Windows 10: The 'Insider' story

With the launch of Windows 10 just over a month away, Microsoft is gearing up for what may be the most significant update to its operating system since the release of Windows XP in 2001.

In the past, Microsoft has released different versions of Windows for PC and mobile, but Windows 10 will be used across all Microsoft devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones – as well as the Xbox games console and HoloLens, Microsoft's new wireless holographic headset.

It is also the first time Microsoft will offer Windows "as a service". The company is doing away with its traditional sales model, whereby customers buy a copy of Windows, and then either buy it again when a new version is released or stick with the old version. Now, when a customer buys a copy of Windows 10 they will receive regular updates that will keep the operating system up-to-date at no additional cost.

Windows 10 also comes with a raft of new features, such as a new Start menu that combines the Windows 7 Start menu with live tiles from Windows 8, a new web browser called Microsoft Edge, and integration with Microsoft’s personal assistant Cortana – already on Windows Phone – which will pop-up with notifications and act as a search tool.

Given that this will be, as Microsoft developer Jerry Nixon put it, "the last version of Windows", Microsoft is keen to get it right. For this reason, the company launched its 'Insider' programme in September 2014, giving early adopters and enthusiasts the chance to experience Windows 10 before its public release, and provide feedback.

What is Apple Music?

pple Music is the Californian company's first step into digital streaming, and incorporates your own music, the Apple Music library and carefully curated digital radio stations including 24/7 broadcast Beats 1.

Apple revealed the service at its Worldwide Developers Conference(WWDC) earlier this month, with help from rapper Drake and up-and-coming singer The Weeknd. According to chief executive Tim Cook, it will "change the way you experience music forever.”

How will it do that?

Apple is in the unique position of gaining millions of users across the globe in a single swoop thanks to the way it's preparing to distribute the new app. On Tuesday June 30, compatible iPhone, iPad, and iPod touches will be able to update to iOS 8.4, Apple's latest software, which will contain Apple Music. Mac and PC users can also access Apple Music, while Android and Apple TV owners will have to wait until the autumn.

While Spotify is by far the biggest streaming service in the UK, the fact Apple has now partnered with Taylor Swift to stream her record-breaking album 1989 is a real victory for the company following Swift'scondemnation of the company for failing to pay artists during the three-month free trial period available to all those who want to test out the service before committing to its $9.99 monthly subscription fee.

So how does it work?

• Apple Music: first hands on

Apple Music draws from two sources - your iTunes library of downloads and ripped CDs, and from the 30 million plus songs available from the Apple Music library - not the iTunes store.

Once you start using the service, you’re asked to select the musical genres which appeal the most to you, which in turn will generate a selection of artists for you to pick to give the app an idea of what to suggest for you in terms of playlists, acts and tracks. This also works for the artists you dislike, which is handy if you have a burning aversion to Ed Sheeran, for example.

One way to navigate your way around your library is by using Siri, who has been given a light-hearted Music overhaul. Giving the digital assistant commands like ‘Play me the song that was number one on December 9 1988’ or ‘Play the best 50 Cent song’ is a whimsical way to summon up new tracks quickly.

One point Apple is really keen to push is how its genre-based radio stations are curated by music-loving humans and not algorithms, and the knowledge each rock, funk or indie playlist has been lovingly cobbled together by someone who really knows their stuff gives it more of a personal touch than scrolling through automated lists.

The Beats 1 live radio station features DJs Zane Lowe in LA, Ebro Darden in New York and Julie Adenuga in London, broadcasting 24 hours a day. The station won’t mimic a traditional radio broadcast insofar as it won’t include regular news intervals, but will boast interviews with high profile music figures and guest host slots. Zane Lowe's first interview will be with Eminem.

How much will it cost?

To entice people into trying it out, Apple is offering a three-month free trial, after which they will be charged $9.99 a month. UK pricing is still set to be announced.

