TechRadar: Software news

Contest: Make TechRadar US laugh and win stuff caption contest

TechRadar — Sat, 25 May 2013 16:45:00 GMT

"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." We often think of this wonderful Douglas Adams quote during crunch time. It helps us crack a smile when we're working late through the night on a review or breaking news post.

Now you can be the one to put a grin on our faces. Just think up a clever caption for this photo and put it in the comment section below.

The funniest comment will win a prize package including a 120 GB Crucial M500 SSD (worth $129.99) and one three-year licence of the System Mechanic software from iolo (worth $149.95).

If you're already registered with TechRadar, make your comment in the comments section of this article. If you're new to TechRadar, registration is easy and takes a few seconds. Here are more instructions about the contest and prizes.

Quick and dirty version of how to play:

Contestants must be registered members of TechRadar.com to participate.
TechRadar U.S. will post a picture on our site (it can be of hardware, the staff, or a tech event).
Contestants can submit their caption for the photo in the comments section of the post.
The funniest comment will win the item.
Only one entry per household.

Make your comment in the comment section below to play. Good luck!

The rules (the short version)

NO PURCHASE REQUIRED TO ENTER OR WIN. Open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and District of Columbia, and to legal residents of Canada excluding Quebec, who have reached the age of majority (usually 18+) in the state or province of their residence at the time of entry. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Contest has one entry period: begins 12:00 a.m. PST on May 10, 2013, and ends at 12:00 a.m. PST on June 10, 2013. See Official Rules for additional eligibility restrictions, prize descriptions/restrictions/values, odds, and complete details.

Google and Microsoft to co-develop YouTube app for Windows Phone

Chris Smith — Sat, 25 May 2013 07:37:00 GMT

Microsoft and Google have put aside their differences and agreed to work together to finally give Windows Phone users an official YouTube app.

Microsoft had incurred Google's wrath by launching its own YouTube app which did not serve advertisements, leading the search giant to demand its removal.

Microsoft responded by saying it would be happy to work with Google, but cannot add advertisements without the company's technical know-how.

It seems the olive branch was well received at Mountain View and the two sides will now align for a forthcoming, shiny, official YouTube app.

Come together

Microsoft said: "Microsoft and YouTube are working together to update the new YouTube for Windows Phone app to enable compliance with YouTube's API terms of service, including enabling ads, in the coming weeks.

"Microsoft will replace the existing YouTube app in Windows Phone Store with the previous version during this time."

During the dispute Google was also a little stroppy about the option to download videos from within the Windows Phone YouTube app, and Microsoft has since removed that feature.

Interview: Microsoft on WP8, Build 2013 and how it will win the cheap phone wars

Michelle Fitzsimmons — Sat, 25 May 2013 00:26:00 GMT

Microsoft skipped out on making major announcements at this year's CTIA, but in a catacomb of meeting rooms beneath the main show floor, Senior Marketing Manager Greg Sullivan made sure the company and its Windows Phone 8 weren't forgotten.

Sullivan's energy about WP8 was palpable; he quickly pointed to IDC figures that show Windows Phone has overtaken BlackBerry for the third spot in the mobile OS race. It's still far beyond Android and iOS, but that did nothing to dampen Sullivan's spirits.

"There's still room to go to get to the top two, but it's one of the dimensions in momentum we're seeing around the platform," he said.

First things were first, however. With no big news at CTIA, we wanted to know why we should pay attention to the mobile operating system during Build 2013, Microsoft's major developer conference taking place in just over a month.

"There will be some talk about [Windows Phone 8] from an app platform standpoint," Sullivan said coyly, noting that Microsoft is taking a different approach to how it addresses updates and issues around the platform in general.

"We used to be in the business of telling you about the next version a year in advance. We're doing less of that, partly because what we have in the market today competes very, very favorably and we feel great about it. So we don't feel like we need to promise what's coming next year. Even to developers, we'll say, 'Let's focus on what we have today because it's one of the best out there.'"

Deep ties

Sullivan steered away from other specifics, but as the reveal of Windows 8.1 draws nearer, expectations are that an update known as Windows Phone Blue (or Windows Phone 8.1) is also on the horizon.

He explained that as the core of Windows is updated, the Windows Phone engineering team builds out the services that go along with their particular platform.

"[Windows Phone] can have lots of updates that don't necessarily relate to the core, but when that core gets updated, we'll take that, and we'll continue to be in alignment with them."

Those who followed this week's Xbox One announcement may have noticed the new console's UI reflects Microsoft's hallmark Metro design, and picked up that there's a kernel of Windows within the system's architecture.

Xbox of course isn't alone among Microsoft's products in having both. With a unified look and a shared core, Sullivan indicated there's more that can be done to mesh the company's products and services with one another.

"We had a group of designers that collaborate across the whole company that thought long and hard about what our point of view is and what are our principles around design. They relate to the interface that first showed up in Windows Phone but is now in Xbox and Windows Phone 8 and web services.

"So you're seeing this consistency on the user experience level, and you're seeing increasingly a compatibility across the app level and a leveraging of the tools and the code that developers can use to target the range of our platforms.

"We're tying our stuff together up and down the stack and across the elements that nobody else is able to, and that's going to be a competitive advantage more and more as we go along."

On the cheap

In the last few weeks, Nokia has debuted two new phones - the Lumia 925 and Lumia 928 - while putting the Lumia 521 up for sale directly on T-Mobile (it's been sold through HSN and Wal-mart already). The 521 is the U.S. variant of the globally available Lumia 520.

Numerically confusing names aside, with a rush of new phones, might Microsoft be concerned in tipping into over saturation? No, said Sullivan.

"We think it's the right approach. One of the things that gets people and the leading edge influencers that really know all the details about smartphone platforms excited about a platform is a steady and frequent cadence of new devices for that platform.

"We see that across the board. Apple is kind of unique there, I would argue, but certainly in the Android space, this kind of frequent delivery of new devices is one of the things that keeps the buzz and excitement around the platform. It's a benefit.

"Nokia has shown that its ability to offer a broad portfolio of devices with a lot of choice is a good thing for customers. And now, combined with our software and the consistency of the experience across that whole range, it's a really powerful selling point. There's a strong argument when we're trying to compete against these guys."

"These guys" in our conversation centered on Android specifically in the feature phone space, a market Microsoft wants to attack with devices like the Lumia 521, which sells for $129 (around UK£85, AU$133) at Wal-mart, $149.95 (around UK£99, AU$155.35) through HSN and now a $29.99 (around UK£19, AU$31.06) down payment at T-Mobile.

"One of the things that's a trend in the industry we're seeing is not just the high-end super phones that get a lot of attention," Sullivan said. "Roughly a third of smartphone purchases in the U.S. in the first quarter of this year were pre-paid. That's a significant increase from the previous year where it was about 21 percent. That dynamic has been true outside of the U.S. where the subsidized model is not as prevalent, but it's increasingly happening in the U.S."

Forty-eight percent of stateside phone owners have feature handsets, Sullivan said, a figure that has Microsoft licking its chops.

Smartphones shipments are expected to outstrip feature phones worldwide this year, according to predictions from display market research and consulting firm NPD DisplaySearch, but MS sees the non-smartphone sector as enough of a reason to pump out more non-high-end devices.

"Yes," Sullivan answered to a should-we-expect-other-cheap-phones question. "The way we think about it is we're not going to solely focus on that segment...but given that this is where a lot of the volume is, and this is a trend that's increasing in the U.S., which is of course a key market that leads from a perception stand point in mobile. Yeah, we'll have more."

Nokia - which Sullivan referred to as a "unique partner" due to its full commitment to the Windows Phone platform - lost out on the feature phone sales in the first quarter of 2013 thanks to cheap Android devices, according to figures from Forbes.

A dedicated push by Microsoft and the phone maker could turn the tables, however. According to a statement sent to TechRadar by Microsoft, Lumia 521 sales are similar to those of the Lumia 520 - "the fastest selling Windows Phone mid-tier device ever" - though we didn't receive any figures.

"There are so many sacrifices you have to make on an affordable Android phone relative to a $129 Windows Phone.

"Once we expand the reach of this kind of offering, it's so dramatically better. Frankly, I was pleased with how bad the experience on affordable Android phones [was], because ours is so great. If people are willing to settle for two-and-a-half-year old software that won't get updated, boy we have a real opportunity to show that they don't have to settle. We can raise people's expectations of what a $129 smartphone can do."

iOS 7 leak reportedly paints picture of flat, monochromatic redesign

Lbrown — Fri, 24 May 2013 19:33:00 GMT

We first learned Apple was going to great lengths to give iOS 7 designer Jonathan Ive the time necessary to complete his overhaul of the operating system earlier this May.

The new iOS 7 is still believed to be on track for a debut at Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference in June, and is expected to be used in the next iPhone later this year.

With WWDC 2013 just a few weeks away, it appears iOS 7 has found its way out into the wild, as sources have given loads of details on the "flat" redesign to 9to5Mac.

Longtime iPhone users may be in for a bit of a surprise, as the leak suggests iOS 7 will be a complete overhaul, and will replace the vibrant look and feel of the phone with a more minimalist, monochromatic approach.

Sleek and simple

The first major change indicated by the sources was a distinct lack of skeuomorphic style, as the fake textures and effects you're so used to seeing will be swapped out with a more basic design sense.

Everything starts with a new Lock screen, where the glossy image and clock have been replaced by a stark black screen with supposed improved gesture controls.

