iTunes update delivers ‘simpler design’ with modest changes
Apple is still trying to figure out how to improve the usability of iTunes. Today, the company released an update that tweaked the interface a bit, adding a sidebar and media selection tool that make navigating through libraries a bit easier. That sidebar menu is the biggest and most useful change, bringing back a UI feature from older versions of the app. From there, you can easily edit playlists, drag and drop songs to build playlists and hide or expand parts of the menu.
There’s also a media selection drop-down up top that allows you to jump from music to movies, TV shows, podcasts and more. That change doesn’t really simplify things, it just hides the category icons that used to be always visible in menu that displays one at a time. It does tell you exactly what items you’re looking at with a glance.
One issue that hasn’t been fixed is where to find Apple Music. There’s no menu item specifically labeled for the service, but instead its pieces are separated in tabs For You, New and Connect in iTunes. While reports indicate that Apple Music’s app is in for a major redesign at WWDC, we’ll have to wait and see if that includes how you use the service on the desktop. We’d surmise that Connect tab won’t be around much longer, though, as the social features don’t appear to be very popular.
Today’s update to version 12.4 also mentions the usual generic bug fixes and performance improvements, but doesn’t specifically list the file-deleting bug users have discovered in iTunes. Apple confirmed the issue late last week and said that it was working on a patch to fix the issue. We’ve reached out to the company for confirmation on whether on not the problem has been resolved and we’ll update this post when/if we hear back.
Via: AppleInsider
Chrome will downplay Flash as soon as this fall
We’ve come a long, long way from the time when Google was praising Adobe Flash as if it were a cornerstone of the internet. The internet firm has quietly proposed an “HTML5 by Default” initiative for Chrome that would make Flash more of an if-you-must backup than a must-have. The web browser would pick the HTML5 web standard for content when given the choice — when it isn’t an option, it would ask you to activate Flash. It’d skip that activation prompt for the 10 most popular sites using Flash (currently including YouTube, Facebook and Twitch), but only for a year. You’d first see HTML5 by Default in the open source Chromium browser in the fourth quarter of this year, with regular Chrome likely following soon afterward.
Google has certainly given its share of clues that Flash is on the way out, such as axing some forms of Flash ads. However, this would be the biggest push yet if it’s approved as-is. As the company’s Anthony LaForge says, it’s an acknowledgment of the “maturity” of HTML5. The plugin-free format can deliver a lot of what Flash does, just without the slowdowns, runaway battery consumption, security holes and crashes. Between this and existing HTML5-first efforts from rival browsers, it’s evident that Adobe’s proprietary tech is fading away.
Via: Softpedia, VentureBeat
Source: Google Groups
Windows phones will finally let you log-in with a fingerprint
We’ve know for a while now that Windows 10 would support for alternative log-in options like fingerprint, facial and iris recognition. Thanks to Windows Hello, unlocking a phone with facial recognition is possible, but using a finger to access your device hasn’t been an option. Well, that’s about to change. At the WinHEC conference this week, Microsoft announced that support for fingerprint scanners will be part of a Windows 10 Mobile update this summer.
Of course, that software feature will need hardware to support it. HP’s Elite X3, a phone that doubles as a laptop, has a fingerprint scanner but we’ll have to wait and see if other device makers adopt the Windows Hello tool. Microsoft says while some OEMs have experience with fingerprint components from FPC and Synaptics, using scanners from other companies may take a bit more effort to work alongside Windows 10. The Anniversary Update that will deliver the feature is in testing now, and it should arrive in July for both desktop and mobile.
Via: MSPoweruser, The Verge
Source: WinHEC Presentation (PDF)
Opera’s desktop web browser gets a low-power mode
Opera’s bid to claim loads of web browser firsts isn’t stopping any time soon — the company has released what it says is the first major desktop browser with a power-saving mode. Grab the latest developer version of Opera and you’ll have an option to scale back energy use by tweaking page redraw behavior, background tab activity and video playback. In Opera’s tests, that gets you about 3 hours of extra surfing on a Windows 10 laptop when compared to both earlier versions of Opera and Google Chrome.
Your mileage will no doubt vary based on various factors, such as the PC you’re using and the sites you’re visiting. We’d add that browser power optimizations aren’t completely new, for that matter. Some of Apple’s Safari updates (such as the one in OS X Yosemite) have focused on improving battery life in normal use. Still, it’s not often that you can simply flick a switch to get some extra surfing time. And let’s face it: a little improvement in longevity could be crucial when you’re finishing some school research… or just want to stay in the coffee shop for a bit longer.
Source: Opera
Windows 10 won’t let you share WiFi passwords any more
Remember Microsoft’s WiFi Sense? One of its cornerstones is the ability to share password-protected WiFi networks with contacts, saving them the hassle of logging in when they visit. Unfortunately, though, there weren’t many people enamored with the idea. Microsoft has pulled WiFi Sense’s contact sharing its latest Windows 10 Insider preview build after noting that it wasn’t worth the effort given “low usage and low demand.” It’ll remain intact on slower Insider builds and regular Windows 10 releases for now, but it should disappear for everyone when the Anniversary Update hits in the summer.