You can still use Apple Music for free while signed into the service on your Apple ID, but functionality is pretty limited. You can view and follow artists under the Connect tab and listen to the Beats 1 radio station, but that's it. With a subscription you can skip through other Apple Music radio stations, save content to your library for offline listening and take advantage of expert music recommendations. Similarly, using Spotify without a subscription limits you to shuffling through songs and seemingly endless adverts.

How can I download Apple Music?

In order to use Apple Music, your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch must be updated to iOS 8.4, the latest iOS software update expected to roll out on June 30. It will also be available on Mac and PC from June 30, while Apple TV and Android users will have to wait until the autumn. It can also be used on Apple Watch.

Future iPhones could come with a bendy screen

Apple is "serious" about developing iPhones with flexible screens by as early as 2018 and already has its top display suppliers working on the displays, according to reports.

The company is planning to replace the iPhone's current LED-backlit Multi-Touch display with a new organic light-omitting diode (OLED) screen - also used in the Apple Watch, a source told Business Korea.

“It is very likely that the first flexible iPhone may be introduced in 2018, as Apple's top-tier display suppliers are working on it,” the source said.

LG Display, which supplies many of the displays used in Apple products, is planning to switch one of its LCD supply lines to produce OLED panels en masse by 2017, they added.

The news comes as speculation as to what the next iPhone - believed to be called either the iPhone 6s or the iPhone 7 - gains momentum ahead of a slated September launch.

This could well prove to be a rumour with foundation - Apple has filed and been granted many patents around flexible devices and screens over the years.

One granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office in January gives the company permission to produce "a flexible electronic device" which may include "a flexible display, a flexible housing and one or more flexible internal components".

^{An image from Apple's patent demonstrating how an 'electronic device' could be flexible}

A flexible device could be more resistant than its rigid counterparts as it may bend or deform while absorbing the impact from a fall, and the motion of twisting it could be used as a command trigger for an action such as turning the device on or off, the patent explained.

^{Apple's 'flexible device' patent}

The Californian company was granted a similar patent for flexible displays in October last year, and another in February 2013. in November 2013, a source said two iPhone models were in development with curved glass screens, but given the sizing of the rumoured phones (4.7 inches and 5.5 inches respectively), it appears the source was referring to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

Shortly after the release of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in September last year, a number of customers complained their 5.5-inch 6 Plus handsets had appeared to bend after being carried in pockets. Apple said that only nine customers had complained, and that the handset should not bend when used normally.

Uber Ruling Threat To App-Based Cab Business

                                

A ruling in the US threatens to send shockwaves through a global start-up which has revolutionised the taxi industry.

The California Labor Commission has ordered that a driver for the cab service Uber should be considered a company employee, not an independent contractor.

The ruling could undermine the entire business model of the controversial mobile-based ride hailing service, which has sparked mass protests by black cabs drivers in London.

By treating drivers as independent contractors, the firm does not have to pay benefits.

But classing them as employees would mean Uber having to pay out significant amounts for social security, workers' compensation and other charges.

Video: Uber On Driving Forward

Additional operating costs could also push up fares.

And it has possible implications for similar operations such as Uber rival Lyft, the household help service TaskRabbit, and cleaning service Homejoy.

The ruling comes after driver, Barbara Ann Berwick, filed a claim last year saying Uber owed her unpaid wages and other expenses.

Uber argued it was simply a technological platform used by independent drivers and their passengers to arrange and pay for rides.

However, the commission found Uber acted like an employer, and the driver, like a pizza delivery person, was an employee.

State hearing officer Stephanie Barrett wrote while Uber claims to be a "neutral technological platform" for independent drivers, it sets most of the terms of employment.

Uber and its management team are "involved in every aspect of the operation," including vetting prospective drivers and sacking them if their rating levels were low, she said.

As a result, Ms Barrett said Uber must "indemnify an employee for all that the employee necessarily expends in the discharge of the employee's duties".

