inspector Changes
– Added memory summary and JavaScript allocations timelines
– Added a fast JavaScript sampling profiler
– Improved JavaScript profiling timeline view

Behavior Changes
– Included many web compatibility fixes and bug fixes

Safari Technology Preview can be downloaded immediately from Apple’s Developer website and it will receive regular updates through the Mac App Store. While designed for developers, Safari Technology Preview does not require a developer account to download.

Tags: Safari, Safari Technology Preview
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Clean your electric range with a razor blade and cloth – CNET

Alina Bradford

You probably bought your flat-top range because it’s really easy to clean and, as long as you immediately wipe up any spill, it is. If you tend to clean up only after you’re finished cooking, spilled food can leave black crusty spots on the burners. These crusty spots can take forever to scrub away with regular kitchen cleaning tools. For a faster clean-up you need to wander down the painting supply section of your local hardware or home improvement store and pick up a scraper knife.

A scraper knife is a retractable razor blade with a handle that is typically used for scraping dried paint from windows. It works just as well for scraping dried crust off ceramic glass stove tops.

The key is to hold the blade at an angle while scraping to avoid scratching the range. Hold the blade so that the outside of your hand (the pinkie finger side) is hovering just above the range. Set the blade on the range and push it away from you, pushing downward only slightly. The blade will skim the burnt-on food right off. Wipe the blade with a cloth every now and then to make scraping easier.

What to do with a broken iPhone 6S/6S Plus screen – CNET

Whoops.
Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET

The iPhone 6S is made of metal and glass — mostly glass. So it’s probably only a matter of time before you drop it on the concrete and end up with a shattered screen (unless you happen to be rocking an ultra-protective Ballistic case, or something).

Assuming you don’t have month-to-month phone insurance, what do you do now? Here are your options.

Get it replaced by Apple

Getting your screen replaced by Apple is easy and surprisingly cheap — possibly even free, depending on the type of damage and whether you’re still under warranty.

Apple charges $129 (plus tax) to fix a broken iPhone 6S screen and $149 (plus tax) to fix a broken iPhone 6S Plus screen. You’ll pay $109 for a broken iPhone 6 screen and $129 for a broken iPhone 6S screen. If you can’t get to an Apple store, you can mail your device in to Apple for a shipping fee of $6.95.

If you purchased AppleCare+ ($99 for two years) for your device, you’ll only have to pay $99 for a screen repair for both the 6S and the 6S Plus. The 6 and 6 Plus will cost $79. But be warned that AppleCare+ only covers two incidents of accidental damage.

Finally, if your phone is still under warranty and the crack in your screen is just a hairline (single line) crack, Apple may replace your screen for free, because in certain cases it considers hairline cracks (without any obvious sign of drop impact) to be indicative of defective glass. You can check your warranty status on Apple’s website.

If you’re going to have someone else fix your device, Apple is probably your best choice: the repair is inexpensive and won’t void your warranty (in fact, Apple will extend your warranty from that day by 90 days). Plus, if you can get into an Apple store, you may be able to convince the Genius Bar to fix your phone for free (even if there’s more than one hairline crack). Assuming you can make a timely Genius Bar appointment, it takes Apple about an one hour to replace your screen.

The main drawback to Apple’s repair service is that if you’re not near an Apple store, you’ll need to send your phone in for service, which will take 3 to 5 days — who wants to go almost a week without their iPhone?

Get it replaced by a third party

You don’t have to go to Apple to get your screen repaired, but going anywhere else will void your warranty (and trust me, Apple can tell if a non-Apple employee has opened up your phone). But if you’re out of warranty anyway, there’s no shortage of third-party Apple repair places eager to get their hands on your shattered screen.

When you’re shopping around for a good repair company, there are a few questions you’ll want to ask before handing over your device:

• How much will it cost?
• How long will it take?
• What type of warranty do you offer?

Because this third-party company will be voiding your Apple warranty, you want to make sure they’ll stand behind their work and parts — the last thing you want is a crack-free but defective screen.

Now that Apple is replacing screens for under $150, it’s difficult for third-party vendors to compete, price-wise. I called a few local repair stores around Los Angeles and got quotes ranging from $100 to $250 for a broken iPhone 6S screen. The main benefit of going to a third party is time. Many will be able to repair your phone in under an hour, and some will even come to your home or office to pick up the device.

Replace it yourself

If you’re short on cash but not on confidence, you can replace your broken screen yourself. Glass replacement kits cost between $10 and $25 online and include everything you need to replace your screen, including new glass, a suction cup tool for removing your screen, pentalobe and Phillips-head screwdrivers, and prying tools. If this sounds too good to be true, that’s because it probably is — glass replacement kits only replace the glass, not the entire LCD touchscreen. Replacing the glass is much more difficult than replacing the entire touchscreen, because you will need to separate the glass from the touchscreen and then glue the new piece of glass onto the old touchscreen.

Meanwhile, a touchscreen replacement kit will cost you between $100 and $150 (here’s one for $145), so it may not be worth it unless you’re keen on taking your phone apart.

