EFF is building a stronger ‘Do Not Track’ browser setting
Despite “Do Not Track” being a standard option on Firefox, Chrome and Safari (but not Microsoft Edge), many unscrupulous advertisers are still secretly tracking the browsing habits of internet users. That’s why the Electronic Freedom Foundation has teamed with Adblock, Medium, Mixpanel and DuckDuckGo to create a stronger standard.
“The failure of the ad industry and privacy groups to reach a compromise on DNT has led to a viral surge in ad blocking, massive losses for Internet companies dependent on ad revenue, and increasingly malicious methods of tracking users and surfacing advertisements online,” Disconnect CEO Casey Oppenheim said in a statement. “Our hope is that this new DNT approach will protect a consumer’s right to privacy and incentivize advertisers to respect user choice, paving a path that allows privacy and advertising to coexist.”
The new standard will work hand in hand with ad- and tracker-blocking software to more fully protect users against commercial snooping attempts. It basically allows domain operators to declare that they’re onboard with DNT so that privacy-protecting software knows how aggressively to block or anonymize communications with the site.
Filed under:
Internet, Apple, Microsoft, Google
Source:
EFF
Tags: adblock, advertising, apple, browser, chrome, DoNotTrack, edge, EFF, firefox, google, microsoft, privacy, projectspartan, safari, security, standards
Xbox Live and ID@Xbox indie games coming to HoloLens
Microsoft’s promise of unifying its disparate platforms with Windows 10 has even more going for it with some surprise announcements ahead of this week’s Gamescom show in Germany. We knew that Xbox Live was coming to the desktop — for free, even — but that extends to HoloLens too. That’s right: online multiplayer, friends lists and your achievements (anything tied to Redmond’s gaming service, from the sounds of it) will be available on the augmented reality headset, according to VRFocus. The site also reports that HoloLens, Windows 10 and Xbox One will share a universal store for apps and the like “in time.” Some purchases will also apparently be pay-once-play-anywhere affairs too. And similar to Microsoft’s push to get Android and iOS developers to bring their apps to Windows 10, the ID@Xbox program will work to court indie game developers and extend across Redmond’s latest operating system, HoloLens and Windows Phone.
No, the news isn’t earthshaking on its own, especially if you’ve been paying attention to what Microsoft’s big push with Windows 10 has been. But, it is interesting and presents a look at just how deep the concept of a shared platform and resources model runs at Windows HQ.
[Image credit: Getty Images]
Filed under:
Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft
Source:
VRFocus (1), (2), (3)
Tags: augmentedreality, gamescom, gamescom2015, gaming, gdceurope, hd, hdpostcross, hololens, id@xbox, microsoft, universalapps, vr, xbox, xboxlive, xboxone
Windows 10 is coming to these Lumia phones first
In case you haven’t heard, Windows 10 is here, and the version for phones will arrive soon. To help you prepare, Microsoft posted the initial list of Lumia handsets that’ll be privy to the free upgrade later this year. The collection of mobile devices includes Lumia 430, Lumia 535, Lumia 640 XL, Lumia 735, Lumia 830, Lumia 930 and others for 10 total. This means that if you own one of group, or have been thinking about picking one up, you’ll be able to grab the new software when it’s released. Of course, Windows 10 Mobile will deliver those universal apps, a retooled Action Center and Microsoft’s new Edge browser. For the full list of phones that will be included in the initial update, jump down past the break. Bummed because your daily driver didn’t make the cut? Don’t fret: this is the first set and there could be more included later.
- Lumia 430
- Lumia 435
- Lumia 532
- Lumia 535
- Lumia 540
- Lumia 640
- Lumia 640 XL
- Lumia 735
- Lumia 830
- Lumia 930
[Image credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Filed under:
Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Microsoft
Via:
ZDNet
Source:
Microsoft
Tags: lumia, microsoft, mobilepostcross, nokia, software, update, windows10, windows10mobile
Buying ‘Gears of War: Ultimate Edition’ gets you past games, too
It’s all well and good that Gears of War: Ultimate Edition lets you relive the original game in the series, but what about the other three titles? Don’t worry — you’ll get those too. Microsoft and The Coalition have revealed that anyone who buys Ultimate Edition between its August 25th launch and the end of the year will also get access to all of the Xbox 360 Gears games through backward compatibility. They won’t look nearly as polished as the remaster, of course, but you also won’t have to dig out your old copies (or buy any games you don’t have) just to follow humanity’s fight against the Locust from start to finish. While it’d be nicer if this offer lasted so long as Ultimate Edition was available, this is still a big deal in an era when some studios are only interested in letting you replay one game from a much larger franchise.