Even the security code pad has been altered, and instead of the familiar overlay, a new interface with round, black keys with white text has emerged.

As an added bonus, new panoramic wallpapers will be a part of the package, and will show different parts of an image on new pages.

Android users have been able to set such wallpapers for a long while, but this gives all those panorama photo takers on the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 a place to display the widescreen memories they've captured.

By merely removing the false shadows and sheen of the standard Home screen, iOS 7 appears to be flatter, though this is part of Ive's concept to deliver an operating system that matches the physical form of the iPhone.

It will be almost immediately apparent just how different everything looks as base apps like Calendar, Camera, Game Center and Safari will be pared down quite a bit from their current incarnations.

App-solutely different

Apps won't only change in their outward appearance, as Ive has also spearheaded the revamp of the programs when opened as well.

Inside, apps like Mail and Messages will feature more uniform looks, with each individual app getting its own signature color highlights to emphasize the white background they will all reportedly share.

Weather will also see a similar re-working, but may also get some minor animated touches for different situations, be it rainy or sunny.

The various storefronts (iTunes, iBook and App) will all be re-washed in a brighter white, rather than the black they have become synonymous with, and Newstand is also believed to be dropping the wood grain, too.

iPhone users who frequently FaceTime should be glad to hear a separate button for the feature will be added, as it was for the iPad and iPod Touch.

Potent Notables

With all the other changes coming, it should be no surprise the Notification tab will also undergo significant retooling.

White text will again star on a dark grey and black pull-down menu, which will no longer feature the linen texture.

You can already get weather, stock and sports information, but Apple is also tweaking Notifications to also include local news, while some other widgets are still being tested.

Most importantly though, a new panel is expected to be included which will feature easy access to Airplane, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth toggles.

Having those not buried under the Settings app should go a long way in making the iPhone even more intuitive for new and long-time users.

All of these major changes fall in line with rumors we've heard before, but we won't have long to wait for WWDC 2013 to see just how Jony Ive has revitalized iOS for a new generation of users.

You've read about iOS 7, but what about the iPhone 6?

Nokia targets the One in second round of HTC patent pile on

JR Bookwalter — Fri, 24 May 2013 17:06:00 GMT

Amidst rumors marketing executives are making a mass exodus from HTC and a release delay of the First in the U.K., the Taiwanese company closes out the week with more legal trouble courtesy of Nokia.

AllThingsD reported Thursday that Nokia has followed up on a year-old patent infringement lawsuit filed against HTC with two new actions this week.

Between a second complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission and a new federal lawsuit in California, Nokia has added nine additional patents for a grand total of 50 infringement claims lobbed in HTC's direction.

HTC had little to say in response beyond its intentions to "consider all legal options to protect our rights."

HTC One ban?

Nokia accuses HTC of shifting any patent infringement blame onto its suppliers - a claim that's falling upon deaf ears.

"We began actions against HTC in 2012 to end the unauthorized use of our proprietary innovations and technologies," Nokia asserted.

"Since then, despite the German courts confirming infringements of Nokia patents in HTC products, HTC has shown no intention to end its practices. We have therefore taken these further steps to hold HTC accountable for its actions."

According to Foss Patents, Nokia's second ITC complaint appears to be aimed at a full U.S. import ban on the HTC One, which is listed as one of the devices implicated.

Six patents singled out in the most recent ITC complaint include delivery of new features, video encoding/decoding, radio frequency components and "app-specific permissions."

We found out some interesting news this week related to the One's microSD, or lack thereof.

How to set up DLP policies with Exchange Online

Mary Branscombe — Fri, 24 May 2013 07:00:00 GMT

Now that basic tools for data loss prevention are built in to Exchange 2013, the E plans of Office 365 give you options for monitoring and blocking personal information in email without having to invest in extra security software.

If you operate in a regulated business or you handle credit card information and customer data, you need to have policies to ensure you're not revealing that information when you shouldn't.

Equally, you don't want to block innocent messages that happen to include strings of 16 digits, or forms that include examples of personal information. So instead of over-simplistic rules you need data loss prevention (DLP) tools.

Exceptions

In addition, you don't want automated policies that can hinder people in their jobs, so it has to be easy to make exceptions for false positives. A smart policy often includes a function for people to explain what's happening.

The DLP policies in Exchange Online 2013 are completely extensible if you want to write your own. But the fast way to get started is by picking standard templates from a list that includes: the PCI Data Security Standard for businesses handling credit cards (PCI DSS); templates for detecting common UK financial data and personally identifiable information like driver's licences and passport numbers; and the main UK data handling regulations.

If you trade internationally, there are also templates for regulations in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Japan and Saudi Arabia.

To use the built-in policy templates, go to the Compliance Management section of the Exchange Administrative Console, choose New DLP policy from template and choose the template from the list.

When you save a new policy, default it to run it in test mode without using policy tips. That lets you see what the policy finds and when it gets triggered without flashing a warning that can affect productivity. If it proves useful, change the mode to enabled.

You can also tweak the rules for how your company works. Is it OK for a few credit card numbers to go out by email for authorised purchases? Or do you need to block all of them?

It might be okay to send a few external emails with personal information, but if someone sends 50 messages you want it to trigger an audit. The policy templates include different rules for responses to a few or a large number of problem messages.

You can also add your own rules for more sophisticated choices. If a document is too long or in the wrong file format, you could block it, forward it to a manager, or encrypt and send it anyway. The latter would work as long as the user fills in a dialogue, confirming that they have reported the block as a false positive or read the company policy on emailing documents on its SharePoint site.

That might be the nicest DLP feature in Exchange Online; it keeps users informed and helps them deal with any issues.

Policy tips

The experience is best in Outlook and Outlook Web Access, which provide 'policy tips' that pop up like the familiar mail tips. Instead of warning users that they've mentioned but not included an attached file, or that they're replying to a message addressed to thousands of people, DLP policy tips warns that they're breaking policy.

It's possible to edit the wording of warnings, so it's obvious this is a real company policy and not some automatic filter they can just ignore.

You can also include a way for users to override the policy and send the message. It's possible to do it from a policy tip in Outlook and Outlook Web Access.

On other devices they get a mail from the server saying what's happened. You can set up a rule that gives them a keyword they can send back to the server to unblock the message; many of the built-in templates let users put 'overide' in the subject line – but that triggers an audit.

Or you might want to apply a workflow that holds the message pending approval from their boss, who receives an email asking them to approve or deny the message. That's also customisable; they can edit the response that goes back to the user telling them their boss has blocked it.

Underlying all this is that, while you can use this technology to detect issues, what you need to fix them isn't just rules and automatic policies – it's good old fashioned management of employees. With Exchange Online, you get the option to have both.

BBC iPlayer for Android update brings support for 10-inch tablets

Chris Smith — Thu, 23 May 2013 22:10:00 GMT

The BBC has issued a new version of its iPlayer app for Android, enabling it to support 10-inch tablets for the first time.

Owners of the Google Nexus 10, and other larger slates had previously been redirected to the BBC website when attempting to use the BBC's catch-up portal.

The update, which is available to download from the Google Play Store today, means all devices from 7-10-inches will now be able to access the full range of TV and radio services.

The company has also promised support for larger slates, like the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is also forthcoming.

Design tweaks

Auntie has also tweaked the design for phones and 7-inch tablets in the new version.

The app offers live TV and on-demand television over Wi-Fi and 3G and also features the new BBC Media Player to enable better playback on Android devices.

AT&T nabs exclusive Samsung Galaxy S4 Aurora Red variant

JR Bookwalter — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:10:00 GMT

Few handsets are hotter than the Samsung Galaxy S4 right now, and AT&T managed to get their hands on an exclusive color that really shows off the heat.

AT&T today announced an exclusive new color for the 16GB Samsung Galaxy S4, arriving online and in stores on June 14.

Available for $199.99 with two-year agreement, AT&T's Aurora Red variant gives the Galaxy S4 a sleek, fire engine red to complement the world's hottest Android handset.

Although the Aurora Red model won't roar into AT&T's online and retail stores until June 14, eager buyers will be able to secure their place in line with a pre-order from either starting Friday, May 24.

Made for speed

While the Aurora Red Galaxy S4 will only come in 16GB capacity, the device features the same 1920 x 1080 Super AMOLED display, packing 441 pixels per inch into its five-inch screen.

Weighing only 4.6 ounces and a mere 7.9 millimeters thin, Samsung's latest flagship handset is powered by a 1.9GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of internal RAM and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

Like the existing 16GB and 32GB colors already offered by AT&T, the latest edition is perfectly matched for the carrier's 4G LTE network, which currently covers more than 292 million people from coast to coast.

Check out Samsung's Your Mobile Life to discover loads more about the infinite possibilities of the GALAXY S4, Note 8.0 and Note II

Along with a similar Arctic Blue variant, the Aurora Red model arrives on the heels of word that Samsung has shipped more than 10 million Galaxy S4 smartphones less than a month after first making them available to the public.

Read more about the Samsung Galaxy S4

In Depth: Best social media analytics tools: 8 of the best to use

Ian Barker — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:30:00 GMT

You can't really be online these days without encountering social media. Whether it's the ubiquitous Facebook, the crowd wisdom of Twitter or sites such as LinkedIn, you're nobody if you don't have some sort of social media presence.

Businesses are increasingly aware of this and are turning to social networks to help market their products and services. But whether you're an individual or a company, how do you go about measuring social media success? Counting how many followers you have only tells part of the story.

