Skype for Outlook.com Officially Launched

Microsoft has just introduced Skype video calling features to Outlook.com, thus allowing users of its email service to call friends straight from their browsers.

The integration is possible thanks to a browser plugin, currently available for Internet Explorer, Chrome and Firefox, with users being asked to connect Skype to Outlook.com using their Microsoft accounts.

Basically, this new option automatically imports all your Skype contacts to Outlook.com, thus making it possible to quickly initiate a video or an audio call.

Whenever you receive an email from one of these contacts, a small popup providing access to video and audio call options is displayed to initiate a conversation with just one click.

At this point, the new feature is only available in the United Kingdom, but the Skype team promised that both the United States and Germany would get it in the upcoming weeks.

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10-Inch Tegra 4 Android Tablet Prepared by HP

With NVIDIA's Tegra 4 chip official, the company's collaborators are doing their best to put together tablets powered by it. HP is one of those companies, having developed the SlateBook 10 X2.

HP hasn't actually introduced the tablet, and probably won't for a short while yet, but there are other ways for information to reach the web.

In this case, the device was spotted in an AnTuTu benchmark. Not the most informative of sources, but it is better than nothing.

The only information included in the benchmark was the clock speed of the tablet (1810 MHz) and the operating system (Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean).

Keep in mind, though, that the benchmark may very well be a fake. The score of 27,259 is definitely high enough to raise questions in regard to authenticity.

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iOS 7 Said to Be “Very, Very Flat,” May Unsettle Some Users

Sources familiar with Apple’s iOS internal testing say we’re in for some radical changes, especially on the UI side. The interface is said to be as flat as Windows Phone’s Metro.

One source tells 9to5mac that the new iOS 7, set to be unveiled at WWDC in June, is “very, very flat.”

The site says it’s “potentially unsettling” for longtime fans of the platform. Currently, iOS boasts skeuomorphic design that gives the graphics a more life-like look.

Another person familiar with the matter said, “the interface loses all signs of gloss, shine, and skeuomorphism seen across current and past versions of iOS.”

Yet another person described iOS 7 as having “a level of ‘flatness’ approaching recent releases of Microsoft’s Windows Phone ‘Metro’ UI.”

Customers won’t find it more difficult to use iOS 7, the sources said, adding that while the software does look different, its core services (including the stock apps) will “mostly operate in a similar fashion to how they do today.”

The major changes are a new icon set for all the apps that ship with the software by default, as well as new tool bars and tab bars.

The next batch of iOS devices prepared by Apple will have “polarizing filters to decrease viewing angles of on-lookers,” according to the report.

Another thing that got leaked is the actual code name of the software. Apple refers to iOS 7 as “Innsbruck” internally.

Finally, Apple has reportedly implemented a type of information panels across the iOS 7 UI, a system that resembles Notification Center.

iOS 7 is scheduled to debut at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10. It is unclear whether the company will actually ship the software then, or whether it will just offer us a demo.

OS X 10.9 is also expected to make an appearance at the event.

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CISPA Is Pretty Much Dead for Now

The controversial Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, better known as CISPA, has little chances of passing to the Senate in its current form.

According to a Mashable report, the House of Representatives’ version of the Act won’t reach the Senate in its entirety, but some of its features might be included in other bills.

CISPA passed the House last week, for the second time, with support from all parties, despite the fact that the White House has issued a veto threat if privacy and civil liberties issues are not addressed.

Another report says that staff and senators are dividing the issues and the key provisions that are absolutely necessary and they’ll be drafting separate bills.

CISPA is expected to stall in the Senate as they debate about each facet of the issue. However, even if the Act doesn’t pass in its entirety, some of its elements might be found in other bills in the near future.

In its current form, CISPA allows businesses and federal agencies to share information regarding cybersecurity threats. At the same time, the bill also poses a threat to the privacy of all Internet users.

Those who support the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act have strong business interests and argue that sharing is necessary to deflect hackers in real time.

However, opponents of the bill claim that such a law means compromising online privacy. Furthermore, it would offer protection to the companies that share data with the government.

On April 22, nearly 400 websites have joined Anonymous in protest by closing down regular activities and displaying an anti-CISPA banner, much like they did last year when they opposed SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act).

Major companies have been absent from this protest yet again, as they were last year when Internet users from all over the world were making a point of telling legislators that they have no right to control their Internet activity in order to protect business interests.