Filed under:
Gaming, Microsoft
Source:
Xbox Wire
Tags: gaming, gearsofwar, gearsofwarultimateedition, microsoft, thecoalition, videogames, xbox360, xboxone
The After Math: Stupid-fast storage and what’s in a Windows number?
Already immersing yourself in Windows 10? Trying to block out the not-so-favorable memories of Windows 8? Good for you. This week involved a new smartphone from a new challenger, and several new smartphone from a once-dominant player. And we don’t mean Nokia, which was busy dipping its toes into the world of VR cameras. Because of course. Slideshow-308185
Filed under:
Desktops, Storage, Science, Microsoft
Tags: aftermath, microsoft, theaftermath, windows, windows10
Uber reaches $50 billion value thanks (in part) to Microsoft
Uber is getting richer and richer. It’s now valued at $51 billion after raising another $1 billion in funding, and it got to this stage two years faster than Facebook did. As always, the ride-sharing service has attracted an assortment of investors during its latest funding round — one of them’s none other than tech juggernaut Microsoft, according to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. While neither company has admitted it yet, Bloomberg says Microsoft has agreed to back Uber to the tune of around $100 million. It’s unclear whether this means they’re pursuing a deeper relationship or if they’re working together on a project or two, at least. If you recall, though, Uber’s snapped up a portion of Bing’s mapping tech back in June, along with a hundred of Redmond’s employees.
Microsoft is neither the first nor the only tech corporation/personality that has invested in the ride-hailing service. Chinese internet giant Baidu jumped in weeks after it was announced that Uber was already valued at $40 billion with an investment that could’ve been as big as $600 million. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos put his money in the company way back in 2011, while Google Ventures backed it with $258 million in 2013. That was years before both companies announced their intentions to develop self-driving taxi services, making them future competitors. In all, Uber now has $5 billion to spend on the aggressive expansion it’s planning in India, China and Southeast Asia.
[Image credit: Getty Images]
Filed under: Transportation, Microsoft
Source: The New York Times, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal
10 best new Android apps and games from July 2015
Summer time is usually a slow time for technology. People are outside enjoying the sunshine while developers and OEMs are preparing for the autumn and winter. Even so, there were still a number of awesome new Android apps and games released this month so let’s check out the best new Android apps and games from July 2015.
Angry Birds 2
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Rovio released Angry Birds 2 this month and has decided that this one would be the actual sequel to the original game. As such there are some game play improvements and concepts that help freshen up the stale franchise such as multi-stage levels and even boss battles. We know that Angry Birds is kind of old and tired, but it’s still a decent time waster that’s free to download and good for kids.
Get it now on Google Play!
Boxer Calendar
[Price: Free]
Boxer Calendar is a new calendar app out of the same developers who released Boxer Email. The calendar app itself is fairly simple with multiple viewing options, Material Design, theming and customization options, widgets, and support for Google and Exchange Calendars. It’s main feature is the ability to send your availability quickly to just about anyone although this does require using Boxer Email. It’s free but do beware of the release day bugs.
Get it now on Google Play!
Five Nights at Freddy’s 4
[Price: $2.99]
Five Nights at Freddy’s 4 marks the second release of the franchise this year. This one kind of goes back to the origin story as you must keep watch over a bedroom while checking the closet, two hallways, and of course the bed behind you. Despite being a very simple game, it’s manages to be quite difficult and it does leave you a bit on edge. It’s a shock value game with a cheap price tag and a high entertainment value if you like scary things.
Get it now on Google Play!
Forsaken World Mobile
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Forsaken World Mobile is an MMORPG that has you going on quests, duking it out with bad guys, and finding hidden treasures. The game play is simple to use and involves either manual movements or tap-to-move while you have a range of stuff to do. It’s an easy game to play with a lot of quests to do. There is also a mount system, decent graphics, and online multiplayer options. It’s a strong option if you’re into MMORPGs.
Get it now on Google Play!
Kodi
[Price: Free]
Kodi, formerly known as XBMC, left beta this last month and is now a standalone release on the Google Play Store. For those who don’t know, Kodi is a full-fledged media center application that allows you to play all of your media as well as install third party plugins for additional functionality. There are some bugs here and there, but for the most part it works very well although smaller devices may not get the best experience.