Fortunately, there are some tools available that can help you work out if you're winning or losing in the social media game. And here are eight of the best.

1. Klout

Klout measures your influence across a range of websites based on how many people interact with your posts. It then works out an individual Klout score of between 1 and 100, which will go up and down depending on your activity. Other users can recommend your influence with a +K, which helps boost your ranking. Graphical displays show you how your score has changed over the last 90 days, plus there's also a pie chart indicating which sites your influence comes from.

2. Sprout Social

The Sprout Social site is aimed mainly at business users. It enables you to analyse your followers by various demographic measures and helps you schedule posts on your social media profiles at times when they'll be most effective. It can manage multiple accounts and monitor keywords across all social media so that you know when your brand is being discussed. It also helps companies respond to customers by routing messages to the people within the organisation who need to action them. After the 30 day free trial, it costs from US$39 (around £25) per month.

3. Viralheat

Viralheat aggregates all of your social media traffic into a single stream for easy access, and you can sort this using filters. It also enables you to schedule posts, and there's an analytics dashboard. You can use the Explorer tool to search for user names or hashtags. The free personal service supports up to seven social media accounts, and there are paid options for business users. Some features such as keyword searches are only available in the paid versions of the tool, which costs from US$9.99 (around £6.50) per month.

4. Hootsuite

Hootsuite enables you to manage your accounts across the most popular social networks. There's a free version that supports up to five profiles and has limited analytic information. If you want to get more detailed reports you'll need to upgrade to the paid program, which costs £7.19 (around US$11) per month, after a 30-day free trial. This too has an in-built scheduling function so that you can post updates to your accounts when you're not around. You can access Hootsuite functions from the website or there are plug-ins available for the popular browsers.

5. Tweriod

Tweriod is a tool for Twitter that helps you work out the best time to send out tweets. It will analyse your account and produce a graph showing when your followers are online. It can then tell you the times of day to tweet in order to get maximum exposure. The free version is pretty basic and only enables you to run one analysis each month. You can upgrade to a premium account for which pricing is based on how many followers you have.

6. WolframAlpha

WolframAlpha is a "knowledge engine" that generates reports and data on a wide range of topics. It has now acquired a Facebook analytics tool that looks at your account and gives you a raft of information showing where your friends are located, how popular they are and what they talk about. You can also see when you most use Facebook and who are the most important people in your network. The report is free and you can, of course, share the results on Facebook.

7. SimplyMeasured

The SimplyMeasured site offers a selection of free reports on sites including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Google+. Tumblr, Pinterest and LinkedIn are due to be added soon. The reports take a little while to generate and are rather business-focused, but they have useful information about how engaged people are by your activity. You can view your report online or download it in Excel format. There are a range of more sophisticated subscriber reports available to paying users, including the ability to take a complete social media snapshot.

8. Social Mention

Social Mention is rather like Google Alerts, but instead of monitoring the whole web it concentrates on social media sites, and you can choose to focus on particular areas, such as blogs. You can monitor for the appearance of particular keywords and it will give you information on related users, hashtags and more. It enables you to search via the website, receive alerts via email or download a browser plugin. There's also a JavaScript widget that you can use to display Social Mention results on your webpage.

AVG buys PrivacyChoice to extend privacy portfolio

Mark Say — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:44:00 GMT

AVG Technologies has bought online privacy company PrivacyChoice, extending its privacy control portfolio into new business services and social media.

PrivacyChoice provides a group of services for companies for controlling the privacy of their employees when using the internet.

These include functions to scan the use of company websites and mobile apps, to look up trackers by name or domain, and to develop a privacy policy.

It also provides the Privacyfix dashboard through which users can see which companies are tracking them online, which websites may share personal information and which have experienced data breaches.

Tracking

AVG says it can now provide a more complete privacy control service, as Privacyfix combines with its Do Not Track tool, which makes it possible to stop websites from tracking users' movements online.

Jim Brock, CEO of PrivacyChoice, told TRPro: "It's a critical milesone in AVG's overall approach to privacy, which began with the March 2012 launch of Do Not Track and the November 2012 publication of Wide Open Privacy."

The move follows AVG's recent strategic agreement with online data protection specialist Infrascale to provide services for small and midsized businesses.

Samsung Galaxy S4 lands June 7 on Cricket Wireless

JR Bookwalter — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:42:00 GMT

While rival no-contract carriers are only now landing deals for Samsung's previous flagship Android smartphone, Cricket Wireless will start offering the latest and greatest Galaxy next month.

Cricket Communications announced Wednesday that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be available from the company's regional wireless provider beginning Friday, June 7.

Available at Cricket Wireless retail stores, dealers, or online at mycricket.com, the Galaxy S4 will sell for $599.99. And, qualified customers will be able to purchase one for only $54.99 down with monthly payments.

The deal gives Cricket an edge over Sprint-owned prepaid providers Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA, who announced plans yesterday to offer the previous-generation Galaxy S3 in June.

All-inclusive plans

The Samsung Galaxy S4 complements Cricket's $50 per month Android Muve Music Plan, which features unlimited voice, messaging and data with the first 1GB at full 3G speeds.

For only $10 per month more, Android smartphone customers can add 411 assistance, unlimited international text, data backup and mobile hotspot, with the first 2.5GB of unlimited data at full speed.

Speed freaks will be more interested in Cricket's 4G LTE Android Muve Music Double Data plans, which service 21 million potential customers in Philadelphia, Phoenix and Tucson, five regions of Texas, and Las Vegas.

Check out Samsung's Your Mobile Life to discover loads more about the infinite possibilities of the GALAXY S4, Note 8.0 and Note II

For Galaxy S4 buyers located in LTE-equipped regions, Cricket also offers 2GB of full-speed data for $50, 5GB for $60 or a whopping 10GB for only $70.

If you're looking for the best deal on pay-as-you-go phones, read our round up of the Best Prepaid smartphones.

BSA claims software piracy undermines economy

Mark Say — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:55:00 GMT

Companies can help the economy by using more properly licensed software, according to industry group BSA/The Software Alliance.

But it has been criticised for not facing up to the fact that some firms see more advantage for themselves in using pirated software, or at least turning a blind eye to its source.

BSA is citing a study, Competitive Advantage: The Economic Impact of Properly Licensed Software, carried out by the international business school INSEAD. It's claiming that for every 1% increase in the use of licensed software the activity generates about £2 billion in national production, compared with just £469 million when it's pirated.

It estimates that each additional pound invested in legal software there is a £37 return on investment.

Bottom line

Julian Swan, Director, Compliance Marketing at BSA EMEA, said: "Using properly licensed software reduces risk and creates operating efficiencies that go direct to the bottom line for business."

But a past critic of BSA is questioning the validity of the figures and claims the BSA is missing the point for many businesses.

Matt Fisher, Director licensed management solutions firm Licensed Dashboard, said: "Haven't the BSA realised their messaging isn't resonating yet? Making highfaluting claims as to the economic benefits of non-pirated software will do very little to cut piracy.

"It is firms, not abstract 'economies', that need to be shown the value of software since they're the ones that actually use it."

BSA has responded with a defence of the research. Swan told TRPro: "We stand by the study's rigour.

"In addition to educating businesses on the pitfalls of using under-licensed software, this study cogently demonstrates the economic disadvantage of using unlicensed software – which remains an important message for policy makers; a key audience in the campaign to reduce software piracy around the world."

Vimeo and Flickr could be integrated in iOS 7

Jay McGregor — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:43:00 GMT

Reports have surfaced that Flickr and Vimeo will be deeply integrated into iOS 7, after deals were struck between the respective companies and Apple.

9to5Mac claims that an unnamed source has confirmed deep integration of Flickr and Vimeo into iOS 7, allowing users to stay signed in using the dedicated Settings app in the same way current iOS users can with Facebook and Twitter.

With Flickr and Vimeo integration users will be able to upload their videos and pictures directly to the social networking sites without having to fire up official apps.

The report also suggests that Yahoo bosses were in talks with Apple recently as it looked to expose its services to new users – especially since Twitter received a 25% boost in signups after its iOS 5 integration.

Security, escort this app out please

The integration of Vimeo, and Apple's attempt at its own mapping service, suggests a clear shift towards services that aren't powered by Google for iOS 7.

It's a mutually beneficial tactic as Vimeo and the Yahoo-owned Flickr can challenge other, more established, services by getting direct access to Apple's huge worldwide user base, but will it be enough?

Updated: Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie release date, news and rumors

Paul Douglas — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:30:00 GMT

Android Key Lime Pie news

Google's showing no signs of slowing its pace of Android development, with Android 4.0 appearing on the Galaxy Nexus late in 2011, followed in July of 2012 by the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean release that arrived powering the super Nexus 7.

But, forward-looking, update-obsessed people that we are, we can't help but imagine how Google's going to maintain the pace of innovation in its next major release of its mobile OS, Android 5.0.

All we know so far is that Google's working away on the K release of Android, which it's developing under the dessert-related codename of Key Lime Pie. Regarding the version number, it's likely that the Key Lime Pie moniker will be given to Android 5.0. We thought we might find out on 29 October 2012 but as yet there is no official word from Google.

So now as we wait on official news of the Android 5.0 release date and features, we can start to pull together the Key Lime Pie rumours from around the web, with the first sighting of Android 5.0 on a benchmarking website, apparently running on a Sony smartphone. There has previously been speculation that Sony is in line to produce the next Nexus phone, which may lend some credence to this rumour.