San Francisco-based Uber said the ruling is non-binding and only applies to one driver. It is also appealing the decision.

But TechFreedom, a Washington-based think-tank, said the decision could have a negative impact on Uber and others in the so-called "sharing economy" where individuals use their own resources for business.

Uber has become one of the world's most valuable start-ups, worth an estimated $50bn, as it has expanded to more than 50 countries.

But it has faced regulatory hurdles and protests from established taxi operators in most locations where it has launched.

Facebook's New Feature: Pick Your Best Friends

                              

Who are your favourite Facebook friends? The social network will soon encourage you to decide.

It has quietly rolled out a new feature to a limited number of users which makes sure they never miss an update from a specific group of friends.

By clicking on a "See First" button on someone's profile, a Facebook user can ensure that they always see posts and updates from that person at the top of their News Feed.

It's Facebook's latest attempt to improve the feed, which is managed using an algorithm to filter out less relevant content.

A spokesman said: "We are always exploring new ways to improve the Facebook experience, and are currently running a small test of a feature that lets you indicate that you’d like to see posts from a specific person or page at the top of your News Feed."

Last year Facebook allowed users to instantly mute a friend's updates without them knowing and without unfriending.

Earlier this year the social network tweaked its algorithms to show more content in the News Feed from personal friends, rather than the pages of 'liked' brands and news organisations.

It has also started to take into account how long a user spends on a clicked link on the site to reduce the amount of so-called clickbait being posted.

Next Apple Watch May Have Video Chat Camera

                             

The next Apple Watch will feature a camera for wrist-mounted selfies and video calling, it has been claimed.

Respected Apple news site 9to5Mac said the new feature would be included in the next iteration of Apple's latest product line.

The California company is also likely to introduce a new wireless system for "greater iPhone independence", it said.

At the moment, activity tracking, mobile payment, and music playback features works without a connected iPhone nearby.

But in future text messaging and emailing could also work without a phone when the wearer is in range of an accessible wi-fi network.

The Apple Watch gold edition costs up to £13,500 in the UK, compared to the basic £479 model.

The report says that Apple is considering launching more high-end devices, just beneath the gold watch's price tier.

A new Apple Watch is expected to be announced and released at some point in 2016.

The second-generation operating system for the watch will be released in the autumn.

Google Introduces 'Undo Send' For Gmail Users

                              

Gmail has launched an "undo send" option for its email users after years of experimenting with the feature.

Users of Google's email service will get a cancellation option of five, 10, 20 or 30 seconds to retrieve misdirected emails.

The news will answer the prayers of those prone to sending rashly worded missives, unintentionally hitting "reply all", or sending typo-laden messages.

Users will need to go into their settings to enable the feature, which is by default disabled.

After an email has been dispatched, a thin yellow bar will appear at the top of the screen, giving users the chance to cancel its delivery.

The feature has actually been offered by Gmail for several years, but only to users enrolled in its "experimental labs" programme.

The tool works only when emails are sent from laptops, not from tablets or smartphones.

Greek debt crisis: Tsipras seeks to thrash out deal

The Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, is to hold fresh talks with his country's creditors as he tries to secure an urgent deal on Athens' debt.

Greece must repay €1.6bn (£1.1bn) to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by the end of the month, or face default and possible exit from the EU.

European Union leaders have broadly welcomed Greece's latest proposals for reforms - but obstacles remain.

Eurozone finance ministers are due to finalise a deal on Wednesday evening.

The agreement being formed is believed to include:

• New taxes on businesses and the wealthy
• Selective increases in VAT
• Savings in pensions linked to curbing early retirement and increasing pension contributions
• No further reductions in pensions or public-sector wages - "red lines" for Greece's Syriza government

On Wednesday, the ECB again increased additional emergency funding for Greek banks to stave off fears of a bank run - the fifth time in eight days it has done so as fearful savers withdraw up to €1bn a day from domestic banks.