This doesn’t mean that all of WiFi Sense is going away. It’ll still automatically connect you to public hotspots based on crowdsourced data, so you’re safe if you primarily use the feature to get online at airports and coffee shops. Even so, it’s hard to avoid that bittersweet feeling: while it’s good to see Microsoft pruning features people don’t use, the decision makes Windows 10 a little more inconvenient.
Via: The Verge
Source: Windows Experience Blog
Facebook opens up its anti-hacker training tool
Companies frequently like to teach the virtues of online security through Capture the Flag competitions, where you’re encouraged to both create hacks and protect against them. Developing those competitions isn’t always easy. However, Facebook is giving trainers an upper hand: it’s open sourcing the code for its own CTF platform, letting anyone host a similar cybersecurity challenge or build on what Facebook has learned. The move should be particularly useful for companies and schools that want to demonstrate the importance of closing security holes and otherwise running a tight ship — you can’t afford sloppy code if you want to win.
It’s no surprise that Facebook would do this when it has a habit of open sourcing anything that isn’t a vital company secret, but it’s still welcome. Also, it’s a very pragmatic move for the company. The more people are participating in CTF games, the more the industry is well-versed in practical security. That, in turn, could both reduce the number of vulnerabilities that affect Facebook as well as let it hire from a more knowledgeable pool of security gurus.
Via: VentureBeat
Source: GitHub
Microsoft won’t bug you to upgrade to Windows 10 after July 29th
Now that Windows 10’s free upgrade period is nearly over, you’re probably wondering how soon those seemingly inescapable upgrade prompts will go away on Windows 7 and 8.1 PCs. According to Microsoft, you won’t have to wait too long. The developer tells WinBeta that it will start disabling the Get Windows 10 app after July 29th, when it’ll cost money to upgrade to Windows 10, and will eventually remove the app entirely. It’ll take time to wind things down, Microsoft says. The software could still pester you for a while, then, but you probably won’t feel quite so much pressure to upgrade after this summer.
Via: The Verge
Source: WinBeta
Apple Music’s social features are reportedly taking a backseat
Earlier this week, reports surfaced that an Apple Music redesign is in the works for WWDC in June. 9to5Mac is now reporting that the massive overhaul also includes less focus on Connect: the service’s social feature that allows artists and fans to interact. When Apple Music was first announced, the app’s tools that would allow musicians to publish updates to listeners was a key part of the reveal. Connect was meant to be a place artists could share exclusive tracks, tour photos and more behind-the-scenes content. However, it doesn’t look like the feature ever became popular among subscribers.
As part of the demotion, 9to5Mac notes that access to Connect will no longer be part of the main menu tab along the bottom of the Apple Music UI. Instead, the feature will reside in the “For You” section along with other recommendations. Artist pages will still display the content as they do now, but no new features are said to be in the works for that socially-focused tool as part of the larger redesign.
This isn’t the first time Apple tried to incorporate social features inside its music apps. Back in 2010, the company announced iTunes Ping, a social network that allowed users to follow friends (and artists), post comments, view custom song/album charts and concert listings. Ping lasted a little over two years before Apple pulled the plug on it.
Source: 9to5Mac
Microsoft’s Windows Store for Business now sells apps in bulk
Microsoft has made it easier for IT administrators to buy apps for all the Windows 10 devices their companies own. Windows Store for Business, which gives these admins a way to distribute applications company-wide, now sells apps in bulk. Companies can easily snap up multiple copies of an app using a credit card, so long as the developer has enabled Organizational licensing for their creation. Bulk selling is available for all developers in the 35 countries where Windows Store for Business is available. It’s also only the first in the list of new features Microsoft plans to launch for the store. Some of its future updates will introduce invoicing, volume discounts and organizational in-app purchases.
Source: Windows Blog
Netflix adds data-saving quality controls to its mobile apps
Back in March, Netflix revealed that it was working on a “data saver” feature for its mobile apps. Keeping its word, the streaming service announced today that the cellular data tool that allows users to adjust video quality to save data is available in its iOS and Android apps. In fact, we’re seeing the new feature in both Netflix apps here at Engadget HQ. By default, the software adjusts video quality to allow for about 3 hours of streaming per gigabyte of data. The company says that tests showed this to be the best balance of data use and quality when streaming over a cellular connection.
In addition to the default setting, there are options for low, medium and high quality streaming that allow for four hours, two hours and one hour of watching with 1GB of data. There’s also a setting for those with unlimited data plans, and if you don’t want to use any of that monthly allotment, you can opt to only stream movies and TV shows on WiFi. Netflix also offered the reminder that even if you choose higher quality in the app, your mobile service provider may place its own limits on bandwidth. Regardless of networks fiddling with quality, these new quality settings should help folks who enjoy an episode of House of Cards on the go, but regularly exceed their data caps.
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