FutTv : 2EL54SEu5pojO

Android 5.0 release date

In December 2012 Google announced that its developer conference - Google IO - would take place from May 15 to May 17 2013, a month earlier than 2012's June dates. Given that Google announced Android 4.1 Jelly Bean at 2012's IO conference, it seemed reasonable to expect to see Android 5.0 at this year's event.

On 31 January, a Google IO showing of Android 5.0 looked more likely when screengrabs of a Qualcomm roadmap were leaked, showing Android 5.0 as breaking cover between April and June 2013.

But on 24 April 2013, we read that Key Lime Pie may not make its debut at Google IO after all. Apparently, "trusty internal sources" told a site called Gadgetronica that Google has decided to delay Android 5.0 for two to four months to give hardware makers the chance to properly roll out Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

At the time, we said to take this rumour with a pinch of salt, as even if Google decided not to ship the finished build of Android 5.0 until later in the year, that didn't preclude the company from talking up the new OS at what is, after all, a developer-focused conference.

However, the notion of Key Lime Pie being off the menu at Google IO raised itself again on 26 April when Android 4.3 surfaced in server logs over at Android Police. Those log entries supposedly came from Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 devices running an updated version of Jelly Bean - Android 4.3 - and apparently the IP addresses of those devices trace back to Google HQ. So might that point to a delayed Android 5.0 arrival?

And on 13 May, we got our (almost certain) confirmation that there would be no serving of Key Lime Pie at Google IO from Sundar Pichai, Google's new head of Android. Pichai told Wired that this year's IO is "not a time when we have much in the way of launches of new products or a new operating system". Boo! "Both on Android and Chrome, we're going to focus this IO on all the kinds of things we're doing for developers so that they can write better things," he added.

So now we wait.

Google wasn't entirely quiet on Android 5 at its IO conference, though. As Android Authority spotted, during a session entitled 'Android Protips 3: Making Apps Work Like Magic' Android developer relations tech lead Reto Meier teased attendees with a slide showing an Android eating a piece of Key Lime Pie and later with a game where the options included Jelly Bean and Key Lime Pie.

Android 5.0 phones

Rumours of a new Nexus handset started trickling in during the third quarter of 2012, as we reported on 1 October 2012. There was speculation that this phone would be sporting Key Lime Pie, but sources who spoke to AndroidAndMe correctly claimed that the handset, which turned out to be the Google Nexus 4, would be running Android Jelly Bean.

While the Nexus 4 didn't appear with a helping of Key Lime Pie, speculation that we reported on 21 January 2013 suggested that the Motorola X Phone was the Android 5.0-toting handset that would be revealed at Google IO. According to a post on the DroidForums website, the phone will also feature a virtually bezel-free, edge-to-edge, 5-inch display. The Motorola X wasn't on show at IO but we're still expecting to see it break cover this year.

The same leaked Qualcomm documents cited above also made mention of a two new Snapdragon devices, one of which will be, unsurprisingly, a new Nexus phone.

That Nexus phone is most likely the Google Nexus 5. We weren't surprised that it was absent from Google IO, given that the Nexus 4 only went on sale at the end of 2012.

On Monday 18 March, supposed images of the Nexus 5 surfaced, with the handset apparently being manufactured by LG. If the accompanying specs, leaked along with the photo by the anonymous source, are true, then the Nexus 5 will feature a 5.2-inch, 1920 x 1080 OLED display, 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and 3GB of RAM.

While we warned that a sighting of the Nexus 5 at Google IO was unlikely, rumours that we wrote up on 19 April reckoned that there would be an Android 5.0-powered Nexus 4 launched at the event. Apparently, the revised handset would feature 4G capability and improved storage of 32GB. That rumour turned out to be incorrect as the only handset launched at IO was Google's take on the Galaxy S4, which is running Android 4.2.

Android 5.0 tablets

The original Nexus 7 tablet was unveiled at Google IO 2012, so we thought it possible that we'd see a refreshed Nexus 7 2 at Google IO 2013. The speculation earlier in the year was that Google would team up with Asus for this, as it did with the original Nexus 7. We expect an upgraded display on the new Nexus 7 tablet, while Digitimes is reporting that the 2nd generation Nexus 7 will have 3G service and and range in price from $149 to $199.

We're still waiting to see the Nexus 7 2 as, like the upgraded Nexus phone, this tablet was a now-show at IO.

Samsung's Android 5.0 upgrades

Although Samsung is yet to officially confirm its Android 5.0 schedule, a SamMobile source is claiming to know which phones and tablets will be getting the Key Lime Pie upgrade. According to the source, the devices set to receive the upgrade are the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Note 8.0 and Galaxy Note 10.1.

Android 5.0 features

For 24 hours, it seemed as though the first kinda, sorta confirmed feature for Android 5.0 was a Google Now widget, which briefly appeared in a screenshot on the company's support forum before being taken down. As it was so hurriedly pulled, many people assumed it was slated for the big five-o and accidentally revealed early.

As it happened, the following day, on 13 February 2013, the Google Now widget rolled out to Jelly Bean.

On 28 February 2013, we learned from Android Central that Google is working with the Linux 3.8 kernel, which gives rise to the notion that this kernel might make it into Android 5. One improvement that the 3.8 kernel brings is lowered RAM usage, which would mean a snappier phone with better multitasking.

Android Geeks reported that Google Babble would debut on Key Lime Pie. Babble was the code name for Google's cross-platform service and app with the aim of unifying its various chat services which include Talk, Hangout, Voice, Messenger, Chat for Google Drive and Chat on Google+.

Android Geeks' source also (correctly) said that Google Babble will be supported by devices running Android 2.3 and above, which makes sense given that Google will want as many people as possible on the platform.

A screenshot that we were sent from a Google employee on 8 April confirmed that not only was this unified chat service on the way, but that it was called Google Babel not Babble. The service was to come with a bunch of new emoticons and Google+ built-in so you can jump from Babel chat to hangout. A leaked Google memo on 10 April provided a few more juicy details including talk of a new UI and synced conversations between mobile and desktop.

On 10 May, we discovered that Babel would launch as Google Hangouts, and on 15 May we saw it come to life for devices running Android 2.3 and up. So much for it debuting on Key Lime Pie.

Following an 18 April tear-down of the Google Glass app MyGlass by Android Police, it now looks as though there may be an iOS Games Center-like service coming to Android 5.0.

Android Police found references in the code to functionality that doesn't exist in Glass, which suggests that developers accidentally shipped the full suite of Google Play Services with the Android application package.

The files in the package contained references to real-time and turn-based multiplayer, in-game chat, achievements, leaderboards, invitations and game lobbies.

So it seems that Google Games (or whatever it ends up being called) is real, and we may find out more about it - and whether it will ship with Key Lime Pie - during the Google I/O conference. As Android Police points out "It being including in a shipping product suggests that it's finished and freely floating around Google HQ."

Android 5.0 interface

While this is pure speculation, we're wondering whether Android 5.0 might bring with it a brighter interface, moving away from the Holo Dark theme that came with Android 4.0.

Google Now brought with it a clearer look with cleaner fonts, and screenshots of Google Play 4.0 show Google's app market taking on similar design cues. Is this a hint at a brighter, airier look for Key Lime Pie?

Our Android 5.0 wishlist

While we wait on more Key Lime Pie features to be revealed and scour the web for more Android 5.0 news, TechRadar writer Gary Cutlack has been thinking about what we want to see in Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie. Hopefully the new mobile OS will feature some of these things...

1. Performance Profiles

It's bit of a fuss managing your mobile before bed time. Switching off the sound, turning off data, activating airplane mode and so on, so what Android 5.0 really needs is a simple way of managing performance, and therefore power use, automatically.

We've been given a taste of this with Blocking Mode in Samsung's Jelly Bean update on the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the Note 2 but we'd like to see the functionality expanded.

Something like a Gaming mode for max power delivery, an Overnight low-power state for slumbering on minimal power and maybe a Reading mode for no bothersome data connections and a super-low backlight.

Some hardware makers put their own little automated tools in, such as the excellent Smart Actions found within Motorola's RAZR interface, but it'd be great to see Google give us a simple way to manage states.

Another little power strip style widget for phone performance profiles would be an easy way to do it.

2. Better multiple device support

Google already does quite a good job of supporting serious Android nerds who own several phones and tablets, but there are some holes in its coverage that are rather frustrating.

Take the Videos app which manages your film downloads through the Play Store. Start watching a film on one Android device and you're limited to resuming your film session on that same unit, making it impossible to switch from phone to tablet mid-film.

You can switch between phone and web site players to resume watching, but surely Google ought to understand its fans often have a couple of phones and tabs on the go and fix this for Android Key Lime Pie?

3. Enhanced social network support

Android doesn't really do much for social network users out of the box, with most of the fancy social widgets and features coming from the hardware makers through their own custom skins.

Sony integrates Facebook brilliantly in its phones, and even LG makes a great social network aggregator widget that incorporates Facebook and Twitter - so why are there no cool aggregator apps as part of the standard Android setup?

Yes, Google does a great job of pushing Google+, but, no offence, there are many other more widely used networks that ought to be a little better "baked in" to Android.

4. Line-drawing keyboard options

Another area where the manufacturers have taken a big leap ahead of Google is in integrating clever alternate text entry options in their keyboards. HTC and Sony both offer their own takes on the Swype style of line-drawing text input, which is a nice option to have for getting your words onto a telephone. Get it into Android 5.0 and give us the choice.