Only once agreement is reached will creditors unlock the final €7.2bn tranche of bailout funds.

Google launches free streaming service, Play Music, in America

Google is launching a free version of its music streaming service Play Music.

Google Play Music already has a subscription-based service, where users pay monthly to listen to an unlimited amount of tracks.

The free version will be made up of curated playlists designed for different times of the day and tailored towards what you are doing.

The new free service, initially only available in the US, will include adverts similar to the Spotify model.

It uses Songza, an internet radio app that Google bought a year ago.

Apple's much-publicised new music service is due to launch on Tuesday 30 June and will be free for the first three months.

In the US, Google has already beaten Apple to the market with this announcement.

In a blog post, Google product manager Elias Roman said: "Even if you're not already a Google Play Music subscriber, we've got you covered.

"Google Play Music now has a free, ad-supported version in the US, giving you a new way to find just the right music - and giving artists another way to earn revenue.

Eurozone business growth rate at four-year high

                           

The eurozone's economic recovery is continuing, a survey has suggested, with business output growing at its fastest rate in four years in June.

The CIPS/Markit composite purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 54.1, compared with 53.6 a month earlier - its highest reading in 49 months.

A reading above 50 indicates growth, while a reading below 50 suggests a fall in activity.

Markit said the services sector had seen its best quarter for four years.

In addition, factories enjoyed their best quarter of production growth for a year, "highlighting the broad-based nature of the upturn".

Employment and new orders also rose at their strongest rates for four years in the second quarter.

"Despite the cloud of the Greek debt crisis hanging over the region, the eurozone saw economic growth accelerate to a four-year high in June," said Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit.

"The PMI is signalling GDP growth of 0.4% for the region as a whole in the second quarter."

The eurozone's gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 0.4% in the first quarter,according to official figures.

Canadian government websites go dark after 'cyber attack'

Multiple Canadian government websites have been brought back online after they went dark for several hours in a hacking attack.

Tony Clement, a member of parliament and president of the Treasury Board, said that government servers had suffered a cyber attack on Wednesday.

Mr Clement said he did not know whether any data had been taken.

A video posted online claimed that the Anonymous hacking group was responsible for the attack.

"We are working very diligently to restore services and to find out the origination of the attack," Mr Clement said.

CTV News reported that the websites went down around midday (04:00 GMT) on Wednesday.

Some of the sites including those of Canada's spy agency and its parliament were restored around 15:00 local time.

Mr Clement told reporters that the attack was a Dynamic Denial of Service (DDOS) attack.

DDOS attacks are a common type of web attack that involves overloading a web server with too many requests.

BlackBerry 'looking at launching Android phone'

BlackBerry is considering equipping an upcoming smartphone with Google's Android software for the first time, an acknowledgement that its revamped line of devices has failed to win mass appeal.

The move would be an about-face for the Canadian company, which had shunned Android in a bet that its BlackBerry 10 line of phones would be able to claw back market share lost to Apple's iPhone and a slew of devices powered by Android.

The move to use Android is part of BlackBerry's strategy to pivot to focus on software and device management, Reuters reported. BlackBerry, which once dominated smartphone sales, now has a market share of less than 1pc.

It is not clear whether a move to use Android would spell the end of the company's BlackBerry 10 line of devices that were initially launched to much fanfare in early 2013. After positive early reviews, the late-to-launch BlackBerry devices haven't competed well with Android or Apple, mainly due to a lack of big name apps.

"We don't comment on rumors and speculation, but we remain committed to the BlackBerry 10 operating system, which provides security and productivity benefits that are unmatched," the company said.

A Google spokeswoman declined to comment.

Twitter to raise 140-character limit for direct messages

Twitter has announced that it will raise the 140-character limit in direct messages to 10,000 characters next month, allowing users to conduct longer private conversations on the social network.