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Google Glass Has Been Hacked

The Google Glass headset has officially been hacked. A few days after the device reached developers, the high-tech glasses have been hacked to give users full control of the Android OS.

The author of the jailbreak is Jay Freeman, a well-known Android and iOS developer who tested an exploit for Android on Glass and managed to hack the device, Forbes reports.

He found a technique that might be able to remove any restrictions Google might place on Glass, although it is yet unclear what type of limitations the company is to impose on consumer versions of the glasses.

According to Freeman, jailbreaking Glass could make it possible to store data locally on the device or on the linked phone, rather than upload everything to Google’s servers. The privacy concern has been addressed by many so far.

“You take a backup from the device, modify the backup, and then restore the modified backup to the device. While the backup is restoring, you make a change to the data being restored that redirects the data being restored to overwrite a critical configuration file,” Freeman told Forbes.

“This makes the device think that it is not running on real hardware: you make it think it is instead running on the emulator used by Android developers to test their software on desktop/laptop computers. As the emulator is designed for developers, it has full control and gives you ‘root’,” he continued.

Another hacker has achieved access to the device’s root. Liam McLoughlin, another developer, had announced this the day before.

As mentioned, it is unknown if the discovered exploits will work on the versions of Glass that reach the larger population.

Thankfully for those who decide to hack into Google-developed devices, their approach on the subject isn’t as harsh as other companies’. Users and OEMs are allowed to root their devices with sanctioned methods.

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Root Exploit Already Available for Galaxy S 4

Starting today, users in various markets around the world can purchase Samsung’s latest Android-based flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S 4, as the device becomes available through both carriers and third-party retailers.

In the US, for example, the smartphone landed at AT&T, Sprint, and US Cellular, and should be released on shelves at T-Mobile, Verizon, and others soon.

For those users who would like to root their devices from day one, a solution is already available, as long as they purchase the Qualcomm-based flavor.

A root exploit has been found for the smartphone, none other than the Motochopper root that emerged recently for Motorola devices.

According to a thread on the XDA-Developers forum, the tool should work for AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile-branded models, but it might also be compatible with the Snapdragon Galaxy S 4 devices sold in other countries, including the UK.

Users interested in rooting their devices should head over to the aforementioned forum thread to download the necessary files for that, though they should keep in mind that they will be the only ones held responsible in the event that something happens with the device.

Samsung has yet to make official stock images for the Galaxy S 4, which makes it nearly impossible to repair the handset in the event it is bricked. No custom recoveries are available for it either, though they might emerge soon.

Those who would like to continue will have to follow some simple steps for that, starting with downloading the aforementioned files.

The process also includes the following:

1. Extract the entire contents of the zip file.
2. If you are using Windows, ensure you have installed the latest Samsung USB drivers available for your phone.
3. Ensure USB Debugging mode is enabled on your device.
4. Connect your device to your PC via USB.
5. If you are using Windows, navigate to the extracted directory and execute “run.bat.” If you are using Linux or OS X, navigate to the extracted directory in a terminal and execute “./run.sh.”
6. Approve the ADB connection from your PC on your device.

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How to Test Ubuntu 13.04 Without Downloading It

Ubuntu 13.04 (Raring Ringtail) has been released, but not everyone may be willing to give it a go. There’s a very simple solution to see firsthand how the system looks, without having to install or even download it.

When a new operating system is released, users scramble to install and test it. Canonical has figured out a way to let the user experience the operating system, without forcing anyone to download it.

This is not a new feature, but it should be promoted a lot more. On the official Ubuntu website, there’s a button called “Take a Tour of Ubuntu.” Despite what some people might think, that is not a link to the features of Ubuntu.

The website actually loads a mockup of Ubuntu 13.04 (Raring Ringtail) and it’s pretty convincing. They even got Unity working.

Users don’t need a large bandwidth for the internet connection and the presentation is really accurate. Check out the official Ubuntu 13.04 (Raring Ringtail) tour on Ubuntu.com.

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WikiLeaks Wins Case Against Visa in Iceland

WikiLeaks donations by Visa are allowed once more in Iceland after a three-year blockage. The ruling comes from the country’s Supreme Court.

According to the verdict, Valitor, the Visa subcontractor, had unlawfully terminated its contract with DataCell, WikiLeaks’ donation processor, ITNews reports.

Furthermore, the company must re-open the processing of donations to the famous website within the next 15 days unless they want to pay a fine which amounts to over $6,800 (€5,200) for each day.