UPDATE: Google heard us and this feature appeared in Android 4.2.

5. A video chat app

How odd is it that Google's put a front-facing camera on the Nexus 7 and most hardware manufacturers do the same on their phones and tablets, yet most ship without any form of common video chat app?

You have to download Skype and hope it works, or find some other downloadable app solution. Why isn't there a Google Live See My Face Chat app of some sort as part of Android? Is it because we're too ugly? Is that what you're saying, Google?

6. Multi-select in the contacts

The Android contacts section is pretty useful, but it could be managed a little better. What if you have the idea of emailing or texting a handful of your friends? The way that's currently done is by emailing one, then adding the rest individually. Some sort of checkbox system that let users scroll through names and create a mailing list on the fly through the contacts listing in Android Key Lime Pie would make this much easier.

7. Cross-device SMS sync

If you're a constant SIM swapper with more than one phone on the go, chances are you've lost track of your text messages at some point. Google stores these on the phone rather than the SIM card, so it'd be nice if our texts could be either backed up to the SIM, the SD card, or beamed up to the magical invisible cloud of data, for easy and consistent access across multiple devices.

8. A "Never Update" option

This would annoy developers so is unlikely to happen, but it'd be nice if we could refuse app updates permanently in Android 5.0, just in case we'd rather stick with a current version of a tool than be forced to upgrade.

Sure, you can set apps to manual update and then just ignore the update prompt forever, but it'd be nice to know we can keep a favoured version of an app without accidentally updating it. Some of us are still using the beta Times app, for example, which has given free access for a year.

9. App preview/freebie codes

Something Apple's been doing for ages and ages is using a promo code system to distribute free or review versions of apps. It even makes doing little competitions to drum up publicity for apps much easier, so why's there no similar scheme for Android?

It might encourage developers to stop going down the ad-covered/freemium route if they could charge for an app but still give it away to friends and fans through a promo code system.

10. Final whinges and requests...

It's be nice to be able to sort the Settings screen by alphabetical order, too, or by most commonly used or personal preference, as Android's so packed with a huge list of options these days it's a big old list to scroll through and pick out what you need.

Plus could we have a percentage count for the battery in the Notifications bar for Android 5.0? Just so we know a bit more info than the vague emptying battery icon.

Buying Guide: Father's Day: 10 tech gifts for dad

Matt Swider — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:17:00 GMT

Father's Day gift ideas can be the hardest to come up with because dads like to think that they have it all together and "don't need anything from anything from anybody this year" - and that's an exact quote.

The truth is, there are plenty of gadgets that the old man doesn't know about, as he clutches onto that AOL email address and stock of VHS tapes.

As he enters the world of smartphones and tablets, make his life easier this Father's Day with gadgets that bring him into the 21st century, fresh from the 1980s as if this were Back to the Future Part II.

1. Nest - 2nd-Generation Learning Thermostat

Get it at: Best Buy ($249.99)

Tagline: "A Thermostat for the Smartphone Generation"

If there's one rule that's ubiquitous among dads it's "Don't touch the thermostat." It's sometimes followed by a second Fight Club-esque rule of "Don't touch the thermostat." Thankfully, this year, you can destress dad by getting him the Nest Learning Thermostat as a Father's Day gift.

This auto-scheduling thermostat can program itself by learning your habits every time you (correction: your dad) adjusts the temperature. With auto-scheduling, auto-away, and remote control functionality, Nest can save your family money on the monthly energy bill, too. Dad's not going to argue with that.

2. VueZone Wireless Video Monitoring System

Get it at: Amazon ($159.99)

Tagline: "Meet the easiest way to view your world"

The only thing more important than a thermostat in a dad's home is the home itself. That's why it's important to reassure him that everything's okay at the homestead with a video monitoring system that he can use anywhere in the world via a smartphone.

Introduce him to the hassle-free Netgear VueZone Wireless Video Monitoring System this Father's Day, which includes convenient, wire-free cameras that stick to just about any surface thanks to their magnetized wall mounts. The VZSM2200 starter bundle comes with one motion-detecting camera and the required base station, and more of these tiny cameras can be purchased for a total of 15. Best of all, the new VueZone Night Vision VZCN2060 camera add-ons ensure that your dad's fortress is safe at night time, too.

3. Ancestry.com

Get it at: Ancestry.com ($79 for 6 months)

Tagline: "Ready to discover your family story?"

You've probably heard your dad talk about the old family tree one too many times, and he may have even attempted to map it out on paper - paper which no one knows the location of. Bring all of that work to the web with an Ancestry.com subscription that can preserve your dad's genealogical story and help him discover your family's long-lost roots.

Ancestry.com's comprehensive records search and its ability to upload GEDCOM files will keep dad occupied for several weeks, and the site's new iPhone, iPad and Android apps make it the most technologically driven personal hall of records around.

4. iTouchless 13-Gallon Touchless Trashcan MX

Get it at: Amazon ($72)

Tagline: "A germ free, odor free, automated environment"

Dads hate the never-ending job of taking out the trash - it stinks... literally. And while there isn't an invention that eliminates this task entirely, the iTouchless 13-Gallon Touchless Trashcan MX keeps things nice and tidy in the kitchen.

The neat motion-detecting lid keeps smells where they belong, while a plastic retainer ring holds that always-slipping plastic bag in place. The new MX model is a little more expensive, but its extra-wide opening makes taking out the trash as can-venient as humanly possible.

5. Logitech Harmony Touch Universal Remote

Get it at: Amazon ($199.99)

Tagline: "More than a remote"

If you have more than one remote for your entertainment system, you're doing it wrong. That's the idea behind Logitech's controller-condensing line of Harmony remotes, which can course correct dads who typically try to turn the channel up only to have the audio max out to a deafening level.

The Logitech Harmony Touch is the latest among them, featuring a color touchscreen that brings the total physical button count to under 30. With intuitive TV station icons to switch channels and gesture controls to move about the menus, Logitech makes your dad the master of his TV domain again.

6. Garmin nüvi 2597LMT 5-Inch GPS with Lifetime Maps

Get it at: Crutchfield ($219.99)

Tagline: "Real navigation"

Stop dad from having to stop and ask for directions - and for the rest of the day question his manliness for doing so - with a new GPS system like the Garmin nüvi 2597LMT GPS. A dedicated GPS device like this is always better than juggling a smartphone with navigation system, which may be illegal in your state under distracted driving laws.

Even if your dad already broke down and purchased a GPS unit a few years ago, there's a good chance that it doesn't have lifetime maps, traffic and Bluetooth, and is therefore outdated. The nüvi 2597LMT will literally bring him up-to-speed with its handy speed limit display and course-correct him with its lane-assist functionality, features that weren't on early GPS units.

7. iDevices iGrill Grilling/Cooking Barbecue Thermometer

Get it at: iGrill ($79.99)

Tagline: "Now you're cooking"

Your dad may claim to be the grillmaster, but iDevices' iGrill will hold him accountable as to whether or not his barbecuing skills are up to the right temperature. The newest version of the iGrill has two meat probes so that the Q in his BBQ doesn't stand for "Questionable."

He can also walk away, up to 200 feet, from the grill or oven thanks to the iGrill's Bluetooth support. The free iOS and Android app mean that only Windows Phone 8-owning dads should have burnt burgers and dogs this summer.

8. ZOMM Wireless Leash Plus

Get it at: Zomm ($79.99)

Tagline: "Alarmingly Smart"

We're all bad at keeping track of our belongings, namely keys and cell phones, but dads seems to be notorious for losing these items. That's why the Zomm Wireless Leash Plus is the ideal Father's Day gift for absent-minded dads.

This keychain-sized security device can be wirelessly tethered to any Bluetooth phone, allowing dads everywhere to recover their keys from their phone, or phone from their keys. An extra level of protection comes by the way of its one-button emergency assistance feature that allows him to get in touch with 911 during emergencies.

9. Pivoting Deluxe LED Fogless Shower Mirror

Get it at: ToiletTree Products ($49.95)

Tagline: "Fogless For A Lifetime"

Fog. It's that first-world problem that won't go away. You can solve the indiscriminate nuisance of hot water vapor for dad by buying ToiletTree's Pivoting Deluxe LED Fogless Shower Mirror for him this Father's Day.

Its patented water chamber design is "guaranteed" to keep the mirror fog-free for life and its LED lights keep his 9.5-inch by 7.5-inch reflection illuminated. The mirror's silicone adhesive also makes mounting it easier than other products out there. The competition tends to use unreliable suction cups, which is like saying "Here, dad, have seven years of bad luck. Happy Father's Day."

10. Rokbed v3 Golf Shooter

Get it at: Rokform ($129)

Tagline: "Precise, consistent, down the line view"

Be a caddy to daddy by surprising him with the Rockbed v3 Golf Shooter in his golf bag this Father's Day. Its club-like stand is designed to be embedded in the grass at the bottom and hold his iPhone in place at the top.

With it, your dad will be able to take accurate recordings of his golf swing - with the intention of getting him above par. Used by techy golf instructors, this golf-themed mount for iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S also eliminates the need for you to follow your dad around the golf course with a camera all day long.

No contract Samsung Galaxy S3 from Boost, Virgin in June

JR Bookwalter — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:58:00 GMT

For postpaid subscribers, the Samsung Galaxy S3 may be last year's news, but the prodigal son is about to make a triumphant return courtesy of Sprint's prepaid brands.