Until now, the limit on direct messages has been the same as the limit on public tweets, forcing people to send several messages in a row if they are unable to get everything they want to say into 140 characters.

The change, which will be made in July, is likely to make the direct messaging function on Twitter a lot more like Facebook Messenger – which many people now use as an alternative to email for keeping up with friends.

"You may be wondering what this means for the public side of Twitter. Nothing!" wrote Sachin Agarwal, product manager for direct message at Twitter, in a developer blog post. "Tweets will continue to be the 140 characters they are today."

The news comes after Twitter introduced a new option in April that allows users to receive direct messages from people they don't follow. Previously, users could only direct message people they followed, and who followed them back.

Twitter said the change helps users connect more easily to the people, causes and businesses they care about. Users can choose whether or not they want to receive messages from strangers using the site’s privacy settings.

Earlier this year, Twitter also introduced group messaging, allowing users to have private conversations with groups of their followers simultaneously. The members of a group do not all need to follow one another in order to chat.

Twitter chief executive Dick Costolo announced last night that he wasstepping down, after coming under pressure following lacklustre financial results. He will be replaced in the interim by co-founder Jack Dorsey.

According to Jason Mander, Head of Trends at GlobalWebIndex, this is likely to prompt a rush of new features from Twitter, as it looks to give existing users more reasons to keep on using it.

Microsoft Surface Pro tablet 'faster than iPad Air'

The iPad Air 2 may be one of the world’s best-selling tablets but, when it comes to speed, the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 is king.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 3 is 20 per cent faster than any of its rivals, beating the Apple iPad Air 2 and Google Nexus 9, according to new research by the consumer watchdog, Which?

Apple also lost out in the smaller tablet stakes, after the iPad Mini 3 (£319) was beaten by the more-affordable Tesco Hudl 2 (£99).

The tablets were tested using industry-recognised Geekbench software, which tests how quickly each tablet can complete simulations of real-world tasks such as downloading apps and running multiple programmes at the same time.

Each workload's performance is compared against a baseline to determine a score. These scores are then averaged together to determine an overall score for the system.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 3 achieved the highest score of 5,069, followed by the Apple iPad Air 2 with 4,046 and the Google Nexus 9 with 3,537.

Meanwhile, the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX was in fourth place with 3,060, followed by the Apple iPad Air with 2,687, the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro with 2,650 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S with 2,594.

"Our tablet speed test is a great indication of how fast tablets can run when downloading apps or using multiple functions at once," said Which? editor Richard Headland.

"Nowadays we expect everything in a swipe or a click of the button, so understanding how quickly a tablet is able to process information is important to buyers.”

Analysts have predicted that the global tablet market will continue to grow slowly throughout 2015, as demand falls. Gartner expects sales to reach 233 million units in 2015, up from 216 million in 2014 – a rise of just 8 per cent.

The sharp decrease in demand for tablets can be attributed to a lack of innovation in hardware, and an extension in the lifetime of tablets, according to Ranjit Atwal, research director at Gartner.

Apple Music: Streaming Service Unveiled

Apple has announced its long-awaited music streaming service, promising subscription access to tens of millions of tracks.

CEO Tim Cook revealed Apple Music - seen as a rival to the likes of Spotify - at the company's annual developers conference.

"It will change the way you experience music forever," Mr Cook told the audience.

Users will be able to stream songs or save them for offline listening.

Apple Music will also feature a 24/7 global radio station called Beats One, broadcasting from LA, New York and London.

Former Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe is one of the figures involved in that project.

Apple Music will also recommend songs.

The company boasts the suggestions will be curated by the "world's leading music experts", rather than relying solely on a computer algorithm. 

The price in the US will be $9.99 (£6.50) per month, with the first three months free. UK pricing has not yet been announced.

Unlike Spotify, it will not offer a free service supported by adverts

It launches on Apple devices on 30 June in more than 100 countries, and on Windows and Android devices in the autumn.