Get it now on Google Play!
Microsoft Hyperlapse
[Price: Free]
Microsoft Hyperlapse has received a lot of press over the last month thanks to its somewhat unique functionality. This app takes a lot of images in rapid succession and then stitches them together to create a time lapse video. There are other apps that can do this, but this one does better than most and it is a fun little tool to have in the ole app drawer. It’s also totally free with no in-app purchases
Get it now on Google Play!
Tossup
[Price: Free]
Microsoft had a busy month because on top of Hyperlapse, they also released Tossup from their Garage project. This nifty little app helps you communicate with people quickly and efficiently to help set up things like meetings, take a quick yes or no vote, and ask opinions. It suffered from some release day bugs but most of them appear to have been sorted out. It’s not overly powerful, but definitely useful for quick info.
Get it now on Google Play!
Star Wars
[Price: Free]
Disney released an official Star Wars application this last month. It’s most likely in preparation for the upcoming Star Wars movie. The app is meant to act as a hub for all things Star Wars and includes news, updates, and event announcements. The app also comes with a ton of extra stuff for Star Wars fans, including themes, weather, animated GIFs, and a lot more. If you like Star Wars, give this a shot. It is totally free.
Get it now on Google Play!
Vainglory
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Vainglory is a MOBA that was released on Android this last month. It features a variety of heroes which allows for a variety of tactics along with online multiplayer, practice mode, and more. The graphics are pretty decent and the controls are easy enough to get the hang of. The developers have also promised new content and heroes to come on a regular basis which will be nice if they pull through. It’s free to play and actually really good.
Get it now on Google Play!
WiFiMapper
[Price: Free]
Last up this month is WiFiMapper. This is an application that helps you find WiFi hotspots for you to connect to. This is great for those who don’t have home web or are looking for internet on the go. It’s crowd sourced which allows you to add new hotspots as you find them if you so choose. You can also measure how well each one does so you can find the best ones to connect to. It’s had to some release day bugs but it’s otherwise a very useful application.
Get it now on Google Play!
Wrap up
If we missed any great new Android apps and games released in July 2015, tell us about them in the comments below! Also don’t forget to sign up for our Android Apps Weekly newsletter to catch the latest Android apps and games news!
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To see our complete list of Android apps and games lists, click here!
Microsoft’s HoloLens headset will reach developers within a year
When Microsoft said that its HoloLens headset would arrive “in the Windows 10 time frame,” what did it mean, exactly? Thanks to a BBC interview with Satya Nadella, we now have a better sense of when this augmented reality eyewear will show up. The company chief expects developers and enterprise users to get the first version of HoloLens “within the next year” — you won’t be getting one as a holiday gift, folks. It’s not certain just when a personal version will launch, but Nadella describes the overall technology as a “5-year journey” that will eventually branch out to other fields. While that doesn’t necessarily leave you high and dry until 2020, it does suggest that you’ll have to be patient if you want to play some holographic Minecraft.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02yhy3m/player
Filed under:
Displays, Wearables, Microsoft
Source:
BBC
Tags: augmentedreality, holographic, hololens, microsoft, video, wearable, windows, windows10
A look back at Windows through the ages
It’s hard to believe that Windows is 30 years old this year. Originally a graphic shell that sat on MS-DOS, Windows has blossomed over the years to be the visually rich experience it is today. That’s not to say it hasn’t encountered a few pitfalls along the way — Windows ME, anyone? — but despite weathering rivals from the likes of Apple, Microsoft’s pride and joy is still the most widely used personal computer operating system on the planet. In the gallery here, we take a look back at Windows through the ages. Be sure to keep an eye out for a few cameos from Jennifer Aniston, Jerry Seinfeld and, of course, Steve Ballmer.Slideshow-307574
[Image credit: Associated Press]
Filed under:
Desktops, Laptops, Microsoft
Tags: microsoft, windows10, windows10launch
A look at the evolution of modern video game controllers
If anything’s kept pace with how video games have changed over the years, it’s how we interact with them. Our biggest touchpoint with virtual worlds is the gamepad and — akin to how games themselves have evolved from simple 2D affairs into 100-hour-long labyrinths in three dimensions — controllers have changed to accommodate that. What you’ll find in the gallery below is a comprehensive look at gamepads from the past 30-plus years of gaming, including high points and missteps alike.
[Image: Adafruit Industries/Flickr]
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo
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