“This is a victory for free speech,” Julian Assange says. “We thank the Icelandic people for showing that they will not be bullied by powerful Washington-backed financial services companies like Visa.”

WikiLeaks filed the suit against Valitor last summer (June 2012). They claimed that Valitor had no grounds for terminating the contract with DataCell.

The group has tweeted that the Icelandic Supreme Court is the highest court in Iceland and their decision cannot be appealed by Valitor. This means that there’s no way around this decision, unless the company wants to start paying daily penalties.

A few years ago, WikiLeaks published over 250,000 secret diplomatic notes made by U.S. officials and made many people unhappy. As a response to the scandal, Visa, MasterCard, American Express and other such operators, stopped processing payments made for WikiLeaks.

About 95% of the company’s revenue was wiped out in one go when the donations methods thinned out. The website would need to raise $1 million to continue publishing through the year, as it stated in a tweet in December.

Assange further says that he also hopes that the European Commission acknowledges that the economic blockade against WikiLeaks is unlawful and an “arbitrary censorship mechanism that threatens freedom of the press across Europe.”

The new verdict could influence the outcome of several other lawsuits started by WikiLeaks throughout Europe against subcontractors similar to Valitor.

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Next Generation Xbox 720 Will Be Revealed on May 21, Microsoft Confirms

After lots and lots of rumors from all around the world, Microsoft has officially confirmed that it's going to reveal the next Xbox (aka the Xbox 720 or Durango) on May 21, through an invitation to a special event in Redmond, Washington.

The next generation Xbox console, oft-rumored under the Xbox 720 or Durango names, has received a lot of reported details in the past few months, especially since Sony already presented its own PlayStation 4.

Now, after hearing some rumors about a possible May 21 reveal, Microsoft has decided to make things official and has begun sending out invitations to media websites from all around the world.

In the invitation, which you can check out above and below, the company mentions a "new generation Xbox."

The event will take place on May 21 at 10am in Microsoft's Redmond, Washington campus, according to Kotaku.

Microsoft's Xbox community manager, Larry Hryb, also wrote on his blog saying that the company will also present other games and details at E3 2013 in June.

Expect to hear some more details as we get closer to that date.

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Reddit Disrupted by DDOS Attack – 4/19/2013

A couple of hours ago, Reddit representatives announced on Twitter that they were working on mitigating a distributed denial-of-service (DDOS) attack that disrupted the website.

“We are working on recovering from what appears to be a DDoS,” reads one notification posted on the Reddit Status Twitter feed.

It’s uncertain who is behind the attack, but it’s clear that the downtime isn’t the result of too many users visiting the site at the same time. Reddit calls it a “malicious DDOS attack.”

A tweet posted a few minutes ago reads: “We've mitigated part of the DDoS at this time. However, certain site functions are disabled.”

Currently, the website appears to be working properly.

Judging by the posts from the Reddit Status Twitter account, the service has experienced some temporary issues over the past months, but malicious DDOS attacks haven’t been blamed for any of them up until now.

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GNOME 3.8.1 Officially Released

Matthias Clasen has announced that the first update for the 3.8.x branch is now live and available for download.

The first maintenance release for Gnome 3.8 has arrived on schedule and it's full of updates. It's worth mentioning that some of the included packages have major changes and improvements.

“The first update to GNOME 3.8, it includes many fixes, various improvements, and translation updates over 3.8.0, we hope you enjoy it.

“We won't end it here, we published the schedule for our next releases, and a first development release, 3.9.1, should be out on May 1st. Next stop will be the second update to GNOME 3.8, scheduled mid-May,” said Matthias Clasen in the official announcement.

Many of the core components have been updated to a more recent version. This list includes Clutter (1.14.0 => 1.14.2), Empathy (3.8.0 => 3.8.1), Epiphany (3.8.0 => 3.8.1), GTK+ (3.8.0 => 3.8.1), Mutter (3.8.0 => 3.8.1), Nautilus (3.8.0 => 3.8.1), Sushi (3.8.0 => 3.8.1), and Vala (0.20.0 => 0.20.1), just to name a few.

A few other components haven’t been updated at all: Gconf, Evince, gnome-disk-utility, Yelp, Totem, Zenity, network-manager, and more.

Some of the more important and visible apps received new versions, such as Evolution, File-Roller, Gedit, Orca, Rygel, and Vinagre.

You have to keep in mind that end users are not meant to install these packages. Unless you really know what you’re doing, you should wait for the developers to integrate Gnome 3.8.1 in the official repositories of your distribution.