A Connect feature, designed to let musicians share photos, music and other updates with fans, is also a key part of the service.

Apple Music will appear as an update to the existing Music app on iPhones and iPads.

Rapper Drake and Beats headphones co-founder Jimmy Iovine were among the music industry big-hitters who appeared on stage to promote the new service.

Apple bought Beats Electronics and online music streaming service Beats Music for $3bn (£1.8bn) last year.

The San Francisco event also saw Apple announce that its Pay system is coming to the UK in July.

It means people will be able to tap their iPhone, Apple Watch or iPad to instantly purchase goods.

More than 250,000 individual outlets will support the system, including M&S, Costa, Waitrose, the Post Office and Boots.

The system will work with nearly 70% of UK credit and debit cards by the autumn.

HSBC, NatWest, Santander, TSB, Lloyds, Nationwide and Royal Bank of Scotland are among the banks on board.

Passengers on London's transport network will also be able to use it to pay for travel.

Apple also revealed the new version of its Mac operating system, El Capitan, and announced a raft of new features for its latest mobile operating system, iOS9.

These include split screen apps for iPad and a more intelligent Siri 'personal assistant' that Apple says is 40% faster and more accurate.

Apple's recently launched Watch is also getting a boost.

Apps will now able to run 'natively' on the watch itself, rather than a linked iPhone doing most of the work.

The company says it will allow developers to come up with more sophisticated, powerful apps that take full advantage of the device.

Apple's news aggregation app was also shown off at the San Francisco conference.

It curates a personalised version of the news based on a user's interests and will launch first in the UK, US and Australia.

Microsoft announces Windows 10 release date: July 29

                           

Unlike previous Windows releases, you won't have to go to a store -- whether online or brick and mortar -- to get it. Windows 10 will come as a free upgrade to anyone with a Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 PC. Customers with Windows Phone 8.1 will also be eligible for a free Windows 10 upgrade on their smartphones.

Windows 10 will be Microsoft's first major update to its operating system in three years. Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) understands that Windows 8 wasn't well-received by customers, and most of its updates to Windows 10 reflect that.

The new Windows offers a familiar experience to Windows 7 users who never made the jump to Windows 8, while still bringing some innovations to the PC that tablet and smartphone users have 

Start is back: Windows 10 brings back the Start menu, which organizes all of the PC's program files, folders and settings as well as tiles that were abundant in Windows 8.

The desktop is back too: Windows 10 boots straight to the desktop, and it stays there. You can run multiple desktops too, if you'd like. If you have a tablet or a tablet-laptop hybrid, Windows 10 will automatically adjust to deliver the best experience for the screen it's running on through a feature called Continuum.

Edge: Internet Explorer is taking a backseat to a new and improved Web browser called Microsoft Edge. It supports extensions and applications, offline reading and reading mode, lets you write directly on websites, and integrates Cortana to give you directions to restaurants and other locations.

Cortana: Microsoft's Siri-like Cortana voice assistant will live in the task bar. You can ask it to do a number of tasks either by typing or saying "Hey Cortana" and then speaking your command. When you click on the "Ask me anything" search box next to the Start button, Cortana will give you a list of weather, news and other events tailored to your interests. It can tell you about your computer and launch apps.

Notifications: A new Action Center gives you a quick glance at your PC's status. Emails, updates and app messages all appear in a drawer that pulls out from the right hand side of the screen.

Security: You can even unlock Windows 10 with facial recognition software, finger print scans or an iris reader. The feature, called "Windows Hello," requires some special equipment -- most PCs don't come with biometric scanners installed.

Phone-like updates: if you upgrade to Windows 10, you'll get free Windows upgrades for the life of your PC or phone.

To reserve a free installation of Windows 10, Microsoft will be sending existing Windows customers notifications. Look for an icon that will pop up in your system tray at the bottom of your screen. If you click on the icon, Microsoft will allow you to complete the reservation process.