There are plenty of videos that will show you how to remove the broken screen, move all the parts (ear piece, home button, digitizer) to the new screen, and then pop the new screen in, all in under 5 minutes, assuming you’re really good at performing touchscreen replacements. If this is your first time replacing a touchscreen, expect to spend a lot longer than 5 minutes.

Of course, the drawback with the DIY approach is that you will void your warranty and you’ll have nobody but yourself to blame if something goes wrong. On the other hand, it’s a $25, 15-minute screen repair! (Or a $100, 5-minute screen repair.) That said, I don’t recommend you go either of these routes — replacing the glass is extremely difficult. According to microsoldering expert Jessa Burdett of iPad Rehab, “one could sooner learn to microsolder components smaller than a human hair on an iPhone motherboard than successfully complete a glass-only screen replacement on an iPhone 6.” Replacing the screen will cost you as much, if not more, than simply taking your device to the Apple store.

Deal with it

If you’re really short on cash, and taking apart your iPhone 6S scares you, you can also just opt to…live with a broken screen. It won’t look pretty, but you don’t need to replace your screen when it cracks, especially if the cracks are around the edges of the screen and don’t interfere with actually using the phone. If you have one or two large cracks that run across the screen, I suggest looking into a glass screen protector such as Tech Armor’s Edge to Edge HD Clear Ballistic Glass screen protector ($20) or Zagg’s glass screen protector ($40) so you don’t cut your fingers as you swipe. (If your screen is absolutely shattered, a glass screen protector will keep you from getting cut, but your phone may still be unusable.)

Editors’ note: This was originally published on March 24, 2015, and has been updated to reflect repair pricing and details for the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus.

SanDisk Extreme 900 Portable SSD review – CNET

The Good The SanDisk Extreme 900 Portable SSD is super fast, and includes both a USB-C cable and a regular USB cable, so it’ll work with all USB ports for the foreseeable future.

The Bad The drive is large and slightly more expensive compared to competing drives. The three-year warranty is too short.

The Bottom Line Rugged, fast and capacious, the SanDisk Extreme 900 Portable SSD is an excellent portable drive.

The new SanDisk Extreme 900 Portable SSD is a much larger, slightly more expensive version of the Samsung Portable SSD T3. It’s extremely fast, supports USB 3.1 and includes a USB-C port. And with two included USB cables (one for USB-C and one for the regular USB port) it’s ready to work with existing and future host devices.

It’s a capacious portable drive that’s a bit bulkier than other SSDs, but is worthy of its current asking price of $300 (around AU$395, £210 converted), $500 ($AU655, £350) or $800 (AU$1050, £550) for 480GB, 960GB or 1.92TB, respectively.

For excellent alternatives, check out the top portable drives on the market.

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The Sandisk Extreme 900 Portable SSD comes with one pure USB-C cable and one compatible UBC cable.

Josh Miller/CNET

The Extreme 900 Portable SSD is not exactly huge, sitting around about the size of a standard portable drive like the WD My Passport. However, it’s about four times the size of the Samsung T3. Despite the surplus in physical size, the Sandisk has slightly less storage space topping at 1.92TB (the Samsung caps at 2TB.)

Similar to the T3, the Extreme 900 is protected by a shock-resistant aluminum and rubber casing. I actually tried tossing it around a bit on a carpet floor and it continued to work fine. Still, like all storage devices, it’s recommended that you handle with care. Speaking of care, keep in mind that the Sandisk includes a three-year warranty, which I find really short for a premium device.

The Sandisk drive comes preformatted in the exFAT file system (so it will work right away with both Windows and Mac computers) and preloaded with security software. Once installed, the software can protect data stored on the drive with 128-bit AES encryption. Keep in mind, however, that if you turn on the protection and somehow forget the password, you will permanently lose access to your data.

SanDisk Extreme 900 Portable SSD specs

The Extreme 9000 has one USB-C port on one side and it supports USB 3.1 Gen 2 which has a top speed of 10Gbps (on paper, at least). The drive also includes two USB cables: one pure USB-C cable (one that has USB-C connectors on both ends) for USB-C ready computers like the new Macbook and another USB-C to USB-A cable, compatible with all existing USB ports. (For more about USB-C, check out this post.)

Samsung debuts the Galaxy Amp Prime on Cricket Wireless

Cricket Wireless has announced the U.S. carrier will sell the 4G LTE-enabled Samsung Galaxy Amp Prime. The 5-inch smartphone running Android 6.0 Marshmallow will make its debut for $149.99 and is targeted at those who live on social media and enjoy hunting down a bargain. Touting a premium S-AMOLED display for rich colors and sharp images, there are ample features packed into this smartphone to make it an absolute steal.

As well as the Amp Prime, Cricket will also launch the Galaxy Amp 2, an entry-level handset with 4G LTE connectivity. This more affordable option will come with a 4.5-inch S-AMOLED display and will be made available from April 15 for just $99.99. Those interested in the Galaxy Amp Prime should be able to head to their local store and pick one up today.