The next release in line, for GNOME, will be the 3.9.x development branch, and the first version should be available for download by the end of the month or starting with May 1.

More details about this release and the included packages can be found in the official announcement.

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Microsoft Releases Critical Windows Security Updates

Microsoft has released a total of nine different bulletins as part of its monthly Patch Tuesday cycle, trying to fix vulnerabilities it found in Windows, Internet Explorer, and other software solutions in its product range.

Two of the bulletins are rated as “critical” and concern security flaws in Microsoft Internet Explorer and Windows Remote Desktop Client.

As far as IE users are concerned, the MS13-028 security update was released to address two different bugs in Microsoft’s in-house browser that would allow an attacker to gain the same rights as the logged in user, with the help of a specially crafted website.

The Windows Remote Desktop Client patch, labeled MS13-029, fixes a hole that could “allow remote code execution if an attacker convinces a customer to view a website containing specially crafted content that exploits it.”

In both cases, these issues were privately disclosed and no attacks have been reported.

As usual, all patches are delivered to Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and RT computers via the integrated Windows Update, so you’re recommended to install all of them as soon as possible.

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Windows 9 to Be Released This October – Rumor

Microsoft officially launched Windows 8 in October 2012, but the company is already working on Windows Blue, the first update that might see daylight in August. While some say that Blue arrives way too soon for the OS market, it appears that Microsoft has even more surprises prepared for its users.

A report published by Digitimes claims that Microsoft is already developing another operating system, most likely Windows 9, which “will serve as the next-generation Windows.”

While this isn’t the first time we hear that Windows 9 is a work in progress, the same report claims that the next Windows version might be released in October. This means that Windows 9 might see daylight only two months after the first Windows 8 makeover.

Previous reports noted that Windows 9 is indeed under development right now, but the final version shouldn’t arrive sooner than November 2014.

As usual, Microsoft doesn’t comment on these rumors, so take them with a grain of salt until something official comes out.

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Google Play Store 4.0 Screenshot Shows New Front Page

Mountain View-based Internet giant Google is gearing up for the launch of a new flavor of its Google Play Store application for devices running under its Android operating system, and some more info on what it will look like has emerged online.

Courtesy of a screenshot posted on Google+ by a YouTube employee, we can now have a look at the Play Store’s front page, which was unknown until now.

According to Android Police, the design matches the one spotted not long ago in a leaked Play Store build, and should prove a great improvement over the currently available flavor of the mobile application.

As can be seen in the screenshot, the upcoming iteration will arrive on devices with a new user interface, set to make it easier for users to find the applications they want.

The mobile software packs a new “Up” button, with the Google Play logo on it, which shows that the app is only meant for internal testing at the moment, and not for public use. The fact that the screenshot has already been removed from the employee’s Google+ page confirms that.

Google Play Store 4.0 will also come with a new icon for each of the various content sections available for users to access. These buttons are flat, with 1-color designs, and were not present in the previously leaked build, Android Police notes.

The action bar is still there, though chances are that it might be modified before the application arrives on devices around the world, it seems.

No specific info on when the new software version might be released has been provided as of now, but the next several weeks might bring some more details on the matter, given that the Google I/O conference is on track for the next month. Keep an eye on this page for more on the matter.

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Microsoft to Kill Windows XP One Year from Now

While Windows 8 still fails to excite, Microsoft goes on with its plans to retire the 11-year-old Windows XP, trying to convince everyone still using it to make the move to a newer platform.

As of April 8, 2014, Microsoft will no longer provide users with updates and security patches for the very popular Windows XP, so consumers still running it have no other option than to deploy Windows 7 or Windows 8.

According to figures released by Net Applications for the month of March 2013, Windows XP is currently installed on more than 38 percent of the computers worldwide, which is a clear sign that Microsoft will have a very difficult job killing the platform.

Disappointed with the overall performance of Windows 8, several users have already expressed their intention to stick to Windows XP, despite Microsoft’s warnings that doing so will basically expose their data and make their computers vulnerable to attacks.

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Google May Be Looking to Buy WhatsApp

The mobile space has shaken things up quite a bit. While giants like Google or Facebook aren't doing too bad in the space, considering how big they are, that's not much of an achievement. At the same time, several mobile first or mobile only services have grown quite big and powerful.

Instagram is one example, Facebook snatched it up for what seemed a huge price, but it was probably well worth it.