Sprint owned Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA announced Tuesday that the Samsung Galaxy S3 will be offered as a pre-paid device on their services starting next month.

The Galaxy S3 joins other 4G LTE-equipped devices from Samsung and HTC for Boost and Virgin customers in 88 markets, while remaining backward compatible with existing coast to coast Sprint 3G service.

Specific date(s) in June have yet been announced, and the no-contract carriers plan to reveal pricing closer to actual release.

Boost adds virtual wallet

In a separate announcement, Boost Mobile also announced immediate availability of a Mobile Wallet app powered by Wipit, which turns Android smartphones on its network into a virtual wallet.

Billed as a "full-service virtual wallet," consumers will be able to load cash into accounts at any Boost authorized retail location, send up to $999 at once to more than 135 countries, pay bills or top up pre-paid wireless accounts from anywhere in the world.

Boost Mobile Wallet also includes a traditional pre-paid Visa debit card linked to each account for withdrawing money from an ATM machine or making a purchase anywhere Visa cards are accepted.

Check out Samsung's Your Mobile Life to discover loads more about the infinite possibilities of the GALAXY S4, Note 8.0 and Note II

The free Boost Mobile Wallet app is now available from Google Play, although service is currently limited to select retailers in Los Angeles, San Diego and parts of New Jersey, with a national rollout planned for this summer.

Read more about Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA

Google Checkout calls it a day, Google Wallet waltzes into town

Jay McGregor — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:37:00 GMT

Fans of Google Checkout (do they exist?) will be dismayed to hear that the service is finally being retired, with Google Wallet acting as its replacement.

The news was announced on the Google Commerce blog, but little information was given as to why the transition was taking place.

Justin Lawyer, Senior Product Manager of Google Wallet, said that Google Wallet is "a platform that enables merchants to meet the demands of a multi-screen world where consumers shop in-stores, at their desks and on their mobile devices."

Out with the old, in with the few

The announcement was also accompanied by some regurgitated Wallet updates including the Instant Buy API, which allows people to purchase items online in a few clicks, and the Wallet Objectives API, which allows merchants to engage their customers with offers.

Merchants will be able to use Checkout until November 20 2013, after which all payments will be processed via Wallet.

Google assures us that customers will experience no difference in service and should be able to make purchases just as they did with Checkout.

HTC One looks set to get Jelly Bean treatment

Jay McGregor — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:37:00 GMT

An HTC developer has tweeted that Jelly Bean 4.2.2 will be available to HTC One users within a matter of weeks.

Described as a "notorious insider" by GottaBeMobile (we're not sure if that's a compliment or not), developer @LlabTooFeR let slip that the Jelly Bean update will be available at the "end of this month, beginning of the next".

TechRadar reported yesterday that the Jelly Bean test firmware for the Galaxy S3 had leaked online, so this looks like further confirmation.

One step forward...

If this turns out to be true, it should placate HTC One owners annoyed that the device came with an OS released in July last year.

There are, however, rumours that Android 4.3 could be arriving soon, which would put HTC One users behind the times once again.

HTC hasn't officially confirmed whether or not the HTC One will be receiving the 4.2.2 update.

Find out why TechRadar loves the HTC One in our five star review

Forrester predicts no rush to Windows 8

Mark Say — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:12:00 GMT

IT departments are in no hurry to make Microsoft's Windows 8 their standard operating system, according to analyst house Forrester Research.

In a report on the prospects for Windows 8, Forrester says that early interest in the business world is only half that of Windows 7 and that a handful of factors are working against it.

Many IT chiefs don't see Windows 8 as an improvement or a way to save money, they see iOS as the preferred operating system for tablets, and many employees are more interested in iOS and Android devices.

Windows 8 received some favourable reviews on its release last year, but reports suggest that the radical change from earlier systems has turned off a lot of potential buyers. In April analyst firm IDC said disappointment with the operating system had contributed to a worldwide slump in PC sales.

Slow migration

Forrester says that if Windows 8 is to become the standard for business it should be used on about half of company issued PCs by the time the next version of Windows hits the shelves – as did Windows 7 – but it doesn't believe that will happen.

In addition, Forrester says that most companies still using Windows XP are looking to move to Windows 7 before support for the older system is withdrawn in April 2014.

But there is a bright spot in the firm's Forrsights Workforce Employee Survey for the fourth quarter of 2012, which shows that 38% would prefer to use Windows 8 on their work computers over 37% for Windows 7.

This suggests that companies should make provision for supporting Windows 8 even if it is not their standard.

Microsoft is reported to be planning updates to Windows 8 before the end of the year.

Sky Sports app for iPad gets 20 replay angles for Champions League Final

Chris Smith — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:11:00 GMT

The Sky Sports app for iPad has received a rather fancy new update, ahead of this Saturday night's Champions League Final at Wembley Stadium.

Users of the app, which is free for Sky Sports subscribers, will be able to view goal replays from upto 20 angles on the second screen, while watching the game on their television sets.

As well as unprecedented access to footage shot by cameras all around the ground, iPad owners will also be able to control the speed of the replays and access the goal-line cameras.

The update, which is available now, effectively gives users the same level of control over replays as those who enjoy the odd game of FIFA Soccer on a gaming device.

Premier League next?

Those turning in on Sunday will be able to find this bonus coverage within the Champions League Event Centre section of the app.

David Gibbs, Director of Sky Sports Digital Media, said: "This is great news for the Sky Sports for iPad app, which keeps getting better and better.

"This is about putting the technology into the hands of the viewer and allowing them to recapture the big moments in the final. It's the first time we've offered this through our app and it's another example of our investment in the Sky Sports viewer's experience."

Sky is yet to confirm whether the update will also be part of its Premier League coverage next season, but that would be kinda nice wouldn't it?

GS1 and Open Mobile Alliance call for input on barcode specs

Kane Fulton — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:07:00 GMT

Supply chain standards organisation GS1 and the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) are calling for input into their work on a new set of barcode specifications to support developers in providing scanning apps for mobile devices.

The two organisations aim to launch the new specifications next year. They already have a number of companies onboard, including Fujitsu, NEC and AT&T, and are now asking others to join in.

GS1 and OMA are basing the work on existing standards to make it easier for application developers to link apps to trusted content and to release them more quickly and at a lower cost.

Potential

They say the new spec should enable mobile manufacturers and network operators to build handsets with the following capabilities:

Universal scanning of standardised barcodes.
Built-in code scanning using a smartphone's camera, including from within third party apps through an application programming interface (API).
Linking barcodes with content trusted by the codes' owners.
Support for collection of user analytics.

GS1 and OMA claim the this will make it easier for application developers to link apps to trusted content, as well as releasing them quicker and at a lower cost.

They say consumers will benefit through a new generation of more intuitive applications.

GS1 manages the system of product barcodes used by nearly 2 million companies on billions of products across the world. It has been working with the OMA, which creates mobile standards and APIs, since 2011.

A GS1 representative told TRPro: "Current application developers need to build or licence bar code scanning software for their apps, which adds extra complexity and maintenance to their development. Being able to exploit a capability that is already built into mobile devices will make this simpler."

They added: "The new standard will be created by the OMA with active contributions from relevant companies and from GS1."

Fragmented ecosystem

Bryan Sullivan, OMA Board of Directors Vice Chairman, said the industry is working with a barcodes ecosystem that is fragmented by non-standard solutions.

"This specification will enable application developer innovation for the mCommerce and mobile advertising industry, allowing companies to develop interoperable and scalable applications," he said.

A study by Comscore in September found that the UK ranks below Spain, Italy, Germany and France in terms of the number of smartphone users scanning Quick Response (QR) codes with their mobile devices. France had the most number of users, while Spain ranked as the fastest growing market.

Updated: Best antivirus: 11 home security suites reviewed and rated

Mike Williams — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:03:00 GMT

It's no secret that the web is a dangerous place, and a good antivirus package is a must-have for pretty much every home PC that could be used by the whole family.

If you're short of cash, then there are plenty of quality free alternatives around, as we highlighted in our Best free antivirus software feature.

Of course the free antivirus tools don't offer quite as much functionality as their most costly cousins, though. And independent testing also reveals that commercial packages will often (although not always) deliver the best protection. So if you're looking for the maximum security then you should at least consider a paid package.

Here we've found 11 of the best home antivirus tools available for you to buy, listed in price order.

1. F-Secure Anti-Virus

£19.95/US$39.99 (around AU$30) - 3 PCs, 12 months

While some companies try to win you over by the length of their feature list, F-Secure Anti-Virus takes a more back-to-basics approach. There's no anti-phishing support here, no icons in your search engine results, no real browsing protection at all. The program is solely about monitoring your PC extremely closely, detecting and removing any threats before they can cause any harm.

This focus seems to be working, too, with the F-Secure engine coming at or near the top of the list in recent testing by both AV Comparatives and AV-Test. Virus Bulletin don't report quite as impressive results, and we found the program delivered more false positives than we'd like.

Still, at half the cost of many competitors - and to protect 3 PCs, not just one - there's no doubt that F-Secure Anti-Virus is an exceptionally good deal.

Score: 4.5/5

More info on F-Secure Anti-Virus

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2. Avira Antivirus Premium 2013

£21.99 (around AU$33.50/US$34) - 1 PC, 12 months

At almost half the price of some of the competition, you might expect Avira Antivirus Premium 2013 to be a little underpowered. But yet, if anything it offers more features than most, with the program including a browser tracking blocker and highlighting dangerous websites in your search engine results, as well as delivering all the real-time protection you'd expect from an antivirus tool.

