Software : Microsoft delivers Message Center to Office 365

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• Microsoft delivers Message Center to Office 365
• In Depth: Best torrent client: 8 we recommend
• Updated: Motorola's Moto X phone aims for 2-sec snapping, Clear Pixel images
• Updated: OK Moto X: Motorola highlights new phone's voice command powers

Microsoft delivers Message Center to Office 365 Posted: Microsoft has added to its cloud-based Office 365 productivity suite with a new communications tool for IT administrators. Named Message Center, the feature acts as an internal messaging system that allows Microsoft to notify admins of changes and updates to the service while warning them when browsers and other software becomes incompatible. Accessible via a link in the left-hand sidebar after logging into the admin portal, Message Center displays messages alongside three columns that show when actions need to be completed, when the message was received and when it expires. In-depth Microsoft says updates sent via Message Centre go into more detail than information provided in service alert emails, giving admins a gentle nudge in its direction in the process. It adds that the service is set to receive new features over time, including a wider range of languages and information specific to its customers' organisations. It is the latest in a long list of features found on Office 365's tool belt, following integration with Yammer, SharePoint, and Windows 8 OneNote, in addition to business intelligence tool Power BI. Microsoft claimed back in April that the service is well on its way to adding $1 billion to the company's coffers annually.

In Depth: Best torrent client: 8 we recommend Posted: It may only be 12 years old, but BitTorrent has already become a hugely popular technology, an efficient peer-to-peer file sharing protocol which makes it quick and easy to distribute files across the internet. There's been considerable controversy along the way. Torrents are often used to share copyrighted material, for instance, while others see them as a great way to spread viruses. The technology has many legitimate applications, though. You might use torrents to, say, fetch a massive Linux distribution, grab a file from Amazon's S3 storage, or access more than a million files at the Internet Archive, faster and more reliably than with a conventional HTTP download. There's only one problem: most browsers won't download torrents natively, so you'll need a specialist torrent client to help. Which one? Keep reading for eight of the best torrent clients around. 1. uTorrent Despite being compact and extremely lightweight, uTorrent still comes packed with support for all the standards you'll need (DHT, SSL, SSL, UDP, protocol encryption, UPnP and more), along with plenty of extras (RSS feed reading, and a Boss key to hide the program quickly). None of this power gets in your way, though. Various tweaks and advanced options are on offer if you need them, but if you prefer a simple life then the default settings are generally fine, and simply clicking a torrent link is usually enough to download it. While this mix of power and simplicity has helped to make uTorrent the most popular torrent tool around, ads and bundled adware have also earned it plenty of criticism. The program makes multiple attempts to install toolbars and other unnecessary extras during setup, for instance: pay close attention during installation if you want to avoid this. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. qBittorrent QBittorrent is a capable tool which aims to provide a free, open source alternative to uTorrent. For the most part it does very well, too, and provides builds which can run on Windows, Linux, Mac and more. The program is relatively lightweight and straightforward, a well-designed interface making it easy to find your way around. The built-in search engine helps find you what you need, a click or two will start the download, and a few minutes of exploring the program tabs and right-clicking various items will get you up to speed with the basics. You don't always get the extras available elsewhere; there's no mass of scrolling graphs to highlight current download performance, for instance. QBittorrent delivers the core functionality you need, though, and more (DHT, PeX, encryption, UPnP, RSS reading, IP filtering, torrent creation), and it's a great choice for more experienced torrent users. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. MediaGet There's a lot of jargon surrounding torrents, but if the regular clients seem a little intimidating then you do have alternatives. MediaGet, for instance, focuses so much on its integrated search engine that initially at least you may not realise it's a torrent client at all: it's all very simple and straightforward. This can't last for long, of course, and once you're downloading the program presents a more familiar screen, with tracker details, peer lists, your file status and more. You can access a few more advanced features, too, setting upload and download speed limits or creating new torrents of your own. MediaGet is really about ease of use, though, so even its "detailed" screen can be hidden, if you'd prefer. All you'll then see is the basic download status, no more complex than a browser, before you get to view or play the file once it's arrived. On balance you'll probably be better off taking a few minutes to learn a more advanced client, but if you're simply not interested then MediaGet could be a very acceptable alternative. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. BitTorrent Free Should BitTorrent Free be in this list? It's certainly a capable torrent client, lightweight, fast, easy to use, with convenient features like the ability to play media files before they're fully downloaded. It's hard to get too excited about any of this, though, because essentially it's just a rebranded version of uTorrent. The same code, from the same team, just with a different colour scheme. If you're trying out torrent clients, then, make sure you choose one or the other, rather than both. And again, pay close attention during the installation process, because by default this will install plenty of software which you don't really need. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5. Vuze While most torrent clients concentrate simply on finding and downloading files just as quickly as they can, Vuze (the program formerly known as Azureus) is a little more ambitious. You can play HD video, for instance, and integrate the program with iTunes. A host of plugins allow you to add all kinds of advanced features, from scheduling tools to RSS feed readers and generators, all kinds of remote control options, even a Sudoku game. Pay £19.90 a year for Vuze Plus and you can even get antivirus and DVD burning (as well as the removal of all ads). This does help to make Vuze one of the more heavyweight torrent clients, of course, even if you do manage to avoid the unnecessary software it wants to install during setup. But if you like the extensibility its plugin system provides than Vuze could be very appealing. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. Opera If you'll only download torrents very occasionally, then you may not have to install a specialist torrent client at all. The Opera browser has built-in torrent support, and treats the files just like any other download: click a link, choose an option or two, and you can watch its progress in the Downloads manager. This won't necessarily be the best solution. You may still have to navigate some technical terms (the first Preferences dialog lets you choose the "Incoming listen port", for instance). And you won't get the advanced features and optimisations available in specialist torrent clients, which means your files may take a lot longer to arrive. If you're interested in performance, then, or want to make use of torrents on a regular basis, then we'd look elsewhere. But if you value simplicity above all else then Opera is ideal. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. Transmission-Qt Win As an open source torrent client, you can be sure that Transmission won't inflict toolbars, ads or other irritations on you. The program does have plenty of advanced features - magnet links, DHT, encryption, UPnP port forwarding and a whole lot more - but it still manages to be one of the most lightweight and efficient torrent tools around. PC users will quickly notice one rather significant problem, though: the developers have focused on Mac and Linux builds, and there isn't a standard Windows version available. Of course the other advantage of open source projects is anyone can take the code and reuse it, and fortunately that's happened here. The core Transmission code has been rebuilt for Windows under the name Transmission-Qt Win, and while the interface is a little basic when compared with some of the competition, if you're familiar with torrent technology then you should have no real problems at all. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8. Tixati If you're tired of the adware so often bundled with other torrent clients, then Tixati will come as a refreshing change. Installation is fast and easy, no unwanted extras or endless "Decline" buttons to hit: it's just all very straightforward, more about helping you than making money for its developers. The program itself is smartly designed. There are plenty of advanced features - PEX, DHT and Magnet Link support, RC4 encryption, scheduling, RSS - but it's not overly complex. Pop-up alerts explain how and why to set up items like bandwidth throttling, for instance, system resource use is minimal, and clean and clear displays keep you in touch with all your downloads. Factor in its excellent performance, too, and Tixati a great choice for torrent beginners and old hands alike.