Google has mostly relied on its own products on the mobile front, with a few exceptions. But it may be looking to make a big move and acquire the rather popular messaging app WhatsApp.

Digital Trends says it has sources saying the two companies are negotiating an acquisition and that WhatsApp may be worth over $1 billion, €768 million.

It's no secret that there are plenty of companies interested in WhatsApp, Facebook was one of the at one point. So Google could at least be talking to WhatsApp.

But that doesn't necessarily mean an acquisition is impending, especially since it's working on its own messaging app, Babble or Babel, to be unveiled next month.

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The Full Google Glass Presentation at SXSW – Video

Google Glass is still very much a work in progress. A few thousand people will get the device soon, the experimental "Explorer Edition," and Google is expected to make it widely available by the end of the year.

But for it to have any chance, it's going to need a lot of polish out of the box and for developers to support it.

This is why, even as it kept the public mostly in the dark, only releasing a few details, it has already started working with developers with the Mirror API.

In fact, after a few rather secretive sessions, Google spilled the beans in a 50-minute session at SXSW. In it, Google went through the Mirror API, the API for the Google Glass, and detailed its ideas for the device.

The talk by Senior Developer Advocate Timothy Jordan is titled "Building New Experiences with Glass."

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Facebook Home for Android Goes Official

Today, Facebook announced a new set of applications for the Android operating system, called Facebook Home and set to bring a new social experience to devices running under Google's mobile OS.

The new set of apps will arrive in the Google Play Store and will be available for download for users with the current Facebook app for Android.

Just as previous rumors suggested, Facebook Home will work as a launcher on Android, with a homescreen experience focused on Cover Feed, which will deliver a feed of stories and photos from friends. There will be no chrome, no logo, but only content for users to enjoy.

Additionally, there will be a new messaging app available as part of Facebook Home, called Chat Heads, which will enable users to engage into conversations while still remaining focused on what they were doing.

Facebook Home will arrive on Android phones on April 12, and will be released on HTC One X, Samsung Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II at first, with HTC One and Galaxy S 4 expected to receive it soon as well, while also set to land on tablet PCs in a few months.

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Xbox 720 Won't Allow Games to Be Played Without a Constant Online Connection, Report Says

Another day, another Xbox 720 report, this time with a new rumor about the console's constant online connection requirement, saying that the next generation console won't even allow users to start games or applications if their internet isn't working.

The Xbox 720, unlike Sony's PlayStation 4, is still being kept under a shroud of mystery by Microsoft although lots of rumors have started to appear in recent months.

The latest arrives from Kotaku and sheds some more light on the possible mandatory internet connection requirement of the new console.

According to the website's sources, the Xbox 720 must be constantly connected to the internet in order to even allow users to play games or access applications.

While the console will allow for connections to be dropped once a game or app is running, after a certain period, currently at 3 minutes, it will suspend the game or app and start a network troubleshooter program.

As of yet, Microsoft still isn't commenting about its next-gen device.

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Microsoft to Launch Its Own Google Glass Rival – Rumor

Even though it bets big on touch computing, the Redmond-based technology giant Microsoft is reportedly showing up a growing interest in wearable tech, as the company is believed to be working on a new device that would compete with Google’s very own Glass.

Analyst Brian White revealed during a conference with investors that Microsoft is very likely to come up with a new technology similar to Google Glass, possibly running Windows or a modified version of its core operating system.

Google Glass is still in concept stage, but the project is enjoying a terrific success, especially thanks to a worldwide advertising push put in place by the Mountain View search giant, a longtime Microsoft rival, not only in the field of search engines, but also when it comes to some other products, such as email platforms.

If rumors are true and Microsoft is indeed working on a Google Glass rival, the Windows maker is very likely to go well beyond the features believed to be part of Google’s final project, such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, and cameras.

The company will most likely go for a deeper integration of its Windows operating system that would allow those wearing it to connect to a number of services on the go.

Brian White claims that Microsoft is working on this project as we speak, so expect the first prototypes to be revealed in early 2014, before eventually going on sale later that year.

“It appears to us that Google has made significant breakthroughs around software applications as it relates to this new product,” he was quoted as saying by Apple Insider.

“As such, we believe this initiative will kick off a major push into the field of wearable electronics and therefore will be closely scrutinized.”

As usual, Microsoft has refused to release a comment on its future projects, but it’s pretty clear that 2014 is going to be a very interesting year for the company, as the next major release of its OS, new Surface tablets and several other key products are also expected in about 12 months.

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