The package is also a little more complex than some others, just marginally more likely to slow you down (though you'd probably need to be using a stopwatch before you would notice). But test results are generally above average, particularly for file detection. We've found the program performs well in real life, and on balance Avira Antivirus Premium 2013 is a good value for money choice.

Score: 4/5

More info on Avira Antivirus Premium 2013

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3. BullGuard Antivirus 2013

£24.95 (around AU$38/US$39) - 1 PC, 12 months

If your inbox is always overflowing with junk, then BullGuard Antivirus 2013's bundled spam filter may seem appealing. The program also scans web links in your search engine results and social networking streams for potential danger, while of course monitoring everything you download and access for malware.

But the spam filter isn't particularly accurate, unfortunately. We found the browsing protection to be only average. And while the independent testing labs generally give the package solid scores, well inside the top 10, they're also not exceptional.

Put it all together and BullGuard Antivirus 2013 is a capable package, perhaps worth using if you like the company, but otherwise you'll find better programs elsewhere.

Score: 3.5/5

More info on BullGuard Antivirus 2013

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4. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2013

£24.95/AU$59.95/US$39.95 - 1 PC, 12 months

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2013 offers all the usual antivirus detection, watching everything you do for potential threats. But that's just the start. Its USB Immunizer tries to prevent malware from infecting your USB flash drives. And the program also provides a host of web tools, checking social networking links, warning you of risky sites in your search engine results and preventing access to known phishing sites.

The Bitdefender engine is rated consistently highly by the independent testing labs, too, generally appearing in the top five.

You may see a small impact on your PC's speed performance, but Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2013 is still an excellent package at a great price. And its value only gets better if you want to cover more packages: a 3-PC licence can be yours for £29.95 / AU$74.95 / US$49.95.

Score: 4.5/5

More info on Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2013

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5. G Data AntiVirus 2014

£29.95/US$29.95 (around AU$45) - 1 PC, 12 months

It may be one of the more expensive packages here, but G Data AntiVirus 2014 does come with plenty of features. As well as all the regular antivirus functionality (on-demand and real-time scanning, behaviour monitoring, hourly updates), the package includes extra tools to help secure your online banking and shopping activity, an app for your Android tablet or smartphone and even a tool to improve your PC boot time.

What's more, all this technology really delivers. Independent labs seem to love G Data, with recent additions regularly coming in at (or close to) the top of the list for both raw detection rates and real-world protection.

If there's a small down side, it's that reports suggest G Data will slow your PC down a little more than some of the competition. We doubt it'll be enough that you'll notice, though, and if you need maximum protection then G Data AntiVirus 2014 looks like a great choice.

Score: 4.5/5

More info on G Data AntiVirus 2014

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6. Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2013

£29.99/AU$39.95/US$39.95 - 1 PC, 12 months

Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2013 is a good all-round package, which manages to tick all the main antivirus boxes: easy to set up and use, check; on-demand and real time scanning, check; highlighting of dangerous web links, check. There's a virtual keyboard to help you bypass keyloggers. And the new edition has plenty of welcome optimisation options (smaller and faster updates, reduced battery drain on laptops, and more).

This all works very well, too. The program does a great job of preventing access to malicious websites, and we found it offered capable and effective antivirus protection. Testing labs also rate Kaspersky highly.

There is a minor performance hit to your PC, and the price isn't the best, but on balance Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2013 is a solid and reliable security choice.

Score: 4/5

More info on Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2013

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7. Avast! Pro Antivirus

£29.99/AU$49.99/US$39.99 - 1 PC, 12 months

While most antivirus tools rely on detecting and blocking malware before it runs, Avast! Pro Antivirus provides a second line of defence. The program's sandbox means suspicious programs can be launched, but in an isolated environment where they can't infect your system, which is an excellent option that could protect you from even the latest, undiscovered threats.

Avast's more standard antivirus technology is a little more ordinary, at least in comparison to the commercial competition. The most recent independent testing places Avast! in the low end of the top 10, and our own tests show reasonable, but not outstanding performance.

Still, it's a capable program, and the sandbox alone could protect you from threats that other tools will never recognise. Avast! is definitely worth considering.

Score: 3.5/5

More info on avast! Pro Antivirus

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8. AVG AntiVirus 2013

£29.99/AU$51.50/US$39.99 - 1 PC, 12 months

Every antivirus package needs a little something extra to help it stand out from the crowd, and AVG AntiVirus 2013's standout extra is probably its Android support, with antivirus and theft protection available for your Android smartphone or tablet.

The core features are unfortunately a little more ordinary. We found the package offered only average antivirus and online protection, and independent testing further shows AVG dropping to the lower end of the top 10 lists.

Of course this still isn't bad at all, but the problem for AVG is that it gives a basic version of its product away for free. And this makes it its own biggest competitor, because even if you like AVG, there's really not enough in this version to justify the extra cost.

Score: 3/5

More info on AVG AntiVirus 2013

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9. Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus Plus

£39.95/AU$59.95/US$39.95 - 1 PC, 12 months

Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus Plus stands out immediately for its strong social networking protection. Not only does the product highlight dangerous links in your Twitter and Facebook streams, it also works with Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, MySpace, Mixi and Weibo.

There's a Facebook Privacy Scanner to help properly evaluate and control your Facebook privacy settings. And you get more general (and very effective) blocking of antiphishing websites, too.

The independent labs tend to give the program good ratings for its core protection, and we've also found Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus Plus delivers when it matters. So although it's relatively expensive, if you need the extra social networking tools then the program could be worth a look.

Score: 4/5

More info on Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus Plus

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10. Norton AntiVirus 2013

£39.99 - 3 PCs, 12 months - or AU$59.99/US$49.99 - 1 PC, 12 months

Symantec's baseline security tool monitors your downloads, emails, instant messages and more for malware, looking to block malware before it can do any damage. There's also simple web protection, with the package checking a website's reputation, and letting you know if there are any problems. The standard package in the UK covers three PCs for one year, which is much better value than some of the competition - though in the US and Australia the standard package covers one PC for a year.

There have been some recent disagreements about the tool's effectiveness. AV Comparatives ranked the Norton engine very poorly for file detection in one test, but Symantec has questioned the validity of those figures, and labs such as AV-Test still place Norton in their top 10.

One area where the package really does excel, though, is in its impact on your PC. Believe what you read in some places online and you might think Norton's packages are "overweight" and "bloated", but this idea is very out of date. These days they install quickly, use minimal system resources, and testing from companies such as PassMark regularly shows they're among the most lightweight security tools around.

Score: 3/5

More info on Norton AntiVirus 2013

11. ESET NOD32 Antivirus 6

£29.99/AU$51.50/US$39.99 - 1 PC, 12 months

ESET NOD32 Antivirus 6 is a solid antivirus package which aims to keep you safe from a wide range of threats. The core engine watches the programs you run, your downloads, emails and more, looking out for and blocking threats. An antiphishing module detects and prevents access to malicious websites. And removable media control allows you to optionally block USB keys and other removable devices, so reducing the chance of infection, and making it harder for snoopers to copy files from your PC.

The independent testing labs can't quite agree on how effective all this technology really is, unfortunately, but the results are generally positive: even the worst results say ESET NOD32 Antivirus 6 is a good mid-range product, and the best say it's very good indeed.

One area where everyone seems to score the program highly is in usability. The program seems far less likely to raise false positives, block legitimate programs and generally get in your way, and if that's high on your list of priorities then you might want to give NOD32 Antivirus 6 a try.

Score: 3/5

More info on NOD 32

Aruba Networks picks up apps for maps developer

Kane Fulton — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:08:00 GMT

Aruba Networks has acquired Meridian Apps, a US start-up that offers an app-making platform for creating indoor map services for mobile devices, for an undisclosed sum.

It's aiming to bring Meridian's platform together with its own wireless technology for smartphones and tablets to enable businesses to create services that combine locations with information gathered from users' devices.

This could enable businesses to send details of in-venue promotions and discounts, along with directions on how to find them, to customers' mobile devices.

Meridian's software is aimed at public-facing businesses including shops, retail centres, transport hubs and museums.

They can use the platform to create custom-branded apps to help people find what they have to offer, and detailed analytics about visitors' travel patterns.

Revenue enabler

Aruba recently revealed "disappointing" results for its latest financial quarter, which saw revenue decline 5% quarter-on-quarter to $147.1 million (£96.7 million), while product revenue decreased 7% quarter-on-quarter to $121.2 million (£80 million).

On a conference call with analysts, Aruba co-founder and CTO Keerti Melkote said the addition of Meridian will let enterprises "tap into all their information so that they can better engage with customers with personalisation and real time analytics".

He added: "This is a clear opportunity for Wi-Fi to become not only an enabling platform for 'bring your own device' but now across industries, a revenue-producing, customer engagement platform for the business."

Updated: Best browser: which should you be using?

Gary Marshall — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:45:00 GMT

Competition among browsers is more fierce than ever. Chrome and Firefox release 72 new versions every week, Microsoft has redesigned Internet Explorer to make it finger-friendly, and as we all race to tablets and smartphones we're being tempted with all kinds of alternatives to systems' stock browsers.

But which is the best browser for you and your hardware? Let's find out.

We tested the latest official releases of the big browsers - Internet Explorer 10, Firefox 19, Safari 5, Chrome 25 and Opera 12 - on a Core i5 PC running Windows 8 Pro. It's worth noting that Safari on Macs running OS X Mountain Lion is at version 6, but the PC version and older Mac versions are one behind.

