Amazon Kindle Fire to enter tablet computer market

Amazon Kindle Fire to enter tablet computer market

Amazon has unveiled a colour tablet computer called the Kindle Fire.

The $199 (£130) device will run a modified version of Google's Android operating system.

Until now, the company has limited itself to making black and white e-readers, designed for consuming books and magazines.

As well as targeting Apple's iPad, Amazon is likely to have its sights on rival bookseller US Barnes & Noble, which already has a colour tablet.
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Android 'most popular' with smartphone buyers

Android 'most popular' with smartphone buyers

Smartphones running Google's Android are the most popular among those buying new handsets, suggest figures.

The survey by market research firm Nielsen shows that in the three months to the end of August, 56% of Americans buying a phone chose Android.

Apple iPhones running its iOS software were bought by 28% of new smartphone buyers.

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CompTIA Pre-Launches Storage+ Cert

CompTIA Pre-Launches Storage+ Cert

A little late but still better late than never. In partnership with the Storage Networking Industry Alliance (aka SNIA), CompTIA has created an entry level Storage+ certification for IT professionals. A beta version of this exam is available free to the first 400 people who sign up, so if you're interested you'll want to act fast. Use the discount code "storsnia" during the Pearson VUE sign-up process, when the payment page appears to see if you still qualify.

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Windows 8 secure boot would 'exclude' Linux

Windows 8 secure boot would 'exclude' Linux

Computer scientists warn that proposed changes in firmware specifications may make it impossible to run “unauthorised” operating systems such as Linux and FreeBSD on PCs.

Proposed changes to the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) firmware specifications would mean PCs would only boot from a digitally signed image derived from a keychain rooted in keys built into the PC. Microsoft is pushing to make this mandatory in a move that could not be overridden by users and would effectively exclude alternative operating systems, according to Professor Ross Anderson of Cambridge University and other observers.

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BBC revamps homepage as cost cuts loom

BBC revamps homepage as cost cuts loom

The BBC has launched a beta version of its redesigned homepage as part of an effort to drive more web traffic to BBC content and outside organisations, and to reduce costs in accordance with government cuts to BBC funding.

The homepage beta has a 'carousel' format, to allow users to scroll between different parts of the page, and is designed to be viewed on PCs and laptops, tablets, mobiles and media players, the broadcaster said at a launch event on Tuesday.

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Google+ opens social network to everyone

Google+ opens social network to everyone

Google+ is being opened up for anyone to join after two-and-a-half months in closed testing.

The search firm's latest foray into social networking was initially offered to journalists and people working in technology related fields.

However, members' ability to invite friends meant its user base quickly grew to tens of millions.

Google+ has been praised for several innovative features including its multi person "hangouts" video chat.

Two weeks after it launched, the company announced that its service had attracted 10 million users.

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15 Essential Open Source Tools For Windows Admins

15 Essential Open Source Tools For Windows Admins

Microsoft offers great tools for enhancing your server-side experience, but open source has impressive options as well.

You might imagine that the best place to go for improving your Microsoft server-side experience is to the mothership itself. In many cases, you would be right. But the truth is there are a meaningful number of open source tools that go above and beyond what Microsoft has to offer in support of Windows Server, Exchange, SQL, and SharePoint. Many of these alternatives provide -- for free -- more powerful capabilities than what you'd get with third-party retail products.

Microsoft itself has acknowledged this fact, facilitating the availability of open source tools for Microsoft admins through its CodePlex site. Microsoft, too, can be relied on for a few clear winners when it comes to free tools.

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Sony asks gamers to sign new terms or face PSN ban

Sony asks gamers to sign new terms or face PSN ban

Sony is preparing to ban gamers from the PlayStation Network (PSN) unless they waive the right to collectively sue it over future security breaches.

The firm has amended PSN's terms and conditions and users have to agree to them next time they log in.

The move comes months after a string of hacking attacks compromised over 100 million accounts of the PlayStation Network subscribers.

It is, however, possible to opt out of the agreement within the next 30 days.

Gamers will now have to try to resolve any legal issues with an arbitrator picked by Sony, before being able to file a lawsuit.

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Web firms urged to join anti-piracy drive

Web firms urged to join anti-piracy drive

UK Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has delivered a hard-hitting speech, calling on net firms, advertisers and credit card companies to cut ties with websites that link to unlawful content.

In a speech to the Royal Television Society, he said he wanted to make it harder for such sites to prosper.
Ideally the government would like to see Google remove pirate sites from its search engine completely.

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Microsoft unveils its new Windows 8 operating system

Microsoft unveils its new Windows 8 operating system

Microsoft has taken the wraps off the next generation of its Windows operating system.

Windows 8 is designed to run on tablet computers, as well as desktop and laptop PCs.

The software, which is due to be released in 2012 will work on the popular ARM-designed low power processors for the first time.

Microsoft has been under pressure to come up with an answer to Apple's iOS and Google's Android platforms.

Unveiling Windows 8 at the Build developers' conference in California, Windows division president Steven Sinofsky declared: "We re-imagined Windows. From the chipset to the user experience."

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Compliments to GiddyG for the find

-Ken