Updated: Motorola's Moto X phone aims for 2-sec snapping, Clear Pixel images Posted: Update: Our hands on with the Moto X phone has revealed more about the camera. Though the Clear Pixel tech makes up for the pixel shortage, and the RGBC sensor is supposed to capture more light, the photos only "appeared a bit washed out and overly bright." This doesn't bode well since the camera seems to be a major player for the X. But there's always more tests to run, so tune back in to TechRadar for a full review coming soon. Original article .... The Moto X wastes none of your time when dealing with its phone camera. Or at least, that's the hope. While touchless voice command is a highlight of the phone, Motorola's focused on the tactile for its snappers, creating a device where holding the screen will cause continual picture taking. No more missing life's precious moments as you fumble for the snap button. A "doorknob-esque" twist, or a little shake, makes the phone snap right into camera mode. Motorola also touted the phone's QuickCapture feature, which lets users go from "pocket to pictures in two seconds." Camera options like HDR and flash open in a side window, where swiping up allows for a quick zoom in while in camera mode, and swiping right on the screen opens the photo gallery. Camera specs and Clear Pixel On the back, the Moto X is fitted with a 10MP camera that can capture 1080p video at 30 FPS. There's an LED flash, un-amazingly as well. A 2MP snapper is affixed to the front, and that allows for 1080p HD video recording all those selfies and selfie vids of you with your friends. The Moto X camera will also be equipped with a new RGBC image sensor, Clear Pixel - special low lighting tech that has an extra set of white pixels, the only job of which is to capture light and allows for faster photo capture. Is the Moto X better than the HTC One or the new iPhone? Or is it just all hype?

Updated: OK Moto X: Motorola highlights new phone's voice command powers Posted: Update: To clarify: your phone is actually listening for you, and to you. Actively. If the Moto X is on, the microphones are on, and should be able to pick up your voice from about 30 meters away depending on your location. There are also three microphones in the top, bottom and back of the phone for better vocal recognition in your car, in your pocket and on a table. Original story Motorola's newest device, the Moto X, is out in the open, and it brings with it a bevy of specialized features and applications. Motorola has really taken their slogan "Made for you, responds to you, designed by you" to heart. The Moto X is replete with touchless control where voice command is king and saying "OK Google Now" will activate your phone to do practically anything, but only if it's already turned on. Responsive to you and you alone, there is a three step training process to learn your voice. If you have a similar voice with your buddy, there's a chance the Moto X will get confused however, Motorola has spent a lot of time making sure this happens as little as possible. Need to set an alarm? Ask your Moto X. Want to listen to music? Your X is apparently waiting patiently for you to tell it what to do. Though voice command only works to first party apps however it won't open third-party apps like Spotify. Vocal range still has yet to be confirmed, but the engineer of the Motorola's Rick Osterloh claims range is good as he was able to make a phone call with the device in his pocket. Here's a bit more about the Moto X's splashy new camera features.

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