Whether you've got a Windows PC, Mac OS X laptop, an Android tablet or something in between, we've got it covered.

The best browser for speed

Every browser we tested felt perfectly snappy in everyday browsing, but as ever we put them through the Sunspider benchmark tests to see how well they fared. IE raced through the tests in 97ms in desktop mode, while the touch-based IE took 113.7 milliseconds. Those numbers are amazing: it wasn't that long ago that IE benchmarks were measured in millennia.

Chrome was next, at 147.2ms, Firefox was narrowly behind with 176.6ms, Opera scored 180.5ms and Safari was narrowly beaten into last place with 182.7ms.

Download Internet Explorer 10

The best browser for add-ons

Firefox has always been the king here, its combination of add-ons, App Tabs for web apps and Greasemonkey scripts making it the power user's friend. That's still the case, but Chrome is catching up fast, its Web Store positively packed. Apple and Microsoft's selections are fairly thin, but Opera's selection includes commonly used add-ons such as ad blockers, password managers and so on.

Opera deserves a special mention here because it's more than just a browser. It has integrated email, newsgroups and IRC chat, the Opera Unite file server, Opera Turbo to improve performance on crappy mobile connections, and Sidebar-style widgets for games, web applications and utilities.

Download Firefox 19

The best browser for Windows 7

Safari simply doesn't cut it in this company: it's last year's browser, the slowest here, and we don't like the user interface very much. There's nothing particularly wrong with it, but there's nothing particularly right with it either.

Long-term browser battle fans will be highly amused by IE's performance these days: it's really, really quick, comfortably ahead of its rivals, and now everyone's making their browsers as minimalist as possible there's no horrible UI to get angry at unless you start going crazy with third-party toolbars. Please don't. For sheer speed on Windows 7 PCs, IE is the browser to go for.

Download Internet Explorer 10

The best browser for Windows 8

If you're sold on the new touchy-feely direction of Windows 8 then Internet Explorer is the star, at least in Metro/Modern mode: it's a very nice touch-based browser, although it doesn't support Flash. Firefox has a Metro version in development, but it's not quite ready for prime time just yet.

In desktop mode it's the same story as with Windows 7: Safari knocked out first, IE winning on sheer speed and Chrome and Firefox competing on syncing and extensions support.

Download Internet Explorer 10

The best browser for Windows XP

Internet Explorer takes an early bath here, because it no longer supports Windows XP or Windows Vista. Our pick here would be Chrome: its system requirements are tiny (Pentium 4, 100MB of disk space, 128MB of free RAM), making it particularly good on even very modest hardware.

Download Chrome 25

The best browser for OS X

We tried the main browsers on a Core i5 iMac, and while the results were similar on paper - Safari went through Sunspider in a reported 197.4ms, only slightly behind Chrome's 164ms and slightly faster than Opera's 201ms and Firefox's 204ms - the reality was different: where the other browsers raced through Sunspider in a matter of seconds, Safari took several minutes.

We also found its performance nose-dived when we had more than a handful of tabs open, and opening image-heavy sites such as Tumblr archives was a fairly reliable way to kill it completely. The other browsers felt noticeably nippier visiting the same sites.

There's more to the browsers than just speed, of course. Safari offers a clutter-free reading mode, Reading List for reading interesting things later on and iCloud syncing with iOS devices; Firefox has Firefox Sync; Opera has the Unite file sharing system and Visual Tabs and so on.

For simply browsing we think Chrome has the edge here, but you might find that your chosen sync service - iCloud? Firefox? Chrome? - makes the browser choice for you.

Download Chrome 25

The best browser for privacy

While each browser offers a decent range of privacy protection, they're not all enabled by default - so for example Firefox's Do Not Track button is unchecked when you install it, and so is Opera's.

Safari for Windows doesn't have a Do Not Track setting - as we've already said, it's a comparatively old browser - and Chrome buries its privacy controls in the Advanced Settings section.

We like Microsoft's approach here: its Tracking Protection Lists offer something more useful than a broad-brush Do Not Track system, enabling you to block specific kinds of tracking such as advertisers who really want to flog stuff to your kids.

Download Internet Explorer 10

The best browser for HTML5

HTML5 is the lingua franca of the modern web, and the better your browser's standards support the happier your online life will be. Using HTML5test.com, which awards up to 500 points for standards compliance, we found Chrome the clear winner with 448 points and 13 bonus points.

Opera had 404 and 9 bonus points, Firefox 393 and 13, Safari (OS X) 393 and 13, Internet Explorer 320 and 6, and finally Safari (Windows) had just 278 and 2 bonus points.

Download Chrome 25

The best browser for Android

Android users are spoilt for choice these days. In our head-to-head of the best Android browsers, several apps shone.

Chrome shone for its speed and its integration with its desktop sibling; Dolphin Browser HD for its bulging features list; and Skyfire for its many bright ideas. Once again Chrome has the edge here in the speed stakes, but it's worth looking at rivals' features before committing to it.

Download Chrome for Android

The best browser for iPad

The lack of tabs in Apple's Safari drove us daft on the original iPad, but now it's got tabbed browsing and iCloud syncing we think it's the best browser on the platform, especially on the newest devices.

In our experience it's faster and more reliable than iCab Mobile, considerably nicer to look at than Atomic Browser, and less likely to dump you back to the home screen for no good reason than non-Apple browsers.

That's unless you use Chrome on the desktop and want to sync tabs, bookmarks and passwords, in which case Chrome's the one to go for.

Should you choose Office, Google or OpenOffice?

SA Mathieson — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:29:00 GMT

Microsoft Office remains the default option for 'office productivity' software. The most recent version being Office 2013, the suite of programs is better known by its key components: Microsoft Word for producing documents, Excel for spreadsheets and PowerPoint for presentations.

But it comes at a cost, and for some businesses, cloud computing and open source software offer better options, sometimes for free.

Small businesses tend to buy Microsoft Office along with a computer, not least because this is usually been the cheapest option. The basic version of Office 2013 for small business – which also includes Microsoft Outlook, the email and calendar package – adds £159 (exclusive of VAT, as with all prices mentioned here) to the price of a Dell PC or laptop, although discounts are sometimes available.

Cloud computing – which simply means using the internet, rather than your own computers, to store files and software – offers an alternative. It can provide access from any device with an internet connection, including tablet computers and smartphones, although screen size may make access tricky with the latter. And you can get everything offered by Microsoft Office, along with some interesting extras, from Google for free at a basic level.

Gmail option

Google's Gmail is well known as a free webmail service, but through Google Drive (formerly known as Google Docs) the firm also offers equivalents of Word, Excel and PowerPoint in a web browser.

These have pros: files are available anywhere and can be used by several people in several locations simultaneously, with users able to see what their colleagues are doing.

There is also the option of linking in other Google services such as Fusion Tables, which generates maps with clickable pointers from spreadsheets; Analytics, which analyses web traffic; and its paid-for advertising service AdWords. These can all use the same log-in, although some have little integration with other Google services.

However, there are significant drawbacks. The components of Microsoft Office tend to have more features, so advanced users of spreadsheets are likely to need to stick with Excel. Also, many users have been trained or become accustomed to Microsoft, and there is a cost, at least in time, in retraining them to use an alternative.

But if you have far-flung staff who need only basic office software functionality, Google's products may well be sufficient, particularly as most people have a Google account that can be set to give them access.

Business choice

The firm packages them together in a higher spec version called Google Apps for Business, which provides 25GB of space rather than 10GB in the free version. It allows you to use your own domain name rather than gmail.com and a guarantee on availability – costing £3.30 a month per user with a month's free trial.

For those who want to stick with Microsoft, the firm has hit back with Office 365 , a cloud computing version of its software suite that includes Outlook as well as Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Documents can be saved online in Microsoft's SkyDrive service, which can also be used by normal versions of Office 2013, and the files are compatible with desktop versions of Microsoft Office 2007, 2010 and 2013.

The basic small business service costs £3.90 a month a user, or £39.60 a year – working out at the same monthly £3.30 charged by Google. It has similar specifications, too, with 25GB of storage space, the ability to use your own domain name, support and an availability guarantee, and a free month's trial.

There is also a £100 per user per year option which provides the software on your own computers, as well as other features.

A further option, either as an alternative or in addition to cloud computing, is open source software.

Apache OpenOffice is an office productivity package that can be used for any purpose free of download and licence fees. Its components, which include Writer for word processing, the Calc spreadsheet and Impress for presentations (as well as drawing and database software), have a level of functionality much closer to Microsoft Office than Google Apps, and they function as a single piece of software rather than a suite of connected ones.

Support

In terms of support, you get what you pay for with free software – there is a lot of advice online, but no guarantees. But OpenOffice has been around for 20 years and is used widely: since its latest version, 3.4, was released in May 2012, it has been downloaded more than 44 million times. Also, as with Microsoft Office's 'normal' version, it will work offline, whereas cloud computing is only as good and fast as your internet connection.

A smart business, even one with a very limited budget, should consider mixing and matching. Microsoft, Google and OpenOffice can all use open file formats that work in different types of software – for example, Google and OpenOffice can open Microsoft Word's .doc and .docx formats – although don't assume the results will always look exactly the same when viewed or printed.

If you fancy sticking your head in the cloud for office software, by using Google Apps or Office 365, you can always provide staff with a free version of OpenOffice as well to allow them to work offline.